How This Australian Builder Couple Lost $300K On One Job & Rebuilt Everything From Scratch

Check out Luke and Elora's projects:
🔹 LJR Building — https://ljrbuilding.com.au/
🔹 Instagram — (https://www.instagram.com/ljr.building/)

Check out Duayne’s other projects:
🔹 Live Life Build — https://livelifebuild.com
🔹 D Pearce Constructions — https://dpearceconstructions.com.au
🔹 QuoteEaze — https://quoteeaze.com/Free-Offer.html

$300K out of their own pocket. A tree through the roof three weeks from handover. Two mates lost to suicide. And a business that was bleeding money for over two years.

Luke and Laura from LJR Building had every reason to quit. But they didn't.
In this episode Luke and Laura sit down with Duayne Pearce to share the raw and honest truth about what it really takes to run a building business as a couple in Australia. From not knowing their numbers to finally understanding what it costs to run a profitable business, this is a story about resilience, family and refusing to give up.

If you are a builder or tradie who feels like you are working your guts out and still not getting ahead, this one is for you.

Transcript

Welcome And Setting The Scene

SPEAKER_00 1:28

G'day guys, welcome back to another episode of Level Up. We are back in the studio this afternoon for another cracking episode. Um I don't know where this one's gonna go today because there's a lot to talk about. I spent some time with this um bloke a few weeks, uh actually probably a month ago now, um come on the Aussie 10 uh peaks with me and um learnt a lot about Bruz. Hey Bruzz. But um today we've got Luke and Alora with us from LJR Building. Um these guys have been a part of our Elevate Live Light Build community for um what eight months now or something? But um yeah, big warm welcome, guys. How you gun?

SPEAKER_01 2:02

Thanks very much for having us.

SPEAKER_03 2:03

Yeah, good, we're good.

SPEAKER_00 2:05

So you um you've done some K's this morning because you uh yeah, you jumped in the car and decided where'd you come from? Coffs Arbor.

SPEAKER_01 2:11

Yeah, just south of Coffs Harbour.

SPEAKER_03 2:13

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 2:14

Yes. The price of fuel, and you still chose to drive all the way up here and do a podcast with us.

SPEAKER_03 2:18

We did, and we still forgot that we lose an hour when we drive up. So got in the car super early, freaking out we're gonna miss it, and then I was like, oh never mind, we've still got an hour to spare.

SPEAKER_00 2:28

Um there's heaps of stuff I want to I want to chat to you guys about today because obviously I've um I met you last year, you come up to my level up event. Is that the first time we'd met?

SPEAKER_01 2:41

Yeah, that was the first time. Yeah, besides when I give you a give you a ring. Yeah. And um you had some stuff going on.

SPEAKER_00 2:48

Yeah, but then you um like there was no holding back, like you left that event and you joined, jumped into elevate and you haven't stopped moving forward since.

SPEAKER_03 2:57

No, it was on the drive home.

SPEAKER_00 2:58

Yeah.

Fence Sitting And Taking The Leap

SPEAKER_03 2:59

I was so hesitant for so long, and on the drive home, I was like, what have I been doing this whole time? Like I was so motivated by watching that event, it was awesome.

SPEAKER_00 3:07

Yeah. Like I don't the whole podcast, it's never meant to be a sales fest for um Live Life Bill, but it's like I don't care. There's a lot of people that won't resonate with me, they might resonate with someone else. So I'm I want to help the building industry, and um so whether people are reaching out to me or someone else in it, it's it doesn't really bother me. But I want to talk about how you guys took action because you it took you a while. Like you mentioned to me recently that you were sitting on the fence for a long time because you you did launch pad.

SPEAKER_01 3:34

Yeah, when it was on special for 99 bucks.

SPEAKER_00 3:36

Yeah, but that was like two years.

SPEAKER_01 3:38

2021. 2021.

SPEAKER_02 3:40

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 3:40

Yeah. So your first your first I think it was the first launch pad you did, and was on special, and I was like, I'll just have a crack at it. And then yeah, and then after that I sort of sat on the fence for a bit, wasn't sure. And then um we were doing this big job. And then um we just knew I needed help and and then that and then your event come up.

SPEAKER_03 4:04

And I That was sort of the decider for us, though. I was still sitting on the fence, even leading up to the event, still in the denial stage, you know, as you all are, because you don't know what you don't know.

SPEAKER_00 4:14

But what what's the main thing that made that you think made you sit on the fence? Like, is it the cost of it? Is it you're not sure you think it's just gonna be a con? Like what?

SPEAKER_01 4:23

Yeah, uh it it's hard to explain. It it's sort of making that leap to be better, but you're unsure what it was all about. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 4:31

And also, do you deserve to be in that space? Like you look around at all these people that are joining onto these platforms and you're like, wow, look at them, they're so great. Do I should I be in that sort of, you know, am I ready to be in that sort of mindset and dedicate that time and am I ready to be there? Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 4:47

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 4:47

Yeah. But putting the time in was massive, you know, we just always said, or we don't have time, but that's just us managing our time correctly.

SPEAKER_00 4:55

Yeah. Well, I'm glad to come up to the event because we we met at the event and you um like you're you're your powerhouse. Even back then I thought you had good energy and stuff about you, but like you're you've done a lot in eight months. Uh actually we're probably coming up to ten. In May. May will be ten uh yeah.

SPEAKER_03 5:13

So that's flown.

SPEAKER_00 5:16

So what was like Alora, you was you were the driver from sitting on the fence by the sounds. Yeah, I was, I was, yeah.

The Job That Nearly Broke Them

SPEAKER_03 5:23

What was it that from that event that made you realise that you needed to reach out and Yeah, so I had originally won the tickets, the VIP tickets, so we would have been at the back, you know. I probably wouldn't have communicated with other people on my bench as much, but winning those tickets, I was like, oh, this is like maybe a sign from the universe, which was a bit silly, but you know, it is what it is. And as soon as I sat in there and then Rick Rushton came up and he was just like in your face, he was just giving you all these truth bumps, and then Hector, and I was like, What is happening? But yeah, it was just like so motivating to be in that room, it was really good, and and meeting other people that were also already in in your platform, it was really cool, yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 6:04

So can you give us a little bit of an insight into where you guys are at at that point in time? Because I I didn't know then, but obviously since then I've learned.

SPEAKER_01 6:13

We were doing a major project at the at like at the time, and um it what like I didn't know my numbers, I and it like I think I used all my man hours up at the frame stage, and it was on a cliff, and it was a pretty big project, significant project we took on. So there was just like we're hundreds of thousands like using our own money to do the project. And there was a time where I was like, well, I think we're 300 out of our own pocket.

SPEAKER_03 6:45

We ended up having to sell sell our rental property, which we were we were thinking about doing anyway, just so we had capital in the bank to be able to pay the bills.

SPEAKER_01 6:52

So yeah, and then we were floating it, and then I was like, There's got to be a better way. And then because I followed you and listened to your podcast for so long, I was like, We're going to this event, I just bought the tickets, and then I said you're coming.

SPEAKER_03 7:05

Didn't have a choice anyway.

SPEAKER_01 7:06

And then the when we went and then the one and then we won the VIP, I said like the writing's on the wall. Yeah. And then we we stayed up here, and I I when we were talking on the walk, I said that picture changed my life. When Laura were on the way out, and we got that picture with you, I still got it in my phone, and that's a moment that changed our life. Like our building.

When A Tree Destroys A Build

SPEAKER_00 7:27

Cheers guys, I I appreciate it. Look, yeah, that's um again, it you guys put in the effort, you guys took action, and that's some stuff I want to talk to you about today, because so many people just sit on the fence for forever. Like, um I I've had it would be hundreds of builders that have messaged me, called me, some multiple times um since before Live Life Build started. So that's that's over six years ago. That was when I was just putting shit out on social media and have still not done anything. And like there's a few few builders that have um there's two in particular that I reckon have reached out to me three or four times, and I literally am just like the last time I was so blunt with them, I was like, mate, like if you don't change, nothing changes. Yeah, like I I can't force you to do anything. Like um, so it's awesome that you guys jumped in and took action, but tell us more about that project because it didn't end up well.

