Storytelling is ingrained in our DNA because how else would we bring people and each other, together? It sets the ground for the relationships we build which are very important in any trade. However, as effortless as it sounds, tradies don’t put much thought into the potential of a great story to be a deciding factor in earning the customers’ trust.

We welcome you to the first episode of the series, Building Trust and Rapport by Becoming a Great Storyteller. The Story Sales Machine’s Bill Mueller joins us to talk about the importance of storytelling in any industry, specifically in sales, and using email as a powerful storytelling tool. We also cover the art of tying stories into mundane and otherwise routine tasks to create stronger engagements, and ultimately, tradie-customer relationships.

Tune in to this episode now!

Discussion Points: 

1:59 The challenge of telling stories in the digital space
04:20 How email becomes relegated into just a tool that sells vouchers
06:00 Being less polished adds authenticity to your storytelling
08:00 People rarely try to re-engage because they get caught up in lead-generation
08:53 You can turn an email into something personal for the receiver
10:30 Worry less about the sale and concentrate on helping people
11:49 There are different spins you can take to make an interesting content
13:04 How a copywriter created an amazing campaign by telling the story of an everyday task
14:44 The importance of storytelling to get people’s attention
16:20 How we continue to build trust and rapport through our podcast
18:00 It’s human nature to put fear into everything we do
20:10 Determine your prospect’s product awareness stage
22:16 Storytelling is powerful in the sales cycle
24:35 Automation can teach and help you a lot with engagement
26:27 What’s in store for the next episode

About the Guest: 

Bill Mueller prides himself on helping entrepreneurs, coaches, and consultants sell more and sell better with this simple approach: People love stories, therefore, use stories to communicate and sell. He has been writing story-based emails and email sequences since 2005 which is impressive in internet years and has since sol

Enjoyed the podcast? Take your trade business to the next level by incorporating AI! Don’t get left behind—explore Tradie Hub at tradiehub.net. Discover game-changing AI solutions designed to boost efficiency and growth for trade businesses worldwide. Check it out today! 

👀 Check This Out:
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Running a business isn’t about rolling up your sleeves and doing things on your own. Sure, it may be fulfilling to achieve success after you’ve worked hard for everything, but to what extent?

In this episode, Tom Martin of Virtual Trade Assistant, and I will cover the importance of outsourcing in facilitating business growth. We will also help you understand when and what you should outsource in your business. Plus, we will discuss the steps you need to take and the variables you need to look into before hiring a virtual assistant.

All of these topics and a lot more in this episode. Tune in now!

Discussion Points: 

0:00 The Elevation Program and Introduction
05:14 How Tom got through the virtual trading system
08:02 What is outsourcing?
15:24 Understanding which parts of your business you should outsource
19:24 Creating a system for your business
22:27 How to get people outsourcing the right things at the right time
26:11 The importance of documenting processes
29:46 Steps in hiring the right outsourcing members
34:24 Factors to consider before hiring a virtual assistant
37:43 Benefits of working with a virtual assistant

About the Guest: 

In 2016, Tom Martin became the director of Virtual Trade Assistant in Australia. The company's primary goal is to assist small business owners in managing their operations on a day-to-day basis. Moreover, Tom Martin is also the owner of Water Tight Canberra and is a licensed plumber. With all the experiences he had in running Water Tight Canberra since 2010, Tom can attest how essential it is to outsource talents in keeping your business' operations smooth and organized.

Resources: 

• Tradie Web Guys ‘automation’ - (https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/automation/)
• Tradie Web Guys Elevation Program - (https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/elevation/)
• Tradie Web Guys’ Apply (qualification) page (https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/apply/)
• The Site Shed (https://www.thesiteshed.com/)
• V

Enjoyed the podcast? Take your trade business to the next level by incorporating AI! Don’t get left behind—explore Tradie Hub at tradiehub.net. Discover game-changing AI solutions designed to boost efficiency and growth for trade businesses worldwide. Check it out today! 

👀 Check This Out:
Thinking about adding AI to your trade business? Discover what’s possible with TradieHub.net

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The funny thing about success is that people think of it as an overnight thing instead of a journey. Most people don't see the hard work that owners and the team have put in to thrive. It is important to note that many factors are in play when it comes to success, and only those who are willing and disciplined enough will get to taste and experience it firsthand.  

In this week’s podcast episode, I talk with Sam Friend, the managing director of Stag Electrical. Sam shares how Stag Electrical started and how it has evolved to become the company that it is today. Sam talks about what it took to expand their services and why he thinks a business’s biggest asset is its staff. He also discusses the importance of marketing and what he envisions the company to be like in the future. 

