Level Up with Duayne Pearce
I take on the role of an authoritative voice that fearlessly communicates truths drawn directly from my lived experiences. With a genuine sense of ownership, my insights are free from any hidden agendas – they truly belong to the audience. My stories and journey add remarkable value, the key now lies in harnessing its power effectively to help others.
My purpose is to create a new residential building industry. My mission is to inspire unshakable self-confidence in my colleagues in the industry, empowering them to orchestrate prosperous, enduring, and lucrative businesses that bring exceptional projects to fruition for our clients.
My goal is to foster a deeper comprehension among clients about the identity and functions of builders, redefining their perceptions.
Level Up with Duayne Pearce
From Prison Cell to Successful Business Owner.
ep. #118 Lewis Dawson from Lewis Building joins us for an enlightening conversation filled with resilience, growth, and the transformative power of parenthood. From his roots in Sydney, raised by a single mother, to the influence of his hands-on uncle and grandfather, Lewis shares how these early experiences shaped him into the man he is today.
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That set me free, that burden off my shoulders and I changed overnight, and then that's why I'm here with you today. I want to be a good man and I don't want to be like my father. That's what I wanted. I wanted the drama, I wanted the violence. Bring it on. I can make a decision now to sort myself out and be a man and be a dad like I never had, or I can just go down the path and run away.
Speaker 2:Like do you feel it's important for you as a boss now that you're aware of all that, so you're not treating your employees?
Speaker 1:Correct. If you hold on to those things, it f***s you up, and until you talk about it, until you get it out of you, and then you get to the point where you can share and then you can change yourself.
Speaker 2:I really take my hat off to you, mate, for being open and talking about this. Hey guys, welcome back to another episode of level up. We're still down in sydney and we have another cracking episode, uh, coming to you today. But, um, look, if you haven't checked out the new website yet, go and check it out. Make sure you stock up on all your level up merchandise. We are keen to get as many tradies and builders in australia wearing the level up gear with the keep smashing it out on the back, because that's what we're doing today is we're going to flip the switch.
Speaker 2:So we got lewis from lewis carpentry and building building and carpentry with us today. He's obviously been here a couple of times now. He's asked me all the questions that you guys have asked, and today's my turn to to drill him and the bit that I know about lewis this is this is going to be a deep podcast and I think it's going to resonate with a lot of builders. But, um, I've got to know lewis pretty well and his background is is a pretty remarkable story. So, um, mate, thanks for coming back and giving us the opportunity to ask you some questions yeah, no worries, it feels that I'm in the hot seat now.
Speaker 1:So yeah it's. I was a bit reluctant to actually kind of talk about myself and I've had a bit of a chat with duane and shay earlier about you. You know this is what we're about sharing stories and getting it out there for everyone so we can all, you know, all relate to each other and help everyone. If someone can take something, a little part, out of this, I'd be happy if that helps someone's journey.
Speaker 2:Yeah, well, mate, you come and ask me a lot of questions and a lot of people get a lot out of that, but your story is next level, like some of the shit that you've been through in your life is amazing. Like it just shows who you are and the person you become and what you've been through, like the strengths and the experience you've been able to have. It's an incredible story. But, like, can you take us back before all this shit happened? What? What's your background? Like where did you come from? How'd you get into building?
Speaker 1:yeah, so, yeah, I grew up in sydney, uh, like single mom, happy, happy childhood. I um having like a single mom, my, we had a shed out the back of my house and my uncle uncle bill, god loving me still kicking around and my pop, they were very hands-on guys. Um, they were retired since, like you know, they were old ever since I can remember and, um, they were always doing projects in the backyard, working with their hands and you know my like kind of dad not being around. They were always like picking me up and we'll, we'll fix and everything around the house and and so that really got a love for me, kind of work with my hands. So ever since I was one of those fortunate I call them fortunate people that, um, I knew what I wanted to do from when I was young and my mum's always said that when you're a little boy, you want to be a builder, want to be a builder. So I had my heart set on that and, um, yeah, kind of grew up, uh, yeah, so like, yeah, single mom home and then, yeah, got into just, yeah, love doing things. On the weekend I'll be making billy carts and, and you know, little cubby houses in the bush and you know knocking off some screws and bits of timber from you know the back shed and me pop and me uncle and just kind of love and was passionate about doing that and um, I wanted to leave in year 10 to um to do an apprenticeship but my mum was strict, no, just only year 12.
Speaker 1:So I was it's it's kind of like a more new age thing. I did like a what was called a vet course at the time. So I did the first year of tafe uh, of tafe component of my apprenticeship whilst I was in year 11 and 12. So by the time I finished year 12, which I couldn't, I didn't mind school, you know like it wasn't, it was a good, it was a good time. Let's just say I had some of the best years of my life. Like I definitely don't regret staying in school?
Speaker 2:Did you pay attention at school, or were you a bit of a rat bag?
Speaker 1:Well, like I definitely had my moments. I kind of had more rat bag years as I got a bit older and the hormones started coming and whatever it is. So I used to get in a bit of trouble. But at school I used to tick along, but I'd only really pay attention in the subjects I liked. So if I liked it. But if there was like in English and certain things, I would just you know, like the school I went to, like it was a great school, but I didn't really have a school book until I was in year 10. Like I just used to go and hang out with me mates, so as long as I wasn't getting in trouble or getting anything sent home to me, mum, I was sweet. So school was just a big fun experience for me, kind of thing. So I like to think of school as a little bit like going to jail.
Speaker 2:You kind of find out where you, where you sit in society.
Speaker 1:Make sure you listen to the end of the story of this podcast, because that, yeah, that comes later, yeah, so so, yeah, you kind of find out where you are in society in the pecking order and stuff like that. So it's it was. Yeah, school for me was fun and I in year 11 and 12 I actually had some, really because I had a bit of like a like I'm cracking up because you would only reference school to jail if you had experience yeah, so, so yeah, and and then then you go, um, yeah, so I had a few.
Speaker 1:I had a bit of you know stuff, go on, when I was young, family and and some teachers got to know that and I had some really good male figure teachers that really took me under their wing in year 11 and 12. So I had a really great experience with that. And then I, yeah, so I didn't really I wouldn't say I mucked up at school. I was respectful and everything and always have been, because my mum drummed that into me and I was just, I was always kind of petrified getting in disappointing my mum. So, yeah, I didn't really want to be at school but, um, I was there just to keep her happy, kind of thing.
Speaker 2:And then yeah, so you've got siblings.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I've got two sisters, yeah, an older and a younger sister. Yeah, so that way, yeah, they were there and they're doing their thing and that's kind of yeah, so I come from. When I was young, my mum and dad had like a bit of a messy breakup and that like, yeah, my dad was quite like a violent man and then that kind of coming into those teenage years where I started to rebel and just want to be my own independent person. So that was always in the background, kind of going on. But yeah, so I finished school and already had an apprenticeship lined up straight away. I literally finished.
Speaker 1:I used to drive around block your ears, mum, unlicensed at the time. So I used to drive. I drove to my year 12 exams and then I drove to work the next day Like I was ready to go, like I was, I was ready to start, and then I, yes, started my apprenticeship straight away and, as I said, I was a. So then I came. When I started my apprenticeship, I was a second year in TAFE and then a first year on site, which helped me get a job. So I think, you know, for the kids out there that are trying to, or the parents trying to convince their parents to stay. You can actually do now more of an in-school apprenticeship, where you can kind of do a couple of days on site.
