Podcast Episode Show Notes

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.

Jasmyn Smith is a Tasmanian sparky and co-founder of The GO Company, a business built around a problem that's sat quietly on worksites for years: access to basic hygiene for tradies. Here, Jasmyn shares 5 leadership lessons for tradies: being a role model early, recognising a problem, taking a leap when starting a business, overcoming resistance to change, and building a support network.

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.

Claude Thomson is a former Army reservist who now works as a roofer and leading hand at Weber Roofing, and has built a second platform as That Sober Tradie, a voice for healthier habits and culture across the trades. Here, Claude shares 5 leadership lessons for trade supervisors: earning respect the hard way, understanding your team as individuals, managing your own energy, sobriety and performance in the trades, and being open about mental health as a leader.

Jim Penman built Jim's Group from a one-man mowing round into a network of over 5,500 franchisees across more than 50 divisions, and still personally answers calls from franchisees he's never met. Here, Jim shares 5 leadership lessons for tradies: how to inspire your team, suicide prevention in the trades, self-reflection as a driver of success, building genuine customer relationships, and why giving back matters. Wise, warm, and grounded in decades of experience.

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.

Leon Simmons left a secure, well-paid career to start again as an apprentice electrician in his 30s and built an online community documenting the journey. Here, Leon shares 5 leadership lessons for tradies: leadership without a title, building confidence as a junior onsite, taking responsibility beyond your job description, what makes a good mentor, and building an online community. Grounded, humble, and full of real apprentice-floor wisdom.

Harry Murtough has spent years telling the trade industry's stories as editor of The Tradie Magazine, giving him a front-row seat to the patterns behind good, and overlooked, leadership. Here, Harry shares 5 leadership lessons for tradies: the difference between knowledge and wisdom, why sharing your story matters, listening as a leadership skill, why empathy matters, and self-awareness as the throughline of great leaders. Thoughtful and genuinely insightful.

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.

Louise Azzopardi started her trade at 15, represented Australia at the 2017 WorldSkills competition, and now coaches tradeswomen through confidence and anxiety challenges. Here, Louise shares 5 leadership lessons for tradies: becoming a role model, the impact of your words as a leader, giving feedback that works, managing workplace anxiety, and the power of self-talk and confidence. Honest, practical, and built from lived experience.

Chris Hale came up through sport and coaching before landing his first leadership role at just 18, managing a call centre team up to three times his age. He's since built a career in the wind energy industry. Here, Chris shares 5 leadership lessons for tradies: leading a more experienced team, leading from the front, why safety training matters in high-risk trades, supporting women in clean energy, and lessons carried over from sport. Practical, grounded, hard-earned.

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.

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.