Samantha from Blue Dog Cranes joins Jimmy for a conversation about building a crane business, creating a strong team culture and what it actually takes to maintain high standards as a company grows.

Before cranes, Samantha worked in event management, running major e-commerce conferences and events in Australia and Las Vegas. Then, after her husband Ben saw an opportunity to do things differently in the crane industry, they went all in.

They purchased a small crane business with three cranes, battled through finance issues, built their team and eventually grew Blue Dog Cranes to a 12-crane operation across two Melbourne yards.

Subscribe to Jimmy Talks Construction for more conversations with the people building, running and changing the Australian construction industry.

GET YOUR TICKETS TO THE CONSTRUCTION EXCHANGE: https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1612879

Connect with Sam:

🌐 Website: https://bluedogcranes.com.au/

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bluedogcranes/

💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/blue-dog-cranes/?originalSubdomain=au

📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bluedogcranes/

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/samanthajind/

💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samantha-charlton-006ba123/

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/

Sponsorships + Guest Enquiries: [email protected]

Send in Business Problems: [email protected]

Can content compress a 20-year reputation-building journey into just six?

Charley Li, founder of Plot Joinery, joins Jimmy to unpack how brand, trust and operational discipline helped a young architectural joinery business compete against companies with decades of experience.

Charley shares how he went from studying construction management and failing to win a single client with his first business idea, to launching Plot Joinery with $20,000, progressively building an approximately 14-person team and moving into an 800-square-metre manufacturing facility.

The conversation goes well beyond joinery.

Jimmy and Charley discuss why marketing can accelerate both a great reputation and a terrible one, whether every construction business should be creating content, and how long-form media can build the trust required to win higher-margin work.

Connect with Charley:

🌐 Website: https://www.plotjoinery.com.au/

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/plotjoinery/?hl=en

💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/plotjoinery/?originalSubdomain=au

📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/plotjoinery/

📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@plotjoinery

🎙️Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sitetostudio/?hl=en

🎙️ Podcast YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@sitetostudiopodcast8482

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/

Sponsorships + Guest Enquiries: [email protected]

Send in Business Problems: [email protected]

Mathew Ryan from Ryan Developments joins Jimmy to explain how turning over approximately $3.5 million forced him to confront the difference between running a busy building company and running a profitable one.

Mathew shares his journey from completing his carpentry apprenticeship in Whittlesea to building Ryan Developments into a specialist custom-home and knockdown-rebuild company operating across Melbourne.

Jimmy and Matt discuss:

• Why high turnover does not guarantee profit
• The true hourly cost of employing a tradie
• Margin versus markup in construction
• Why underquoting is sending builders broke
• Losing a major project to a builder who quoted $200,000 less
• The risks of pricing your own labour below industry rates
• Difficult clients, unpaid claims and VCAT disputes
• Losing tens of thousands of dollars on completed work
• Why builders need to investigate their clients
• Finding a profitable niche in construction
• Why scaling a business is not always the right decision
• Creating a strong culture and looking after your employees
• Work ethic, apprentices and expectations on site

Mathew also explains why challenging sites, steep blocks, custom homes and knockdown rebuilds became the right niche for Ryan Developments—and why knowing your numbers is just as important as being a skilled tradesman.

This is an honest conversation about construction pricing, builder profitability, cash flow, leadership, employees and the realities of running a building business in Australia.

Subscribe to Jimmy Talks Construction for more conversations with Australian builders, contractors, tradies and construction business owners.

Connect with Mathew:

🌐 Website: https://www.ryandevelopments.com.au/

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ryandevelopments/

📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Ryandevelopments/

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/

Sponsorships + Guest Enquiries: [email protected]

Send in Business Problems: [email protected]

In this episode of Jimmy Talks Construction, James sits down with Michelle Cirson, founder of Subcontractor Legal and The Subbies’ Toolbox, to unpack the contractual and commercial traps costing Australian subcontractors millions.

Michelle explains why retentions are often used to support builder cash flow, how Security of Payment legislation works, why being the “good bloke” can leave subcontractors exposed and when suspending work may be the only way to bring a builder to the negotiating table.