Speaker 2:There's a lot of options now out there to get into a trade.
Speaker 1:Yeah, different ways.
Speaker 2:If someone's, if your head's not in school, it's definitely worth investigating those other options.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I went to for you guys out there from Sydney, I went militafe and militafe was like a prison. That's in the back of liverpool and that's a scary place to be because it's a as sydney's a lot of multicultural area. There was a um. There's like some proper deep seated things going on at militafe, so it was like you've got to be friends with the top dogs there or you're going to get eaten alive. So, yeah, I remember these guys. I think it was the um.
Speaker 1:We had some serbian guys and some cypriot guys and that's like a cultural war that goes back millions of years and it was like it was full-on at lunchtime. It was like in the prison yard there were fights and there was. It was crazy. So it was, yeah, it was, it was, it was good fun really out there. So, uh, yeah, kind of did that and then went out and started my apprenticeship. My mum actually met a new fella and we moved out kind of further west of Sydney and I got an apprenticeship with a young builder who, yeah, I think he was about 26 at the time and I got along really well with him and then, yeah, so that's how that all started. So, yeah, I got straight into carpentry.
Speaker 2:And then what finished your time and moved on to like did you stay with your boss once you'd finished your time, or was it your goal just to get?
Speaker 1:out so. So what happened was like. So, touching on the thing we talked about before, I'll just get it out there. So we we spoke about on a podcast review.
Speaker 1:I said everyone that, like, I like to surround myself with positive male role models because I didn't really have any when I was young and you know that's why I like you guys here. So I I started my apprenticeship and you know, I was kind of I had a lot of anger when I was young and um, so when I started work, I was very angry and I was going out and I was kind of this is when I rebelled a bit, I was drinking and you know, and the people I went like my close mates would know, lewis, he's came for a fight, like, and that's what I was. I was. I used to go out headhunting, you know, just looking to be in a fight and whether win, lose or whatever, I just wanted to be in a fight. I was just an angry, angry person and um, and that kind of um transferred into my life and, yeah, I got.
Speaker 1:I got to a point where, uh, I you know, didn't my father kind of wasn't around when I was young and he kind of would rear his head and fuck everything up. At the time, and just as I started my apprenticeship a few months in, like, my boss was a fucking. He was a hard man and um, he, you know, I'd love to be able to reach out to him now, but we had a big falling out at the end and and I'll get to that the way that came about, but, um, he helped me through one of the toughest times in my life and, anyway, my mum had just met a new man and tried to move on with her life and my dad reappeared on the on the scene and and my whole life I used to be, um, like, I think it's, yeah, like I used to be like one day, you know, one day I'm going to, you know, teach this man a lesson. Like one day he's fucking me family enough. So I made a decision. Yeah, I think I was about six months into my apprenticeship, so how old are you?
Speaker 1:So I'm 18. I just turned 18, which I wish I wasn't 18, because then I would have not gotten in as much trouble. So, yeah, this is the last time my dad's ever going to fuck with my family. And I went around and I dealt with it the way, the only way I knew how to deal with anything which was with violence. And and that's yeah, this whole backstory kind of all ends up to where I am now and how I've worked through it. So that's why I'm letting everyone know. So I went there and I made the decision that I thought I'd teach him a lesson with my fists, the way he used to teach me a lesson. And I taught him too much of a lesson and I got in a lot of trouble and I nearly yeah. So I, yeah, like, went to court and it cost me a lot of money, a lot of time. I didn't go to jail. I was arrested, but I got sentenced to jail and got a suspended sentence at the time.
Speaker 1:What did you get charged for? So it at the time? And what did you get charged for? Uh, so it was.
Speaker 1:Uh, it was like an attempted murder at the start and it got downgraded to like assault, grievous bodily harm records like chain, like yeah, with a weapon. So it's actually funny at the time because my dad was, you know, like I only remember he'd been a big, strong man. So and then when I was thinking I'm gonna go, because the way I found out about it was he he wrote this letter to me, mom, because we hadn't spoken to him in years, and then his address was on the back because my mum had moved in with a new bloke. I was going back and checking the mail and for years I had in the back of my mind you know, one day, you know, I'd like to get him back and whatever, and I was just really angry at the time. And then I the letter had a return address on it. So I had the address and I kept that secret for a while and so I went to the property. So I got charged with going to the property, stepping on the property and then assaulting.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:So, and at the time I thought when I got there I'll shit myself, you know, and I was like, oh, what if he gets it over me? I'm like, and then my nail bag was on the back seat and there was a chisel in that nail bag and I, like, I didn't use it, but I threatened to use it. And then, you know, to be honest, like I yeah, like it was I went there to do what I did and I did it and like, in hindsight now, looking back at it, it really could have ruined the rest of my life that one day. I was just lucky that I actually went to work the next week and I was a bit quiet.
Speaker 1:My boss at the time said Lewis, what's going on? I said, oh, look, mate, I was in jail over the weekend I've been charged with and then he goes, I'll call my solicitor. And solicitor came out and said look, mate, you're facing six years in jail. Like you know, at the time I was just I'm, I'll go, I'm happy. Um, I wanted to do it and I did what I did. So I'll be, I'll be, I'll go sit there for six years. Wrong or right in life, you never speak to the police, no matter what, because I thought the blokes were helping me and they were asking, they were twisting my questions. And then, long story short, my dad had it coming and then it happened.
Speaker 2:And you'd had no one around to guide your teaching. No, no.
Speaker 1:So, like I said, I grew up-.
Speaker 2:Taking it out.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so I didn't know how to deal and regulate with my emotions, or I didn't talk about it with anyone. Like I used to have male role models in my family. We wouldn't talk about anything and talk about things that had happened to me, and I just used to work it out in anger. So then I thought you know that the only way I know how to deal with things is physical and with anger, and that's the way I tried to deal with my problems up until recently.
Speaker 2:it was just all anger and stress and I really take my hat off to you, mate, for being open and talking about this, because I probably like there's a lot of people, not to the extent that you have, but a lot of men like just bottle this shit up, yeah, so and it comes out in in in my outbursts and it also, yeah, come out later on in my life, which we'll get to, is it's it?
Speaker 1:it that anger that if you hold on to those things, it fucks you up and until you talk about, until you get it out of you, and then you get to the point where I can, you know, you can share, and then then you can change yourself.
Speaker 1:Otherwise you just carry you with yourself for years. So, anyway, at the time, like I thank my boss to this day, like he helped me stay out of jail because, um, there's like a you know a path I was heading down and that was the path, kind of how it was, and my boss picked me up and he was hard on me and he was a good, positive role model in my apprenticeship and he was like, fuck, I had a tough apprenticeship but I loved it, I loved the challenge. So anyway, that all happened and then, moving on from that, I was still a young, angry, young man and I just hadn't let it all go yet. We, like, I was still a young, angry, young man and I just hadn't let it all go yet and it's kind of, yeah, like you know I would, I was still getting in fights and causing trouble and just just the drama and all the bullshit that goes with it all. Because that was my, that was my life. You know, that's what I grew up with, and just a high on fight or flight mode.
