The Most Underrated Trade in Construction

Chapters

• 0:00 Meet Steve From All Sorts Installations
• 4:02 The Finishing Trade Builders Rely On
• 8:02 Service, Scheduling, And Clean Handovers
• 12:42 Educating Clients On Blinds And Screens
• 17:02 Hiring Without An Apprenticeship Pathway
• 22:28 Learning Through Mistakes And Site Measuring
• 27:08 Caring Like An Owner And Team Culture
• 30:48 Quotes, Transparency, And Setting Expectations
• 35:28 Country Roots, Rodeo Life, And Resilience
• 40:28 From Mechanic To Multi-Service Installer
• 45:28 Growth, Money Mindset, And Motivation
• 50:28 Staff Intent, The 1 Percent Rule
• 55:48 Doing Work You Love, On And Off Farm

Transcript

SPEAKER_02: 1:27

Hello boys, welcome back to another episode of Level Up. We are back in the shed this afternoon for another cracking episode. Got something a little different for you today. We've got a trade that we haven't had on the podcast, and a trade that you may not be aware of exactly what they do, but um Steve that is here with us today is from all sorts installation. Um Steve's done our work for a very long time. I actually am not 100% sure of everything you do. I know you do our security screens, our VisiGuard, uh all those types of things, but you do curtains, blinds, aluminium screening, like there's a lot of stuff you do.

SPEAKER_00: 2:03

Pretty much, pretty much when you fellas go into a house and you wanted to finish it off, we can sort of take care of it. And that was that was the whole process of me starting the sort of thing, you know what I mean? Like it was an idea where I had where I thought, well, I originally started fitting clothes lines and TV antennas, believe it or not. And then from that it just went, well, they want screens and then they want blinds, and that's how it sort of come the name come about. I do all sorts of stuff. So you you're the you come in and you finish the house off. I can finish, I can finish the things off because we we're set up to do it that might take you you know three hours to put a close on that window in 15-20 minutes. Yeah, and we I have a team of guys that go around and we finish it. We do curtains, we do shutters, we do all sorts of blinds, we do um the screens and patio enclosures. Yeah, like there isn't much on that exterior of the house that all the finishing of the house that we we don't do, you know.

SPEAKER_02: 2:58

Yeah, well, I've learned something new. I didn't I didn't realise you did all the patio encloses and all those sorts of things. But the um one thing I I want to put out there, Steve, is we until we met you, um we wanted nothing, we had nothing, like we got to a point where we're like we uh we'll hand the house over and you can get your own people in to do um curtains, blinds, security, even security screens, fly screens.

SPEAKER_01: 3:21

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02: 3:22

Because every company we deal we dealt with, like that that stuff goes in right at the end and it's Mickey Mouse, like you're ready to hand over. And we got to a point where people were coming in and leaving a mess. Leaving a mess, bloody putting screws in the wrong hole, like making holes, and we had to come get painters back and touch things up, and yeah, um, yeah, like you guys have been a dream to work with.

SPEAKER_00: 3:43

So we we've been lucky like that too. And that's I mean, that's just one of the processes of I I find most companies that use us don't go away from us. Um I mean the odd couple have sort of thing, but most couple most companies that will use us will go, it makes it easy. And that's a I think that's one of the biggest things. If you can make it easy for someone, then they're gonna use you again, you sort of think. I mean, my business is to make your job easier. If you can ring me and say, and this is what I try and make it, you ring me up and say, My settlement settlement date is the 11th of December. When can you guys come? My girls will ring you and say, We'll be in there in the 9th, and we're out, we're in and out. Everything's done, and we know that that's that's the day it's got to be done by, you know.

SPEAKER_02: 4:21

Yeah, so your scheduling is fantastic. Like you, yeah, even uh not just the day, pretty much it's always a time as well.

SPEAKER_00: 4:27

Yeah, pretty much, yeah.

SPEAKER_02: 4:28

Be there on uh Thursday at 9 a.m. Like I don't I don't know any other trades on our jobs that uh we get that sort of service from, but um, but mate, it's like you do lots of different things, and I like it's those finishing things that a lot of the time are uh aren't thought about. Like we quite often get a lot of clients that um because we don't sort of promote that we do that sort of stuff, like these days, pretty much uh VisiGuard or Fly Screens is as far as we go. Yeah, um occasionally we might do some shutters or whatever, but we will always like we pass your details on, the clients come to you. Yeah, and two reasons for that is it most of the time it's stuff that really doesn't need us. Yeah, and I'm more than happy just to hand the job over and the client comes and deals with you. But um, another reason for it is it's something that quite often just isn't discussed until the owner realized, holy shit, I'm I'm moving in in four weeks' time. Like, do you do curtains? Do you do blinds?

SPEAKER_00: 5:25

And um well, I I think that that's one of the strongest part of that business. Every new house needs clock needs screens, so they need blinds, they need us. Yeah, but how many houses are getting built? Like, so that's I mean, like I said before, we got that, I got a lot of workers, and I can't keep up. Yeah, and it's just from and the other thing I really like about it, when I first started, I didn't have a name for myself, didn't really know any builders, I didn't know anything at all. Um I wouldn't say that, you're pretty smart, bloke. No, but you know, you don't mean but I didn't really know anything at all. And you're basically going on, and I was coming like pretty much cold calling people and saying this is what we do, and it's a little bit of an effort to get those builders that are out of the habit because their habit is to order the windows and order the screens with the windows. It's just a habit. And to get those builders to come away from that habit to go, hang on a sec. If you if you come to us, I'm gonna guarantee you a better service because if there's a problem, I fix it. Um, we can be here on that that date, and you're probably not gonna have to wait eight weeks from Dow or whoever it is, you know what I mean, or whatever it is, they're not gonna have to wait. So that's how I have to promote myself, I guess, is to that service, and that's what I pride myself on that service to do that. Yeah, but when I first started, the the pride, and that was the other thing that you spend so much money on advertising, which I I no one really knows how to advertise these days because who looks at no one looks at a paper anymore. I don't even know if they exist, but no one looks at a at a paper or you know, there might be something on Facebook or something like that. But with me now, we have such a name, like we we turn over a lot of money. I don't advertise at all, and that's what I like if it's all repeat business.