SPEAKER_01 8:21

No, so with that project, well um three weeks from handover, and then uh yeah, we went on the Christmas break, come back, and we're just about to complete it, and a big gum tree fell through it.

SPEAKER_03 8:37

From a neighbouring property.

SPEAKER_01 8:38

From a neighbouring property and shattered it.

SPEAKER_03 9:39

And hit into the side of the hit into the side of the master bedroom. So in two ways, absolutely tragic what happened, absolutely sheared through the side of the roof, like it was really heart-wrenching. But we were a little bit over our d timeline, so to think that that would have been where their bedroom would have been, that would have been their bed. So, in a way, it's like the universe is saying, although it's tragic on us, no one was hurt, but it was pretty detrimental to our mental health at that time.

SPEAKER_00 10:06

Yeah. Tell us like you talked about getting the phone call there, and you're like, oh, it's just a branch.

SPEAKER_01 10:10

Yeah, just a branch on the gutter or something like that, and then I ran up, I beat the client there and there walked in and and seen the the tree through the roof and run out and started dry dry heavering and chundering.

SPEAKER_00 10:25

And then yeah, that was a so you were that that concerned about that you made you feel like that.

SPEAKER_01 10:30

Yeah, well I put my heart and soul in the whole job.

SPEAKER_03 10:32

Like even two years to do this building.

SPEAKER_01 10:34

Even even though that I was I was over my man hours by Country Mile, I'd still put heart and soul into it. Yeah. You know, and there was a lot of hiccups. Yeah. I build things to do the best of my ability.

SPEAKER_00 10:45

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 10:46

And I care.

SPEAKER_00 10:47

Yeah. And so how did you work through that situation? Like what what's the outcome of that?

SPEAKER_01 10:53

Yeah, the clients were amazing.

SPEAKER_03 10:55

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 10:55

Like, yeah, so we just got on the front foot and just sort of ringing our insurances to see what we had to do and But we've never had anything like that happen before.

SPEAKER_03 11:04

So, like, I'm trying to ring, you know, our third party assessors, I'm trying to ring everyone, and it's a Saturday evening, and I'm like, who who do you even call when something like this happens? And I wanted to know what I'm meant to do right then and there, but obviously nothing's gonna open until Monday. But um the clients were fantastic. They supported us and realized that obviously this is all gonna fall onto us and um and us to fix it, but they were fantastic through through all of that process. So, really hats off to them because our mental health was already struggling so much. Like we were so far in the red, we didn't cover our overheads for two years, plus losing out of our own money as well. So that was really hard. But we got onto our assessor and you know, we started to have some wins, I guess, in a very dire situation. We had an assessor come through and he said he's seen smaller trees fall through houses and the whole house has fallen down. He said, comparing to some of the damage he's seen, the house is well built and it's meant to last. So that was something that was positive, I guess, that came out of it.

SPEAKER_00 12:02

It's hard to tell you uh uh I guess uh praise in that situation, but isn't it when you're so far behind and you you Yeah and when you're already losing money on a job and then you think, holy shit, now I've got a couple of months of fixing this place.

SPEAKER_01 12:15

Yeah, and then and like the assessor, we we got in and started hooking in before before I got the all clear too.

SPEAKER_03 12:22

He asked us to. He said you need to start. He said there shouldn't be any hiccups.

SPEAKER_01 12:25

There shouldn't be any hiccups, but we'll work her out if there is. I was like, too late. Anyway, can't can't have a tree if they're through there, so we just started I just ordered ordered some LBL rafters and and then I actually left the boys to do some work on the on the job while I went up to that level up uh weekend.

SPEAKER_03 12:44

Yeah, we just knew at that time that had to be done. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 12:47

Yeah. It's look, hats off to you for taking the um initiative to to look out and get something better and join the community and stuff, but it's it's shit that we've all got to get ourselves in such bad situations, isn't it, before we look for help. 100%. Like apart from the financial burden, like I'm sure it's had an impact on your relationship, your family life, like Yeah, it did.

Grief And Mental Health Reality

SPEAKER_01 13:12

Yeah, it did. I was um like when I'm stressed, I sort of snap and thing like snap a bit, and then you you always say if your finances are up to shit, that brings stress and then it you know go through. And you know, I I wasn't happy and I come home and the kids would just want to be with me and I'd just be snapping and you know tap down. Yeah, just just emotionally drained from that from work and and that sort of stuff. There was there was times when I was going to work and I'd put a song on and I'd cry, you know, like I didn't tell the Laura about that. But there was uh times where yeah, she was tough, but I just had to keep going to work and get the job done.

SPEAKER_03 13:55

Yeah, and no one else was gonna come in and fix it behind us, you know. So we really had to step up and show the clients that, you know, hey, we can do this, and and even though we're absolutely heartbroken, I guess they're heartbroken as well, you know, like this is their forever home.

SPEAKER_00 14:08

But yeah, geez, I'm looking at you guys, and you guys are well enough, and then I was starting to well up. There's gonna be a bit of a tear festival.

SPEAKER_01 14:15

I wasn't gonna cry, dude.

SPEAKER_00 14:17

But um, look, I I take my hat off to you for coming on and sharing your story because that that's we need to share these stories because there's there there will be people in our industry that are possibly going through maybe not the tree on the house, but in the same sort of financial situation that you were. Um and the whole point of this podcast is to share stories and and show people that there's a way out, like it doesn't have to end badly, like yeah, 100%. Um I'm not sure if you want how much you want to go into Luke, but like at the same time you're dealing with that, you had a couple of losses from some good mates as well.

SPEAKER_01 14:51

Yeah, yeah. So a couple of a couple of mates, um yeah, one one mate in particular took his life.

SPEAKER_03 14:59

Who was a uh concretor?

SPEAKER_01 15:00

He was a concretor. Um we were just good good mates. He didn't work for us or anything and that, and he was just um yeah, and we're sitting on a Friday night watching the footy, and I got the call about what happened and that, and and that was pretty uh unexpected.

SPEAKER_03 15:16

Really rocked to the community.

Finding Support And Turning It Around

SPEAKER_01 15:17

Yeah, rocked us all. And I had to I had to one of my other mates, he's like, I get on the source and give him a ring, so he never answers me phone calls. And I had to give him a ring and telling him was a bit yeah, just just tough. So they had that period in between two, and then a couple of months later, we're just about to do the fauna pour and we had another another mate, unfortunately, do similar thing. And yeah, while this was all happening, it was just yeah, it was just one hit after the next one's the toughest part of the hard industry, isn't it?

SPEAKER_00 15:53

Like it really takes its toll on people.

SPEAKER_03 15:55

There's definitely not enough support if you if you I guess if you're not looking for it. There there's not enough in-your-face support.

SPEAKER_01 16:01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 16:01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 16:02

But in saying that, I took a s stand and then so I bought all my workers um trademark shirts, so every Friday we wear a trademark shirt. So yeah.

SPEAKER_03 16:14

And they love it too.

SPEAKER_01 16:15

Yeah, yeah, the clients love seeing a similar shirt or whatever I'm wearing.

SPEAKER_00 16:21

You're you're a lead get up at the best of times. Yeah, I love it. They won't get to see it at the moment. He's got Larry's socks on, buddy, Larry hat. What is it? Leadhead? Yeah, leadhead. Shout out to Leadhead 48 months. Sucks and crocs, loves it. Yeah. The um well look, let's move on because obviously you guys had that bad situation, but you've you've powered on. Um so let's talk about it, the positive stuff, because uh I think that's just as important. Like we need to show people how quickly things can turn around when you do get surrounded by the right people and and the right advice and those types of things. So, what what happened after that level up experience event when you come up?