Speaker 1:You know, I was just constantly on that on that stress level, just ready to tap off at any second. And that's why the building industry, just I loved it, because my boss was go, go, go, run, run, run, like I wasn't allowed to take my nail bag off, even at lunchtime. That's, he was a hard man, you know. Yeah and um, he used to to flog me and he now, yeah, we became really close and um and uh, yeah, so I did my time with him and up until I was just about to finish my or three, probably halfway through my third year, so it would have been. I was 20. And I was just looking to get out of the area and the group I grew up around and I went to my cousin's wedding and met a girl and here's my wife now, but yeah, so I met her. We shucked up together and moved away as quick as we could.
Speaker 1:I moved down to Wollongong. I was traveling back to sydney to work because I just needed to get out, um, from where I grew up, which was good, it was positive. You know I did. My boss was keeping me so busy and and wearing me out that I didn't have time to go and get into trouble and had a smaller friend group and I was just on on a better path. And then, um, and then, yeah, so I used to work with him and he'd taken on a lot of uh, pressure and and and you know, like I could like at the time, he still she started turning into a bit of a you know what I would say. He's just a wanker and and just taking things out of me and and I was like, even though I was an apprentice I like to think I was he gave me a lot of responsibility, so he used to leave me on site and give me jobs and I'd be like fucking, like thinking, fuck, why you let me do that. But it helped me become who I am, so it made me.
Speaker 2:It's hard. I think I mentioned that when you asked me questions. So, knowing what you know now, like I've forgiven my bosses for what I went through because I understand the pressures they're under now, like that pressure of the business, the pressure, yeah yeah.
Speaker 1:So at the time I didn't understand.
Speaker 1:I understand that now and just want to give a big hug and say sorry for being a little prick like that you're aware of all that, so you're not treating your employees correct yeah, so, like my team and I've got to give them all a shout out and I will at the end um, like my team, has made me who I am today and there's a couple of like special guys in there that that have, like you know, I wouldn't be here without them, so but they caught the bad years of lewis. They caught. Um, like, my apprentice now is just cooper. You know, god love you has come out of his time. Like I've got new apprentices now.
Speaker 1:Like Cooper went through hell, I drag him through the coals every day and and everyone around me knows that and I used to wear that, like you know, wear me head high, thinking I'm giving him a tough time, he's gonna, and he got through that. But but then I kind of thought, what am I doing? I'm just repeating that process and I'm just, you know, like, so yeah, that was until I sorted out all me kind of internal trauma and drama and all that bullshit. But, yeah, it definitely helps now knowing that you need to treat people differently and you need to. If I go and take on a certain amount of stress or if I've got something going on in my life, it doesn't mean I need to come in and use them as the punching bag, because for years I was using my guys I work alongside as the punching bag and even when I was like working for happens all the time.
Speaker 2:Yeah, industry's bad for it. We got a couple of guys in our team that probably do it more than they should look yeah, yeah, it's definitely something that needs to be spoken about. I'm really grateful that you're here and you're sharing these stories.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, so I would come into work and you know I used to, so my boss, so I kind of moved, yeah, up north and my boss's big thing was volume meters, let's get it done, let's hurry, hurry up, run, run, run.
Speaker 1:Like I was right, I couldn't walk, you know, it was run mate, and that was it.
Speaker 1:And I used to be apprenticed for a few tradies, cutting ozogram and throwing things up, running back and forward, just getting screamed at and, to be honest, I I loved it at the time, you know, and it was, um, and then that's kind of what I tried to bring into my business and just thought everyone's gonna fucking hate me and they're all gonna leave and I'm just, I'm, look, I look like a clown, but, um, yeah, so anyway, my boss was like that, we had a really good relationship. And then when I was 20, um, my partner at the time, I actually just come back from a, uh, a footy trip, so I was, when I moved down to wool and gone, my boss was a bit like there's a bit more of a commute and stuff and I was like man, I just want to get down there and then I come back from a footy trip and it was a big, big weekend. I wasn't really in any state to be anywhere. My, my wife at the time, uh, or now, not my wife at the time, my wife now another time shit my part, like kira jesus, there was only one.
Speaker 1:She said, uh, lewis, um, I'm pregnant, and I was like fuck.
Speaker 1:I just didn't react and and there was actually there's a bit of a backstory my just to to do with, you know, my child and my dad, my sister, actually ran away from home and did some crazy stuff when she was young.
Speaker 1:She come back at just under 16 when she was pregnant and she had a baby back at home after she'd gone and lived at home for a while. So it was a bit of a taboo thing in my family. Like, fuck, lewis is going to be just, you know, like he's having a kid young, which is, you know, there's nothing wrong with it now, you know, and um, so I was still on this bit of a cycle and um, and she said she was pregnant and I kind of was at the time, you know, and I mentioned this in my wedding speech. So it's going to be no surprise to my son if he ever puts his ears on this later. But I wasn't. I wasn't ready for a baby like my life was. I was like I'd just come back from a four-day bender and then were you still, did you get a suspended sentence or something like this?
Speaker 1:yeah. So I was still on a suspended sentence, so I was also what I was on was um, it's like you get sentenced. Yeah, I was on a suspended prison sentence at this time. So my life was in shambles, you know. Like I had credit card debt, I was going out and getting in fights and I was working hard and just whatever. And I met this new girl and moved down there and then it was like she's a bit older than me and and my wife was just, you know, up in arms and I was just trying to sort my stuff out and it was still like I was kind of known, like you know, for the guy. That was like, like you know, we did some.
Speaker 1:I did some crazy stuff when we were young you know, like I used to do some crazy stuff and I like, yeah, I just would, yeah, I'd just be that guy that like if there was a bloke down, you know, wanted trouble. I just let's go, like, let's have some trouble. So I was still in that mentality where I was like, looking, I was out there actively looking for trouble you're so surrounded by trouble.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, so it was just a part of my life. That's like I struggle now as I see my kid and everything's normal and there's no. I've got to try not to bring my aggression and my thing into my son's lives because I don't want him to be like me. You know, and it's kind of like I was taught if you know something, you're straight on the knuckle. You know, because that's what happened to me when I was young. All I knew was fight. That was it Like. Since I was this big, it was like fight to live and it wasn't like fully that bad, but that's just the mentality that I had. So if something went wrong and only recently now I've stopped, but I've been on physical fights on the building site before because I just that, if that's it. You just you fight. That's how I grew up.
Speaker 1:So I used to just be the first person to throw a punch and people would be like what are you doing that for? And I'd be like what do you mean? This is just this, is it? This is what you do, isn't it?
Speaker 1:So my wife said she was pregnant and then I was like a girlfriend at the time, had only been together for a few months and I was 20. She's a bit older than me and I kind of was like I don't know if that's the right thing. You know, Like I've just I don't know. And anyway she said, well, it's happening. And if you don't want to be there, then so be it. And I was just like wow. And then that was a big moment in my life where I thought, all right, well, I can make a decision now to sort myself out and be a dad like I never had, or I can just go down the path and and run away, yeah, and and and stuff. So I decided I was like, yeah, I'm going to take this on. I say this, I said this in my wedding speech last year and that and I said it might to my son he saved my life. So, yeah, that wishes that's awesome man.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you're bringing tears yeah, same.
Speaker 1:So he my wife got pregnant, had my son, who's 11 now, and, um, yeah, he saved my life. Life I would have been cause I was on a suspended sentence. I was only just all I had to do was get arrested and I was gone for the six and then for whatever. I did. So and yeah, don't get me wrong, like I don't want to talk in this podcast, like I'm some career criminal crazy person.
Speaker 1:I just made it, I was just like any young kind of, with just a lot of anger. So and then, yeah, so my wife, yeah.
