The "Level Up" with Duayne Pearce Podcast

Duayne Pearce sits down with Aaron Applefield, Business Development Manager at Bretts and mindset coach in the Live Life Build Elevate program. They dive deep into the evolution of Bretts' online portal (Bolt), why chasing the cheapest price is costing builders money, the real cost of doing business, and how communication can save your project when everything goes wrong. Aaron also opens up about burnout, mental health, and the stoic philosophy that's changing how construction leaders show up on site.

Whether you're on the tools or running a growing construction business, this episode is packed with practical advice on leadership, pricing, communication, team culture, and the mindset shifts that separate builders from professionals.

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

 Follow me on my Socials! 

(https://www.instagram.com/duaynepearce/) 
(https://www.facebook.com/DuaynePearceBuild) 
(https://www.tiktok.com/@duaynepearcebuilder) 

Check out Duayne’s other projects: 

🔹 Live Life Build — https://livelifebuild.com 

🔹 D Pearce Constructions — https://dpearceconstructions.com.au 

🔹 QuoteEaze — https://quoteeaze.com/Free-Offer.html Check out the Duayne 

Check out our partner, Hazard Co!
https://www.hazardco.com/au/

Check out our tools partner!
Bretts: https://bretts.com.au/ 

Checkout our the best timber out there!
https://highwood.com.au/

Follow me on my Socials!
(https://www.instagram.com/duaynepearce/)
(https://www.facebook.com/DuaynePearceBuild)
(https://www.tiktok.com/@duaynepearcebuilder)

Check out Ryan’s other projects:
🔹 RS Build - http://rsbuild.com.au/
🔹 Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/p/RS-BUILD-Pty-Ltd-61570440423642/

Check out Duayne’s other projects:
🔹 Live Life Build — https://livelifebuild.com
🔹 D Pearce Constructions — https://dpearceconstructions.com.au
🔹 QuoteEaze — https://quoteeaze.com/Free-Offer.html

From Tools to CEO: How Ryan Smith Built RS Build From Scratch | Level Up Podcast

What does it really take to go from working on the tools for 20 years to running your own profitable construction business? In this episode, Ryan Smith, founder of RS Build, shares his journey from country apprentice to business owner, the hard lessons he learned about pricing, systems, team culture, and why most great tradesmen struggle to make the jump to running a business.

If you're a builder or tradesperson thinking about starting your own thing or you're already in business and feel like you're winging it, this one's for you.

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

 Follow me on my Socials! 

(https://www.instagram.com/duaynepearce/) 
(https://www.facebook.com/DuaynePearceBuild) 
(https://www.tiktok.com/@duaynepearcebuilder) 

Check out Duayne’s other projects: 

🔹 Live Life Build — https://livelifebuild.com 

🔹 D Pearce Constructions — https://dpearceconstructions.com.au 

🔹 QuoteEaze — https://quoteeaze.com/Free-Offer.html Check out the Duayne 

Check out our partner, Hazard Co!
https://www.hazardco.com/au/

Check out our tools partner!
Bretts: https://bretts.com.au/ 

Checkout our the best timber out there!
https://highwood.com.au/

Follow me on my Socials!
(https://www.instagram.com/duaynepearce/)
(https://www.facebook.com/DuaynePearceBuild)
(https://www.tiktok.com/@duaynepearcebuilder)

Check out Duayne’s other projects:
🔹 Live Life Build — https://livelifebuild.com
🔹 D Pearce Constructions — https://dpearceconstructions.com.au
🔹 QuoteEaze — https://quoteeaze.com/Free-Offer.html

I've been in the construction industry for over 20 years, and if I'm being honest — running a building business has been nothing like I thought it would be. In this solo episode, I get raw about the stuff nobody tells you when you start out: the party culture that almost sank my business, the excuse trap that keeps builders stuck on the tools, the dyslexia I told myself would hold me back forever, and the mindset shift that changed everything.

If you're a tradie or builder feeling lost, overwhelmed, or wondering why this gig isn't what you signed up for — this one's for you.

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

 Follow me on my Socials! 

