The Underlay - A Clever Choice Podcast

What happens when a group of young people get the chance to discover a trade they may never have considered? In this episode of The Underlay , Matt and Michael are in Melbourne for a hands-on flooring experience designed to open doors and show students what a future in the industry could look like. Hosted at Clever Choice's Melbourne facility, the two-day program brings together students from Sain...

Great flooring starts before the first board is laid. In this episode of The Underlay, host Matt sits down in Sydney with Clever Choice General Manager Michael Roberts and team member Preanka Hasan to explore how architectural thinking, technical knowledge and collaboration come together to deliver better commercial flooring outcomes. A qualified architect who studied at Bauhaus University in Germ...

What happens when a flooring concern turns into a claim? In this episode of The Underlay , host Matt is joined by Clever Choice General Manager Michael Roberts and Senior Sales Manager Greg Harvey to talk openly about the questions they hear from retailers, installers and homeowners, and how better conversations can help prevent problems before a floor goes down. They begin with one of the biggest...

In this episode of The Underlay , Matt heads to Andersens Indooroopilly for a conversation with Martin, joined by Clever Choice Territory Manager Sam, to talk flooring, retail, customer education and why relationships remain at the heart of the industry. Martin shares his journey from hospitality and travel into flooring, and what has kept him in the industry. From selling bespoke flooring solutio...

Commercial flooring is about far more than choosing a colour and laying a product. In this episode of The Underlay, Matt and Michael dive into the world of commercial design and fit-outs with Devon Lofthouse, Senior Designer at Intermain, and Preanka Hassan, Clever Choice Flooring's NSW Commercial Manager. Celebrating 25 years, Intermain operates across workplace design and construction, industria...

The latest episode of The Underlay hits the road again, with Matt and Clever Choice Floors GM Michael Roberts dropping into Flooring Xtra Hornsby for a cracking conversation with Leigh and Luke about flooring, business, customers and everything that happens behind the showroom doors. What starts as a chat about the Christmas rush quickly becomes a fascinating look at how a flooring business grows....

The Underlay Podcast hits the Gold Coast for this episode, recording on location at Carpet Court Burleigh Heads. Host Matt White is joined by Clever Choice Sales Manager Thomas, along with Josh and Mal from the Carpet Court team, for a conversation about what really makes the flooring industry tick: people, partnerships, education and great customer service. Fresh from the Carpet Court Conference...

The commercial flooring world is a whole different game, and in this episode of The Underlay , Matt and Clever Choice Floors GM Michael Roberts pull back the curtain on what it really takes to deliver flooring solutions for Australia's biggest commercial projects. From luxury residential towers and architect-designed homes to office fit-outs and large-scale developments, this episode explores the...

What does it really take to build a successful flooring business that stands the test of time? In this episode of The Underlay , Matt and Michael continue their New South Wales tour with a stop at Flooring Xtra Yallah , where they sit down with owner Ben for one of the most honest and insightful conversations of the series. Ben shares his incredible journey from unloading rugs in a Harvey Norman w...

Everyone loves a renovation show, but is flooring really as easy as buying a few boxes and clicking them together? In this episode of The Underlay , Matt White and Clever Choice GM Michael Roberts tackle one of the biggest misconceptions in the industry, that plank flooring is a DIY product that isn't always DIY. With over 20 years of experience, Michael breaks down why laying the boards is only a...

In this episode of The Underlay , Matt and Michael sit down with Richard from Kandu Freight Management to explore one of the most important yet often overlooked parts of the flooring industry: freight. While products, sales, and installation often take centre stage, getting flooring safely and efficiently from the warehouse to the customer is a challenge that can make or break the customer experie...

The Sydney tour continues on The Underlay as Matt and Michael head to the Northern Beaches to visit Flooring Xtra Mona Vale , where they sit down with young business owner Campbell for an honest and inspiring conversation about flooring, family, and building a business from the ground up.  At just 27 years old, Campbell has already built a thriving flooring business alongside his mum after opening...

Part Two of The Underlay's massive Clever Choice product deep dive sees Matt and Senior Sales Manager Greg Harvey tackle the category that changed the Australian flooring market forever, hybrid flooring. Alongside that, the episode also explores Clever's evolving timber range and the return of the product that started it all, bamboo.  Greg breaks down why Clever Choice hybrids have earned such a s...