Speaker 2:So what happened with the apprenticeship? Like does it turn shit?
Speaker 1:So I went and told my boss so we look for a home in Sydney, straight away. I wanted to. I want to be better than so. This is what clicked it. I want to be better than my dad. I've got to be a good dad. So what does a good dad do? Good dad works hard and financially supports the family, the kids, everything they never had. Yeah, so that's what I then I said to my so my boss.
Speaker 1:I went into work and he was like whoa, fucking, everyone around me was freaking out and like tom, like no, I was just on my own right and it was like everyone's kind of like oh, he's, lewis is going down the same path. As you know, that's where he was always going and I was just thought you know, fuck, you know, you can, I'll sort this out. So I was a third year, just started my third year at the time, and we ended up looking for houses and because my partner's dad was like look, I want to help you. He was really supportive the whole time. My partner's dad was great. So was my mum, you know, but my mum has so much stuff going on in her life it was just like another bit of fuel to the fire. You know my mum's been the best, but at the time there was just a bit going on. So anyway, like you know, my partner's dad probably thinking who's this fucking crazy young bloke that?
Speaker 1:you're shacked up with. And, oh my God, did he know about the prison? He knew, yeah. He knew yeah, because there was a few other things and different things that go on, like, yeah, I did some, yeah, so he knew. Like, oh, you know, this bloke's probably not going to be the best dad. So anyway, I told my boss at the time look, we're actually going to look up the to the central coast, where my partner was from. We're going to look for somewhere to live up there because we can afford it.
Speaker 1:And that's when it went south. So he'd given me, all these times, three and a half years of my apprenticeship and he, you know, like, looking back now at the time, he was going for a lot business, wise, trying to, you know, and with the he had a young family too. And and I said to him look, I'm going to have to leave, but I'll finish my apprenticeship with you, but I'm going to have to commute from the Central Coast and we're going to buy a house, but she doesn't have a baby for nine months. So then I've got nine months, I can still stay down here, but when the baby's born I'm going to have to move up the coast. And we bought a little house up the coast for only home loans and stuff. So this is about 12 years ago.
Speaker 1:And then the next week at work he comes into work and gives me a piece of paper and I was like what's this? And he goes these are your written warnings, mate. And I was like what do you mean what? Because I was an indentured apprentice and you need three written warnings to get the sack. And I was kind of like the leading hand, even though I was the apprentice.
Speaker 1:I was his right hand man, like if he said jump. I said how high you know. Like I used to work overtime for free, I'd do anything for this man, you know what I mean. And I felt that he'd be the same for me. And that was my first awakening of what business really is and what you know. Like you think you're more valuable than you are, but you're just a number, even though. So he said these are for I used to drive the work truck around and I never filled out the logbook. You just fill out the logbook and I just never did it. And there was one for some other bullshit, I can't remember now. And then I just because he was obviously so, he was so upset when I told him about the baby. Didn't say congratulations, he said what are you gonna do?
Speaker 2:leave me but it isn't a shame that, like because that's how our industry deals with shit, like they, instead of talking through things or understanding things, like it's all dealt with by frustration and like.
Speaker 1:So he was coming back at you because he was pissed he's like put all this time in your and I can understand that now, yeah, like, but no, I can't to a degree like, yeah, yeah, I'd be spilling if one of me boys left, and at the fourth year, just when they're coming. Good, but if that's what they got to do in their life I would.
Speaker 2:I used to do what your boss did as well. We all go through it, but like we've talked about it, like I, why, like you're entitled to have your own life? Like just because you work for me doesn't mean I can try when I said, trust me, man, the last thing I want's a baby.
Speaker 1:Like fucking, look at me, you know what I mean. Like I've gotten, yeah, like I'm gonna be a dad, like for fuck's sake, so. So that's how that all happened. And then I literally scrunched that piece of paper up and threw it in his face and said you're, you know. And then there was another guy there on two weeks notice at the time. He was going to leave and go somewhere else for whatever reason. And, um, I just walked off and I actually took some stuff off his car and I said, well, because he owed me a little bit of money for overtime and stuff. And I took some stuff and I said, until I see that I'm fucking keeping your gear. And he knew me, he knew not to. You know, like he was never like, if he wanted to take it to that level, I was. That's the level I was looking for. That's why, you know, that's what I wanted. I wanted the drama, I wanted the violence, bring it on, like kind of thing. It didn't end up like that. But, um, but we had a falling out and I I still want to catch up with him to this day and say, look, man, like I wish it just didn't end like that, like we shouldn't have been like that. So that's how that ended.
Speaker 1:And then off we went to the to the coast. We bought this little little house with a hole in the roof and it was a non-habitable kind of piece of shit and that's all we could borrow. And I borrowed. We borrowed an extra six grand from the bank. We fought so hard to get an extra. That was going to be the six grand was going to be how much it was going to cost the reno, the whole, the whole joint, you know. So we moved into kira's old man's house and um, and fixed it up and then, yeah.
Speaker 1:So then I went to the central coast and I couldn't get another apprenticeship. I just couldn't. I was, I was third year and this and that. So I just thought you know what? I'll just say I'm a tradie. So I went into fair trading. I called my boss at the time and said look, mate, we've got our differences, but I need to get signed off, I need my certificate because I need to earn money, and he was not happy to do it at the time. So I got the paperwork and I forged his signature and I walked into fair trading it was at the and walked out with my contractor's license and then started subcontracting as a carpenter, yeah. And then I just told everyone I was qualified and I just winged it, and that's kind of how it all happened.
Speaker 2:Fuck mate. Well, your story is frigging unbelievable, so let's fast track a bit. You were committed to not ending up like your old man.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 1:So what happened was that was the journey that started me had my son. Obviously, all my mates are different. I've said goodbye to my whole friend. I'm just a dad now up on the coast, walking around with a pram in my hand in this little house, thinking I've got to get ahead, I've got to be a good dad. So I just fucking worked and that's what I thought. I worked and I worked, and then so, a bit of luck, a bit of hard work. So you know, I worked and I worked. And then, so, you know, a bit of luck, a bit of hard work. So hard work goes a long way.
Speaker 1:We bought that house and, um, I was kind of like all the successful guys in the area you'd see, they're all builders and tradies and playing and I kind of got the gist of, oh, how these would you know? I'd go and work for different people and I'd give my all and I know everyone that's been successful in life. I'll go and ask questions. I don't care. I'd walk up to you and say, hey, mate, how you going? I noticed you just got out of this car or you run. I want to know how you did it. What advice will you give me and then, um, a lot of them I found out had in the property market. They bought places, worked slowly, renovated them, sold them and cashed in. So I was like, all right, well, that's that's what I'm gonna do. If that's what it takes, that's what I'm gonna do. So I work like a slave, um, like angry, you know, just just I'll rock up like I was subbing for people. I was just, I was a prick, like you know, like just, if you weren't good enough, get him off my side, don't want him, just just just a big angry, vicious, mess kind of thing and a big chaos. And I started I'd work all week and then I'd renovate the house saturdays and sundays and I'd get mates and my my partner's dad would help us a lot. And then we renovated the house and we sold it and then I'd just work seven days a week. So, yeah, so we did the first one. The property market went up and it was great. We sold it.