Check out this episode today! 

Discussion Points: 

0:00 The Elevation Program  
4:20 How Sam started Stag Electrical  
8:58 How Sam’s experience in industrial electrical projects influenced his operations 
10:05 Implementing systems with the team 
11:05 What does ‘grow’ mean?
12:16 Expansion of services 
14:16 Facilitating logistics 
16:00 Team building, staff, recruitment 
17:35 Staff as a business’s biggest asset 
20:58 Giving your team a voice during toolbox meetings
23:02 Mindset or process on how to get feedback from guys on the ground
25:41 Designing vision and goals for Stag Electrical 
27:44 Improving the onboarding process
28:51 Sam’s leadership journey and evolution 
34:16 Consistency in processes 
36:42 Sam talks about what he’s doing in his business nowadays 
43:03 Google Ads and marketing 
50:06 Where Sam sees Stag Electrical in the future 

About the Guest: 

Sam Friend is the managing director of Stag Electrical Solar & Refrigeration. The company was established in 2007, and Sam has slowly grown it through refining processes along the way, ensuring a solid foundation guaranteeing they will still be here for years to come. 

The company’s team of 22 have over 13 years of experience providing expert customer service. They currently offer their services across two states ACT and NSW and have offic

Enjoyed the podcast? Take your trade business to the next level by incorporating AI! Don’t get left behind—explore Tradie Hub at tradiehub.net. Discover game-changing AI solutions designed to boost efficiency and growth for trade businesses worldwide. Check it out today! 

👀 Check This Out:
Thinking about adding AI to your trade business? Discover what’s possible with TradieHub.net

📲 Stay Connected:

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• Instagram: @thesiteshed
• LinkedIn: The Site Shed
• Website: thesiteshed.com
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Scaling a business is what business owners dream of. And to get to that point, many components are involved as one thing always impacts another. However, it’s worth noting that although the journey towards success isn’t always a breeze, with a lot of hurdles to be overcome, it’s all worth it once you see the work pay off. 

This is what we discuss in my conversation with Patrick Readyhough. He is the owner of a mid-sized roofing company called Pond Roofing that he acquired in the year 2012. He had his fair share of triumphs and trials in business, but it is a mixture of different things that led him to where he is now. We talk about the importance of leveraging your business’s database and how to retain customers instead of always looking for new ones. We also talk about accountability and coaching and how Patrick’s role has evolved over the years he’s been in business. 

Tune in to this episode today! 

Discussion Points: 

0:00 The Elevation Program and Introduction 
6:50 Background of Pond Roofing company 
8:35 Why Pond Roofing prefers to work with homeowners 
10:38 Patrick’s take on the marketing front from his personal experience 
13:54 Leveraging your database for the business 
16:38 Doing a little bit of everything 
17:32 Looking the part so people choose you  
20:27 Tools for measuring off maps  
21:50 How Patrick acquired his company 
27:13 Changes to operations upon acquiring the company 
28:50 Empowering your teams to scale your business 
30:23 Approach Patrick took to making changes in the company  
31:44 Accountability and coaching 
33:22 Finding a better way of doing things 
34:44 How has Patrick’s role changed throughout the years 
37:50 Removing yourself from what you’re doing by bringing other people in 
42:13 How your business can benefit most from you 
43:03 Recruitment, staff, and retention
49:54 Obstacles and friction points that Patrick learned to navigate   
53:43 How Patrick developed into becoming the leader he wants to be  

About the Guest: 

Patrick Readyhough has been in the home remodeling and construction industry for ove

Enjoyed the podcast? Take your trade business to the next level by incorporating AI! Don’t get left behind—explore Tradie Hub at tradiehub.net. Discover game-changing AI solutions designed to boost efficiency and growth for trade businesses worldwide. Check it out today! 

👀 Check This Out:
Thinking about adding AI to your trade business? Discover what’s possible with TradieHub.net

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• Instagram: @thesiteshed
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• Website: thesiteshed.com
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Everyone knows the importance of setting goals, but achieving them is a different thing for most people. One can create a goal today and forget about it the next month or give up on it, especially when it gets tricky. If this seems to be the case with you, you need not fret. There are practical ways to go about it so you can see your goals come to fruition! 

In this podcast episode, I talk with one of our highly-esteemed guests in the show, Al Levi. Al shares practical ways to set goals, whether personal or in business, and achieve them. These ways are the very ones he uses himself, so you can be sure that they work. We discuss the importance of accountability and beliefs. We also talk about why you need your goals to be clear and why meetings make up a vital part of achieving your goals. 

