Antonio from Naild It Constructions joins us with a toolkit of wisdom on how to hammer out success in both business and personal life. He brings the blueprint for utilising effective communication and transparency to construct a thriving enterprise, drawing on his own journey that intertwines the professional with the emotional. Delve into his experiences of leveraging social media for explosive growth and his endeavours to give the construction industry a makeover through positive client experiences.
We strip back the layers of personal branding and reveal how striking the right balance between public and private life on social media can forge connections and open doors. Our discussion is an open house, showcasing the importance of authenticity, celebrating the culture within our teams, and the pivotal role of gratitude in shaping a grateful mindset. Antonio's insights into the transformative power of gratitude, his strategies for overcoming adversity, and the art of taking breaks to refocus, are just a few of the beams supporting our conversation's structure.
As we lay down the final bricks of our chat, we share with you the scaffolding needed to invest wisely in property and expand your business intelligently. Antonio's commitment to reshaping success to encompass freedom and satisfaction is a testament to his innovative spirit. Connect with Antonio to further explore the topics from today's rich discussion, and take away practical strategies to build not just a business, but a life filled with purpose and passion.
check out Naild It here...
naildit.com.au
We're on a mission to elevate the professionalism of the residential construction industry, and help everyone enjoy building and renovating homes.
Easy to use Quoting software for Builders. Produce professional and accurate proposals. Quickly and accurately measure and markup plans in minutes. Win more jobs and track costs. 21 Day Free Trial.
check out more podcasts here...
https://levelupwithduaynepearce.buzzsprout.com
Antonio from Naild It Constructions joins us with a toolkit of wisdom on how to hammer out success in both business and personal life. He brings the blueprint for utilising effective communication and transparency to construct a thriving enterprise, drawing on his own journey that intertwines the professional with the emotional. Delve into his experiences of leveraging social media for explosive growth and his endeavours to give the construction industry a makeover through positive client experiences.
We strip back the layers of personal branding and reveal how striking the right balance between public and private life on social media can forge connections and open doors. Our discussion is an open house, showcasing the importance of authenticity, celebrating the culture within our teams, and the pivotal role of gratitude in shaping a grateful mindset. Antonio's insights into the transformative power of gratitude, his strategies for overcoming adversity, and the art of taking breaks to refocus, are just a few of the beams supporting our conversation's structure.
As we lay down the final bricks of our chat, we share with you the scaffolding needed to invest wisely in property and expand your business intelligently. Antonio's commitment to reshaping success to encompass freedom and satisfaction is a testament to his innovative spirit. Connect with Antonio to further explore the topics from today's rich discussion, and take away practical strategies to build not just a business, but a life filled with purpose and passion.
check out Naild It here...
naildit.com.au
We're on a mission to elevate the professionalism of the residential construction industry, and help everyone enjoy building and renovating homes.
Easy to use Quoting software for Builders. Produce professional and accurate proposals. Quickly and accurately measure and markup plans in minutes. Win more jobs and track costs. 21 Day Free Trial.
check out more podcasts here...
https://levelupwithduaynepearce.buzzsprout.com
And that was a huge turning point. I'm very grateful that I'm able to pick apart these points in my life and actually just go stop feeling sorry for yourself or make you need to do something about it and pull myself up on it and make the changes, because every time I've done that I have my little pity party and I move on and something good always comes from it.
Speaker 2:G'day guys. Welcome back to another episode of Level Up. We are back in the shed for another cracking episode this afternoon. I'm pumped. I'm pumped about every podcast we do, but we've just been having some conversation off air before we started recording this one and I'm already super excited. So the young man that we've got for you today is absolutely kicking goals. I take my hat off to him. He's thinking outside the box, he's running multiple companies and he's just bought a small farm, so I'm pretty keen to get into that as well. But massive warm welcome to Antonio from Nailed it Constructions. How are you, mate?
Speaker 1:Thank you, mate. Yeah, good Thanks for having me.
Speaker 2:Mate, I'm pumped to have a chat to you because you're kicking goals, you're thinking outside the box. You've really diversified over the last couple of years with multiple companies, so I'm really keen to dig into your mindset and what's made you get to where you are. Mate For sure. So I'm not sure exactly when or how we first met. I think it might have been through some messages on Instagram.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think it was just when you were getting that builders group started. It was, and then we did a couple of builders groups and got that going.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so you've been one of the early members with the builders breakfast groups that we're catching up here in Brisbane. Let's start with that, because you hadn't been in business too long, had you, when we started that? Look, only a few years, yeah, look.
Speaker 1:I started now that 2014. It was so slow burn though, because I was 22 when I started that and then obviously got a hold of the social media aspect and sort of went from there. So I think when we had that builders breakfast group probably like three years into properly having a crack at the building side of things yeah, and you were just saying, like how valuable that was to you just being able to catch up with other builders and listen in and put questions out there and that sort of stuff.
Speaker 1:Oh look, I think the most important well, what I took away from that the most was it was so refreshing to hear that I wasn't the only one going through some of the stuff that I was. You know what I mean. To hear that from other builders as well, it's just like oh shit, okay, it's not just me. It's nice to hear that. You know what I mean. Took heaps away from it all and I think that was probably the most important thing, that I wasn't alone in the way I felt. So it was always refreshing to hear that and have a conversation.
Speaker 2:Well, mate, look, this podcast really is just an extension of that. Like, we just want to get the message out to more people, more of the industry. Help builders have incredible businesses and tradies, but also help clients, I guess, get the projects that they deserve to be getting.
Speaker 1:Look, love what you're doing with this stuff too, because I think the industry definitely needs something like it. Because much like what I think you're trying to shake is that whole stigma around builders and being dodgy and the current affairs builders. You know what I mean.
Speaker 2:So I think my whole goal mate. I've had this goal for a long time and I think I reckon, when nearly there, like you'd know yourself like as a builder, you might not have got as much of it you're a bit younger, but I just got sick and tired of like because I'm a builder. Everywhere I went, didn't matter if it was a family barbecue or friends birthday party, whatever. As soon as someone found out you're a builder, the horror story is just coming out builders rip you off, builders do this, builders do that and I just I want to turn up to a barbecue and someone, like people, tell me the incredible experience, experience. So I'm yet to hear oh mate, look, there's definitely a lot of other now. There's a lot of people in our industry now doing great things. A lot of people on social media are doing good things and I think, like you're playing a part also. Like you got pretty heavy in the social media like for a while. There you just like every day pumping it. Yeah, it's a full time job.
Speaker 1:Look, I enjoyed it in the feedback that I got. I did, as we discussed before, take a little bit of a spell from it, but I didn't realize the impact that I had on a lot of my followers because, as you know, with a lot of social media you don't truly realize much like this podcast will say before. You don't realize how many people are actually watching. You know what I mean, how many people engage. And when I did take a spell actually had a lot of people reach out and just go, mate, you're good, you still going, like I missed it.
Speaker 1:I missed the story updates, you know, and I just respond yeah, yeah, still here, still punching away and and when I got back into them recently they're not as hectic as they used to be, but when I get back into them, people like I get heaps of messages, just kind of he's back, love it. You know what I mean. I guess the reason why I started doing it was because not many people did the daily updates like I did and like I'm passionate about building a nice home and delivering and a lot of people heard that in my that's what I delivered in my daily updates and just education. You know what I mean just just little bits and pieces on. Doesn't matter how fast you're getting through it, but it's what you're doing and the steps in between. And I find that in the early stages that's what I sort of try to deliver with my clients in the contract stages Education and just actually helping them understand what they're getting for in that price.
