The Construction Business Blueprint #027 - Throwing Books at the Wall to 6 Figure Months

From chaos behind the scenes to real control in just four months.

 In this episode, Marc sits down with Nathan from TLA Home Solutions to unpack what really changed inside his business after joining the Construction Business Blueprint.

From the outside, things looked good. Nathan was busy, winning jobs, and growing.

But behind the scenes, there was no structure, no systems, no visibility on the numbers, and no real control.

Long days, late nights, stress at home, and a business that depended on him for everything.

This conversation breaks down the real shift:
 Not just better systems, but better decisions, clearer thinking, stronger leadership, and a business that now has the structure to grow properly.

Inside the episode, Nathan shares:

• what the business actually felt like before joining
• why he hesitated to invest in mentorship
• what surprised him once he came on board
• the hard truths that changed everything
• how systems, trackers, and structure gave him time back
• the shift from chaos to clarity in the numbers
• how rebranding to TLA Home Solutions opened up new growth
• why he now sees what’s actually possible in the next stage of business

If you’re busy on paper but feel like the business is still running you, this episode will hit home.

This is a real conversation about what happens when a trade business owner stops winging it and starts building properly.

If this resonates, subscribe, share it with someone in the same position, and reach out if you’re ready to make the same shift.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Nathan and TLA Home Solutions

00:18 Why Nathan didn’t join straight away

01:08 What the business really felt like before help

03:28 Knowing something was wrong, but not knowing what

04:55 The hesitation around investing

07:10 Why the previous mentorship wasn’t enough

09:44 The real fear: what would be exposed?

11:06 The project that became the turning point

13:53 What surprised Nathan after joining

16:15 Why slowing down was the biggest challenge

18:23 The rebrand to TLA Home Solutions

20:53 Why Nathan needed hard truths, not hype

23:58 The personal shift as a founder

28:15 The business results: close rate, margins, revenue

36:12 Time back, freedom, and thinking bigger

39:00 Was joining the Blueprint worth it?

42:24 Nathan’s advice to anyone on the fence

Transcript

Why Nathan Joins The Studio

SPEAKER_02 0:00

Welcome back to the construction business blueprint YouTube channel. So today's a bit of a podcast style YouTube setting today, similar to what we've done before with one of the other clients. So today we've got Nathan, the the bag of energy of Nathan TLA Home Solutions. Um Nathan joined us in December 2025. So you've only been with us for about four months, Nathan, yeah? Yeah, four months now, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 0:19

It's actually fluent to be honest.

SPEAKER_02 0:21

All right, it always does. But to give a wee bit of context, we're gonna get into it here during the the conversation. But um you didn't jump straight into the mentorship. We've been speaking for quite a while. We had a lot of conversations before you actually came on board. You came across from another mentorship as well. We're gonna get into that. Um, and kind of a bit of a summary from the outside looking in, um things maybe looked very different from the outside than what the reality was, and that's what we sort of uncovered when you came on board. So we're gonna get into that. Um, like I say, when we opened the bonnet, there's a lot of blind spots, and we're gonna talk about from where you'd started off there. Um I think you're one of the fastest guys to come through a lot of the stuff that we went through, and that's by personality, by nature. Um, but it's amazing, you know, to bring you on to show how how quickly things can change. Um, so in four months from from where you were to where you are now. Um, and again, it's only the beginning as well. So we're still, you know, we you signed up initially for the the six months, then you ended up a couple of days later, I think, signed up for a year and when you realised what was possible. Um, so we're gonna talk about through a bit what's changed, what things look like in the beginning, what we done, how we achieved what we achieved, where Nathan is now, where he's going, etc. etc. So today again isn't about hype or what everything else. We're just gonna unpack what really changed to give everybody a bit of a an understanding of what goes on inside the construction business blueprint. Um, but we'll hand it over to Nathan. I'm sure you've seen Nathan on socials, he's very active on the socials, um, like him or love him, but here he is, and we're gonna go through the story today. So,

Busy Work And Zero Control

SPEAKER_02 2:00

Nathan, just uh sort of the first question then um before the change when we first spoke, I know it was kind of different. What you keep what you thought maybe you came to the blueprint for and what ended up actually happening. It's actually a great kind of story, you know. It's a good it's a good sort of wee run through, and it's it's it's great to have you in here. Tell me how the business felt you at the time before saying like November last year, before actually coming on.

SPEAKER_01 2:24

Just didn't have any control on it to be honest. Um, there was no systems in place, it was just winging it, you know. I could I was able to get jobs in okay. Um, but at the time, like I had no control on the business. Like I didn't know, I was always falling behind, I was always like working like nine o'clock pricing jobs, and then we were it was just no sis, it was just carnage, it was just crazy.

SPEAKER_02 2:49

But like, but you were you were you were still on paper as such doing well, like you were busy?

SPEAKER_01 2:55

We were doing well, yeah, but uh it was just like doing well, and then the work was just taking all my life. I was just constantly just like on the laptop night time, didn't really know what was happening to the business, like didn't understand didn't understand anything about business. All I knew was how to sell and how to deliver. Get the jobs done. Exactly.

SPEAKER_02 3:17

Yeah, I think that's where that's the the I think that's the limitations of what people think is actually required in this game is get jobs, do the jobs, move on to the next thing, but there's so much more to it. Um what was your sort of understanding of before you started of of what was involved beyond that? Like what what did you know, or maybe what didn't you know, or what like did you know when you came, when you came to me and you reached out the first time, did you know, right, Mark, I've got this problem, this problem, this problem, or did you just know there was something wrong but didn't really know what what needs fixed?