They also discuss:

• A formworker pressured into taking on three high-rise projects with one builder

• How payment claims can be deliberately delayed or reduced

• Why subcontractors need an accounts receivable escalation procedure

• Protecting machinery and equipment through PPSR registrations

• An excavator being withheld after a subcontractor entered liquidation

• Directors’ guarantees, secured creditors and preference payments

• Fixed-price contracts and rapidly increasing fuel costs

• Variations, acceleration claims, delay costs and contractual time bars

• Why relationships alone will not protect your construction business

This is essential listening for subcontractors, civil contractors, trades, plant hire companies, commercial managers, contracts administrators and construction business owners.

This podcast contains general information and discussion only and should not be treated as legal advice.

How to Claim Costs Increases Under Fixed Price Contracts:

https://www.subbiestoolbox.com.au/cost

Connect with Michelle:

🌐 Website: https://www.subcontractorlegal.com.au/

🌐 Website: https://www.subbiestoolbox.com.au/

🎙️Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/68whpTaxxcmIDhWXNdXIu5

🎙️Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/the-subbies-toolbox-podcast/id1663062832

💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michellecirson/

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/

Sponsorships + Guest Enquiries: [email protected]

Send in Business Problems: [email protected]

Max Eagles, owner of X1 Plumbing, joins Jimmy Talks Construction to share how his first plumbing business failed—and what he changed before starting again.

In this episode, Max and James discuss:

• The difference between being a good plumber and running a profitable plumbing business
• Quoting a $40,000 job when the next price was approximately $70,000
• The apprentice mistake that flooded an entire basement
• Why verbal warnings were not enough during a Fair Work claim
• The risks of operating as a sole trader
• Calculating charge-out rates, overheads, efficiency and profit margins
• Whether taking lower-priced work is better than leaving employees at home
• Losing money on a job to protect an important client relationship
• Moving from residential maintenance into larger commercial plumbing work
• Rebuilding after failure and launching X1 Plumbing
• Hiring, leadership and maintaining company culture while growing

Subscribe to Jimmy Talks Construction for honest conversations with the people building Australia’s construction industry.

Connect with Max:

🌐 Website: https://www.x1plumb.com.au/

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/x1plumb/

📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/X1-Plumb-61568419870480/

💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/x1-plumb-pty-ltd/?originalSubdomain=au

💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/max-eagles-5248822a8/

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/

Sponsorships + Guest Enquiries: [email protected]

Send in Business Problems: [email protected]

In this episode of Jimmy Talks Construction, Jimmy sits down with Paul Tzimas for a wide-ranging conversation about construction culture, leadership, EBAs, unions, safety, productivity and the changing landscape of the industry.

Paul shares his journey from starting out as a carpenter during the GFC, to working on major commercial projects, becoming involved in the union movement, and now working with businesses through safety, industrial relations and consulting.

This episode explores the construction industry from multiple perspectives — workers, subcontractors, builders, unions and business owners. Jimmy and Paul discuss the importance of communication, hard conversations, respect on site, mental health, productivity, RDOs, project pressures and what it takes to build better working relationships across the industry.

Rather than looking at one side of the conversation, this episode focuses on the complexity of the industry and the need for more honest, practical and respectful discussions between everyone involved.

Whether you’re a builder, subcontractor, operator, apprentice, project manager or business owner, this conversation offers valuable insight into how construction is changing and what the industry can do better.

Connect with Paul:

🌐 Website: https://lteconstructiongroup.com.au/

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lteconstructiongroup/?hl=en

💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-tzimas-03a41717b/

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/

Sponsorships + Guest Enquiries: [email protected]

Send in Business Problems: [email protected]

In this episode of Jimmy Talks Construction, Jimmy sits down with Andrew Deveson, co-founder and director of Kapitol Group, for one of the biggest conversations we’ve had on the podcast.

Andrew shares the full story behind Kapitol Group’s rise — from starting with zero employees, zero revenue, and putting everything on the line, to building one of Australia’s most talked-about construction companies with 550 full-time staff and a projected $1.5 billion in turnover.

This conversation goes deep into what actually separates high-performing construction businesses from the rest: customer obsession, losing tenders the right way, managing variations, fixing productivity, dealing with COVID and inflation, controlling waste, building better systems, using data properly, and why AI could completely change the future of construction.

Andrew also breaks down the early days of Kapitol, their first $160,000 job, the discipline required to survive during the construction inflation period, why training became mandatory across the business, and why productivity may be the biggest challenge facing the entire industry.

This is a must-watch for builders, subcontractors, construction business owners, project managers, engineers, developers, and anyone interested in how a construction company can scale fast without losing sight of quality, culture and execution.

