The Good Builder Podcast

Seven out of ten Australians have changed their mind on who to build with based on what they read online. Not a referral. Not a recommendation. A review from a stranger. And that research is happening before they ever pick up the phone. In this episode, Aaron breaks down exactly what potential clients are finding when they search your name — and what you can do about it this week. From handling on...

Nicola Scott is one of the most respected voices in the Queensland construction industry. As a senior figure at Master Builders Queensland, she's spent years connecting builders, championing standards, and quietly showing up for the people around her. But this episode isn't just about industry. Over the past year, Nicola has navigated a breast cancer diagnosis, a mastectomy, and the loss of her fa...

We talk a lot about housing in this country — supply, affordability, policy, targets. But we don't always talk about who that housing is actually for. Glenn is the head of Harnessed, a purpose-driven building business operating within the Mazzei Group.  For over a decade, he and his team have been doing some of the hardest, most meaningful work in Australian construction — delivering inclusive, af...

Aaron sits down with Kyle Zanetto, Tasmanian Young Builder of the Year, founder of Future Builder Co, and one of the most genuine voices in the Australian building industry. Kyle opens up about how he fell into building, what drove him to near-burnout juggling competitive bodybuilding and a struggling construction business, and how that rock bottom moment pushed him to rebuild smarter. They talk a...

In today's news wrap, Aaron covers four big stories shaping the residential building industry right now. From Lauxes' Greats expanding into gold and brushed nickel finishes, to the staggering 75% of Sydney apartments approved since 2020 that still haven't broken ground — the signals are clear. Plus, the Green Building Council's 2026 policy priorities and a game-changing flat-pack modular system ju...

If you are not regularly checking the pulse of the market, the market will move without you. Most builders are flat out on site. Busy quoting. Busy managing trades. Busy solving problems. But very few are stepping back to ask a simple question: What is actually happening around me? In this episode, Aaron walks through a practical “market pulse check” every builder should be doing regularly — not o...

Leadership in construction is often misunderstood. From the outside, it can look like steady promotions, bigger titles and smooth growth. In reality, it is harder than that. In this episode, Aaron sits down with Dan Mulhern from Apollo Patios to talk about what leadership actually looks like inside a working construction business. Dan shares his journey from BlueScope to business ownership, includ...

Hayden Ashton’s story is not a straight line. It moves through early exposure to business, the sudden loss of his father, a fast rise in property, stepping away from the industry entirely, and a year on the road busking to raise money for Make-A-Wish Australia. Today, he is helping lead one of Queensland’s fastest growing residential building companies, AVIA Homes. In this conversation, Hayden sha...

Most builders talk about systems. Few talk about bravery. In this episode, we sit down again with Candice — a state manager in the insurance building space who leads thousands of projects each year, often at the worst moment in a homeowner’s life. This isn’t a conversation about policies or process. It’s about leadership under pressure. We talk about: Why her word for 2026 is bravery How to handle...

Most builders think surface protection is about avoiding a few scratches. Nick from Goop Guys sees it differently. In this episode, we unpack why protecting glass, frames, benchtops and baths during construction is not just a cost decision — it is a reputation decision. Nick brings a rare perspective. He has worked in construction-adjacent industries, built his own homes, and experienced first-han...

Builders do not struggle because they lack skill. They struggle because admin compounds as they grow. In this solo episode, Aaron breaks down five practical automations that can save serious time each week and reduce unnecessary overhead as your business scales. This is not about adding complexity. It is about creating consistency. You will hear: Why admin pressure compounds between five and twent...

Not every good business needs to scale. Some just need to care. In this episode of The Good Builder Podcast , we sit down with Ryan O’Leary , a Bribie Island tiler known for his craftsmanship, straight talk, and unapologetic belief that “average is the enemy.” Ryan shares what it really looks like to build a sustainable trade business without chasing size, volume, or hype — and why pride in the fi...

