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

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🎙 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.

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This is my story from broke to owning a $30m coaching business

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• Claim a Free Planning Session to learn what coaching could do for your business
• Subscribe to our YouTube Channel
• New Book 'Built to Run' is now live, order your copy here

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 crack open a beer after a huge week...

Suddenly, a genie bursts out of the can!

Says he can make you rich... A millionaire...

IF you develop 7 boring habits.

Would you do it?

Guess what?

This exact thing happened to me. And dangit, it worked.

No lamp. No 3 wishes. Just 7 things, done consistently, to separate your business from the rest.

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

1. Why the busiest business owners are often the least in control — and the one boring habit that flips it
2. Why blaming your team is a waste of time (and how McDonald's sauce proves it)
3. The 1% trick F1 teams use to win races — and how it maps directly onto your pricing, hiring, and marketing

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• Claim a Free Planning Session to learn what coaching could do for your business
• Subscribe to our YouTube Channel
• New Book 'Built to Run' is now live, order your copy here

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.

When your trades business gets bigger...

More customers

Bigger jobs

A larger team

More revenue

But also…

More expenses

More admin

Increased complexity

More problems

At some point, you can't run it the same way you did when it was smaller.

Something has to change.

The question is, what do you change first, and how?

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

Find out:

1. The biggest changes you need to make as your business grows so it doesn’t become more stressful and chaotic
2. The numbers you need to know to stay in control of your pricing, profit and cash flow
3. How to build a business that can actually run without you so you can take time off without everything falling apart

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• Claim a Free Planning Session to learn what coaching could do for your business
• Subscribe to our YouTube Channel
• New Book 'Built to Run' is now live, order your copy here

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.

[EMPLOYEE] Hey boss, can we have a quick chat in private?

[BOSS] Uh oh... What’s up?

[EMPLOYEE] It’s been great working here the last three years. I’ve learned a bunch and had a good time.

[BOSS] I’m glad. You’re one of my best guys. I can always rely on you.

[EMPLOYEE] The thing is... I’ve decided to move on. Work for someone else. This is my 2 weeks’ notice.

[BOSS] Wait a minute, mate. Don’t leave. We can work something out.

[EMPLOYEE] It’s a bit late for that. I've already made my decision.

[BOSS] What are you after? A pay raise? What’s the other guy offering?

[EMPLOYEE] It’s not just about money.

[BOSS] Well, whatever it is, you can have it. My business is screwed without you.

The truth is, he was gone long before he handed in his notice.

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

1. What good workers really want from their boss
2. The warning signs your best guy has mentally checked out
3. How to keep A-players without paying the highest-wages in town

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• Claim a Free Planning Session to learn what coaching could do for your business
• Subscribe to our YouTube Channel
• New Book 'Built to Run' is now live, order your copy here

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

Spot the difference:

Two trades business owners.

Same service.

Same team size.

Same number of hours worked.

But one makes $100K profit a year.

And the other makes $1 million.

How can that be?

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

1. How to multiply yourself instead of maxing yourself out
2. Why hiring before you're desperate is cheaper than hiring when you're not
3. The secret to scaling past the "I do everything myself" ceiling

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• Claim a Free Planning Session to learn what coaching could do for your business
• Subscribe to our YouTube Channel
• Built to Run is now live, order your copy here

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.