SPEAKER_02: 7:03

So you're you're a trade that's um like yeah, once you've done it once and you've done a good job, like the the builder just keeps getting you back, yeah. And like I said, we don't do a lot of work directly with you, but like yours is the only number we give to clients, so yeah, um because we know you're gonna offer that service. Um but mate, how like we touched on it before we started recording. Like, I'm really keen to know more about your business because it is a it like fly screens and security screens and blinds and things, like everyone talks about brickies and sparkies and carpenters and those sorts of things. But how do you how do you get employees? Like, how do um like it's not a trade that really is talked about?

SPEAKER_00: 7:44

No, it's no, it's not and like like we said when we were off here, there's no apprenticeships, there's no trade in my in my at all. So you can't really but it it is a trade, like you know, to be able to come in there and do what we need to do and and fix what we need to do and get it all working and whatever. It's definitely it's definitely a trade, but there's nothing. So you're basically looking for handyman or someone, like I said before, someone that walks fast to start with. If they walk fast, they gotta be they gotta go, it might be it might work, but they gotta walk fast to start with, and then we'll go from there, you know. But yeah, but they gotta be handy and common sense, like our job is common sense. Like, you know, if you're putting something on the wall and it's heavy, well, we've got to make sure we've got something to mount it to, you know, and and that sort of thing. It's just common sense.

SPEAKER_02: 8:29

Yeah, because it is like until you until you stop and think about it, like you're you're doing everything that a lot of other trades do, like you're you're site measuring, you're fabricating, whether it's a screen, a frame for a fly screen, or like you do aluminium work as well. Yeah. Um, so you're fabricating, you then got to install it. Um, so there's a lot of parts to it, just like every other trade. It it surprises me that there isn't an apprenticeship for it. No.

SPEAKER_00: 8:57

So and I don't know. When I first started to own what people used to ask me what I do, I don't know how to explain it. I don't know what to say. Yeah. Uh fixed. What do you say now? Yeah, I uh I a lot. Um yeah, I don't really know how, you know. Some people sometimes you go to the bank and say, Well, what do you do? Uh well, I sort of do everything, you know. And that's the whole trouble. Like trying to teach someone in my business to do it all is it takes a long time. It takes a long time to be able to go and do because when you think about the brand of windows, there'd be 12 different brands of windows. You go from ANL to Bradman's to Dow to Trend. Every one of those windows gets fitted differently. Every one of the double hungs are a different uh different mechanism. Every one of the doors have a different way to interlock, you know. So they're all different, and that's why we site measure everything because every one of them is a different size. You can't just go off a plan.

SPEAKER_02: 9:50

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00: 9:50

Um, and I've again it's just uh monotonous sort of thing where you've got to go and do it. And I suppose the biggest thing about learning is make mistakes. Yeah. When you make mistakes, you don't make them twice. Yeah. Especially when it's costing your own money. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02: 10:04

The mistake, uh mistakes is something that isn't talked about enough, I believe. Like no one wants to admit that they've done shit wrong, but the only way to learn is to do shit wrong. Oh, you well, that's the best way to learn because you don't do it again.

SPEAKER_00: 10:14

Yeah. Or not not well, you shouldn't anyway. Yeah. Well, not yeah, like you said, not if it's your own money. I I think that's one of the that's one of the toughest things. And even this day, like, I don't care who it is, but you you always find that you care more when it's your own money. When it when it costs you, that's when it that's when it really that's when you really start to care. Um, if you're an employee and you're just there for the day's wage, they're the toughest ones to be be with, you know what I mean? Yeah. So, but if they care, like I've got Adam that's been with me 20, 22, 23 years, and like he genuinely cares, but he doesn't want he cares about me, my profits, my money, but he cares about the customer just as much to make sure that they get what they want at the end of the day. Yeah. But sometimes we'll go into a house and they'll go, we want a curtain across here, we want that across there, but there might be a kitchen cupboard over here that's gonna fold into the handle. Like we'll go, well, it's not gonna work. Or hey, if we do that, I don't think that's gonna sue. Well, and I we I've always said it's not about selling the product, it's about making them happier at the end of the day. Because if we go and put something in there that's not doesn't work, and like anything you put in houses these days is not cheap. If you go and put something in there and they go and move in, it's just not what they want, it doesn't work. But sometimes a lot of people go with those um the exterior awning blinds and stuff, those zip tracks and all that sort of stuff, and they go, Oh, I just want the privacy. And I'll say to them, you know, what we see out of a day is what they see out of the night. But if there's a light in here and dark out there, they can see in what you see out of a day. And people think when you put that blind down, it's it's all private, you know. So that's what I mean. Like, if you're up front and tell them what it is, I think that's just it's easier, you know.

SPEAKER_02: 11:50

Yeah, I talk a lot on the podcast with all different types of guests like about education, like what you're talking about now. Like it the best way to have a happy client is educate them. Like, don't um I'm always very um, like one of the things I say to our clients in the very early stages, a lot of sometimes on the first time I meet them, is um I may say things that you might may take offense to or whatever, like I'll speak up because I don't want to see you do something wrong or spend money on something you might not have to. So I sort of point out that I'll I speak up and I say my opinion, but I believe by doing that, like because a lot of the time homeowners aren't aware of what they're asking for, or maybe they've seen a picture or they've seen something on the block or some bloody thing like that, and they they don't know the the bigger picture behind it or how it's going to interact with other things. So yeah, the fact that you're doing that with the clients and educating them, like I think it's something that more trades need to do.

SPEAKER_00: 12:44

Well, I think it makes our job easier. Yeah, I mean, if if if they know up front and then they're if they know up front and what they're getting to start with, and like people say to me sometimes, even, oh, can you just go and do that? Don't worry about the quote, just do that. I will never do that. Like, never ever will they not I'll go and do something where that would be quoted because I want them to know what they're paying for. Yeah, and before I start, I want them to be happy with well, this is costing me$3,000. Oh, hang on a second, you put it up, we charge them$3,000, and then they're not happy. Like that, that's just a you know recipe disaster.