Builders don’t struggle because they lack skill. They struggle because capacity gets stretched. In this episode of The Good Builder Podcast , we sit down with Anisha and Nayan from Scale Up Smart to break down the five roles builders are most commonly delegating — and why those roles matter more than most realise . Drawing on real data from builders across Australia, we unpack where time is actual...

Peter Wood has spent more than four decades inside Australian residential construction, from carpentry and site management through to senior leadership across large-scale housing delivery. In this episode, Peter shares the lessons that have shaped his career, why integrity still matters more than systems, and what it really takes to deliver housing at scale in today’s market. We cover land supply...

This week on The Good Builder Podcast , we break down five key headlines shaping the reality for builders right now. From new social and affordable housing opportunities in Western Australia, to plumbing skills investment in regional Queensland, to what NSW workers compensation reform means for cost certainty. We also look at: Why government housing pipelines matter for builder planning What new t...

Everyone talks about building trust, picking platforms, and “doing marketing properly”. Very few show you what that actually looks like in the real world. In this Monday episode of The Good Builder Podcast , Aaron Ng breaks down the real-life case study behind Avondale Homes – a Southeast Queensland builder that went from a standing start to $20–24 million turnover by year three . No theory. No bu...

In this episode of The Good Builder Podcast , Aaron sits down with Drew from Increase Construction to tackle a problem nearly every builder faces — chasing more work instead of the right work. They unpack why flooding your inbox with leads is rarely the answer, how starting with a clear revenue target changes everything, and why capacity, people, and positioning matter just as much as marketing sp...

Australia is under pressure to build more homes, faster. But speed alone is not the answer. In this episode of The Good Builder Podcast , Aaron Ng sits down with Dayne Hutchinson , founder of Nordic Construction Systems , to explore what Australia can learn from Sweden’s construction model. Dayne has spent years working in northern Sweden, building homes in some of the harshest climates on earth....

Dwyer Quality Homes has been building on the Sunshine Coast for more than 40 years.  In this episode of The Good Builder Podcast , we sit down with Alex Dwyer to unpack what it really takes to lead a multi-generational building business in today’s market. Alex shares his journey from growing up around the business to stepping into leadership, including how Dwyer Quality Homes has evolved its syste...

The building industry is operating under sustained pressure. Pressure on delivery timeframes. Pressure on cash flow. Pressure on the decisions builders are being forced to make earlier and earlier in the lifecycle of a project. In this episode of The Good Builder Podcast , Az steps back from the headlines to explain what is actually happening beneath the surface and why it matters for builders try...

Most clients decide whether they trust you long before they pick up the phone. In this solo episode of The Good Builder Podcast , Aaron breaks down the three signals that consistently influence trust in a builder’s business — based on real market research, years inside builder marketing teams, and insights gathered from working with hundreds of construction businesses. You’ll hear why: Clear, hone...

In this episode of The Good Builder Podcast , Az sits down with Will, founder of Core Painting, to unpack what it really means to raise standards in the trades — and why quality work alone is no longer enough. From his early years learning the trade in Northern England to building one of the Sunshine Coast’s fastest-growing painting businesses, Will shares how discipline, preparation, and customer...

In this episode of The Good Builder Podcast , Aaron Ng sits down with Brendan Welsh, founder of HavaChat, to unpack how real-world sales frustrations led to the creation of one of the most practical AI tools emerging in the construction and supplier space. Brendan shares his journey from senior leadership roles in manufacturing and sales to building HavaChat from scratch, without a coding backgrou...

In this episode of The Good Builder Podcast , Aaron Ng breaks down what The Good Builder really is and, more importantly, how builders, trades, suppliers and industry partners can actually use it to get ahead. With thousands of new followers and subscribers joining the community, this episode is a practical walk-through of how The Good Builder supports the industry through trusted journalism, buil...

In this episode of The Good Builder Podcast , we take a step back and look at the real forces shaping life for builders as 2026 gets underway — not just what’s happening on site, but what’s happening around the industry that quietly stacks pressure on businesses every day. We unpack three key stories that, when viewed together, explain why building can feel harder than it should right now. First,...