The "Level Up" with Duayne Pearce Podcast
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.
The "Level Up" with Duayne Pearce Podcast
From Anxiety & Burnout to Building a Thriving Business ft. Adam & Sarah Sharpe
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🔹 QuoteEaze — https://quoteeaze.com/Free-Offer.html
Adam and Sarah Sharpe from Sharpe & Co. Pty Ltd join Duane to share how they went from burnout, mental health struggles, and a near-business collapse to doubling their turnover in just 12 months — all while raising three young kids.
A raw, honest conversation about what it really takes to build a business and a life you're proud of.
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Check out Duayne’s other projects:
🔹 Live Life Build — https://livelifebuild.com
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🔹 QuoteEaze — https://quoteeaze.com/Free-Offer.html Check out the Duayne
Anxiety Hits Without Warning
SPEAKER_00Prior to that, I was one of the guys that thought mental health was all a selfish thing. You're too consumed by whatever's going on in your own world. And it hit me like a ton of bricks. I would sit in the truck feeling like I'm gonna throw up a collapse and we had to fix it all and everything. So I pretty much from that was staring down the barrel of calling it quit. Being the nice guy doesn't help anyone.
SPEAKER_03I think there's a few things going on there. Like I've been in those situations as well in the past. So like even though your turnovers increase, you're working your way up to have your correct maintenance on things, you got counting profit on things, you're both getting paid for your roles.
SPEAKER_04Not that you don't have time, it's that it's not a priority.
SPEAKER_03I don't think that's mine.
SPEAKER_02That one's been around for a while.
SPEAKER_04I think that's where I first heard it was from you, coming from like when Adam was going through all of his mental health things, that was ringing in the back of my mind. I was like, okay, well, if we're gonna change, we have to make it a priority. Even though the kids are there, we've got to make it work. Whether I put them in daycare for a couple of days a week so that I can get on top of all the systems, work from the base, and build a good foundation.
SPEAKER_00I think for me, getting to the events is mentally a commitment to change, being able to catch up with the community, and then it's me just saying this time I've set aside to go and develop myself as a business and get information that otherwise I wouldn't have. I think it is it is really easy to make excuses. For example, I've just I've started getting up at 4 30 a.m. and doing a morning routine and getting in the office really early. Every single day I have to battle that. There's an excuse there. My brain is saying, nah, you can probably go back to sleep. And you just you've got to push through it. If you do want to change, you have to figure out a way.
SPEAKER_03Look, these conversations are really important to be had because this industry is so broken, it's so backwards, and the reality is we don't know what we don't know. So getting around the right people, getting around the right community is so powerful.
Sponsor: Hazardco Safety Systems
SPEAKER_03As a builder, one of my number one priorities is making sure that my entire team, including my contractors, go home safely every day to their families. I understand that workplace health and safety can sometimes feel like it's just an overwhelming thing that you just don't have the time, you don't have the money, you don't have the resources to put in place. That's why I recommend Hazard Co. Hazard Co. is a digital platform that allows you to run more profitable projects and stay on top of your workplace health and safety requirements. You see, safety isn't a cost. Chaos will always send you an invoice. An unsafe job site is an unprofitable job site. Using digital platforms to drive safer, more profitable jobs is the way of the future. So get on board with Hazardco. Go to www.hazardco.com and help create a safer job site for your team. From timber
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Welcome Adam And Sarah
SPEAKER_03Look, I'm really enjoying these podcasts. We've we've at the moment we're getting some Live Life Build Elevate members on to have a chat about their businesses and their lives. And one thing that I'm really enjoying is that we're getting to chat to quite a few couples because uh within Live Life Build, we do have a lot of wives and partners that are in the community. Um, and I think it's something I'm very passionate about. I think it's I'm very keen to support them and improve their roles, and we're going to talk about a few things in today's podcast which I think are important to get out there, and that is to do with your roles and stuff. But today I'd like to give a big warm welcome to uh Adam and Sarah from Sharpenco. How are you guys? Good, thanks, mate.
SPEAKER_00Thank you for having us here.
SPEAKER_03No, well thanks. You guys come up from Western Sydney, so jumped on a plane and headed up here and really appreciate that. Before we jump into where you're at now, like maybe you, Adam, like can you take us back to I guess how you got into the industry and where you started?
SPEAKER_00So the
From Apprentice To Builder
SPEAKER_00story of of my journey, I guess, is a little bit um stop start. Um initially did my started my apprenticeship after year 10, dropped out of school. Um typical um guy didn't really like school, struggled in school. So year 10 was was it. Did a year, went back home to South Africa, um, and then came back and got made redundant. Um this is when the GFC crisis hit, and then really struggled to find another apprenticeship. From there, I like dabbled in a few other things, hospitality, a bit a bit of this, bit of that, and then um managed to find my way back. Actually, Sarah's cousin started his apprenticeship at the same time as me. He managed he'd managed to go through the crisis, and um I I reconnected with him and he was finished, and so I sort of jumped back on with him and did my apprenticeship with him. And we're still like obviously being a cousin, we're still really close, chat all the time, and so you got more than just a job out of that relationship, yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, so yeah, no, and I obviously I wouldn't have met her otherwise. So yeah, really cool. Um our families were sort of intertwined through church and stuff, yeah. And his his family was there sort of when my dad passed away and everything. So there was a lot of connection there between all of us, so yeah, yeah, jumped jumped back in.
SPEAKER_03So did you always want to be a builder or just it sort of just flowed from being a prentice, carpenter, and then into a builder?
SPEAKER_00It sort of just flowed. I um I actually at one point didn't want to be a builder at all. I was happy just being a chippy and um doing that, like being hands-on and being on the tools like with the with the boys, that was really what I enjoyed. I guess the pivot for me was uh realizing when I was doing some chippy work the quality of builders out there, and I wasn't happy doing the work that they uh were happy to present, I guess, and and that was I guess where I was like, I've got to step out and do it. So it's more probably wanting to provide the right thing for the client than it is my own aspirations. That's awesome.
SPEAKER_03That's a good place to start. Yeah. And that says a lot about the type of person you are as well.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_03So and so how long have you been running your own building business for?
SPEAKER_00So uh I've been a builder for a year and a half now, um building license, and then uh prior to that was just running as a chippy company. Our supervisor, he's he did his apprenticeship with us. Um, and so he's been with us for seven or eight years now. Yeah, so that's that's when we started.
