Construction runs at full noise. Learning to slow down and lead from a steadier place is how you keep performing without burning out.

Stacey Combe is a mindful career mentor who brings calm to the chaos of construction. She works with everyone from site managers to designers, helping them handle pressure and the mental load without losing the plot.

In this conversation, we get into:

• How to lead with intention when everything’s moving fast

• Practical ways to handle pressure and expectation on the job

• Why presence makes you more effective, not slower

• How to perform at a high level without running yourself into the ground

Chapters:

0:00 Meet Stacey Combe

1:44 Lead Yourself with Self-Leadership

3:21 How Performance Cracks Under Pressure

7:20 Shift Your Shame Around Mistakes

10:40 Mindfulness Practice and Tools for Construction

13:35 Benefits of Presence in Our Lives

16:04 Manage Yourself in High-Pressure Roles

17:21 Communicate to Avoid Mistakes

20:42 Presence, Acceptance and Patience

22:14 Wrap Up

Follow Tradies Who Lead on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube or TikTok for more from the Tradies Who Lead community.

Tradies Who Lead is powered by Blue Leader. If you're looking for support in building leadership skills within your team, reach out here.

Or download our free eBook: 5 Things Every Tradie Needs to Know About Leadership

If you want to connect with Stacey, you can book a free call here, or follow her on social media at:

Free call: https://subscribepage.io/partnershipconnectioncall

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stacey-combe-mindfulness/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/staceycombecoach/

The trade sector has a habit of guarding its knowledge instead of sharing it, and it’s holding the whole industry back.

Chad Perry is the director of Trik Con Construction and founder of Master Form Concrete Academy. With 20-plus years in concreting, he’s built a successful business leading diverse teams with the simple practice of paying more attention.

In this conversation, we get into:

• The mindset you need to succeed

• How to get better results by paying attention

• Why we need to start sharing more knowledge

• Essential people skills to manage a team

Chapters:

0:00 Meet Chad Perry of Trik Con Construction

3:56 Understanding Others to Improve Your Results

5:48 There’s Room for Everyone to Succeed

6:14 Mindset for Success

7:37 Benefits of Sharing Your Trade Knowledge

11:08 Why People Skills are Essential for Leaders

13:44 Strategies to Manage Your Team

15:03 Maintain Your Wellbeing as a Leader

16:41 Pay Attention and Give Your Best

17:29 Wrap Up

Follow Tradies Who Lead on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube or TikTok for more from the Tradies Who Lead community.

Tradies Who Lead is powered by Blue Leader. If you're looking for support in building leadership skills within your team, reach out here.

Or download our free eBook: 5 Things Every Tradie Needs to Know About Leadership

If you want to connect with Chad, you can follow him on Instagram at @trik_con. Our listeners can get 5% off for Master Form Concrete Academy using the discount code ‘TRADIE’: mfconcreteacademy.com.au

In a trade world that rewards toughness, leading with kindness sounds soft. Jonno’s built a business that proves it’s a competitive advantage.

Jonno McCartney is the Director of Prolink Trade Group. He leads with grit and heart in equal measure, building purpose-driven communities and putting people first — and it’s worked.

In this conversation, we get into:

• How kindness drives results in the trades

• How to empower people instead of holding all the control

• How tips for how to start a trade business

• The benefits of building a community for business

Chapters:

0:00 Meet Jonno McCartney

1:20 How to Lead from Values Instead of Fear

2:22 Defining Success to Drive Team Performance

5:58 How to Lead from the Front

7:04 Empathy is Your Strongest Leadership Skill

8:51 Redefining Mistakes for Learning

11:10 Finding Belonging in Work and Life

15:20 Tips for Starting Your Own Trade Business

18:16 Kindness is a Business Strategy

20:49 Create Time for Yourself as a Leader

21:40 The Benefit of Doing Hard Things

25:02 Lead Yourself with Accountability

27:19 Wrap Up

Follow Tradies Who Lead on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube or TikTok for more from the Tradies Who Lead community.

