The Underlay - A Clever Choice Podcast

Matt chats to the QLD State Sales Manager for Clever Choice about the brand new product, "Vinyl 5mm." With some great features and benefits that will make this new product a favourite in retail stores and end users alike, Greg is more than excited about this latest range.

In a first for The Underlay, we are holding a "Sales Roundtable". Five of Clever Choice's frontline sales reps and managers join Matt on the podcast to talk about life on the road and their personal journeys with Clever Choice. We get to under the hood of what it takes to manage huge territories and we find out how each territory is unique in its own right.

In a first for The Underlay, we go onsite to Kiepe Hair. A Clever Choice customer who has a home hair salon installed a Clever Choice resilient solution, which still looks brand new. Kellie's daughter, Emma, also joins us to make it a family affair. Between the two of them, we find the secret to building a successful business while juggling clients and family in the same space.

Brett Talbot from Floorworld joined Michael and Matt at Clever HQ to discuss all things "Floorworld." The boys discussed the Floorworld model and where. they are heading in the future. Brett is another lifelong member industry with experience across many facets. The relationship between Floorworld and Clever Choice is a burgeoning one, and we are looking forward to seeing where it goes.

Twelve months ago Matt Lugo decided to make the leap from Installer to Store Owner and now with two Andersens stores under his management, life is busy but a lot fun for the young man. In a similar story to almost everyone we speak to Matt bleeds flooring, straight out of school he entered the industry and hasn't looked back. We are live on-site at Matt's Coorparoo store where they are just about...

It's a year of change for Clever Choice and 2024 will see the inclusion of 4 new ranges in the Resilient Solutions range. Greg Harvey the QLD State Sales Manager joins Michael and Matt to unpack the range and what it means for the end user. 

Michael and Matt welcome Jim Hilston into the studio to discuss all things wood flooring and what it takes to be an "expert witness" in the flooring industry. Jim's career took off when he served as the Product Manager for timber flooring at Fired Earth Ltd in the UK. His role covered the entire process, from sourcing to the final touches of installing highly sought-after products. This experience...

We start 2024 with QLD Sales Manager Greg Harvey as our resident expert. He discusses the Clever Choice Timber Solutions range and along with Michael explains the quality of the products available. We also learn a little too much about what floats Micheals boat and Greg explains why he believes the Bamboo is still the hidden gem of the Clever Choice range.

We kick off the 2024 season with a clip show. Some of the best of our episodes all crammed into one show. We have hand picked nine stories from the 2023 year and all with the same thread, a love of flooring. We hear stories of why people got into the industry, how hard is working with your partner and just how lucky it is to know from a young age exactly what you want to do. Enjoy!

We finish 2023 off with a special episode. With the help of Josh from Marques Flooring at Nerang we had the pleasure of spending some time with Olympic Gold Medallist, Sally Pearson. Sally had recently built her dream home and Marques Flooring supplied and installed her amazing new Clever Choice Flooring. We discussed the renovation process and how she decided that Marques Flooring was the perfect...

Gary has spent what seems an age in the flooring industry. A Butcher by trade, Gary changed to flooring and started as a commission-only salesman. Seeing a builder's sign was a business opportunity and Gary, and his didn't miss many chances to forge a long-term relationship with many builders on the Gold Coast. Gary has built a business based on quality service and great products by running his co...

In this episode of The Underlay, Michael and Matt speak with Justin Losinski from Master Floors Group. Having recently moved from Western Australia, Justin ran his own successful flooring company after being born into the industry.  Justin will explain the importance of floor preparation and it is the first time we have had a true expert in this area explain the process of levelling your subfloor...

In a change of pace for The Underlay, Matt spends some time with Clever Choice QLD Sales Manager, Greg Harvey, to talk all things Hybrid Shield. Greg will go through "The Story" of Hybrid Shield and why this particular product is taking the industry by storm Check out the range of Hybrid Shield on the link below https://www.cleverchoice.com.au/hybrid-shield/

Is the latest episode of The Underlay, Michael and Matt have a full ouse with Dean Bonutto from Floorworld South Australia and Ian Walker the Victorian/SA State Manager of Clever Choice joining them.  Dean has been in the industry for over 30 years and owns four Floorworld stores in South Australia. With a huge team behind him, he learnt the importance teamwork as a talented young footballer in th...

