What happens when an entire industry realizes everything they believed about profit and pricing was wrong?

Builders often feel isolated, competing on price and mistaking high cash flow for profitability.

This episode is about exposing the shocking false beliefs and financial errors holding thousands of Australian builders back.

What if you could adopt the mindset and systems of the top 1% of performers and achieve reliable, double-digit net profit margins?

In this episode of the Inspired Builders Podcast, Corné and JP sit down with Russ from the Association of Professional Builders (APB), who shares data from their annual industry report. We explore the massive shifts in mindset and strategy that are required to move beyond burnout and build the predictable business you deserve.

Russ's story is a must-listen for any builder looking to break through limitations and transform their business into a high-performance asset.

You'll learn:

- How to correctly calculate your WIP (Work in Progress) – The single most important calculation that 89% of builders get wrong, creating a huge hidden liability.

- The power of the Construction Slot Strategy – How limiting your supply creates urgency and allows you to increase your margins without being "salesy."

- Why reinvesting 3% of your revenue back into marketing is the sweet spot – And how that investment leads to higher net margins than relying solely on referrals.

Are you a builder? Do you want to be cutting-edge in your marketplace?

Schedule your Story Strategy Session:

https://go.bizvideo.com.au/consult

FREE TRAINING FOR BUILDERS

https://go.bizvideo.com.au/story-training

Disclaimer: The content in this podcast or video is provided for informational and entertainment purposes only and does not constitute professional advice of any kind, including financial, legal, medical, or business guidance—listeners and viewers should consult qualified professionals for advice specific to their situation. By accessing, listening to, or viewing this podcast or video, you acknowledge that the hosts and producers make no warranties regarding the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information presented, and all content is provided "as is." Any references to external websites, resources, or third-party materials do not constitute endorsements and do not necessarily reflect our views, nor are we responsible for their accuracy or content. Listeners and viewers participate at their own discretion and risk, and the hosts, producers, and affiliates of this podcast or video disclaim any liability for decisions or actions taken based on information shared in this podcast or video.

Every enquiry that walks through your door is cold. The referral too, and there is a reason for that. Trust and timing are two different scales, and the one every builder measures is the one they cannot control.

In this episode of the Inspired Builders Show, JP and Corne break down The Given List, a one-site walk that finds the ten things you do on every job that no client has ever heard, and where to put each one so a prospect reads it before they ring.

Also on the show. Awards season and what to post before you win. A tradie who watched one overview video and rang the builder to say he would run through brick walls for him. The two and a half year old post that proves reposting works. And why your last quarter of the year is three months long.

Corne heard the Schlitz story on the Founders podcast, in the episode on Claude Hopkins and his book Scientific Advertising. JP and Corne were also guests on Mick Halls' podcast, The Tool Shed, out soon.

The Given List one-pager is this week's cheat sheet. Email [email protected] with "The Given List" in the subject line and JP will send it straight over.

New episode every week. This show is for our builders first, and if you're not working with us yet, pull up a chair.

Are you a builder? Do you want to be cutting-edge in your marketplace?

Schedule your Story Strategy Session:

https://go.bizvideo.com.au/consult

FREE TRAINING FOR BUILDERS

https://go.bizvideo.com.au/story-training

Disclaimer: The content in this podcast or video is provided for informational and entertainment purposes only and does not constitute professional advice of any kind, including financial, legal, medical, or business guidance—listeners and viewers should consult qualified professionals for advice specific to their situation. By accessing, listening to, or viewing this podcast or video, you acknowledge that the hosts and producers make no warranties regarding the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information presented, and all content is provided "as is." Any references to external websites, resources, or third-party materials do not constitute endorsements and do not necessarily reflect our views, nor are we responsible for their accuracy or content. Listeners and viewers participate at their own discretion and risk, and the hosts, producers, and affiliates of this podcast or video disclaim any liability for decisions or actions taken based on information shared in this podcast or video.

Corne and JP both rode Brisbane to the Gold Coast this year, ninety eight kilometres with thousands of others on the start line. Corne crossed in two hours thirty five, which is roughly where he always lands. His average heart rate was 178. Every other year it has sat around 160.

JP came in about sixteen minutes off, and was surprised it wasn't worse given how he felt on the day.

Same times on the clock as usual. Nothing like the same ride. That gap was decided in the weeks before the start line, not on the road.

In episode 170 of the Inspired Builders Show, JP and Corne break down The Failure List, a ten minute exercise for naming every reason your next goal falls over, then separating the reasons you can actually do something about. It comes from Charlie Munger's inversion model, pointed at a building business.

Also in this one, a builder who shifted his marketing over the last eighteen months and is now quoting from a position where he wins either way. There is a run at why trades and suppliers reaching out is worth as much as an enquiry, a Grant Cardone point about who your content is really for, and the case for looking after supplier relationships long before the day you need to ring someone.