SPEAKER_02: 13:15

Yeah, so the um it I feel like there's a lot of trades that feel if they give the client too much information, they're not gonna get the job. But I think it's the complete opposite. I I feel like the more information you give someone, the more value they see in you, and they're more likely to go ahead with you. 100%.

SPEAKER_00: 13:36

And I and I guess I don't know, maybe it's from the countryside because I'm from the country sort of thing. I just feel like they need to know what's gonna happen, you know. I mean, and I want to be up front with them and go, well, this is what's gonna happen, this is where it's gonna be. Like it's just because I don't want them to have a surprise at the end of them, go, I don't like that. Yeah, he he didn't tell me that. Oh, and don't worry, it's happened to me sometimes. We've we've got the end of jobs sometimes, and it's not exactly what they wanted, but it doesn't take much to fix it, you know. I mean, like it's you don't walk away from it, you go on to get it get it back to where you need it to be, you know.

SPEAKER_02: 14:10

Yep, mate. I'm gonna do a bit of a a circle now because I want to um you just mentioned you're from the country, so I want to sort of go back and a bit more of your story, like how you got into what you're doing now. The um to give people a little bit of a background, how small the world is. So, Steve's, I don't even know. I should have checked with the office girls today, but you've done our work for a long time.

SPEAKER_00: 14:29

I reckon probably 18 or 19 years. Yeah, it's it's a long time.

SPEAKER_02: 14:33

Um this year, my girls did their first season of bower racing um through another friend of ours. We got introduced to a friend who then started uh running the bow racing this year, and then we turn up to the first event, and my wife Camille's like, Oh, that's no, I said to my wife Camille, I said, Oh, Steve's over there, and she's like, Yeah, he's his partner's running the show. So um, Steve's definitely a country boy, and definitely got a lot of time for you, mate. And even this year, just seeing you at the barrel racing events and stuff, like the effort you guys put in is uh is fantastic. But yeah, take us back to where it all started.

SPEAKER_00: 15:09

So it's getting to Brisbane. So I grew up, this is where I come. I was from the country, so I grew up between Warwick and Warwick and Inglewood, sort of thing, and a property out there. Grew up there and from the country and having an elder brother, uh, he's 10 years older than me, but he actually was involved in rodeos and road bulls and all that sort of stuff and in the rodeo side of things. But I was a really good footballer when I was young, and so I come to Brisbane and I got moved to Brisbane when I uh like early and started to play football in Brisbane, and then that just didn't eventuate, got had an injury, didn't eventuate sort of thing, and then went away from that and followed the rodeo scene sort of thing. And from that, how do you go from not being able to do football for an injury to jumping on a ball? Uh I guess you know, not running, and I don't know, I don't know, but that's that was how I sort of went, you know, and from so from that, and and basically that lifestyle from being from the country and that that was always me, you know what I mean? And all of a sudden, you're 10-15 years down the track and you're still doing it, and then like horses are always been involved, and then I steer wrestled for a while and um had a couple of really, really good horses in the steer wrestling side and won a couple of titles, like steer wrestling titles in 2011 and 2014, won two titles and run my business the whole time. Yeah, so um I've been really really lucky, and that's that's how we sort of got to it. And you know, when you're in that, well, you sort of know now, when you're in that that following, people you just sort of it just gets bigger and bigger and they follow, and you know more people.

SPEAKER_02: 16:44

And yeah, but how but how did you get into the business you're doing now? Is that your first business?

SPEAKER_00: 16:50

No, no. I was um I'm a mechanic by trade, so worst mechanic you've ever met, like hopeless. Like not very good. Like I I didn't enjoy it, didn't like it. Yeah, and yeah, it's just that's just what it was. So I'll tell you how good I was. So I was an apprentice, and by the time I was 19, I was a tradesman. By the time I was 20, I was a I was the the um the manager of like a group of team at Den Mac Ford because they didn't want me on the floor. I was better talking to people than I was on the floor. So that's how good I was. So I went from that, um went from that and then you know basically had had some had a friend of mine that was doing this sort of work because that's the trouble with mechanics, even though I was a service manager and I was looking after a lot of team and you know, dealing with you know people and customers out all the time, which is a really good base for me for this, but that's what I was doing. But you're working big hours. I was doing big hours, and we were making, I think back then we were making four or five hundred dollars for the week. Like it was just you couldn't make any money, couldn't get anywhere. Yeah, couldn't afford rodeo just found. So it went from that, and I and then a mate of mine was like installing screens under contract, and like he was getting you know, starting at six, finishing at two, and he was making decent money. I went, oh this is right. So I I took got talking to him one day and I went out to work with him for a couple of weeks and then went, I can do this. And then Deb said I started thinking about you know going down that down that road of the business. Then I I remember getting because I used to make all my screen screens over here at Albany Creek. So we used to go to Albany Creek, you'd order your screens that you know would go and measure them. That but I was going around talking to people and um trying to measure the house. And I got a couple of jobs, I can honestly, I reckon first year I reckon it would have turned over$20,000. It just would have been, you know, and but one of the first days that I went, that I remember I thought I'll go and try and chase up some work. And I went into a street, it was down here at Castledine somewhere, and I walked in the street and there was a builder there building about five houses, you know what I mean? Walked in there, I got talking to him, and he goes, Yeah, give me a price. I reckon the first day I got about five houses on that first day, and I thought, simple, I can do this. Just how how good am I going? Yeah, and I reckon, like I've done those five houses, I reckon I had a dry spell for about three months. Yeah, just struggled. But that was how I got into it. Like, you know, a friend of mine showed me how to do it. But then, like I say to everybody, just try and make yourself better every day. If you can make something better every day at home, if if you need water to that paddock there, go and go and set that up because it'll make things better, you know. I mean, or and I say that at work too, just try and make things better every day. It's that extra 1% every day. That one percent. If more people work than that one percent, the place would be a different place. Yeah, but just a little bit, walk past a bit of rubbish, pick it up. Yeah, like I I think I walked into a bakery the other day and there's there was a packet out the front of the bakery. I picked it up through habit. Yeah, you know, just picked it up and put it in the bin.

