The Good Builder Podcast

On this Australia Day episode of The Good Builder Podcast , Aaron Ng breaks down three of the most effective marketing campaigns he has personally been involved in across Australia and New Zealand — not because they looked clever, but because they genuinely worked. From G.J. Gardner Homes’ Most Trusted campaign, to Avondale Homes’ Open Homes Under Construction , and Stonewood Homes’ The House New...

What if success is not about working harder, but about mastering your mind? In this episode of The Good Builder Podcast , Aaron Ng sits down with Dr Yannick Van Heirden , mindset and performance specialist and founder of Impaktr, for one of the most practical and honest conversations we have had on leadership, discipline and sustainable success. Yannick shares his personal journey from being direc...

What makes a good builder isn’t just the quality of the home. It’s the values behind it. In this episode of The Good Builder Podcast , Aaron Ng sits down with Jimmy Gray , founder of Penelope Homes and 2025 Master Builders Queensland Rising Star, for a deeply honest conversation about building homes, building teams and building a life that actually works. Jimmy shares the story behind the Penelope...

What if the construction industry had a place where builders, trades, suppliers and professional services could actually find people they trust? In this episode of The Good Builder Podcast , Az Ng sits down with Renae Ng, the creator of the Good Builder Community Directory, to unpack why the directory exists, who it is built for, and how it is already changing the way the industry connects. They c...

Welcome to Headline Tuesday on The Good Builder Podcast . In this episode, we break down four major stories shaping the construction industry right now — the ones worth keeping your finger on the pulse of as we head into 2026. We cover: • Why reputation is now a legal asset Construction lawyer Damon from Odyssey Legal explains how builders are increasingly being targeted by false or misleading onl...

In this solo episode of The Good Builder Podcast , Aaron breaks down three practical platforms every builder should be seriously considering in 2026 — not to chase more leads, but to attract better, more qualified clients . Most marketing conversations focus on impressions, clicks and volume. This episode flips that thinking on its head and looks at what really matters at the front end of a buildi...

In this episode of The Good Builder Podcast , Az sits down with Phil Barrett , former General Manager of Regional Victoria at Metricon , for a rare and deeply insightful conversation on leadership at scale. Phil spent decades helping grow one of Australia’s largest building businesses, overseeing thousands of homes, hundreds of staff, and multiple regional markets. But this episode isn’t about vol...

Burnout is everywhere in construction. Early starts. Long days. Constant pressure. And a quiet belief that if you are exhausted, you must be doing something right. To kick off 2026, Az is joined by the first guest of the year, leadership coach and 1000 Feet Deep founder Dan Urquhart — setting the tone to get you off on the right foot for the year ahead. This is not a motivation talk. It is a pract...

2026 is shaping up to be another challenging year for home builders — but not everything is out of your control. In this episode of The Good Builder Podcast , we break down the five things Australian home builders can actually control in 2026 , regardless of market conditions. From cashflow discipline and documentation, through to reputation, mental health, and the smart use of tools and technolog...

In this second episode of The Good Builder Podcast for 2026, we share a major milestone for the community with the official launch of the Good Builder Community Directory . This episode unpacks what the Directory really is and why we built it. More than a list of businesses, the Directory is a curated ecosystem designed to connect builders, trades, suppliers and the professional services that supp...

2026 is shaping up to be a defining year for the Australian construction industry. In this opening episode for the year, we talk about what is really happening on the ground for builders, trades and suppliers, beyond the headlines. Yes, the industry has faced pressure. But there is also momentum, clarity and opportunity for those willing to adapt. We unpack why the old ways of operating are being...

The Christmas break is one of the only times builders get real space to think. Sites slow down. Phones quieten. And for a brief moment, you can step back from the day-to-day and look at how your business actually runs. In this episode of The Good Builder Podcast , we sit down with ScaleUp Smart to unpack the DAD Framework — Delete, Automate, Delegate — a simple, practical way for builders to reduc...