Speaker 2:It's huge man. Education is the key to a successful outcome and that I love what you do. I'm a big fan of that as well. I am. I actually believe that, like the people, the clients out there that scroll through these bills and look Instagram or social media, is a funny thing that you look at the builders we got the really nice detailed pages with all the fluffy pillows and nice pictures, like it's almost a false perception because when you as a client, if you go to build with those builders, you're expecting a perfect product but you actually don't know anything about what's happened to get that to that point by you showing all your daily videos. Like I'm sure your clients are no different to ours by the time they come to you, they know most of your team, they know your personality, they know how, like the things that you look for on your site, they come to you because you're solving their problems. You're giving them confidence. They're building trust with you through the videos you're doing.
Speaker 1:Absolutely. And I guess another another side to that is they have an expectation before they meet me. So, yeah, I guess, when I meet these people as well, it's almost like they already know me. You know, so I've done like half the like the hard work kind of before I met him, but you don't turn up and do the hard sell, no, no, no, I do that just on a daily basis, just by being me and I was always under the I always try to deliver A true sense of who I am, and that's on a daily basis.
Speaker 1:So what you see is what you get. And when I meet you in person, it's the same thing. How I treat, how I talk, how I treat my staff on site in the videos is how I treat him in in in real life, and how I talk to my clients is is how I talk to anyone else. You know what I mean. So, yeah, I just, I guess it's just. It's just who I was. It wasn't the whole, like you just said, all the fluffy cushions. You know what I mean. It is what you see is what you get you're telling people a story.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you're giving them an insight into what it's actually going to be like when they sign a contract with you. But what made you take a break?
Speaker 1:man. I had a rough three years covered, like not not in business. I actually had, you know, the best three, three years of business in my life, but I had some heavy losses. I lost my old man about what nearly coming up three years. In March that was sudden. And then 12 months later I lost my mother and lost my wife, lost her mom as well. Yeah, I look it is. I'm happy to talk about. I love talking about it. I miss him dearly, but I also love to keep the memory going.
Speaker 1:So At the end of the day, as you know, you've got business, you got people to feed, you got people to support as well. So In that time I had my family to support, I had my, my team, my staff as well. And the show went on, mate, that my father passed away on the Saturday and I started a brand new job on the Monday and I delivered on time that job, not a day late. You know what I mean. So I guess that was, and my clients at that point too, they were Italian. So word got out pretty quickly and I got a message on the Sunday. She obviously found out. She said don't, don't feel like you know, don't worry about starting our place and it's not the type of person I am. You know what I mean.
Speaker 1:So the last three years for me was just, it was just punch. It was just like, like I said before, clockwork, wake up and get shit done every single day. But I delivered and that was the most important part for me and I just got to. I just got to the end of last year. You might have seen the place that I built for myself. That was our family home.
Speaker 1:No, no word of a lot. I was like, no, we're building this and we're just gonna, we're just gonna enjoy it for a little bit, right. What was it? Because you know your projects. That was, yeah, that was our first, my first development with my like my me and my wife. That that we did on our own. Yeah, we know we name our clients ones as well, but I generally let them do, you know, yeah, but this one for us.
Speaker 1:So that was a cracking property to. There was so much, so much passion. That was a lot of us. We just done two years for our honeymoon in the year after that in Europe. So we got a lot of inspiration from that as well. But, like we were talking about before. I'm always a little bit left of center, so we enjoyed it in a little bit. But I just can't sit still. And one day I just went to my wife, I just went baby, it's now or never. We've got to sell. All you know we're going to miss the mark a little bit. And sure enough I was right. And it's hard to see it go. My little boy George, he goes.
Speaker 1:I really missed that house.
Speaker 1:He calls me a bar instead of dad. What do you also miss? She was against it to start with, but we're very in sync with a lot of the stuff we do like everyday stuff. That house, that when we built that in building months so not including Christmas that was a seven month turnaround. Jeez, if that's smashing out, because that wasn't a small place either.
Speaker 1:No, so we put that on hold because, again, I lost my father. So I put that on. I just didn't do anything for a couple of months with it. And then we started a couple of days after his birthday in August and finished it in April. Early April it was for my 30th and that was one of my biggest goals. I wanted to own a multimillion dollar home before I was 30. And I achieved it like literally on the day. You know I was finishing it for my 30th birthday and then we had the party that night. Oh man, still looking into one of the final touches and whatnot so great story had a great memory Like. The last three years have been exceptional, apart from the heavy learnings that I got, but I'm also a big believer of things happened to only those who can handle it. So a lot of mindset learning. I sort of learned over the last three years.
Speaker 2:So what was a big shift? So you took a break from you sold the house, you took a break from your socials.
Speaker 1:Just needed a bit of time to just digest what happened in the last three years. You know what I mean, just everything, like I had so many achievements, but it was just a lot like it was big nights, big days I'm sure you can relate to that and it just went to a point where, like I need a little bit of time to myself. I started to do it for the money, like I said to you before and I've never done anything for the money ever I've been so passionate about what I built and like a lot of passion went into that home that we built and all that sort of stuff. And when I sort of everything just became a little bit harder for me, you know Just harder to stay organized, harder to organize my guys, harder to. You know what I mean. When I started I was just I was missing, I was just misfiring, you know what I mean. And I went this isn't me.
Speaker 2:That was like you personally, like you were. Well, I think it's a credit to you, mate. Like that, you picked up on that. There's so many people just keep pushing and pushing.
Speaker 1:Nah, I'm pretty assertive with all that sort of stuff and, like I said, when it just become a little bit harder than it should have for me and I started just diving in and just going, what is it? You know? Figure it out. Just like we're still building over. That time I just removed myself from socials because I didn't want to be on the camera. Like I said, what you see is what you get. I didn't want to be delivering that, just mono toned, no passion in my voice, because it's not who I am. You know what I mean and no one's going to want anyone like that building their houses.
Speaker 1:For that time, you know, I still loved what I did but, yeah, I just had to pull myself up on it. So that was the most important part for me. And in that time I just took a little bit of a a look on the whole business and I just went I want to do something different here. So I took the chance to rebrand. So we rebranded all our logos and whatnot. A nice new, fresh take on it, which is what I wanted.
Speaker 2:To come back when I hit the ground running Branding is massive in that, like I think so many builders overlook the power of branding yeah, like you've been really successful with it and like you've got this other venture now and like the branding of that's really really good as well.
Speaker 1:So it is, and that's something that, like, like you just mentioned, it's very important because people judge you. It doesn't matter what you don't judge a book by its cover or that sort of stuff.
Speaker 2:Everyone does it, everyone does it, you know what I mean and that's what I said.
Speaker 1:You know even my stuff like it looks at everything Don't come to work in board shorts. You know what I mean. Like it's all those little bits and pieces, because it's just, it's just presenting yourself Well, you are your own brand individually. And that's what I say to my stuff. Like, if you're going to be with me for 10 years or three years, right when you leave me, you are your brand, create it, start creating it. Now. You know yeah, but yeah.
Speaker 1:So just a circle back on that. I just I needed to take that break. So I used that time for a few months at the start of the year, just to, you know, rebrand, and I made the like a well, a big decision for me within the company to just go referral only. So no, just off the cuff people, it's just referral only business now. So clients, designers that I work with, people I know and that was hard for me because, as you, you'd probably be something similar where you're hard to say no to some degree Not anymore, man, not anymore. But at one point it's, it can be your undoing at some point.
Speaker 2:Builders are people pleasers, mate, and so many people fall into a trap that having shit loads of inquirer and trying to please everybody and trying to squeeze every job in like is a way to run a business, and it's complete opposite and a lot of the time it's a false sense. Security, because a lot of builders out there that are running around chasing the tail, got lots of inquirer and think they're doing the right thing by taking on these jobs, are only in that position because they're too cheap and don't know the numbers. So getting yourself into a position like you have, where you know the clients you want, like that, is just like that's where the magic happens.
