Podcast Episode Show Notes

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.

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.

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.

Kosta Kantilaftis started his first automotive repair shop at 19 and has spent nearly two decades building it into two workshops and a nationwide community of almost 6,000 technicians and workshop owners. Here, Kosta shares 5 leadership lessons for trade business owners on leadership in automotive workshops: reframing leadership as responsibility, letting go of control, creating a safe space for mistakes, adapting to industry change, and mentoring across the wider trade.

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

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.

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.

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.