Australia is under pressure to build more homes, faster.

But speed alone is not the answer.

In this episode of The Good Builder Podcast, Aaron Ng sits down with Dayne Hutchinson, founder of Nordic Construction Systems, to explore what Australia can learn from Sweden’s construction model.

Dayne has spent years working in northern Sweden, building homes in some of the harshest climates on earth. In that environment, poor systems are not an option. Precision, prefabrication, and performance are built into the process.

Together, they unpack:

• Why Sweden embraced prefabrication decades ago
• How climate forced better systems, not shortcuts
• The real differences between Australian and Nordic building culture
• How prefab and offsite construction can improve speed, quality, and margins
• Why better homes are not about trends, but systems and discipline

This is not a sales pitch for modular building.

It is a grounded conversation about productivity, quality, and what it actually takes to build better homes at scale.

If you are a builder thinking about capacity, efficiency, or the future of residential construction in Australia, this episode will challenge how you think about delivery.

Thanks to this month's Podcast sponsor Pay.com.au, remember our audience gets 20,000 bonus points when you sign up.

USE code: GOOD20

T&C's apply go to pay.com.au/tgb

#TheGoodBuilder #AustralianConstruction #HomeBuilding #PrefabConstruction #OffsiteConstruction #BuildingSystems #ConstructionProductivity #ResidentialBuilders #BetterBuilding #HousingCrisis #ConstructionLeadership

Dwyer Quality Homes has been building on the Sunshine Coast for more than 40 years.
 In this episode of The Good Builder Podcast, we sit down with Alex Dwyer to unpack what it really takes to lead a multi-generational building business in today’s market.

Alex shares his journey from growing up around the business to stepping into leadership, including how Dwyer Quality Homes has evolved its systems, culture, and decision-making to stay relevant while protecting its reputation.

We talk openly about:

• What builders learn after delivering more than 2,000 homes
• Why systems and internal processes matter as much as craftsmanship
• How transparency and communication build long-term trust with clients
• The reality of land constraints, rising costs, and changing buyer expectations
• Leading a team with decades of experience while bringing fresh thinking

This conversation is for builders who care about longevity, professionalism, and running a business that lasts beyond one market cycle.

Thanks to this month's Podcast sponsor Pay.com.au, remember our audience gets 20,000 bonus points when you sign up.
USE code: GOOD20

T&C's apply go to pay.com.au/tgb

The building industry is operating under sustained pressure. Pressure on delivery timeframes. Pressure on cash flow. Pressure on the decisions builders are being forced to make earlier and earlier in the lifecycle of a project.

In this episode of The Good Builder Podcast, Az steps back from the headlines to explain what is actually happening beneath the surface and why it matters for builders trying to run stable, long term businesses.

The episode begins with proposed planning reforms in New South Wales, including the move to centralise state planning referrals through a new Development Coordination Authority. While the intent is to reduce delays and complexity, Az explores the practical question builders care about most. Will this change improve certainty around approvals, timeframes, and project risk, or will it simply reorganise existing friction inside the system.

You can read the full article here:
 https://thegoodbuilder.com.au/nsw-moves-to-centralise-planning-referrals-with-new-development-coordination-authority/

Az then turns to the importance of longevity in construction, using the 43 year history of G.J. Gardner Homes as a case study. The discussion focuses on how local accountability, decentralised decision making, and strong fundamentals have helped some businesses remain resilient through changing market cycles. In an industry marked by volatility and builder failures, long term survival offers lessons that go well beyond brand or scale.

You can read that article here:
 https://thegoodbuilder.com.au/43-years-of-g-j-gardner-homes-a-builder-that-grew-without-losing-its-local-focus/

The episode closes with a deeper look at financial strategy as building businesses grow. As operations become more complex, finance shifts from being a simple transaction to an operational decision that affects teams, trades, and client relationships. Az explains why understanding lender behaviour, communication, and flexibility often matters more than chasing the lowest rate, especially when programs move and conditions change mid project.