SPEAKER_02: 20:47

Yeah, but it's just it's those little habits, mate, that make a big difference in people's life.

SPEAKER_01: 20:52

Yeah, I think.

SPEAKER_02: 20:53

Um but like did you ever have did you have ambition to have your own business?

SPEAKER_00: 20:58

No, no, I don't think I did. I think I think I had an had ambition to have money. Um because growing up, look, we we weren't very well off. Like I didn't go to school trips because we didn't have the money to do it. So I think I grew up and got to a point where I wanted to have some money. I want to be able to do the things that I enjoyed. And I and I guess I figured out that going to do that work for as a mechanic and making$500, I soon figured out that I can go and make$500 out of a house full of screens in one day and went, I thought this is a lottery. I think that's how good's this. Yeah. So and I think that I think the driving ambition to start with was money, but I think that turns around. I think that turns around to I'm not money driven anymore, but I really enjoy I think I think it's the challenge of the business, and really enjoy that challenge of the business and getting things as good as they possibly can. You know what I mean? I I I really enjoy seeing that the customers at the end of the day going, I love my charters and I love my charters and I love my curtains, you know. Like some of the pictures we got of houses after we'd done it, like that's what I that's what I think I enjoy a lot now, you know.

SPEAKER_02: 22:09

Yeah, it's hard, isn't it? Because society sort of frowns upon people wanting money, but like it's okay to want money. Like we when you need money, like without money, you can't do things, you can't get ahead, you can't you can't give your family, you can't have experiences, you can't ride your horses. Like you everything needs money. The um, and I I think like you're right how you said it turns around. I think I was very similar. Like, I always thought I was doing it for the money, but I think the more you learn about business and life, it does change.

SPEAKER_00: 22:38

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02: 22:38

The um I I think it becomes a lot easier to make the money. Once you've got a little bit of money too, I think. Well, once you're once you're not doing it for the money. Yeah, I suppose. Like, I feel like when you like I I think that's in my early days, like because I was so driven to try and earn the money, like I I was just wearing myself out. Like I was just working hard, but I wasn't working smart.

SPEAKER_00: 23:00

Yeah. Um people say, you know how people always say uh money's not happiness and stuff like that. I don't think that's the right saying. Like, I think money creates happiness a lot, but because if you don't have money, you can't go and water ski if you like water skiing. You know what I mean? If you don't have a little bit of money to go and enjoy those things, well, that makes life a bit tough. Yeah. Like so if you like I said before, I was driven for that money, but then it does turn around a little bit. So I I like my horses. I like to be able to back up with a trailer and go and put three hooks, three good horses and go go for the weekend. Because at the end of when we sit around the campfire or you're at a mate's place and we just roped all day, like that's that's what I do it for a bit now, yeah.

SPEAKER_02: 23:42

Yeah, yeah. So it's uh it's sort of for the money, but it's more for the experience that you're gonna get from what you're doing. And I feel like the better, the more experiences you have, the more I don't know. I don't know if you become more focused or or what it is, but it it definitely seems to get easier, I reckon, the more you um I guess the more you work on yourself, the more life experiences you have, all that type of stuff.

SPEAKER_01: 24:04

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00: 24:05

I really struggle with I really struggle sometimes with the staff and like that side of things. Like even lately I've had a couple of guys come and go a little bit. They don't realize if they change their, and I said to one guy when I I said in my office one day, I said to him, I said, what you're doing is not working. I said, You don't realise how easy it would be to change a couple of things and be so much better. You know what I mean? If they just change and have a little bit of drive and that like that 1% you talk about, if they had that 1% to go a little bit better or do that little bit extra, it'd change their life.

SPEAKER_02: 24:40

Oh mate, I'm this is a good conversation. What do you think about intent? I I got smashed on social media recently because I talked about people showing up with intent. Every day I go to work, whether I was 15 or now, I always show up with intent. Like in my mind, driving to work, I have this idea about what I want to achieve for the day, what I want to do. And I don't know if that's exists anymore.

SPEAKER_00: 25:05

Oh, I struggles to exist. Because you're so right. When my manager is with me now, like when she first started working for me, I think she must have been with me nearly nine years now, too. When she first first walked, I'd have an a like a um appointment for a job interview, right? And I would always make sure I was there and I was already making sure I was out the front to watch them walk in. Because, like I said before, you've got to walk fast. Like if you can't be if you can't be bothered walking fast or have some intent in your step, what's what are you gonna do when no one's looking at you? You're not gonna walk fast, you really don't care. Um even Tate, my young fella, he was at WordBusin. They've been working with me since I was 13. You know, I mean they'd come into the shed and they'd help around the shed or whatever. And one day he was there and I said to him, Oh, I I said, Take, come here for a minute. He walked over. I said, mate, what are you doing? He looked at me and said, I said, you gotta walk faster. You dad said got to walk faster. I said, all these people are looking at you. You you're my son, mate. I said, start walking. Yeah, I said, and like he remembers it to this day. And but if they if they walk across that car park and they really, you know, they're just poking along there. Whereas, like you say, if you have intent, like I I want to know what I achieved for the day. I'll I want to know at the end of the day that hey, I want to try and get that done. Or yeah, you give yourself that, I suppose mini goals, isn't it?

