Jimmy Talks Construction

Jimmy sits down with Mitch from Slimline Excavations to talk about leaving underground coal mining, buying a 1.7T digger and building an excavation business. They cover coal mining, subdivisions, mountain bike trail projects, helicopters in construction, training operators, hiring the right crew, pricing mistakes, business mentors and why you cannot be half-in when running a construction company.

Sponsorships + Guest Enquiries: [email protected]

Send in Business Problems: [email protected]

Connect with Mitch:

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

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

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 Episode 48 of Jimmy Talks Construction, Jimmy sits down with the three directors of Arrow Civil to talk about starting a new civil construction company in Melbourne, leaving a major contractor the right way, building a business with integrity, and backing yourself in a tough market.

A great episode for anyone in civil construction, earthmoving, subdivisions, infrastructure, project management, estimating, subcontracting or anyone thinking about starting their own construction business.

Connect with Arrow Civil:

🌐 Website: https://arrow-civil.com.au/

💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/arrow-civil/?originalSubdomain=au

💼 Nash: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nash-conhyedoss-17a7ba37/

💼 Jesse: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jesse-deas-0850b7166/

💼 Stelo: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stelios-gunella-370834356/

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 47 of Jimmy Talks Construction, James Starbuck sits down with Daniel from Complex Facade to talk high-rise construction, facade installation, scaling a subcontracting business, labour productivity, and the brutal reality of growing from apprentice to operations manager in the tier one construction space.

This episode dives into Daniel’s journey from being the boss’s son and a self-described ordinary apprentice, to becoming Operations Manager inside a serious construction business. The conversation covers the pressure of installing glass hundreds of metres in the air, the evolution of prefab facade systems, importing windows from China, labour productivity, rework, site systems, and the brutal lessons that come with growing a construction company.

Jimmy and Daniel also unpack one of the biggest challenges in construction business: scaling without losing standards. From family and friends on the tools, to managing 50–100 workers, to knowing your numbers, this episode is packed with practical insight for builders, subcontractors, tradesmen, project managers, and anyone trying to grow a construction business properly.

If you are interested in construction business, high-rise construction, facade installation, subcontractor growth, construction leadership, labour productivity, or the reality of running a trades business, this episode is well worth a listen.

Daniel’s Podcast | Behind The Facade:

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

Connect with Daniel:

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

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

💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-alizzi-867595376/

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]

James Starbuck sits down with Emmanuel Al-Jinavo, founder of Feed4Ward, for a raw construction business conversation about tradies, subcontractors, cash flow, unpaid invoices, and bad clients in the Australian construction industry.

Emmanuel shares his journey from running a plumbing business to building Feed4Ward, a platform designed to help tradesmen review clients, avoid serial non-payers, and protect small trade businesses from cash flow pressure.

This construction podcast episode covers late payments, debt collection, 45, 60 and 90-day payment terms, the reality of running a trade business, subcontractor stress, business growth, client relationships, and why getting paid on time is one of the biggest challenges in construction.

Connect with Manny:

🌐 Website: https://www.feed4ward.com.au/

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/feed4wardapp/

📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Feed4Ward/

💼 LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/in/emmanuel-al-jinavo-68658a17b

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/

Dirty Business Bonus Episode, live from Las Vegas. In this special bonus episode, we sit down with Brian Hayden, winner of the CAT Global Operator Challenge, to talk all things operating, heavy equipment, and what it takes to compete at the highest level.

Brian breaks down how he got started in the industry from a young age, growing up in the family business at Hayden Excavating in Maine, before working his way through the local dealer event, the regional competition, and finally the global finals in Vegas.

The conversation covers:

How Brian got into operating

What the CAT Global Operator Challenge actually involves

The machines used in the competition, including excavators, loaders, and dozers

The pressure of timed events, penalties, and precision

Using GPS and grade control technology in the challenge

Residential excavation work in Maine

Machine versatility, operator skill, and what separates great operators from average ones

If you’re into construction, excavation, earthmoving, heavy equipment, Caterpillar machines, operator stories, and real industry conversations, this is a fun short episode you’ll want to watch.

Links:

Watch the CAT Global Operator Challenge: https://www.cat.com/en_AU/campaigns/event/operator-challenge.html

Follow Brian Hayden: https://www.instagram.com/brian_h01/

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 Episode 45 of Jimmy Talks Construction, James Starbuck sits down with Toby, Managing Director of C&N Plumbing Services, a South Australian commercial plumbing contractor celebrating 10 years in business.

Toby shares his journey from apprentice plumber to commercial plumbing business owner, including the hard lessons learned through domestic plumbing, commercial projects, remote work, civil drainage, tendering mistakes, cash flow pressure and growing a team.

This episode gets into the real issues construction business owners face every day — unpaid variations, “you’ll get paid when we get paid,” pipe shortages, labour challenges, culture, leadership, and the mental weight of being the person everyone looks to for answers.

Jimmy and Toby also discuss why C&N Plumbing Services moved further into design and construct work, the problem with consultants and delayed approvals, and why lived experience matters more than theory when it comes to running a trade business.

A must-listen for plumbers, builders, subcontractors, civil contractors, apprentices and anyone trying to grow a construction business in Australia.

