Stress isn’t just a feeling. It’s not simply being busy or under pressure, it’s your body’s primal response to threat. The same surge of cortisol that once saved us from a lion still fires when the invoice is overdue, a staff member quits, or the pipeline runs dry.

Why is that a problem? Well, in business that lion never stops chasing us. For months or years, we can stay in fight-or-flight mode, and the cost shows up everywhere: in our health, our families, and our bottom line.

We explore the traps business owners fall into: working harder, avoiding, numbing, and share how to break the cycle through awareness, healthy habits, and smarter strategies. Because you can’t outrun stress. But you can learn to face it, manage it, and come out stronger.

In this episode you’ll learn:
🔨 Stress isn’t just mental: it’s your body’s physical alarm system.
🔨 Constant pressure keeps your body redlining, and something eventually breaks.
🔨 Most people respond by working harder, avoiding, or numbing the pain.
🔨 Real progress starts by naming stress, facing it, and tackling the cause.
🔨 Healthy habits: eating well, sleeping, moving, rebuild your resilience and focus.
🔨 You can’t outrun stress, but you can learn to master it.

If you’re felling stressed or overwhelmed, and need someone to talk, we recommend you reach out to TIACS, a free phone and text counselling service for Australia’s tradies: https://www.tiacs.org/ or phone 0488 846 988.

… Book a free Strategy Session to start your journey toward building a sustainable business and balanced life: www.strategysession.com.au

And if you’re not already part of The Trade Den please come over to our community on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thetradeden

Find out more about Pravar Group at www.pravargroup.com or https://www.instagram.com/pravargroup

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you’ve ever caught yourself saying, “It’s just easier if I do it myself,” you might be caught in the control trap. And it’s likely costing your business more than you think. One of the biggest blockers to growth in trades businesses is the control freak mindset. Over time, it creates dependency, stalls decision-making, and drains time and energy from the owner. Growth slows, stress builds, and the team fails to reach its potential.

The solution lies in shifting from control to capability: setting boundaries, empowering others to think, and accepting that mistakes are part of progress. True leadership isn’t about doing it all, it’s about enabling others to thrive. Letting go isn’t easy, but it’s essential if the goal is a business that can grow without being handcuffed to the owner.

In this episode you’ll learn:
🔨 Micromanagement creates dependency and prevents teams from thinking independently.
🔨 Perfectionism often disguises a deeper fear of losing relevance.
🔨 True leadership means enabling others, not doing everything yourself.
🔨 Delegation requires boundaries, trust, and acceptance of occasional mistakes.
🔨 Control creates a ceiling; empowerment creates momentum and scale.
🔨 Building capability in others frees you to focus on your strengths.

… Book a free Strategy Session to start your journey toward building a sustainable business and balanced life: www.strategysession.com.au

And if you’re not already part of The Trade Den please come over to our community on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thetradeden

Find out more about Pravar Group at www.pravargroup.com or https://www.instagram.com/pravargroup

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What if the smartest move you could make in business… was saying no?

Not just to the wrong jobs. But to the wrong clients. The tempting work that looks good today could wreck your team, reputation, and bottom line tomorrow.

Every successful trade business hits a point where demand outweighs capacity. More calls, more bookings, more “can you just…?” requests. And the gut instinct is to say yes to it all. But the thing is, more isn’t always better. Better is better.

Today, we look at the real cost of saying yes to everything, including the burnout, the bottlenecks and missed invoices. When you learn to say no the right way, your business finally gets room to grow the right way.

In this episode you’ll learn:
🔨 The wrong job at the wrong margin kills long-term profitability fast.
🔨 Overcommitting stretches your team thin and erodes morale and quality.
🔨 Too many open jobs stall invoicing and choke cash flow completely.
🔨 Taking on poor-fit clients risks your reputation and your best customers.
🔨 Saying no strategically creates scarcity, demand, and premium pricing opportunities.
🔨 Every yes is a no to something better – choose wisely, not reactively.

… Book a free Strategy Session to start your journey toward building a sustainable business and balanced life: www.strategysession.com.au

And if you’re not already part of The Trade Den please come over to our community on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thetradeden

Find out more about Pravar Group at www.pravargroup.com or https://www.instagram.com/pravargroup

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Phil Kerr was overworked, frustrated…angry. He was running a seven-day-a-week business that had plateaued, barely paying himself, and missing time with his young family. The breaking point? An honest drawing from his four-year-old son: a picture of his dad as an angry man.

That moment changed everything. Phil realised something had to give. He couldn’t just keep working harder; he needed to work smarter and lead differently.

Fast-forward to today and Phil has transformed not only himself but also Minibeasts Enterprises, the business that ships millions of crickets, mealworms, and rodents to pet stores and zoos across Australia every year. With new systems, stronger leadership, and a renewed focus on culture, Phil turned a struggling operation into a thriving, national enterprise.

In this episode you’ll learn:

🔨 How uncovering blind spots can transform leadership and decision-making.
🔨 The systems that turn a struggling business into a thriving national supplier.
🔨 Why personal growth is often the key to business growth.
🔨 How redefining culture lifts team standards and performance.
🔨 Why hiring for mindset matters more than hiring for skills.
🔨 How becoming more present creates stronger family and business connections.