(https://www.instagram.com/duaynepearce/) 
(https://www.facebook.com/DuaynePearceBuild) 
(https://www.tiktok.com/@duaynepearcebuilder) 

Check out Duayne’s other projects: 

🔹 Live Life Build — https://livelifebuild.com 

🔹 D Pearce Constructions — https://dpearceconstructions.com.au 

🔹 QuoteEaze — https://quoteeaze.com/Free-Offer.html Check out the Duayne 

Check out our partner, Hazard Co!
https://www.hazardco.com/au/

Check out our tools partner!
Bretts: https://bretts.com.au/ 

Checkout our the best timber out there!
https://highwood.com.au/

Follow me on my Socials!
(https://www.instagram.com/duaynepearce/)
(https://www.facebook.com/DuaynePearceBuild)
(https://www.tiktok.com/@duaynepearcebuilder)

Check out Michael’s other projects:
🔹 Email - [email protected]
🔹 Michael Limb Builders - https://www.michaellimbbuilders.com.au/
🔹 Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/michaellimbbuilders/

Check out Duayne’s other projects:
🔹 Live Life Build — https://livelifebuild.com
🔹 D Pearce Constructions — https://dpearceconstructions.com.au
🔹 QuoteEaze — https://quoteeaze.com/Free-Offer.html

What does it take to build healthier, more sustainable homes while running a successful building business?

In this episode of Level Up, Duayne Pearce sits down with Michael Limb from Michael Limb Builders to unpack his journey as a builder and business owner, from financial struggles and learning his numbers to becoming passionate about sustainable building and high-performance homes.

They dive into sustainable construction, Passive House principles, airtightness, blower door testing, healthier homes, building durability, business finances, team structure, systems and profitability.

Michael also shares the lessons he's learned from running a building business, balancing business with family, and why asking for help and surrounding yourself with the right people can make a huge difference.

If you're a builder, tradie, construction business owner or anyone interested in sustainable and high-performance building, this episode is packed with practical insights and lessons from real experience.

#levelup  #DuaynePearce #MichaelLimb #buildingbusinesses  #sustainablebuilding  #passivehouse  #highperformancehomes  #constructionbusiness  #AustralianBuilders #healthyhomes

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

 Follow me on my Socials! 

(https://www.instagram.com/duaynepearce/) 
(https://www.facebook.com/DuaynePearceBuild) 
(https://www.tiktok.com/@duaynepearcebuilder) 

Check out Duayne’s other projects: 

🔹 Live Life Build — https://livelifebuild.com 

🔹 D Pearce Constructions — https://dpearceconstructions.com.au 

🔹 QuoteEaze — https://quoteeaze.com/Free-Offer.html Check out the Duayne 

Check out our partner, Hazard Co!
https://www.hazardco.com/au/

Check out our tools partner!
Bretts: https://bretts.com.au/ 

Checkout our the best timber out there!
https://highwood.com.au/

Follow me on my Socials!
(https://www.instagram.com/duaynepearce/)
(https://www.facebook.com/DuaynePearceBuild)
(https://www.tiktok.com/@duaynepearcebuilder)

Check out Tracey and her work:
🔹 Raldean Homes - https://form.jotform.com/243030040975852?utm_id=97758_v0_s00_e0_tv0&fbclid=IwY2xjawULOkZwZG9mBWV4dG4DYWVtAjEwAGJyaWQRMW1oa0lpSmFmZlpQNHdQWE9zcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEe2zIAIMiJQWH9ml6YZQ3SZczjVNNjZSeDStixTQYNSxw-59Z7V57BOz2n6JI_aem_VpP7ZVwgeChtQS_bnHdvxA
🔹 Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/raldeanhomes

Check out Duayne’s other projects:
🔹 Live Life Build — https://livelifebuild.com
🔹 D Pearce Constructions — https://dpearceconstructions.com.au
🔹 QuoteEaze — https://quoteeaze.com/Free-Offer.html

In this episode of Level Up, we sit down with Tracey Brown from Raldean Homes, a builder's wife turned General Manager who's spent 18 years helping run a family construction business in the Macedon Ranges. 

We cover imposter syndrome, walking away from bad clients, AI in the building industry, team culture, and the personal struggles that shaped her journey.

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

 Follow me on my Socials! 