Speaker 1:I made like a chunk of money and so, from when I was young, I was certain I wasn't going to be like my dad. I was like I'm never going to do it, like I'm never gonna do it, like I'm never gonna be like him and I had this dollar amount I wanted to make in my head. So it's like I want to, I want to um, it sounds, you know, like a wankish to say I want to make a million dollars. I'm not gonna stop, no one's gonna stop me make a million dollars and and and do what I gotta do. So I was on this mission, like I was like, yeah, I was just on this crazy mission and that whole bullshit, that fight and flight mode that I was on, it was just, it was, it was going. So then I remember we sold the first house, like we, you know, we bought it and we made a substantial amount of money from that and I thought let's go again.
Speaker 1:And a little house popped up around the corner in a better suburb and I still remember the day it came on. I just sold the first property and, um, I was still so I was probably 23 now at this time so I've been subbing for a couple years and rent. It took me about a year and a half to do the reno on that place, just on saturdays and sundays, and and then this house came up for sale. I drove over there on saturday morning and I took the for sale sign out of the ground and I hid it in the bush because I thought I'm gonna I'm gonna, I'm getting this, I'm getting this property and I'm gonna build a thing on it.
Speaker 1:And I'm this. You know, this is me, me breakthrough one. So I hit the for sale sign in the bush put an offering on the weekend and then said they're like look, these people want a fast sale. You got to have cash. You know, blah, blah, blah, no bank. And I said yeah, yeah, no, I've got the cash, no stress, yep, yep, paid the deposit and then I didn't have the cash. I didn't even have any money or a way, an idea of how I was going to do it. And then it all went through the solicitor and then I said, look, I'm actually using a bank. I don't have the cash, sorry, I've got to do a normal settlement and stuff. And they're like oh well, whatever.
Speaker 1:And then the bank wanted to get into the house to do a valuation and I called up the real estate and said, look, I need to let the bank into that to the house. They need to value it, because the house was a shithole. It'd been abandoned for years. I think it was a deceased estate sort of thing. Oh, and no, like, oh, we don't have a key, we're not going to fix the front steps. We're not letting you in the house. So I went and broke into the house, changed the locks, tidied the house, built our balustrade, fixed the front stairs unbeknown to the real estate agent, met the bank guy there the next week. They did a valuation and I like turned the garage and made it look like a bedroom downstairs.
Speaker 2:So then they valued it as a three better, not a two better, and then we bought that property and then, and then we like it's incredible getting to know more of this story, because I know obviously I know a fair bit about where you're at now, but yeah like I think, but this podcast has become such a platform for people to share these types of stories and I think it's so important for people to hear where you've come from what you've done, because when they get to the end of this and they hear where you're- at now. It's fucking unreal.
Speaker 1:Yeah. So that's the journey, that's what I was doing and all that kind of built up. So something was driving me, you know, something was pushing me. So did you get to the dollar value? The dollar value.
Speaker 2:So yeah, so I got to that dollar value at the age of 25 years old.
Speaker 1:So 25-year-old, you've made the million bucks. Young family you know, grinded so you got that house did it.
Speaker 2:Second house made the million bucks.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah. So like I'm only sharing that now just to tell young people that you can go through hell and you can pull yourself out what I thought was pulling myself out at the time.
Speaker 1:I thought that dollar value was going to make it and I still remember the day it happened and the money went into my account, smiled at it to make it. And I still remember the day it happened and the money went into my account, smiled at it had a follow. I think me and my wife might have. You've got to understand I've never. I'm not into material possessions, I don't have any um, I just I'm not into that stuff. I'm not in the flash and anything I've. The first brand new car I ever bought for my wife was when I got to that dollar value. I've never been into anything like that. It was just, wholly and solely. I want a better life for my family and I needed for me that was earning money and that was being a man, was being a breadwinner and everything like that so did it?
Speaker 2:did it change? Did your life change? No, no, I think we've got very similar stories. Like my girl was always a million dollars yeah and I made a million dollars around 23, 24 like in the business, and it didn't change it the next day I was exactly the same.
Speaker 1:I got out of bed and I was subbing at the time and then, at this point, that's when I decided to go out on. So then I did that one and I actually had a. So I had a deal. As I was building it, oh, the next door neighbor was, um was there and and you know, these houses were all for me to live in for 12 months and hang on to them and and sell kind of thing. So it was always in.
Speaker 2:Where were you getting your advice from for this? Like who's teaching you that this is a good, good plan, and like, so hold on so this is what I talk about with my wife now.
Speaker 1:If I was to sit down and make a plan of what I did back then, no way I ever would have done it. Did it because that for that property where I took the for sale sign out, I borrowed 270 grand. To do the renovation it cost 650. I had to borrow money from relatives from two different banks. If you guys ever need any money, come and see. I know how to get money from anywhere or anything. Money it's a game.
Speaker 1:So I got in so much mortgage stress on that second house that we couldn't afford the first mortgage repayment so we had to sell it. And every single house I've built to this day has broken a street record and sold before the open home, and and every single one. So I was a 23 year old building a multi-million dollar home which I had barely any experience. And I bring this back to a guy I worked for from construct central coast. He threw me in as a foreman when I started subbing to him. He threw me in the deep end and and I all credit to him that's how I learned to do and he kind of was the first person to teach me. Everyone's winging it and you just, you know, I'm back here, mate, and just fucking get it done, yeah, and then that's so. I just I did it. I look back on it now and think I could never do that again.
Speaker 2:I used to go there seven days a week, like I love what you just said because I know even I know people in my businesses like that. Like if people spend so much time trying to get the plan and the strategy perfect that they fucking scare themselves out of it or by. They've spent so much time doing it that they fucking lose the opportunity yeah, that's right.
Speaker 1:So we didn't plan anything. I just said we got this, don't worry, and you know my wife, she's awesome and, um, she just went with it and we were living out of you know, in shacks and we were living in half renovated houses. We've lived in 11 different houses, I'm pretty sure rented, um, uh, like you know, there's been people that have let me stay in their granny flats and garages and in-laws house. We've lived at his house for years just just to get by. But if we sat down and worked out on the calculator how long and how much it was going to cost, there's no way we would have ever done it, because it's too scary. We just jumped in and did it and then we did, I did. Then I was like, oh, this is it, this is good, I'm good at this, this is an easy game. So I started a development company with a, with a partner, and we did a development together.
Speaker 1:And at these times, when I started going out of my own as well and started my own building company because, you know, everyone was like, oh, you're good at that, you, you should be a builder, you'd be great, you know and I just thought, oh, yeah, I've. You know, I've made a bit of money. I built a house. I'll be a great builder, let's start a business. And I brought that same chaos into my company that I was doing, you know, my whole life into there and at this time I still hadn't really dealt with any of my stuff from my childhood or talked about mine. I was just on a mission. I wasn't being the great, I was being a good dad, but I wasn't there what were you chasing like?
Speaker 2:what are you doing?
Speaker 1:what's driving you to keep doing these properties, keep making money like well it was just the, the, the drive of I want to be a good man and I don't want to be like my father. And and then just the. I don't know what I was chasing. I was because when I got there. So then I did another one and I you know I quite quickly doubled the amount that I wanted to chase. And then that's when I thought, well, this money thing isn't any good because I've I've chased this amount and I'm fucking angrier and unhappier than I've ever been in my life.
Speaker 2:And and I think it's important to talk about this because I I tell people now I can't, I can't articulate it, but I chased the money from for as long as I can remember and as like you're saying now, I just kept getting angrier, I kept getting more stressed, the business kept getting more turnover. I didn't understand my numbers and not like everything was still shit yeah and now I tell people that don't make it about the money 100.