This episode is supported by NoBnk, who work with builders to navigate construction finance in a way that better reflects the realities of delivery, risk, and real world decision making.

You can learn more about NoBnk here:
 https://www.nobnk.com.au/

Throughout the episode, the focus remains practical and grounded. What builders should be paying attention to right now. How systems and structure influence outcomes. And why long term thinking is becoming essential, not optional.

This episode is for builders who value clarity over noise and want to make decisions that hold up over time.

Most clients decide whether they trust you long before they pick up the phone.

In this solo episode of The Good Builder Podcast, Aaron breaks down the three signals that consistently influence trust in a builder’s business — based on real market research, years inside builder marketing teams, and insights gathered from working with hundreds of construction businesses.

You’ll hear why:

• Clear, honest visuals beat glossy hero shots every time
• Calm, confident language builds authority without ego
• Consistency across your website, socials and messaging quietly does the heavy lifting

This episode is practical, grounded and immediately actionable — especially if you want to attract better-fit clients, avoid the wrong jobs, and build trust before the first conversation even starts.

If you’re a builder, trade or supplier looking to raise your standards and stand out for the right reasons, this one’s for you.

In this episode of The Good Builder Podcast, Az sits down with Will, founder of Core Painting, to unpack what it really means to raise standards in the trades — and why quality work alone is no longer enough.

From his early years learning the trade in Northern England to building one of the Sunshine Coast’s fastest-growing painting businesses, Will shares how discipline, preparation, and customer experience have shaped his approach to business. The conversation goes beyond painting, diving into leadership, team culture, accountability, and why service before, during, and after a job is what separates good operators from great ones.

Will explains how lessons learned from heritage restoration, family business, and hard-earned failures influenced his belief that trades are service businesses first — and how owning mistakes, respecting clients’ money, and communicating properly builds long-term trust with builders and homeowners alike.

This is an honest, grounded conversation about building teams people want to be part of, creating systems that scale without losing quality, and why the future of the construction industry depends on lifting standards across trades, not cutting corners.

A must-listen for builders, trades, and business owners who care about reputation, culture, and doing the job properly — every time.

In this episode of The Good Builder Podcast, Aaron Ng sits down with Brendan Welsh, founder of HavaChat, to unpack how real-world sales frustrations led to the creation of one of the most practical AI tools emerging in the construction and supplier space.

Brendan shares his journey from senior leadership roles in manufacturing and sales to building HavaChat from scratch, without a coding background. The conversation dives into why most salespeople hate admin, how poor follow-up damages relationships, and why technology should remove friction rather than add complexity.

They explore how simple tools can dramatically improve communication, note-taking, and accountability across sales teams, builders, and industry professionals who spend their days moving between meetings, sites, and conversations.

This episode also looks beyond the app itself, touching on where AI is heading in construction, why admin—not jobs—is the real target, and how builders and suppliers can start using technology to save time, improve client experience, and stay competitive.

A practical, honest conversation for builders, suppliers, and sales professionals who want less admin, better communication, and tools that actually fit how the industry works.

In this episode of The Good Builder Podcast, Aaron Ng breaks down what The Good Builder really is and, more importantly, how builders, trades, suppliers and industry partners can actually use it to get ahead.

With thousands of new followers and subscribers joining the community, this episode is a practical walk-through of how The Good Builder supports the industry through trusted journalism, builder stories, podcasts, video, events and the Community Directory.

Aaron shares why the platform was created, the problems it is trying to solve in a fragmented industry, and how both builders and suppliers can tap into education, exposure, partnerships and community without the hard sell.

If you have ever wondered how to get value from The Good Builder, this episode is for you.

This episode is proudly supported by New Home Electrical Specialist, 2025 Protrade Innovative Business of the Year and trusted partners of The Good Builder.

In this episode of The Good Builder Podcast, we take a step back and look at the real forces shaping life for builders as 2026 gets underway — not just what’s happening on site, but what’s happening around the industry that quietly stacks pressure on businesses every day.