SPEAKER_03So you did you build up a car subcontract carpentry business before you?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, we were real small, we didn't didn't get a real big team or anything. That was I think the most we had was four or five guys. And yeah, I mean the whole time we struggled.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, um, I feel free, mate, uh dabbling in hospitality. We had um weekend just passed, Easter long weekend. Camille, my wife, had the opening of her new venture, and uh yeah, it was hard work.
SPEAKER_00But um it is it is hard work, and I I got out of it, like I loved it, but I got out of it because it just the lifestyle, it's it's a pretty hard like you're working nights most of the time. Yeah, yeah, it's pretty tough, and you you don't see your family. So for me, family's really important.
SPEAKER_03So it's just there's a lot of uncertainty. Like we we had a fantastic weekend, so across the weekend we ended up with a thousand and thirty-eight people, um, which was way like we set a target of six hundred, so we had a huge weekend, but um I could see a lot of comparisons between like obviously with business, once you get your head and your structure right, like you can pretty much run it across any industry and any business, but um it's just yeah, it's a it's a different beast. Like you're building a house, you like you're dealing with one client for a long period of time, whereas like over the weekend we had over a thousand people and you got all these different different feedback and comments, and I was like, yeah, it really um it wore me out to be honest.
SPEAKER_00But uh and you can't please everyone, yeah. That's the hard thing, particularly if you're a people pleaser. It's tough to be in that you know, someone gets upset and all you want to do is try and make it right, but sometimes you just can't.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, yeah, yeah. So look, you've worked your way through your apprenticeship, you've done your carpentry, and now you've started your building business. Yeah. I I take my hat off to you, mate. Like it really excites me. Um, like we've seen a big, quite a big influx in the last sort of it's we're probably going up to two years now in Live Life Bill with younger builders. Like, what made you take the punt when you've only been a builder for 18 months to I guess have the drive to look for things or like look for things that you didn't quite understand or look for uh help like like what what made you make that decision to reach out?
SPEAKER_00So
The Job Collapse And Contract Lesson
SPEAKER_00we we s like like struggled through business pretty much from day one. I didn't understand what was like all all the business side of things. Like obviously we could do everything on site and do a good job, but running a business I just didn't get it, and I think we just kind of I I look back and I don't know how we managed to survive, but we did. Um but I I guess my the tipping point for me was um we had a project go uh r like wrong. Um at this time I was a carpenter uh and I did that job with um Sarah's cousin, my old boss. Uh he was the head contractor for that. So but that was my way of being able to get my experience up to get my builder's license. That job went wrong. We had uh a pool excavation collapse that was right on the edge of footings, they collapsed, so and we had to fix it all and everything. So I pretty much from that was staring down the barrel of calling it quit. Yeah. And I had nights where it was just back and forth. Either I like throw in the towel and I don't do anything.
SPEAKER_03So at that point were you involved financially or were you Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, so the setup was I I priced everything, like he was hands-off aside for coming in, checking that things were being done right, and yeah, and he had his little cut to I guess as a s as security for the risk for him, like if anything did go wrong. Um but yeah, at the time I was not definitely not pricing things correctly. I I and I just didn't know what I didn't know at the time.
SPEAKER_03So how are you dealing with like all that situation, like when you had cave-ins and things, like what was a how to deal with a client and documents and things or PG.
SPEAKER_00No, no, that was that was late. That was after uh we'd sort of figured out a solution by that stage. But um I although the contract has a clause in it for inclement weather, um it sounds it sounds really stupid, but I really wanted to be really fair. And so I had uh sort of called a meeting with the poor guy, myself and uh the client and said none of us asked for this to happen, the weather or anything like that. Um the shell was gonna go in like not long after that. And um and if that had happened and I think there would have been no problem. So I sort of proposed let's split it three ways just to make it fair on everyone, and yeah, it just ended up a nightmare. I we got the poor guy did everything until he got to a point where he'd been paid 90%. The shell was in, we didn't have finishes done or or plumbing hooked up or anything, so we were and we got hit with a variation from him for that. It was a massive learning curve. Like for me, that was where I really realised that like contracts, how important that contract is, and I guess also the being the nice guy doesn't help anyone. Um and it just it just dragged it out, really.
SPEAKER_03Um I think I think there's a few things going on there. Like I've I've been in those situations as well in the past. Like you you're trying to be the nice guy for everybody, but did you have a little bit of well I don't understand my contract, so I don't actually really know what I'm meant to do here. Or were you avoiding doing the paperwork because you didn't like the admin? Like what was there other stuff going on there besides just trying to be the nice guy?
SPEAKER_00Look, I honestly I don't think I I knew uh how to use the contract properly at all. Um but I did also know that there was a clause in there that did protect me for a major weather event. I just didn't use it. So that was that was my fault, and like I take full responsibility for the the whole thing and uh like looking back on it, it's that situation uh it helped mould me. Um and it's like I've got a lot of learnings from that and um how to deal with clients. Um yeah. So I still see see that client you know now and we have a chat and yeah.
SPEAKER_03So the job ended up all right, you finished it.
SPEAKER_00I finished it, I struggled.
Mental Health Wake Up Call
SPEAKER_00That was it was the only time that I've ever well sorry, the the first time that I'd ever experienced anxiety. Prior to that, I was one of the guys that thought mental health was all a selfish thing, like you know, you're you're too consumed by whatever's going on in your own world. And it hit me like a ton of bricks. I I would sit in the truck feeling like I'm gonna throw up, like um days where I just didn't want to do it. I just but I I just pushed through, I managed to do it. But yeah, I guess that was the point also where I looked at um launch pad um shortly after that.
SPEAKER_03So yeah. Well again, take my hat off to you, mate, because you you obviously knew that was a that was a better way to do things. But so where's Sarah come in? Like, how do you um when did you come into the business, Sarah?
Sarah Steps In Amid Depression
SPEAKER_03Or do you want to introduce uh introduce yourself because uh we have a new general manager sitting over here?
SPEAKER_04Yeah, well, I'm Sarah and I'm the general manager of Sharp Co.
