In Episode 38 of Jimmy Talks Construction, Jimmy sits down with Shane Coleman, founder of Coleman Earth Industries and a former top-tier mining excavator operator.

Shane shares his journey growing up in North Queensland, learning to operate machinery from a young age, and eventually working his way through Australia’s mining industry operating some of the largest excavators in the world.

The conversation dives deep into the mindset required to become an elite digger operator, the importance of work ethic on mine sites, and how performance and reputation follow you throughout the industry.

Shane explains how he walked away from a high-paying mining job to start his own excavation business, buying a 30-ton excavator and beginning the difficult process of finding work from scratch. From cold messaging companies on LinkedIn to door knocking civil contractors, he shares the realities of starting an earthmoving business with no guaranteed work.

Jimmy and Shane also discuss:

• What separates elite operators from average ones
• The techniques used to maximise production on large mining excavators
• Why work ethic is the most valuable currency in the industry
• The transition from employee to business owner
• The realities of building a reputation in construction and civil contracting
• Why some operators move over 100,000 tonnes in a single shift

This episode is packed with insights for anyone working in mining, civil construction, or looking to start their own earthmoving business.

Connect with Shane:

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

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

💼 LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/in/shane-coleman-376219103

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/

In the grand finale of Dirty Business, live and recorded during Conexpo week in Las Vegas, Jimmy Starbuck sits down with David Nicoll, CEO of SANY America, to discuss the future of construction equipment, global manufacturing, and the rapidly evolving heavy equipment market.

David shares his journey through nearly three decades at Caterpillar before joining SANY and leading the company’s expansion in North America. The conversation dives into the challenges of breaking into established equipment markets, building strong dealer networks, and delivering reliable machines and support to contractors.

Recorded during ConExpo in Las Vegas, the discussion also explores SANY’s growing presence in the United States, the introduction of new machines, and the company’s long-term strategy to compete with established industry brands.

Jimmy and David also talk about global supply chains, tariffs, infrastructure investment, and how emerging technologies such as AI, telematics, and automation are shaping the future of construction equipment.

Topics include:

• David Nicoll’s career at Caterpillar and transition to SANY
• SANY’s expansion in North America
• Manufacturing equipment in the United States
• ConExpo and new machine launches
• Dealer networks and product support
• Tariffs and global supply chains
• AI and new technology in construction equipment
• The future of infrastructure and heavy equipment markets

Connect with David:

🌐 Website: https://www.sanyamerica.com/

📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@sanyamerica7669

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

💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-e-nicoll/

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/

Subscribe for the full Vegas series.

Episode 4 of the Dirty Business podcast series was recorded live during ConExpo in Las Vegas and features a panel of construction industry leaders sharing their real experiences running businesses in the heavy civil and excavation industries.

Jimmy sits down with:

Devin Dyer (@dirtgearco)

Matt Stanley (@mttstanley)

Eric Jumper (@eric_jumper)

Missy Scherber (@missyscherber)

Powered by SANY (https://www.instagram.com/sanyoceania/)

The group discusses the pressures of running a company, managing crews and equipment, balancing family life with business growth, and the mental challenges that come with leadership.

The panel also explores branding in construction, the rise of social media in the industry, and why documenting the people behind the work matters. From starting companies with nothing to managing dozens of employees and millions of dollars in projects, this conversation highlights both the struggles and the successes behind modern construction businesses.

This episode is part of the Dirty Business series filmed during ConExpo, bringing together some of the most influential voices in construction, heavy equipment, and contracting.

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/

Subscribe for the full Vegas series.

Dirty Business continues in Las Vegas with another construction industry roundtable hosted by Jimmy Starbuck.

In Episode 3, Jimmy sits down with:

Stephanie Dailey (@stephaniebuildsit)

Dane Cotten (@dcexcavation)

Caleb Auman (@aumanlandscapellc)

Sean Coghlan (@shamrockseanj)

Powered by SANY (https://www.instagram.com/sanyoceania/)

Powered by

Each guest brings a unique perspective from across residential construction, landscaping, and excavation. From building luxury homes and outdoor living spaces to running excavation companies, the panel discusses what it actually takes to operate successful contracting businesses while also building a presence online.

Filmed during CONEXPO week in Las Vegas, the conversation dives into the reality of balancing multiple roles as modern contractors — running companies, building teams, managing projects, and increasingly creating content that represents the industry to the outside world.

Topics discussed in this episode include:

• The reality of running construction businesses while creating content

• Social media and its impact on the construction industry

• Legitimacy and credibility in the age of construction influencers

• Growing contracting businesses and managing teams

• Attracting the next generation into the trades

Dirty Business brings together influential voices across construction for honest conversations about the challenges, opportunities, and future of the industry.

No scripts. No corporate spin. Just real discussions from people building businesses every day.

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/

Subscribe for the full Vegas series.

Dirty Business continues in Las Vegas with another roundtable hosted by Jimmy Starbuck.

In Episode 2, Jimmy sits down with:

Taylor White – https://www.instagram.com/kwc2000/

EJ Herron – https://www.instagram.com/dig_it_digital_gps/

Zach Taylor – https://www.instagram.com/_taylorthings/

Tom Gardocki – https://www.instagram.com/the_dirt_ninja/

Powered by SANY (https://www.instagram.com/sanyoceania/)

Filmed during CONEXPO week in Las Vegas, the panel dives into the real challenges contractors face — from scaling companies and building strong teams to navigating risk, reputation, and the responsibility that comes with running construction businesses.

Each guest brings a different perspective from across the construction world, creating an honest conversation about what it actually takes to succeed in this industry.