Tradies Who Lead is powered by Blue Leader. If you're looking for support in building leadership skills within your team, reach out here.

Or download our free eBook: 5 Things Every Tradie Needs to Know About Leadership

If you want to connect with Jonno, you can reach him at @jonnomccartney on Instagram or at his website www.prolinktradegroup.com.au

Nobody hands you a manual when you go from doing the work to being responsible for the people doing it. Gavin’s spent 30 years working out the lessons the hard way.

Gavin Cribb started as an apprentice at Ford and now leads a team of 70 trainers as a trade school. He’s got three decades of automotive and leadership experience and a clear view of what the next generation needs.

In this conversation, we get into:

• How to build rapport and trust with your team

• Why one-size-fits-all leadership doesn’t work

• How to attract and support the next generation of apprentices

• How to use a leadership role to drive change in the industry

Chapters:

0:00 Meet Gavin Cribb

2:50 The Essential Ingredients of Leadership

3:42 How to Lead a Large Trade Team

5:21 Strategies to Build Rapport as a Leader

7:55 Different Generations’ Ideas of Good Leadership

9:16 How to Attract Our Future Tradies

15:09 Why Industry Needs to Collaborate More

16:31 Victorian Automotive Forum for Trainers

21:52 Leading for Your Team and Customers

22:36 Wrap Up

Follow Tradies Who Lead on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube or TikTok for more from the Tradies Who Lead community.

Tradies Who Lead is powered by Blue Leader. If you're looking for support in building leadership skills within your team, reach out here.

Or download our free eBook: 5 Things Every Tradie Needs to Know About Leadership

If you want to connect with Gavin, you can reach him on LinkedIn at:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/gavin-cribb-b4713158/

Feeling like the odd one out on site is more common than anyone admits, but it doesn’t have to stop you from leading.

Louise Azzopardi is a heavy vehicle mechanic turned coach and workshop facilitator. She started her trade at 15 and represented Australia at the 2017 WorldSkills competition, placing 4th in heavy vehicle maintenance. Now she helps women in trade back themselves.

In this conversation, we get into:

• How to handle imposter syndrome

• Practical ways to manage anxiety in the workplace

• How to build the confidence to lead

• What it takes to become a role model

Chapters:

0:00 Meet Louise Azzopardi

4:37 How to Practice Leadership as a Coach

6:00 Words Have Power as a Role Model

8:33 How to Deliver Constructive Feedback

10:46 Taking Responsibility in Your Relationships

12:09 How to Receive Feedback Well

13:57 Find Mentors and Community as a Woman in Trade

20:06 Pay Attention to How You Talk to Yourself

21:21 How to Have Difficult Conversations

23:10 Managing Anxiety as a Tradie or Apprentice

25:13 Practice Leadership by Giving Your Best Each Day

26:19 Wrap Up

Follow Tradies Who Lead on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube or TikTok for more from the Tradies Who Lead community.

Tradies Who Lead is powered by Blue Leader. If you're looking for support in building leadership skills within your team, reach out here.

Or download our free eBook: 5 Things Every Tradie Needs to Know About Leadership

If you want to connect with Louise, you can connect with her via her social media at:

Website: www.louiseazzopardi.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100009063836223

Insta: https://www.instagram.com/louiseazzopardicoaching/

Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/louise-azzopardi-699072126/

Leading a team that’s been at it longer than you have is its own kind of test. The fix isn’t more authority — it’s a different way of leading.

Chris Hale is a sales manager in the wind energy industry who came up through sport and coaching. He brings an outside-the-trades view on leading experienced teams, building partnerships, and driving training that actually changes culture.