In this episode of Jimmy Talks Construction, James Starbuck sits down with Steph Apostolides (Melbourne Chippy Chick) — carpenter, content creator, and founder of Trady Lady Hire.

Steph shares her journey from working with her dad on-site to becoming one of the most recognised female tradies in Australia. The conversation dives into the realities of working in construction, the challenges women face on-site, and why initiatives like Trady Lady Hire are reshaping the industry.

They also break down:

• The truth about trade school vs real on-site experience
• Why most “qualified” operators aren’t actually skilled
• The rise of female tradies in Australia
• Workplace culture, equality, and what actually needs to change
• Hiring issues in construction (and why honesty matters)
• The fuel crisis and its impact on contractors
• Building a business and brand in the construction industry

Steph also explains how Trady Lady Hire connects homeowners with qualified female tradies - solving a major gap in the market.

If you’re in construction, thinking about getting into the trades, or running a business in the industry — this episode is packed with real, unfiltered insights.

Be sure to leave a 5 star review!

Connect with Stef:

🌐 Website: www.tradieladyhire.com.au www.tradieladyclub.au

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melbournechippychick/ https://www.instagram.com/tradie.lady.club/ https://www.instagram.com/tradieladyhire/

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

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

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/

Jordan Chivers runs WL Chivers Plumbing - a 17-man Melbourne maintenance and emergency plumbing business that turns up in under an hour, 365 days a year.

From a 14-year-old operating a Takeuchi TB108 to running one of Melbourne's go-to emergency plumbing outfits, Jordan has been on the tools since before he was out of Year 9. In this episode, Jimmy sits down with him - Managing Director of WL Chivers Plumbing - to talk about the reality of running a reactive, no-BS trade business: being raised by his old-school maintenance plumber dad Wayne, talking his way into an excavator at fourteen, digging sewers before he had a driver's licence, and how a handshake operation turned into a team doing 150–200 jobs a week for the RACV Emergency Home Assist program.

It's a wide-ranging, operator-to-operator chat about the trade shortage, the fuel crisis, the PVC pipe shortage hitting the whole industry, and why the phone will always dictate the day.

What we cover:

• The trade shortage — how Melbourne went from graduating 1,000 plumbers a year to 200–300

• Why young tradies are choosing lollipop sticks on government infrastructure over apprenticeships

• The fuel crisis, the PVC shortage, and the ripple effect through construction

• Politicians, payroll tax, fuel excise and the Victorian business environment

• Compliance, the "TikTok Inspector," and the new Building Plumbing Commission

• Women in construction — pink trucks, pink excavators, and female managers

• Why neither Jimmy nor Jordan has a written business plan

• Showing up: the Australia Day call for a $1.5M job

• Why AI will never install a toilet — and why trades are the most future-proof career going

If you got something out of this one, drop a review — five stars, three thumbs up, whatever your platform lets you leave. It genuinely helps the show get in front of more tradies and operators.

Subscribe for a new episode every week.

Connect with Jordan:

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

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chivers.plumbing/

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/plumbcast.au/

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

💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordan-chivers-51a71395/

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 this episode of Jimmy Talks Construction, James Starbuck sits down with David “Alfie” Alford, Managing Director of DBA Haulage and one of the most experienced operators in Australia’s heavy haulage industry.

Alfie shares the raw reality of building a business from scratch, losing everything early on, and fighting back through some of the toughest lessons in construction and transport.

From running trucks at a young age to being buried under debt, dealing with liquidation, and working his way back into major heavy haulage projects — this episode dives deep into what it actually takes to survive in business.

The conversation covers:

• The truth about business partnerships (and why they fail)
• Losing everything and rebuilding from zero
• Heavy haulage at scale (1000-ton modules, tunnel boring machines & major infrastructure)
• Working with family in construction
• Lessons from failure that most people never talk about
• Why “luck” in business is misunderstood

Alfie also shares stories from some of Australia’s biggest projects, including work on major infrastructure jobs and extreme heavy transport operations.

If you’re in construction, transport, or running a business — this episode is packed with real, unfiltered insight.

Connect with Alfie:

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

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

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/

Episode 41 of Jimmy Talks Construction features Illan Samuel, Managing Director of Samuel Property Group, breaking down the reality of property development in today’s market.

From running multi-residential projects worth hundreds of millions to navigating rising costs, delays, and financing challenges, Illan shares what it actually takes to survive — and grow — in the development game.

This episode dives into the real pressures developers face, including interest rates, construction escalation, red tape, and why time is the biggest cost in any project.

The conversation covers:

• Why development is harder now than ever
• The reality of cost blowouts and delays
• How developers manage risk and cash flow
• The importance of hiring the right people
• Why most people shouldn’t become developers
• Lessons from scaling to $100M–$300M projects

If you’re in construction, property, or business, this is a raw and honest look at how large-scale developments actually get done.

Listen if you want real-world insights into: construction management, demolition, recycling, infrastructure projects, subcontractor relationships, and scaling a construction business.

Connect with Illan:

🌐 Website: https://www.samuel.com.au/

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/samuel.property/

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

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

💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/samuel-property-pty-ltd/

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

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/