Topics discussed in this episode include:

• The reality of running construction companies

• Leadership and building strong teams

• Lessons from growing businesses in construction

• Reputation and credibility in the industry

• Opportunities and challenges facing contractors today

Dirty Business brings together some of the most influential voices in construction for unfiltered conversations about the industry.

No scripts. No corporate spin. Just real discussions from people who are building businesses every day.

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/

Subscribe for the full Vegas series.

Dirty Business, powered by SANY, launches in Las Vegas with a powerhouse construction roundtable with:

Aaron Witt – https://www.instagram.com/aaronwitt/ Amy Underwood – https://www.instagram.com/the_digger_girl/ Ryan Goodfellow – https://www.instagram.com/rockstructures/ Brian Dietz – https://www.instagram.com/bob_dietz_and_sons_inc/

Powered by SANY (https://www.instagram.com/sanyoceania/)

Releasing through CONEXPO week, this episode dives into the real impact of social media, leadership, growth, and building modern construction companies in today’s market.

In this episode, we discuss:

• How social media transformed our construction businesses • The difference between personal brand and company brand • The dark side of online exposure (and what people don’t see) • Growing too fast vs growing right • Leadership, delegation, and hiring better people than yourself • Market conditions across the US, UK, and Australia • Why people — not equipment — are the future of construction • Charging properly for transport, mobilisation, and overhead • Family businesses and balancing work with life

From underground diamond mines in Canada to $60M homes in Utah, this conversation covers what’s really happening inside the construction industry.

This is not a scripted panel.

This is Dirty Business.

If you’re a contractor, operator, business owner, or industry leader — this episode is for you.

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/

Subscribe for the full Vegas series.

In this episode of Jimmy Talks Construction, Jimmy sits down with Martyn Matenga, mining project manager and third-generation earthmover, to unpack what it takes to operate at the highest level in the mining industry.

Martyn has driven everything from 1.5-ton excavators to 1,400-ton rope shovels, commissioned some of the first 60-15 and 60-20 machines in Australia, and held documented production records on Liebherr 996 shovels — moving over 66,000 BCM in 24 hours.

This episode covers:

– Breaking world production records in mining

– What separates elite shovel operators from average ones

– Fuel burn, bucket wear and why bad operators cost millions

– Leadership lessons from supervising 300–900 personnel

– Why modern mining rosters have softened the industry

– Building MESA: Mining Shovels & Excavators Australia

– The viral 395 excavator leak before ConExpo

– Growing up in a third-generation earthmoving family

Martyn shares honest insights into operator culture, mentorship, discipline, and how to build production without destroying machines, morale, or teams.

If you’re in mining, heavy equipment, earthmoving, project management, or leadership, this episode is packed with real experience from the top end of the industry.

Connect with Martyn:

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

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

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

💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/raywell-contracting/

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).

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).

In this episode of Jimmy Talks Construction, Jimmy sits down with Ben Graham, Director of Civil Contracting Solutions QLD, for a brutally honest conversation about building a civil construction business in Queensland.

Ben shares his journey from working on tier one basement projects in Brisbane to being told he couldn’t work in the city for 12 months — and what it actually took to start again from scratch with a 5.5-tonne excavator and tipper combo while raising young kids.

This episode gets into the realities most contractors only talk about off camera:

– Walking away from tier one work and starting over

– Finding work with no following (door knocking, noticeboards, and flyers)

– The expensive lessons that come with bad finance decisions

– Why rates in QLD can destroy margins if you’re highly leveraged

– Wet weather planning, build pads, and selling solutions instead of just machines

– The difference between being busy and actually making money

If you’re in civil construction, earthmoving, excavation, plant hire, subdivisions, or thinking about going from PAYG to running your own gear, this episode is packed with real-world lessons you can actually apply.

If you enjoyed the episode, don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share the podcast - it helps bring bigger guests and better conversations to the channel.

Connect with Ben:

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

📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Civil-Contracting-Solutions-QLD-PTY-LTD-100086025881406/

💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-graham-2a11347b/?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/

Buy CONEXPO 2026 tickets now and don’t miss the small business workshop.

https://www.conexpoconagg.com/attend-the-show/registration-and-pricing

Use code STARBUCK20 to save 20% at checkout (valid through to March 2).

In this episode of Jimmy Talks Construction, Jimmy sits down with Jeremy Trengove, founder of Dirt Cartel, to unpack what it actually looks like to go out on your own in earthmoving — when you buy a machine first and worry about work later.

Jeremy shares the real story behind buying a 36-ton excavator with no confirmed contracts, having a major job pulled at the last minute, and making thousands of phone calls just to keep the machine working. From mining to civil, wet hire vs dry hire, equipment finance panic, and the brutal learning curve of hiring your first operator — nothing is sugar-coated.

This episode dives into the realities most operators don’t talk about:

• Buying big gear before you’re “ready” — and the debt pressure that comes with it
• Losing work after contracts get undercut by bigger players
• The mental stress of repayments when the phone stops ringing
• Why versatility (wet hire, dry hire, regional work) keeps small operators alive
• Mining vs civil: freedom, lifestyle, and why Jeremy walked away
• The truth about Chinese machines vs Tier 1 brands (and what actually matters)
• Why effort, attitude, and adaptability matter more than machine colour
• Hiring operators, site politics, and how one bad fit can lose you a job

If you’re an excavator owner-operator, earthmoving contractor, civil operator, mining operator thinking about going solo, or anyone considering buying machinery, this episode is a must-watch. It’s an honest look at risk, resilience, and backing yourself when there’s no safety net.

If you enjoyed the episode, don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share. These conversations only happen because operators are willing to speak honestly about the hard parts of the job.

Connect with Jeremy:

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

📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jeremy.trengove/

💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremy-trengove-99ba10318/

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% at checkout.

Valid through to March 2nd