SPEAKER_03 17:03

I reckon we booked the call straight away. Yeah, like Kerry said she's never seen someone that has literally booked that call straight up, and we were straight in there, straight straight in, getting ready to get into the platform straight away.

SPEAKER_01 17:14

Yeah, the first of June. Yeah, so it was pretty instant.

SPEAKER_03 17:17

And it and it felt right too. So does the phone call. We just that's we knew what we wanted to do. We knew that that's where we needed to be to to to grow and and communicate better and to find the tools and resources, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 17:30

Yeah. So it'd be good to get both your opinions on the on a the conversation for a little while because um I'd really like to understand how like what improvements you've had, Luke, as a I guess as a as a man, as a father, as as being on site, and then Alora like what you've seen or what you've changed in uh being the mum of the home and those types of things, and then maybe how you've seen each other change because yeah, well, so as soon as we joined the joined the elevate, we had the Gold Coast event and we went there and that was so we um yeah, just being in the room with like-minded people and that like you said if you with if you hang around the crowd you want to be, it definitely definitely works, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 18:22

So and then um so we went for the we're only two months in, bang into there with everyone in the room. There was a few hot seats, and then um the breath work, I was like, What's this, you know? And I was like, I'll give anything a go, you know, to to be better. So we done the done the breath work and I was yeah, in tears and holy smokes, what's this? And I really invested in that and thought that that let a lot of the stress go from what's just happened.

SPEAKER_00 18:50

I could just feel my body just ease and just show that to uh Justin from Inner Breath or Rebode Construction.

SPEAKER_01 18:58

Yeah, it was just yeah, so that sort of really helped me. And then and then just talking to everyone and just just asking the question. We were talking about the Amex with Sammy, and then like just everyone was just there to help.

SPEAKER_03 19:11

And then I was no judgment, which you think walking into a room of you know, everyone's in competition, but they're not in competition. But you walk in and I was like, Oh my god, this is crazy.

Healthy Homes Sponsor Message

SPEAKER_01 19:21

Yeah, no one's there to criticize you, bring you down, nothing, they're all just there to say, Hey, this is a tip that I've found, or so that was a big shift, and then as soon as like you're into positive and that bang, and then I started doing the platform where we started setting little goals. That's our biggest thing, just set little goals and then work our way through it.

SPEAKER_00 19:40

Yeah, yeah. And what what about it like home life? How's that changed?

SPEAKER_01 19:44

Oh, the I've um that's I um after the 10 peak walks, like after joining elevate, I've like I've got learned to do karma a bit. Apples, I watch a couple of his about what calms him down and you know does little things. So I've done that like I'm heat sped or even said to be young fella the other day, I don't you're much anymore, don't I? It's like hey you're pretty good, Dad. Thanks. But that's just gone. But after the 10 peaks, when I was um that was a massive move shift for me. Yeah. When I was hanging with Glenn on the second last peaks, and he asked me what uh you know what I want out of it. And I said, I just want to be a better father and you know, make money, you know, like be profitable. That's the two things. And he and he was telling me about a couple little tips before I get home. So I make sure I'm calmer, I've got no stress, and then I can just play with the kids or do whatever I've got to do.

10 Peaks Growth And Better Dad

SPEAKER_00 20:35

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SPEAKER_01 23:50

Oh, 100%. Especially when you're you know you're you're buggered from walking all day, and next minute a topic comes up about something, and then you're in a rabbit hole talking about something else.

SPEAKER_00 24:01

No, you weren't buggered you. Well, that's what I mean. So br bras? Bruzz, yeah. Brazzy. Uh we're gonna hashtag bruz, but um but you're you're just a ball of energy, like a little pocket rocket. Like you're up the front most of the day. Yeah, I just keep it in around.

SPEAKER_01 24:15

Yeah, just keeping everyone stirring them up, calling them bras, you know. Just keeping around, especially big day. And about a voice. Just keeping the bras alive. Yeah, I just felt like if I'd done that for the boys that, you know, were struggling a bit, when they get to the the top, you know, like it really emphasized how much it meant. Yeah, you know, being there with them and and that, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 24:39

We'll come back to that a little bit more um later on, but uh site stuff, before we jump to Laura, like what how's it changed site for you?

SPEAKER_01 24:47

Yeah, so I'm I'll like I'm I just I have since we got back we've just been flat out under the pump and that sort of joint thing, but I have I've had more energy and just more calm and I think through think through the scenario what I need to do, where I do, and set short little goals and then just just do 'em. Yeah. Cause um nothing beats that day, the first day.

SPEAKER_00 25:11

But what are you like because you're spending a lot more time away from site now, not not as much as you'd like to, but like that's a huge step for most builders, like figuring out how they can get away from site without feeling guilty that their site team's on site and that sort of thing. Like how how have you dealt with that?

SPEAKER_01 25:29

I've still still like I still got a long way to way, but I do I just gotta let go and get the trust in and knowing that you know they're gonna do a job, which I know they do they do.

SPEAKER_03 25:39

So yeah, our trades are fantastic.

SPEAKER_01 25:41

Yeah, so I just gotta I just gotta trust them and know they do a job and yeah, I know I know they do, but it's just as a business owner you've got to And you like to see things to make sure that it's done to your standard as well.

SPEAKER_03 25:53

So but it's good that you are in the office because it definitely supports the other side, which is more of a business owner rather than just a builder.

SPEAKER_01 26:01

Yeah, that's uh that's a part I'll get into.

SPEAKER_00 26:04

Yeah, business owner. Well, it's it's it's not something you think about, is it? You want to be a builder, you want to be a trader, you don't necessarily think of yourself as a as a business owner.

SPEAKER_01 26:14

No, but it's a mindset to say it on a business owner, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 26:18

Yeah, why why do you struggle with that?

SPEAKER_01 26:20

Oh, it is it I don't know. Oh, I it's it's what people say of you, you know, like the judgment sort of thing. You know, what people oh you you know, you're a builder or a business owner, like they don't get what gets involved. So now when I yeah, I've got to say it, I'm a business owner because builder, yes, I know I'm good on hands on the tools, but we're running a shit show, so it's not really business, was it? So it's something that we're improving together. Yeah. I wouldn't be here without Alora. Yeah. And Alora wouldn't be here without me.

SPEAKER_03 26:48

No, we actually had one of our um suppliers call today and he said, you know, behind every great man is a great woman. Exactly. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 26:58

Um well tell us tell us how it's affected you the last um sort of 10 months.

Their Career Paths Into Building

SPEAKER_03 27:03

Yes. So first of all, it would have to be the networking, like the partners group that I've had access to and the knowledge that I've had in there. Like I around where we live, there's no other builder's wives working in the business. So to have that other community there that I can reach out to or that I can speak to or say, hey, I'm having a really shit day. This happened. Do you know, do you know how I can handle this? And someone's always there to respond. So that's really good. But also having all of the systems, like to be able to go, oh, I've got a template for this, or I have an email for this, or I know exactly where I need to navigate these things, rather than just going, oh shit, I don't know, maybe I'll call Luke, you know. But that also comes with challenges as well, like feeling like I can't give the answer sometimes because should I check with Luke? So they're some of the things that that are sometimes still on my mind now. But yeah, something that we're learning to navigate.

SPEAKER_00 27:55

Yeah. Do you feel that having the the knowledge and the access to what you've got now has has made the family better as well?

SPEAKER_03 28:02

Definitely. Yeah, definitely. Yeah, definitely. Um and happier. Like I feel like I'm a lot happier now. I'm not as stressed. I mean, sometimes I am very stressed, but that just comes as part of being a business owner.