Tune in to this episode today! 

Discussion Points: 

0:00 The 7-Power Offer 
3:35 Al talks about the 7 Power Contractor 
6:48 The importance of mindset training 
7:52 Working together towards the same direction 
9:58 The org chart 
10:25 Writing your goals down and holding yourself accountable  
12:29 Ten golden rules for personal and business 
14:16 Clarity of goals 
15:05 Meetings are essential; meetings with ‘me’ 
16:44 Examine what you truly believe and fix your struggles 
18:11 Writing down the positive and negative beliefs and destroying the latter 
20:51 Helpful recommendations on how you can revisit your goals
22:48 Accountability 
27:48 Framework for goals 
34:00 Four things people in your flat org chart should know 
36:04 Why people don’t want to set goals
38:48 Get better at numbers (even if you don’t like them)
41:37 Main goals to focus on   
44:26 What if you don’t reach your goals despite following everything? 

About the Guest: 

Al Levi is president of The 7-Power Contractor (formerly Appleseed Business), a business consulting and training firm that has helped hundreds of service and installation-based contracting businesses run better since 2002. 

He also is a columnist for Plumbing & Mechanical (PM) magazine and Reeves Journal, and the author o

Enjoyed the podcast? Take your trade business to the next level by incorporating AI! Don’t get left behind—explore Tradie Hub at tradiehub.net. Discover game-changing AI solutions designed to boost efficiency and growth for trade businesses worldwide. Check it out today! 

👀 Check This Out:
Thinking about adding AI to your trade business? Discover what’s possible with TradieHub.net

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• Instagram: @thesiteshed
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• Website: thesiteshed.com
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When COVID hit last year, there was this sense of panic. Many business owners thought of the worst, tradies not exempted - closing down their businesses. But we’ve seen resilience throughout last year, and many have survived even thrived. Now that a new year has come, is there still a sense of doom and gloom, or are things looking up? 

In this week’s podcast episode, I talk once again with Michael Steckler of Tradify. We discuss the reason behind the Tradify Pulse reports and how it has helped more tradespeople understand what’s happening business-wise. Michael also shares the key insights they have found into their latest report and what advantages await those who are open about using software to automate and ease their processes. 

Tune in to this episode today!  

Discussion Points: 

0:00 Tradify Offer 

3:27 Tradies still have a positive outlook as of the moment 

4:26 More tradesmen are getting more work   

5:54 All the doom and gloom predicted did not become a reality 

7:08 What does Tradify do?

9:59 Differences in the pace of trades businesses adopting technologies  

12:12 Trades business owners are more open-minded now

13:22 How Tradify works with customers 

16:06 Reason why Tradify collated a report 

17:38 Important recommendations from the previous report 

22:48 Delving into the recent Tradify report 

24:21 Key insights of the recent Tradify report  

28:21 Other trends from the Tradify report 

32:09 Talent pool availability 

37:00 Tradify report on the admin side of business 

41:34 Software and automation put business owners at an advantage 

About the Guest: 

Michael Steckler is the CEO of Tradify, a job management software app made especially for tradies. Tradify is an application that helps tradespeople manage and grow their business, especially when it comes to managing their finances. This software has helped tradies shorten their time working on administrative tasks and focus more on enjoying their lives outside work. 

Resources: 

• Tradie Web Guys ‘automation’ - (https://www.tradiewebguy

Enjoyed the podcast? Take your trade business to the next level by incorporating AI! Don’t get left behind—explore Tradie Hub at tradiehub.net. Discover game-changing AI solutions designed to boost efficiency and growth for trade businesses worldwide. Check it out today! 

👀 Check This Out:
Thinking about adding AI to your trade business? Discover what’s possible with TradieHub.net

📲 Stay Connected:

• Facebook: The Site Shed
• Instagram: @thesiteshed
• LinkedIn: The Site Shed
• Website: thesiteshed.com
• Join a global community of 6000+ trade professionals https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheSiteShed

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Do you ever feel like meetings are not important? This dread of meetings may be because of the lack of structure that provides value to these sessions. The good news is that you don’t have to dread it any longer, as there is a way to make sure that you can get the most out of it - tap into the geniuses of people, break down ideas, and solve problems; all of which will propel your business forward. 

