Marti sits down with Martin and Helen, a father-daughter team from NFL Construction in Auckland. Martin opens up about the brutal reality of a rapid growth phase where the business went from 3 to 20 staff, resulting in mistakes that cost "close to a million dollars."

They discuss the specific pricing disaster where a fixed-price project estimated at 8,000 hours blew out to 13,000 hours. Martin and Helen reveal how they stripped the business back to a lean contractor model to slash overheads, implemented rigorous back-costing systems, and now use physical "Lookbooks" to win high-end work without competing on price.

🕒 Timestamped Key Points

• [01:31] From landscaping to commercial decking contracts
• [03:00] Family dynamics: "Whatever doesn't involve a hammer, I do"
• [11:11] The growth trap: Scaling to 20 staff and losing $1M
• [14:40] The blowout: Allowing 8,000 hours for a 13,000-hour job
• [16:29] Using WonderBuild for real-time back costing
• [27:00] Losing a job by $80k to a builder who "starts Monday"
• [27:40] Marketing pivot: Using "Lookbooks" to prove value
• [30:51] Winning high-end work without price resistance
• [33:28] Moving beyond "the accounts lady" label
• [39:16] The goal: Hitting $10M turnover by 2029

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Marti sits down with David Seymour, Deputy Prime Minister of New Zealand and Leader of the ACT Party, inside the Beehive. David opens up about his background in an electrical contracting family, learning early on that "you come in at the end of the job when most of the screw-ups are already made."

They discuss the "unbalanced relationship" of current employment laws, where employers face massive risks just to part ways with underperforming staff. David explains why he believes "no one really knows very much" and why the government needs to stop promising to build 100,000 houses and start letting businesses use "trial and error" to succeed. He also shares the success of Charter Schools (like Vanguard) and why removing rigid union contracts was the key to their performance.

🕒 Timestamped Key Points

• [01:42] Background: Recovering electrical engineer in a contracting family
• [02:00] The reality of construction: "Copper prices" and "screw-ups"
• [03:05] The philosophy: "No one really knows very much"
• [04:44] Winning power without promising "other people's money"
• [10:26] Charter Schools: Why Vanguard Military School works
• [13:15] Union contracts vs. Accountability: The Anzac Day example
• [21:37] The "Bad Relationship": Why firing someone costs $20k
• [22:09] Why more security for employees means fewer job choices
• [26:18] Government as a "Better Owner": Do we need to own a radio station?
• [33:12] Why governments fail when they try to "pick winners"

 

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Marti sits down with Jamie and Brady, best mates and founders of a Brisbane-based bathroom renovation company. They share their journey from running separate sole trader businesses to joining forces over a "drunken conversation" and building a specialized renovation brand.

They discuss the harsh reality of their first year where they acted more like a "marketing agency" than a building company—spending big to block in jobs but realizing at the end of the year they had nothing to show for it. Jamie and Brady reveal how they cut their overheads, implemented a strict "Default Diary" to stop the chaos, and shifted from being "good builders" to actual business owners. They also break down their specific tiered pricing model (marking up jobs under $50k by 60%) and how they are scaling to 13 jobs starting in the new year.

🕒 Timestamped Key Points

• [02:18] Joining forces over a "drunken conversation"
• [04:40] The first year mistake: Acting like a "marketing agency"
• [05:28] First fix: Recalculating overheads and "spending minimization"
• [07:03] Tiered pricing: 60% markup on jobs under $50k
• [08:23] Leadership: Getting subbies to provide solutions (PSR)
• [10:52] The "Default Diary": From doing "10% of 10 tasks" to completion
• [12:01] Why the 10-step sales process is a "Bible"
• [14:32] Scaling to 13 jobs in the new year
• [16:00] Future goal: Expanding down the coastline

-

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Marti sits down with Damian and Katryna from Ellari Homes, a Melbourne-based building company that found a unique niche handling "takeovers" after the massive Porter Davis collapse. They share the reality of navigating that industry chaos and how they transitioned into a stable, profitable custom home business.

They discuss the hard lessons learned about why "chasing every job" is a trap and how shifting their mindset to "chase margins, not jobs" changed their bottom line. Damian and Katryna reveal their specific "Trial Day" hiring process to stop hiring the wrong people, why they finally started charging for prelims to filter out time-wasters, and the incredible story of how they bounced back after their office was destroyed in an arson attack.