SPEAKER_03Um sensor summit.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, since the summit. Uh I've sort of dabbled in it probably since the beginning, just bits and pieces, payroll, things like that. And Christine would hate me for saying this, but just the admin girl, I suppose.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_04But I didn't really fully commit to Sharpen Go, probably until I saw how much Adam was struggling. Like I also was dealing with my own postpartum depression from having the three kids so close together. Um and then when Adam started going through that, like and holding him while he's crying and things like that, I knew that I had to do something to help like as much as I could. I didn't know where I could possibly do it, but I s put aside my my childcare career and decided to step into the office with him um part-time.
SPEAKER_03I was gonna say, so what what's your background? Like where childcare. Yeah. And so you like most um we talked about this at the summit, like um most I think Christine brought it up. Well actually I'm not sure we brought it up, but like, yeah, most wives and partners don't go around saying, hey, I'm gonna build be a builder's wife.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, no, definitely not. It was not on my agenda. I thought I was gonna be a childcare teacher, I'm gonna keep loving children and go back to it after having my own children, but yeah, um I'm I suppose that having Sharp and Co. was actually a blessing for me too, because I feel like I've really hit a niche, like I've fit in there as the general manager. Yeah, feel empowered to sort of help make it thrive. But um yeah, when Adam hit rock bottom and he was talking about launch pad, I was just like, yeah, go for it. If that's what you think we need to do, then we need to do it. So I supported him through that. At first, I was probably a little bit skeptical. I was like, oh, another business coaching, like okay, is it gonna be the same as all the others?
SPEAKER_03Yeah, look, I don't I don't um and I say this all the time, like this this podcast is to change the industry and help people, and look, it's awesome that it does send people through to to live like Bill. But um like I I get it what you like, I get it, like there's so many things you see out there, and you're like, oh, it's just another wank. Like, what are they gonna do? But where have you ended up? Like where so how long have you been with Elevate now? So you did
Launchpad And Elevate Commitment
SPEAKER_03you did launch pad first?
SPEAKER_00I did launch pad first, that was about six months before I jumped on Elevate. Um and that was for me, it was life-changing that that moment. Um it was a moment where I I realised that I was not looking after myself at all. I was drinking too much, wasn't exercising. Um I knew I knew that if Launchpad was like that, that elevate was gonna you know do do us well. Um it just took me a couple months to get there to to really commit. Um and I was super I was super impressed when I was like on a roof and you called me and this was I was just in launch pad, and I was like, how good's that? Like that you you're the guy that's calling the everyone and checking in on them, like because I think that there'd be heaps of them where they've got an office person that's doing those calls or whatever.
SPEAKER_03I try and call as many as I can. I don't call everybody, but yeah, we um and now we've got Chris, like Chris helps me out doing the calls. But yeah, I think I think it's a big deal, mate. Like if people if people resonate with what I'm talking about on the podcast on my socials and they've taken time to reach out or join something, like yeah, that's the least I can do is give them a phone call.
SPEAKER_00Like, yeah, I think for for me it was the podcast first, and uh, that's how I found Launchpad, just hearing a lot of the other guys' stories, other builders that had been through the exact same scenario. I was like, this is crazy. How how are we all the all doing the same thing? So um, yeah.
SPEAKER_03Because we're we're all the blokes that didn't like school and didn't wanted to get out of sight so that we could crank the tunes and be with our mates. Like that's reality. Like, so where where have you guys come from now? Like we had a good chat at the summit. Um, you guys are kicking some goals. So um, so we just we didn't wrap up there. Like, how long have you been with Elevate?
SPEAKER_00About 12 months now. Yeah, just over. Just hit just hit 12 months last month. Yeah.
SPEAKER_03And so what what sort of change have you well what what's some of the big things you've had in that time that have made a difference?
SPEAKER_04Yeah, systems
Systems Templates And Hiring A VA
SPEAKER_04and processes I think has been the biggest one. Implementing pre-construction processes, um, the way information and things are stored on our system, streamlining everything. We've hired a VA to help with that as well, which has been very handy.
SPEAKER_03Um is that through Doing Co.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, it is through Doing Co. And she just received shout out to Diane. She just received uh VA of the quarter. That's awesome. So we're very proud of her for that and very thankful. We actually call her our unicorn.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, that's awesome. So when let's just dive into systems for a minute, because uh everyone thinks systems and processes are different things. So are you using the templates? Like on the PDF templates.
SPEAKER_04I'm so thankful for the templates because it firstly it makes us look way more professional than what we were before. Um and secondly, it actually brings a lot more understanding to things as well. Whereas before you'd say, okay, yeah, I need to do this document the this now, like I have a better understanding of why that's there, um, and so on.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, so are you using the the admin ones or you are you using the site ones as well, mate?
SPEAKER_00Or we haven't implemented uh any of the site PDFs as as such yet. We're actually in the process of of doing that. Um and I just had two of our guys in the office the other day that I think they knocked off early and I had them having a look through it as well, like so they can sort of see oh, what's gonna work for us. Um for me, the biggest thing is is implementing the pack process. Um and then and probably yeah the the the back end of stuff, working hard on just documentation. Um like Sarah said, with with the help of Diane we've been able to build a bit of a system and now we can just start adding stuff to that. Yeah. Um which is I guess like building the foundations and that should have been there years ago. Um but you a lot yeah, you don't know what you don't know, and you only find out when you actually take a step to to learn something. Um and so yeah, grateful for that. Yeah.
SPEAKER_03Like systems are a a really powerful tool and they I think there's definitely some people that overcomplicate them. Like we tried to keep ours, like I believe we sort of have a really understanding of the types of personas that uh work in the building industry, so we've we've really developed them in a way that are easy to follow and understand. But I think one of the things that I really try to do with everything I put out there, like nothing's my way or the highway, like you guys can have the template or the PDF, but then you can go away and play around with it to suit your own business and the own your own style of how you want to do things. Like in in the admin side of things with the systems, like do you is it something you look at regularly, or like now that you've sort of got in the flow, you just know now that this happens here and that happens there and this happens here, and like everything just follows a process?
SPEAKER_04I would say it's probably a little bit of both. Um we're still like fine-tuning documents and things. We'll think, okay, we could do this a little bit better, let's change it in there. Um, I think in particular, like I think we've just been working on the pack process documents.
SPEAKER_00I've had them change the pack box like five times.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, five times.
SPEAKER_03One just so the GM could get mentioned on there.
SPEAKER_04Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. That's right.