Connect with Andrew:

🌐 Website: https://www.kapitol.com/

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kapitolconstruction/

💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/kapitol-groupau/posts/?feedView=all

💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-deveson-a76995147/

📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUJjjId5sDGMdo-h3jceq8g

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/

Sponsorships + Guest Enquiries: [email protected]

Send in Business Problems: [email protected]

In Episode 52 of Jimmy Talks Construction, Jimmy sits down with Rhys Cooper, Managing Director of Cooper Civil, a southeast Queensland civil excavation business known for GPS excavation, Cat Next Gen gear, late-model machines and high-quality operators.

Rhys shares his story from growing up in New Zealand, working in forestry, travelling across Australia operating machinery, spending years in the mines, and eventually starting Cooper Civil with almost nothing behind him. From buying his first excavator to growing into a fleet of machines, Rhys opens up about the highs, lows, pressure and reality of building a civil construction business.

This episode gets into the real side of excavation and plant hire: wet hire versus contract work, GPS systems, tilt rotators, Cat gear, pricing pressure, operator quality, tough markets, the Queensland pipeline, and why growing bigger does not always mean making more money.

Jimmy and Rhys also talk honestly about success, reputation, mental health, vulnerability in construction, working with good clients, and what young operators need to understand if they want to build a proper career in the industry.

If you are in civil construction, excavation, plant hire, GPS machine control, earthmoving, or you are trying to grow a construction business, this episode is packed with real-world lessons.

Connect with Rhys:

🌐 Website: https://www.coopercivil.com.au/

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coopercivil/?hl=en

💼 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/rhys-cooper-688430164?originalSubdomain=au

📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/coopercivil.com.au/

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/

Sponsorships + Guest Enquiries: [email protected]

Send in Business Problems: [email protected]

In Episode 51 of Jimmy Talks Construction, Jimmy sits down with Garath Vella from Lorden Vella to talk about the real business of building: margins, risk, hiring, subbies, COVID, cash flow, and what it actually takes to start and grow a construction company in Melbourne.

Garath shares his path from plumbing, site supervision and project management into co-founding Lorden Vella during one of the most unstable periods the construction industry has seen. He opens up about starting with no work lined up, navigating COVID, dealing with shut-down businesses, and building a company from the ground up.

This episode digs into why builders take on work at low or even negative margins, how subcontractor pricing changed after COVID, why relationships matter more than contracts alone, and why culture, communication and good people can make or break a construction business.

They also cover hiring in construction, why resumes don’t always tell the full story, the difference between site-based and tertiary-trained project managers, education and childcare projects, apartment work, government work, and the pressure builders face when the market gets tight.

If you’re a builder, subcontractor, project manager, site manager, developer, apprentice, or anyone trying to understand the commercial construction industry, this episode is packed with honest lessons from inside the game.

Connect with Garath:

🌐 Website: https://lordenvella.com.au/

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lordenvella/?hl=en

💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lordenvella/?originalSubdomain=au

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/

Sponsorships + Guest Enquiries: [email protected]

Send in Business Problems: [email protected]

In Episode 50 of Jimmy Talks Construction, Jimmy sits down with Joel Griffs from Heidi Build for a brutally honest conversation about carpentry, construction business, insurance work, and why scaling isn’t always the answer.

Joel shares how Heidi Build has carved out its place by taking on custom carpentry, structural steel, excavation, concreting and insurance repair work, rather than following the usual online advice to “niche down” or remove yourself from the business. The conversation covers the reality of running a trade business in Australia, why margins are getting tighter, how equipment costs have changed, and why simply answering the phone and doing what you say you’ll do is still one of the strongest business models in construction.

Joel also opens up about losing more than $1 million after COVID through fixed-price building contracts, price escalations, labour shortages and cash flow pressure. He explains how he rebuilt from the ground up, starting with a $180 insurance job, and why cost control, reputation and long-term relationships matter more than ego, awards or Instagram-perfect projects.

This episode also dives into Japanese carpentry, craftsmanship, old-school building skills, apprenticeships, motorsport, property investing, and the difference between looking successful online and actually running a profitable construction business.

If you’re a builder, carpenter, subcontractor, tradie, construction business owner or anyone trying to grow a business in the Australian construction industry, this episode is packed with real-world lessons.

Connect with Joel:

🌐 Website: https://www.heidibuild.com.au/

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joel_heidibuild/

📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heidibuild/

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/

Sponsorships + Guest Enquiries: [email protected]

Send in Business Problems: [email protected]