In this episode of "The Underlay" we go interstate.  Matt is alone in the Panic Room but Michael and our guest are in Melbourne. Michael is in Melbourne working on some secret Clever business but our guest is as Victorian as it gets. A lifelong St Kilda fan and in the flooring industry for 47 years, Robert Levin from Inner City Floorworld, Abbotsford, has just about seen it all. Still working at 8...

The latest episode of "The Underlay" is a cracker as Michael and Matt chat with Emma Griffiths from CVT Flooring, Lilydale. Located in the gateway to the Yarra Valley, CVT Flooring is a family business that is a one-stop shop for your home remodeling.  CVT Flooring was started by Emma's brother and has evolved over time. Emma is an Interior Designer and it was with her input that saw the shop tran...

In this episode of 'The Underlay" Michael and Matt talk to Julie Stratford from Skills Insight. Skills Insight is a not-for-profit, government funded, industry-led organisation and one of ten Jobs and Skills Councils (JSCs). They work with stakeholders who share a passion for improving skills and training across the agribusiness, fibre and furnishings industries. "The Underlay" is focused on stren...

In the latest episode of The Underlay, Michael and Matt talk with Clever Choice business partner, Terry Watson from Watson Trade Credit. Terry's business provides Trade Credit Insurance allowing businesses to protect their invoices from non-payment, all forms of administration and insolvency, and even future preference payment demands brought against you. Terry has been working closely with Clever...

For the first time in The Underlay's history we have a guest returning to the Panic Room. Our very first guest on the podcast, Greg Harvey joins Michael and Matt for the second time. The "Rodman" to Michael's "Jordan" (that hurt writing, haha) Greg, in only 18 months with Clever Choice has become an integral member of the team and his knowledge of the industry as a whole is second to none. Settle...

For the first time ever we have a guest that is relatively new to the flooring industry. With only two years as the owner of the Andersens Helensvale store you could be mistaken for thinking Jimmy doesn't know his stuff. To think that would be a mistake. The Helensvale store is truly a family business with his wife, two sons and two dogs all involved in the shop. years spent in the hospitality ind...

In the latest episode of The Underlay Michael and Matt talk to Clever Choice business Partner, Zee from MGI Accountants. Despite all the rumours to the contrary about accountants Zee is a lot of fun and has a great outlook on accounting. Zee is more than just the Clever Choice accountant, he helps the whole team with strategy and planning but it's his fluency in Mandarin that sees Zee's value rise...

Finally we get the man under the microscope as the host becomes the guest. Michael takes off the host duties and Matt puts him under the spot light. It gets pretty raw in the Panic Room as we discuss Michaels recent change of landscape, having moved from the beach to the bush. We also get an insight into his management strategy and get a great idea why Clever Choice is a successful as it is. We gi...

Episode 17 - The Underlay Podcast - Fiona Wischnewski Fiona Wischnewski is the CEO of the Floor Covering Institute of Australia (FCIA) and using her experience in training and education to take the flooring industry to the next level through skills development and quality assurance programs. FCIA lobbies government & other industry stakeholders on behalf of all members, doing more than any one...

Episode 16 - The Underlay Podcast - Bobby Lenz With 25 years experience in the flooring industry Bobby Lenz has seen it all. Now as a franchise owner of Flooring Xtra at Birtinya on the Sunshine Coast of QLD he is using all of his experience to build a great business and offer a service that is unmatched in the area. Starting as an apprentice, Bobby has flooring in his blood and with a passion tha...

In this episode, we say farewell to Ian Gust. A great American who moved himself to Australia to finish his studies and ended up running the internal marketing for Clever Choice. To say that he was an integral part of the machine would be an understatement and he grew to become Michael's, right-hand man.  We dig deep into Ian's motivations for moving to Australia and what he plans to do when he la...