SPEAKER_02 28:13

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 28:13

Um, but I am definitely calmer and I'm a lot more present with the kids because I've got all of these systems in place. So I'm not chasing my ass with emails or I'm not doing all these things behind the scenes. Whereas I'm like, I have strict business hours. No one contacts me outside my business hours because that's important. And they're some of the things that I'm learning now to implement that are so important that you don't even consider unless someone really educates you and tells you.

SPEAKER_00 28:37

Yep. Um we'll flip this around a little bit because we um we got straight into all the conversation stuff, but like can you each give us a little bit of a background on like so um I was um I finished school in year year 10.

SPEAKER_01 28:53

I was 15, 16 going into my trade, but before that, I think I was in year eight, year nine, I used to do one day a week with my builder. He was an older builder, local bloke, never had apprentice in in Bellingen. And um, so yeah, so I started started with him and done the four year four-year apprenticeship. And then I um I my cousin lived in Proserpoint, so I give him a ring, he's a carpenter, and I thought, oh, what are you up to? Can I get a job? He goes, Yeah, it's come up. So I drove to me anie's at Gatton and then drove the whole next day to Prossey. And I stayed there for six weeks with him, and then one of his mates came down from Weeper. And I said, Oh, you got a job up there? He's like, Oh, oh, give me a couple of days. So he went back, and then next minute he rings and says, Yeah, go and do a medical and got a job. So I went, uh so I drove up to Weeper by myself. 19 I was, I was shitting myself. I pulled, I remember I pulled into this, I'll never forget. No phone reception. I pulled into this roadhouse, and there was these two two older fellas, and they they were gold hunters, and they said, Oh, come and look for some gold. And I was in my swag on the ground. I said, I didn't sleep much, I was gone at 3 a.m. I was out of there. And then it's in the dark, I got a flat tyre, and then when I was just coming into Cohen, and I got phone reception, and I rang my cousin, I said, Oh, I got a flat bloody this morning. Use Queenslanders don't help much, and he's he's he's giving it back, obviously. And then as I rolled in to Cohen to get my tyre fixed, the other one went down. So fixed it up, and then um yeah, spent 18 months in Weeper. And then come up.

SPEAKER_00 30:37

Well, we're a chart chip in.

SPEAKER_01 30:39

Yeah, I just concreting and and that sort of stuff for a mining, like a subcontractor mining place. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 30:46

And then where'd you go from there?

SPEAKER_01 30:47

So I come home for a little bit, I strapped on the footy boots, played a little bit of footy, a local thing, and then we ended I ended up in Port Headland over there with the same company for about five years.

SPEAKER_02 30:57

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 30:58

Yeah. And then um I come home and was playing footy, and then um I got a job on the roads for a bit of a fill-in thing. And then um I thought I wasn't too fan. Like it just wasn't my sort of thing. So I ended up doing my cert for and my building and construction, and then um left there and then went and worked for me um boss, Jeffrey, who I call him GOAT, because he's the greatest of all time. I get on with him like a house on fire. And um, yeah, I worked for him for five years and then made the leap and went out on my own.

SPEAKER_00 31:31

Is it something you always thought you'd do and become a builder?

SPEAKER_01 31:35

Yeah, yeah, even when I was in Port Edland, I said I'd I'd become a builder, yeah. Yeah. Yep.

SPEAKER_00 31:40

What about you, Alora?

SPEAKER_03 31:43

Yeah, I was a barista before, like when I was younger, and then when I left doing that, I studied CERT 3 and 4 in business admin, tried to get a job in admin, but no one really wanted to hire without any experience. So I ended up meeting Luke and we had two kids, and I started studying school teaching, which was always my passion and always my dream, and then realized, oh shit, I think I need to be in the office a little bit more, and the more I was in there, the more I loved it. So stepped away from that.

SPEAKER_00 32:12

Awesome. So it is it is something you enjoy doing.

SPEAKER_03 32:15

Yeah, definitely. Yeah, I love it. I've actually watched Simone's podcast the other week, and she has inspired me to do my certificate for in building and construction, which I've just signed up for. So I start in I think three weeks, which is super exciting. That's awesome. Yeah, and hats off to HIA, who is also funding it, so even better.

SPEAKER_00 32:33

Awesome. That is good. And I guess just a quick plug on that, like there are so many incentives and uh government funding for training in our industry that people do not take advantage of. So good on you for doing that.

SPEAKER_02 32:46

But thanks.

SPEAKER_00 32:47

Well, and good on you for taking action, because you did that the night after, or the last night of the Melbourne summit, didn't you?

SPEAKER_03 32:54

Yeah, yep. So when I was sitting at the airport and I was feeling a little bit exhausted, and I was like, Do you know what? Why wait to take the action? I may as well just do it. I've got to wait a couple of hours for the airport anyway. So got on and did all my registration, and then I was like, well, there's not really any backing out now. The only issue is is um there was two parts to the course, and one was more like a contracts, and then one's more base for builders, and I do have to do the one that is base for builders, so I will have to go out and do like a site assessment and site set out, which is pretty daunting, but hopefully Luke can teach me a couple of bits. So, yeah, that's very exciting. Yeah.

Job Costing That Actually Works

SPEAKER_00 33:33

So what like I feel like there's like there's a lot of um pressure on a lot of females that their husbands are tradies or builders, and they don't it's not their first choice. So we talked about this down at Melbourne. Um it's not like people go like girls finish school and go, Oh, I want to be a builder's wife.

SPEAKER_02 33:51

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 33:51

Um so it's awesome to hear that you love it and you you um really engage with it because like the way it definitely wasn't Camille's choice. Like she got thrown in the D PM, but she loves it now, and it's it's enabled her to do other things. But the freedom it gives our family, like we we make our own rules, we make our own decisions, we work our own hours. So there's a lot of benefits to it.

SPEAKER_03 34:12

Yeah, definitely, it is so important, and I definitely wasn't in the mindset of that's where I wanted to be when Luke and I first got together, but at the same time, I know that what he does is so important, and if I can support him and give him some tools and help and and be able to alleviate the pressures in the office so he can really maintain a good quality workmanship on site, yeah, and to me it it motivates me to do better and and yeah, to be better.

SPEAKER_00 34:37

Yeah, yeah. Um Luke, you mentioned before like you with that bad job, you didn't cover your overheads for two years and weren't making money and things. So what what's been a big improvement with your numbers? Because I I get so like I get so much flack from talking about numbers all the time.

SPEAKER_01 34:57

Oh like you said, if you don't know what they are, then how are you meant to charge correctly? So we just identified everything what we need to need to do. Yeah. So we just got it all every nuts and bolts and got it got a rote down to see where we're at.

SPEAKER_03 35:14

And like we were so uneducated at the beginning that we were, you know, it was like, oh, we'll just charge 10%. And then it's like, oh, that didn't really seem to cover it for that one. We'll just put on another two here or there. And by the end of it, you're going, why am I losing out on every single job and I'm still paying out of money?

SPEAKER_01 35:28

That's where I couldn't get my head around why I was always losing. It's like there we you start a new job and we're like, oh, we've got to put more money in the in the bank. I was like, well, how come? Like, there's got to be a line in the sand somewhere why I'll keep losing and got to keep funding the jobs.

SPEAKER_00 35:46

So what was what was the 10% you were putting on? Like, did you think that was the profit?

SPEAKER_03 35:51

No, no, no.

SPEAKER_00 35:52

Yeah, that was everything.

SPEAKER_03 35:53

That was our margins, and like that was the whole lot that we were putting on top of a job. So we were quoting it, and only our even our labour hours were only really covering the actual hours. There was, you know, we weren't allowing anything else to run the business.

SPEAKER_00 36:05

So the 10% was overheads, profit, everything. Yeah, that whole lot, yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 36:10

Yeah. And yeah, and I was and I it was actually when we joined Elevate and your thing, and I seen the percentage down the bottom, and I was like, well, we're way under that. And then you brought up the company profit, and I was like, holy shit. Because the light bulb moment just went bang. And I was like, fuck.

