“What’s one cool thing you’re using AI for?”

I asked 1,200 trades business owners that question...

A few of the answers genuinely caught me off guard.

WHAT YOU’LL GAIN FROM LISTENING TO TODAY’S PODCAST:

1. How to create dashboards that track your most important business numbers automatically
2. How trades business owners are creating custom software and apps without knowing how to code
3. How to get AI to analyze your numbers and spot problems before they become expensive mistakes

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• Claim a Free Planning Session to learn what coaching could do for your business
• Subscribe to our YouTube Channel
• Get a copy of the Profitable Tradie book

Thanks for joining us this week. Want to subscribe to The Profitable Tradie Podcast? Have some feedback you’d like to share? Connect with us and leave us a review with a 5-star rating.

You know how much money came into the bank last month...

But do you know how many leads you got?

Your conversion rate?

Or how much you’re still waiting to be paid?

Most trades business owners have no idea.

They’re not tracking much.

But the owners killing it out there are tracking 7 key numbers.

WHAT YOU’LL GAIN FROM LISTENING TO TODAY’S PODCAST:

1. The 7 numbers that tell you if your business is actually making money
2. How to make better business decisions using facts instead of gut feel
3. The simple scorecard which tells you what to focus on next

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• Claim a Free Planning Session to learn what coaching could do for your business
• Subscribe to our YouTube Channel
• Get a copy of the Profitable Tradie book

Thanks for joining us this week. Want to subscribe to The Profitable Tradie Podcast? Have some feedback you’d like to share? Connect with us and leave us a review with a 5-star rating.

You’re hard working...

You’re dedicated...

And you care a lot...

All great qualities in a trades business owner.

But there's one trait – which is super common – that could quietly cost you thousands, create team problems, and leave you burnt out.

WHAT YOU’LL GAIN FROM LISTENING TO TODAY’S PODCAST:

1. The surprising habit that's quietly draining your profit (most owners never spot it)
2. Why trying to keep everyone happy is costing you the one thing that actually grows a business
3. The simple shift that lets you stay kind and respected... while making a lot more money

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• Claim a Free Planning Session to learn what coaching could do for your business
• Subscribe to our YouTube Channel
• Get a copy of the Profitable Tradie book

Thanks for joining us this week. Want to subscribe to The Profitable Tradie Podcast? Have some feedback you’d like to share? Connect with us and leave us a review with a 5-star rating

What happens when a successful trades business owner pushes so hard that his own business nearly destroys his health? In this episode of the Profitable Tradie Podcast, Steve Vega shares how 63-hour work weeks, chronic underpricing, and poor systems left him burned out before transforming his plumbing business into a $1M+ company. If you're a plumbing, HVAC, electrical, roofing, or home service business owner looking to increase profit, improve pricing, build better systems, and scale without sacrificing your life, this episode is packed with real-world lessons.

⏱ CHAPTERS

00:00:00 | Introduction

00:01:01 | 1. Stress & Burnout: Fighting severe physical stress and 63-hour shifts

00:07:38 | 2. Operations Shift: Moving from a chaotic operator to structured teams

00:15:47 | 3. Underpricing Traps: Overcoming guilt and mindset traps around money

00:24:22 | 4. Back-Costing: Using pricing targets and reviews to plug profit leaks

00:32:15 | 5. Culture & Time: Scaling with team 1-on-1s, time audits, and calendars

🔗 FREE RESOURCES

Get our free book — The Profitable Tradie: profitabletradie.com/book

Book a free strategy call: profitabletradie.com/contact

📲 WORK WITH US

If you're a trade business owner ready to build a more profitable,

better-run business, we work with plumbers, electricians, HVAC techs,

roofers, and similar contractors across Australia, New Zealand,

the US, and Canada.

Find out more: profitabletradie.com

🎙 ABOUT THE PROFITABLE TRADIE PODCAST & CHANNEL

Profitable Tradie helps trade business owners build businesses

that make real money and don't depend on them to run.

Hosted by Tony Fraser-Jones & Phil Smith.