In this episode, I welcome Eric Anderton to the show. Eric and I talk about valuable information about meetings. Eric shares what a well-structured meeting looks like that will get you to solve the problems that you face in your business. He also talks about identifying your rally cry, areas of fierce focus, and the critical number you tie to each area of fierce focus. 

This episode helps make the most out of your meetings. Tune in today! 

Discussion Points: 

0:00 The Elevation Program  
4:08 Eric shares his story 
4:56 Reasons why most companies despise meetings
6:45 A well-structured meeting is valuable 
8:03  The first thing to do to have an effective meeting
9:32 Three main principles in Eric’s meeting framework 
10:27 Importance of having regular meetings 
11:11 Different types of meetings
15:19 Conducting an effective problem-solving meeting
17:03 Involve people and tap into their genius
19:35 Helping people break down their ideas
22:24 Frequency of problem-solving meetings 
23:11 How to apply outcomes in meetings  
24:40 Identify your rally cry 
25:43 Areas of fierce focus 
26:32 Tie a critical number to each area of fierce focus 
27:20 The kinds of meetings and who you want to meet with 
33:58 Why an outside facilitator helps with meetings
34:50 The need for follow-up 
36:32 Make meetings part of the culture

About the Guest: 

Eric Anderton has more than two decades of career and entrepreneurial business experience, alongside 25 years of public speaking, small group facilitation, and one-on-one mentoring. 

He is a trusted leadership advisor, executive mentor, and expert meeting facilitator for construction companies that range in revenue f

Enjoyed the podcast? Take your trade business to the next level by incorporating AI! Don’t get left behind—explore Tradie Hub at tradiehub.net. Discover game-changing AI solutions designed to boost efficiency and growth for trade businesses worldwide. Check it out today! 

👀 Check This Out:
Thinking about adding AI to your trade business? Discover what’s possible with TradieHub.net

📲 Stay Connected:

• Facebook: The Site Shed
• Instagram: @thesiteshed
• LinkedIn: The Site Shed
• Website: thesiteshed.com
• Join a global community of 6000+ trade professionals https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheSiteShed

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Business transitions due to physical or mental limitations caused by untoward incidents are a painful reality. Most business owners find that the only viable solution once this happens to them is that they have to close shop and go out of business which doesn’t always have to be the case. You can survive and have a thriving business, given that you seek the help you need to go through this transition smoothly. 

In this podcast episode, the second part of the series, Adapting to Forced Change, Genevieve and I talk about what a business transition looks like when forced off the tools as a business owner. We discuss the importance of accountability and how having someone who can help you get another perspective on your dilemma is crucial. Gen also shares a case study that will encourage you to push through when you go through unfortunate circumstances like accidents or illnesses. 

Check out this episode today!

Discussion Points: 

0:00 The Elevation Program  
5:25 The inability of most businesses to pick up the business owner’s role
5:59 Keeping owners off the tools 
8:50 Creating a routine around the new normal 
9:42 The need for accountability
11:01 Physical limitations are a painful reality 
13:33 Business mentoring 
16:02 A holistic look at your business
16:57 Thinking outside the box
17:27 Income protection insurance 
18:01 Case study  
21:42 Takeaways from the episode 

About the Guest: 

Genevieve Cassuci is a qualified health professional with postgraduate qualifications in Rehabilitation Counselling with substantial experience in the health sector. Besides that, she has concurrently personally owned and partnered in several business operations in Allied Health, professional consultancy, food manufacturing, hospitality, events management, franchising, and export.

Eventually, Gen identified the benefit of blending her business acumen with the needs of people who have acquired a disabling medical condition. Through Pivotl she, and her team mentor and guide business owners and want-to-be entrepreneurs to recreate, re-structure, re-think, re-adjust and re-assess their business, now that they have medical limitations to factor into their futures.

Genevieve and her team work with new and existing

Enjoyed the podcast? Take your trade business to the next level by incorporating AI! Don’t get left behind—explore Tradie Hub at tradiehub.net. Discover game-changing AI solutions designed to boost efficiency and growth for trade businesses worldwide. Check it out today! 

👀 Check This Out:
Thinking about adding AI to your trade business? Discover what’s possible with TradieHub.net

📲 Stay Connected:

• Facebook: The Site Shed
• Instagram: @thesiteshed
• LinkedIn: The Site Shed
• Website: thesiteshed.com
• Join a global community of 6000+ trade professionals https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheSiteShed

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Change is scary, mostly if the change happens due to conditions, whether physically or mentally. While it is true that we do not have control over the things that happen to us, we have a say and a responsibility to adapt and plan. The growing issues around health nowadays, including the importance of addressing mental health problems, stifles business owners. Still, with proper guidance and the right processes, there is a way to resolve it. 