SPEAKER_03So the reason we keep talking about GM is Live Light Build had a summit in Melbourne, I don't know, like six weeks ago or something. And we had Christine Cochrane there, who was a speaker for our build her day. And one of the big things that come out of that is that females, wives and partners that are running the office, your role is really general manager. Yeah. Like when we went through and worked out all the tasks and everything that you guys are doing, like you're you're a general manager. Yeah, you're not an assistant administration or a builder's assistant or a project manager, like you're you're running the show. So,
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SPEAKER_01So yeah.
SPEAKER_03Can we dive into that for a minute? Because
Overheads Pricing And Cash Flow Clarity
SPEAKER_03we had some conversations at the summit about understanding your numbers. Like, how's that side of things changed in the last 12 months?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, so I I guess before um doing elevate or even launch pad, because I got the um Overheads calculator. Then mind you, back then I didn't know properly how to use it. Um and I didn't actually do the exercise properly. Um so once once I did now I like doing it, it gives you so much more clarity on on understanding what you need to charge to and it's not about making heaps of money, but it's about being profitable so that you are still there. Like when your clients have something wrong in a few years' time, last thing they want is for you to be bankrupt and not around anymore, because that's a lot of headaches. And I think some of the insurances only covers you to a certain extent, and then that's coming out of your pocket. So it's in their best interest for you to be making money and uh understanding our overheads gives us that ability where we know what we're charging, and don't get me wrong, still still get things wrong, like particularly on carpentry labour. And I've heard that from a few of the guys. It seems to be the one thing that we all underestimate. Maybe we're thinking about ourselves doing it and not our employees.
SPEAKER_03It's it's definitely a hard one, mate. Like, you just I've just had a meeting today with my accounts manager, like we've got a job that's over on Carpentry, like it's just something you've got to be on the ball all the time, like yeah, and I I think tracking that, which I never used to do, never never used to track anything.
SPEAKER_00So we've started tracking, which is good, gives us that's another tool where we can see, you know, okay, we're going over next time we need to do this or do that.
SPEAKER_03Um you've seen a big improvement, like you're making money, your cash flow is building up, like yeah, it's it's been better.
SPEAKER_00Um we uh like and turnover is probably not really anything to go off, but we're on track to double it from what we had before we jumped onto elevate.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, which is and you've like you've you've got an understanding of numbers, so you like even though your turnovers increase, you you're you're working your way up to have your correct markness on things, you've got company profit on things, you're you're both getting paid for your roles. Yeah. There's a lot going on there in 12 months.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, yeah, yeah. A lot of growth. Yeah, so like there's been a few moments where I get down, like I I I think cash flow ebbs and flows, and and you you just go back to that that place, but then I'd sort of have to remind myself just to reflect back on where we came from. And Rome wasn't built in a day, so um we've we're we've got heaps more growth to do, um, which is exciting. Um and yeah, we're making a lot of good connections with with like-minded designers and and um architects, which is also really exciting.
SPEAKER_03So, how's that working? Is that the GM doing that?
SPEAKER_00The uh the connection connections started off with me, yeah, and yeah, we've started both going to the meetings, introducing ourselves, because like I said to Sarah, I said I think it's just as important that she is visible. She's not just like a picture on an email.
SPEAKER_04That was my goal for coming from the summit was to push through that imposter syndrome of actually attending a meeting face to face because I'm not an overly like I'm quite introverted.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_04So I suppose going to those meetings were made made me feel sick to my stomach, but I did do my first one. Posted it in the partners group, they loved it.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, that's awesome.
SPEAKER_00She's just gonna play with her feather for a bit before the changes.
Kids Priorities And Making Time
SPEAKER_03I'm really keen to hear more about how you guys have done it having because you've got three young kids. Yeah. I'm gonna call them excuses. I get a lot of people give me excuses all the time. Like, I want to want to improve, I love what you're talking about in your podcast, love what you're doing on your socials, like I just I don't have time to do it. Like you guys have done it, and like how old are your kids? Six, four, and two.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_03Yep. So tell us how how how have you how has a how how have you done it over the 12 month period?
SPEAKER_04Like what's changed in your life to give you the ability to be able to not only improve the business but work on yourselves, attend events, like I think one of the sayings that I keep coming back to is I think it's one of yours, Dwayne, is the um it's not that you don't have time, it's that it's not a priority.
SPEAKER_02I don't think that's mine. That one's been around for a while. Is it?
SPEAKER_04I think that's where I first heard it was from you. Anyway.
SPEAKER_02I'll take it.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, yeah, take it. Coming from like when Adam was going through all of his mental health things, that was sort of ringing in the back of my mind. I was like, okay, well, if we're gonna change, we have to make it a priority. Like, even though the kids are there, we've got to make it work. Whether I put them in daycare for a couple of days a week so that I can get on top of all the systems, work from the base, um, and build a good foundation, I thought was how I could implement things.
SPEAKER_00But we've had a lot of support from family. Yeah, obviously, to attend events um and leave the kids at home. We obviously need people there. Um, so our parents have um helped out a lot to um give us that opportunity. Um and I think for me, getting to the events is is mentally a commitment to change.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_00Like not all of the topics are always relevant to us or being able to catch up with the community and then it's me just saying this time I've set aside to go and develop myself, the business, um, and get information that otherwise I wouldn't have. So I think it is it is really easy to make excuses. Like, for example, I've just I've started getting up at 4 30 a.m. and doing a morning routine and getting in the office really early. And every single day I have to battle that, like there's an excuse there. My my brain is saying, nah, you can probably go back to sleep, and you just you gotta push through it. If you do want to change, you have to figure out a way. Um like I guess the other the other thought is like people have had kids for generations, and there's heaps of successful people that have got kids and they make time to improve.
SPEAKER_03So yeah, I also like it just it is, it's all priorities. At the end of the day, that's all it is. Like if you're we can call it excuses or whatever, but it's it's literally just priorities. If your priorities, if your priority isn't like most people know they need to change something, know they they know something needs to happen, they know there's better ways to do things, but if you don't make that a priority, you'll just continue to make excuses.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, in saying that, I do feel like like with us making Sharp and Co. a priority and bettering the business, it helps us to also make our kids a priority because as parents you want to give them everything that you possibly can.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. On top of that, I th I actually think for our kids to grow up, seeing the commitment is helpful for them as well. Because I think it's it's really easy for young kids to just give up, and so we want our kids to grow up knowing that life is hard, but you gotta you have to push through if you want something. So we don't want them just to think that they like we tell them all the time like the food that they get. Back when I was I was a teenager and I used to get like weed picks and and baked beans some nights, and I'm like, you've got a steak on your table, don't like you can't complain about that, yeah. And that's not a that's not a reflection on my parents, but that was just our own personal tough times as growing up.