SPEAKER_01 3:52

I knew it was something wrong in the business, like because you know it's not normal to be working like 14-15 hours, but I obviously thought it was great because you know I love grafting, I was like, this is great, look how much hours I'm putting in, but you're busy, exactly. But I was a busy fool. Do you know what I mean? Um no, I honestly didn't realise how much the business needed, the systems and everything in place. Yeah, um, I didn't realise what we needed, to be honest.

SPEAKER_02 4:17

Yeah, 100%. So let's talk about the moment you reached out. So it took me a while to obviously I don't try and convince anybody, but whenever I spoke to you, I suppose this is the difference between trying to give somebody a hard sale or trying to get people on inside and to work with them. But I spoke to you, I heard what you were going through. Um, Dan was on the programme, good friend of yours as well, and you've seen what what he was doing inside there. Um, maybe I knew more um than you did about what you needed at the time just speaking to you. And I was like, Nathan, listen, I'm not trying to convince you, take it or leave it, but I know what we can do here, I know what what's possible. Um, but you were hesitant at first, so talk me through that. What what made you what made you hesitant?

SPEAKER_01 5:01

It was yeah, well, at first, even with Dan, you know, when Dan remember Dan ringing me and he was like, I'm gonna be looking for the someone um to help me and guide me, and I was like, right, brilliant. Obviously, he found yourself, and then I Dan was just ringing me going, Oh mate, I'm flying all this year. And I started, I'm not a jealous person, I'm never jealous, but I started being jealous, and I was like, yeah, and I was like, I I need to be Dan. Um, and then and then I was like exactly, but I was like kind of like, is he, you know, is he don't is this just one of the things is he high at the minute and then is it going to the drop down? Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 5:40

Yeah, so obviously yes, but the investment was always is always uh a stumbling block because you have to put your money where your mouth is, you have to pay for what the services and make your own.

SPEAKER_01 5:56

Yeah. And when you're you know, you don't realise again it's it's a company, you know, you can get all the back back and everything like that, but you don't realise how much important there is actually investing in yourself and what that you know where that can actually take you.

SPEAKER_02 6:11

Well, talk about the investment. Obviously, you're saying about the return. So when you when you're investing something tangible in construction, like a new piece of equipment or tools or a van, it's like you can physically see that. Yeah, um, only you know the the pain, the difficulty you're having, the late nights, the long days. Like, there's nobody, like I always say on the calls, there's nobody cheering on the founder work. Like the founder work is quiet work, the work that you're doing on the business that that brings it forward. There's nobody there waiting on that or relying on that because that's that's all you, and you only you're sort of initially getting the benefit of that, but only you know again the pain and and suffering as such as you as you're going through. So whereas yeah, when you're investing that and you're saying, like, what am I really getting for this? You don't realise the return on investment until you've actually achieved it, and you go, Wow, like yeah, do you know what I mean? That's it was worth it, do you know what I mean?

SPEAKER_01 7:01

Yeah, absolutely.

SPEAKER_02 7:02

Yeah, um, but yeah, so you were all you were on another mentorship at the time. So, what made you look elsewhere? Like, what was it that made you obviously feel that you were you were missing something or something else?

SPEAKER_01 7:11

What were you hoping would change? Like, obviously, my mindset was on point, you know, that I I wanted, you know, as we touched back on the law of attracts and everything like that, and it was a massive subject at the minute for everyone in the manifestation and all, and you write your goals and stuff, but you know, when you ask, when you ask a universe something and you're writing it and say it does show up, you know, how do you then manage that? You know, I had you know we were having massive jobs coming in, and I was overwhelmed. And like you say in uh your podcast and stuff, like there's no point building if your foundation's weak. And my foundations was just it had no foundation, it was just rocking, like um, and it's just like yeah, and I was trying, I was trying to build a massive skyscraper on a foundation that didn't exist, yeah. So obviously, you know, if I kept building, it's eventually just gonna fall. Yeah, um, and lucky I didn't build, I obviously then come to yourself, and uh I'm glad I did.

SPEAKER_02 8:12

Yeah, 100%. Um, so what was the real what do you what if you could put a thing on? I know you mentioned the investment. Um, was it maybe a bit of ego, maybe maybe pride? What what was the main reason or hesitation of actually making the leap? You like you know, for a lot of people, you you'd been on you know mentorships or programs before. Um, this is obviously very, very different from anything you've experienced, but um you kind of knew what was possible when working with somebody or getting coached or getting mentored. Um so for a lot of guys, they have never, especially in our industry, like they've never had any experience of that at all. So what but it's funny, it's it's interesting to hear how that's usually the main hesitation point for guys in our industry in the construction industry, is that this is completely new territory. Getting coached or mentored or anything else, and it all sounds fluffy, and it all sounds like you know, and people see what's out there online, and it is a lot of it is a biggest load of bullocks. So it's it's interesting that you had been through a mentorship and and seemingly that you you know you kind of got some of what you wanted out of it, but you were still hesitant. So even though you knew what was possible working with somebody, what do you think was still the main h hesitation factor?

SPEAKER_01 9:21

I don't know. You know, it's like all of us like procrastination lives inside us, like doing and it was just one of them things I I don't know.

SPEAKER_02 9:29

I'm gonna challenge you on that, right? Is it and I'm not putting words in your mouth, I'm just gonna ask you the question because of the journey that happened there, do you think you were maybe afraid of what was gonna be exposed in your business? And then you would have had to actually face that and and and jet dive into it, or yeah, like to be honest, yeah, it would probably be one of the look you came to meet, you're a confident guy, right? You can see you're online, socials, everything's buzzing, everything's going really well. And then essentially when we came together, I was like, right, Nathan, here's the reality. Yeah, and it was like wallop.

