Tradies In Business

Hosted by Nicole Cox

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Episodes

719

Latest episode

Aug 2026

Language

EN-AU

About the show

Whether you're a plumber, electrician, builder, motor mechanic, landscaper, tiler, glazier, painter, carpenter, concretor or any of the myriad of trades and contractors that keep the world running, this podcast has been produced with you in mind. Your host, Nicole 'Nic' Cox, was born into a tradie family and has first-hand experience of the gut-busting, money stress and pressures that trade businesses can place on their owners and their families! Nic strongly believes in the opportunity that exists for all tradie business owners to create a flexible, financially secure business for now and for their families' future. She interviews guests on a range of topics such as marketing, finance, human resources, legal issues, mindset, motivation, physical and mental health, industry updates and more! Nic loves a laugh and a good story, so tune in for a unique look at how to 'get off the tools' and break the cycle of financial hardship and stress to create the trade business you really wanted!

Listen to episodes

60 recent

September 7, 202638 min

TIB718 Real Tradie Stories - The Raw Truth About Running a Trade Business with Amii Jones

Amii Jones has run Touchwood Tree Services , a tree removal business, with her husband for 15 years, and in this episode she gets honest about what that milestone actually looked like behind the scenes. She talks about the guilt of switching off, the loneliness of working from home, and how the hard stuff never disappears, it just looks different, from surviving the early days to managing staff and admitting when you're the bottleneck. Amii and Nic also talk about above the line versus below the line thinking, redefining success on your own terms, and why she doesn't believe in failures, only lessons. It's a candid look at the real cost of building a business, past the highlight reel. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

August 24, 202628 min

TIB717 Everyone's Making It Up: The Real Relationship Between You and Your Accountant

Nicole flips the script and lets Angus take the coach role as they talk through why marketing in accounting is so tough. Angus talks about the licensing rules and restrictions that shape how accountants can talk about money, the split between clients who show up just to stay compliant versus those who want a real growth partnership, and how nearly all of his business has come from referrals and relationships built over time rather than paid ads. They get into what makes an accountant client relationship actually work, why the "expert" facade so many professionals put up is a myth, and how Angus's own path into business (sparked by a chance meeting on a bus in Central America) proves that nobody really has it figured out before they start. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

August 10, 202629 min

TIB716 The Burnout Trap: Why Most Tradies Hit the Wall Before Changing Their Lives

Steven Daniels spent years grinding through the construction industry before burnout left him physically unable to get out of bed. That moment pushed him to study positive psychology and coaching, and he's now the founder of Align 56 Coaching , running retreats and workshops for construction business owners and their teams. Steven and Nic talk about why so many tradies wait until they hit the wall before making real change, the stigma around mental health in construction, why relationships and community matter more than any self-development book, and how business owners can start giving themselves permission to rest before burnout forces the decision for them. Learn more about Align 56 Coaching & follow Steven in Instagram & LinkedIn . See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

July 27, 202631 min

TIB715 Real Tradie Wife Stories with Lauren Pullock from Outback 2 Sea

Lauren never set out to run a caravan hire business, she started out as a gymnastics coach before life threw her a curveball: her husband Greg's arm injury, exhausting hours away from her kids, and eventually a leap of faith into a lap around Australia in a caravan. What began as a way to fund the rego turned into Outback 2 Sea , a business built on giving other mums the same break, restoration, and permission to just let their kids be kids that her family found on the road. Lauren opens up about wearing every hat in the business, finding her voice in a male-dominated space, and juggling family with a business that can't ever cancel a booking, and the community support that helps her push through the overthinking to trust her own decisions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

July 13, 202630 min

TIB714 Busy Isn't a Badge of Honour

Being flat out busy doesn't always mean you're winning, and most business owners avoid looking at the numbers that would prove it. Nic chats with Angus Gasbarri from Earnt Advisory about auditing where your time actually goes, why charge-out rates and margins are the two figures doing 80% of the heavy lifting for your profit, and what's ahead for tradies this financial year. Plus, an invite to the free Bulletproof Your Trade Business workshop on July 21. Save your seat for the free workshop HERE . See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

June 29, 202626 min

TIB713 From Plumber to 5 Properties: What Tradies Get Wrong About Investing

Joel Pritchett, from The Property Tradies , is a former plumber turned property investor and buyer's agent who built a 5-property portfolio before the age of 25. In this episode, Nic sits down with Joel to talk about how tradies can start building wealth through property, the common mistakes they make when choosing where to buy, why location does 80% of the heavy lifting, and how to find and use a good buyer's agent. Joel also shares how his business Property Tradies is helping tradies and FIFO workers get into the market with the right strategy, and what the recent budget changes could mean for investors going forward. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

June 16, 202627 min

TIB712 Real Tradie Stories - The Plot Twist Nobody Saw Coming with Steve Rooney

Steve Rooney is no stranger to the Tradies in Business podcast, but this time he's back with a plot twist nobody saw coming. Fourteen years of running his own landscaping business, a community of mates, hard lessons in business partnerships, and a whole lot of head noise led Steve to one of the biggest decisions of his life. What he chose next will surprise you, and the reasoning behind it might just make you rethink what success in business actually looks like. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

June 1, 202640 min

TIB711 Real Tradie Stories - From the Coast to the Outback with Nick Allen

Running a trade business 700km from home while raising a young family on the coast is no small feat, but for Nick Allen of NJA Electrical , it's exactly what he built over 13 years in remote Western QLD. Nick shares what it's really like earning trust and loyalty in a town of just 200 people, where your reputation follows you everywhere and relationships run far deeper than just a job and an invoice. From flying in and out of Blackall to working a two-week on, two-week off roster, to taking on his first employee so the business could keep running while he's home, Nick walks through how he structured his work around his life. He also opens up about the eventual move inland to Dalby, trading coastal living for more space, lower cost of living, and a lifestyle that finally matched where his heart had always been. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

May 19, 202648 min

TIB710 Hard Hits and Few Wins: The Budget's True Cost for Tradies

The federal budget has landed and for most tradie business owners, the news is not good. Nic brings in Angus Gasbarri, founder of Earnt Advisory , an accountant who has built his career working closely with trade and construction businesses, rounding out his expertise with a background in mortgage broking. Together they talk about the biggest budget changes affecting tradies and small business owners, covering negative gearing, capital gains tax, and the new minimum tax on trusts. What these changes mean in real terms and why now is the time to pick up the phone and call your accountant. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

May 4, 202623 min

TIB709 The HR Shortcut That Could Cost You Everything

HR mistakes don't always look like mistakes; sometimes they look like efficiency. Nicole sits down with Kristy-Lee Billett, CEO of People Powered Business and founder of People Powered HR, who brings 20 years of experience helping small businesses build great teams without the chaos, the confusion, or the crippling contracts. Together they unpack the growing risk of using AI for people management, why ChatGPT confidently quoting fictional legislation is more common than anyone wants to admit, where AI can genuinely help in your business, and what tradie business owners are quietly getting wrong with employment contracts, award compliance, and conditions of employment, often without realising it until it's too late. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.