UpScale - Build your profitable Trade and Construction business

Most trade business owners don't fall short because they lack skills or smarts. They fall short because they don't do what they said they'd do. In this episode, Erina and Mitch get blunt about accountability, honest feedback, and why the people around you need to tell you the truth, even when it stings.

You'll hear why a coach who only cheers you on might just be keeping you happy so you keep paying, and how the right questions can help you spot your own blind spots faster than any lecture. They also dig into the money side of accountability. If your business is still small but you're paying yourself like it's much bigger, you could be starving it of the cash it needs to grow.

Plus, how to give honest feedback without wrecking the relationship, and why you need to be ready to take it as well as give it.

What you'll hear in this episode:

• Why saying you'll do something and actually doing it are two very different things
• The difference between people who talk to think and people who think before they talk
• Why honest feedback beats praise when you want real results
• How paying yourself too much, too early can hold your business back
• Why calling people out works best when you're open to being called out yourself
• A challenge to hold someone accountable this week (nicely)

Follow the hosts on Instagram:
@erinaroxx
@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, and learn what it really takes to grow a successful trade business: Success stories

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

AI can save a tradie hours every week. But what happens when it starts taking over your day and your time at home?

In this solo episode, Mitch Van (@mitchvan_) shares what came out of a recent masterclass conversation with our UpScale Mentors, where the team got talking about taking an AI detox.

Mitch talks about why stepping back from AI can be a good thing for you and your business, where AI helps and where it gets in the way, and how he has been using that time to be more present with his family and kids.

If you run a trade business and feel like you're always switched on, always chasing the next tool or shortcut, this one is for you. It's a reminder that growing your business shouldn't cost you time with the people you're working for.

In this episode:

• Why our UpScale Mentors are taking an AI detox
• Where AI helps a trade business and where it doesn't
• How Mitch is spending more time with his family and kids
• Simple ways to switch off and still grow your business

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

Ever wondered what happens behind the scenes once you sign up with a business coaching team? In this episode, Lucy (business coach) and Riley (accounting coach) pull back the curtain on how their two sides work together to get real results for trade business owners.

They break down the "gym membership" comparison that makes it all click: your business coach is like your PT, focused on systems, hiring, and growth, while your accounting coach is the nutritionist, digging into the numbers that actually drive those results. Neither works without the other.

The conversation covers the pricing mistake almost every tradie makes early on: setting prices off a gut feel instead of real numbers. Lucy and Riley talk through why understanding your break even per hour changes everything, why aiming for 20 to 30% net profit isn't arbitrary, and how customer loyalty (using a local coffee shop price rise as the example) plays into how confidently you can raise your own prices.

They also share a client success story involving a tradie who scaled from $70K jobs to $700K projects, and how forecasting a full 12 months ahead, including planning for the slow December, January, February period, helped him avoid the classic post project cash crunch that catches so many trade businesses off guard.

If you've ever felt unsure about your pricing, your cashflow, or whether you're actually on track for the year, this episode gives you a real look at how coaching, planning, and honest numbers work together to build a trade business that lasts.

In this episode:

• How business coaching and accounting coaching work as one team, not two separate services
• Why most tradies price off gut feel and what to check instead
• Understanding your break even per hour and why 20 to 30% net profit matters
• How to talk to customers about price increases with confidence
• Planning ahead for seasonal slumps so a big project doesn't leave you short later
• Why the coaching only works if you take the actions between sessions

Resources mentioned:
Follow Upscale Business Coaching on Instagram for daily content for your trade business: https://www.instagram.com/upscalebusinesscoaching/

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

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

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

Hear from tradies who've grown their business with Upscale: https://www.upscalecoaching.com.au/success-stories/

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

Erina and Mitch are back from Thailand, and they're bringing a reminder every trade business owner needs to hear: you will never stop learning, but at some point you have to stop consuming and start doing.

In this short clip, they talk about the shift from filling notebooks with ideas to actually implementing them, and why that action is what really sets successful tradies apart. Coming back from a trip full of new ideas, their focus now is putting what they learned into practice, not letting it sit on a shelf.

If you've ever finished a podcast, a course, or a coaching session feeling fired up but unsure what to actually do next, this one's for you.

Follow the hosts:
@erinaroxx
@mitchvan_

Need help growing your business?

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

Tradie Dad Leigh Ryan on Apprentices, Fatherhood and Building a Following from Nothing

Landscaper turned social media favourite Leigh Ryan, aka Tradie Dad, joins Mitch on the Upscale Business Podcast to talk about what happens when a bloke on parental leave decides to press upload on Instagram, and it actually works.

Leigh shares how his page grew from a few rough videos filmed on site to nearly 17,000 followers, and the video that changed everything: calling out a carpenter for mistreating his apprentice. He gets honest about what it's really like being an apprentice in Australia right now, why he sees apprentices as an investment rather than cheap labour, and why so many young tradies are walking away from the trades for easier money elsewhere.

The conversation shifts into fatherhood, where Leigh talks candidly about the guilt of building a second job around raising his son, why dads get praised for doing the bare minimum, and what real partnership with your other half actually looks like. He also runs his Tools Down, Heads Up sessions for apprentices, covering mental health, money and the stuff nobody teaches you on site.

