Unlocking Business Podcast

Buy a House or Open a Shop? He Put Everything Into the Shop | Edward Maradona

Edward Maradona is the founder of Cabinet Noir, one of the top fashion boutiques in Australia, built from a single store in Shafto Lane he opened at 28 with every dollar he had instead of a house deposit.

In this episode, Eddie and I talk about how a sneaker store that couldn't get a Nike account accidentally became a luxury fashion destination, after a cold email to Comme des Garçons turned into a ticket to Paris Fashion Week with no idea what he was doing once he got there.

We get into the realities of buying for a fashion boutique: deposits, shipping risk, and the brands that forced him to buy stock nobody wanted to access the stock everyone wanted, a call that nearly cost him half a million dollars. We also talk about turning down a corporate buyout offer, why he deliberately keeps production runs small, and the story behind Jon Jones, Machine Gun Kelly and French Montana all wearing Cabinet Noir.

A genuinely fun, genuinely sharp conversation about building a brand on exclusivity instead of volume.

Christina Papafilis is the founder and director of Connective Services Group, an NDIS support coordination business she started in 2024.

In this episode, Christina and I talk about what support coordination actually involves, the maze that is the NDIS system, and why running a business on billable hours creates the same capacity ceiling trade businesses hit with travel time and gaps between jobs.

We get into why she moved her team to a contractor model, the email she nearly deleted as spam that turned into a Community Citizen of the Year award, and why she's found networking outside her own industry more valuable than she expected.

A genuinely interesting conversation about building a service business inside a system that wasn't built to make it easy.

Sam Fielding is the managing director of Echelon AI Solutions.

In this episode, Sam and I talk about the difference between having a ChatGPT subscription and actually implementing AI properly, using what he calls an AI operating system, a single connected workspace that replaces logging into ten separate tools.

We get into APIs versus webhooks, why you don't need perfect systems in place before bringing AI into your business, a real invoice mistake that nearly got double paid, and why the tool you use matters far less than most people think.

We also talk about spotting AI-written content, the rise of AI monitoring roles, universities training students for jobs that won't exist in their current form, and why human connection is becoming more valuable, not less, as AI gets better.

A genuinely practical conversation for any business owner deciding what to actually do about AI, rather than just talking about it.

Would you know if your business had already grown past the point of making sense?

In Episode 21 of Unlocking Business, I sit down with Dan Noll, founder of T2U, a new app connecting clients with vetted, insured tradies. Before T2U, Dan spent 14 years building WTS Mechanical Projects, a tier 2 construction and HVAC business he started at 20 and sold last year.

We get into what it felt like handing over a business that had been part of his life since he was a kid, and the biggest lesson he took from it. Growth isn't automatically good. Dan describes an overgrown, undisciplined business as a bucket with a hole in the bottom, you can keep pouring work in and still end up with nothing, because it's leaking straight back out through discounted pricing, overhiring, and jobs that never should have been taken on.

We also cover:

Why Dan turned down building TTU with AI, even though it's cost him more.

How TTU's vetting process works, and why it's the actual point of difference against HiPages, Airtasker and One Flare.

Subscription pricing instead of pay per lead.

Why Dan wishes he'd started networking a decade earlier than he did.

Hiring discipline, saying no to underpriced work, and educating clients on quotes.

Using AI for admin without fully trusting it yet.

Why nobody services their air con before summer, and what that says about how people run their businesses too.

Advice for anyone starting a business from nothing.

What can trade businesses learn from the corporate world?

Paul O’Neil took a very different route into the trades.

After building his career in corporate leadership, including senior management roles with Optus, Paul moved into small business and is now a Director of Plumbing Bros West Coast.

In this episode of Unlocking Business, we get into what he's brought across from corporate Australia, and what he's had to completely relearn.

We talk about culture, leadership, staff retention, onboarding, hiring the right people, managing tradespeople, customer service and why Paul believes trade businesses need to put more emphasis on developing their people.

We also get into the realities of running a business. Being everything to everyone, learning to set boundaries, building a leadership team, knowing when to stop chasing growth and trying to enjoy the journey while you're actually living it.

Paul also shares how Plumbing Bros approaches property management clients, virtual assistants, after-hours service, AI, recruitment and developing future leaders internally.

A practical conversation between two operators approaching the trade industry from very different backgrounds.

Follow Kane: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kanetylersmith_

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kanetylersmith

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

Follow Hypotential: Website: https://www.hypotential.com/

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

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

Connect with Paul and Plumb Bros:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pauljamesoneill/

Website: https://plumbingbros.com.au/

What is your business actually worth if you disappear tomorrow?

In Episode 19 of Unlocking Business, I sit down with Dr. Mitch Catterall from Unveil Development Partners. Mitch works with owner-operated businesses to identify the gaps keeping them dependent on their founder — then build the people, systems and structures needed so the value sits inside the business, not inside the owner's head.