SPEAKER_02: 26:28

Yeah, like you and I have talked about it um a bit. Like I like I'm I don't know, I'm I've obviously put a lot of work in to get to where I am, but I don't I don't feel like I go to work each day anymore. Like I just I just do what I want to do and um I get shit done. And like whether that is going to a job site, checking on jobs, meeting clients or whatever, all whether it's coming home and smashing out some yard work, like people tell me I'm crazy because I like one of our farms is four and a half. If I go on my own, it's four and a half hours, and people think I'm mad that I do like because it's not often, but a few times a year, I'll do it in a day. Like I'll drive, I'll leave home at two, three in the morning. Like one example, like recently, I've laid the um little tractor on the trailer, driven up there, got up there. I was I was up there by about seven o'clock in the morning, and mate, happy as a pig in shit, like on the farm, unloaded the little tractor, made all the fence lines, like went and checked the fences and checked the cows and fucked around, laid the tractor back on, like 5 30 in the afternoon, drove home. And people think I'm crazy, but I absolutely love it. I can't think of like it. I come home with a massive smile on my face, but in that four and a half hours there and back, so that's nine hours driving in a day. Mate, I'm listening to podcasts, I'm listening to audible books. I like if I'm occasionally a few times I've done it on a weekday, so I can still make all my phone calls, I can still run my business, I can still check on things, I can still order things, but I'm just doing what I've got to do. Yeah. Like I and people think I'm mad, but um, like you've talked about it, how you'll you'll work your ass off all day and then you'll go and sit on your tractor and mow a hundred acres.

SPEAKER_01: 28:12

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00: 28:13

Well, especially if you've got a farm and stuff like that, it doesn't really stop. But I'm always thinking about if I do that now, I don't have to do it tomorrow, and it just keeps going and going and going. Yeah, but there's nothing more enjoyable than having that around you, you know what I mean? Like, yeah, it doesn't like you just said, it doesn't feel like work, wouldn't you? It and it doesn't to me either. Like at home, I I love my I love my house, I love my place. And if you go home and choose whether you want to ride a horse or drive a tractor or do whatever, it's it's I guess it's good living, I guess. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02: 28:43

All right, guys, I want to introduce you to a really exciting new product that I believe is going to play a massive role in Australia building healthier homes. As you all know, I am extremely passionate about healthy homes and I'm doing a lot of research and putting a lot of time and effort into making sure my construction business is leading the way when it comes to building healthy homes here in Australia. We've teamed up with the guys from Highwood Timber. Highwood Timber are pioneering condensation management with their high flow ventilated LVL batten system. High flow battons give builders a stronger, straighter, and smarter way to create a ventilated cavity behind cladding and underneath roofs without compromising on structural performance. While tackling condensation to improve building health and ease of insulation, highwood battons are built to perform. When it comes to dealing with condensation and ventilation, high flow battons will help you create continuous ventilated cavities behind all your cladding and underneath your roof sheeting. They reduce condensation risk and support healthier, longer lasting buildings. Highwood timber battons are also in alignment with the proposed NCC condensation management requirements as well as passive house ventilation requirements. Being an engineered LVL product, they are stronger, straighter, and more dimensionally stable than a solid material such as pine. This helps resist warping, twisting, and shrinkage, ensuring more consistent installs less prone to splitting than solid timber. Howwood timber battons are precisely manufactured, meaning that your installation will be faster and easier than other products on the market. The part that I like the most about these batons are they are H3 treated for long-term protection against decay and turmoiles. They use a waterborne H3 treatment which reduces reactivity with membranes and adhesives when compared to LOSP. These are the exact battens that you want to be using on your homes and your builds if you are considering building healthier homes or passive homes. Check them out. Highwood Timber Products. Yeah, so mate, I like I really like talking about stories and stuff and getting this sort of information out because we we do get quite a lot of young listeners, and um a few often reach out and like say like they don't know what they want to do. And I like I'm I I wanted I knew what I wanted to do from a very young age, but a lot of people some people might take three or four or a dozen jobs before they figure that out. And I want to get across to people that everybody's different, um, and everybody's journey is gonna be very different, so don't freak out. Like and uh it doesn't have to happen tomorrow. Yeah, yeah, it's like um and like I see you like you've got a big variety, like your kids are old and young. Yep. Um and I see like I've at the bar racing, like I see the joy you get out of your young girl when she's jumping on the horse and having a ball out there. Like ultimately that's what every like you gotta work towards, isn't it?

SPEAKER_00: 31:46

Like oh and I think you get like you say before, I think it it grows with what you really want. Like things change, like when you're 22 and 22 and you're mucking around and you're doing whatever you want, sort of thing, you know. I suppose you're just out of school and no one's really your boss of you anymore. I think that changes, but like you say, when you're working towards being secure, I guess, being secure and being secure with your family for your family. I think like you say, I'm a barrel race with Lacey and she just loves it. Like, like when she rides home and you got that smile on your face, like that's that's that's what we do it for, I guess.

SPEAKER_02: 32:21

She's a she's a cracker. That last event, um, when it was pissing down rain to pack up, and I come over, I can't remember what happened. Like, we I drove the truck around because we had to drop something off or pick something up or something, and she was walking across in the pitch black with a like holding all this shit. So Camille held the torch, and I I walked her over to your truck and she put the shit on the front seat and that. And I'd I we walk back to my truck and I said, You're right, like it's it's dark. Does dad know where you are? Yeah, yeah, no, it's all good, it's all good. And like Camille's like, uh, Steve's over there, she'll she um she can see him. But I I think kids get a lot out of getting away from the city. Oh, like it's um, I feel like a big problem with like even not so much a problem, I don't know if the wording drawn there, people are probably gonna crack the shits, but um, I see it in a lot of young people that we employ. They've never been out of the city. Yeah, like they they they're young, they think that life is waking up in the morning, going getting a drive-through coffee, turning up late for work, like no intent, um, and then just go buy and take it on the way home and living in a unit. Like, yeah, it's I don't know, for if it was up to me, everybody would have to spend some time in the country.

SPEAKER_00: 33:37

Yeah. I I I I think the the country is a it's a great, it's a great tablet, you know what I mean? Like people in the country. Like some of the people in the like even now, like I know some of the people around my property up there, like I got I got a you know, cattle dealer up here and be like, oh Kenny Klein and that. Like you couldn't get better people, like those fellows are they got you know they're a bit of that old generation, they can teach us so much, and it's just so enjoyable to listen to some of their stories. Yeah, definitely. And like you say, like they didn't have it, they didn't have it like we've got it, you know what I mean? Like, like, but yeah, I mean, little lacey, she's 10 year old. Like she has to do those, you know. I I know, I I like making her have to do things and have those challenges, you know what I mean? Like the dark is the dark, I guess. You know what I mean? Like she'll deal with it, sort of thing, you know.

