Marti sits down with David Seymour, Deputy Prime Minister of New Zealand and Leader of the ACT Party, inside the Beehive. David opens up about his background in an electrical contracting family, learning early on that "you come in at the end of the job when most of the screw-ups are already made."

They discuss the "unbalanced relationship" of current employment laws, where employers face massive risks just to part ways with underperforming staff. David explains why he believes "no one really knows very much" and why the government needs to stop promising to build 100,000 houses and start letting businesses use "trial and error" to succeed. He also shares the success of Charter Schools (like Vanguard) and why removing rigid union contracts was the key to their performance.

🕒 Timestamped Key Points

• [01:42] Background: Recovering electrical engineer in a contracting family
• [02:00] The reality of construction: "Copper prices" and "screw-ups"
• [03:05] The philosophy: "No one really knows very much"
• [04:44] Winning power without promising "other people's money"
• [10:26] Charter Schools: Why Vanguard Military School works
• [13:15] Union contracts vs. Accountability: The Anzac Day example
• [21:37] The "Bad Relationship": Why firing someone costs $20k
• [22:09] Why more security for employees means fewer job choices
• [26:18] Government as a "Better Owner": Do we need to own a radio station?
• [33:12] Why governments fail when they try to "pick winners"

-

Our construction business coaching has helped 2,500+ building companies succeed.

Subscribe to The Builder’s Ladder Podcast for weekly, actionable insights — tailored to help you grow a profitable construction business.

Follow TPB for more:

• 👥 FB Group – https://www.facebook.com/groups/professionalbuilder
• 📸 Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/theprofessionalbuilder/
• 🖥️ Get your business health audit + free resources (including website audit) here – https://www.theprofessionalbuilder.com
• 🚀 Head to https://tpb.tools/pod-call to book your FREE strategy session.
• 📈 Resources For Builders – https://tpb.tools/resources

https://www.facebook.com/groups/TPBmember: https://www.facebook.com/TheProfessionalBuilder

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Marti sits down with Jamie and Brady, best mates and founders of a Brisbane-based bathroom renovation company. They share their journey from running separate sole trader businesses to joining forces over a "drunken conversation" and building a specialized renovation brand.

They discuss the harsh reality of their first year where they acted more like a "marketing agency" than a building company—spending big to block in jobs but realizing at the end of the year they had nothing to show for it. Jamie and Brady reveal how they cut their overheads, implemented a strict "Default Diary" to stop the chaos, and shifted from being "good builders" to actual business owners. They also break down their specific tiered pricing model (marking up jobs under $50k by 60%) and how they are scaling to 13 jobs starting in the new year.

🕒 Timestamped Key Points

• [02:18] Joining forces over a "drunken conversation"
• [04:40] The first year mistake: Acting like a "marketing agency"
• [05:28] First fix: Recalculating overheads and "spending minimization"
• [07:03] Tiered pricing: 60% markup on jobs under $50k
• [08:23] Leadership: Getting subbies to provide solutions (PSR)
• [10:52] The "Default Diary": From doing "10% of 10 tasks" to completion
• [12:01] Why the 10-step sales process is a "Bible"
• [14:32] Scaling to 13 jobs in the new year
• [16:00] Future goal: Expanding down the coastline

-

Our construction business coaching has helped 2,500+ building companies succeed.

Subscribe to The Builder’s Ladder Podcast for weekly, actionable insights — tailored to help you grow a profitable construction business.

Follow TPB for more:

• 👥 FB Group – https://www.facebook.com/groups/professionalbuilder
• 📸 Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/theprofessionalbuilder/
• 🖥️ Get your business health audit + free resources (including website audit) here – https://www.theprofessionalbuilder.com
• 🚀 Head to https://tpb.tools/pod-call to book your FREE strategy session.
• 📈 Resources For Builders – https://tpb.tools/resources

https://www.facebook.com/groups/TPBmember: https://www.facebook.com/TheProfessionalBuilder

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Marti sits down with Damian and Katryna from Ellari Homes, a Melbourne-based building company that found a unique niche handling "takeovers" after the massive Porter Davis collapse. They share the reality of navigating that industry chaos and how they transitioned into a stable, profitable custom home business.

They discuss the hard lessons learned about why "chasing every job" is a trap and how shifting their mindset to "chase margins, not jobs" changed their bottom line. Damian and Katryna reveal their specific "Trial Day" hiring process to stop hiring the wrong people, why they finally started charging for prelims to filter out time-wasters, and the incredible story of how they bounced back after their office was destroyed in an arson attack.

🕒 Timestamped Key Points

• [02:21] The Porter Davis collapse: Opportunity vs. Chaos
• [04:20] Charging for prelims: Why "free estimates" attract the wrong clients
• [08:16] The new mindset: "Markup, Margin, Markup, Margin"
• [12:28] Defining an A-Player: "Someone you don't have to babysit"
• [13:48] The "Trial Day" hiring hack: Pay them to prove it first
• [17:36] The win: Completing 8 takeover jobs successfully
• [20:44] Advice to past self: "Slow down" to speed up
• [21:38] Resilience: Turning an office arson attack into an upgrade

-

Our construction business coaching has helped 2,500+ building companies succeed.

Subscribe to The Builder’s Ladder Podcast for weekly, actionable insights — tailored to help you grow a profitable construction business.

Follow TPB for more:

• 👥 FB Group – https://www.facebook.com/groups/professionalbuilder
• 📸 Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/theprofessionalbuilder/
• 🖥️ Get your business health audit + free resources (including website audit) here – https://www.theprofessionalbuilder.com
• 🚀 Head to https://tpb.tools/pod-call to book your FREE strategy session.
• 📈 Resources For Builders – https://tpb.tools/resources

https://www.facebook.com/groups/TPBmember: https://www.facebook.com/TheProfessionalBuilder

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.