In this week’s podcast episode, I talk with Genevieve Cassuci, Director and Co-founder of Pivotl. We discuss how essential planning is for businesses to accommodate physical and mental health conditions. She also shares why getting guidance from qualified professionals is necessary to resolve these issues, and Gen also touches on the benefits of having systems in place. 

Tune in to this episode today!

Discussion Points: 

0:00 The Elevation Program  
0:56 Genevieve shares her story 
5:43 How a scenario planning looks for mental health issues
7:15 Identifying mental health issues 
8:05 Working out what’s going on and finding solutions
12:57 It is difficult to accept that something has to change
16:27 Guidance from someone qualified is important
18:06 The right process when someone is not truthful 
22:06 Looking into your onboarding processes
25:48 Things to put in place to accommodate changes 
26:59 Importance of insurance 
31:40 Business plan

About the Guest: 

Genevieve Cassuci is a qualified health professional with postgraduate qualifications in Rehabilitation Counselling with substantial experience in the health sector. Besides that, she has concurrently personally owned and partnered in several business operations in Allied Health, professional consultancy, food manufacturing, hospitality, events management, franchising, and export.

Eventually, Gen identified the benefit of blending her business acumen with the needs of people who have acquired a disabling medical condition. Through Pivotl she, and her team mentor and guide business owners and want-to-be entrepreneurs to re-create, re-structure, re-think, re-adjust and re-assess their business, now that they have medical limitations to factor into their futures.

Genevieve and her team work with new and existin

Enjoyed the podcast? Take your trade business to the next level by incorporating AI! Don’t get left behind—explore Tradie Hub at tradiehub.net. Discover game-changing AI solutions designed to boost efficiency and growth for trade businesses worldwide. Check it out today! 

👀 Check This Out:
Thinking about adding AI to your trade business? Discover what’s possible with TradieHub.net

📲 Stay Connected:

• Facebook: The Site Shed
• Instagram: @thesiteshed
• LinkedIn: The Site Shed
• Website: thesiteshed.com
• Join a global community of 6000+ trade professionals https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheSiteShed

⭐ Enjoyed This Episode? Leave us a review here!

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We don’t want chaotic turnovers; we want smooth transitions when it comes to an exit. Most business owners dream of it but don’t see the need to plan today, which is not the wisest thing to do. Whether an exit for you means selling your business or staying as the owner but having someone manage it for you, a graceful exit is possible. 

In today’s podcast episode, the third and final of the Exit Strategy vs. Wishful Hoping series, Danielle Putnam and I discuss how to go about a graceful exit. We also discuss the importance of identifying your time’s highest use and why it is crucial to delegate some of it. We also tackle the importance of technology and a lot more. 

Take time to listen to this episode today! 

Discussion Points: 

0:00 Offer and Introduction 

1:52 Recap of the previous episodes

3:16  How to gracefully exit 

7:34 Identifying the highest use of your time 

9:46 Work with the end in mind

10:00 Having the right people on your team 

12:23 Being honest 

13:40 Offloading tasks to other people 

14:23 Technology is crucial 

15:18 Exit from other stuff to focus on what’s valuable 

15:28 Delegate and free up your time 

About the Guest: 

Danielle Putnam is the president of The New Flat Rate, a company that she and her father founded in 2011. She is also the immediate past President of Women in HVACR, an organisation that encourages more women to enter the trades. 

Resources: 

• Tradie Web Guys ‘automation’ - (https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/automation/)
• Tradie Web Guys Elevation Program - (https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/elevation/)
• Tradie Web Guys’ Apply (qualification) page (https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/apply/)
• Visit The New Flat Rate’s website (https://thenewflatrate.com/) 
• Contact Danielle through email ([email protected]) 
• Listen to the previous podcast episodes in t

Enjoyed the podcast? Take your trade business to the next level by incorporating AI! Don’t get left behind—explore Tradie Hub at tradiehub.net. Discover game-changing AI solutions designed to boost efficiency and growth for trade businesses worldwide. Check it out today! 

👀 Check This Out:
Thinking about adding AI to your trade business? Discover what’s possible with TradieHub.net

📲 Stay Connected:

• Facebook: The Site Shed
• Instagram: @thesiteshed
• LinkedIn: The Site Shed
• Website: thesiteshed.com
• Join a global community of 6000+ trade professionals https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheSiteShed

⭐ Enjoyed This Episode? Leave us a review here!

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