In this episode of the UpScale Business Podcast, Mitch V sits down with coach Riley to unpack his recent masterclass on procrastination, and why most people never get from "I wish I could do that" to actually doing it.

They talk about the real cost behind every goal you've ever set. Not the fantasy version, the actual hours, sacrifices and boring, unglamorous work that gets skipped over when people only see the end result. Riley shares what it took to build the business and life he has now, why most people are jealous of what you have but never of how you got it, and why understanding that gap changes everything.

You'll also hear about:

Why procrastination isn't a personality trait, it's a choice, and how to catch yourself making it
The habit loop Riley used to completely reprogram his morning routine (and how anyone can use it)

Why comfort is the enemy of growth, and how to get comfortable being uncomfortable
The power of self talk, and how the way you speak to yourself becomes your reality
Why outworking people is one of the simplest, most reliable paths to success, even if you're not the most naturally gifted person in the room
How Riley's head coach went from unhealthy and unhappy to completing an Ironman, just by starting with one walk a day

If you're a trade business owner who's great on the tools but keeps putting off the business side of things, this episode will hit home. It's an honest look at what it actually takes to build something worth having, and why the work you're avoiding is usually the work that matters most.

Hosted by Mitch V (@mitchvan_)

Need help growing your business?

Follow us on IG for daily content for your trade business: @upscalebusinesscoaching
Book a free session with our Growth Specialist: upscale-coaching.com/schedule-podcast
Watch insights and tips on YouTube: upscale-coaching.com/upscale-youtube
Find out where your business stands with our Tradie Quiz: upscale-coaching.com/application-podcast
Hear from tradies who've done it: upscalecoaching.com.au/success-stories
Live Coaching Events 2026: upscale-coaching.com/upscale-live-events

Growing a business always comes with a price tag you can see: staff, tools, systems. But there's a cost that rarely gets talked about, the one that shows up in your relationships, your energy, and your mental health.

In this episode, Mitch is joined by Dom and special guest Nigel Benjamin, an entrepreneur, property developer, and relationship and communications counselor based between Jamaica and Bali. The conversation dives into the hidden costs of growing your trade business: the toll that long hours and constant deadlines can take on your family, your partner, and your own wellbeing if you don't build in downtime and boundaries along the way.

Nigel shares what he's learned from 25 plus years running an intense, deadline driven career while raising a family, and how he eventually had to redesign the way he worked so business growth didn't come at the cost of everything else. They talk about creating a personal system for success, why downtime is a business strategy and not a luxury, how to have the hard conversations at home and at work, and why asking for what you need (and actually listening when someone else does) changes everything, from your marriage to your team culture.

If you're a trade business owner who feels like growth is quietly costing you more than it's giving back, this episode will help you see what's really going on, and what to do about it.

Follow Mitch on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mitchvan_/

Connect with Nigel (Angel Belove, Relationship Coach):

• Website: https://coaching-for-couples.ghost.io/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/angel_belove
• Book a free 30 minute discovery call: https://calendly.com/angelbe/free-30-minutes-discovery-call-w-angel

Need help growing your business?

• Follow us on IG for daily content for your trade business: https://www.instagram.com/upscalebusinesscoaching/
• Book a free session with our Growth Specialist: https://upscale-coaching.com/schedule-podcast
• Watch insights and tips on YouTube: https://www.upscale-coaching.com/upscale-youtube
• Find out where your business stands with our Tradie Quiz: https://upscale-coaching.com/application-podcast

Hear from tradies who've done it, and learn what it really takes to grow a successful trade business: https://www.upscalecoaching.com.au/success-stories/

Live Coaching Events 2026: https://www.upscale-coaching.com/upscale-live-events

Pete Griffith (https://airproelectrical.com.au/) runs an air conditioning and electrical business in the Hawkesbury, NSW, with a team of 13. Six months ago, the only AI he'd touched was ChatGPT for the odd email. Today he's building and improving his own business software almost every day, without ever learning to code.

Need help growing your business? 

• Follow us on IG for daily Content for your Trade Business  @upscalebusinesscoaching

• Book a free session with our Growth Specialist: ⁠upscale-coaching.com/schedule-podcast⁠

• Watch insights and tips on YouTube: ⁠upscale-coaching.com/upscale-youtube⁠

• Find out where your business stands with our Tradie Quiz: ⁠https://upscale-coaching.com/application-podcast

Hear from tradies who’ve done it, and learn what it really takes to grow a successful trade business. https://www.upscalecoaching.com.au/success-stories/

In this episode, Pete sits down with Anton Ryan, AI Specialist at Upscale, to unpack exactly how that happened. He walks through what quoting used to look like at his business: a technician on site, a call back to the office, the office manager chasing part prices and building a quote, then an email sent off hours (sometimes a full day) later. By the time the customer had an answer, the technician was long gone and any chance to upsell on the spot had gone with them.