We unpack three key stories that, when viewed together, explain why building can feel harder than it should right now.

First, we explore the growing trust gap in housing, sparked by renewed backlash over misleading property marketing. While the criticism is aimed at listings and agents, builders are often left carrying the fallout, managing heightened expectations, sceptical clients, and tension that starts long before construction begins.

👉 Read the full article:

https://thegoodbuilder.com.au/misleading-listing-images-spark-renewed-calls-for-tighter-regulation-in-real-estate-marketing/

We then turn to the industry’s call for a $12 billion cut in red tape, and what stalled productivity actually looks like on the ground. From duplicated approvals to inconsistent council processes and rising holding costs, this is a story about uncertainty, not just compliance — and why smaller and mid-sized builders feel it the most.

👉 Read the full article:

https://thegoodbuilder.com.au/housing-industry-calls-for-12-billion-cut-to-red-tape-as-productivity-stalls/

Finally, we look at a rare example of long-term certainty being done properly, with South Australia releasing six regional plans that map housing, land use and infrastructure over the next 15 to 30 years. For builders, suppliers and trades, this is a clear signal about where future work will sit, what types of homes will be needed, and how growth is expected to occur — not reactively, but deliberately.

👉 Read the full article:

https://thegoodbuilder.com.au/south-australia-sets-a-30-year-blueprint-for-regional-growth/

This episode is about connecting the dots between trust, regulation and planning — and why builders who understand the bigger picture are better placed to protect margins, manage expectations, and build more resilient businesses over the long term.

Less noise. More clarity. Conversations that actually help.

On this Australia Day episode of The Good Builder Podcast, Aaron Ng breaks down three of the most effective marketing campaigns he has personally been involved in across Australia and New Zealand — not because they looked clever, but because they genuinely worked.

From G.J. Gardner Homes’ Most Trusted campaign, to Avondale Homes’ Open Homes Under Construction, and Stonewood Homes’ The House New Zealand Built, this episode unpacks what made these campaigns successful and why trust, positioning and real customer insight matter more than flashy ads or quick leads.

Aaron explains how each campaign helped builders earn trust, attract the right clients, and create long-term brand value — and why builders should stop chasing tactics and start building credibility instead.

For members of The Good Builder Community Directory, a deeper “how-to” breakdown and resources are available. For everyone else, this episode delivers the principles you can apply immediately in your own building business.

If you want marketing that delivers real outcomes, not just noise, this one’s for you.

What if success is not about working harder, but about mastering your mind?

In this episode of The Good Builder Podcast, Aaron Ng sits down with Dr Yannick Van Heirden, mindset and performance specialist and founder of Impaktr, for one of the most practical and honest conversations we have had on leadership, discipline and sustainable success.

Yannick shares his personal journey from being directionless and self-sabotaging to completing a PhD and coaching high-performing leaders across Australia. Together, they unpack why so many builders and business owners feel constantly behind, stressed, and burnt out and what actually needs to change.

This episode dives into:

• Why your mind can be your greatest asset or your worst enemy
• The biggest leadership trap builders fall into without realising
• How behaviour change beats motivation every time
• Why taking care of your body is non-negotiable for business performance
• Practical habits builders can use immediately to regain control of their time and energy
• Why success is self-mastery, not a finish line
• How combat sports like jiu-jitsu build resilience for business and life

This is not theory. It is practical, grounded advice for builders, tradies and leaders who want to perform at a high level without sacrificing their health, family or sanity.

If you feel busy but not effective, motivated but exhausted, or successful but stretched, this conversation will hit home.

For More:

Peak Performance Quiz: https://peak-performance.scoreapp.com/

Yannick's meditation session: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBXK71dxsZc&t=7s

3 steps to peak performance: https://youtu.be/P1bylWWDjps

#TheGoodBuilder #ConstructionLeadership #BuilderLife #MindsetMatters #HighPerformance #BuilderWellbeing #SustainableSuccess #LeadershipDevelopment #MentalFitness #EntrepreneurMindset