🕒 Timestamped Key Points

• [02:21] The Porter Davis collapse: Opportunity vs. Chaos
• [04:20] Charging for prelims: Why "free estimates" attract the wrong clients
• [08:16] The new mindset: "Markup, Margin, Markup, Margin"
• [12:28] Defining an A-Player: "Someone you don't have to babysit"
• [13:48] The "Trial Day" hiring hack: Pay them to prove it first
• [17:36] The win: Completing 8 takeover jobs successfully
• [20:44] Advice to past self: "Slow down" to speed up
• [21:38] Resilience: Turning an office arson attack into an upgrade

-

Our construction business coaching has helped 2,500+ building companies succeed.

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Marti sits down with Sarah Lowe, co-owner of a renovation-focused building company (Refresh Renovations). Sarah shares her unique journey from being a school teacher to buying into the construction industry 18 months ago with her husband, driven by a lifelong passion for property.

They discuss the specific challenges of scaling from "small renovations" to full house extensions, the initial discomfort of charging for quotes (and why it's necessary), and the mindset shift required to move from "I have to do it all" to delegating effectively. Sarah also opens up about overcoming "imposter syndrome" as a female business owner in a male-dominated industry and how implementing scorecards has transformed her team's accountability.

🕒 Timestamped Key Points

• [01:23] From school teacher to renovation business owner
• [03:00] Specializing in full house renovations and extensions
• [04:39] Being a female owner: "I feel like I have an unfair advantage"
• [06:45] Overcoming imposter syndrome: "I can do this"
• [07:47] Using scorecards to level up the office team
• [08:41] The goal: Going away for six weeks without the business stopping
• [09:12] The mindset shift: "Can someone else do this?"
• [09:28] Leveraging systems on site so "I don't need to be there"
• [10:18] Connecting with other builders who are "doing what you want to do"
• [12:22] Advice: Keep putting yourself in motivating situations

-

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Marti sits down with Tyrone Galloway from TJ's Kitchens and Bathrooms, a specialist renovation and cabinetry builder based in Hunua, New Zealand. Tyrone shares his raw journey from being "ready to pack it in" just before Christmas last year to doubling his turnover and growing his team from two to ten in under 12 months.

They discuss the critical moment when Tyrone realized he was "running on fumes" and trying to do everything himself, leading to near-burnout. He reveals how he shifted from a poverty mindset to a prosperity mindset, implemented strict sales processes to qualify leads ("fishing for tuna," not just anything on the hook), and built a team structure that allows him to finally take a breath. This is a powerful story of rapid turnaround through clarity, systems, and the courage to ask for help.

🕒 Timestamped Key Points

• [03:58] The breaking point: "I was basically done" before Christmas
• [05:06] The power of back costing in real-time (not just at the end)
• [07:34] Past mistakes: Hiring 14 guys but only making $4k profit
• [11:40] Refining the sales process: Fishing for "tuna" not everything
• [12:39] From 2 people to 10 in under 12 months
• [14:14] The "running on fumes" reality of the last few months
• [15:12] Realizing he was "undervaluing himself" and his skills
• [20:00] Trusting the team: "You're only as good as the people around you"
• [26:06] The crazy goal: Delivering a house a week in two years

-

Our construction business coaching has helped 2,500+ building companies succeed.

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Marti sits down with husband and wife team Ben and Lindsey Ockenden from Perth, Western Australia. They share their rapid journey from a small carpentry crew of two to a team of ten in just six months, transitioning into a full building company specializing in high-performance, lightweight construction.

They discuss the "madness" of their early days—"flying by the seat of our pants" without systems—and the breaking point where Ben was "running on fumes" and ready to collapse. They reveal how they turned it around by embracing builder-specific systems, hiring key staff like a site foreman and VA, and shifting their mindset from "I can do everything" to trusting their team. Ben also shares his ambitious new goal: delivering a house a week within two years.

