In this episode of Jimmy Talks Construction, Jimmy sits down with Daniel O’Callaghan, Director of Nature Build in Bendigo, to unpack a raw and honest story of growth, pressure, passion, and resilience in the construction industry.

Daniel shares how a regional Australian builder ended up building a world-class pond for Aquascape in Georgia, USA — for Shaquille O’Neal, the reality of scaling a business to seven staff, and the moment the pressure nearly led to a nervous breakdown.

This isn’t a highlight reel. It’s a real conversation about what happens behind the scenes when things go right — and when they go very wrong.

This episode covers:

- How a Bendigo-based builder landed an international Aquascape project in the US

- What scaling a construction business to 7 staff actually feels like (mentally and financially)

- Loving the work — but nearly burning out from the responsibility

- Losing $100,000 on a single job and the lessons that came with it

- Why mistakes, stress, and hard conversations are part of building something meaningful

If you’re a builder, landscaper, contractor, or construction business owner, this episode will hit close to home. It’s about ambition, pressure, mistakes, and why some people keep going — because they genuinely love what they do.

If you enjoyed this chat, don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share the podcast. Follow James and Daniel for more real conversations about building businesses, careers, and lives in construction.

Connect with Daniel:

🌐 Website: https://www.naturebuild.com.au/

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/naturebuild_insta/

📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/naturebuildau/

💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/naturebuildau/?originalSubdomain=au

Connect with Jimmy:

🌐 Website: https://starbuckgroup.com.au

📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JimmyTalksConstruction

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/starbuckexcavation

📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/starbuckexcavation

💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-starbuck-13336546/

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