95. From Confusion to Clarity - Jerry’s Epic 12 Month Business & Life Transformation

Fourteen months ago, plasterer Jerry Redman was stuck on the hamster wheel: long hours, tight cashflow, confused on how to break the cycle.  Then he discovered The Trade Den and made the commitment to change.  Today, he runs a $2M+ owner-operator business, is completely off the tools, leads an ei…

94. The 6 Essential Steps to a Stress-Free Christmas Shutdown

It’s that time of year again where everyone’s counting the days to a well-earned break. The last thing you want to hear about is another checklist or another thing to do. But here’s the truth: the businesses that plan their shutdown properly are the ones that actually get to switch off. They come b…

93. Stop Being the Bottleneck: How to Trust your Team and Let Go

Have you ever felt that tug-of-war between wanting to let go and needing to stay in control?  You know the business can’t grow unless you start trusting your team; but the last time you did, something went wrong. A mistake on a job. A quote that blew out. A client that complained. And since then, …

92. Time Matters: Take Back Control with a Simple “Stop, Start, Continue” Framework

Most business owners tackle time the wrong way. They cram more in with new systems, apps or hires, hoping it will fix the chaos. But when your cup is already overflowing, adding more only makes the mess worse.  The real fix starts with one question: What should I stop doing immediately?  When you…

91. Grant’s mirror moment: What happens when you refuse to be average

Grant Hateley was winging it as a tradie with zero business systems, charging minimal margin and drowning in debt. With self-reflection and grit, he’s managed to breakthrough and turn it all around, and today he’s leading a high-performance team, managing multi-million-dollar builds, and winning to…

90. How to Manage Stress in a Stress-Driven World

Stress isn’t just a feeling. It’s not simply being busy or under pressure, it’s your body’s primal response to threat. The same surge of cortisol that once saved us from a lion still fires when the invoice is overdue, a staff member quits, or the pipeline runs dry.  Why is that a problem? Well, in…

89. Leadership Matters: Calling all Control Freaks – Stop Strangling Your Business

If you’ve ever caught yourself saying, “It’s just easier if I do it myself,” you might be caught in the control trap. And it’s likely costing your business more than you think. One of the biggest blockers to growth in trades businesses is the control freak mindset. Over time, it creates dependency,…

88. Why saying “no” to more work may be the smartest move

What if the smartest move you could make in business… was saying no?  Not just to the wrong jobs. But to the wrong clients. The tempting work that looks good today could wreck your team, reputation, and bottom line tomorrow.  Every successful trade business hits a point where demand outweighs cap…

87. From Chaos to Growth: How Phil Embraced Systems to Build His Bug Empire

Phil Kerr was overworked, frustrated…angry. He was running a seven-day-a-week business that had plateaued, barely paying himself, and missing time with his young family. The breaking point? An honest drawing from his four-year-old son: a picture of his dad as an angry man.  That moment changed eve…

86 . Family Matters: Parenting for Growth - The Impact Your Words Have on Your Kids

The language we use as parents plays a critical role in shaping a child’s mindset, self-belief, and relationship with challenge.  Every time we speak to our kids, we’re either setting them up to grow or teaching them to avoid challenge. It’s not about being perfect parents. It’s about becoming mor…