SPEAKER_03But is that you're 100% right? Like, you as parents, we want to make sure we give our kids every opportunity we can. So their best opportunities are gonna come from the the sacrifice and the priorities and everything that we make, yeah. So what what's a general day look like for you guys? Like if you don't mind running through it, like again, like there's a lot of young people.
SPEAKER_04Adam's day or my day.
SPEAKER_03We'll go through both because there's a lot of young people out there, young tradies, young builders, young families, that will be listening to this podcast and be just thinking, I'd I I can't do it, I don't have the time, like I'm too busy. So what what's your days look
Daily Routines That Actually Work
SPEAKER_03like?
SPEAKER_00Mine's changed over the over time.
SPEAKER_03Uh give us what your day looked like 12 months ago and what your day looks like now.
SPEAKER_00Okay. Uh so 12 months ago I would have been rolling out of bed into my uh truck, going to site, slogging away, not being happy, knowing that we were we were not making a lot of money, actually probably going backwards, but and just going through the motions. There was nothing, nothing else there, there was no no drive, I guess, to do anything more than that. Now I'm I'm actually not on the tools much at all. And that was me just making a decision to go, well, if I want to grow my business, I I need to get myself off the tools and work on the business, which isn't always easy, but yeah, so a typical day now is up at 4 30, do a bit of reading, read read the Bible, bit of audible book. That's like about half an hour, and then I'd jump in the office and smash out some stuff in the office. Then the day we might hit the gym together, or yeah, it just depends on how days panned out. If I've got meetings then I won't, but I'll try and schedule out my pack meetings and and stuff like that throughout the day, check in on the boys on site, um, site meetings.
SPEAKER_03Yeah. A lot of structure. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00And so how do you a lot more than there was, yeah.
SPEAKER_03And so how do you feel now when you get home compared to what you did 12 months ago?
SPEAKER_00Oh, great. Like um and I think I've also I I now take time out as well for the kids. So if the kids have a sports event on, or um occasionally I'll go swimming on a Friday morning with our youngest daughter, and that's just an intentional decision to take that time out and do the work at another time or in the morning, or so yeah, I've just uh by getting up earlier, I've been able to get a bit more out of my day, really.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, yeah. Well about you, Sarah.
SPEAKER_04My day probably starts uh around six.
SPEAKER_03So twelve twelve months ago.
SPEAKER_04Oh twelve months ago before and now twelve months ago I was in a pretty dark place. I didn't want to get out of bed. Um with the postpartum depression, there was like I didn't really feel like life was worth living, I suppose. It was pretty heavy, pretty dark.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_04Didn't really want to be around Adam or the kids. Um and then I would like Adam, just run through the motions. We were both probably very much zombies back then. I feel for our kids. Um but yeah, just run through the emotions of getting up, getting kids ready, getting them to school, going home, cleaning, doing all those sorts of things over and over and over again, and just felt numb, I suppose you could say. Now, um I try to get up earlier than the kids so that I have a bit of time to myself. So I'm up at six, where the kids get up at six thirty, get them ready for school. Um, much like Adam, there's a lot more structure to my day. Uh take them to school, and then I try to get in a gym session most days of the week, probably around five to six days a week. Um because I find that that's what helps me to get my mental health on track is just getting in the fit the exercise, uh starting my day off by achieving something. Um and yeah, then after that I head into the the office and we we work together most days. I don't know we get a lot of comments about how do you do it, how do you do it, but we actually really love working together.
SPEAKER_00You're talking about that in in the Uber today. This that I actually am more motivated in the office when she's in the office. I I that's maybe just my personality. Being a people person, I I feel a bit better when there's someone else there. If I'm there on my own, I'm like looking at everything else, like getting distracted. Yeah, so yeah.
SPEAKER_04But yeah, then I spend a lot of my day in the office. Um I manage our VA. So a lot of my day is like I'll make sure I do a check-in call, um, go through the things that are the most important that I need her to do, see how she's going with other jobs that she's doing, and then I step through all my work that I need to do. By the time that's done, it's normally time to go and pick up all the kids from daycare and USH, like after school care. Um, and then we're normally into we've set a rule where we don't look at our phones from when dinner time starts until the kids go to bed, just so that we can give them the one-on-one focus because we know owning your own business it can be very full-on on your phones. And that's not how we want them to grow up, just see us on our phones all the time. Um, so there's a few hours there where we really try and connect with the kids, whether it be in their sporting activities, um, like trainings for footy and soccer, or just like Adam said, like swimming. Um and then yeah, and then after that, once they head to bed, it's our time and phones are away again. We get them like an hour on our phones and the phones are away, not in the bedroom. It's actually probably one of the best decisions that we've made.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_04We find that it gives us time to actually really connect, talk to each other about what's going on in our lives, open up about feelings rather than just hiding them in ourselves.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_04Because I don't know, I think the phone screens when you're scrolling, it's just numbing everything, you're suppressing all those feelings and yeah. But yeah, it's a waste of time too, yeah. It definitely felt so much better, yeah.
SPEAKER_03Man, you guys should be super proud. Like that that's huge turnaround in 12 months. Like have a have a thing about what you've like do you re do you do journaling? Like, do you reflect on that and take notes of what?
SPEAKER_00I've tried, I've tried really hard to do journaling, and I just for some reason I struggle. Um I gotta I've gotta figure out a way to do it because that is it is one of my goals is to to start journaling regularly. Um but I'll do it for like two days and then I forget and don't get back around to it. And maybe maybe it is just setting a time to go, okay, every day I need to do it.