Speaker 1:So I've since changed that and made so. I started my business and that's why I'm called lewis building and carpentry. Now I started lewis building and I went out of my own and started working for clients and I used to quote jobs as like a competition, where it's like oh he's 400, I'll do that for 300, I'll do it twice as quick, and I've got a bit of a reputation for doing things quickly. But I wasn't doing things properly because I wasn't taking the time to run my business properly, to treat people properly, to be a good dad, to be a good husband, and I was just chasing this. It was more.
Speaker 1:I think that's why I used to fight when I was younger and I used to find a conflict because it was like you can look after your, because I actually had to go to see a. I went and saw a psychologist because I was worried about that a bit of family. There's been some stuff going in my family. I thought it might catch up with me and my wife was like a couple of years ago, you need to go see someone to talk about some of this shit because you, you, you fucked.
Speaker 2:So I was like all right, so I'm glad you did like honestly, I'm sitting for the last half hour. I got a tear in my eye like I just yeah, yeah I really take my hat off to you for sharing all this, because I feel like this story is gonna resonate with so much of the construction industry and the people that this podcast is trying to help. Because we're all dealing with this shit.
Speaker 1:Yeah, like you're just laying it on the table yes, that's, it's out of you know, like it feels weird to be saying it out loud, but if it helps one person, I'm happy for it. So, yeah, my wife said go, and I went and saw someone and then, um, they just said when you're a child, you used to go through these things where you were scared and you couldn't help when there was certain things, and I carried that all the way through until I unpacked that. That that really helped me. So now, that's why I used to be the reactive person in the fight mode, because I was under this stress when I was young and I became a man very early, because my dad left and there was a lot of violence and anger and these things affected me. And a lot of men don't talk about this, but you've talked about it with me before. That's why I'm comfortable to talk about it with you, because you shared everything with me and then me actually.
Speaker 1:So I got to this dollar value thing that I was chasing the money and just that alpha of freedom or whatever it was. I was chasing what I thought was a good man and then, yeah, so my son was getting older and then I just kind of kept catching myself in the mirror going you're turning into your dad, you're not rocking up. I was so short-tempered with like everyone had to walk in eggshells around me and I was just on a mission to just, I don't know, just take risks. It wasn't even about the money, it was just if I was in a risky situation I was comfortable, like, if you know, I used to break out in rushes, like in between the ball sack and the asshole, scratching everything. I was so stressed. I was so stressed like my hair started going gray a long time ago.
Speaker 2:Maybe that explains the anal star.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah that's right, it's healthy. It's cleared up now since. So, um, but that's that's just how it was. And um, it took me to to get to a point in my life where, um, so the kind of turning point was all right, well, any money didn't fill a hole. Um, running your own business didn't fill a hole. I ran that business into the ground. You know, realistically, I didn't know my numbers and all that stuff. That's why you know we obviously I follow your content because I realized that.
Speaker 2:But so you went back to carpentry I went back to carpentry.
Speaker 1:Yeah, probably three years ago now which is a huge, like.
Speaker 2:That's another massive step yeah, yeah so many people are too proud to step back so I was a good carpenter.
Speaker 1:I definitely wasn't the best carpenter, but I love being on the tools and like. So my wife does meditation and all these different breath work and things, and me, my deep work. I read the book Deep Work and deep work. If I'm in a deep work, like a flow state on the tools, they're the best days, Like I come home I'm tired. I've worked with the boys all day and on site. You know that's what I love.
Speaker 1:And I was like I started this building company. I was dealing with clients and architects and designers and I was just not making any. I just wasn't fun. So I got to a turning point where I was like, well, I can either be like every other builder and just go that's, that's the building, that's that was the chat around time, that's it, mate, that's you, that's this is how we do it, yeah, or I was like you know what? Nah, fuck it, I'm gonna go back to basics and I'm gonna start doing, I'm gonna perfect carpentry, and so that's what I do.
Speaker 1:Now. I run a crew of carpenters and I work with a lot of guys, and I actually say a few of the guys names, like guy walshy, um cooper, tyrell, jacko. I've actually got a going away party for jacko today. Those guys, they help me build those houses and they help me get to where I am today. So I'd actually be nothing without my team. So my boys are like, they're like my full brothers, you know. Yeah, and and it like upsets me to say it because I just I love them so much, yeah, it's good. So so, yeah. So then I started carpentry and they all came on board with me and um, and yeah, I reckon we're we're kicking goals that way and I've just we've got, I've got systems and processes, I've got an organized truck, I've got guys sending me hours it could definitely get better and we've got a good culture and a good crew and I'm running that properly. So, and I'm passionate again, yeah.
Speaker 2:So you said something to me, um lewis, I've been talking um. Like I said, we've become pretty good mates, the um and he said something to me the other day that I have never heard anyone say, and like, with setting up your carpentry business, like you had you worked out a dollar rate that you you needed to make on top of your boys that would allow you to have freedom yeah, so I it's when I set out the carpentry thing.
Speaker 1:So so the way it kind of striked off was when I was doing my own building business right, the brick you were coming, the concrete would come in, they'd do their job and they'd be into it and they, they perfect it and they were good, quick and efficient. And then they'd leave and they'd get paid and as the builder I was stuck there at the end dealing with all the shit, as everyone knows. So I thought if I can just concentrate on the carpentry thing and become effective at it, and that all I set out to do was I want to make $50 an hour when I'm not there. So if I'm not there, whether I'm on a holiday, whether I'm anyway, that's that was my tick if I can make 50 bucks an hour when I'm not on the tools so you can cover all your costs.
Speaker 2:Pay everything out, yeah and you're and make 50 dollars. Make 50 in your bank account while you're sitting on a beach somewhere yes, correct.
Speaker 1:So I like just went to a trip to bali and this is like crazy cringe worthy to say this shit. But like I was calculating how many bintangs I could drink a day based on what the boys were making me, because I was like you know, that's so I could drink 62 bingtangs today, like how good is this? And that's all I set out to do. You know, like I only really set out to have 10 bingtangs a day, but now it's grown a bit more, but a lot of that. It's taken me years to get to that point, and so that was freedom for me.
Speaker 2:So, yeah, so that was what I wanted it to do. So and so you're not like I don't know how to articulate this, I'm not good with all this stuff, but like you you've talked about like you're chasing that million dollars and then you doubled that, and then you tripled that, and then you still weren't happy and things were getting worse. Now you've realized that it's actually coming back to the experiences. So, like you're creating a business, you know in your numbers, that will allow you to have experiences while your business operates and you can comfortably have that experience, be happy about it because you know that you can afford correct yeah and like, whereas most people are just like, this is all fucked, we need a holiday, and they throw the holiday on the credit card and then yeah, have a week off, everything's fantastic.
Speaker 2:They come back, go to work and then they've got the credit card bill of the holiday plus all the stress that's still there from the business correct?
Speaker 1:yeah, so my wife works full-time still and we, like we set ourselves up well financially and I I believe a big part of that is is having a wife as well. Like I said, all the young guys at work you got to marry well, like, yeah, get someone that's either going to work with you or work hard because you definitely have.
Speaker 2:Yeah, she stood by you through all that, yeah yeah, and she has and she yeah.