This conversation gets particularly personal when Mitch explains why this work matters so much to him. His family ran a commercial fencing and security fencing business since he was nine years old. When his dad's health deteriorated, his knees blew out and he needed a double reconstruction, the family discovered the business they'd spent years building had very little value without him. An accountant told them it wasn't worth anything beyond the assets, and it was sold for little more than the price of the ute, despite $250k of contracted work in the pipeline.

We talk about how business owners can avoid ending up in the same position.

We also cover:

• The difference between getting bigger and actually growing
• Why gut instinct isn't enough, and using data across finance, people, culture and leadership
• DISC profiling and recruitment — running it before you hire, not after
• Why one bad hire can destroy a culture in a week
• Owner dependency and business valuations (the 3x replacement model)
• Why every owner eventually exits their business, one way or another
• Mitch's family business story and his "founding wound"
• Why systems don't need to be complicated or tied to software
• Why being the best tradie doesn't create the best business
• The business education tradies and lawyers never receive
• Hire slow, fire fast
• Why founder-led content matters — "multiplying the handshake"
• Nine followers, 178,000 views
• The pressure and isolation of running a business, and why tradies should be proud of the industry
• Why competitors should collaborate more

A very relevant conversation for anyone who has built themselves a successful business — but is starting to realise they might also be the thing holding it together.

Follow Kane:

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

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

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kanetylersmith

Follow Hypotential:

Website: https://www.hypotential.com/

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

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

Connect with Dr. Mitch Catterall:

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

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mitch.catterall/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-mitch-catterall-513000255/

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

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DrMitch_Unveil

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UCBi3piXfxQz44srOrwykywg

Website: https://unveildp.com/

In this episode, Kane sits down with Peter Craft, co-owner of ASAP Trades, a Perth plumbing business built around honest service, clear communication and doing the job right the first time. Peter was also one of the very first members to join Hypotential Foundations.

Peter and Kane get into the real stuff: what they would do differently if starting again, why tracking your marketing spend properly changes everything, the challenge of finding tradies who can also sell, how to train a sales process without scaring off good installers, the role of weekly sales meetings and ride alongs, why callbacks handled well turn into your most loyal customers, what separates a good trades business from a great one, and the power of connecting with other business owners who have already been through what you are going through.

If you run a trades business and want to hear an honest conversation about the messy middle of growing a small team, this one is worth your time.

Follow Hypotential:

Website: https://www.hypotential.com/

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

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

Follow Kane:

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

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

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

Connect with Peter and ASAP Trades:

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

Website: https://asaptrades.com.au/

In this episode, Kane sits down with Myles Gaebler, owner of Perth Building Inspection Repairs, for a refreshingly honest conversation about what it actually looks like to start a trade business at 21 with no plan and figure it out as you go.

Myles started his business to earn more than a carpenter's wage while still having time to train for an Ironman. Less than a year in, he is booked out weeks in advance, turning away 40 grand worth of work a month, and navigating the real challenges of his industry: the need for a registered builder to sign off structural repairs, tight settlement deadlines, dodgy inspectors, cash flow risk and knowing when to grow versus when to stay lean.

He and Kane also get into hiring tradies vs apprentices, using AI to build professional reports in minutes, CRM and job management software, social media for building trust as a young tradie, FIFO, fixed pricing, the cost of getting a Google lead, and what Myles would do differently if he started again today.

Follow Hypotential:

Website: https://www.hypotential.com/

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

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

Follow Kane:

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

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

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

Connect with Myles and Perth Building Inspection Repairs:

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

Website: https://perthbuildinginspectionrepairs.com.au/

In this episode, Kane sits down with Luke Randazzo, Director at Burgess Rawson, one of WA's leading commercial real estate agencies. Luke has brokered over $450 million in transactions and is one of the youngest shareholders in the business.

Luke and Kane get into the real stuff: what the new negative gearing and capital gains tax changes mean for investors, why commercial property is now wide open while residential has been shut down for investors, the difference between office, retail and industrial assets, how self-managed super funds can be used to buy commercial property, the risks of long term leases, make good clauses and fit out contributions, how to cold call your way to a deal, and why customer service and follow up are the real difference makers in any industry.

They also swap stories about building businesses the hard way, why Australia is becoming increasingly difficult for entrepreneurs, and what Luke would do if he had $1 million to invest today.

In this episode, Kane sits down with Aisha Derrick, Brand and Marketing Manager at Smartfix and co-owner of Hypotential, for a practical conversation about what actually works when it comes to marketing a residential trade business.

Aisha has spent four years shaping Smartfix's branding, advertising and customer experience, and in this episode she breaks it all down for trades business owners at every stage. They cover the biggest mistakes small budget businesses make, why branding and advertising are not the same thing, how to stand out in a market where everyone says the same thing, the role of Google reviews and Google Business posts, how AI is changing content creation and why authenticity is becoming more valuable as a result, and the one piece of marketing advice every business owner should hear before they spend a cent.

If you run a trades business and want to get smarter with your marketing without wasting time or money, this one is for you.

Follow Hypotential:

Website: https://www.hypotential.com/

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

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

Follow Kane:

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

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

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@kanetylersmith Connect with

Smartfix:

Website: https://teamsmartfix.com.au/

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

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