UpScale - Build your profitable Trade and Construction business

Most trade business owners don't fall short because they lack skills or smarts. They fall short because they don't do what they said they'd do. In this episode, Erina and Mitch get blunt about accountability, honest feedback, and why the people around you need to tell you the truth, even when it stings. You'll hear why a coach who only cheers you on might just be keeping you happy so you keep paying, and how the right questions can help you spot your own blind spots faster than any lecture. They also dig into the money side of accountability. If your business is still small but you're paying yourself like it's much bigger, you could be starving it of the cash it needs to grow. Plus, how to give honest feedback without wrecking the relationship, and why you need to be ready to take it as well as give it. What you'll hear in this episode: Why saying you'll do something and actually doing it are two very different things The difference between people who talk to think and people who think before they talk Why honest feedback beats praise when you want real results How paying yourself too much, too early can hold your business back Why calling people out works best when you're open to being called out yourself A challenge to hold someone accountable this week (nicely) Follow the hosts on Instagram: @erinaroxx @mitchvan_ Need help growing your business? Follow us on IG for daily content for your trade business: @upscalebusinesscoaching Book a free session with our Growth Specialist: upscale-coaching.com/schedule-podcast Watch insights and tips on YouTube: upscale-coaching.com/upscale-youtube Find out where your business stands with our Tradie Quiz: upscale-coaching.com/application-podcast Hear from tradies who've done it, and learn what it really takes to grow a successful trade business: Success stories Live Coaching Events 2026: upscale-coaching.com/upscale-live-events

AI can save a tradie hours every week. But what happens when it starts taking over your day and your time at home? In this solo episode, Mitch Van (@mitchvan_) shares what came out of a recent masterclass conversation with our UpScale Mentors, where the team got talking about taking an AI detox. Mitch talks about why stepping back from AI can be a good thing for you and your business, where AI helps and where it gets in the way, and how he has been using that time to be more present with his family and kids. If you run a trade business and feel like you're always switched on, always chasing the next tool or shortcut, this one is for you. It's a reminder that growing your business shouldn't cost you time with the people you're working for. In this episode: Why our UpScale Mentors are taking an AI detox Where AI helps a trade business and where it doesn't How Mitch is spending more time with his family and kids Simple ways to switch off and still grow your business Follow Mitch on Instagram: @mitchvan_: https://www.instagram.com/mitchvan_/ Need help growing your business? Follow us on IG for daily content for your trade business: @upscalebusinesscoaching Book a free session with our Growth Specialist: upscale-coaching.com/schedule-podcast Watch insights and tips on YouTube: upscale-coaching.com/upscale-youtube Find out where your business stands with our Tradie Quiz: upscale-coaching.com/application-podcast Hear from tradies who've done it, and learn what it really takes to grow a successful trade business: https://www.upscalecoaching.com.au/success-stories/ Live Coaching Events 2026: https://www.upscale-coaching.com/upscale-live-events

Ever wondered what happens behind the scenes once you sign up with a business coaching team? In this episode, Lucy (business coach) and Riley (accounting coach) pull back the curtain on how their two sides work together to get real results for trade business owners. They break down the "gym membership" comparison that makes it all click: your business coach is like your PT, focused on systems, hiring, and growth, while your accounting coach is the nutritionist, digging into the numbers that actually drive those results. Neither works without the other. The conversation covers the pricing mistake almost every tradie makes early on: setting prices off a gut feel instead of real numbers. Lucy and Riley talk through why understanding your break even per hour changes everything, why aiming for 20 to 30% net profit isn't arbitrary, and how customer loyalty (using a local coffee shop price rise as the example) plays into how confidently you can raise your own prices. They also share a client success story involving a tradie who scaled from $70K jobs to $700K projects, and how forecasting a full 12 months ahead, including planning for the slow December, January, February period, helped him avoid the classic post project cash crunch that catches so many trade businesses off guard. If you've ever felt unsure about your pricing, your cashflow, or whether you're actually on track for the year, this episode gives you a real look at how coaching, planning, and honest numbers work together to build a trade business that lasts. In this episode: How business coaching and accounting coaching work as one team, not two separate services Why most tradies price off gut feel and what to check instead Understanding your break even per hour and why 20 to 30% net profit matters How to talk to customers about price increases with confidence Planning ahead for seasonal slumps so a big project doesn't leave you short later Why the coaching only works if you take the actions between sessions Resources mentioned: Follow Upscale Business Coaching on Instagram for daily content for your trade business: https://www.instagram.com/upscalebusinesscoaching/ Book a free session with a Growth Specialist: https://upscale-coaching.com/schedule-podcast Watch more insights and tips on YouTube: https://www.upscale-coaching.com/upscale-youtube Find out where your business stands with the Tradie Quiz: https://upscale-coaching.com/application-podcast Hear from tradies who've grown their business with Upscale: https://www.upscalecoaching.com.au/success-stories/ Live Coaching Events 2026: https://www.upscale-coaching.com/upscale-live-events

Erina and Mitch are back from Thailand, and they're bringing a reminder every trade business owner needs to hear: you will never stop learning, but at some point you have to stop consuming and start doing. In this short clip, they talk about the shift from filling notebooks with ideas to actually implementing them, and why that action is what really sets successful tradies apart. Coming back from a trip full of new ideas, their focus now is putting what they learned into practice, not letting it sit on a shelf. If you've ever finished a podcast, a course, or a coaching session feeling fired up but unsure what to actually do next, this one's for you. Follow the hosts: @erinaroxx @mitchvan_ Need help growing your business? Follow us on Instagram for daily content for your trade business: @upscalebusinesscoaching Book a free session with our Growth Specialist: upscale-coaching.com/schedule-podcast Watch insights and tips on YouTube: upscale-coaching.com/upscale-youtube Find out where your business stands with our Tradie Quiz: upscale-coaching.com/application-podcast Hear from tradies who've done it: upscalecoaching.com.au/success-stories Live Coaching Events 2026: upscale-coaching.com/upscale-live-events

Tradie Dad Leigh Ryan on Apprentices, Fatherhood and Building a Following from Nothing Landscaper turned social media favourite Leigh Ryan, aka Tradie Dad, joins Mitch on the Upscale Business Podcast to talk about what happens when a bloke on parental leave decides to press upload on Instagram, and it actually works. Leigh shares how his page grew from a few rough videos filmed on site to nearly 17,000 followers, and the video that changed everything: calling out a carpenter for mistreating his apprentice. He gets honest about what it's really like being an apprentice in Australia right now, why he sees apprentices as an investment rather than cheap labour, and why so many young tradies are walking away from the trades for easier money elsewhere. The conversation shifts into fatherhood, where Leigh talks candidly about the guilt of building a second job around raising his son, why dads get praised for doing the bare minimum, and what real partnership with your other half actually looks like. He also runs his Tools Down, Heads Up sessions for apprentices, covering mental health, money and the stuff nobody teaches you on site. If you're a trade business owner trying to build a team, support your apprentices properly, or just juggle work and family without losing the plot, this one's worth your time. Follow Tradie Dad on Instagram: @tradie.dad Hosted by Mitch: @mitchvan_ Need help growing your business? Follow us on Instagram for daily content for your trade business: @upscalebusinesscoaching Book a free session with our Growth Specialist: upscale-coaching.com/schedule-podcast Watch insights and tips on YouTube: upscale-coaching.com/upscale-youtube Find out where your business stands with our Tradie Quiz: upscale-coaching.com/application-podcast Hear from tradies who've done it and learn what it really takes to grow a successful trade business: upscalecoaching.com.au/success-stories Live Coaching Events 2026: upscale-coaching.com/upscale-live-events