SPEAKER_01 9:59

Yeah, no, it was like obviously, like you said, the knowing your numbers know sometimes that scares business owners because they would like a lot of people, like the other day I was just chatting to a fella in the embroidery, and he he didn't know his overhead percentages, and a lot of businesses don't. Yeah, and it's kind of yeah, I was kind of like, Do I really want to know? Correct. Do you know what I mean? Um, and obviously, everyone should know. There's no point running a business blindfolded, like so. Yeah, like uh I was just hesitant of obviously I was already on the program before, different programmes, so I kind of think to myself, is it gonna be one of these things? You know, is it gonna be one of these ones you're just gonna be listening? Is it really gonna benefit me, Terrain?

SPEAKER_02 10:39

It

The Investment Fear And Hesitation

SPEAKER_02 10:40

was are things really gonna change, exactly.

SPEAKER_01 10:42

Yeah, and yeah, is Dan telling the truth or is that lying?

SPEAKER_02 10:47

He'll be laughing. I'll come with the he listens to this one. Um, okay, so what what then tipped the decision? So obviously we spoke. Um what what what tipped the decision? And be honest about it.

SPEAKER_01 10:59

You have to yeah, well, you just have to take risks in life, don't you? And it it's either a good risk or it's a bad risk, and bigger the risks, the bigger reward. So I just went, look, what's the worst can happen? Do you know what I mean? So I just thought, yeah, let's just go for it. Yeah. And I want to change. That's what made that's what really made me want to go for it, because I was stuck in that circle, just going around, couldn't get the right people, and it was just going round and round and round, and I knew if I didn't obviously change myself and go for ask for help, then I would just be still probably still stuck in that position. Yeah, absolutely. Or probably company would have been gone.

SPEAKER_02 11:34

Yep, 100%. And and again, you'd put in the graft, you'd put in the hard work, but again, like you touched on at the start, you were driving blind, you'd you'd you'd kind of don't ask about face, which a lot of guys do, which is you know, you know, every the work you were doing was bringing in more work, more volume, but then how do you deal with that volume? You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_01 11:52

So that's what kind of made me as well. We had a big pro we had a project down in Limerick, and it was just it was just chaos.

SPEAKER_02 11:59

Yeah, what size of a project was that in terms of value?

SPEAKER_01 12:02

It was it was only what I was in nine houses, so it would only been about I think it was fifty-six thousand.

SPEAKER_02 12:08

And what was that compared to the kind of jobs you were you starting off with in business?

SPEAKER_01 12:13

That would have been a big one, yeah. Um but again, no systems in place, it was just chaos, it was just deliveries, it was just mental. And I said to myself, I was just like, This has to change because this is mental, and I already knew I had another job going ahead, another bigger job. And I was like, I need to have systems in place now, or we need to change, otherwise, this is just you know, stress causes chaos, and you know, it just makes you like it, just you know, stress and cause just craziness. I mean, you just go nuts, and then in the end, you're just gonna quit.

SPEAKER_02 12:44

Yeah, and how was like we're talking about the business a lot, but how was how was that stress and everything you were going through affecting you personally outside of the business, even?

SPEAKER_01 12:52

Yeah, in my personal life, like it was just going, it was just crazy. Like I remember when Lindsay joined on board and it was like £500 a week I was giving her, and uh it was like she was getting things wrong, but that was because of me. I didn't have the right things in place, and I mean I was just throwing books at the office wall and all the just going mental. And that isn't me, like to me. Um launching books guy. I am it, I am, but that's what I'm saying. Like, imagine then if I want I no, I want about 300 staff work for me. That would be mental. I'd be running out of books. Yeah, you have to be running I'd be throwing them everywhere, like you need to work on a letter for them.

SPEAKER_02 13:35

Uh yeah, so again, we like we touched on that, and we're we're we'll get into that in more detail. It's just about the early days in the program. So when you when you first came on board, obviously there was a lot of skepticism, you were you were concerned, you kind of you kind of didn't know what to expect because it's hard, especially for me. I can sort of see what we can do with you. I can kind of see was when you came on board what surprised you so did you come into this thinking, right, Mark, this is this is what I need, and then when the conversation for me, how is that different? You know, talk me through the journey of when we had the onboarding, the conversations we had, you know, how did you think it was gonna go compared to how it went?

SPEAKER_01 14:15

It was like when when the first day I arrived in the office, you know, you had a lot of time for me, you listened to me, and then you're you know, you put everything like my brain's nuts, like yes, um having ADHD isn't great, like so it just goes mental. So I have really good ideas, but then the only thing I lack in is putting that idea to plan, and without the plan and strategy, it's just it's nothing, you know what I mean? Just in the wind, like so. Having you in the office, show me everything what we need, and giving us what we need to do right now. It was the invoice trackers, the job trackers, and the company folder, and you know, ha and you were talking us right through it. You were very like, you know, your patience with us, like you were guiding us through everything, you were telling us where we are, and then you were asking us for our what our turnover was, you know, to get the right numbers for us. So it just felt really like like as if we were listened to and you had time for us. Yeah, and it wasn't one of these ones, thank you, thanks for the money, and I'll see you later. Yeah, go join the queue because it's such a man.

SPEAKER_02 15:20

Yeah, and I was actually just saying the rent at the start, like a a lot of guys joining recently, um, you know, through the webinar and other things, and the business plans. Obviously, there's a lot of there's a lot of depth that goes into that. Like, were you surprised again about the level of depth? Did you did you have all the answers? Like, so obviously, I was asking you certain things, you know, you you didn't have them, you know, half of the stuff I didn't know.