Speaker 1:So but that's like you said. Back to the building business is is I've only like I was always too busy to take. She was going on holidays with the kids I'm sure you can relate to this by herself. I was never there, I missed out on weddings and holidays. But now I look at it and think, for what? So when I go away, I've got the right people in place that can look after it for me. I've got a rule, it's like don't ring me unless someone's dying, because all the people that I employ, I am fully confident that they can put the fire out, because and they can sort it out themselves. So, and that's what I've set up, and I've set up a system of regular invoicing because I just used to let it pile up, pile up. I used to procrastinate on it for days and then I'd do it and take two hours of like why did why? And now I pay someone to do that. I've got a bookkeeper, I've got my insurance is up to date, just the freedom of running a business better. And I just remind you, I just run a carpentry business which is mostly just labor only, and starting back from scratch was just liberating and it's and it's and it's allowed me to work on myself, like coming out of all that stuff, with my wife saying you need to get help and different things.
Speaker 1:I had, you know like an incident's happened in my family where a family member has taken a similar path to you know. My father and I was talking to my niece and this was like a big crunch point for my change. This is a few years ago now and I said she's had all this anger towards you know, one of her parents and if she's listening out there, like you know, we're here to help you and we, you know like we really want to help you, but but anyway, so she's, she's, she's saying she's got all these problems and I said you know what? You know you need to forgive that person, no matter what they've done. You forgive it, cause if you, I carried around this anger for years and all these different.
Speaker 1:And then, and then I went back and spoke to my wife. I said you wouldn't believe the advice I just gave. I just told her to forgive someone. I said I've never done any of that. So I actually tracked this. Yeah, probably three years ago now, I tracked my dad's phone number down and like obviously I hadn't spoken to him since the incident and I and it wasn't and I rang him and he was quite shocked to hear my voice.
Speaker 2:As you would be.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and I just told him because you know I don't want you to talk, this is just for me and I said I forgive you. People make mistakes and I don't know what you were going through at the time or what you went through as a kid. But yeah, I'm just letting you know that I, you know, I forgive you for what you did. I'll never contacted him since, but that set me free, that burden off my shoulders, and I changed overnight. And then that's why I'm here with you today, because I started reading. I became Lewis, the real Lewis, you know and then I feel like just being able to identify with, all right, what you got, but it took me. So I thought money was going to fix me and it doesn't. But you need to make that amount of money or you need to get there to then realize I'm still fucked, I've still got problems.
Speaker 2:And this is the thing we all chase material things or dollar values. And I think you're correct. It's all good, once you've done it, to sit here and say it's not about the money. But money does make your life better.
Speaker 1:Definitely.
Speaker 2:But you have to experience the hard times to realize that it does make certain parts parts better, but it hasn't fixed me. Correct, like how we fix ourselves is personally.
Speaker 1:Yeah, definitely, it's all the trauma and the shit that's all yeah, and I like bringing it back to the building industry. I just like we're both, you know. I feel like these conversations need to be had just to make people aware that if you can fix yourself like, you don't need to be that builder that just works six days a week, comes home, sits in the office, doesn't go to his kid's soccer game, but mate these don't even have it like.
Speaker 2:How awesome would it be. This doesn't even like. You don't even need to go and see a shrink or anybody. Yeah, how awesome would it be if you created a work environment where people were having this conversation at smoker yeah, correct, yeah, oh, I do it with my guys, like you know, like we still take the piss out of it. But but keep it light-hearted.
Speaker 1:But yeah, that's right. It's a bloke thing to do.
Speaker 2:Having a conversation, letting the apprentices see that it's okay, as a man to be able to talk about your problems, or if you've had an argument with your wife it's okay to come to work and get some advice or talk about it with the other guys. We just go to work and I see people in my team doing it.
Speaker 1:It doesn't matter how many questions you ask or what you try and do, yeah, they just keep bottling it up, correct, yeah? So, touching back on that, I thought money, we're going to fix my problems and at the end of the day, wherever you go, there you are. So I was still the same person. And but, trust me, if you're out there young, and you're driving hard and you're chasing money, you know I'm all for that. You got to get there to then look back on the journey, like you said, and say, all right, well, that didn't work. And then I was like well, I was lost. After that, I didn't know what to do and and that's why I started- after you called your old man yeah, well after I called my
Speaker 1:old man. No, it set me free. It literally set me free. And then I started working on myself. I started doing what my wife's doing, I started reading, I started, I started back in the carpentry business. I said, well, what do you love, lewis? I love carpentry, I love working, I like a team environment. Well, this business thing is just gonna. You're gonna lose your family, you're gonna lose your life. You're gonna be exactly like your old piss it off, focus on what you love.
Speaker 1:And, um, and a part of what I love is talking about with other people and then sharing things.
Speaker 1:And I, yeah, I've I started the journey and that's why I'm here with you now, because I saw your content and realized, fuck, this bloke's real and he's he's.
Speaker 1:He's been there, he's made the money, he's lost the money, he's made it again, but he's just a real fucking person. And then it's like how can just you out there, sharing your stories made me want to share my story and and and that's how I'm here today, so kind of bottling up all those trauma, trauma, fears, which I reckon a lot of men are doing, regardless of you might have had a similar, dissimilar life to me, and you just think that working your ass off is going to make you a good father is not working. So that's all what it came out for me. And then it's like well, you can't be a good father until you're a good person and you like yourself and you talk to yourself and you find out who you are. So don't get me wrong, you need to go out there and work hard and run a good business, because to make money. Money doesn't make you happy, but it helps. You know what I mean.
Speaker 2:Money. Like I don't care what people say, Like at the end of the day, you have to have money.
Speaker 1:Yeah, Participate in society. You need money. Yeah.
Speaker 2:And then, like, I got questioned by an accountant in one of our businesses because, like, I've got this, like I want to make $4 million a year profit. Yeah, like, personally, that's one of my goals, yeah, happy to put it out there. And people say to me why do you want to make that? That's just excessive. And so I wrote it down on this year's financial planning and one of the accountants in one of our businesses pulled me up on it and I'm like, well, why wouldn't I? Like it's not all for me, yeah, yeah, yeah, I want to. So, my, I've got goals where, like, I want to be able to give back to people I want to be able to.
Speaker 2:I'm really keen on helping disabled or families with disabled kids or family members like I want to be able to just have cash in the bank that I, if someone tells me a story, I run into someone somewhere, I go like tell me what you need, we'll come and modify your bathroom, we'll put a ramp in for you, like no cost, like let's, let's get it done. Yeah, yeah, like I want money to like my parents, my wife, my wife's mom, family members like some of them are in not the best situation. Yeah, yeah, I don't want the stress of going fuck, how am I going to help them out?
Speaker 1:yeah, I.
Speaker 2:Want to be able to go. Here's the cash fucking. Go and buy a house you set up for retirement. Live the rest of your life happily, yeah now I can see it in your eyes. That's like a beautiful thing to say that money opens up opportunities and it doesn't matter what people say, but I do believe money is very evil.
Speaker 1:It's definitely yeah, so that's where you got it. If so, this is my big thing right. If you're just working for the sake of this is what most builders get into, I, they're working for the sake of work, but if you've got a means to an end, you got a goal right. So I've got a goal too. I've got a goal exactly how much monetary goal and lifestyle goal. So right now, um, I've been on two overseas holidays this year and and I'm on a big thing now where my, my son's, my eldest son's 11 and 5 and I'm going to spend as much time as I can with him, and I don't care how much money it costs me now. I can always pay it back late. Money's easy to get for me. You could take everything I've ever earned away and I'll have it back in the click of a finger money.
