Podcast Episode Show Notes

Leigh Ryan is a landscaper and supervisor from Gippsland, Victoria, known online as Tradie Dad, where he shares the relatable challenges of life as a tradie, new father and supervisor. Here, Leigh shares 5 leadership lessons for tradies: leadership starts with caring, how to check in without micromanaging, why delegating is the hardest part of leading, how fatherhood changes safety behaviour onsite, and why "are you okay" matters more than people realise.

Adrian Gillman is a registered carpenter and owner of Kingsford Building and Carpentry in Melbourne, also vice president of the West Coburg Football Club. Here, Adrian shares 5 leadership lessons for trades business owners: leading through actions and attitude, understanding people before judging them, breaking the "grumpy tradie" culture, building culture from small things, and instructing the next generation of apprentices.

Luke Canham has spent over 30 years leading people across high-risk industries, including construction and scaffolding, managing hundreds of staff across multiple sites. After a serious workplace accident changed his career, he sold his scaffolding business and founded Multiply Me. Here, Luke shares 5 leadership lessons for tradies: creating willingness over compliance, setting guidelines not rules, letting go of control, why safety culture needs team culture, and closing the

Aaron Ng founded The Good Builder, a media and intelligence platform built to give Australia's residential construction industry straight-talking insight, aimed at restoring trust and raising standards across the trade. Here, Az shares 5 leadership lessons for tradies: doing what you say you'll do, leaving ego out of leadership, a weekly self-reflection habit, why low trust traces back to poor leadership, and treating subbies like your team.

Tom Macrokanis is a qualified boilermaker who started his first business at 17 and has since founded Macro3D, a concrete 3D printing company tackling housing affordability. Here, Tom shares 5 leadership lessons for tradies in construction: extreme ownership, leading through action, picking the right mentor, handling setbacks, and communicating to keep every stakeholder on side.

Stefanie Apostolidis, known as Melbourne Chippy Chick, is a qualified carpenter and founder of two platforms reshaping what the trades look like for women in Australia. Here, Stef shares 5 leadership lessons for tradies: what leadership means for women in trades, building confidence, how knowledge builds credibility, balancing business and parenting, and increasing visibility for women in the industry.

Vincent Saunders is a qualified builder, quantity surveyor and construction manager with more than 17 years navigating the challenges of a construction site every day. He also hosts the Constructing Mindsets podcast. Here, Vincent shares 5 leadership lessons for construction managers: listening as a skill, coordinating between trades onsite, the power of a positive mindset, managing stress, and being authentic in a trade industry.

Cam and Matt are brothers-in-law turned business partners who built Limitless Build from a word-of-mouth carpentry outfit into a full-service building company, alongside sister brand Melbourne Decks and Pergolas. Here, they share 5 leadership lessons for tradies on how to lead a trade business: writing everything down, turning employees into problem-solvers, coaching your team to think for themselves, redefining success off the tools, and protecting family time like a client

Adam Hall has grown AH Fencing from a small startup into a multi-state operation delivering projects for Tier 1 builders and government clients, built on a culture of empowered leadership. Here, Adam shares 5 leadership lessons for tradies: why your business will never outgrow you, how micromanagement disempowers your team, building honesty through vulnerability, having hard conversations to protect culture, and using leading indicators to reduce stress. Practical and refresh

Mick Hawes has spent decades coaching builders to turn stressful, time-poor operations into businesses that actually work, with self-leadership at the centre of everything he teaches. Here, Mick shares 5 leadership lessons for tradies: creating a leadership environment, why self-leadership comes first, work-life harmony over work-life balance, emotional regulation, and why empathetic listening matters. Deep, practical, and hard-earned.

Dave Malone has over 20 years in construction, from apprentice carpenter to director of his own renovation and custom-home-building business, and he's direct about the mistakes that taught him the most. Here, Dave shares 5 leadership lessons for tradies: the difference between managing and leading, learning to lead a trade team, effective communication techniques, why admitting mistakes builds trust, and avoiding burnout as a business leader. Direct, practical, and refreshing

Stacey Combe brings calm to the chaos of construction, working with everyone from site managers to designers on handling pressure and mental load without losing the plot. Here, Stacey shares 5 leadership lessons for tradies: what self-leadership actually means, handling mistakes without shame, practical mindfulness tools, switching off after work, and taking productive breaks to manage stress. Grounded, practical, and genuinely calming.

Chad Perry has more than 20 years in concreting and built a successful business leading diverse teams with one core practice: paying more attention to people. Here, Chad shares 5 leadership lessons for tradies: practising leadership without a title, leading different people on the same team, learning from setbacks, why tradies should share their knowledge, and preventing burnout as a business owner. Honest, hard-won, and genuinely useful.

Andrew "Hoppo" Hopkins is a Melbourne carpenter, business owner and content creator who's spent over eight years leading trade teams while showing the real side of construction online. Here, Hoppo shares 5 leadership lessons for tradies: building self-awareness, adapting your leadership style, closing the divide between boss and crew, building an authentic online presence, and navigating fatherhood as a tradie. Honest, self-aware, and full of hard-won lessons.

Aaron Huey, also known as Coach Huey, spent 20 years in construction before founding Hustle Talk Coaching, drawing on his own history with stress, anxiety and single fatherhood. Here, Huey shares 5 leadership lessons for tradies: balancing discipline and support, normalising mental health onsite, a simple breathing technique for stress, separating work from home life, and why checking in with your mates matters more than you think. Honest, practical, and tailored for tradies.

For Bardie Somerville, leadership starts long before anyone hands you a title, it starts with knowing who you are underneath all the roles you play. A carpenter turned site manager and founder of The Shift, Bardie shares 5 leadership lessons for tradies on authenticity, people-pleasing, mental health, and how small daily habits and simple check-ins can make a real difference to your team. Honest, practical, and unflinching about the hard parts.