SPEAKER_02: 34:29

Man, you mate, we've taken um some of my uh girls are 11 and 13. We've taken some of their friends to the farm, mate, and they get there and like, we s where are we sleeping? Like in the swags. And they they freak out. I don't I don't know what's going on.

SPEAKER_00: 34:44

But yeah, yeah, I think it's yeah, it's a it's a really like country. If you could if you could bottle up and pill and sell it, you'd sell a lot. Yeah, and it'd be you wouldn't have any comebacks, you know what I mean? Like it'd be it's just there's something in the air. Yeah. I think it's the lifestyle bit too, you know. Like most people, like I've said before, most people in the country are are pretty good people. Yeah, you know what I mean? Like they they'll they'll come and help you. Like, and I suppose that's probably it if you're if you're stuck somewhere, people are gonna come and help, you know. It's just what it is.

SPEAKER_02: 35:16

Yeah, I love it, mate. I definitely think more people should spend more time in it. But um, the other thing that I really try to get across in the podcast, sit down, buddy. Just got a big Walter bloody waltzing around today. It's a bit hot outside. Come on, buddy.

SPEAKER_00: 35:29

Smell my dog, can't you? Bless you train your dogs good anyway. I'm lucky you're a good builder.

SPEAKER_02: 35:40

He's running the show today, but um, yeah. The other thing I really want to get across or I try to get across in this podcast is um like the the building industry is an incredible industry, and it doesn't matter what trade you do or what business you have, like there's a there's a there's a good life and a good business to be had if you put in the effort. Um and like I think that's you're a testament to that. Like you're you're running a very great business, you've got like 25, 30 plus employees now, like you're you're smashing it out. Um so I think there's a lot of pressure on younger people like to be a chippy or to be a plumber or electrician or something. Yeah there the industry has so many opportunities that I think are overlooked.

SPEAKER_00: 36:31

100%. Like I I don't know of an industry that where you're out you're out in the day, you know, you're not you're not stuck in that air conditioning office, and you ever like most days in our industry, every day is different. There's not really a day that's the same, like you're in a different spot, you're driving to a different spot, you're doing different stuff. Um, yeah, I I I I don't think I think it's a great industry to be in. But the meter mechanic, I'd tell you that.

SPEAKER_02: 36:59

But it's like yeah, obviously there's the one that there's the ones that are really well known, but um like mate, I've had like I said, I haven't had uh a person like yourself um on the podcast yet, but like there are so many other things that like balustrading people's stare.

SPEAKER_00: 37:16

Um there's so many little trades that make that big trade. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And that's I suppose that's where that's where we come from, you know. People don't realise my business, how much we can do from sort of thing, you know. But all the aluminium outside houses and balustrading and all that sort of stuff. Like, we don't do a lot of balustrading, but we do so much other stuff. The the shutters, like I can go into a barbecue area now. I went to a lady yesterday um and in a patio area, and we put like all motorised zip tracks on the outside and shutters on this side. And like when you stood back and looked at it, she it was amazing, you know. I mean, and that's the things that make I mean, I'd love to be a builder, but I'm different, but you know what I mean? Like, I'm that's that's not me anymore. But this is my side of that, you know. We what it's enjoyable, really, really enjoyable.

SPEAKER_02: 38:02

Yeah, mate, what advice would you have for for younger people out there that want to get into the industry and aren't sure what to do?

SPEAKER_00: 38:08

I don't reckon it'd be hard to get in the industry if you've got 1%. That's sad. If you get one percent, there's there's builders out there, everybody out there is screaming for people. And if most time at work, if there's someone walks in off the street and looks for a job, I will try and find a job for them because they got the and that's how bad the disease is, that's only just walking in off the street.

SPEAKER_02: 38:30

How often have you had that happen recently?

SPEAKER_00: 38:33

Yeah, um, a couple of times, two or three times, and both times haven't been real successful successful. I thought, like I said before, I I thought one fellow could have really turned around, but if they don't have that one percent, uh try, I guess, they're gonna have a little bit of try. We can't do it all for them. But turning up, like, even at work, like I'm we're fairly full on because I'll have the guys load at six because to me, we go from Caboolture and I have guys in Boona, I have guys in Redcliffe, I have guys in the Gold Coast, Toomba, they're all over the place. So if we load them at six, that at least gets them out of a bit of traffic. So um we try and get them through the traffic a little bit, and then they're sort of done by 2.33 o'clock. Yeah. So that's not a bad day. Um, and I think most of most trades are similar to that sort of thing, you know? Yeah. So if you're a young fella and you're looking for like a job where you get up in the morning, I think it's great work in the morning. Yeah, me too. I love it. Best time of day. Best time of day. You get in the morning, you work, and you're done by three or two thirty-three o'clock. I don't think there's there's much of a better deal. That's that's pretty good. Gives you plenty of time in the afternoon to yeah, do whatever you want, you know, whether you you fish or you ski or you ride horses off.

SPEAKER_02: 39:45

So let's get into that a little bit. Like, I'm I'm keen to know more about it because you you you um you said it's been a little while, but you went roping the other weekend.

SPEAKER_00: 39:53

Yeah, yeah, uh we we'll rope. So when I was rodeoing, when I was rodeoing all the time, we I'd go like most weekends, I'd like all over Queensland, and like so. When I was really, really into it, we'd beside steer wrestling, I'd rope sort of thing. So most weekends we'd be gone. Like I'd load on Friday night and wouldn't get back to Sunday night or Saturday, this, you know, Sunday Sunday in the morning early, or so we'd we'd rope every weekend pretty much.

SPEAKER_02: 40:18

So for people listening that don't know what roping is, what what is it?