(https://www.instagram.com/duaynepearce/) 
(https://www.facebook.com/DuaynePearceBuild) 
(https://www.tiktok.com/@duaynepearcebuilder) 

Check out Duayne’s other projects: 

🔹 Live Life Build — https://livelifebuild.com 

🔹 D Pearce Constructions — https://dpearceconstructions.com.au 

🔹 QuoteEaze — https://quoteeaze.com/Free-Offer.html Check out the Duayne 

Check out our partner, Hazard Co!
https://www.hazardco.com/au/

Check out our tools partner!
Bretts: https://bretts.com.au/ 

Checkout our the best timber out there!
https://highwood.com.au/

Follow me on my Socials!
(https://www.instagram.com/duaynepearce/)
(https://www.facebook.com/DuaynePearceBuild)
(https://www.tiktok.com/@duaynepearcebuilder)

Check out Duayne’s other projects:
🔹 Live Life Build — https://livelifebuild.com
🔹 D Pearce Constructions — https://dpearceconstructions.com.au
🔹 QuoteEaze — https://quoteeaze.com/Free-Offer.html

If your apprentices keep failing you, your team isn't performing, or you're constantly frustrated with the people around you, this episode is a gut-check you need to hear.

In this solo episode, Duayne Pearce gets real and vulnerable about a hard truth in the construction industry: most of the problems we blame on our teams and apprentices are actually on us. He breaks down why 40-60% of apprentices are dropping out before finishing their trade, shares a deeply personal story about an apprentice who's tested his patience for years, and explains why taking 100% ownership as a business owner has been the single biggest driver of growth in his own business and life.

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

 Follow me on my Socials! 

(https://www.instagram.com/duaynepearce/) 
(https://www.facebook.com/DuaynePearceBuild) 
(https://www.tiktok.com/@duaynepearcebuilder) 

Check out Duayne’s other projects: 

🔹 Live Life Build — https://livelifebuild.com 

🔹 D Pearce Constructions — https://dpearceconstructions.com.au 

🔹 QuoteEaze — https://quoteeaze.com/Free-Offer.html Check out the Duayne 

Check out our partner, Hazard Co!
https://www.hazardco.com/au/

Check out our tools partner!
Bretts: https://bretts.com.au/ 

Checkout our the best timber out there!
https://highwood.com.au/

Follow me on my Socials!
(https://www.instagram.com/duaynepearce/)
(https://www.facebook.com/DuaynePearceBuild)
(https://www.tiktok.com/@duaynepearcebuilder)

Check out Greg & Tamsin's other projects:
🔹 The Doing Co. - https://www.thedoing.co
🔹 Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thedoingco/
🔹 Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/tamsin_parry
🔹 Email - [email protected]. 

Check out Duayne’s other projects:
🔹 Live Life Build — https://livelifebuild.com
🔹 D Pearce Constructions — https://dpearceconstructions.com.au
🔹 QuoteEaze — https://quoteeaze.com/Free-Offer.html

In this episode, we sit down with Greg and Tamsin from The Doing Co. to dive deep into virtual assistants, delegation, and how AI is reshaping the way builders run their businesses. 

We cover everything from overcoming the mindset blocks that stop builders from hiring help, to what tasks to delegate first, to how AI and VAs work best together.

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

 Follow me on my Socials! 

(https://www.instagram.com/duaynepearce/) 
(https://www.facebook.com/DuaynePearceBuild) 
(https://www.tiktok.com/@duaynepearcebuilder) 

Check out Duayne’s other projects: 

🔹 Live Life Build — https://livelifebuild.com 

🔹 D Pearce Constructions — https://dpearceconstructions.com.au 

🔹 QuoteEaze — https://quoteeaze.com/Free-Offer.html Check out the Duayne 

Check out our partner, Hazard Co!
https://www.hazardco.com/au/

Check out our tools partner!
Bretts: https://bretts.com.au/ 

Checkout our the best timber out there!
https://highwood.com.au/

Follow me on my Socials!
(https://www.instagram.com/duaynepearce/)
(https://www.facebook.com/DuaynePearceBuild)
(https://www.tiktok.com/@duaynepearcebuilder)

Check out Duayne’s other projects:
🔹 RJ Hill Homes - https://www.rjhillhomes.com.au/
🔹 Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/rjhillhomes/

Check out Duayne’s other projects:
🔹 Live Life Build — https://livelifebuild.com
🔹 D Pearce Constructions — https://dpearceconstructions.com.au
🔹 QuoteEaze — https://quoteeaze.com/Free-Offer.html

In this episode of Level Up, Duane sits down with Rik Hill of RJ Hill Homes — a Live Life Build Elevate member who opens up about his path from a 1990s UK carpentry apprenticeship to running his own custom building business in Australia. Rik shares the old-school trade skills that are disappearing, the costly mistake that nearly ruined him during a franchise venture, and why durability and healthy home building should be at the center of the industry's future.