Speaker 1:It is, and you, like I said, it's never about the money. You know, I probably still think I am cheap for what I deliver because I know I can deliver, but it is the passion for me, it's the people that the relationships is very important for me and I think that is something, the relationships that people see past, because I couldn't build what I do without the relationships I have with my trade and it is the biggest compliment I get from my clients on how good, lovely my trades are and my workers are. Yeah.
Speaker 2:It's like, at the end of the day, like they're your marketing as well, Like how your trades show up, how they treat your clients, how they respond to emails, all those things. It's a reflection on you and whatever. Like you're only going to be as good as what you accept 100% If you've got shitty trades or shitty staff or shitty suppliers.
Speaker 1:It's a reflection of you at some point. Yeah, you know what I mean. Yeah, Culture is huge, especially for us. You know we, I treat my staff like family, but also I don't ever yell at anyone. I pull anyone aside if there's any differences or whatever the case is, but I try to build. So you know I do performance reviews, so it's a good chance for your staff to sort of tell you what they are and aren't happy with, whether it's either at the workplace or with themselves or whatever, and you get a chance to build on them as well. So putting time back into your staff is also important.
Speaker 2:Oh, 100%. I think like I'm glad, I'm really glad you touched on relationships because I again just going through all the shit I did over the years and then being in the position where in now, like it's funny because I really changed my sphere and the other way I talk to people, like I actually believe our business is all about building relationships more than it is building houses and like when you can figure out what your passion is and your values and your beliefs and your passions and all those things and you can translate that into connecting with people and building relationships with like-minded people. That is where the business just takes off.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's where the party starts. I get excited talking about that sort of stuff, because I think it's just something that, like it, goes unnoticed all the time, and it's refreshing to hear that from someone like yourself as well, because it's true, it's not only just in business, it's in life and general relationships, a very powerful tool.
Speaker 2:Yeah, are you big on? Well, obviously you're coming to the builders breakfast groups, but like networking, do you big network?
Speaker 1:Look, yeah, I do believe in it 100%. It's something that I haven't done a lot of. It's something that I'm getting into a little bit more now. What you touched on before was kind of always a private person. You know what I mean. I kind of just like to fly under the radar. I mean it contradicts everything that I was doing on social media, but I was still a private person. So I only sort of but you were only putting out what you wanted to put out. I only wanted people to see, yeah, and believe it or not, I was a little bit shy at some point to go out and network and I just thought, oh, you know, like how do I start a conversation, all that? Obviously that comes with time and whatnot. So I've always kept to myself a little bit. I did what I needed to do, but I do believe in it 100%.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I've got a couple of mates that do it exceptionally well, because I'm the same mate. Like I only put out what I want to show people, but same deal. And I think it's a good message because I know there are so many incredible builders out there that are losing opportunities because they won't take that step to put themselves out there and get on their phone and walk around and I don't know if they're too worried about what the rest of the industry is gonna think or their clients possible clients anything or whatever, but that's what we're talking about.
Speaker 2:Like, when you do that, you'll attract people that are attracted to you, not to the price on the bottom of his paper, 100%.
Speaker 1:and I'll never forget the first ever video I did and I was grateful the guy that shot it for me. He was very enthusiastic in telling me how I should talk on the camera and do it again. You need to be more enthusiastic, you know. And just the way, like I'll never forget that time. And I remember seeing myself on that video and everyone just went, oh cringe, what's everyone gonna think of me? And when I posted that, I had the most hectic feedback Like, oh, this is the next Scottie Cam. Just the way I was talking, you know, I was very enthusiastic because he made me be and I had really good feedback and that was the start of it for me.
Speaker 1:And again, like what you said, walking around on your phone doing daily updates and stuff, a lot of people are either they're either scared to talk and most of the time they're scared of what people think of them or what they sound like or shit people gonna judge me on my job site, which, yeah, they're all probably valid points. At the end of the day, you can't care to some degree because you, you got to show what you. It's a job, so exactly right. So, yeah, it's, it is huge for me. It was. It was very, very powerful tool that I I sort of utilized and Coming into the build of El Gauze or it did pay off for me a lot.
Speaker 1:I had a lot of brand partners, I got a lot of contribution for the house and how I gave back was through the YouTube Series that I did of El Gauze or so I think it was six series, and we dove into little bits and pieces, choosing tiles, going to do this and the boys on site, and what I wanted to do out of that Was I wanted to show culture. I want to show the guys on site, people giving each other shit, the the big lunch cookups that we did without that that plumbers put on for us. I think it's awesome.
Speaker 2:I think yeah, I know one of your, one of the vids. I think you and your wife were out selecting something. I know you said I'm not having that she'll, so I can't remember what it was.
Speaker 1:It was funny as the first episode yeah, a bit of a crack. My wife had a bit of a crack too, which is good how to go. Had good feedback from that but that was real, was what it was 100% it was.
Speaker 1:It was keeping it real and that's what we wanted to. That's what we wanted to show Like my wife was really nervous to do that again, that putting yourself out there and doing that sort of stuff, because, but man, but after the first episode it was just you just sort of fall into it. You know, you probably felt like that doing this podcast at one point, but still feel like some days now, mate.
Speaker 1:Oh, but it rolls off the tongue and like it's just a conversation, and that's how I always sort of just picture it. If it's, you know the stories where it's just a conversation I'm having with myself, yeah, I walk around, I used to care about what the guys on site, my boys, think of me, yeah, and so I used to go real quiet and I used to be like so, over here, we're doing this, and then he's in that bathroom.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and then we're back out here like just because I didn't want them to hear it, but then at the end of the day, like they start fucking with me all the time. Who are you talking to, like in the background? You might have heard him a few times. But again, culture, you know it's very important to network and get yourself out there. Yeah.
Speaker 2:I mean. So socials are just so important. Like they're basically like I say it all the time Like I think socials are the new word of mouth. Like people will find you on your socials. If they see your website, if they drive past your Side or someone mentions you, the first thing they're gonna go and see is if you've got a Facebook or an Instagram. Absolutely, and they'll start to follow you. They might follow you for a month or two years before they reach out, but it's, it's a new word of mouth.
Speaker 1:Well, that's it. The way I look at it is. It's a. It's a constantly updated website. It's something that you're updating every day, or however frequently that you you do it, whereas most of the time of the website you'll update it once a month or once every couple of months, leave it there and you put most of your time and you into your socials. You know I mean so it is, yet it is important. It's a. It's a good showcase for everything you do. So what you want people to see 100%.
Speaker 2:I Think like it's a credit to you for recognizing but that you needed that time to take a step back because, like, social media is Very addictive and it's not hard to get sucked in to just see him, what people are commenting on, seeing what people are liking, going and checking your competition all those types of things. Like I Like what you mentioned before we start recording how I'm, social media is giving people a very false sense of what they should be or what they need to be in life, whatever it is it's doing.
Speaker 1:Yeah, oh, absolutely. You know, there was also a really important turning point in my life when I was younger you know that, 23 Around 23, when I just start now, the couple years in and I Used to look at other builders and, and whether they were younger or older, whatever, and I used to sit on my phone and just go, oh, why, why aren't I getting jobs like that? You know, why is that like what? And I used to just, you know, the pity party crowd.
Speaker 1:Yeah and mate, the most powerful point of that was putting my phone down and actually putting in the work, and that was a huge. I stopped caring about what everyone else is doing, I focused on myself, and that was a huge turning point. I'm very grateful that I'm able to pick apart these points in my life and actually just go, stop feeling sorry for yourself or Make you need to do something about it and pull myself up on it, make the changes, because every time I've done that, have my little pity party and I move on, and and something good always comes from it. You know, I mean, do you?
Speaker 2:um, so is that like it's? It's that part of your sort of just Natural thing that you do, like every now and then you reflect a little bit on where you are and what you've been doing and how it's been happening and then Look at how you can improve it, like it's probably not something I do enough.