Pete explains how he worked with Claude to build an onsite sales tool that lets his technicians quote jobs, add photos, and mark them up right there in front of the customer. No more waiting, no more chasing, no more lost upsell opportunities. The result has been a 55% increase in average job value across the business.

Pete also shares how he actually talks to Claude to get results, including a real example of prompting it by voice to add a photo markup feature on the spot, tested and live within minutes. He covers what it costs to run (spoiler: not much), why he thinks getting proper guidance before diving in matters, and why he believes in shipping software at 85% done rather than waiting for perfect.

If you're a trade business owner wondering whether this AI stuff is actually worth your time, this episode is a real, no fluff look at what's possible when you start using it properly.

In this episode:

• Why Pete decided to start building his own tools instead of hiring a developer
• A full before and after of his quoting process
• How a 55% jump in average job value happened
• The exact way Pete prompts Claude to get useful results
• Why shipping early and improving as you go beats waiting for perfect
• What it actually costs to run AI tools like this in a small trade business

Connect with us:

• Follow us on Instagram for daily content for your trade business: @upscalebusinesscoaching
• Book a free session with our Growth Specialist: upscale-coaching.com/schedule-podcast
• Watch insights and tips on YouTube: upscale-coaching.com/upscale-youtube
• Find out where your business stands with our Tradie Quiz: upscale-coaching.com/application-podcast
• Hear from tradies who've done it: upscalecoaching.com.au/success-stories
• Live Coaching Events 2026: upscale-coaching.com/upscale-live-events

Feel like you're stuck at your current price point but still not seeing enough profit hit your bank account? You're not alone, and pricing isn't the only lever you can pull.

Need help growing your business?

• Follow us on IG for daily content for your trade business: ⁠@upscalebusinesscoaching⁠
• Book a free session with our Growth Specialist: ⁠upscale-coaching.com/schedule-podcast⁠
• Watch insights and tips on YouTube: ⁠upscale-coaching.com/upscale-youtube⁠
• Find out where your business stands with our Tradie Quiz: ⁠upscale-coaching.com/application-podcast⁠

Hear from tradies who've done it, and learn what it really takes to grow a successful trade business: ⁠upscale-coaching.com.au/success-stories⁠

Live Coaching Events 2026: ⁠upscale-coaching.com/upscale-live-events⁠

In this episode, accounting coaches Lucy and Tiarne break down three practical ways trade business owners can boost revenue and profit without touching their rates: labor efficiency, materials and subcontractor markup, and identifying hidden leakages in your business.

They dig into the real numbers behind wasted travel time, wholesaler runs, and gaps in your schedule, and show you exactly how much profit is quietly slipping through the cracks. You'll also hear a real world example of how small shifts, a 10% lift in staff efficiency, subcontractor volume, and material volume, can add up to an extra $72,000 in net profit over a year.

Whether you're running a small crew or managing a growing team, this episode gives you a clear framework for reviewing your billable hours, tightening your quoting process, back costing your jobs properly, and making sure every dollar you're spending on materials and subs is working for you.

If you've ever felt priced out of the market or unsure whether you have room to move, this one's worth the listen.

We've got the tools you need to scale your business, automate, hire, and delegate. Book your call with our team to talk strategy and learn more about our program.

In this episode, Mitch sits down with Jordan from J Digital Co to talk about one of the biggest gaps they see in trade business marketing: tradies avoiding the camera.

Jordan breaks down why getting on video, even just filming on your phone, is one of the fastest ways to build trust with potential customers, especially if you're selling high ticket services like renovations, solar, or air conditioning. They get into why polished, overly produced content is actually underperforming right now, how video helps you answer customer objections before they even pick up the phone, and why showing your team on camera (not just the owner) makes your business look bigger and more credible.

They also cover the classic excuse trade business owners give for avoiding video (feeling awkward, not looking professional enough) and why that fear is holding a lot of businesses back from growth. Jordan shares simple ideas for what to actually film if you have no idea where to start, including customer testimonials, before and afters, and answering the questions you get asked on every single phone call.

If you've been putting off getting on camera for your business, this episode is the push you need to just pick up your phone and start filming.