SPEAKER_03Um I wouldn't be too hard on yourself, mate. Like I I can do it every day, and then I might go two weeks without doing it. Like it it's you just my thing is you've got to do it when you feel like doing it. Yeah, but don't um don't force yourself to do it because then what you're writing down is gonna be forced. So but um but that is that's pretty remarkable, like what you've achieved in 12 months. So you've doubled your turnover, you're making more money, but you've got more free time, you've actually stepped into running a business now, you're not just running around putting out fires and getting it. Yeah, yeah, like you you've got structure, and I like to talk about this because I I feel that so many people they just focus on the dollars. Like, and and the look, the dollars are we need to talk about the dollars because without dollars we the life's hard. Yeah, so making dollars is not a bad thing, and like paying tax is not a bad thing, like that's what needs to happen. But the other side of that is like you don't always have to just be working more to make more money, like you guys are working more, you're making more money, but you're also getting more free time. So the fact that you can take kids to school, pick kids up, goes for me with you, but that's just unreal.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, and back with like you you said before, people make excuse or like say they can't do this or can't do that. I
Team Culture Drinking And Support
SPEAKER_00think that's your own mental block, and it's often not wanting to give control to someone else. So for me to free up my time to do that stuff, I had to say to you know, um one of our guys, say, Alright, you're responsible now for on-site. And he we actually sat them down and asked them if that's what they wanted first. Um and that that was what they what he what he wanted, and so we that's how we decided to structure it, and that that has allowed me like and I've you have to let go of that micromanaging or you know needing to be there to see everything getting done.
SPEAKER_03Have you used all the templ have you got all your roles and tasks in for your team?
SPEAKER_00We do for our team, yeah. Um that was one of the first things we did. Um I can't remember if we did pack first or that first, but yeah, we we did that pretty quick. Um actually it might have been after Gold Coast.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, I think it was after the Gold Coast.
SPEAKER_03Like it's all there, eh? Like there's a lot of stuff there. Like you guys, the thing is you've got to implement it. Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_00And we just we we sat down, we them and said you know what is it that you want out of your role. Um this is what we've come up with as our thoughts. Let's have a chat about it and um and then we had them all sign off on it and yeah it was good. We actually ran them all through the one of the exercises I think was the one where you had to close your eyes and think about all the things that you want and whatever and and I think they they really liked that. They appreciated us taking the time out to do that with them.
SPEAKER_03So you've got structure around your team now as well.
SPEAKER_00Yeah yeah definitely um before it was all me right and so everything was I had to tell people what to do I had to do um whereas now by one stepping up the other ones had to step into his shoes and so they're kind of they're all taking on more responsibility which yeah is good. Yeah it's unreal you should be super super proud like that's um it's bloody awesome you both touched on mental health yeah like it's obviously huge in well not just in the building industry but it is big for ladies as well that have had kids and stuff so like it's awesome that you can talk openly about that like are you guys do you support mental health in any way like charities and bits and pieces or how do you support your own team I guess with their mental health we do regular check-ins last year we actually did the pushup challenge which was I don't know how many push-ups a thousand in thirty days three thousand and something in thirty days it was a lot of push-ups um to try and raise a bit more awareness which I know that the team loved getting behind that as well um we have now got Sharp and co funky Friday is that what it's called yeah we we got our own trademark shirts so that the boys all got one um and the GM that's that's about it that's what we what we've done so far in terms of mental health in that way um have you spoken to your your team about your struggles with it or we've both been pretty open. Yeah yeah I don't think we've we haven't specifically said all right we're gonna tell you what we've been through um like I said our supervisor he's been with us since day one so he's gone on the ride with us he's seen a lot of the bad stuff and the good stuff um I think I don't know if that's maybe made him reconsider whether or not he wants to be a people which I'm I'm happy for him to just stay as our supervisor because we love him but um we love all all of our team members but um yeah we haven't specifically spoken to them um our apprentice is Josh's uh sorry Sarah's brother and so he he was able to come to us when he was having a a tough time so I guess through that we've been able like through our own struggles we've been able to give some input into that yeah um but I I honestly like I I believe everything happens for a reason. Um like I said before what what I thought about mental health before and what I think about it now are two polar opposite things. And I believe I went through that so that I could understand Sarah's depression. Because had it have happened the other way around I wouldn't have had a clue what like yeah and I don't think I would have been as supportive knowing what it feels like to be in that frame of mind um helps me be able to be supportive in that yeah um man you guys are unreal like such a strong relationship like that and it's like I'm so passionate about this because like the building industry does tear families apart.
SPEAKER_03Yeah yeah like just the stress and anxiety and just the pressure that comes with it.
SPEAKER_04So like just again just super proud like you guys have been able to work through all of that and the young family and grow the business like I would actually go to as far to say it's probably um strengthened our relationship the past year actually probably since doing launchpad our relationship has just grown stronger for that's because I was drinking all the time before that.
SPEAKER_03Yeah right I was half there.
SPEAKER_00You've mentioned that a lot so what were you drinking like what's a lot like I wasn't drinking like like getting drunk every single night but I was going through I had concerns yeah I got to a point where I had a fatty liver so that that's enough of a of a problem um I was like man I don't feel comfortable went to the doctor and found out it's because of drinking um and that's I think years of like through my young years I partied a bit and did did some stuff I shouldn't have done but through that that tough period I was drinking like a a bottle of whiskey a week and a case of beer a week which doesn't sound like heaps but it was it's enough to be a problem where as soon as the kids are in bed you're having a drink or um or even when they're around like I guess it's not not a great influence for them to be seeing you drinking every single day even if it's only one or two but launch pad got me out of it.
SPEAKER_03I was like what about launch pad stop you drinking because that that's not that's nothing we've aimed at doing.
SPEAKER_00Yeah no it was I'll start adding it to the marketing drinking it was a com it was a combination of Sarah saying I'm really concerned there's something wrong. And then was it doing your overheads me figuring out that would have that would have driven me there and then when I did the wheel I realized that my well being and it all of those personal um things were way down and and it wasn't it was just something I never thought about I just I all I thought about was the famil my family and the business and that's all I was just I wasn't doing anything for myself no hobbies nothing I was just it sounds like a really sad sad way to go through life but you know and that's what it was it was and from that I started exercising in the mornings cold showers and I think that was the biggest change was me doing cold showers.
SPEAKER_03She said to me at one point you something's happened to you changed you it you need to visually see things don't you like like it's all good to talk about all this stuff but like that's why we have the six p wheel inside Live Like Bill like you've you've got to be able to physically see something and like when like you think about like when we're growing up like whether it's school primary school high school university like there's always a way that we have some sort of rating or we know where we're at but generally when you go and start your own business like how do you how do you know where you're going or how you're going like like we don't rate ourselves in our relationships we don't rate ourselves with our kids we don't like we get our tax done and that's like a bit of a wake up call for a lot of people but like having that visual image of where you are in all those things it's powerful stuff.