Speaker 1:I think it is one of my goals that I I haven't also done enough is is celebrating your wins. That's, that's huge. I've done that more this year than I ever have previously because when I am right now is exactly where I wanted to be 10 years ago and it's easy to sit here now and go. How can I be doing better? So, yeah, you do need to, and when you do, it's a very surreal moment. I think I had that. Me and my wife had that moment when we, when we built the house and and sort of unlocked that huge goal of building a house like that for 30 before I was 30, and then when we sold it you know what I mean Like that was. They were just some some really big ticket items that I'd really focused on in the last 10 years. So, having those moments of reflection absolutely sometimes there are.
Speaker 1:Sometimes they're unintentional, like I said before you sit there, social media, and you just start diving into other people's crap. You know what I mean? Yeah, and then you find yourself just feeling sorry for yourself, and that's terrible, yeah it is, but everyone goes through it. You know what I mean and you know I'm grateful that I can pull myself up on it.
Speaker 2:But yeah, it's not as much now as what you when I was younger, but yeah, it's easy to get sucked into. But Reflections really important. I think. Like, and enjoying the journey, like do you think, like taking that break in the last sort of eight, nine months and Reflecting on that has changed how you will move forward? Like, so do you think yours, you were probably you could have been focused on the wrong things instead of actually appreciating the journey you're on, absolutely.
Speaker 1:I've always been a fan of the journey, I will say that. But yeah, the time that I took off Definitely just changed my mindset and how to do things. Like I'm just doing things differently now and I'm back to enjoying it, like I've got a smaller team now, which, you know, for me it was always like you. Sometimes you look at the wrong things, you're like, oh, I've got to have a big team to be successful, I've got to have five jobs to be successful. In that, in that time that I've Sort of been reflecting, I've done a lot of work on myself, like mentally and as well, and you kind of you kind of look at things heaps, heaps differently and you look at the most important parts of every situation and pull apart what you need to and Like having a big team wasn't, wasn't success. Like success for me right now is it's time.
Speaker 1:You know, what I mean. Yeah, you're singing my soul mate. It's, it's time, it's freedom, you know. Freedom being able to just take a day off with my family and just go somewhere. Still haven't perfected it, though.
Speaker 2:But, but. But the thing is, you know, you've acknowledged it and it's something you work towards, and I think that's a really important part. Like so many people don't acknowledge it, and it's like I know I did it for years it is so easy to get caught up and just purely focus on the end goal, and so every day becomes a battle, because all you want to do is get to the end.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you focus on the end goal and not everything that happens in between.
Speaker 2:Yeah, all the little bits and pieces. Like you said, you don't celebrate the little wins along the way. And, like one of my big learnings was, if, if I'm not happy when, with where I am right now today, why will I be happy when I get? Yeah, absolutely, and the next stage, and the next stage.
Speaker 1:So when you ever gonna be happy? Yeah, that's, yeah, that's. That's the question you're gonna ask. If you're not happy now, then when? What will make you happy?
Speaker 2:Yeah, so like reflecting on things and acknowledging where you are and what you have and People you've helped out in the homes you've built and your team you have all those types of things and then Reflecting on that and being grateful.
Speaker 1:Absolutely man. Gratitude. Yeah, very powerful stuff.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, I don't think enough people take the time out, so and it doesn't matter what level you're at like, whether you're just starting out, whether you're in a shitty situation at the moment, everybody has something that they well make. For me, just being able to open my eyes in the morning and be on this planet, oh, absolutely that's grateful.
Speaker 1:Time short man. That's something I learned hardware. You know what I mean, and you're not guaranteed every day to be here, so fucking enjoy it. Yeah, and that's. That's something that, actually, that was a powerful learning for me.
Speaker 1:Talking about gratitude as well and being grateful, that was something that an exercise that my business coach or mentor or however you want to, whatever you want to call it was an exercise that she made me do Every night before I went to bed. I had to write down 10 things, different things I was grateful for every single night before I went to bed, and they couldn't, and I had that she made me Do for like four weeks. Hey, so I had to do something different. That was like however many different things I had to come up with, and what that exercise for me helped me understand was you start thinking about what are what, what, what you, what you truly are grateful for the chair You're sitting on, the shoes you're putting on every day, the sun, the sun, yeah, exactly right.
Speaker 1:All the little things, the relationships you have, and it just pulled apart every little bit of your day that you're grateful for, and it's not just the big things, it's not just the cars you drive and you know the house you live in. It's all the important stuff that gets you through each day. Yeah, the journey stuff you know. So, yeah, very, very important, important. Do you do that regularly?
Speaker 2:or did you only. Oh.
Speaker 1:I did that. That was, that was an exercise. But sometimes when I do like you know, you feel a little bit down about it's not down about something, but some just ungrateful. I guess you take things for granted a little bit. Yeah, I try to exercise that. I might not write them down now, but I'll you know, I'll lay in bed and just sort of say to myself three or four things I've been grateful for the day. Yeah, absolutely.
Speaker 2:I am. It's a reality check, but I try and do it a few times, at least a few times a week, yeah, just before I go to bed, and my my thing with it is I Just I write what's what's there.
Speaker 2:I don't force it. So some nights it might be five things, yeah. Other nights it'll be two pages, yeah. But I don't force it, like if it's there and it's sitting there and I'm grateful for it and I appreciate it and I reflect on things I just smashed out. And, yeah, for me I believe that Just writing it before you go to bed, that's what you're taking to bed. It's great you do write just like we're, just You're taking to bed.
Speaker 1:It's great you do write just like random things or like whatever comes to your mind, or so I do.
Speaker 2:I probably do multiple things. So I write. I Write things that I appreciate, things that I'm grateful for, I Write things that I've achieved, and then I write things that I'm like goals, but I write them in a way like my goals. I write as if I've already achieved them. So I have, yeah, I write, yeah, it's alright, I have a tractor, I have 100 chaos, I have a farm, I have an incredible look, but I even write like I write things that I know I need to be better at. So, like I quite often, I write I need to have more date nights. Yeah, I need to spend more time on my kids. Oh, sorry, I write. I spend a lot of time my kids.
Speaker 1:I try and reinforce things that I positive. Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I try and do that at least a few times a week, mm-hmm.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's, um, that's, that's, that's personal, powerful stuff that not a lot of people are willing to do every night. You know what I mean. It's something that I exercise as well. Little bit differently, but they're more like the way I look at it. I look at things in terms of trying to change myself for the better, so sometimes they're not about gratitude or goals, but they're about little, little bits and pieces, like I speak confidently.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I don't mean like I don't, sort of words and it's self-belief as well, yeah, which builds you as more of a powerful and presentable person. Yeah, which is what you need to be as a leader. You know what I mean, and you want to show your staff that and the people around that. And you want to leave a presence and one of the most things but one of the things that I've always that I've been working on for, you know, 12 months is I always wanted to leave a conversation with positivity and someone feeling good about themselves, and I think that's just always nice. I've been and thankfully, grace has a lot of friends that do have that presence on me as well, so when you leave, you're always kind of like that's a good conversation.
Speaker 1:I enjoyed that you know what I mean.
Speaker 2:Just a really positive and the that's what I'm a real powerful thing to Having the back of your mind, like if you're turning up to every situation with that in your mind. You want to leave the situation positive. Yeah, that's huge.
Speaker 1:It is. Well, it is. Yeah, because that's how people, that's the last piece. That's, that's someone's last memory of you. And that's also an important thing to think about as well, because If you're an asshole and you just sprayed someone for something that you don't even know and then you leave, that's, that's their last memory of you. Yeah, and when someone brings you up again, what do you think they're gonna say? Yeah, you know what I mean. You get bees with honey, not vinegar.