SPEAKER_03 36:28

But it's also like looking at those, those, those numbers as well, and really identifying, like, okay, I've spent all of this money here or here, or these are what we're, you know, this is how much it costs us to run our business. But also, do I need these programs? Looking at it in that sort of platform goes, could I use this or could this do the same feature? And you can actually identify sometimes where you can scale things around, or if I need to make a new purchase, how can I incorporate that into that sheet and work towards that goal rather than just going to buy the thing and working it out later?

SPEAKER_00 36:56

No, for that. Well, mate, I look, I did it for years as well. But industry doesn't talk doesn't like I'm I don't want to be a dick about it, but I I I think that I'm one of the best number people when it comes to the building industry. Like, I hear some of the shit that some of the other coaches and mentors and businesses out there are talking about. I'm like, mate, you got you got fucking no idea. Like there's a couple of um trading and build business builders coaches out there at the moment that are just simply telling people put 20% on, you'll make money. Like you put 20% on, you're gonna make money. Like every building business is different. And I don't want to know your percentage because that's that's your information, but obviously you were putting your 10 and then your 12 and whatever. Like, what did you get up to before you come to what 15?

SPEAKER_03 37:39

I think it was 15 or 17, maybe. No, it was 15. Yeah, 15.

SPEAKER_00 37:42

So you were putting 15% on your jobs, hoping for the best, and hoping for the best, yeah, and now you've learned that 15% wasn't even covering your overheads.

SPEAKER_03 37:50

No, and we also weren't quoting correctly either, so we were almost like that. No, we always breaking it down, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 37:55

Man hours, like I did have a spreadsheet with me man hours in it, but it was no no data. Yeah, like I wasn't tracking it, I was like, oh yeah, that would take 10 days. Yep, no worries.

SPEAKER_00 38:05

So have you found it hard to get your head around the numbers? Not since I had the light bulb moment.

SPEAKER_03 38:12

Or sort of. I yeah, it's sometimes it is, but I'm like, that's what it takes for us to run a business and a good business, because we are good at what we do, like our communication is solid. So to run our business, that's what it is. And now that I'm a little bit more comfortable with numbers, definitely wasn't at the beginning.

SPEAKER_00 38:29

Now that I know numbers are up now after the Melbourne weekend, then who runs general managers? I know. Yeah, well that's the thing that's I actually had a light bulb moment when she said that as well. Like, and Christine was a hundred percent correct. Like most wives and partners that are working in the office are the general manager.

SPEAKER_03 38:47

Yeah, we oversee majority of the things inside the office, whether that's you know, contracts or admin, just normal general duty.

Building A Business You Can Sell

SPEAKER_00 38:56

Workplace on safety, like you're you've you're you're overseeing everything.

SPEAKER_03 39:01

Yes, and some things on site as well, trades, suppliers, the lot. So yeah.

SPEAKER_00 39:06

So yeah, I think that title's very um very fitting, but the flip side of that is everybody in a business has to be paid for their role. And if you're a role's general manager, then you need to get a general manager's salary. So we're still working that out, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 39:19

Negotiating. No, no, not with that, just paying ourselves properly. Yeah, we're still at the tail end of working things out and we're working towards that.

SPEAKER_00 39:27

You know what it is, yeah, yeah. Like that's and I think that's a really valid point because you can't just go from where you're at to the next job improving everything. It's it's it's you've got to take slow steps and you've got to the the each time you do it, you you get better and better. And every job you do, you collect your data, you reference it, and you you you see your little wins, and that drives you to keep improving. But ultimately, numbers are something that will never be fixed.

SPEAKER_02 39:57

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 39:57

Like for the rest of the time that you're in your business, you will be continuing to improve your numbers. But um, I bang on a lot about your business is becoming an asset. Like, is that something you guys have thought about before? Now it is. Yeah, now it is.

SPEAKER_03 40:11

We think about it now. Like Luke, when we first originally were starting out, Luke was a sole trader and we just weren't really protected or covered, and you know, it was all just sort of everything was up in the air, but now we've really got this structure of where our company is because we've transferred and we we just feel like that we're more protected, but we're more in line, and we're more we've got these values set as well. Like we have an asset now that we're gonna build further, yeah. And you know, it's gonna be worth something rather than just fizzling out one.

SPEAKER_01 40:40

That was after we had a chat to you. We had that chat, and you're like, you know, you're building something, and you know, just shut it down potentially if you build something, then you can sell it on.

SPEAKER_00 40:49

Yeah, well, you build something that's like quoting its jobs correctly, you're covering all your costs, you guys get paid for your role, your company's making profit, and you've got the systems and processes. Like that is something that is worth money. Yeah, exactly. Right. You get a company in, you put a valuation on it, and you you get a payday.

SPEAKER_03 41:08

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 41:09

Um big business does it, so why shouldn't we do it?

SPEAKER_03 41:12

Exactly, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 41:13

Um and it's a huge problem with our industry. Like, you just so many people um just get to a point where they walk away from their business, and like those like fair enough, they're getting out of the business, but how much better would it be for our economy if one of the tradies or the apprentice was working towards taking that business over? Yeah, and that business kept growing and growing so that we're not constantly starting from scratch all the time.

SPEAKER_01 41:39

Yeah, like learning the hard lessons.

SPEAKER_00 41:41

Yeah, like it's it's a massive game changer for the whole industry. Like, if every builder could get in that sort of mindset, um, and I don't know why the associations and things don't push push it more. Like you're building an asset that will add value, like you'll leave a legacy for your family or whatever it ends up being. But um Laura, you mentioned when um you picked Luke out from the airport after that 10 peaks walk that you you saw the difference, like yes, I did.

SPEAKER_03 42:08

I could see him hobbling off the plane, he was so battered and bruised, but you could definitely just see like the way that he was carrying himself was different, the way that he spoke was different, even just the way that he looked was different. And I was a little bit thrown back like at the beginning, and I was like, Oh, you know, maybe he's just exhausted. But I ended up not rummaging, found his notes that he wrote while he was away when he was obviously in a very fragile and and emotional state of some of the things that he really wanted to improve on. And I'm like, well, I'll just take note of these things. And every single thing that he'd written down, he has implemented, you know, the way that he is with the kids, the way that he leaves work at like at work, and rather than bringing it in, even the way that he speaks to his trades, his staff, communication with me. It's definitely been a um good eye-opener. He's well enough again. I can't wait. So we're we're signing up. Well, Luke will sign up to do Kakoda next year. I've just taken the opportunity to have a little holiday in Papua New Guinea while I'm there. You know, why not? So I'm excited to see where that goes because I think b being that vulnerable when you're out on a walk and and taking some of those, you know, bouncing off each other and taking what everyone else is saying on that trip really changed him, which has been amazing.

SPEAKER_00 43:24

I'm really like super excited about what we're creating there because it's not um it's not like your normal average adventure. Like um obviously the Glen is an incredible human being as well, but um like depending on which ones it is, like I'll be there, like and then obviously community there, but you're you're taking everything that we've created with our with our Live Light Build community, and yeah, like you're basically gonna get 10 days of development.

SPEAKER_01 43:54

Yeah, it's it's hard to explain. I remember I was sitting on the bus with Damo, and I said, How do you explain the trip in words to your wife or your partner? You know, like it's so hard to contemplate you know what you've been through and how much you've grown and that. Well, obviously through actions when you get home and that, but to physically or or like say it, you can't put it into words.

SPEAKER_03 44:17

No, you came home like totally speechless. You couldn't really tell me what he'd done or where he'd been, or I'm like, Can you just add a cup of day bender? Because you look pretty racked. Like I wish.