If you're a trade business owner trying to build a team, support your apprentices properly, or just juggle work and family without losing the plot, this one's worth your time.

Follow Tradie Dad on Instagram: @tradie.dad

Hosted by Mitch: @mitchvan_

Need help growing your business?

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 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

In this episode of the UpScale Business Coaching Podcast, Dave sits down with the team to tackle the myths tradies hear (or tell themselves) that quietly hold their business back.

These aren't random opinions. They're the real excuses and beliefs that come up again and again on the phones with tradies looking to grow, and Dave breaks down why each one falls apart once you look closer.

You'll hear the truth behind statements like "I don't want to grow too big because I had a bad experience last time," why systems and onboarding (not headcount) are usually the real problem, and how letting go of being the guy on the tools is the hardest but most important shift for any tradie business owner.

They also get into profit margins, why relying only on word of mouth is leaving money on the table, and why coaching should be seen as an investment, not an expense.

If you're a trade business owner stuck in your own head about growth, this episode will challenge what you think you know and give you a clearer path forward.

Got a myth you think we missed? Drop it in the comments and we'll debunk it in a future episode.

Need help growing your business?

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

From Engineering to Owning a Six-Figure Lawn Care Business with Mitch Ireland

In this episode, Coach Dave sits down with Mitch Ireland from First Cut Lawn Care and Maintenance, based in Maitland just west of Newcastle, to talk about his journey from a career in mechanical engineering and project management to building a thriving lawn and landscape maintenance business.

Mitch shares how he made the leap from a stable, well paid corporate job to working for himself, and how within just four months of starting full time, he was doing 25K plus months with a solid base of recurring revenue and commercial clients. He opens up about the mindset it took to walk away from security, the fear (and lack of it) that came with the decision, and why he was determined there was no plan B.

You'll hear how Mitch applied skills from his engineering background, like budgeting, quoting, labour rates and project coordination, to a completely different industry, and how he's now aiming for a 500,000 dollar year while preparing to bring on more staff. The conversation also covers the importance of customer experience, knowing your niche, learning when to say no, and building a business that isn't dependent on you so it becomes a genuine asset, not just a job.

If you're a tradie thinking about starting or scaling your own service based business, this episode is full of practical, honest insight into what that transition really looks like.

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.

You're spending money on Google Ads or Facebook Ads every month, but how do you actually know if it's working? For a lot of trade business owners, the honest answer is "I'm not sure," and that gray area can cost you thousands.

In this episode, Jason sits down with Jordan, founder of J Digital, an agency that helps tradies grow their business through Google Ads, Facebook Ads, and the systems that connect everything behind the scenes. Jordan breaks down what actually separates a good marketing agency from a bad one, why tracking your sales data matters more than the numbers inside your ads manager, and how something as simple as a missed follow up can turn a "quiet month" into a pile of leads that were never chased up.

They get into why sending traffic straight to your website instead of a dedicated landing page kills conversions, why speed to lead can make or break whether you win the job, and what to have in place before you spend a single dollar on ads, including whether your business is even ready to handle the leads that come in. Jordan also shares a real example of a trade business owner who thought his ads had stopped working, until the data showed the leads were fine, they just weren't being followed up.

If you've ever looked at your ad spend and wondered whether it's actually paying off, this episode will give you a clear, practical way to find out.

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
• Follow Jordan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jdigital_co/

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

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: https://upscale-coaching.com/upscale-discovery-call-rr

In this episode, Mitch and Erina sit down for a raw and honest chat about something every business owner deals with but rarely talks about openly: how your relationship holds up when you're building a business.

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

Mitch shares what it's taken to get full buy in from his wife over the years, and why being upfront from the very start about what business ownership actually demands (the energy, the time, the sacrifices) made all the difference. He talks candidly about the difference between "business Mitch" and "relationship Mitch," why he doesn't bring every work frustration home, and how oversharing the small stuff without context can unintentionally create friction or resentment in a relationship.

Erina brings a different perspective, having navigated a past relationship where her time and work weren't fully respected, compared to now being with a partner who understands the demands of running a business firsthand. Together they unpack the power of clarity, communication, and setting expectations early, plus why protecting your energy is just as important as protecting your time when you're the one carrying the business.

If you're a trade business owner trying to balance a demanding business with a healthy relationship at home, this episode is full of honest, practical takeaways.

Follow the hosts:@mitchvan_@erinaroxx

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 the first episode of our new Success Mindset series, Head Coach Riley sits down with 5-time Ironman champion Tim to talk about what it actually takes to build something great over 20 years, on the racecourse and off it.

Tim shares how he went from a shy footy playing teenager to one of Australia's most successful professional triathletes, and what changed for him after his breakthrough seventh place finish at the Ironman World Championship in Kona. He gets honest about the pressure that once broke him before a big race, the visualisation work that turned his mindset around, and the hardest part of it all: trying to be a good dad and husband while chasing a dream that demanded everything.

If you're a trade business owner, this conversation will hit close to home. Tim's story touches on the same challenges we hear from tradies every day: sacrificing time with family to build something for them, surrounding yourself with the right people, staying disciplined when results aren't coming, and learning how to compartmentalise a bad day so it doesn't derail the next one.

This episode is about mindset first and business second, but the lessons apply directly to anyone building a business from the ground up.

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.

Links mentioned in this episode:

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, 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