Speaker 1:And that's, that's, that's like the biggest thing that I've ever. That. That sort of that's something that I try to practice sort of every day. It doesn't always happen like that, but it's something that I practice every day. You know what I mean?
Speaker 2:Yeah, so you, you mentioned you get coaching, mentoring, whatever whatever you want to call it, but has that helped? You sort of get to the next level of where you want to be.
Speaker 1:Oh, absolutely, it's um, it's just it's helped me understand like the process of everything a little bit more and like being a person and and other people, understanding other people, like you mentioned before and you touched on before, that's something that's very, for me, very powerful, because you can handle situations, clients, staff, random people, any situation in your life. If you understand people, you can handle situations a lot better, without obviously getting into arguments or whatever that case may be. So, yeah, that's personal development stuff that I sort of, yeah, at one point well it was after sort of my father passed away, right and throughout that whole process I never sort of woke up and felt sorry for myself. I just just everything was hard. You know what I mean Waking up was hard, making the bed was hard, just going to work was hard and like, rightly so right, it's warranted sort of emotion, but I just couldn't deal. I just couldn't like.
Speaker 1:It's just not me, like I handle things how I wanted to handle them and honestly I just I need to figure this out. You know what I mean. I can't go through every day like this. I need to process that emotion and that's what it's all about. You know what I mean Sort of understanding yourself and then, when you can understand all those little bits and pieces of yourself, you know how to handle it, you know how to move on and you can obviously help other people go through that as well. And for me, I love I sort of like especially my staff and stuff like that I love helping people, I love giving people advice up to them if they want to take. If they don't want to take it, I'll stop talking. But I mean, anyone that sort of like is, you know, wants to have a chat about something. I'm more than happy to spread my knowledge on that too, and you can't really do that if you don't really understand. You know what I mean. So so what are you?
Speaker 2:like are you passionate about who you've become? And like are you when you reflect on things now, have you broken a mould, like the way you're brought up and beliefs you had?
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's a really good question. That is a really good question, yeah, because a lot of the stuff that that sort of yeah, I practice doing that sort of stuff is is trying to, yeah, break those those bad habits, whether it's generational thing or you know past life stuff, but it, yeah, effectively, yeah, it's trying to change myself and get myself out of out of bad little habits and train of thoughts. The probably the most relatable one right, was success. Right, and this is a really big one for me. Previously, success was money. It was a dollar value in my bank. Yeah, you know what I mean, and I don't care what anyone says. At one point in their life that's what they think, whether it's now or in 10 years time, they've had that thought. And that was huge because it didn't matter how many jobs I had, how many staff I had, like, if I didn't have a certain amount of money in my bank, I wasn't successful.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and that was the biggest, one of the biggest moulds I broke because, as I touched on before, success, money doesn't even sit in success anymore. You know what I mean. For me, success is time and freedom, the two biggest things for me and whilst I'm still working on it. I'm not perfect, like if you ask my wife, she'll be like time. You know, like at home before six o'clock, you know like time management, little bits and pieces, it's step by step stuff, so like I am sort of learning. Like my wife loves the holiday, I'm always like I'm going to be busy around that time. You know what I mean and it's changing that perception as well.
Speaker 2:So, yes, it is, it is breaking those moulds, it's incredible, like I love it now, like I just I'm so passionate about it. I think that there is so many people on this planet that are going through life and not finding out who they really are yeah, man, and they are just stuck in all these mindset and success and money and like just all this rubbish that has been put on them throughout their childhood into their teenage years and all these things and, like they, a lot of people and I definitely did this I was the same as you. Like success with the way I was brought up was just working as hard as you possibly could, doing massive hours yen, a dollar value, whereas I'm exactly like you like success to me is how much time I can have. Like success to me is spending time, money and energy on myself and my business and my team and creating a culture where everybody's equal, so that everybody in the team, including myself, can take time off and the business keeps operating, so that I can enjoy freedom with my family without having to worry about clients, phone calls, bank accounts, bills getting paid Like hell yeah, absolutely.
Speaker 2:But that is not what I was brought up to believe freedom was, and I think it's, and it is hard like I can. There's still things that I battle with now, but I think there is well. I know and I know from the members we have in Live, like Build as well, like so many people are living their life and having struggles purely because they're holding on to the way that Old values, yeah, old values.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and like the way I talk about now, like if you were when you were born, if you were born in an Australian hospital and you had Chinese parents but the wrong parents come and took you home and you went into an Australian home, you would grow up learning English, yeah, but if you got taken home with your own parents, you would get brought up learning Chinese and Chinese cultures. Like, just because you're brought up in a home with certain beliefs, certain values, certain cultures, certain expectations does not mean that you have to live your life by them.
Speaker 1:Absolutely. I think that's what we've just spoken about the whole time as well, in respect to changing those bad habits and those moulds. You know what I mean and that's something that you and I you want bad enough to be better, and that's. I think that's just that just comes apart of evolving as a person, as a businessman, as a leader, and wanting to change yourself to be better for everyone around you. You know you can't fill their cups as if yours is half empty, and that's probably the most important, like the easiest way to explain it, right.
Speaker 2:Yeah, 100%.
Speaker 1:Because if you're stuck in a bad rut with bad mindset, you get a toxic workplace because it rubs off.
Speaker 2:Well it's, I think everyone. Well, I actually struggle with this sort of stuff and sitting here talking about it because I, like I always think, like who am I to be sitting here talking about all this shit? But then I think, well, fuck, I'll put in a shitload of time, money and energy to be in the position I am.
Speaker 2:So but I think everybody, everybody, is a reflection of the time, energy and money they put in. So whatever situation you're in, whether it's the dollars in your bank account, whether it's the relationship you have with your partner, whether it's the relationship you have with your kids, whether it's the quality of jobs you do like, all that stuff is a complete reflection of you, of course, yeah, you're the one steering the shit, yeah, and if you're? If you want your life to be different, you have to take ownership and responsibility out Absolutely.
Speaker 1:No one else is going to change shit. No, you know. You know, one of the one of the most the best sayings that that changed my life was one of one that I heard from you.
Speaker 2:Actually, nothing happens to you in the homes because of you. Absolutely. That's not me, that's Grant today Well, I heard it from you, but you know what I mean, like that's.
Speaker 1:I didn't hear it from Grant, I heard it from you in in passing, but that, that, that there for me was a huge like. There was a point in my life where I had a really challenging build, challenging client, and again I was sitting on it on a couch feeling sorry for myself, anxious as anything, losing weight, lost about six, seven kilos because I was just like you know, and I started just adopting that mindset of nothing happens to you and happens because of you. And I'm going all right, you know, maybe I'm in this situation because maybe I'm in this situation because I just realized stand up.
Speaker 1:I was like he's mad at me. Yeah, and I was sitting there just going all right. Why am I in the situation? No, did I not communicate properly? Did I not do that? So, so I think back to what you said. Yeah, it's holding yourself accountable, it's wanting to be better, it's wanting to change, it's wanting to put the time and energy into yourself to progress and evolve and move on.
Speaker 2:Absolutely, yeah, yeah. So, mate, what are you up to now Like you've? You're branched out. You're still doing building work, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:So now that's still still punching along, just a little bit more calculated, a little bit more like more enjoyable. I'm enjoying it more now than I ever have just having like the clients and and the jobs that sort of we want to be doing. A couple of a couple of years ago now, I think it was like in the middle of COVID, one of my best mates came to me and just went. He just got laid off Like he was with this company for so long, so long, and they just kind of dropped him like a cold pie and his, his Mrs, is an OT and we're just struggling to find NDIS builders that just respond and we're. Our own conversation just evolved and we ended up starting the company called Livability, so it's Livability Group Services, but it started as Livability by now. That and you know it was just me, like me and him, and he was just on site and I sort of run the business and now we've just got like a huge team, We've got like eight, eight cars or something like that on the road and just servicing.