SPEAKER_01 15:43

Yeah, and like it was crazy to actually I th I think every business person, I was actually only saying this to Lindsay the other day, every business person needs to go on a program like this because you know it's only so much we get taught in school, we didn't get taught this in school to me. Um I'm sitting here with no GCSEs, like, and that's most business people as well. So especially in construction, everyone needs a coach in life, like to get them where they exactly they need to be.

SPEAKER_02 16:08

So yeah, 100%. So when you didn't have those answers, how did we then obviously then I had to you know teach you those things, I had to show you those things. Uh, and again, you're the kind of guy who whether it's the 88th day nine times out of ten, that's what's down to for you, but it's just you wanted everything done tomorrow.

SPEAKER_01 16:26

Yeah, like I hate waiting, so yeah, I wanted to just basically have all these systems and have more working by the next day, but that wasn't you know, that's never gonna happen.

SPEAKER_02 16:35

Well, that was a huge challenge for both of us because my biggest task with you was was trying to slow you down and you and you didn't like it, but no, but the reality was like I could have I could have sent you out, I could have went you any thing, you know, run away at it. Um but we had a lot of tough conversations, yeah, and fair play, you took you took it on the chin. Um like I'm I'm very direct with people, but like so talk talk through those conversations. Obviously, you're the kind of guy who you wanted everything done yesterday, you were jumping at every opportunity, you were getting sidetracked, you were getting distracted, you know. Talk us through that and how that person then to this person now, essentially.

SPEAKER_01 17:15

Yeah, I was just like, Do you know what do you know what it reminds me of? You know, when a kid just wants to run and then you have him on the reins, uh that's what it felt like with you guys just like holding me and I just wanted to run, and I couldn't because you were holding me back as such, but that's a good thing, like because

Onboarding Depth And Building Systems

SPEAKER_01 17:30

if you just made me just like you know, just go loose. It was like even with obviously we touched base there on the you know, reining me in and getting me where we needed to be, yeah, and then in the space of three weeks wherever we had everything running and it was perfect, yeah. Whereas even with the rebrand as well, like yeah, I was literally I wanted that rebrand done tomorrow. Yes, I wanted the I wanted everything done tomorrow, like and I wanted social media change, I wanted this, and you know, if it wasn't for you, like I think it would have just gone uh shit to be honest, because like you had that you had that mapped out plan perfectly, the execution plan, everything just went how it should have been. Yep, and again, I would have just gone, here guys, today we are TLA home solutions, yes, we were TLA glazing, you know, that quick. Yeah, but uh with you, you kind of helped me and guided me and put a massive plan together, and we executed it and that was that was that was after we'd had already gone in and done the plan.

SPEAKER_02 18:24

So obviously, anyone that comes into the into the mentorship or when we when we work together, we go in, we do a deep business plan. That plans either for six months or nine months, nine or six months or a year initially. Um we done the plan with you, you came on board, you you rang me about the was it day. That plans change loads, but but you um but you rang me and you were like you're in for six months, and then I don't know what made you you flick the switch. I think was it what you s when you seen what was possible? There was obviously a moment where you you had that skepticism and you joined for six months, and then you rang me. I think it was a week later, and you were like, I'm in for the year.

SPEAKER_01 19:01

Yeah, because like what was it? It was when I opened everything up, and it was like loads and loads of uh videos on everything, and I was looking at myself as like I can't do this in six months, like you know, there's no chance, like I'm either gonna do it right or I'm gonna do it wrong. And I already just paid the money for the investment in myself and in the business. So I thought to myself, like, look, you know, I need to be in this for a year realistically to make this happen and change as a person and yeah, become a founder and become that person I've always wanted to be.

SPEAKER_02 19:33

Yeah, so obviously when you when you initially joined that that sort of scepticism was holding you back, you were still a wee bit hesitant, but then when you sat with me, we went through everything, I opened up what we needed to do, and you'd seen how involved maybe I was as well. You thought to yourself, No, I'm in the right place.

SPEAKER_01 19:49

Yeah, absolutely. Like that when I was in the office that day and you you know mapped everything out for us, and then when I seen all the systems, I was just like, Yeah, I this is gonna work for me. Yeah, and like I said, the proof's gonna put him with Dan. Then I started realising Dan wasn't just bullshitting, he was actually telling the truth. So then I was like, you know what? If Dan is now flying, then it's time might you know it's time for me to fly now as well with him. And I don't have to listen to him saying, mate, I'm doing amazing all this year because now I'm ringing him saying I'm doing amazing. So the yeah, yeah, okay. Shoes on the other foot now.

SPEAKER_02 20:24

Fair enough, fair enough. Um so yes, those tough conversations. Was it uncomfortable for you? Obviously, we had like yeah, you wanted to everything yesterday. I say slowing you down is probably the wrong word, but we we done things in a much more everything I do is based on metrics, method. There has to be a plan, strategy. Um you kind of just wanted to go. I think he actually said I think he actually used the words that you'd heard from somebody else or or how you were taught before, which was you know, act first and act ask questions later or figure it out later. Yeah, exactly. Yeah, that's completely the opposite of the thing.

SPEAKER_01 20:58

I've just felt like I've wasted my about I don't know how many I've literally read everything of Grant Codone and like you said, they like commit first and then figure the rest out later. Yeah, but that's pure bullshit because like if you commit to a massive job, you ain't got time to figure that out.

SPEAKER_02 21:16

No, not in our game, no, definitely not definitely be exposed very, very quickly.

SPEAKER_01 21:21

Yeah, so um I think I've kind of learnt off the wrong people because you know I don't live in America, I live in Northern Island, so it's like I need to be on the same level as Northern Island.

