Podcast Episode Show Notes

Kurt Checketts is a light-vehicle mechanic turned diesel fitter who spent 12 years in mining, the last five leading teams in one of the highest-stakes environments in the trades. Here, Kurt shares 5 leadership lessons: empowering people to be their best, leaning into your strengths, knowing people as individuals, why small standards slipping causes serious incidents, and why financial leadership is still leadership.

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.

Gavin Cribb started as an apprentice at Ford over 30 years ago and now leads a team of 70 automotive trainers, with a clear view on what actually attracts and keeps the next generation of tradies. Here, Gavin shares 5 leadership lessons for tradies: what it means to lead a workshop team, leading different generations, writing better apprenticeship job ads, collaborating across competing businesses, and why every level of a trade career comes with leadership. Practical and har

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.