SPEAKER_00It is yeah and I think even for people that don't own a business it it is it can be a powerful tool to understand what where they're lacking in life and and where they need to make improvement but it's it definitely helped us a lot. Yeah and being able to visualize it yeah like you say go like I I'm a visual person like I I need to see something for it to make sense.
SPEAKER_03A lot of people say we're all the same but I I truly believe there's definitely people out there that are 100% visual. Yeah like and we've got a perfect case of that at the moment we've got a client or two clients or husband wife that we're um halfway through our pack process with and um he's been a very successful accountant and just knows numbers but like just cannot get his head around the build at all. Like um and so it's we've got to sort of have the conversations with the wife and then she sort of interpret things and and and brings him on board with things and he quite often just sends emails just saying look I apologize I might have sounded like you might have thought I was a bit switched off during that meeting but I honestly I just I just don't get what's getting discussed. Yeah and I think that's a really important thing because you've got to understand how different people work don't you and I think like builders being visual people like it's easy for us to look at a few sketches on a sheet of paper and like in our head we're we've we're seeing that building built. Like are you visual Sarah or are you the the sort of I reckon I could do both.
SPEAKER_00Yeah yeah both yeah yeah well her her dad was a builder as well um now in ministry but so she would she grew up with being around that sort of stuff seeing plans and if she asks she'll she'll draw a plan for how she wants the kid's bedroom to be laid out so does a six feet well work for you like is it powerful of you like it is for Adam?
SPEAKER_04I think it's more powerful for Adam because he probably understands num like the numbers and things on the business side more than I do whereas my side's well being um systemization and that sort of thing. But I did I have done it and I do I do agree it's for me when I think about it like I'm like well if it's that bumpy how are we going to keep turning like it's we're gonna get stuck in one position like um but yeah I would say it's pretty powerful.
PAC Process And Better Clients
SPEAKER_03Yeah what's clients look for like for you like how do you um like 12 months ago were you just taking on any every job that came across your your desk like what how's that changed?
SPEAKER_00Uh just before I I jumped into Elevate I actually tended on a on a project was the cheapest builder not not on purpose it just happened to be like that and I lost the job still and I was just like it's gotta be a better way to do this like and I that that designer had had me like they put some pressure on to get the tender in um and so I was in Fiji busy doing the the proposal for to submit it on time. Turned out they were still waiting on someone else by the time I'd done it and then I lost it and I was like at that point I was like I'm not doing that on holiday ever again because I just wasted time I could have been spending with my family just to try and win a job. And yeah so now we we run everything through the PAC process now and that often looks different for different people because some sometimes people come to us with the full plans already done and so then it's just an education piece about why we've got to charge for that. It's definitely given us clients that appreciate us and working with us. We've had a few people just completely not understand why and go no way which has been fine like my mindset on that is it's probably a a bullet dodged and you never lose a job eh like so many builders and tradies are always like oh I lost that job I lost that job like you never actually lose a job. Yeah I actually had one recently that came to me from an architect and it was DA approved ready to go she just wanted a price and I said well we've we've got to run it through our pack process and she asked what our fees were and I shared that and I said look I need to get in front of the client to have a chat to them and we'll we'll tailor I actually got a bit of advice from um Sam from Samadi for for this because I didn't know how to deal with it. And sort of said look we'll we'll tailor it to your project and and explain to you what what we're gonna do. We ended like not nothing happened from that. But I sort of walked away from that thinking like I could have priced it and it could have just been a price check and just wasted for you just wasted all that time. So and I think there's a lot of people that don't understand that there is a massive difference between paying someone to do a process and just getting a quote because I've seen quotes where it's one page or two pages and it's catch myself out on our proposals that are typically at least 30 pages long with a lot of detail in there and I'll be looking through the specification be like oh I'm I missed something there. And that like that's after us putting all that effort in if someone's just gone and put 20 line items on two pages how do you know what what what you're getting and so understanding the value that you you're getting for it and well it's understanding your value as well.
SPEAKER_03Yeah but you're you're we've talked about like time and priorities like yeah you having a a structured process around all your pre-construction means that you value your time.
SPEAKER_00Yeah we we actually um sort of tell our clients that we don't promise that we'll stick to their budget but that will give them feedback on what what it's going to cost and that will give them the power to to pivot or change their mind or decide not to do it. And it's a much smaller investment at that point than it is to sign on with a builder get halfway through and realize that you've got to pay an extra hundred two hundred grand or more because they had really low provisional allowances or they just forgot to put something in there. Yeah.
SPEAKER_03That whole um like not losing a job like some people might wonder what I'm talking about there but like you never actually lose like you you've you've walked away without wasting your time. Yeah so what would you rather lose a client or lose 40 hours pricing jobs that you're never going to win or you're not gonna get or you're not gonna make money on.
SPEAKER_00Yeah well and I guess the mindset for me was that job wasn't there beforehand and if it's not there after it it nothing's really changed. Well it's opened up the door for a job that will come through. Exactly right yeah so which it which it has and potentially that one stops you from doing another one or yeah um so no back to sales and I think we felt pretty good about it. I I did did question question it a few times I was like oh man like you know did I do the right thing and so you're so you're now involved in the PAC process as well so you're just starting off yeah getting involved yeah I have done all the work behind it um starting off by going to some meetings meeting the clients being CC'd into all the emails so I'm understanding what's going on um I think I'm gonna start doing some estimating.
SPEAKER_03It's
Roles Delegation And The Next Goals
SPEAKER_03awesome so can we talk about your roles for a bit like just each you what's your roles in the business like what do you actually do day to day because I think again it's gonna help listeners understand like we're the same like we all know builders it the hardest part is getting off the tools. What how have you structured your business now to accommodate the roles that you want to do?
SPEAKER_00I knew that I needed to do the back end of stuff and and the pack process there is a lot of time that goes into that process and so um like if we have a few of those that can very easily take up a lot of your time um and then you've got the estimating and stuff on on top of that. So um that's my main focus um and then to do that I've I had to bring in uh like Ezra LGP as our super site supervisor. So he then takes over a lot of what I was doing on site.
SPEAKER_03So do you used to go to site each week you check on the team and if I can't make it there I'm checking on like phone calls and things like that.