SPEAKER_02 21:32

But I think even rather than logistically, you're you're you're you're listening to guys or dealing with guys who are outside of our construction space, and I think that that's maybe the difference where in other industries that might work. Um well I I would I would obviously push that it's not, but we talked about how even that's like almost a sales tactic as well. Because look, I could I could I could have got you in here, I could have sat you down, and I could have said, Nathan, go for this job, go for that job, and I could have stuck this camera in your face and said Nathan. What size of jobs are you doing before now? Oh, 10 grand. Where are you now? Oh, half a million. And and that looks fantastic to everybody on here. Wow, I want to do that. But you'd have been walking outside and jumping in front of the first bus you could see because you were miserable. Do you know what I mean? Or you were skint? So, you know, what things look like on the outside, that's what kick people kind of go for. But for me, I'm heavily invested, obviously, in you and your business, and I want to help you as a person more than just the you know the the uh the vanity of the metrics of turnover and everything like that. So how did yeah? So did you kind of feel judged? Did you feel supported? Did you feel because obviously we equivocks it's been a lot of raised voices, even like Nathan, fucking will you fucking listen, calm down, you know? Yeah, but you did. Do you know what I mean? You did, and you took on the chin. Are you glad? Like, are you uh are you glad that that's how that conversation did go? Um, how do you think it would have gone if that conversation hadn't happened?

SPEAKER_01 22:54

Or yeah, no, sometimes in life you need to listen to those things you don't want to listen to, do you mean and you need that kind of people in your life because if someone's just going, Yeah, yeah, you're doing a great job, you're doing good, keep going, you know, you're just gonna end up on the wrong path, like, and you're just gonna think you're doing amazing, really, or not. So you need someone to actually bring you off the high horse, bring you back down to whoof, yeah, and uh and for you to be told, and then it's up to yourselves then to listen or take it on the board, like you said, or just you know, just being like, fuck him.

SPEAKER_02 23:22

Yeah, well that's it, and it's easy it's easy to do that. It's it's difficult to have those difficult conversations, but it's it's more difficult for you to take ownership

Founder Mindset Ownership And Leadership

SPEAKER_02 23:30

and say, Do you know what? Yeah, you're right, and listen and try and make the change. So talking about those changes, you mentioned the systems, the processes, the resources that were available, they're all to me the easy stuff, they're quick and easy to execute. Um, but we're talking a lot about you as a person, your personality, you as a business owner, you as a founder, you as a as an employee or an employer to your employees and a leader as well. Let's talk about that. Like again, four months from throwing books and but loads of books on the table, yeah, and damaged. So that but like Lindsay's your partner, so obviously that's that's the relationship with home life and everything else. Like, we have had to do a lot of work as you as a founder. Again, I've sort of wouldn't say slowed you down, but I've calmed you down, I've made you think differently, think clearer. So talk about that shift uh as you from you as a person.

SPEAKER_01 24:19

Yeah, it's massive, like even the personal life. Like, don't get me wrong, there's some some blips now still um yeah, like like but it's handling it, you know, it's going back like the daily daily diary. Like I live for that now. Go back to the basics, yeah. 100%, and you know, I always have now what went well today, what didn't, and what wasn't planned, what came up. And it it's brilliant because then once you do all that, you can actually then realize, right, that's the problem. Now let's let's fix that. Yeah, you know, it was like yesterday, it was absolutely carnage, but it was so easy for me then to control it. You know, my lads uh they ripped the dough out, easier done. I should have gone there. You know, I actually held my hand up and said, Yep, my fault to the rep who didn't order the door, and he said, No, no, it was mine. I said, Yeah, but I should have checked it. No, ask me taking responsibility before I'd have gone, yeah, you're a dickhead, you should have done what I mean. It's your fault, mate. Yeah, yeah. So um, yeah, like the panel was wrong, it wasn't even there, it wasn't even ordered. And the customer didn't want plywood, so I had to go out, act fast, go and get glass, change it, put it, get drop it off to the lads, and then everything in now has been ordered, it's getting fast tracked, and the panel's gonna be here next week. So it's like if that was me in November, I would have probably just been screaming, shouting, nothing would have probably got done, and I probably would have just stuck the plywood in and told the customer, you know, it is, where is it? It's not my fault. Yeah, do you know what I mean? So uh, and again, taking ownership is one of the best things you can ever do. Because it just, you know, it's it is my fault.

SPEAKER_02 25:46

Like, do you know what it's 100% and like talk me through that? You mentioned um like Lindsay's Lindsay's been fantastic, but the expectation of of that of which is what most of our our guys do, our clients, all the lads and all and say the program stuff would do, we we we drop our misses into the business and expect them to to run with it.

SPEAKER_01 26:04

Yeah, like just throwing it deep and swimming.

SPEAKER_02 26:08

So talk us, talk us through that. Obviously, like Lindsay, Lindsay then had also come onto the program as with the business. Um, she went through all the trainings, we coached her, we've done her a plan, everything, what she needed. Um, you know, again, you then as a as an as an employer, um you look at things very differently now. Like we had those conversations where you would have rang up about you know one of the fetters or one of the guys or the admin or Lindsay or anybody like that, and you'd have said, Mark, this is what's happening wrong, this is what she's doing wrong, this is what he's doing wrong. And I kind of shoned the mirror up. I'm just like, It's your fault. I know. And you're like, why the fuck's it my fault now? It's like because you dropped her in, you didn't explain it to her, you didn't, and now like now you're able to see that for yourself, which is amazing. So, like in four months, what what's often like what is massive for me as as a coach mentor, as the consultant, like working with you, is that now you you have the knowledge and the awareness to identify your own problems. Yeah, I don't have to tell you anymore. So it's like you have like that's a massive learning curve, a massive level of awareness that's just completely flipped. Um, and I think people underestimate that that win, you know, that win of like, you know, for me, like we always say about personal training. Personal training, if you still need to be trained in the same exercises and whatever, yes, accountability to decide, but if you still don't go into the gym and don't know what to do, then you're not being coached very well. You should know exactly what you need to do because you've been coached well. So that to me is that to me is massive over everything else. How long have you how long have you been in business before coming on board?