New episode every week. This show is for our builders first, and if you're not working with us yet, pull up a chair.

Are you a builder? Do you want to be cutting-edge in your marketplace?

Schedule your Story Strategy Session:

https://go.bizvideo.com.au/consult

FREE TRAINING FOR BUILDERS

https://go.bizvideo.com.au/story-training

Disclaimer: The content in this podcast or video is provided for informational and entertainment purposes only and does not constitute professional advice of any kind, including financial, legal, medical, or business guidance—listeners and viewers should consult qualified professionals for advice specific to their situation. By accessing, listening to, or viewing this podcast or video, you acknowledge that the hosts and producers make no warranties regarding the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information presented, and all content is provided "as is." Any references to external websites, resources, or third-party materials do not constitute endorsements and do not necessarily reflect our views, nor are we responsible for their accuracy or content. Listeners and viewers participate at their own discretion and risk, and the hosts, producers, and affiliates of this podcast or video disclaim any liability for decisions or actions taken based on information shared in this podcast or video.

The "One Percenter" Approach to Custom Building with Natasha of Regal Homes

How does a builder move from "just another contractor" to a trusted advisor that clients won't make a move without?

In this episode, we sit down with Natasha from Regal Homes in Canberra. Natasha is what we call a "one percenter"—someone who obsessively looks at how to improve her business, her team, and the client journey every single day.

After rebranding and navigating the complexities of the last few years, Natasha has doubled down on a radical approach: Human-led construction. From "unreasonable hospitality" (borrowing a leaf from the world’s best restaurants) to her famous "snack drawer" for clients' kids, she’s proving that being a "mum" in business is actually her greatest competitive advantage.

We dive into:

The "Shovel-Ready" Trap: Why chasing ready-to-build projects might be costing you the relationship.

Designing for Flow: The specific questions Natasha asks to ensure a home works for a family today—and ten years from now.

The Power of Loyalty: How backing her team during a difficult personnel shift created a culture of "stepping up."

Hospitality as a Brand: Moving beyond transactions to create an experience where clients say, "Whatever you think, Tash, I trust you."

The 1% Gains: How streamlining estimating and marketing has won back time to spend where it matters most—with the clients.

If you’re a builder looking to move out of obscurity and build a business based on deep trust and word-of-mouth referrals, this conversation is a masterclass in lead-generation through genuine care.

Connect with Inspired Builders:

https://go.bizvideo.com.au/consult

About Regal Homes:

Specialising in custom homes and multi-generational living in the Canberra region, Regal Homes is dedicated to a "client-first" philosophy that treats every project like an extension of their own family.

Connect with Regal Homes:

Website - https://regalhomes.com.au/

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/regalhomesaus/

Are you a builder? Do you want to be cutting-edge in your marketplace?

Schedule your Story Strategy Session:

https://go.bizvideo.com.au/consult

FREE TRAINING FOR BUILDERS

https://go.bizvideo.com.au/story-training

Disclaimer: The content in this podcast or video is provided for informational and entertainment purposes only and does not constitute professional advice of any kind, including financial, legal, medical, or business guidance—listeners and viewers should consult qualified professionals for advice specific to their situation. By accessing, listening to, or viewing this podcast or video, you acknowledge that the hosts and producers make no warranties regarding the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information presented, and all content is provided "as is." Any references to external websites, resources, or third-party materials do not constitute endorsements and do not necessarily reflect our views, nor are we responsible for their accuracy or content. Listeners and viewers participate at their own discretion and risk, and the hosts, producers, and affiliates of this podcast or video disclaim any liability for decisions or actions taken based on information shared in this podcast or video.

Somewhere in your system there is a list of people who asked about building with you and never heard back properly. Not because you did not care. Because it slipped. Most builders write those off as tyre kickers. They are usually just people who felt ignored.

In episode two of the Inspired Builders Show, JP and Corne break down The Ghost List, a seven-day process for reopening five dead deals without pitching anyone.

We also look at why referrals hit a ceiling long before most builders notice, and what you can do manually this week to get more people talking about you. We highlight a Sunshine Coast builder whose case study is about time with his family rather than turnover, and the idea underneath it, which is who, not how.

Then there is the fencing company that invented a builder who owed them money, just to get people to look at their work. Whether you walk into a room as an amplifier or a vampire. And why scrolling other builders' feeds is costing you more than time.

That last one comes from Tim Sayce at Kai Konstruct, on his podcast Foundations and Futures. Worth your time if you are not already across it.

https://www.youtube.com/@foundations_futures

We built a one-page cheat sheet for The Ghost List. Where to look for old deals, what to say first, and how to follow up without it feeling like chasing. Give it to someone on your team and let them work through it this week.

Email [email protected] with "Ghost List" in the subject line and JP will send it straight over.