In this episode of The Underlay , Matt sits down with Clever Choice Flooring's Senior Sales Manager and product specialist Greg Harvey to break down the full Clever product range in a detailed, no-nonsense overview. With so much value packed into the conversation, this is Part One of a two-part deep dive into what makes the Clever Choice offering one of the most complete in the Australian flooring...

In this episode of The Underlay , Matt sits down with the newest addition to the Clever Choice team, Brad Cousins, fresh into his role and already making an impact in Victoria. With nearly a decade of experience working his way up through the retail flooring space, Brad brings a unique perspective as he transitions from the shop floor to the manufacturing side of the industry.  At just 27, Brad ha...

Floortec 2026 delivered one of the most electric days the Australian flooring industry has seen in years, and The Underlay was right in the middle of it. Recorded live at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground, this special "best of" episode brings together the voices of the key players who made the event unforgettable. Matt and Michael kick things off with Micko and Sam from Dream Flooring, discussi...

This episode of The Underlay comes to you live from Floortec 2026 at the MCG , where Matt and Michael sit down with the event's platinum sponsors, global construction giant MAPEI . Joining the conversation are MAPEI’s General Manager, Marco, and Sales Representative, Kristian, for an insightful discussion about the future of the flooring industry, the importance of education, and why proper instal...

The Sydney road trip continues on The Underlay as Matt heads into Western Sydney to visit the team at Flooring Extra Narellan , sitting down with Tom, Jamie and Anthony for one of the most honest and entertaining conversations of the tour. What starts as a few laughs quickly turns into a real look at what running a modern flooring business actually involves. The trio share how they each fell into...

The Sydney tour continues on The Underlay as Matt and Michael head to the Hawkesbury to visit one of Western Sydney's most unique showrooms, Flooring Extra Hawkesbury. Sitting down with store owner Jennifer, this episode quickly becomes far more than a store profile; it turns into a masterclass in flooring, retail, and understanding what customers actually need when choosing a floor. Jennifer shar...

The New South Wales tour rolls on in this episode of The Underlay , with Matt and Michael heading west to Penrith to spend time inside one of the most welcoming flooring stores you'll find anywhere, Flooring Extra Penrith . What unfolds is more than a store visit; it's a story about family, community, loyalty and how a flooring business can become part of the fabric of its local area. Joined by To...

In this episode of The Underlay , Matt sits down with Clever Choice Flooring Queensland Sales Manager Greg Harvey for a deep dive into one of the most important categories in hard flooring, timber. Recorded in the festive “Christmas studio”, this conversation strips away myths, misconceptions, and outdated thinking around timber floors, replacing them with real-world insight, practical advice, and...

In this special episode of The Underlay , Matt and Michael bring listeners an on-the-ground snapshot from one of the biggest days on the flooring industry calendar, the ATFA Flooring Industry Expo at the Melbourne Showgrounds. Positioned right in the heart of the action, The Underlay team were impossible to miss, attracting a steady stream of installers, suppliers, innovators, and long-standing in...

In this episode of The Underlay , Matt and Michael head to Penrith to sit down with one of the most recognisable personalities in the flooring game, Micko from Dream Flooring . What starts as a conversation about flooring quickly becomes an insight into creativity, community, and why being different is the smartest move you can make in a crowded industry. With more than 20 years on the tools, Mikk...

The Underlay Podcast continues its Sydney road trip with a special pop-up episode recorded inside the bustling GMK Logistics headquarters. Hosts Matt and Michael sit down with Sarah Halpin, CEO of GMK Logistics, and Anthony Minuto, NSW State Manager and long-time member of the GMK family, for a lively and insightful conversation about people, culture, and the power of connection in the flooring in...

In this episode of The Underlay Podcast , hosts Matt White and Michael Roberts sit down with Geoff Weir , Hard Flooring Category Manager at Carpet Court , to explore his fascinating journey through the flooring industry, from starting out knowing nothing about flooring to becoming one of the most respected voices in the business. Geoff shares how he first entered the industry nearly a decade ago,...