SPEAKER_01 27:40

Uh so I started uh TLE Glazing in 2019. So I'd have been in business for what that's nearly seven years or something, isn't it? Yeah. Um yeah, seven years in total.

SPEAKER_02 27:53

Yeah, and you came to me then only four months ago. Yeah, you built something quite you know quite substantial since then. Let's talk about the results even in four months from from November tonight in terms of revenue, in terms of profit margin, in terms of like whatever you're doing. Obviously, you've come you've you've came to me, you've completely now rebranded TLA Home Solutions.

SPEAKER_01 28:15

Talk talk us through that transition, and we're yeah, TLA Home Solutions was like a literally an idea, but I'm so glad no, it's paid off because I seen exactly what I was capable of doing because I had the guys all around me, yeah. So I knew I could deliver and I knew it'd work. Yeah, um and yeah, TLA Home Solutions now with flying, like with garage conversions, with bathrooms going on now, not only just windows, so it's more exciting, you know, helping other homeowners. So the same customer now, instead

Rebrand Focus And Cutting Distractions

SPEAKER_01 28:45

of getting Windows office, they're getting other services, yeah, which they already trust us, so it makes sense to and you know to buy office again and make sure then they're not gonna get ripped off, yeah, and get that level of quality across.

SPEAKER_02 28:56

Yeah, so it kind of like you are a guy that sees opportunity, uh, and again, not getting distracted, again, even that plan of of going for that. You were like, I want to do this, I want to do this, I want to do this. And I say, Well, hold on, like yeah, this is the same thing. How are we doing this? How are we doing that?

SPEAKER_01 29:08

I don't know if the universe is testing me, but I had loads of opportunities running into me. It was like the clothing brand. And I was like, Mark, what do you think? No, mate, don't do it. Yeah, yeah, and I had loads coming at me, and uh, I'm always like head-hunted on that kind of way, and I I'm a person that could just can't say no, and again, listen to the wrong people, never say no no until you have to, or such. But realistically, again, what I love about you, you plan it all out, and then you say to yourself, nah, it's not worth it. When I don't, I just go, Yeah, that sounds awesome, idea. And then, you know, whether it's just uh, yeah, that's the way I live.

SPEAKER_02 29:42

Well, that's it. Like, that's exactly what we've done. We I said, Well, let's talk about it, let's bring it to the table, and then again, there's always that risk you're you're asking other people, and and people look for opinions, you know, because they're waiting for somebody to agree with what they're saying. Like, that's that's the reality, but that's the psychology behind it. You'll you'll ask everybody their opinion until you get somebody who agrees with you, and you go, Brennan, there you go. That's that's the answer I wanted to hear. But so, yeah, we mapped it all out, and I think I said you well, if it makes sense, it makes sense, and if it doesn't, it doesn't. So, we we've done the numbers, we've done how you were going to do it. We we looked at the risks compared to this is what you're doing now, this is going really well. The risk is that you take your eye off the ball, you you lose focus, try and delete your focus, and nothing works. Um, how what's your thinking on that now? Like, how do you how do you and is it still difficult for you?

SPEAKER_01 30:25

No, not really now. I kind of I know where I want to go. Um, so I don't really need I don't want to I'm just closing out the distraction and the noise. And yeah, I'm just concentrating on now, just growing TLE home solutions, yeah. Um and even the other day when we were in the office, you were like, TLE Home Solutions, mate, can't like do you do fascia? And I'm like, no, mate. And you were like, You need to, you know, why? Because it's a home solution company. Yeah, and then I kind of then rang a bell, and then again, like it was sitting right in front of me. The opportunity was my embroidery guy knew someone, and now he's doing the work for me. And then literally within a week, then a customer I would have lost that job if I didn't be was able to do the fascia, and then I was able to say, Yes, we can do that, and then he ended up going with me.

SPEAKER_02 31:08

And what was the value of that project? So that was ten grand, and there's your there's your investment paid pack and one bit of advice straight away, exactly.

SPEAKER_01 31:16

Like in one in one bit of advice, it's paid itself off one more. Oh, 100%. This this investment is just gonna, you know, it's for life, like because it brings you for anything you want to do in life, then you always have that system, you always have the knowledge, you always have everything, you know, what we taught on the programme and the mentoring ship. So it's like it can you can use it for anything, yep. You know what I mean? So you know then the only problem for me is switching off at night, like you know, I don't really watch, but I don't think I'll ever happen because I don't watch Netflix, I don't watch TV, so yeah, I enjoy learning. So um if I can learn something to better myself, then I'm gonna do that.

SPEAKER_02 31:53

Yeah, well, look, that's I think that's the the entrepreneurial brain in all of us. You know, we all struggle to silence it, but at least the difference is now you're you're laying in bed thinking of things that you'd like to do rather than everything that's going wrong and what you can't do and what you're not, you know, all that kind of stuff. So it's kind of keeping you awake at night, but at least at least now that's not the case. Um what are you what would you say to sort of summarize it all then? So let's talk about the that that journey again. So you've you've branded everything else. What about you know, did you see stuff that people want to hear in the business side of things? What about the margins? What about the revenue increase like what and even your even your close rates and things like that? Like where let's let's go through some of the figures.

SPEAKER_01 32:33

Yeah, so the closing rate again, I wouldn't have known any about this, nothing whatsoever. So it's sitting at 51% at the minute. Yeah, um, the revenue, like we were, I don't know what was where was that close rate even a few weeks ago when we looked at it?