New episode every week. This show is for our builders first, and if you're not working with us yet, pull up a chair.

Are you a builder? Do you want to be cutting-edge in your marketplace?

Schedule your Story Strategy Session:

https://go.bizvideo.com.au/consult

FREE TRAINING FOR BUILDERS

https://go.bizvideo.com.au/story-training

Disclaimer: The content in this podcast or video is provided for informational and entertainment purposes only and does not constitute professional advice of any kind, including financial, legal, medical, or business guidance—listeners and viewers should consult qualified professionals for advice specific to their situation. By accessing, listening to, or viewing this podcast or video, you acknowledge that the hosts and producers make no warranties regarding the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information presented, and all content is provided "as is." Any references to external websites, resources, or third-party materials do not constitute endorsements and do not necessarily reflect our views, nor are we responsible for their accuracy or content. Listeners and viewers participate at their own discretion and risk, and the hosts, producers, and affiliates of this podcast or video disclaim any liability for decisions or actions taken based on information shared in this podcast or video.

Some of Ben Garraway's clients get to handover and tell him they're sad it's over. For a builder, that is close to the whole game.

Ben runs Garraway Developments in Mildura, building around 30 homes a year across both sides of the Murray.

He sits down with JP to trace how it happened, starting with the one video of his own home that changed his inquiry overnight and moved the business toward long-term family homes.

They get into the hires that freed him up, bringing design in-house and cutting weeks off every quote, the leadership reset after he nearly lost good people coming out of COVID, and why he grows the business on purpose just to keep his best team.

Plus the small things that make clients feel looked after, like a photo of the slab going down so the family can drive past that night.

Watch, subscribe, and see the client stories we make for builders below.

www.bizvideo.com.au

/ bizvideo

[https://www.garrawaydevelopments.com.au/

/ garrawaydevelopments

Are you a builder? Do you want to be cutting-edge in your marketplace?

Schedule your Story Strategy Session:

https://go.bizvideo.com.au/consult

FREE TRAINING FOR BUILDERS

https://go.bizvideo.com.au/story-trai...

Two builders made the final two on a tender. One had been building that exact type of home for 30 years. The other was cheaper, newer, and lost the job. Price was not the deciding factor. Track record was.

In episode one of the Inspired Builders Show, JP and Corne unpack what track record actually means to a client, and why you can build a credible one in a week rather than waiting three decades for it.

We also get into what we're hearing from builders in the market right now, including one sitting on close to eight figures in pipeline and winning the kind of work he actually wants. We highlight Ben Garraway of Garraway Developments, who finished his overview story with us and started sending it out to his community instead of leaving it sitting on a website. And we cover why a detailed quote is not enough to differentiate you from the builder next door.

Then we hand over the tactic. Five Google reviews in seven days, with a framework that takes the work off your client so they actually write something worth reading.

We built a one-page cheat sheet for it. Ask for the review framework, the questions to ask past clients, and an AI prompt you can run with your own business details. Give it to someone on your team and let them work through it this week.

Email [email protected] with "Google Review" in the subject line and JP will send it straight over.

New episode every week. This show is for our builders first, and if you're not working with us yet, pull up a chair.

Are you a builder? Do you want to be cutting-edge in your marketplace?

Schedule your Story Strategy Session:

https://go.bizvideo.com.au/consult

FREE TRAINING FOR BUILDERS

https://go.bizvideo.com.au/story-training

Disclaimer: The content in this podcast or video is provided for informational and entertainment purposes only and does not constitute professional advice of any kind, including financial, legal, medical, or business guidance—listeners and viewers should consult qualified professionals for advice specific to their situation. By accessing, listening to, or viewing this podcast or video, you acknowledge that the hosts and producers make no warranties regarding the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information presented, and all content is provided "as is." Any references to external websites, resources, or third-party materials do not constitute endorsements and do not necessarily reflect our views, nor are we responsible for their accuracy or content. Listeners and viewers participate at their own discretion and risk, and the hosts, producers, and affiliates of this podcast or video disclaim any liability for decisions or actions taken based on information shared in this podcast or video.

