Doing the Inner Work: Discipline, Sobriety & Leading for a Healthier Trade Culture with Claude Thomsen

Beyond Plumbing: Building Culture and Leadership from the Ground Up with Cat and Dave McCarthy from McCarthy Plumbing Group

Join me for the first episode of Tradies Who Lead as I chat with Dave [https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-mccarthy-583204bb/] and Cat [https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherine-mccarthy-5a8057127/] McCarthy, the founders of the award-winning business McCarthy Plumbing Group [http://www.mccarthyplumbinggroup.com.au]. In this conversation, we dive into the leadership nuances of making the leap from managing someone else's business to running your own.   We explore the power of authentic company culture and the importance of continuous improvement at all levels – from individual development to team dynamics and the entire organisation.   Ready to level up your everyday leadership? Listen now and learn practical insights from two inspiring business leaders who've mastered the art of leadership in their business! Chapters - (00:00) Meet Cat & David McCarthy from McCarthy Plumbing (01:29) Why start a plumbing business (02:23) How management skills and experience support running a trade business (05:05) How to lead by example as a tradie and business owner (05:59) Why you need authenticity and transparency as a trade business leader (07:34) How to create a good team culture in trade businesses and trade teams for better retention and talent attraction (12:52) How to grow a trade business (14:07) How to apply continuous improvement in a trade business (17:38) Why you should collaborate instead of competing with other businesses (20:14) Advice to tradies and trade business owners about how they can practice leadership (22:03) Conclusion  Don’t miss out! New episodes drop every fortnight. Follow Tradies Who Lead on socials for exclusive sneak peeks of upcoming guests and more!   Insta: https://www.instagram.com/tradieswholead/ [https://www.instagram.com/tradieswholead/] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tradieswholead [https://www.facebook.com/tradieswholead] TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tradieswholead [https://www.tiktok.com/@tradieswholead] YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@tradieswholead [https://www.youtube.com/@tradieswholead]   If you have an everyday leadership story to share or want to be featured on Tradies Who Lead, submit your expression of interest via the website [https://www.ashleybelteky.com/podcast] – we'd love to hear from you!   Want to follow McCarthy Plumbing Group? Connect with them here: Insta: https://www.instagram.com/mccarthyplumbinggroup/ [https://www.instagram.com/mccarthyplumbinggroup/] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mccarthyplumbinggp [https://www.facebook.com/mccarthyplumbinggp] TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mccarthyplumbinggroup [https://www.tiktok.com/@mccarthyplumbinggroup]

Hard Conversations & Inclusive Sites: Changing Worksite Culture from the Ground Up with Jasmyn Smith

What does leadership look like when you're still on the tools, running a business, and trying to change an industry all at the same time? Jasmyn Smith is a Tassie sparky and co-founder of The GO Company, a business built around a problem that's been on worksites for decades but rarely talked about — access to basic hygiene for women in the trades. What started with her own on-site experience has grown into something that's shifting the conversation about what inclusive work sites actually look like day to day. In this episode, Jasmyn gets into the courage it takes to have difficult conversations, why visibility of challenges is what truly lifts an industry, and what leadership means when your title isn't manager, supervisor, or boss. We cover what sites and businesses that are getting inclusion right are doing differently, what the hard conversation the industry needs to start having now is, and how everyday leadership shows up in ways most people don't expect. A practical, honest conversation for tradies, supervisors, and business owners who want to understand where the trades are heading and how to lead well when you get there. Stay in the loop — new episodes land every fortnight. Follow Tradies Who Lead on socials for recaps of your favourite guests and more from the Tradies Who Lead community. Insta: https://www.instagram.com/tradieswholead/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tradieswholead TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tradieswholead YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@tradieswholead If you want to connect with The GO Company, you can reach them via: Website - https://www.thegocompany.com.au/ Linked In - https://www.linkedin.com/in/the-go-company-358029320/ TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@the.go.company Insta - https://www.instagram.com/thegocompanytas/

Building People & Lifting Performance: Development and Accountability in the Trades with Matt Wyatt

In this episode of Tradies Who Lead, we're joined by Matt Wyatt, a trade-qualified leader with over 30 years in the heavy vehicle industry. Starting as an apprentice, Matt worked his way through operational and national leadership roles before spending the last 15 years focused on one thing: developing people. His approach is straightforward: clear standards, strong accountability, and no fluff. If it doesn't work on the floor, it doesn't belong in the program. We get into how to step out of firefighting mode and actually lead, how to hold the line on standards without damaging relationships, and what most trade businesses are getting wrong when it comes to developing apprentices. If you're leading a team, developing apprentices, or trying to build something that lasts, this one's worth your time. Stay in the loop — new episodes land every fortnight. Follow Tradies Who Lead on socials for recaps of your favourite guests and more from the Tradies Who Lead community. Insta: https://www.instagram.com/tradieswholead/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tradieswholead TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tradieswholead YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@tradieswholead If you want to connect with Matt, you can reach him via: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mathew-w-30903b82/

Building the Future: Leadership, Communication and Leading Change in the Construction Industry with Tom Macrokanis

In this episode of Tradies Who Lead, we're joined by Tom Macrokanis, a qualified boilermaker who started his first business at 17 and has spent his career building things that didn't exist yet. Tom is the founder of Macro3D, a concrete 3D printing company tackling one of Australia's biggest challenges — housing affordability — and Director of Macro Constructions Group, a vertically integrated business delivering steel, concrete, and light-gauge steel framing solutions across residential, commercial, and industrial projects. Tom's story is as much about leadership and communication as it is about technology. Building partnerships with universities and industry leaders, developing proprietary systems, and progressing multiple patents — none of that happens without the ability to influence, earn trust, and bring people along on a vision most couldn't see yet. We get into what it takes to lead through change, how to handle setbacks without losing momentum, and why the skills Tom learned on the tools still shape his leadership today. If you're navigating change in your business, leading a team through uncertainty, or trying to figure out how to bring people with you when the road ahead isn't clear — this conversation is for you. New episodes drop every fortnight. Follow Tradies Who Lead on socials for exclusive sneak peeks of upcoming guests and more! Insta: https://www.instagram.com/tradieswholead/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tradieswholead TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tradieswholead YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@tradieswholead If you want to connect with Tom, you can reach him via: LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-macrokanis-2b3b00120/ Website - https://www.tommacrokanis.com/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/tommacrokanis__/

Backing Yourself: Confidence, Community and Leading in the Trades with Melbourne Chippy Chick

In this episode of Tradies Who Lead, we're joined by Stefanie Apostolidis — better known as Melbourne Chippy Chick — qualified carpenter, founder of Tradie Lady Hire and Tradie Lady Club, and one of the most recognisable voices for women in the Australian trades. Stef's built her platforms, her businesses, and her reputation the same way she approaches leadership: by showing up consistently, backing herself, and bringing others along with her. In this conversation, she gets into what that's actually looked like in practice, where confidence comes from when the industry wasn't built for you, what happens when content becomes community, and what it really takes to shift things at an industry level. If you're a tradie figuring out how to lead without a title or someone ready to back yourself and grow, this is the conversation for you. Don’t miss out! New episodes are released every fortnight. Follow Tradies Who Lead on socials for exclusive sneak peeks of upcoming guests, episode highlights and more! Insta: https://www.instagram.com/tradieswholead/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tradieswholead TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tradieswholead YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@tradieswholead If you want to learn more about Tradie Lady Club or Tradie Lady Hire, visit these websites: www.tradieladyclub.au www.tlcmemberships.au www.tradieladyhire.com.au