Follow Jordan: @jdigital_co
Follow Mitch: @mitchvan_

Need free business advice for your trade business?

Follow us on IG for daily content for your trade business: @upscalebusinesscoaching

Book a free session with our Growth Specialist: upscale-coaching.com/schedule-podcast

Watch insights and tips on YouTube: upscale-coaching.com/upscale-youtube

Find out where your business stands with our Tradie Quiz: upscale-coaching.com/application-podcast

Hear from tradies who've done it: upscalecoaching.com.au/success-stories

Live Coaching Events 2026: upscale-coaching.com/upscale-live-events

A new financial year is the perfect reset point, and in this episode Erina and Mitch break down what it actually takes to make the next 12 months your best year in business yet.

They kick things off talking about control, why so many business owners feel like life is happening to them instead of realising almost everything, especially their actions, is within their control. From there they get into the tools that help you bounce back when things go sideways, from simple breathing techniques to just having a plan and coming back to your baseline quickly when stress hits.

There's a solid chunk on goal setting too, why you don't need a perfectly specific goal to get moving, the difference between carrot and stick motivation, and how to reverse engineer a big goal like doubling your business into a monthly, quarterly, and half yearly roadmap. Mitch also shares a genuinely useful reframe for trade business owners: the same step by step, logical thinking you use on the tools to get a job done is exactly the skill you need to hit your business goals, you're just not always applying it the same way.

They close out with one simple but powerful principle for the year ahead: stop starting and start finishing.

If you've been putting off setting a real plan for the year ahead, this episode is the nudge to get started.

Follow along with the hosts:@erinaroxx@mitchvan_

We've got the tools you need to scale your business, automate, hire, and delegate. Book your call with our team to talk strategy and learn more about our program.

Need help growing your business?

• Follow us on IG for daily content for your trade business: @upscalebusinesscoaching
• Book a free session with our Growth Specialist: upscale-coaching.com/schedule-podcast
• Watch insights and tips on YouTube: upscale-coaching.com/upscale-youtube
• Find out where your business stands with our Tradie Quiz: upscale-coaching.com/application-podcast

Hear from tradies who've done it, and learn what it really takes to grow a successful trade business: upscale-coaching.com.au/success-stories

Live Coaching Events 2026: upscale-coaching.com/upscale-live-events

This episode features Mitch and Erina reflecting on 4 years of business ownership, so I've included both of their Instagram handles as requested. Note: the file title mentions "other Client Wins" but the actual content is entirely a personal reflection episode (business partnerships, hiring fears, home life balance, community, sales mindset) — no specific client wins are discussed in the transcript, so I've written the description around the real content.

4 Years in Business: The Biggest Lessons Mitch & Erina Learned Along the Way

To mark four years of Upscale Business Coaching, Mitch and Erina sit down for an honest, unfiltered chat about what running a business has actually taught them, personally and professionally.

They open up about buying out a business partner and why having tough conversations early beats sitting on them for weeks. They talk about the hidden cost of a chaotic home life on business performance, and why a stable relationship outside of work can make or break how you show up in it. There's a candid look at the fear that comes with your first hire, and how procrastinating on interviews and resumes almost held them back.

Mitch and Erina also get into why isolation is one of the most underrated challenges of business ownership, and how surrounding yourself with other driven business owners changes the trajectory of your growth. They wrap up with a conversation about sales, why every business owner is a salesperson whether they like it or not, and how leaning into your own personality, quirks and all, can make selling feel a lot less forced.

It's a raw, reflective episode for any trade business owner who's ever felt like they're figuring it all out alone.

Follow along with the hosts:@erinaroxx@mitchvan_

We've got the tools you need to scale your business, automate, hire, and delegate. Book your call with our team to talk strategy and learn more about our program.

Need help growing your business?

• Follow us on IG for daily content for your trade business: @upscalebusinesscoaching
• Book a free session with our Growth Specialist: upscale-coaching.com/schedule-podcast
• Watch insights and tips on YouTube: upscale-coaching.com/upscale-youtube
• Find out where your business stands with our Tradie Quiz: upscale-coaching.com/application-podcast

Hear from tradies who've done it, and learn what it really takes to grow a successful trade business: upscale-coaching.com.au/success-stories

Live Coaching Events 2026: upscale-coaching.com/upscale-live-events

This is the final episode in our three part series following Thomas Marshall's journey from apprentice electrician to business owner, and now, to selling the business he built.