SPEAKER_00 44:26

No, do I um look I've done quite a few of them now, but that that was the first one, obviously, in that environment. Because normally everyone, every all the others have been have been Camille and I have done some couples ones, and then it's just been with a bunch of mates. And yeah, I got a huge amount out of that 10 peaks. And and it was always the first one, like I took Lottie, my daughter, with me, but um like there was plenty of times over those three days where I was just sitting back and just like had tears in my eyes, how proud I was of just of myself, of my daughter, but just now I'm well enough, but um just hearing the conversations that you 14 blokes were having with each other, and like I said, like you talk about things that if you weren't in that environment and and I think it's uh like uh Glenn talks about it all the time, like adventure is the best personal development. Oh but it's everything, like it's the pressure, it's uh it's uh you're tired, like you're pushing to to reach a goal. But I don't know about you, but every peak we got to, um like you get that real emotional hit.

SPEAKER_01 45:41

Yeah, you do. As soon as you get to the top, you know, it sort of like just hits ya, and then you take a deep breath and have a lolly and then yeah, yeah, then you congratulate you know, people that are coming behind you or with you or whatever, give them a cheer, and then we have a sit down, take five, and then get the next one.

SPEAKER_00 46:01

Yeah, but the talk the conversation about family and growing, like I I learnt so much about all of you on that in those three days. But and again, it's just conversations that if you're not in that environment you don't get to have. But um it's awesome that you you took the time to do a bit of journaling and yeah, I I after that with that same

SPEAKER_01 46:21

Sunday morning and I couldn't sleep, so I was up at about four four thirty or something, went down, just made a cupper and just started writing. Yeah, I couldn't sleep. I couldn't sleep for a week after. Like yeah, getting up early, just wine ticking. Just yeah.

SPEAKER_00 46:35

Yeah. Yeah. But are you are you gonna jump in a Laura and do it?

SPEAKER_03 46:38

Oh heck no. I love that for you guys, but I'll go for ice baths and saunas any time. Yeah, the girls' weekends Oh yeah, I would definitely hundred percent. Yes, but I can't stress it enough if anyone was sitting on the fence for that walk. Like that was just life-changing to be on the other side and see it from like a different point, from like an outsider's point. Like the way that Glenn has changed your life is absolutely like beyond anything that I would have thought. I was like, oh my god, what are these guys doing going out for a bloody walk on Tem Peaks? But when you actually see the photos, you guys are climbing boulders. Like this was massive.

SPEAKER_00 47:12

Like it's everything about it. Like the challenge, to me, the the challenge is like the the smallest part of it. Yeah, it's it's uh it's the environment, it's uh people you're with, it's uh conversations you get to have, like it's all that stuff. But um so look look with everything you've done over the last sort of ten months, like as as a as a man, like how how has it affected you?

Pipeline Control And Client Boundaries

SPEAKER_01 47:35

Oh, it's just been I've just like from where I was to now, like it's like it's just some completely different. Like I said, like I'm not yelling at the kids, so I'm spending more time with them. Like, not just time with them, but valid time. Like I'm not engaging with them, I'm not you know, the old get on your phone, or you know what I mean? I'm actually engaged with the kids and I'm interested in that. And you know, as a father, you know, you you want to do the best for your kids, and when you neglect look, you you don't intentionally neglect them because you're in a bad spot, but now I'm engaged with them. We had the young fellas party the other day, or got one of my old footy jerseys out, put it in the put it in the in the group, you know, like that. It's just you know, prices and Laura and I are coaches of the under sevens magpice. Yeah, yeah. So we work together, we coach together, and we literally do everything together, yeah. Yeah, it's so it's uh you know, it's great fun. And our daughter, she's signed up for a little fletching, so she'll get a little church in some socks. So she'll be involved. She loves singing the song of Jeter up for that. She knows all the words for the song, and she's got a few brasses in there. Yeah. Oh, she loves a brass. Yeah, she loves it, eh?

SPEAKER_03 48:47

Oh, she's great. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 48:50

Yeah, so that's just that's how it's changed for you, just being more present and more involved. Yeah, it's it's so bloody awesome.

SPEAKER_00 48:56

I love it. The um and Laura, like you like your confidence. Like, do you feel confident in running a building business now?

SPEAKER_03 49:03

Oh, 100%. And if anyone tries to knock me down a peg, I'll tell them exactly where to go. Like I I had enough of like pretending that I shouldn't belong in this business anymore because I'm like, I Or in the industry. Yeah, in this industry, because I can do or answer any question that anyone can throw at me. And if I'm given the opportunity and the chance to sit at the same table, I'm gonna prove them that I can be there too. And I'm I have value. Like I can add value into this conversation if I I'm given the chance.

SPEAKER_00 49:29

Yeah, I love it. Yeah, you'll um you're gonna have to sit on the the questions next year at all the the next event where we do. Yeah. Um but like let's dive into the business a bit more. Like, what's the improvements you've seen in the business? Like you've got a pipeline of work, you're you're making money now.

SPEAKER_01 49:46

Yeah, yeah, yeah. So we we got a we've got a good line of pipeline, not just like we do we do all sorts of work. We do, you know, do little renews to change the people's doors out to change the windows. Like we do a very various work and do a sort of like have a try and have a major project and then little ones in between to keep us all flowing. So we've got a pretty good pipeline.

SPEAKER_03 50:07

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 50:07

Cranking ticking over, and then we've had it like a inquiries have been pretty good lately. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 50:12

And now that I'm sort of helping, taking on some of the quoting as well, it's definitely alleviated some of the the backlog as well. So we're just keeping up a lot more. Yeah, we're just trying to and saying no to things that aren't aligning with us as well, that knowing that it's okay as a business owner to say, thank you so much for your time, we appreciate you contacting us, but this this isn't just gonna work, you know, and we want their project to align with what they want as well. So yeah, but it's been really good.

SPEAKER_01 50:38

Yeah, we're still we're still like fine-tuning together, you know, with getting me in the office and how the quakes work. But we've got a I've got a I reckon we've got a great system. If someone rings me wanting to look at a job, I say email, and Laura will sort your meeting out and then put in the diary and we'll sort it out later.

SPEAKER_03 50:54

Yeah, and our inquiry form, you know, I don't process on like I don't proceed with anything anymore unless they've filled that process out and they've filled in every question. Like it's so important for me to know these questions. And although people are so uncomfortable talking about their budgets, like, which at the end of the day, it's not going to change what's going to come out of my quote. I'm not gonna go and bang on more money just because your budget's higher than what it is, but people feel so uncomfortable to disclose that sort of information, but I can't do what I do without knowing that information.

SPEAKER_00 51:23

You can't give them the best service you can if you don't know that figure.

SPEAKER_01 51:27

Yeah, yeah. Like like if I see their budget and then I'm quoting it, do I get to a point and I'm like, I'm gonna be way over that. I just send an email or saying, look, we're gonna be way over what you're doing. Or you're in the unknown stuff. Like we either start looking to cut back or what do you want to do?

SPEAKER_00 51:43

Yeah. So your communication's got a lot more in-depth with you, potential clients, future clients. Yeah, yeah. Yep.

SPEAKER_03 51:49

And we've also both started attending site meetings as well. Now that I'm the director, I can help alleviate the contract sides of things as well. So I come along to a meeting where Luke signed a contract, and that's where I sort of was like, okay, so this is how I can do this next time. So now we're ready.

SPEAKER_01 52:03

Yeah, yeah. And then we now had a meeting with a client to run through things, and Lori's been liaison with them backwards and forth for a long time. And he actually she actually came to the meet and sat down, and they were grateful that she came. So now she met not just me, but Laura.

SPEAKER_03 52:17

The person who she really talks to the most, really. Yeah, and then we go in and sort of. So and them being able to put a face to who they're talking to behind the screen is really good and really important because you can build that rapport and that trust by looking them in the eye and saying, This is who I am, this is what I stand for, and hopefully that can align with with where you want to work, you know.

