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Corey Tomkins (Director of Ideal Group) – Jimmy Talks Construction
In this episode of Jimmy Talks Construction, Jimmy sits down with Corey Tomkins from Ideal Group Australia (Brisbane) to break down what it really takes to scale a contracting business without losing your mind, your margins, or your family time.
Corey runs a carpentry contracting business working with Tier 1 and Tier 2 builders across Southeast Queensland, with around 26 staff. He shares the full story — starting his apprenticeship with his old man, learning painful business lessons early (ATO debt, unpaid super, and old-school realities), then building his own company through the chaos of COVID and the pressure of growth.
This episode dives into the real stuff construction business owners deal with:
- Pivoting during COVID from renovations to contracting
- Scaling aggressively (to ~16 guys fast), then nearly burning out
- The personal load behind business stress (family, cancer diagnosis, marriage, first child)
- The late payment reality and “45 days end of month” terms that crush contractors
- Building systems and admin support so the business isn’t held together by the owner
- Managing risk as jobs get bigger (scope, responsibility, and decision-making)
- Leadership lessons: letting go of control and empowering people to do their job
- Employee entitlement, labour shortages, and what the next generation needs to understand
If you’re a contractor, builder, carpenter, business owner, or you’re trying to scale beyond a small crew, this one is full of lessons on growth, cash flow, leadership, and staying in the game long enough to win.
Connect with Corey:
🌐 Website: https://idealgroupaustralia.com/
📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@OnsiteInsightPodcast
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ideal_aus/?hl=en
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ideal-group-3b3a67182/
Connect with Jimmy:
🌐 Website: https://starbuckgroup.com.au
📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JimmyTalksConstruction
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/starbuckexcavation
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/starbuckexcavation
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-starbuck-13336546/
Buy CONEXPO 2026 Tickets NOW, and don’t miss my small business workshop on the Friday!
https://www.conexpoconagg.com/attend-the-show/registration-and-pricing
Use code STARBUCK20 to save 20% (valid through to March 2).
View all episodes
By James StarbuckIn this episode of Jimmy Talks Construction, Jimmy sits down with Corey Tomkins from Ideal Group Australia (Brisbane) to break down what it really takes to scale a contracting business without losing your mind, your margins, or your family time.
Corey runs a carpentry contracting business working with Tier 1 and Tier 2 builders across Southeast Queensland, with around 26 staff. He shares the full story — starting his apprenticeship with his old man, learning painful business lessons early (ATO debt, unpaid super, and old-school realities), then building his own company through the chaos of COVID and the pressure of growth.
This episode dives into the real stuff construction business owners deal with:
- Pivoting during COVID from renovations to contracting
- Scaling aggressively (to ~16 guys fast), then nearly burning out
- The personal load behind business stress (family, cancer diagnosis, marriage, first child)
- The late payment reality and “45 days end of month” terms that crush contractors
- Building systems and admin support so the business isn’t held together by the owner
- Managing risk as jobs get bigger (scope, responsibility, and decision-making)
- Leadership lessons: letting go of control and empowering people to do their job
- Employee entitlement, labour shortages, and what the next generation needs to understand
If you’re a contractor, builder, carpenter, business owner, or you’re trying to scale beyond a small crew, this one is full of lessons on growth, cash flow, leadership, and staying in the game long enough to win.
Connect with Corey:
🌐 Website: https://idealgroupaustralia.com/
📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@OnsiteInsightPodcast
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ideal_aus/?hl=en
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ideal-group-3b3a67182/
Connect with Jimmy:
🌐 Website: https://starbuckgroup.com.au
📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JimmyTalksConstruction
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/starbuckexcavation
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/starbuckexcavation
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-starbuck-13336546/
Buy CONEXPO 2026 Tickets NOW, and don’t miss my small business workshop on the Friday!
https://www.conexpoconagg.com/attend-the-show/registration-and-pricing
Use code STARBUCK20 to save 20% (valid through to March 2).