📱 FOLLOW US

Instagram: @profitabletradie

TikTok: @profitabletradie

Facebook: Profitable Tradie

Podcast: Search "The Profitable Tradie Podcast" on Apple or Spotify

#TradesBusiness #ContractorLife #BusinessCoaching #tradesman #bluecollar #tradesmen #plumbing #hvac #electrical #electrician #unitedstates #usa #northamerica #australia #canada #newzealand

Think your trades business is doing well just because you feel busy? Think again.

On today’s episode, we break down the dangerous trap of running your business on emotions rather than hard facts. We reveal why mistaking baseline activity for actual progress is a fast track to stress and explain how consistently tracking your financial numbers is the ultimate key to unlocking predictable growth and massive profitability.

WHAT YOU’LL GAIN FROM LISTENING TO TODAY’S PODCAST:

• The Danger of "Feeling" Profitable: Why relying on gut feelings instead of real data leaves your business flying blind.
• The Core Numbers You Must Measure: A breakdown of revenue, gross profit, net profit, and why profit per job (back-costing) changes everything.
• Consistency Beats Intensity: Why managing your numbers bit-by-bit every single day is easier—and far more effective—than playing catch-up once a quarter.
• Overcoming the Fear of the Figures: How to push past overwhelm, avoid the "abdication trap" with your accountant, and take true ownership of your financial destiny.

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• Claim a Free Planning Session to learn what coaching could do for your business
• Subscribe to our YouTube Channel
• Get a copy of the Profitable Tradie book

Thanks for joining us this week. Want to subscribe to The Profitable Tradie Podcast? Have some feedback you’d like to share? Connect with us and leave us a review with a 5-star rating.

Three contractors went bust in the same year.

James Martell lost a heap of work overnight,

He was also left with a pile of unpaid invoices...

With no way of getting that money back.

The cash flow crisis got so bad it eventually pushed him into bankruptcy too.

Most trades business owners would've thrown in the towel.

But James didn't.

Today, he’s got 60 staff, does over $7M a year in revenue, and is on track to hit $10M this year.

This is his story...

WHAT YOU’LL GAIN FROM LISTENING TO TODAY’S PODCAST:

1. Brutal lessons learned from taking on the wrong customers
2. The financial number every trades business owner should be watching
3. How to shift from being “the technician” to actually leading like a CEO

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• Claim a Free Planning Session to learn what coaching could do for your business
• Subscribe to our YouTube Channel
• Get a copy of the Profitable Tradie book

Thanks for joining us this week. Want to subscribe to The Profitable Tradie Podcast? Have some feedback you’d like to share? Connect with us and leave us a review with a 5-star rating.

The fastest way to win more jobs has nothing to do with more leads, better marketing, or having the lowest prices.

It's much simpler.

WHAT YOU’LL GAIN FROM LISTENING TO TODAY’S PODCAST:

Find out:

1. The reason customers choose slower, less qualified competitors over you
2. Why being first matters more than having the cheapest price
3. The simple habit that helps some trades businesses win twice as many jobs

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• Claim a Free Planning Session to learn what coaching could do for your business
• Subscribe to our YouTube Channel
• Get a copy of the Profitable Tradie book

Thanks for joining us this week. Want to subscribe to The Profitable Tradie Podcast? Have some feedback you’d like to share? Connect with us and leave us a review with a 5-star rating.

If you want a simple system that:

Keeps your guys switched on and working hard

Stops small problems blowing up into big ones

Gets your team finishing what they start, taking pride in their work, and sticking around long-term

I recorded this episode to get your team working like rock-stars!

WHAT YOU’LL GAIN FROM LISTENING TO TODAY’S PODCAST:

1. Maximize team performance
2. Stop small problems blowing up into big ones
3. Keep your workers accountable, motivated, and loyal

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• Claim a Free Planning Session to learn what coaching could do for your business
• Subscribe to our YouTube Channel
• Get a copy of the Profitable Tradie book

Thanks for joining us this week. Want to subscribe to The Profitable Tradie Podcast? Have some feedback you’d like to share? Connect with us and leave us a review with a 5-star rating.