SPEAKER_02 32:46

I don't know, it was like it was in the low 30s, wasn't it? Yeah, 30.

SPEAKER_01 32:49

But again, that wasn't me doing the right systems and qualification questions and having the right procedures in place because I was just going, yeah, no worries, I'll call out to you. And this person didn't even have money, do you know what I mean? So it's kind of it's now giving me time back, you know, slowing the pace down, making sure they qualify before I call out. Yeah, and uh the yeah, the revenue's brilliant. And one thing obviously I learned from myself is you know, ego is the turnover, you know. I'd be a big turnover turnover fan, but then now what we're doing is tracking the profit, and yes, that's the most important one. And even now looking at that, it was like you know, we're on for a really good month, nearly a six figure this year, this month, sorry. Um, and it's like right, what are our profits in the six figures? Because you know, it's easy to make £100,000, but what actually are we making, you know, and with our overhead percentages, like you went went through where it was 16%. You said that's lean, which is brilliant to you, yeah. Um, and obviously when we do our markups and stuff, so the company is profiting every month, so it's actually now I'm able to look at that now and think, right, I could actually do another admin. I actually said Lindsay yesterday, do you need help in this office? I could do kind of right. Let's well, let's look for bringing another admin in there, which then that'll yes, it's more cost, but it's gonna be double the workload, which is gonna be easy for both people in the office, and then I can then expand because I've already have one more fit of guy now waiting to come on board with us.

SPEAKER_02 34:15

Yeah. So again, we've you're available, you've been able to have that foresight and make that decision because we've broken down the numbers, you know, the revenue that's came in, you know what of that is your overheads in order to keep the lights on, keep the business going, and you know what your margins are. Then you can also say if we increase this side of the business, it's going to increase the margin, the turnover and everything else. So again, you're now in a position only within four months from having no idea what profit margins you have, no idea of your overheads, no tracking of even your revenue per per month, nothing, to now being able to make decisions on hiring team and expansion based on your very finite margins of exactly what you're bringing in, what you're doing in four months. I know, and that's that's insane, that's a massive shift.

SPEAKER_01 34:59

Yeah, it's crazy. Like that's what I'm saying. I would only add two months if I did win with six months. So you know, the goal for me and the goal for everyone is having a green company, and I'm literally like I'm two steps away. That's that's literally it. All I need is a sales guy, and then we just bring an operational manager in, yeah, and that's it done.

SPEAKER_02 35:16

And again, all those decisions, because that's that's something that a lot of people get stuck on, and

Numbers Close Rate Profit And Hiring

SPEAKER_02 35:20

even the call last night about are you ready for scale? It was like, you know, being able to look at things as from a business and being able to make decisions again based on numbers, so you'll know that bringing that guy in frees this up for you because a lot of guys in business think I need to bring in more work, I just need to bring in more work and make more money. But again, where's the money going? Are those jobs actually working? Are they profitable? Are we pricing jobs correctly? All of that stuff. Um, and again, then making decisions based on facts and figures and metrics rather than just you know, I think I need this. A lot of guys come in, I think I need an operations manager, I need a project manager, yeah, but they don't know if they can afford them, they don't know what what they're supposed to do when they come in. They're heavily reliant on people coming in and and and running things for them, even though there's nothing there to run with. So talk about that. Even like when you bring somebody in, what are they gonna come into now compared to what they would have come into first?

SPEAKER_01 36:11

They would have come into chaos, like they would have just been like, What's going on? They would have probably said, Don't go to TLE Home Solutions, that is crazy, yeah, that is hectic. But um, now like we have the right perceiv, we have the right systems in place. Like, I could be comfortable bringing anyone in now, because you know, they could just be following everything what we do exactly, yeah, yeah. Yeah, 100%. And now, even though we didn't even do before, we're now booking a m like a month ahead. So before I would have just been it would have been chaos, but now so Lindsay now is booking. So we ought to jobs yesterday, they're already getting booked in now for April me. Yeah, so I now know a forecast of how much work we've got in and how much then I need to do, how much I need to sell to keep my lads into work, which is really good because again, I'm on more insight in the business, which is which is fantastic.

SPEAKER_02 36:58

Yeah, with confidence, yeah, 100%. Um, what about you mentioned about the 16 hour days as well. We've talked about the finances. What about you? Your time now, like you're sitting here in a studio, same as what Damas as well, that we talked about the other week. But talk about things, your time, how you're spending your time, what you're doing with yourself now with the business, and what your aspirations are here for the next you know, however, eight months alone, this is going to continue.

SPEAKER_01 37:21

But you know, talking about yeah, um, so yeah, it's just about growing the business now, and like I said, with more time on my hands, like it's mental because see, sometimes I come home at night, I'm like, what do I do? I'm bored. Do you know what I mean? Normally I'm used to going through this. Like now, Lindsay's doing a tax all, so I'm like literally, I don't even have to do anything, I'm just basically looking and finding what it's like I'm not used to this, but um, it's brilliant, and uh it gives me more time now to actually think, right, what do I need to do to the business? How do I grow the business? Um, what can we do next? Like, I'm trying we are looking for a premises at the minute, and that's right, yeah. You know, I feel like once I get this premises, that's when we're gonna blow.

SPEAKER_02 38:00

Yeah, and that's when I expand into a showroom things like that. And again, we put a plan together for that. We've done we've done all the numbers, we ran the numbers to see where obviously playing devil's advocate. I challenge you on everything, yeah, and it makes sense. So that's kind of next, but you know, that's that's great feedback. I'm sure there's a lot of construction business owners, trade, trades guys listening to this going, I'd love to be aboard. Absolutely, yeah. Like moment think the fuck they're doing a lot of things.