In this episode of The Good Builder Podcast , Aaron sits down with Phil from GJ Gardner Homes Brisbane North to unpack a real construction journey — from starting an apprenticeship in 2008 to becoming a franchise owner alongside business partner Chris McNeil. Phil shares how a strong sporting background shaped his discipline as a builder, why customer experience matters more than perfect builds, a...

In this episode of The Good Builder Podcast , Aaron continues the conversation with Phil from GJ Gardner Homes Brisbane North, diving deeper into what it takes to build a strong, sustainable building business — not just great homes. Phil opens up about partnership dynamics with co-owner Chris McNeil, how clear roles and trust underpin their success, and why customer experience has become the backb...

In this episode of The Good Builder Podcast , we sit down with Dan Hanara from James Hardie to talk about one of the biggest challenges facing builders today. Complexity. From installation guides and design decisions to customer communication and onsite execution, modern building has never been more complicated. But according to Dan, the best builders are not the ones doing more. They are the ones...

Rick’s journey into construction did not start with business plans or franchises. It started on the tools. From roofing in Victoria to years of formwork in Queensland, Rick spent most of his career doing physically demanding site work in some of the toughest conditions construction has to offer. That time on site shaped how he sees building today — not just how homes are constructed, but where thi...

In this episode of The Good Builder Podcast , Az sits down with Brent Nolan from Blunt Agency for a straight-up conversation about brand, trust, and why so many businesses overcomplicate both. Brent shares the thinking behind helping position G.J. Gardner Homes as Australia’s most trusted builder , and why real brand strength is built from the ground up, through customer experience, internal cultu...

In this episode of The Good Builder Podcast , Az sits down with Kyle Bate , Founder of ModularSales.com.au and Director of ECP Constructions , to unpack why the modular construction industry needed its own dedicated marketplace. Kyle explains how ModularSales.com.au was created from lived experience inside the modular sector, not from a boardroom or tech startup. After more than twenty years worki...

What happens when an estimator gets so frustrated with bad systems that he decides to fix the problem himself? In this episode, Az sits down with Jake Barry, the quiet force behind MyConstruct, one of Australia’s most practical and underrated builder management platforms. Jake shares his journey from leaving school at 16 and teaching himself to code, to helping deliver digital systems for organisa...

In this episode of The Good Builder Podcast , Az sits down with Mark Corkery , Founder of On-Site Scanning Solutions and Chair of the NSW Scaffolding Association, to unpack how 3D site scanning is quietly changing the way construction projects are planned, priced and delivered. Mark shares how his background in scaffolding and engineering led to the creation of a scanning solution built for real s...

In this episode of The Good Builder Podcast, Az sits down with Thomas , General Manager of V2E , one of Australia’s most trusted outsourced estimating teams — and the conversation quickly becomes a masterclass in how builders can finally take control of accuracy, margin, and trust. Thomas explains why so many builders lose money before they even pour a slab, and how V2E’s approach flips the indust...

In this episode of The Good Builder Podcast, Az sits down with Sean Hewitt, the Managing Director of Stonewood Homes Sunshine Coast South — a builder whose philosophy is built on respect, accountability, long-term thinking and a deep commitment to doing things properly from day one. Sean shares his 25-plus-year journey, beginning as an apprentice carpenter lifting houses and learning the value of...

In this episode, Sarah from Goop Guys takes us inside one of Australia’s most respected franchise networks — and explains why their model works when so many others don’t. From strict franchisee selection to industry-leading support, Sarah breaks down what it really takes to grow a successful franchise in the construction space. We talk mindset, training, culture, long-standing builder relationship...

In one of the final episodes of the year, Az breaks down three of the biggest stories shaping Australia’s home building industry right now. First, we dive into new CEDA–Urbis modelling showing how gentle density across middle-ring suburbs could unlock up to one million new homes . From dual occupancies to terraces and townhouses, we explore why this “missing middle” is now one of the clearest path...

In this episode, Az sits down with Damon from Odyssey Legal to unpack one of the most confronting issues emerging across the building industry right now: homeowners using negative Google and Facebook reviews as leverage in disputes. Drawing directly from a recent legal case, Damon explains how a simple defects conversation escalated into termination, defamation notices, police involvement, and pot...