In this episode, Thomas picks up the story from where his business had grown to 15 guys in the field, an office, and admin support. He talks about what it actually took to scale that fast, including the lead generation mix that got him there (hint: it wasn't just cold outreach), and why relying on one channel for leads is a mistake he sees a lot of trade business owners make.

Then things shift. Thomas opens up about the moment everything changed for him, becoming a dad, and how that made him rethink what he actually wanted from his business and his life. He walks through his first (failed) attempt at selling the business on his own, what he learned from that, and what it actually took to get the business into a position where someone else would want to buy it.

If you've ever wondered what it really takes to build a trade business that can run without you, and eventually sell for what it's actually worth, this episode lays it out honestly, including the parts that didn't work the first time around.

Missed the first two episodes? Go back and listen to Part 1 and Part 2 to hear the full journey from the start.

Need free business advice for your trade business?

Follow us on IG for daily content for your trade business: @upscalebusinesscoaching

Book a free session with our Growth Specialist: upscale-coaching.com/schedule-podcast

Watch insights and tips on YouTube: upscale-coaching.com/upscale-youtube

Find out where your business stands with our Tradie Quiz: upscale-coaching.com/application-podcast

Hear from tradies who've done it: upscalecoaching.com.au/success-stories

Live Coaching Events 2026: upscale-coaching.com/upscale-live-events

In Part 2 of Thomas Marshall's story on the UpScale Business Podcast, the conversation moves from just surviving to actually growing. Thomas walks through what it was really like making his first hire, a mate from school who quit his job before Thomas had even officially offered him one, and how that leap forced him to figure out hiring, pricing, and running a team on the fly.

Thomas shares the moment his now wife Bex left her job as a property manager to come on board and run the admin and ops side of the business, and how that shift freed him up to focus on landing new work. He also opens up about the hires that didn't go to plan, the fear that came with scaling a growing team, and the accountability from his coaches that kept him on track when things got messy.

The episode covers the milestone of moving out of the spare bedroom and into a real office, the ambition that kicked in once he saw the business actually working, and the mindset shift from just getting by to deliberately planning for growth.

If you're a trade business owner thinking about your first hire, wondering how to structure your team, or trying to work out when it's time to get an office, this episode is full of honest, practical lessons from someone who's done it.

Need help growing your business?

• Follow us on IG for daily content for your Trade Business: @upscalebusinesscoaching
• Book a free session with our Growth Specialist: upscale-coaching.com/schedule-podcast
• Watch insights and tips on YouTube: upscale-coaching.com/upscale-youtube
• Find out where your business stands with our Tradie Quiz: upscale-coaching.com/application-podcast

Hear from tradies who've done it, and learn what it really takes to grow a successful trade business: upscalecoaching.com.au/success-stories

Live Coaching Events 2026: upscale-coaching.com/upscale-live-events

We've got the tools you need to scale your business, automate, hire, and delegate. Book your call with our team to talk strategy and learn more about our program.

Origin Story: How Thomas Marshall Built His Electrical Business From $400 in the Bank

In this episode of the UpScale Business Podcast, the team sits down with Thomas Marshall, an Aussie-born electrician who moved to New Zealand at just 16 years old, living alone while completing his apprenticeship.

Thomas shares the real story behind starting his own electrical business, Bluestone Electrical, right as the first COVID lockdown hit. With no steady income and just $400 left in his bank account, he had to figure out how to find work fast. He talks through the early hustle: posting in local Facebook groups, doing cold outreach to builders and property managers, and landing the contractor agreement that became his big break and helped him build a steady client base across Auckland.

Thomas also opens up about why he decided to invest in coaching early on, even when money was tight, and how having accountability changed the way he ran his business. He breaks down the biggest lesson from those early days: consistency beats intensity every time, and small actions done regularly compound into real results.

If you're a trade business owner just starting out, still finding your feet, or wondering whether coaching is worth it, this episode is packed with practical, honest insight from someone who's lived it.

Need help growing your business?

• Follow us on IG for daily content for your Trade Business: @upscalebusinesscoaching
• Book a free session with our Growth Specialist: upscale-coaching.com/schedule-podcast
• Watch insights and tips on YouTube: upscale-coaching.com/upscale-youtube
• Find out where your business stands with our Tradie Quiz: upscale-coaching.com/application-podcast

Hear from tradies who've done it, and learn what it really takes to grow a successful trade business: upscalecoaching.com.au/success-stories

Live Coaching Events 2026: upscale-coaching.com/upscale-live-events

We've got the tools you need to scale your business, automate, hire, and delegate. Book your call with our team to talk strategy and learn more about our program.