SPEAKER_00Yeah I have days where the phone just rings constantly and that's not just that's not just team members it's trades all sorts of stuff so your ma your main role is like all pre-construction and like like meeting new clients working building a relationship with those clients all the pack process part of that. Trying to build a pipeline which we we never had a pipeline 12 months ago that it was literally just waiting for something to come in the door which is I think about and I'm like it's crazy I can't believe I I'd that's how most of our industry works mate yeah just head down bummer every day doing their job and one like just hoping that the next job's gonna come along. Yeah um so now we've we're very proactive so if I see that we're getting low we're we're reaching out to people some of my time is taken up with meeting new designers new architects just trying to build some of those relationships. I think it's so you're actually doing business development now. Yeah yeah it's for us it's really relationships super important and that's across the board whether it's designers trades um our staff clients everyone everything comes back to a relationship I think if we can't have a good relationship it's gonna fail. Like there will be problems so yeah we try and put a lot of effort into that.
SPEAKER_03Yeah and what about you Sarah what's your roles?
SPEAKER_04My role's starting to sort of pivot now I did start off as doing payroll books um things like that general admin work then we got the VA who came in and I said that I would take that on my shoulders so that Adam didn't have another thing on his plate which I think has really helped make having a V make having a VA successful. So I manage her make sure she's got work to do for the week marketing side of things. We had no socials at all until I started now now there's at least three posts a week we're working on getting a a monthly newsletter out through the emails yeah and now I have an interest in um having more of like Adam was saying more of a relationship with the um clients and designers which has been really good have been to a designer meeting and just starting to line up some pack process client meetings which is really good.
SPEAKER_03Yeah that's awesome like so you you've actually got a business now everything you guys are talking about like you actually have a structured business. Yeah so where where's it going from here? What's what's in the pipeline? What's your goals?
SPEAKER_00Where do you want to take this business to I want to I want to take it to a point where it can it can operate without us like if if we want to go on a holiday or like take a trip around Australia with the kids that we can that's one of our one of our big goals personally is to to do that with the kids. And do you do you think that's doable now? Yeah 100% yeah 100% 12 months ago would you think? No I would have thought we'd have to close everything down and start from scratch. Yeah um we I'd like to down the track get into some developments that that's one of one of our big goals is I I want to do obviously still client builds but just have some developments going on the side as well.
SPEAKER_03Start building legacy like building wealth to leave some legacy. Yeah yeah pretty much um and that was one of the big reasons why I also didn't throw in the towel was our our business is named after my family name um and both my grandpa and my dad have passed away so it at the moment it's just there's three of us and can carry the name my son myself and my cousin and for me it's about building a legacy for that name yeah yeah man I'm super proud of you guys I think it's friggin' awesome like in the 12 months that I've known you guys like you've definitely kicked a lot of girls and you're continuing to and like just like at the summit there Camille and I sat down with you guys because we were just chilling out we had a cocktail and a beer like just to hear how positive you are now and I think probably a big one is the confidence like it really shines now like you guys you come across very confident and I just I think it's freaking awesome so what advice would like it'd be good if you could both answer because we do have some like quite a few wise and partners that listen to this what advice would you got each give to listeners that are out there that are where you were 12 months ago just do it.
Advice For Partners And Builders
SPEAKER_04The big turning point for me was just trying to push through the imposter syndrome if I didn't push through that then there's no growth. If you're not growing then your business is not going to go anywhere so you do have to step outside your comfort zone.
SPEAKER_00If you don't step outside your comfort zone you're gonna be stuck it's that simple a big thing is stepping out of your comfort comfort zone. I never would have thought in a million years that I'd be sitting on a podcast um particularly not yours um but here I am and that's just from taking steps um whether it's a baby step or or a big step I think fear can hold people back um fear of the unknown um and sometimes the unknown is like you know how far you can go but if you're if if you just sit back nothing changes if you don't do anything nothing changes so surely trying something is a lot better than just going through the motions and doing the same thing over and over.
SPEAKER_03I'll have a listen to you guys eh look I look I really hope we get you back in another 12 months time and and see even more gross like it's um and at your age too like to be in like not just the age of you guys but the age of your business like to be doing what you're doing now 18 months in man I just think back to like how many years I spent in my business going round circles and trying to sort shit out. Like you guys are getting on top of it now you've got so much structure. Yeah I'd I'd love to I'm gonna check in with you um Adam because I'd really love to see you do some journaling and actually like have you guys got anything written down for where you want to be in 12 months, three years, five years we have a massive whiteboard in our office it's got um 90 day goal one year goal five year goal and ten year goal.
SPEAKER_00Yeah that was off the back of um Gold Coast um event last year and we c we came back I think like everyone you come back from those events you're you're pretty fired up um and one of the first things I I did was go out and get a big I think the whiteboard's probably too big for the room but um we just reorganized the office so that we can make it it's like in the centre of the room and I just wrote down some of those long term goals on there and so we can see it every single every single day we were sitting at at our desk we can see those goals and um tick them off.
Goals Board Where To Find Them
SPEAKER_03So the goal case was over 12 months ago like did you did you reach your 12 month goal from that event? A few of them.
SPEAKER_00Yeah a few of them yeah a good a good portion of them actually yeah I think I might have rubbed some of them off because we we reached them yeah but um like some of them was hiring a VA was Sarah working three days a week which she probably works a bit more than that now unofficially yeah I can't remember all the elements but there was there's a we put a a pretty big list on there and we yeah we smashed it hit a few of them yeah uh awesome guys so um where can people find you with uh website socials yeah we've got a website sharpco.com.au and Instagram yeah Instagram's the main one Sharp and co constructions there you go yeah yeah awesome no guys look really appreciate you coming up for the day appreciate your time and yeah super proud like really really proud of you guys and um your energy's awesome your confidence is awesome and yeah can't wait to see where we are in 12 months so keep up the good work look guys I'm sure if you've liked this podcast you like what the guys have um talked about maybe even if you've experienced some of what they're going through I'm sure the guys wouldn't mind if you reach out to them on socials or um get in contact with them they can have a chat to you but look these conversations are really important to be had because this industry is so broken it's so backwards and reality is we don't know what we don't know so getting around the right people getting around the right community is so powerful and uh look as always really appreciate you listening to this podcast make sure you like subscribe share all of those things go to the Duanepece.com website get on board with our level up merch so you can help our level up movement and we look forward to seeing you on the next one