SPEAKER_01 38:24

And again, it touched base on Dan. Like, Dan actually said that. Do you know what I mean? Um and he's like, I don't know what to do. And I was like, I want like this is what I love, and now I'm actually now I am now Dan. Yeah, well no four months, four months into it. Um, so I'm actually enjoying it, like I'm able to have more time, like you said, today. Like the lads are working today now. I'm able to pick my boy up here today at one o'clock, go out and enjoy this amazing weather, and you know, that's everyone's dream, you know. Just don't want to be stuck in the rut of your business when now I'm out of the business and I'm now able to grow the business.

SPEAKER_02 38:55

Yeah, well that's that's often what you hear. A lot of the feedback from obviously I speak to so many trading construction business owners every day, every week, and it's like you know, sometimes I feel like it'd be better going back. I'm working for somebody, starting at eight o'clock, finishing four o'clock, and don't have to worry about it. But essentially, that's what we've done with you in four months. Well, that's a partner able to go and do a day's work and dictate what you do every day and then go home and not have to worry about it.

SPEAKER_01 39:18

So exactly, yeah. But it's uh you know, that's that's exactly what happens when people go into business. They think to yourselves, right, I've had enough of working eight to five. But what actually happens, you don't just work at eight to five, you start working at eight to nine, and then you feel like to yourself that um you need uh you need to do it now because it's your business and you want to give your family a future. Yeah, you know, it's like my boy, I touched base before on on my YouTube channel that you know when I when my boy was younger, he was a baby, like I was working like I was like Miss Rabbit. I was working all sorts of taking deliveries, fitting, I never saw him at all. So it's actually good now. My boy's coming up at seven, and I'm able to say now I get to spend loads of time with him. Yeah, I'm glad I'd done that then. But if I didn't join the program, I like I wouldn't be

Time Freedom Next Moves And Final Advice

SPEAKER_01 40:05

able to. There was times I couldn't pick my boy up in nursery because I had it was mental, my diary, everything I was trying to do again still. The company was growing too quick for me for me to handle. So again, it would have been out of control. So like you said, they like more time in my hands. I've you know and go for a nice massage today if I want. Yeah, you know what I mean? Like while my lads are working out in this weather, like it's brilliant. You can just do whatever you want, like yeah.

SPEAKER_02 40:28

And did you think that that was did you think that that was going to be possible? I know you're you're a really ambitious guy, obviously, and again, what you've achieved in four months, it's not unheard of. There's been a couple other guys who've done things pretty quick, but I think you know, you're you're it didn't just happen by itself, you obviously had to put the graft in. So let's be real about it. Like you you're you're one of these guys who puts the work in, yeah. You have to you know you took it on board, you've done everything you needed to do. Um, but you know, again, the effort versus what you the output of what you've got out of it, you know, is is fantastic. So I suppose we could summarise it and say and ask you the question do you think you made the right decision on coming on board?

SPEAKER_01 41:07

No, yeah, absolutely, yeah. Um like 100%, like the proof is in the pudding, like we are absolutely flying now, and I really cannot wait to see you know what the future holds of TLE Home solutions because now I'm with construction blueprint. I do believe like you know, we could take over Norman Island. If if I was saying that four months before, that's just me lying because I have no systems, I've nothing. But um the way things are. So you didn't actually believe it was possible. You said it, but you didn't actually believe it, yeah. Like it was yesterday now. We actually got a kitchen guy, and then it turns out now he does bathrooms, he does plumbing, does everything. I literally walked into Howden's and said, Give me your best business, give me your best kitchen fitter you have. I don't want any headaches anymore. Just give me the best one, and they give me the good one. They were like, Oh, he's he's really expensive, don't care. I want the best. And I rang him, he was in uh in Spain there, and we've no arranged a meeting now for next week. So even at that, you know, it's everything's falling on the plate for me now. We've obviously, like you said, we do the hard work every Tuesday, the Zoom calls, you know, doing executing everything that what you're putting in place for me. So yeah, it's finally now paying off. So 100% I recommend this for anyone.

SPEAKER_02 42:20

And what would you say to somebody who's maybe on the fence or hasn't maybe someone thinks that they're doing all right? Um, like you did, you were like, you know, what you didn't know what needed fixed, because I speak to a lot of guys, and like I know I'm just not happy, but I don't know what it is. Like, what would you say to somebody who's sitting on the fence? Like someone like you were that hesitation. What would you say to somebody in the same position as you then?

SPEAKER_01 42:38

Well, you took the risk going into business, so why not take the risk and it's not even a risk, it's an investment. Yeah, so just investing in yourself and working with you will 100% change their lives, yeah, and get that return in SAP. 100% like it they'll have it within a month because they'll start to find time with their family and then start to realise exactly what the business is, is it profitable? Yeah, and then they can all, and then if it's not, you're the man to make it profitable, do you want to percent, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 43:07

So just to close it out, then everything we talk about in the in the construction business blueprint is obviously earned, you know, you've done the work um and you've got the results, you know, time, profit, control, the pillars that we talk about. And you didn't come in here obviously broken, you came in here um, you know, thinking you were doing well, but what changed then was your awareness, the clarity, the structure, the ownership, leadership, even with the team, and again in in four months. So unbelievable. And that that's absolutely all the credit to you. Um you did all the work, you know. I just guided you along with, and again, a lot of tough conversations, but you took it in the chin. Absolutely. Um, but yeah, look, appreciate you coming in. 100%. And yeah, look forward to to continue to work together.

SPEAKER_01 43:48

Thank you. Cheers, mate.