Speaker 1:So we just branched into property maintenance, NDIS stuff, bathrooms. There was also a point of me where it's like I had a lot of clients come to me and go do you do bathrooms, Do you do decks? I'm like, nah, nah, fences, Nah, do you do this? Nah, nah, sorry, just builds. Just wanted to focus on that and I went passing up so much opportunity here. So we started this other one and we got, you know, carpenters, maintenance, carpenters, landscapers that work for us. We do landscape maintenance, landscaping. We kind of just had just turned key stuff.
Speaker 2:So it's fantastic that, like I do feel there's a lot of builders out there in tradies that miss opportunities. Like the skill sets that we have opens up so many doors Like so you basically already got a company that's doing the building work and like, now you're doing all the livability stuff, but like oh, it's one thing that I've always um trained the idea around. Every couple of years I'm like we're building all these houses. Why haven't we got a team that actually like, when we finish the job, we come up with a maintenance schedule or a maintenance plan and we offer our clients absolutely a year, like a three month fee or something, and it just happens there's no phone calls, you just go back.
Speaker 1:That was how it started. Absolutely Because I'm not perfect, I've got defects on my builds too. My process like oh, I get offended when my clients pick shit because I'm like a perfectionist. So I'm like, yeah, yeah, I walk in real confident.
Speaker 2:Yeah, if you can pick something, I'll give you a hundred bucks Any builder that says they hand over a house defect for your building sales.
Speaker 1:No, absolutely. You know what I mean. My defect lists are probably a lot smaller than a lot of other people's, but there's definitely stuff on there. I always own everything that I do Right and there's probably painting and silicon and shit it is.
Speaker 1:It is a lot of the stuff at doorbinds after six months or something like that. But you know we have a process of for now that I do the defects when we hand over, and then I have a six monthly one, that I come back and then I have a 12 month period at the end of the defect period as well and I go back there and fix all the little bits up. And one day I just had like it was during COVID I had like I had heaps of work on right and I hand over one. Six months later I had one there and I'd go back.
Speaker 1:And sometimes they're a little bit tough because when you got a lot of work on, the last thing you want to be doing is going defects right, I don't care what anyone says, it's just on the on the back of your mind, right, Cause you got targets to hit everywhere else. And I had that exact, exact thought of what you was like. Why don't I just have a maintenance dude that was putting a car and just run around and do maintenance, Never thought anything of it. And then this eventuated and, sure enough, that's, that's exactly what we're doing. So all my nail that builds. I offer maintenance services Like I include pretty much every job I do. I include like six months free of little bits and pieces, whether it's your lawns or touch ups and whatnot included in that as well, and it's just a service that no one else in the industry is offering.
Speaker 2:But it's got incredible potential. Like everyone, these days is such busy lives. Like everyone, everyone wants to know that everyone, everything's getting looked after. They don't have to pick up the phone, they don't have to schedule in again. Like you, you do a handover with people. So we like we don't have that. We we go back and do a 12 month check. So, like when we hand over a job, it gets scheduled in Camille and my wife in the office just automatically follows the client up 11 months out, says hey, we got a book in this checkup. It's um, you've got to have systems and processes that just allow a stress-free process. The client doesn't have to do things. The client doesn't have to be thinking you don't want to be doing a handover and saying to your client you have to contact us in six months time, because three years down the track they're going to go.
Speaker 1:Oh shit I didn't ring you.
Speaker 2:We've got this painting touch-up still today.
Speaker 1:And look like I'm not going to like. Sometimes, like even at the 12 month, you know you get some defects done, you get some, and they sort of take a little bit longer than they need to sometimes if there is a couple. But the most important thing is answering your phone, man. That's where people lose the faith in you as well. I'll always answer my phone. I'll never push back, always have the discussion. Nothing's ever a problem. You know what I mean. Everything's always. Everything can always be solved. You've just got to be open-minded and come to an agreement with it all. So that's the biggest thing with it all answering your phone, communicating.
Speaker 2:Setting expectations. I hope you're not answering your phone after hours and weekends, mate.
Speaker 1:Look, no, that's actually something I've worked on hugely. Yeah, I try. Look again. You ask my wife, she'll give you a different story. But sometimes, sometimes, if it's, you know, schedules are tight and I'm trying to get something over the line I'll do what I've got to do, but most of the time yeah, that's half the reason why I had the break off social media as well, because, man, I was getting home five, six o'clock. I'm sitting there trying to do a post on my phone. Man, all my kids want to do is just, they hardly see me. They get a couple of hours before bedtime and I'm sitting there trying to do a freaking post on my phone. Man, like it's pathetic. You know what I mean. So there's, there's beautiful things called scheduling as well. You can schedule posts and do all that sort of stuff. So we had our friends at Blackheart looking after a lot of that stuff for us at one point. But then it becomes not so personable, which is what I found and I built my brand on on person, like personability.
Speaker 2:So yeah, how do you I'm glad you mentioned that, because it's definitely something I wanted to talk to you about Like you did get those guys involved a lot in your socials and and you did manage to keep it very personal? Yeah, Because I think this is a really important one, because if you are, if you are going to be putting yourself out there, putting your work out there, you do want to want it to be personal and I struggle with this. Like, I know there's a lot of great social media companies out there that are targeting the building industry, but if they've got the same routine and schedule and they're doing it for every single builder and tray they work for, how does that get that personal connection with that builder and their clients?
Speaker 1:See that that's actually that's a good question too, because, well, I've got a good relationship with those guys, to begin with, like they. When I started using them, they kind of just went out on their own, which which is what I really wanted. To support young business that's something I'm passionate about as well and like just having their creativity, I had the ideas, like I knew what I wanted to get across, and they just delivered it very well. You know what I mean, and they continued to do that. It is something that like, even sometimes that they'd mentioned to me, like I'd see a lot of other people have similar videos to me or whatever that was. But a point of difference is, was the most important thing setting trends, I guess you could say, or trying to find that perfect, that perfect? What do you call it? Trend or viral video? I tried for so long to get some viral, but it never went viral. You did pretty well, mate, you did pretty well.
Speaker 1:Yeah, look, it's just. It's just different, like sometimes I would. If I'm scrolling on Instagram, it was always for like like a purpose Inspiration. Yeah, it was inspiration. So I was always pulling video ideas from other industries and going, how can I utilize that? I mean, there's some videos that I could pull up now and just show you like they're not even side updates where one of my guys I'm sure he fucking loved it he got to throw a bin at my head and it was just it's, you know, just involving them. Like I got one of the other boys in their DTs in a video.
Speaker 2:You know what I mean, but you branded them, didn't you? Yeah, I did brand the DTs.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you had little details and like that comes down to culture and stuff as well. That was I always tried to show that personability with my staff. How did?
Speaker 2:he get a team member, mate, to put a pair of nail to DTs on.
Speaker 1:Like seriously, oh, mate you don't have to ask Cole twice. I'll tell you that much for free. I just he actually there was one video where he only just started with me. I think he was like a month in and we did a video and he was he was in the background of the video and he pulled his pants down and I said, mate, if you're going to do that, at least just come in front, like just come and come and present. He's like all right, and he just pulled off his clothes and he we did an intro. It was I think it was like 2019, it was or something. It was an intro to the year and I was like, hey guys, antonio from Nail, we're over here. 2019 is going to be. And he just walked straight past Nail belt on in his undies and it was just classic.
Speaker 1:But that's just again. It's just it's culture. It's culture stuff. Like I just I love my team. They're like my family. You know what I mean. I tried to get them involved wherever possible. Just funny, man. Like that's what for me, for the people that I build for, like they want that. You know what I mean. And if they don't want that, then they're my wrong client. That's right.
Speaker 2:You know what I mean this is what I try and tell everyone. You're attracting people that are coming to you because they like your personality.