🕒 Timestamped Key Points

• [02:37] The chaotic start: "flying by the seat of our pants"
• [03:53] Lindsay joining full-time and their son starting his apprenticeship
• [06:00] The breaking point: "You're going to pick me up in A&E"
• [06:50] Finding TPB: The "off-field support staff" they needed
• [11:30] Mindset shift: "Last night I had the best sleep I've had for a long time"
• [12:03] Rapid growth: From 2 people to 10 in six months
• [15:12] Realizing Ben was "undervaluing himself" and his skills
• [19:57] The power of trusting your team and not micromanaging
• [25:55] The crazy goal: Delivering a house a week in two years

 

-

Our construction business coaching has helped 2,500+ building companies succeed.

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Marti sits down with Kylie Gardner from Gardner Homes, a new build specialist on the Kapiti Coast. Kylie shares her journey from a finance background to running the business side of a 12-person building company with her husband.

They discuss the dangerous trap of feeling like you have to "win them all" to keep the crew busy, and how that mindset kills profitability. Kylie reveals the "stay in your lanes" rule that saved their working relationship, how she stopped seeing herself as "just the admin" to become the Business Development Manager, and the systems they used to stop competing on price. This is a blueprint for couples in construction who want to build a business, not just a job.

🕒 Timestamped Key Points

• [01:38] Falling into the family business from finance
• [02:47] The golden rule for husband/wife teams: "Stay in your lanes"
• [04:12] Separating business talk from family time
• [05:39] Keeping a team of 12 busy through economic ups and downs
• [06:58] Using Rapid QS for accurate estimating
• [11:24] The trap of trying to "win every job"
• [13:06] The power of environment: Being around "millionaires"
• [18:20] Point of difference: Customer experience & testimonials
• [20:39] Changing her email signature to "Business Development Manager"
• [25:09] Advice: "You're not a tree, you're not stuck"

-

Our construction business coaching has helped 2,500+ building companies succeed.

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Marti sits down with Glen Stevenson from Stevenson Construction, a renovation specialist based in Healesville, Melbourne. Glen shares his journey from apprentice to civil site supervisor, and finally to starting his own residential building company. Despite being consistently busy with word-of-mouth work and hitting $1.2M-$1.3M in revenue, Glen realized he had plateaued.

They discuss the subtle but expensive profit leaks that happen in the "gaps" between projects, where overheads keep running but income stops. Glen reveals how getting clarity on his financials helped him identify a $75k loss on a single project and how shifting his mindset from "doing it all" to delegating has been the key to his recent growth. This episode is perfect for builders who are busy but feeling stuck at the same revenue level.

🕒 Timestamped Key Points

• [01:36] From civil site supervisor to residential builder
• [04:35] Hitting the $1.2M revenue plateau
• [05:45] Clarity on what they weren't doing (marketing)
• [06:29] Leaking money in the "gaps" between projects
• [07:39] Doing the program before the build starts
• [08:20] The $75k loss on a single project
• [11:40] Working the wife out of the business (or not?)
• [13:37] Using BuildExact for 10 years
• [15:13] Mindset shift: "You can't do it all yourself"
• [16:51] Advice: Don't be afraid to ask for help

-

Our construction business coaching has helped 2,500+ building companies succeed.

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Marti sits down with Dylan Mansell, a second-generation builder from Moonta Bay, South Australia. Dylan shares his journey from working on site with his dad to navigating the "absolute chaos" of the building boom, where revenue tripled but systems broke.

They discuss the dangerous trap of "busyness doesn't equal profitability" and how Dylan had to stop being a "reactive builder" constantly putting out fires. Dylan reveals how he refined his sales process with a strict qualifying questionnaire to stop wasting time on free quotes, and how shifting his focus from "pleasing everybody" to "working on the top 20%" allowed him to finally get off the tools and lead his team of nine effectively.

🕒 Timestamped Key Points

• [03:05] Starting Next Step Construction in 2019 with his dad
• [03:38] Realizing he had to get off the tools to handle the boom
• [04:40] The "absolute chaos" of scaling without systems
• [07:45] "I was just so burnt out"
• [11:40] Fixing the sales process with a qualifying questionnaire
• [14:25] Point of difference: Customer experience & quality
• [16:12] Advice to younger self: "Slow down" & stop people-pleasing
• [17:57] Expensive lesson: "Busyness doesn't equal profitability"

-

Our construction business coaching has helped 2,500+ building companies succeed.

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