In this episode of TradesFormation Unlocked, Adrian Fadini sits down with Ron Isherwood to have the conversation too many trade business owners avoid… addiction, recovery, and what it really takes to get your life (and business) back.

If you’re running a plumbing, electrical, HVAC, roofing, or any trades business and the “Thursday beers” keep turning into a weekend you can’t remember… this one hits hard.

Ron Isherwood is the founder of The Truth About Addiction, which he launched in 2020 after more than 42 years working with people in recovery across a wide range of rehabilitation settings. Drawing on both his professional experience and his own journey through addiction and recovery, Ron identified a major gap in how addiction is understood and treated. That insight led him to build The Truth About Addiction, a program grounded in lived experience, compassion, and a strong belief in transformation. Ron also hosts The Truth About Addiction Podcast, continuing the conversation and sharing real stories that help people find a better way forward.

In the podcast, Ron shares his story; heroin addiction, prison time, recovery, and the mindset shift that changed everything:

“You’re not a bad person trying to get good. You’re a sick person trying to get well.”

They unpack why cocaine has become a silent epidemic in the trades, how “functional” addiction hides in plain sight, and why the opposite of addiction isn’t willpower… it’s connection. This isn’t a scare campaign. It’s a wake-up call with a path forward.

1. Why addiction isn’t weakness, it’s pain looking for relief
2. “Functional” addiction vs street-level addiction (and why both destroy lives)
3. The real cost of hangovers, comedowns, and missed mornings (you’re not just losing time, you’re losing trust)
4. Ron’s 8 demands for rebuilding a life: openness, acceptance, reliability, consistency, congruence, thoroughness, respect, honesty
5. Why mentorship is non-negotiable when your “one bag” turns into three
6. How trade business owners can get help without blowing up their work and family life
7. Why taking ownership is the first step to recovery

Episode Highlights

“Recovery means finding what you lost: yourself.”

“The opposite of addiction is connection.”

“If you can’t guarantee your behaviour once you start… you need a mentor.”

“When you show up hungover, you’re stealing from your boss, your family, and yourself.”

00:00 You’re not a bad person, you’re a sick person trying to get well

04:20 Cocaine + alcohol in the trades: the real-world fallout

06:45 The 8 demands that rebuild character (and business standards)

12:40 Ownership: the “Porsche with a flat tyre” lesson

16:05 Street-level vs functional addiction (and why denial is deadly)

18:00 Why “party drugs” aren’t a party, they destroy families fast

22:30 The trades epidemic: big money, no support, bad habits

25:40 How Ron’s program works (mentorship, flexibility, real accountability)

29:30 Why people don’t ask for help (and the consequences)

37:30 Identity...

Get your free copy of The Smart Sales System.

The step-by-step sales framework built for trade business owners.

https://tradesformation.systeme.io/smartsales

In this episode of Transformation Unlocked, Adrian sits down with Jordan Ryan, from Koda Capital, to unpack how trade business owners can turn today’s profit into tomorrow’s freedom and make work optional.

If you’re building a plumbing, electrical, HVAC or other trades business and you’re asking, “How do I actually use this money so I don’t have to work forever?”... this one is for you.

Jordan breaks down wealth creation in simple language: how much you really need, why “65” is a made-up finish line, how to think about super, and what to do before and after a liquidity event when you sell your business.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

-“Work optional” vs retirement

-How much is enough?

-The “retirement smile” why your spending is higher at the start of retirement, drops, then rises again with health costs.

-Superannuation basics for business owners

-Simple tax-win mindset

-All-Weather Portfolio 101

-From accumulation to drawdown

-Self-managed super funds (SMSFs)

-The power of money conversations at home

Episode Highlights

“Stop thinking about retirement. Start thinking, When do I want work to be optional?”

How wealthy people tend to talk more about money – and why your friendship circle might be holding back your financial growth.

The danger of locking 60% of your net worth into a single asset (one property, one fund, one deal) after you sell your business.

In this episode:

00:00 Work optional vs retirement

05:10 How much is enough and finding your freedom number

16:05 Super and tax for trade business owners

23:10 All weather investing and diversification

27:00 Shifting from growing wealth to living off it

30:45 When an SMSF actually makes sense

38:15 Money conversations, concentration risk, and avoiding hype

Connect with Jordan

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordan-ryan-financial-adviser/

jordan.ryan@kodacapital.com

Website: https://kodacapital.com/

Connect with TradesFormation

https://link.me/trades_formation

https://tradesformation.com.au/

Learn to Sell. Build your systems. Lead your team.

Share this episode with another trade business owner who’s talking more about spending than building wealth and start a new kind of conversation.

Disclaimer: These insights are for education only and shouldn’t be taken as financial advice. Your situation is unique, so get proper guidance before making money-related choices.

Get your free copy of The Smart Sales System.

The step-by-step sales framework built for trade business owners.

https://tradesformation.systeme.io/smartsales

You work hard for every dollar. How do you turn it into assets that work harder than you do?

Julian walks us through how to turn wages and business profits into real wealth, not just higher lifestyle costs. He shares what he has learned from advising high-performing clients, including professional athletes, and opens up about the personal changes that exploded his clarity and his business growth. This is practical wealth building with zero hype and a ton of honesty.

Your money should be building your freedom, not adding more pressure, and this episode shows you how to line that up.

You’ll learn:

• How to convert today’s income into assets that pay you back
• What Julian has learned from working with NRL players and other top performers
• How getting sober shifted his focus, energy, and business results by 50 percent
• Why mindset drives both your bank balance and your quality of life
• The simple moves to protect your future while you are still earning strong income
• How trade business owners and people on the tools can start building wealth without overcomplicating it

In this episode:

00:00 Turning hard work into real wealth

04:10 From income to assets that pay you back

11:25 Lessons from advising NRL players and high performers

18:40 Getting sober, regaining clarity, and growing 50 percent

26:05 Mindset, money, and building a life you actually want

33:30 Simple next steps to protect your future

Follow TradesFormation

https://link.me/trades_formation

https://tradesformation.com.au/

Connect with Julian Fadini PRPTY360

Website: https://prpty360.com.au/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/property-investment-advisor/