The builder with the best client stories keeps winning work in 2026. Often at the highest price on the table.JP and Corne get into why social proof pulls buyers harder than any claim you can make about your own work. They pull from Robert Cialdini's Influence, then a Tokyo coffee queue that ran 80 metres down the street, then the Xero website that once sold JP on the strength of a single customer story.They break down why a real case study does what a testimonial video never can, why being too perfect can cost you the job, and how a library of client stories takes price off the table for good.There is also the part most builders miss. The hidden payoff of filming every project. One builder used a single case study to win over an estimator who had already said no, and accepted the following Monday.Are you a builder? Do you want to be cutting-edge in your marketplace?Schedule your Story Strategy Session:https://go.bizvideo.com.au/consultFREE TRAINING FOR BUILDERShttps://go.bizvideo.com.au/story-trainingDisclaimer: The content in this podcast or video is provided for informational and entertainment purposes only and does not constitute professional advice of any kind, including financial, legal, medical, or business guidance—listeners and viewers should consult qualified professionals for advice specific to their situation. By accessing, listening to, or viewing this podcast or video, you acknowledge that the hosts and producers make no warranties regarding the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information presented, and all content is provided "as is." Any references to external websites, resources, or third-party materials do not constitute endorsements and do not necessarily reflect our views, nor are we responsible for their accuracy or content. Listeners and viewers participate at their own discretion and risk, and the hosts, producers, and affiliates of this podcast or video disclaim any liability for decisions or actions taken based on information shared in this podcast or video.

John and Anthony built Hawkesbury Homes turning over two bathrooms a week. Now they run Micres and develop full time.In this episode they walk JP through the real path from one company to the other. Their first Kurrajong block where they framed the house while away on a cruise, the North Richmond three-lot subdivision, and their first architectural build on the Windsor riverbank.They get into the parts most builders get stuck on. Door knocking for off-market land, negotiating settlement terms to buy time, and how Liz reads what council will actually approve.John also opens up about how hard it was to come off the tools, and why he still keeps every one of them in his ute.If you want to move from client work into your own developments, this one's for you.Subscribe for more conversations with builders walking the path you're on.Are you a builder? Do you want to be cutting-edge in your marketplace?Schedule your Story Strategy Session:https://go.bizvideo.com.au/consultFREE TRAINING FOR BUILDERShttps://go.bizvideo.com.au/story-trainingDisclaimer: The content in this podcast or video is provided for informational and entertainment purposes only and does not constitute professional advice of any kind, including financial, legal, medical, or business guidance—listeners and viewers should consult qualified professionals for advice specific to their situation. By accessing, listening to, or viewing this podcast or video, you acknowledge that the hosts and producers make no warranties regarding the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information presented, and all content is provided "as is." Any references to external websites, resources, or third-party materials do not constitute endorsements and do not necessarily reflect our views, nor are we responsible for their accuracy or content. Listeners and viewers participate at their own discretion and risk, and the hosts, producers, and affiliates of this podcast or video disclaim any liability for decisions or actions taken based on information shared in this podcast or video.

From Obscurity to Authority with Craig Preston (Risen Developments)

How do you move from being "just another builder" to the only logical choice for your ideal client?

In this episode, we sit down with Craig Preston of Risen Developments to unpack his eight-year evolution from a generalist builder to a dominant force in the Gold Coast’s second-storey addition niche.

Craig shares the "shocking truth" about why saying no to work actually creates more opportunity, and how he built a sales process so powerful that clients trust him before they even meet him. Whether you’re struggling with "marketing wafflers" or trying to buy back your time, Craig’s journey offers a direct roadmap to building a business of calibre and purpose.

In this episode, we unpack:

The Niching Nerve: Why the fear of saying "no" is the biggest barrier to your growth.

The "No Measuring Tape" Sales Rule: How Craig builds instant authority at the dinner table.

Beyond the 1%: Why true leadership means investing in your team’s mental health and culture.

The Inspired Builders Summit: Fresh takeaways on solving the "Control Freak" bottleneck.

Marketing That Works: The difference between being a "number" and building a genuine story.

🔗 Connect with Risen Developments:

Website: https://risen.com.au/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/risenbuild/

🏗️ About The Inspired Builders Podcast:

We specialise in moving Australian builders out of obscurity and into authority. We dive deep into the strategies, mindsets, and systems used by high-performance builders to reclaim their time and dominate their market.

Subscribe to stay updated on the latest episodes.

#InspiredBuilders #RisenDevelopments #ConstructionMarketing #BuilderSuccess #GoldCoastBuilders #BusinessSystems #ConstructionLeadershipAre

you a builder? Do you want to be cutting-edge in your marketplace?

Schedule your Story Strategy Session:

https://go.bizvideo.com.au/consult

FREE TRAINING FOR BUILDERS

https://go.bizvideo.com.au/story-training

Disclaimer: The content in this podcast or video is provided for informational and entertainment purposes only and does not constitute professional advice of any kind, including financial, legal, medical, or business guidance—listeners and viewers should consult qualified professionals for advice specific to their situation. By accessing, listening to, or viewing this podcast or video, you acknowledge that the hosts and producers make no warranties regarding the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information presented, and all content is provided "as is." Any references to external websites, resources, or third-party materials do not constitute endorsements and do not necessarily reflect our views, nor are we responsible for their accuracy or content. Listeners and viewers participate at their own discretion and risk, and the hosts, producers, and affiliates of this podcast or video disclaim any liability for decisions or actions taken based on information shared in this podcast or video.