Check out the incredible business of Minibeasts Enterprises: https://minibeastsenterprises.com.au/

… Book a free Strategy Session to start your journey toward building a sustainable business and balanced life: www.strategysession.com.au

And if you’re not already part of The Trade Den please come over to our community on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thetradeden

Find out more about Pravar Group at www.pravargroup.com or https://www.instagram.com/pravargroup

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The language we use as parents plays a critical role in shaping a child’s mindset, self-belief, and relationship with challenge.

Every time we speak to our kids, we’re either setting them up to grow or teaching them to avoid challenge. It’s not about being perfect parents. It’s about becoming more aware.

From “you’re so smart” to “you tried your best,” we unpack the unintended messages hiding in everyday praise. Whether your kids are little or already grown, the words you choose today could shape their self-belief for years to come.

In this episode you’ll learn:

🔨 Language shapes a child’s mindset more than most parents consciously realise.
🔨 Praising effort builds resilience; praising talent can unintentionally limit confidence.
🔨 Children interpret tone and repetition, not just the words being spoken.
🔨 Avoid labels that suggest fixed ability; highlight perseverance and strategic thinking instead.
🔨 Encouragement should focus on progress, not just outcomes or personality traits.
🔨 Small shifts in language can lead to lifelong changes in self-belief.

… Book a free Strategy Session to start your journey toward building a sustainable business and balanced life: www.strategysession.com.au

And if you’re not already part of The Trade Den please come over to our community on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thetradeden

Find out more about Pravar Group at www.pravargroup.com or https://www.instagram.com/pravargroup

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Too many tradies burn out trying to be everything at once – accountant, lawyer, marketer, and still a hands-on business owner – and it’s costing them time, money, and growth.

The smartest operators build a “power team” of professionals who protect their business, unlock opportunity, and keep them focused on what they do best.

There are two layers of support every growing trades business needs: trusted advisors (accountant, financial planner, solicitor, coach) and go-to specialists (brokers, marketers, IT, industry bodies).

Together, they help you stay compliant, plan ahead, and avoid costly mistakes, and you gain clarity and confidence to make better decisions. Start by auditing who’s already in your corner, fill the gaps, and upgrade where needed.

In this episode you’ll learn:

🔨 Surround yourself with experts so you can play to your strengths.
🔨 The right power team turns chaos into clarity and confidence.
🔨 Invest in advice now to unlock massive future growth and freedom.
🔨 Upgrade your team as you grow – loyalty shouldn’t limit your opportunities.
🔨 Free advice from poor sources is often the most expensive mistake.
🔨 Audit your current crew, fill the gaps, and leverage expert support.

… Book a free Strategy Session to start your journey toward building a sustainable business and balanced life: www.strategysession.com.au

And if you’re not already part of The Trade Den please come over to our community on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thetradeden

Find out more about Pravar Group at www.pravargroup.com or https://www.instagram.com/pravargroup

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When something goes wrong in your business, what’s your first reaction? Do you spiral into self-doubt, or ask yourself what you can learn from this? That instant response reveals your mindset …and it’s either propelling your business forward or holding it back.

Today, we dive into one of the most powerful concepts in business psychology: fixed versus growth mindset. It’s not just theory. It’s the reason some business owners thrive while others stay stuck.

We unpack how your mindset impacts your skills, resilience, relationships and results – and what to do about it if you’re serious about changing your trajectory.

In this episode you’ll learn:

🔨 Your mindset shapes how you respond to setbacks, challenges, and criticism.
🔨 Mindset isn’t binary – you can be fixed in one area, growth in another.
🔨 Feedback isn’t personal – it’s information to help you level up and grow.
🔨 Setbacks aren’t proof you’ve failed; they’re data to guide your next move.
🔨 Language like “I can’t” or “I’m not good” reveals mindset traps.
🔨 Shifting from fixed to growth starts with awareness of your inner dialogue.

… Book a free Strategy Session to start your journey toward building a sustainable business and balanced life: www.strategysession.com.au

And if you’re not already part of The Trade Den please come over to our community on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thetradeden

Find out more about Pravar Group at www.pravargroup.com or https://www.instagram.com/pravargroup

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

True growth in business often starts with personal transformation. By facing his own struggles head-on, from burnout to self-doubt, Shaun Bates became a stronger leader, husband, and father, proving that the most powerful changes happen from the inside out.

Shaun opens up about the messy, honest road to building Elk Electrical into a thriving Gold Coast trade business. He shares how coaching helped him stop drowning in admin, build his ground crew, and gain the confidence to step off the tools.

But more than that, Shaun reflects on the personal battles; at home, alcohol and substance habits, and identity evolution, that quietly shaped his journey as a man and a business owner.

In this episode you’ll learn:

🔨 Growth in business only happens when you grow personally as well.
🔨 Struggling at home and work doesn’t mean you’re failing, it’s feedback.
🔨 Hiring admin was the turning point that freed Shaun to lead.
🔨 Alcohol felt like a release but was silently holding everything back.
🔨 Coaching gave Shaun structure, self-belief and the tools to scale sustainably.
🔨 You can’t outgrow your problems if you’re not willing to face them.

… Book a free Strategy Session to start your journey toward building a sustainable business and balanced life: www.strategysession.com.au

And if you’re not already part of The Trade Den please come over to our community on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thetradeden

Find out more about Pravar Group at www.pravargroup.com or https://www.instagram.com/pravargroup

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.