SPEAKER_00 52:36

Like Yeah. And what about like bank accounts and things? Like you're seeing growth now, you're not just thinking you're going to work and slogging your ass off every day to get nowhere.

SPEAKER_03 52:45

Yeah, so we can see that there's potential in there.

SPEAKER_01 52:48

It it hasn't eventuated as yet, but we can see where it's gonna be.

SPEAKER_03 52:59

Just have this job that's dragging on with some variations a little bit longer than what we would have expected.

SPEAKER_01 53:03

And the weather, the weather was a big one last year where it came in, so that was a thing. So yeah, we're trying to do the transfer over. So we're in that period.

SPEAKER_00 53:11

But we also're confident with your numbers now. Yeah. You're charging what you need to charge on the jobs.

SPEAKER_03 53:16

Yep. Yep. We've got all the bank accounts set up. We all like we um have a one-on-one with Katie Krismali every week as well. So we go through anything that we need help with or any questions that we're unsure about, financials, whatever that may be as well. So it's it's really beneficial, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 53:31

That's awesome. And so when we taught numbers, have you guys done the exercise yet and gone through and figured out the true costs of your employees?

SPEAKER_01 53:38

Yes. Yes, yep, yeah. Yeah, we were all straight onto it.

SPEAKER_00 53:40

And how did that were you right? Or did that Nah, no, we were playing.

SPEAKER_01 53:45

No. That's that was in the period where we're where I didn't know my numbers and and that, and then I realised I was like, ooh. Yeah. And we're yeah.

SPEAKER_03 53:52

We didn't realise how much we we weren't covering the costs in that time, yeah. Because I mean there's a lot of things that you don't realise that you're not allowing for. So those the that sheet was a big wake-up for us going, okay, we need to really sit down and assess this a bit further. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 54:09

So what what would you say for people listening that are maybe paying their carpenters, say, 45 bucks an hour, they're charging them out at 60 and think they're making money.

SPEAKER_03 54:18

You're not.

SPEAKER_00 54:19

Yeah, nah.

SPEAKER_03 54:19

You're not, you're not to reassess. Yeah, you need to get some help and and find their true cost because that's not it.

SPEAKER_01 54:27

Yeah, we we break it down, you've got to break it down more.

SPEAKER_00 54:30

You've got to see it, don't you? Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 54:33

It's quite easy to go, hey, I'm I'm ch I'm paying him 45, I'm I'm charging 60, like I'm making money, but you've got to Yeah, once you break we break it like Deadset wrote it down in the in the line items because like you said, you journal and it makes you feel good unless you write it down and we're exactly the same with the numbers, unless it was in front of us. Yeah. Yeah, that's the that's the only way to learn.

SPEAKER_00 54:56

So what what were some of the things that um like I guess were highlighted when you're working out the cost of your employees?

SPEAKER_03 55:05

Uh yeah, we just thought we were killing it. We're like, oh yeah, you know, 20 bucks on each employee, yeah, that's great, you know, you're making money, you're killing it, but just to realise that you're just not.

SPEAKER_02 55:14

Yeah, that's true.

SPEAKER_03 55:15

And there's things that you don't even think of or or take into consideration when you're allowing even for that one hour, you know, like all that daily. Yes, yeah, which yeah, we were using a spreadsheet to still quote a little while ago because we hadn't really got our head around any programs yet. So we had our friend who designed the spreadsheet and he added that in for us because it was so important for us to allow for that.

SPEAKER_00 55:38

Yeah. It's unreal, isn't it? Like you like you think about all the big corporate businesses and that out there, or even even retail. Like, I I think about retail all the time, and like you you go and buy an item of clothing or something, and you're probably paying like hundreds of percent markup.

SPEAKER_01 55:55

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 55:56

Like because they they've obviously got the cost of their their rent for their store and like their all their power and lighting and staff, like same, same thing. Yeah, yeah, same thing. But my personal opinion is because it's a lower value, like even you go to a takeaway store or a restaurant, like you're probably paying hundreds of percent markup. But because you're only paying 80 bucks for a dress or I don't know what a dress is, probably a couple hundred bucks these days. But like whatever it is, like you you pay that, and because it's such a the the actual price is a low dollar item, like no one's even thinking about what is the margin on that. Yeah. But as a builder, like we get criticized for everything. And like we've talked about the margins a little bit, but like people think putting 10, 15, 20% on a job, they're making money and they're not. But like you tell a client you're making you're putting 20% on a half million dollar job, they're like, holy fuck, you're making a hundred thousand dollars. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, we actually didn't even go into my bank account. Like, that's even covering the shit I need to be able to build your house. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 57:02

That's exactly right.

SPEAKER_03 57:03

We had an incident a little while ago. We were signing a contract um and we were sitting down with the architect who was just liaisoning for the client, and he saw our figure. He goes, geez, that's hefty. And I'm like, Well, I don't tell you what to charge, and you don't tell me what to charge, and this is what we need to run at.

SPEAKER_00 57:18

Like it's another massive problem because at the end of the day, most designers and architects aren't running profitable businesses. Yeah. And and the other thing with all this is is no one should be comparing. Nah, everyone's different. Like every like an architectural business or a designer's business or an engineering business or a like whatever, they're very different to the building business. And I think it's very misunderstood. Like you everything in our businesses is worked out generally on percentages. Like you have a look at how like we pay insurances on well, the tools in our business, the vehicles in our business, the the premises our business runs out of. We like then you've got to take out your building insurance, your public liability insurance, and then you've got to have your home warranty and all your other like there's so many contributing factors.

SPEAKER_01 58:05

You know, I'm a builder on the tools, that bloke's not, so he's got overheads in his things. Yeah, so there's so many different variables that I'm different to you and you're different to the next bloke down the road. Yeah, it's just so many different variables.

SPEAKER_03 58:18

So why should anyone question or pick it apart, but also feel like they can? Like who can tell someone else what it should cost? You know, like and we are spanning these jobs potentially, you know, we could be there for 12 months, we could be there for six months, but it's just knowing your numbers, so you know that you're covering all of those bills.

Future Plans For Team And Projects

SPEAKER_00 58:37

Yeah, and it it's like it's um like you can pick it apart so many ways, but I don't know, for some reason now our industry, like whether it's a trader or a builder, like people just think that they can they ha they have the right to question why you're charging what you charge and then and then request that you give them options to save money. Like you you can't go to the grocery store and buy a trolley full of groceries and then argue with the teller and like Imagine haggling them at the end. Like what can you imagine if like if you did that, you would the security guard would probably walk you out of the store. Like it's just yeah, it's the same with a car. Like you can't you don't go to a deal, like a dealership you might haggle a little bit, but like no one goes into a car dealership and it's like, oh mate, what what's what's your margin? Yeah, like what what are you charging? What are you making out of this? Like exactly. So why do people think it's right to do it to us?

SPEAKER_03 59:30

I don't know. I feel like we're the only ones, so this whole industry is really the only one where we're you know showing them all of our margins, what our operating is, you know, like it's scary, really.

SPEAKER_00 59:40

Yeah, it is it is scary. That's um but so where two from here, where's LJR going?

SPEAKER_01 59:47

We're going to Kakoda the next year, aren't we, Laura? Yeah, yeah. And um we just want to just build better, you know, just build better and get get get jobs that we all align with and just work through like Yeah, and keep our small knit team as well.

SPEAKER_03 1:00:04

Like we really appreciate our small knit team. They work so hard for us. We've just got our first apprentice. Like, really keep to our values as well. Like, I don't want to grow too much more because I don't really want the extra stress, but yeah, that's yeah, we just want to keep a nice nice little group.

SPEAKER_01 1:00:22

Everyone get on, everyone work work well, and then you know, just build it, do a great job and get great satisfaction uh moving forward.

SPEAKER_03 1:00:31

But also do things that makes us uncomfortable as well. Learn, you know, self-development, but give that to our trades as well. Like what's some goals that they want to do rather than just looking at ourselves, you know, invest back into them because at the end of the day, when Luke's ready to retire, these people are going to be coming up through. So being able to invest back in them is really important.

