Ladies with Tradies - WORKIN' THE TRADE, LIVIN' THE LIFE!
Grab a cuppa, or go through the coffee drive through, press play and buckle up Tradie business owners! We will cover things in this podcast that don't shy away from the raw honest truth about business. It is hard, it is raw, and we also wanna deliver you all the tips and tricks you need to learn about business too.
IN LOVE: How are you trekking in your relationship as a couple in business? Are you respecting each other? Are you finding it hard to toe the line between business and home? Do you squabble like husband and wife like you do at home when you are in 'work mode?' It is not easy to maintain a relationship and business at the same time. But the relationship should be #1 at all costs! Learn how to improve on this.
IN LIFE - do you have one or is your business taking over? Many couples need permission to actually have a life. The tradie thinks if he doesn't work he doesn't get paid - but you need some semblance of balance too. So how do you strike it?? First you need to be clear about what you want and how you want your life to look both now and into the future. Otherwise - you can just wander aimlessly with no real plans as to what you want your business to provide.
Ladies with Tradies - WORKIN' THE TRADE, LIVIN' THE LIFE!
EP. 51: Kate Muldoon and Adam Hopwood: From Doing It All to Leading a High-Performing Team
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Today’s episode is a powerful look at what really happens when a tradie finally decides enough is enough and steps into actual leadership.
Meet Adam Hopwood, owner of Hopwoods Repairs — a family-run appliance repair business that’s grown from a three-person crew to a full team with technicians, admin support, and an operations manager. But the real story isn’t the growth… it’s the mindset shift that made it possible.
When Adam first joined Ladies With Tradies with coach Donna Brown, he was stuck in the classic tradie trap:
👉 doing everything himself
👉 no time to think or plan
👉 stressed, burnt out, and never present at home
👉 always putting out fires
👉 terrified to delegate because “no one does it as well as I do”
Fast-forward to today?
Adam leads with confidence, runs consistent team meetings, has built an incredible culture, and has finally stepped out of the day-to-day. His team feels safe to speak up, his systems actually work, and his family gets the best of him — not the burnt-out leftovers.
In this conversation, we dive into:
✨ The turning point that pushed Adam to reach out
✨ What delegation really looks like for a technician-turned-owner
✨ How DISC profiling changed his team dynamic
✨ Why weekly meetings became the backbone of his business
✨ The emotional cost of “survival mode” on tradie families
✨ How Adam learned to lead without controlling everything
✨ What Penny and the kids have noticed since these changes
This is an inspiring, honest chat about growth, discomfort, and what’s possible when you stop white-knuckling your business and finally let people help.
Key Takeaway
True growth happens when you stop trying to be the hero tradie who does everything — and start becoming the leader your business actually needs.
THE MONEY JUNKET: A TRADIE COUPLES RETREAT
21st to 23rd AUGUST 2026 - BRISBANE QLD
Get on the Same Page. Fix the Numbers. Feel Like a Couple Again.
Join us at southbank
Click here to register.
Limited spots, because we keep these events intimate and interactive.
🎧 Ready to take your tradie business to the next level?
🚀 Money Junket 2026
Join us for our biggest event of the year—helping tradie couples build profitable, sustainable businesses (without burning out or breaking their relationship).
👉 https://ghl.ladieswithtradies.com/the-money-junket-bne-2026
💡 The Empowered Tradie Business Program (FREE)
Get clarity, structure, and direction in your business—without the overwhelm.
👉 https://ghl.ladieswithtradies.com/empowered-tradie-program
📞 Find ‘What To Fix First’
Not sure what’s holding your business back? Let’s figure it out together.
👉 https://links.ladieswithtradies.com/widget/bookings/30min_chatdirect