In this conversation, we get into:

• How to lead people who’ve got more years on the job than you

• Why flexible leadership beats one-size-fits-all

• How training and inclusion drive real change across an industry

• What sports and coaching teach you about leading a crew

Chapters:

0:00 Meet Chris Hale from Skylar Education

2:14 How to Lead with Less Technical Experience

4:47 Work Opportunities in the Wind Industry

6:42 The Role of Training in Improving Safety Culture

10:25 Embracing Women in the Wind Industry

17:33 The Link Between Sport and Leadership

19:57 Have a Leadership Attitude

20:33 Wrap Up

Follow Tradies Who Lead on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube or TikTok for more from the Tradies Who Lead community.

Tradies Who Lead is powered by Blue Leader. If you're looking for support in building leadership skills within your team, reach out here.

Or download our free eBook: 5 Things Every Tradie Needs to Know About Leadership

If you want to connect with Chris or Skylar Education, you can reach them at:

Website: www.skylareducation.edu.au

Insta: https://www.instagram.com/skylar.education/

Linked In: www.linkedin.com/in/chris-hale-5693bba6

Leading a crew on site and representing the trade online are two different jobs, and parenthood has a way of changing how you do both.

Andrew Hopkins (a.k.a. Hoppo) is a Melbourne carpenter, business owner at Hopkins Construction, content creator and dad. He’s led teams for over eight years while building an online presence that shows the good side of the trade.

In this conversation, we get into:

• How self-awareness changes the way you show up for the crew

• What changes about your leadership when you become a parent

• What it takes to represent the industry online without the highlight reel

• How to lead a team and build a business as a tradie off the tools

Chapters:

0.00 Meet Andrew Hopkins of Hopkins Construction

2.54 What Leadership Means as a Tradie

4:04 How to Lead the Next Generation of Tradies

5:55 Why You Need to Be Flexible as a Leader

8:26 Team Building Strategy for Trade Businesses

11:41 Managing Imposter Syndrome as a Tradie Off the Tools

12:59 Developing Self-Awareness Skills

13:48 Showing up Online as a Chippy

17:34 Being Authentic on Social Media

18:45 How Fatherhood Influences Your Leadership

21:22 Navigating Flexible Work for Tradie Parents

23:01 Creating Strong Team Culture by Finding Common Ground

25:20 Advice to Apprentices to Build Their Leadership

26:16 Wrap Up

Follow Tradies Who Lead on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube or TikTok for more from the Tradies Who Lead community.

Tradies Who Lead is powered by Blue Leader. If you're looking for support in building leadership skills within your team, reach out here.

Or download our free eBook: 5 Things Every Tradie Needs to Know About Leadership

Want to connect with Andrew? You can find him on Instagram and TikTok at @hopkinsconstruction.

Surface-level banter keeps a crew comfortable, but it doesn’t keep them safe. Going beyond the usual back-and-forth is where we build stronger teams.

Aaron Huey (a.k.a Coach Huey) is a construction mental health advocate, life coach and founder of Hustletalk Coaching. With 20-plus years in the industry and a hard-earned story through stress, anxiety and single fatherhood, he talks straight about wellbeing in the trades.

In this conversation, we get into:

• Why both the hard and the human sides of leadership matter onsite

• How to build a culture where blokes talk before things boil over

• What connecting beyond banter does for safety and retention

• How to show up better for yourself so you can show up for your crew

Chapters:

0:00 Meet Aaron WD Huey

1:45 The Onsite Gap that Inspired Hustletalk Coaching

4:29 Why Traditional HR Wellbeing Approaches Don’t Work Onsite

7:33 We Need More Local Mental Health Role Models

9:20 How to Show Leadership as a Site Manager

11.21 Managing Stress on a Construction Site

13:58 Setting Boundaries Between Work and Home Pressures

18:19 Build Stronger Team Relationships Beyond Banter

23:12 Masculine and Feminine Energy of Leadership

24:56 Conclusion

Follow Tradies Who Lead on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube or TikTok for more from the Tradies Who Lead community.

Tradies Who Lead is powered by Blue Leader. If you're looking for support in building leadership skills within your team, reach out here.