SPEAKER_00: 40:21

Um it's a roadie sport, I guess. There's two types of roving. There's calf roping, which I don't do, but there's team roping. So there's two guys in a team. One guy heads the steer heads the steer, which catches the steer by the horns, and then he'll turn that steer to the left, uh, about a 90 degrees, and the other guy will come around, he likes to catch he has to catch the back legs. So you're doing you're doing this with a rope. With a rope, yeah, with a with a lasso. Most people call it a lasso, but yeah, we just call it a rope. And so I I'm a heeler, so I'll come around the back and catch the legs. And that's but that's what we do for fun, you know. I mean, like we like it, it's enjoyable. Like training horses to do that, it's like you can't just go and get on a horse to do that. Like those horses are a train that we spend hours and hours and hours riding those horses and probably more hours out of the arena than in the arena, sort of thing, you know, like you know, doing those little things like we can like my good horses, you could you could even my bulldog and horses that you can where you look is when you look somewhere, your whole body changes, and those horses will nearly feel it. If you look there, they'll go there. And like you know, working them with your legs and all that sort of stuff. And like they know when you rope, you sit down in your saddle, so they'll stop. Because if they if they take that one step forward, it could cost you because the rope will fall over the this way and the steer will step out of it. Yeah, so we'll we want those those horses that when we rope, we we went rope, we'll sit down, we'll start our horses stop and they'll have to back arm. Yeah, so there's so much to that side of things that yeah, the average person wouldn't see. Average person will go to rodeo and go, look at that.

SPEAKER_02: 41:58

But those horses, those horses, like those good horses are mate, I I definitely don't know a lot, but the more even just this year talking to you and other people at the barrel racing, like horses blow my mind. Like how what they're such an animal, aren't they? Intelligent animal they are and how they react to things. But like that roping, um, I don't know what's a good time, but like I think it's absolutely friggin' insane how quickly like that's a big effort to head out as around the horns, and then another person comes through and get you gotta get both back legs, yeah. Both legs. So if you get one, you get penalised five seconds.

SPEAKER_00: 42:35

Yeah. So basically, if you don't catch both legs, you're not gonna win no money.

SPEAKER_02: 42:38

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00: 42:39

So, but yeah, you've got to basically come around and catch both legs. But yeah. But what are you doing that in? Uh most most people like like I I'm sitting around that you know between six and nine seconds, six, seven seconds sort of thing. But those good fellas, those good fellas can do it in fours, fives sort of thing.

SPEAKER_02: 42:56

Yeah, it's friggin' insane.

SPEAKER_00: 42:57

So you look at the steer wrestling side when we were steer when I was steer wrestling, so it's the same thing, you back your horse in the box, that steer's got seven or eight foot start on you. So when you nod your head, they let that steer go, and you there's you, and then you've got uh someone helping you on that side to keep the steer straight. So you run up there, get out of your saddle, catch that steer by the horns, feet hit the ground, and you'll throw the steer on his side, and we were in forwards to do that. So that's four seconds, and that's the most stupid thing about it. Well, you've got a bit of it now in the bar racing thing. We'll drive hours, hours and hours and hours to be four seconds and drive home with a smile on your face. Like you'll drive hours and hours, hours for the girls to be 13 seconds twice a day and go home. How good was that day? Yeah, we just competed for 26 seconds.

SPEAKER_02: 43:43

Oh mate, if I can do 13 seconds, I'll drive all the way to Australia.

SPEAKER_00: 43:46

But that's um they're they're 10 seconds off that at the moment. But but you know what I mean. Like that's that's what that's what it is, you know. You we would drive, I've driven all over the country, so I had to be four seconds.

SPEAKER_02: 43:55

Yeah, mate, I I I am just so like actually Camille's more addicted than I am. Like we I dreamt of having a farm and horses and just having a family that was in that, and I to be honest, I didn't know it would happen. The um, and but how everything's just fallen into place and then getting to hang out with people like yourself, and like I haven't met a lot of people at the events this year, but the people I have met are just such genuine down-to-earth people that you can hold a conversation with, you can, and it's a very it's I don't know, it's a very different conversation, but um you're not talking about like there's been no talk of business and what's happening in the city or what's happening on the news or any of that shit. Like it's it's all just been about the country and horses and cows, and yeah, um, I don't know, I really enjoy that stuff. But for me, um just seeing the growth in the uh in my girls, like just from being around the horses, um and even even me, like I mate to in all honesty, like three, four years ago, like I wouldn't have gone near a horse. Like, I was like, fuck, I'm not going there then they'll kick the shit out of me. Like, we can we can ride bikes for that, but um yeah, I got a lot of time for them. But like you obviously I think this this is other things I want to get across from the podcast. Like, you've got to have interest, don't you? Yeah, like you can't just be working flat out all day every day.

SPEAKER_00: 45:18

You gotta have you gotta have some oh no some enjoyment. Like, yeah, you gotta have some it gives you a goal to work towards it. Yeah, a bit of a relief, I guess. Yeah, especially when you're in a business that is full on. Do you know what I mean? Like, it's probably not so bad if you're just poking around and I mean you might be uh I don't know, you might you might be in business that's it's it's not that busy or it doesn't have deadlines. I think deadlines are a big a big a big thing because when you got deadlines, that's when you really, really gotta um push to get a play with him, right? When you have deadlines, you've got to meet deadlines if you're gonna mean if you're not meeting deadlines, that's when work becomes a bit of trouble. Yeah. Whereas if you're if you're in that industry where it doesn't matter, I don't know, if you probably more the retail side of thing. If you're going to work and you've got to sell, I don't know, you're selling TVs. It doesn't really matter if you're selling me, don't for us, you got a deadline, you got a you got you got a settlement to make sure everything's done. For you guys, you guys got yeah, I'm on one trade, but you deal with 50 trades to build that house, yeah, and you've got to make sure they're all there on the right day. Yeah. So

SPEAKER_02: 46:21

Oh look, it's definitely a battle. I I enjoy it. We've got a lot of team that helps out, but it and look, it's definitely not all me. Like it's by using good trades like yourself that show up when they're gonna show up and all those types of things. But it's I don't know, the whole point of telling these stories is to to show people that they're not the only one. Yeah. They're not the only one dealing with deadlines or tight schedules or business stress or any of that sort of stuff. Like at the end of the day, anyone that puts themselves out there to like it, well, at the end of the day, having a job is hard. Yeah. Having a business is hard. Yeah. So you just got to choose your heart. Yeah, I suppose. What do you want to do? Do you do you want to go to work and not enjoy your job and have that hard? Or do you want to put in the effort to have a business and have a hard that's actually going to reward you in the future?