Speaker 1:They like. They like to be your family man.
Speaker 2:They like that. You're, whatever it may be, you're into your camping, you're into your full driving, you're into your artwork, whatever it may be. But when that's that person, when you get that personal connection, that is, like I said, it's where the magic happens.
Speaker 1:Yeah, absolutely, and that's and that's sort of the concept that I've always had is like if, if, if they're going to win, you know a client doesn't like what that, what video that is, or whatever world we're not. We're straight up not aligned and I've always been a big believer of that If we're not connecting at an early like I've honestly let let a couple of jobs go in the past where we're just not quite seeing eye to eye and there was no argument or anything like that ever. But I could just see that I'm like, oh, like, if this, you know these, these things are getting thrown around. Now what's going to happen when the pressure's on? You know what I mean? Yeah.
Speaker 2:So what? What advice do you give for young guys that are out there, that or anyone any? Any builders and traders are out there that think they're in a hard situation. What's some advice for them to just try and get things ramping up a little bit.
Speaker 1:Just focus on yourself. That's probably like the biggest one is. Just like you know, if you are one of those people that sits on your phone all the time, just get off the phone and actually think about break down your business, understand your business. That's the most, that is the most important thing. Understand that you're not just running a construction company or construction business or a trade service. You're running a company. You know what I mean. It's a personal brand. Brand is everything you need, everything, yeah, and your image. You know what you put out is what people perceive you as.
Speaker 2:That's what like I, I know. I I know because I was there for years when you're in that position where your your cash flows poor, you're picking and choosing what bills to pay, you have any issues with clients, you're putting out fires every day. Like it can be hard to pick your feet up and stop dragging them around and and show up. But you have to, don't you Like? You've, just you've got to bite the bullet.
Speaker 2:You've got to put the brave face on. You have to show up every day and just keep chipping away, keep getting those small wins, keep doing the little improvements.
Speaker 1:It's. It is it's bit by bit and again it's. It's a slow burn and it doesn't have to be a slow burn. You can, you can look at it any way you want to, but something like like if you look at now that versus livability, like now that's like nine, nearly 10 years old, livability is like two and a half years old and we're we're doing like fantastic numbers versus what now that was two years into business. But that just comes down like I've learned a lot in the last nine years you know what I mean. Or 10 years, and it just gives you obviously you've got more confidence, like the more, the more experience you've had, the more situations you've been in. Whatever you learn, as long as you're willing to learn and understand and break down that situation and either make sure you don't do it again or or do better next time. That's the most important thing and just understanding, understanding the situation.
Speaker 2:So I like that you touched on the learning, because that's really all it is, isn't it Like? Instead of? Instead of getting the shits and focusing on the problem, just turn it into a situation and focus on the solution.
Speaker 1:Absolutely. We have to understand the problem and then and then build off that. Like you know, cash you mentioned cash flow before like that's that is. That is a big problem for a lot of people because the minute they get 50, 100, eight you know, two under grand in their bank, they think they've got a lot of money. They don't realize in five days time they're going to get bloody 80 grand's worth of bills and they've just went out and bought two trucks. You know what I mean. That is especially in COVID, with all these young builders coming into the game and and all that sort of stuff. Like it was, it was easy money, it was free money. That is something that I encourage all the younger builders to do that have come in at a time where work is easy to get.
Speaker 1:Know your numbers, understand your business. Just understand your business because, like I, was grateful that I started back in 2014. I think it was. I think GFC was 2009 around that time, yeah, yeah. And like I was 22, no one wanted to spend 20 grand with me. You know what I mean. Like no, no shit, I had to get on that Is your background in carpentry.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. So I finished my apprenticeship. I didn't go to school, he's nothing. I went straight into my apprenticeship, smashed my apprenticeship out, got signed out a little bit earlier, stayed with my boss and you know for the eight months or whatever it was, and just started now that carpentry and maintenance at that point and until I just had enough work to go out on my own. But that was real. That was a really hard sort of like. There wasn't much, there wasn't much work around to begin with back then and it was a not many to offend anybody. But it was an old man's game that the industry back then, whereas now it's a bit more of a young man's game. Technology sort of takes over, definitely. So I was. I was going to that point back then of oh, you're young, like you don't know anything.
Speaker 2:You know what I mean. Do you? Do you and I don't know nothing against your boss, I guess, if he's ever listening but like, do you? I feel again like we talked about, with the way we're brought up and childhood and all that thing. I know from my experience, like I was just doing when I started business, what I'd seen my bosses do which was wrong and running terrible businesses. Like, unless again you've got to break the mold. Like, did you get, did you have bad habits that were a flow on effect from what? The way you'd been taught through your apprenticeship?
Speaker 1:Like, yeah, now that you asked that question, if I look back on it, yes, I was very grateful how I finished my apprenticeship with, with my bosses, like I had valuable lessons that I learned from them. But yeah, it was the hard work, it was the stress, it was just the long hours it was dealing with clients and being. You know what I mean. Like I saw a lot of that. Now that you actually say that, I'm like, yeah, that would. They're the molds that I'm breaking through at the moment. You know what I mean. All the last you know two years, absolutely, because that's the worker that gets.
Speaker 1:Like you work hard and you're trying to earn respective people by working hard and big hours. And that's something these days, especially on social media, that everyone feels the need to tell everyone how hard they're working. That's something I've never been into. You know what I mean Like, and I work as hard as I want to work. No one needs to frick it, know what time I get to the shed in the morning and what time I leave. I think you're a fool if you do one that these days.
Speaker 2:It's funny, hey, like, because people everything's perception. Yeah, like everything's perception and like it's all about working smarter, not harder, like that's. I forget something. Something I heard was like you can only ever earn a certain amount of money with your hands and your time. Like, if you want to be successful, you've got to think outside the box and you've got to build teams that can do things that you can't do. Like focus on the things you're good at doing and bring people into the business to do things that you don't like doing or you can't do.
Speaker 1:And let's. It's actually a conversation I had with my younger brother the other day you know, he's just young and eager and wants to take on the world as well and I said the exact same thing. I said, mate, there's only so many hours in a day as only so much you can do personally, and you're going to get to a point where you can't earn anymore or do anymore. So you've got to start thinking a bit smarter about things. And, like what you said before, I think before we were recording, then we were just talking about, you know, banks.
Speaker 1:Obviously everyone's version of success is different or whatever, but your first form of income, which you know whether it was DPS or something else, but for me it was yeah, it was nailed it Like it's. You've got to think outside the box. You've got to do things, other things to make a little bit extra money, because you are just going to get to a point where you've either had enough and you're not going to earn any more than that, or you can, but it's taken the extra leap, or is it actually what you want to be doing for the rest of your life? You know what I mean?
Speaker 2:I'm a big fan, mate. You've got to make your money work for you.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:It took me a long, long time to do that Because, just like most of the stuff we've talked about today, like I've been and done all of it, like I've always earned good money, but I used to spend money instead of holding onto the cash, like I was always looking for that quick, quick reward, that quick dopamine here.
Speaker 1:Which everyone still does.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and made. All that did was put me under a huge amount of pressure and stress, and it was a big part of why we got to 2010, 2012. And even though, on the outside, well, bridgend's most awarded bill to those couple of years, it was a shit show. And whereas now I've learned, like you have to make your money work for you and whether, like hold onto a bit, save up for deposits, invest in other, whatever it is, start little side businesses or invest in property, like create other passive income, like everyone's different, you might get into shares, whatever, but I think there's very few highly successful people in this world that have done it from their day job. Yeah, you've got to have other things going on.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, absolutely. And you know I think that comes whether you call it research or whatever. But again, for me these, those side hustles stem from a passion. You know what I mean, and for you as well, by the sounds of what you've got burning on the side.