Or download our free eBook: 5 Things Every Tradie Needs to Know About Leadership

If you want to connect with Coach Huey, you can reach him via his social platforms:

Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaron-wd-huey-6803341ab/

Insta: https://www.instagram.com/aaron_wd_huey/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AaronWDHuey/

If you have an everyday leadership story to share or want to be featured on Tradies Who Lead, submit your expression of interest via the website – we'd love to hear from you!

The trade gets passed down by the people willing to teach it, and mentoring the next generation doesn’t have to be hard.

Raman is a vocational training specialist with international experience in education and training. He’s spent a career working out how people actually learn a trade, how to teach it better, and the diverse pathways a trade career can provide.

In this conversation, we get into:

• Practical ways to mentor and train an apprentice

• Why your people skills matter as much as your technical skills

• The continuous learning opportunities available to all tradies

Chapters:

0:00 Meet Raman Badekar

2:28 What It Means to Show Up as a Leader

4:03 The Positive Impact of Mentoring

8:24 Practical Ways to Mentor an Apprentice

10:46 The Global State of Skills

15:06 The Unspoken Skills Learned through Trade Careers

14:43 How to Be a Better Teacher in the Trades

20:49 Diverse Opportunities in Vocational Careers

21:38 Conclusion

Follow Tradies Who Lead on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube or TikTok for more from the Tradies Who Lead community.

Tradies Who Lead is powered by Blue Leader. If you're looking for support in building leadership skills within your team, reach out here.

Or download our free eBook: 5 Things Every Tradie Needs to Know About Leadership

If you want to connect with Raman or engage his Training and Development consulting services, you can reach him at:

Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/raman-badekar-18796111/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/raman.badekar

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/raman_b1/#

Plenty of tradies are carrying more than they let on. Bardie knows, because she spent years wearing a mask to fit in, while the hard stuff went unspoken.

Bardie Somerville is the founder of The Shift, a platform built to give tradies real tools for life. She’s lived the mental health struggle she now helps others through with practical strategies that work onsite, whether you're leading teams or on the tools.

In this conversation, we get into:

• How to lead yourself and embrace authenticity

• What you can do when a mate’s doing it tough

• Practical ways to seek support or settle your nervous system on the job

Chapters:

0:00 Meet Bardie Somerville from The Shift

2:01 What Authenticity Really Means

3:36 You Need to Stop People Pleasing to Lead Yourself

7:58 When Being Naïve Can Be a Good Thing

9:20 How to Create Change in Our Lives

10:28 Why Bardie Created The Shift

14:45 The Importance of Community in the Trades for Mental Health

17:17 Top Three Tips if you’re Having a Hard Time

20:22 Ways to Support Better Mental Health in Your Team

21:56 How to have a Mental Health Chat Onsite

23:46 How to Build Your Authenticity over Time

25:07 Conclusion

Follow Tradies Who Lead on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube or TikTok for more from the Tradies Who Lead community.

Tradies Who Lead is powered by Blue Leader. If you're looking for support in building leadership skills within your team, reach out here.

Or download our free eBook: 5 Things Every Tradie Needs to Know About Leadership

If you want to connect with Bardie or The Shift, you can follow via their socials at:

Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bardie-somerville-a755a9286/

Insta: http://instagram.com/bards.builds or https://www.instagram.com/theshift.au/#

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bardiesomerville

If you or someone you know is struggling, help is always available:

Lifeline: 24/7 crisis support and suicide prevention services for all Australians. Call 13 11 14.

Beyond Blue: If you’re going through a tough time, Beyond Blue offers brief counselling and support 24/7. Call 1300 22 4636.

TIACS: A free, professional text-or-call counselling service offering mental health support to Australia's blue-collar community. Call or text 0488 846 988.

Men’s Line Australia:  Free 24/7 phone counselling for men facing mental health challenges, anger management, family violence, addiction, relationship concerns and stress. Call 1300 78 99 78.

Please reach out. You don’t have to go through this alone.