Timestamps:
0:00 – LEVEL UP
3:15 – Welcome back & introducing Rik Hill
4:09 – How Rik got into the building industry in the UK
18:37 – Hand-cutting roofs: "the PhD of carpentry"
32:44 – Power outage interrupts the episode (we kept rolling)
34:43 – What brought Rik to Australia
37:04 – Sponsor: Hywood Timber's Hyflo battens
39:10 – The costly mistake: jumping into a franchise
43:38 – Getting cranking again on his own
46:22 – Getting into the good stuff: building trade culture & loyalty
50:46 – Building healthier homes with Pro Clima
55:34 – What "Level Up" really means
56:21 – Outro

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

 Follow me on my Socials! 

(https://www.instagram.com/duaynepearce/) 
(https://www.facebook.com/DuaynePearceBuild) 
(https://www.tiktok.com/@duaynepearcebuilder) 

Check out Duayne’s other projects: 

🔹 Live Life Build — https://livelifebuild.com 

🔹 D Pearce Constructions — https://dpearceconstructions.com.au 

🔹 QuoteEaze — https://quoteeaze.com/Free-Offer.html Check out the Duayne 

Check out our partner, Hazard Co!
https://www.hazardco.com/au/

Check out our tools partner!
Bretts: https://bretts.com.au/ 

Checkout our the best timber out there!
https://highwood.com.au/

Follow me on my Socials!
(https://www.instagram.com/duaynepearce/)
(https://www.facebook.com/DuaynePearceBuild)
(https://www.tiktok.com/@duaynepearcebuilder)

Check out Duayne’s other projects:
🔹 Live Life Build — https://livelifebuild.com
🔹 D Pearce Constructions — https://dpearceconstructions.com.au
🔹 QuoteEaze — https://quoteeaze.com/Free-Offer.html

The construction industry is broken and most builders have no idea they're part of the problem.

In this solo episode, Duane breaks down his most controversial take: for the cost of building to get cheaper, it first has to get more expensive. It sounds counterintuitive, but once you understand the numbers, it makes complete sense.

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

 Follow me on my Socials! 

(https://www.instagram.com/duaynepearce/) 
(https://www.facebook.com/DuaynePearceBuild) 
(https://www.tiktok.com/@duaynepearcebuilder) 

Check out Duayne’s other projects: 

🔹 Live Life Build — https://livelifebuild.com 

🔹 D Pearce Constructions — https://dpearceconstructions.com.au 

🔹 QuoteEaze — https://quoteeaze.com/Free-Offer.html Check out the Duayne 

Something on your mind about your business?

Grab 15 minutes with Duayne Pearce, founder of Live Life Build. No pitch, no script… just a straight-up chat about where things are at and where they could go next.

Book Now: https://www.livelifebuild.com/haveachat/

Check out our partner, Hazard Co!
https://www.hazardco.com/au/

Check out our tools partner!
Bretts: https://bretts.com.au/ 

Checkout our the best timber out there!
https://highwood.com.au/

Follow me on my Socials!
(https://www.instagram.com/duaynepearce/)
(https://www.facebook.com/DuaynePearceBuild)
(https://www.tiktok.com/@duaynepearcebuilder)

Check out Sharpe & Co. Pty Ltd:
🔹 Sharpe & Co. — https://sharpeco.com.au/home
🔹 Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/sharpeandcoconstructions/
🔹 Facebook — https://www.facebook.com/sharpeandcocarpentry

Check out Duayne’s other projects:
🔹 Live Life Build — https://livelifebuild.com
🔹 D Pearce Constructions — https://dpearceconstructions.com.au
🔹 QuoteEaze — https://quoteeaze.com/Free-Offer.html

Adam and Sarah Sharpe from Sharpe & Co. Pty Ltd join Duane to share how they went from burnout, mental health struggles, and a near-business collapse to doubling their turnover in just 12 months — all while raising three young kids.

A raw, honest conversation about what it really takes to build a business and a life you're proud of.

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

 Follow me on my Socials! 

(https://www.instagram.com/duaynepearce/) 
(https://www.facebook.com/DuaynePearceBuild) 
(https://www.tiktok.com/@duaynepearcebuilder) 

Check out Duayne’s other projects: 

🔹 Live Life Build — https://livelifebuild.com 

🔹 D Pearce Constructions — https://dpearceconstructions.com.au 

🔹 QuoteEaze — https://quoteeaze.com/Free-Offer.html Check out the Duayne