Speaker 2:If you you're mentally that's a really like sorry to cut you off there, but it's a.
Speaker 1:It's a really important point to make, because I'm the same now, like I wouldn't give a fuck if I lost everything tomorrow, like because like, yeah, I can make it again, you can make it again, and once you switch that mentality yeah, so you've got, you know, but if you're, if so, there's nothing worse than you meet someone that's working hard you go, what do you work? And they don't like what you just said about how you want to help people. You've got a goal and you've got a destination, so the journey's, but people are just doing it for the sake of doing it. Yeah, it's, you're just, you're lost.
Speaker 2:So but it's not just the help bill as well, like you're saying. It ties in with what you're saying now with your son. We talked about before I want for me it's all freedom yeah, yeah yeah, it's freedom across everything. It's freedom from having a successful and sustainable running business. It's freedom from if someone's got a health issue or a family issue, there's no money stress, it just gets done. There's freedom from being able to help people.
Speaker 1:There's I think every man wants that financial freedom. Uh, you know, like the freedom with the family with the family.
Speaker 1:Yeah. So now like and then this is the other, freedom too. So my building company was always you know I was probably trading insolvent, running out of loss. So if I ever shut up shop I would owe money, that's it. So I had to keep churning over and, like you say, getting the next job. I couldn't just go. I'm going to skip out on a job for a bit, go and sub you a couple days, send me boys out and go on a holiday with my family. I needed to be working. But now, with my carpentry business, I'm running at an even playing field. So if I decided to wrap it up tomorrow, I could stop it.
Speaker 1:And then, for example, when I went overseas, there's enough money ticking over in my business, even though it's just quite a small amount, because that's all I need to run it. I don't need to make hundreds of thousands of dollars or tens of thousands of dollars a week because I don't have any overheads. I don't have one. I pay a bookkeeper and then that's it. Because I've set up my life like that, I don't borrow money for cars or for toys. I purchase those toys because I don't want to be a slave to anything, because freedom for me is is just not having any. Like personal debt. I love um, like if you've got an investment or whatever debt, I love that. That's a great tool. But if your life is fueled by debt and stress and that's great for creating wealth creating wealth.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's fucked for fucking cars, boats, fucking toys and I feel like that's you know, the more you so I still don't really save any money. Now I was a third year apprentice on 300 bucks a week and I used to have x amount of dollars left. I'm the same now. My money comes out and goes into different tools and different investments and things like that and I just have a small amount of money left over. And there's things growing in the background. Just because you've got a high, you know like income, it's definitely you don't just put it in your pockets and then you're like I'll just go out for these crazy dinners. I've still. I've got no money left over at the end of the week because I'm choosing where it goes and and and that's because you know what your freedom is that's right.
Speaker 1:So yeah, so I really like I read. So another thing that I did was when I wrapped up and started the carpentry, I read. So also really no touching the table I read it yeah, it comes back so I redefine success.
Speaker 1:So what success is for me is, um, you're doing what you're doing because you want to do it. So it's like I. Now I'm running a carpentry business. I want it to be the best carpentry business on the central coast and I want all the guys that come through to be like they did their time with Lewis carpentry and building it with the boys and I also. That's that's what I want. So, and that's what I'm walking towards, and also I want to be. I want my kids to just thrive and be themselves and I want to spend as much time as I can without spoiling them to death, before they're old and on the run.
Speaker 2:That's that's my definition of success so and just we'll have to start wrapping it up, but absolutely hats off to you for sharing your story. But I would love to touch on something we talked about earlier today, before recording that, about people that are packing up and traveling, because it definitely resonated. It definitely resonated with me, so I won't steal your thunder.
Speaker 1:Look, tell us what you're talking about or so we I've talked about it with my wife and I'm sure all of us tradies have was all right, let's go and get the van and the car and let's, let's um, let's go and pack up and leave, right, and and I think I said it before you're escaping, you're not going on a holiday, you're not going on, you're trying to escape your life that you have. That's what a lot of people are trying to do. They're selling their, their car and they're buying a van. They're trying to escape. But when you go and you come back, you're still the same person. So we thought that was the right thing for us. I was like look, you know, just have that dream, let's sell up and let's go, you know, travel around australia and we'll live the simple life.
Speaker 1:Well, the fact of the matter is that I like work and I like the everything that comes with it. Right, I went for a three-week trip in the caravan with my family. That that's it. That's that's. Three weeks is enough. I was ready to leave the caravan and fly home, kind of thing. So I feel like there's a whole bunch of people out there that are trying to escape themselves and their reality, where, I think, if you address it and you fix your reality. You, you'll just go on a holiday in your caravan. You won't, you won't need an escape.
Speaker 2:So that's kind of that's, yeah, I'm very similar to you, mate. Like I, we had that dream as well and we ended up with the like we had dreamt about this caravan for for 10 years and like we ended up with the exact one we we wanted and we had that for three or four years and like we did some incredible trips with it, but like three, four weeks was it like that was enough.
Speaker 1:We'd had a good break, good refresh yeah, and then you come back, refreshed, where I think yeah, people now looking for these. It's the same with these online incomes. You see all these people. Oh, you know, I need to escape my. Why don't you fix yourself, fix your business, yeah, and then, and then just enjoy that instead of going, I'm going to have a side hustle and sell things on amazon. Like give me a break, you know what I mean?
Speaker 2:like put 100 effort into what you're doing.
Speaker 1:yeah, into what you're doing, yeah into what you're doing and I feel like restarting as the carpentry aspect that did it for me and who knows, maybe one day I'll have a crack at building again. And you know, do the live life, build community and keep following and just yeah, I just want to keep you know, working on our relationship and going from there, yeah, all those big things coming. Watch this space.
Speaker 2:Lewis is going at residence. Yeah, no, I'm excited but, mate, look, we'll wrap it up. I really appreciate your time, mate. I've literally had a tear in my eye for like the last whatever it's been hour. Um, I just can't express how grateful I am that you've shared that story and and, uh, look, for all everyone listening and watching, please reach out. Um, if you are going through tough times, remember the guys at tx or lifeline and all those types of things. I honestly hope, by this level up podcast, telling these stories, that it does is really resonating and helping people get through the experiences that you're going through. Or maybe getting to a point where you've you've heard lewis's and my stories now where you realize it's it's a lot of trauma, it's a lot of shit that you, you haven't dealt with. So, um, yeah, think outside the box.
Speaker 1:Um yeah, reach, reach out. I'm happy if anyone wants to reach out to me. You know, if you're just having this conversation, like you know I'm just you need to constantly check in too, you know, because you can. Yeah, it's freed me up a bit and it's it's good to share.
Speaker 2:So yeah, no, it's awesome. Thanks for watching and listening guys. Um, please like subscribe and, uh, make sure you go check out the new website, get some merch and look if there is anything out there. If there's any people out there want to come on, reach out. We're happy to have you and share more stories and look forward to seeing you on the next one. Are you ready to build?
Speaker 1:smarter, live better and enjoy life.
Speaker 2:Then head over to livelikebuildcom forward slash elevate to get started everything discussed during the level up podcast with me, duane 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 obtain your own information only, and any reliance on the information provided in this podcast is done at your own risk. We recommend that you obtain your own professional advice in respect to the topics discussed during this podcast.