SPEAKER_00: 47:08

Yeah. Yeah. Um I think I think one of the one of the things like with working, if you if you really don't get set yourself a goal or set yourself something to get to, like you said before, intent or get to somewhere. I think that can really make you flat. You know, if you don't have something where you've got to push towards or have something pushed towards, that can really make things tough.

SPEAKER_02: 47:31

100%. I I think having goals is a like everyone should have a goal. Yeah. And I think the goals need to be big.

unknown: 47:37

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02: 47:38

But you need to set goals that because if you have a goal that's way up here and you only get to here, it's still better than having a goal that's here and only getting to here.

SPEAKER_00: 47:45

Yeah, or not even starting.

SPEAKER_02: 47:47

Yeah, or not even starting.

SPEAKER_00: 47:48

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02: 47:49

Um, like having a goal, writing them down, and and just having the intent to drive towards that and do what needs to be done is is can change your life.

SPEAKER_00: 47:59

Like, I think another big thing with with life and whether it's being a cowboy or whether it's being around country people or your business, you've got to have good people around you. Like my my manager and Adam and like those guys at my work, if they're good, they're good people, you know, that they want they want to be good too. Yeah. In rodeo, like, and I know in rodeo because when you're in rodeo, we all compete together, we're competing against each other, but everyone helps someone to try and be better. Like it's the strangest thing with rodeo. Rodeo, you don't get paid, you pay an entry fee. You don't get paid, you only get paid if you win, but then you've got no problem helping someone that's probably going to try and beat you. Yeah. But it's just the way it is, you know what I mean? Like, everyone's trying for everyone to be that little bit better. Because if he's better, like I'm gonna be better to beat him again. So you just it multiplies. Yeah. And like at work, like I I I've got a really good, really good team. And those having those good people around me is is what you need, you know. If you you know how they say in those in those other things, like if you've got a bad egg or something like that, it'll multiply quickly. Multiply super quickly. But if you've got good people that want to help it goes the other way. 100%.

SPEAKER_02: 49:13

Oh, if you've got good people that put in the effort, that you'll obviously you get rid of the bad eggs that don't want to come up, but if you've got good people, most of the time people will start um along that sort of intention as well, like trying to live up or step up to that sort of expectation. But um, mate, before we wrap it up, like tell us a little bit. Uh, like I only found out the last time your son's a bit of a uh country music guru.

SPEAKER_00: 49:37

Yeah, well, yeah, no. Or he's gonna be. So I hope so. So young Tate. So Tate's my eldest son, 20 22, just finishing a couple of degrees now. So he uh he's got a couple of songs on Spotify now, calls himself take coal band. Um and Tate Cole band. Take coal, t-a t e c L L E. But if you're listening to this, go to Spotify and check it out. Yeah, so Tate's um, yeah, he's got a couple of songs on Spotify and sings, sings in the city, does a lot of band gigs, and he's all over the place and like good kid, and like he wants to do good too, you know. So he goes really good. And so he's he's a country, he's a yeah, he's in that country music side of things, sort of thing, eh?

SPEAKER_02: 50:18

I reckon he'll go well, mate. When after you told Camille and I, we definitely jumped on and started listening to him, and you know, like on Spotify, when you listen to somebody, it sort of keeps feeding you similar sounding people, I guess. Yeah, and um like it's been doing that because I I've been listening to him a bit and it's been doing that, and there's a a lot of songs that I just thought it was him, they sounded like him, and yeah, yeah. When I've looked, it hasn't been him. But when you see the people that it's put in that my list, yeah, like it's like it's good, mate.

SPEAKER_00: 50:47

Like my manager rang me the other day and he goes, and like Kelly rings me, he goes, Want to know something cool? I said, Yeah, what she goes, I just drived along and Tate's song come on. He said, I'm on the radio. He goes, she goes, I know him. So yeah, so that's cool. And then so then I've got another young Bo. He's so Bo's a year younger than Tate, so 80 months younger than Tate, and he's doing a degree in robotic engineering at the moment in in Brisbane here, and then there's young Lacey. So that's that's the kids. But yeah, Tate, he's he sings good, he goes pretty good.

SPEAKER_02: 51:18

Yeah, no, mate. Look, I really appreciate your time um coming on today. Where can people find you? How do they get in touch with you if they want some screens?

SPEAKER_00: 51:25

If they want screens and blinds, like Google all sorts of installations, um, give us a call. Like, we're huge on huge on service, you know, and if there's a problem we fix it, and if there's not a problem, you'll be happy. And I guarantee, like, we look after people, you know. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02: 51:37

So and um, mate, what's what's level up mean to you?

SPEAKER_00: 51:42

Um I I think I think honesty, honesty, like with my customers, like I always say that uh if you're honest and don't really rip anyone off and be a be up show up and turn up on time to do a decent job, you don't have to advertise, and I don't advertise. So I think that's being up front and people if there's a problem, fix it, let people know. And I I guess the what the work life sort of thing, you know, the countryside of things that's my saviour in my whole business. Like I get to drive home to a nice property, and I'm I I drive around look at red cows, and like it's it's stupid, but I can drive around and look at cows and their calves and go, life's pretty good, you know. Yeah, so that's yeah.

SPEAKER_02: 52:27

No, well, mate, you've done really well. I'm um yeah, I'm glad we've got to spend some time together this year and get to know each other a little bit better. And well, if yeah, my girl's got anything to do it, there's gonna be a lot more of it. Yeah, it's good. Let's come at the home one day. But um, mate, appreciate your time. Uh look for everyone that's listening, uh, make sure you like, share, subscribe, all those things on uh Spotify, YouTube, all the places you can find to listen and watch this podcast. Um, if you haven't been to the DwaynePears.com website yet, make sure you go there and get on board with our merchandise so that you can help support the level up movement. And um, look, as always, let's uh look forward to seeing you on the next podcast.