SPEAKER_01 1:00:51

So, what's your team look like at the moment? So I've got two carpenters and an apprentice and myself. Yeah. Yep, all on the ground and then Alaura's in the game.

SPEAKER_03 1:00:59

I was about to say, don't forget the big glass. Seriously.

SPEAKER_01 1:01:02

Yeah. GM. Yeah, GM. So yeah, that's so I yeah, I I try and if they got it sorted, the three got it sorted, then I'll duck and go in the office or that, or I'm trying to set something else, get it ready.

SPEAKER_02 1:01:13

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:01:14

So then we, you know, I'm always, you know, when I'm doing something, I'll either dig a hole or get something ready for them. So then they can do, you know, they can just flow on with the stuff. They don't have to get anything ready, they can just start hooking in. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:01:27

And one day, like I would love, like I think our end goal would be eventually to get into developing, like being able to buy some land, building our houses on it, or townhouses, and and get right into that avenue. But it's definitely having the education and knowledge behind us first to set up the right foundations and the right fundamentals that we're gonna need.

SPEAKER_00 1:01:44

Yeah. What did what what do you think of Dom?

SPEAKER_03 1:01:47

Oh, he was fantastic.

SPEAKER_01 1:01:48

Yeah, he's smart. Just I loved it how he with Dom, he'd go, every other developer say, Oh, there's we'll get four. You go, they'll put seven. Optimistic. That was just great. And another thing on on the dream is to knock our house down as just a project home and uh build a new one. Brands banker with an earth wall. I'm really intrigued in rammed earth. I want to put it along the road and double glaze windows, and yeah, that's the ultimate goal.

SPEAKER_03 1:02:17

But some things that are a bit unusual or things that we haven't done before, and implement them in there first and get a little bit more knowledge and education on those things, and then we can really go, okay, now we've done it.

SPEAKER_00 1:02:26

Yeah. Well we should hook that up, mate. So Brett and I have been talking about doing a rammed earth course. Yeah. There's one up the sunny coast here, but um we should yeah, see if we can maybe book a group, see who's getting to do it. Yeah, that'd be cool.

SPEAKER_01 1:02:39

Yeah, because I because I reckon it it's it's good for um bow ratings and all that sort of stuff. It all just pretty structural. You just put your rods through and that, with my understanding. And uh, yeah, so that's that's the ultimate to build a lot of things.

Advice For Anyone Stuck

SPEAKER_00 1:02:53

Yeah, I think it's all uh again, it's just that coming back to those natural products and stuff, yeah. Like so what's uh like is this a lot of this all driven by uh like family time and being able to like you choose what you do, like having the freedom, like having a business that runs well enough that you guys make the rules.

SPEAKER_03 1:03:13

100%, definitely. Like you get to just duck out and go to a sports carnival or whatever, and you can still work the same hours behind the scenes, like that's definitely been a driving factor for sure.

SPEAKER_01 1:03:23

Yeah, 100%. Yeah, to yeah, do things that we got a caravan, so we want to do you know, a bit more exploring and things like with the kids because the kids just rough at it when we go in a caravan and switched off time too. The other kids are there and they're just running around with torches, and you know, that's the ultimate, isn't it?

SPEAKER_03 1:03:40

Yeah, we did our first Christmas away in the van, and that was the best memories ever.

SPEAKER_01 1:03:43

Two other families that we never met before, and the kids were just getting on like a house on fire, right?

SPEAKER_03 1:03:49

And Luke's mum and dad came as well, and it was so special. Like my phone wasn't ringing, and if it was, I wasn't listening to it anyway. Like, just yeah, it was really good.

SPEAKER_01 1:03:56

That's definitely so that's that's the ultimate goal to free up time so we can spend more time with the family and it's bloody awesome, guys.

SPEAKER_00 1:04:03

You you deserve it. And I look, like I said before, I I take my hat off to you, you guys made the decision. So you it's you deserve everything that comes your way. Like, um so to be to wrap this up, like for anyone that's out there that's sitting on the fence, that is in a bad way, that doesn't think they can work their way out of whatever situation they're in, either one is or both of you. What what's your advice?

SPEAKER_01 1:04:29

Just make the leap and reach out to someone. You don't have to go directly like straight to one particular person, just reach out to anyone. Anyone will, you know, have a chat and then make the leap and so on up.

SPEAKER_00 1:04:45

Get involved.

SPEAKER_03 1:04:46

Yeah, I'm I'm agreeing too. Yeah, that's exactly what I would have said, and just educate yourself or spend time on whether it's setting boundaries or send spend time on yourself, getting yourself right so you can communicate what you're feeling or what you're struggling with with other people because sometimes that's the hardest thing to do, like to actually tell them I'm actually struggling with this.

SPEAKER_00 1:05:06

So the um like I I get so much out of these myself, isn't it? Like I I feel like we need to wrap it up because Shay's like looking at the clock and stuff, but not really. But um but every time you guys give me answers, it f it makes me think more about things. What would you say to people that like because we we I get a bit of flack as well because people think I bang on too much about the personal development stuff? How do you what when like and this is particularly talking about Live Life Build How do you like if we didn't do personal development stuff in Life Build, do you think you would have got the same results that you've had?

SPEAKER_01 1:05:47

No, no way, no without like without like that the first like gold coast, and then I had that like breath work, that was just like next level.

SPEAKER_03 1:06:00

Yeah, and I got out of my comfort zone away from Luke, and then who sits down next to me other than Dwayne Pierce, and I was shitting my pants. I was like, oh gosh, Sam Kennedy.

SPEAKER_01 1:06:08

And then that was that was a like a change in yourself from that. Like I yeah, I love talking to everyone and that, but without that in the morning to start your day and think, holy hell, yeah, like the award mates was uh night was awesome, but yeah, that little self-development there that put an itch.

SPEAKER_00 1:06:24

But what about even just in the in the platform, the Zoom calls and things like yeah, yeah. I'm I'm a massive believer that like we could have the the buy like the Bible for a building business and we could give it to builders. I I am positive they'll still have it.

SPEAKER_01 1:06:40

Yeah, oh without a doubt. Unless you put in, you ain't getting your results.

SPEAKER_03 1:06:43

You can't do better unless you're feeling better. You can't take the information in unless you're working on yourself. Like all of this information could be sitting here, but you need to be okay too to be able to process that information.

SPEAKER_00 1:06:54

Yeah, 100%. Yeah, no guys, well done. I'm looking forward to seeing where you go from here. Like I we had a little bit of a conversation at the end towards the end of the um summit down in Melbourne the other weekend, and like obviously you've taken action straight away.

SPEAKER_03 1:07:08

Too soon, but anyway.

SPEAKER_00 1:07:09

You're um you're into it, so yeah, I yeah, it's gonna be awesome to see where you guys end up.

SPEAKER_01 1:07:14

Thanks. Definitely, thanks. Thanks for having us.

SPEAKER_00 1:07:16

Where do people find you? What do they look for? What area you're in?

SPEAKER_01 1:07:20

You go LJR Building. Um we're in um Bellingen Valley, yeah. Yeah, New South Wales, 2454.

SPEAKER_03 1:07:29

Find us on Facebook and Instagram, and you'll find a little bit more about us as well. We have a bit of a bio of who we are and and um what sort of business we run. So yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:07:38

Well done, bros. Thanks, Rather. Well guys, look, as always, really appreciate you taking some time out to listen or watch this podcast. Um, look, reach out to us if you've got questions. I'm happy I'm sure the guys will be happy to take questions as well if you reach out to them. But um, as always, go to the DuanePears.com website, get on board with the level up merch so you can continue continue to help us grow the level up movement. Like, share, subscribe, all those things. I look forward to seeing you on the next one.