Speaker 2:But everything I do revolves around the building mate. Yeah, I love building, so I've just branched out from it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, but it is. It's thinking outside the box, it's doing something different. That's the same thing about our farms that we're just talking about. You know what I mean? It's the same thing, like. It's what we know right, it's property, it's it's building. It's that we're grateful that we're blessed with the skills and attributes to be able to do half the things ourselves save money where we can, or we're smart enough to pay someone else's. Don't go make our money Well somewhere else while someone else is doing as well, definitely. And you know you have to do those little things to just just make an extra quit here and there.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so, mate, we'll. We're not far frappin' at art, what's like. You just touched on the farms, like you're. I was stoked when I seen you you're posting that. You've only done a handful of posts now, but yeah, it's so good.
Speaker 1:I love seeing people do well, mate, I think it's just it's also I think that's yeah, it's a great trade to have as well.
Speaker 2:I'm very similar to that, I think just you've got to take your hat off to people that are putting in the effort and putting themselves out there and getting the rewards Like so yeah, good on you for doing what you're doing. Like so what's, what's the story behind that? Like you've got a bit of a farm stay.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, so that's just a little. It's in Kenilworth, so it was originally called Adalong Farm and I'm a bit of a superstitious person. It's like renaming a boat right, it's bad luck. So I kept, we kept the name, except we called it Adalong Farm Retreat and the intention is to be a little retreat getaway. So the house actually has two sorry, the six acres has two houses on it, a big house and a little cottage, and we've just added a bedroom and a bathroom to the big one and people can book them, whether it's for, whether it's a business conference or a retreat or, you know, just a little family getaway for a couple of days. The intention is to go out there and relax and just enjoy the countryside. You know, get away from it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's so awesome. Yeah, and like it. It's a reflection of you and your passion. Like you can now share that with other people Like. I think it's fantastic.
Speaker 1:Absolutely. It's just like. It's what you, you know, we were talking about before and much similar to what you're sort of creating on yours. But again back to the gratitude side, the way I looked at it is like I'm always building houses, like yourself, for people that have worked really hard, like that's their biggest goal and a really big investment for them, right, and I've got a lot of followers and people that watch and love it and go. You know, I wish I could have something like that or whatever. I'm grateful to be able to, you know, buy this and renovate it and build it and create something where everyone can enjoy. And that's that's a newfound passion of mine and my wife's, where we're just like, like where are you going to buy this for everyone else to enjoy? Like, but I'm really excited about it. You know what I mean, because it's a big.
Speaker 1:It's a big, it's a risk like anything, I'm not afraid of a good risk and at the end of the day, like the way I look at it, it's just. It's just money. You know what I mean? Like everything's recoverable at the end of the day. And it's a property, it's beautiful and everyone else can go out there and enjoy it. I can take our friends there if we want to and just have a weekend away. Yeah, it's exciting, you know I think it's.
Speaker 2:I like that. Like it is very, very similar what we're, what we're both doing. Like we have the same sort of thing with this farm that we've got a DA in for at the moment. Like one thing that I like over the years. Like we've done a lot of incredible properties and projects and things, but there's so many things that I want to do that people won't let me do so. Like the cabins we want to put on our place. Like I want. I want to experiment, I want to think outside the box.
Speaker 2:Out there and the same deal give people the opportunity to go and stay in incredibly well built, architecturally designed cabins. That and where our way is to have. All them very, very different and each one will be its own experience. So someone that goes there that feels like they've got to go back whatever, 10, 12, 46 times, until they've tried all the cabins?
Speaker 2:Yeah, because I just think. I just think builders have so much potential, like builders are so much more than just untapped potential. Yeah, we really. I don't know what it is Like the industry is very old fashioned, I think. I think people's perception of builders has been tarnished over the years. I do think a lot of people just seeing a builders is just another trade deal, with the High qualification yeah, high qualification Is that an insult? Not really, but I think it is. They don't realise how much we have to deal with, how much we have to responsibility, liability, all those types of things. But I know there is so many incredible builders out there that just have incredible passion, like they're craftsmen, they love what they do, and it's so sad when the business side of things lets them down and they fall apart.
Speaker 1:Opportunity I see you know what I mean. That's the biggest thing. Like opportunity knocks on everyone's door. It's whether you decide to open it or not is primarily up to you, and it passes just as quickly as it comes as well. So if it's there and you've got the opportunity to grab it, grab it. You know what I mean, and that's something for me. Like I see opportunity, I'm not afraid to take anything. Think outside the box. Within reason, though, you have to be able to take a step back and think about can I do this right now, or is it something that I've just got to wait a little bit longer to do?
Speaker 2:But always I don't know about you. I think you sound very similar, but I always dig a little bit deeper, Like never say yes, never say no. Keep the conversation going and just see what the possibilities are. My wife hates it a bit. Every day there's something.
Speaker 1:There's a new idea. It is yeah, absolutely. And that dig deep comment actually comes back to me. I was with I don't know where I was recently and someone else's. He run his own business as well and I'm sure you can relate to this. He made a mention of digging deep and it was like he was actually talking about him building house and his builder and a couple of variations and whatever. And he goes.
Speaker 1:Someone said to me once, when times get tough and in business or whatever, and you know whether the cash flow is just a little bit not so good at one point, or you just got a really big challenge that you're facing or whatever he's just like just dig deep. Just dig deep at that point because it's only a short term. You know what I mean and you'll always pull through. So just dig deep, scrape the bottom of the barrel and get through it. And I went fuck. That was relatable because I've been there a couple of times. You know, and it doesn't, it doesn't even have to be work, it can just be like personal. You know, with these farms or whatever, everything's, everything's good, everything's smooth sailing. You might want to bite off more than you can chew at one point.
Speaker 2:That's what I do, anyway you know what I mean, you just dig deep and get it fucking done.
Speaker 1:But yeah, I just thought I'd touch base and you said that and it just triggered something.
Speaker 2:Well, I think I think that's what you have to do, like I don't um one thing that I really hope I get across in these podcasts and with everything I'm doing in the industry like anything's achievable. But you have to put in the effort Like anybody can achieve anything. You can be the best builder, you can have the best clients. Clients can get the best projects they possibly can. You can be profitable, be successful, sustainable. But yeah, you do have to dig deep. You've got to put in the hard yards and you got to want it more than the person before you.
Speaker 2:Yeah, Commitment consistency, all those types of things. Mate, it's been an absolute pleasure having you on. I actually feel like we could keep talking all night, so we've had a few guys on for round two. So we might have to get you back for for round two. But absolutely Before we go, just give us a shout out. Where can people find you? What are you? What do they look for?
Speaker 1:Oh look, instagram now the constructions noe and a, I, l, d and, or my personal ones, antonio DeLuca. And what's the new ventures? Livability, livability, that's also on Instagram, and add along retreat yeah, awesome. Mate, we'll just a couple of things on the IG.
Speaker 2:We might have to hit you up and come and start there one time. We love it up around Kennewes.
Speaker 1:Absolutely. I'm happy to have you Everything up there. Maybe we'll film the next podcast up there, mate.
Speaker 2:For sure let's lock it in. But, guys, thanks very much for listening. I hope you've got a lot out of it and look, if you want to improve your business, go and check us out on the socials quoties, LiveLiteBuild, DPS constructions. We are here to help. Look forward to seeing you on the next one. Are you ready to build smarter, live better and enjoy life?
Speaker 1:Then head on to livelitebuildcom forward slash elevate to get started.
Speaker 2:Everything discussed during the level up podcast with me, dwayne Pierce, is based solely on my own personal experiences and those experiences of my guests. The information, opinions and recommendations presented in this podcast are for general information only, and any reliance on the information provided in this podcast is done at your own risk. We recommend that you attain your own professional advice in respect to the topics discussed during this podcast.