Trade Legends | Construction Podcast

Mark Marshall went from a rebellious teen forced to repair a farmer's land to one of the UK's most recognisable names in landscaping and social media, and he gets honest about the burnout, the losses, and what lengthy brand negotiations with the likes of Makita and NatWest actually look like behind the scenes. This is the side of influencer life nobody shows you.

Brad and Sam from The Bald Builders lost a million pounds, lived in a caravan with £20 to their name, accidentally bought a stolen house, and somehow built one of the biggest trade brands in the UK, and that's before the KFC prank with 17 million minutes of watch time, the Ofcom complaints, and the online stalker. The most unfiltered, jaw-dropping builder story Trade Legends has ever told.

Sammi lost her job of sixteen years overnight, was managing type 1 diabetes through Covid, and anxiety had taken over to the point she couldn't leave her car. From that lowest point, she started making hoodies from her kitchen table and built Branded by Sammi into one of the most recognisable names in UK construction workwear. She holds nothing back about what rock bottom actually looks like and w...

Ashley Macintosh rebranded from window cleaner to exterior cleaning specialist, and that one shift changed what he could charge overnight. He breaks down how window cleaning works as a recurring-revenue engine to upsell high-ticket roof and driveway jobs, why most people in his industry are losing money by focusing on equipment over marketing, and how video is quietly becoming the most powerful sa...

Gemma's first viral TikTok mural got millions of views, and triggered enough online abuse to nearly make her quit social media entirely. She gets honest about turning a lockdown hobby into a commercial mural business, the reality of pricing creative work, handling difficult client requests, and why staying true to your art is harder than it looks when business takes over.

In this episode of Trade Legends , we sit down with Renovate, featuring Emma and Gio, to hear two inspiring journeys into the trades and construction industry. Emma shares her path from law school and corporate PR into property renovation, sourcing, and lettings in Aberdeen, including how she taught herself tiling, painting, and DIY skills through YouTube and social media. She talks about turning...

Why do plumbers always make this mistake? In this episode of Trade Legends, Mike from Salamander Pumps explains the most common pump installation errors, why they happen, and how to avoid them. From shower pump failures to boosting mains pressure, we break down what plumbers get wrong, the right way to install pumps, and how tools like Salamander’s HomeBoost, TankBoost, and AquaScan are changing t...

In this episode of Trade Legends, Mark chats with Dean Franklin, 2025 winner of The Apprentice and co-founder of ADL Air Conditioning. From flipping PlayStations at 13 to launching a booming business in lockdown, Dean shares his wild journey, raw hustle, and that viral interview moment. He risked it all for a £250K investment — and won. For grafters, dreamers, or future Apprentice stars, this one’...

On the Trade Legends podcast this week, Jack & Stacey (“Stick”) from Trademark Digital share their "Building a business" journey, from suffering a serious stroke and having to close down a carpentry business to building a digital marketing agency. They discuss the industry's challenges, lessons learned, and their passion for helping small businesses.

In this episode of Trade Legends, we’re joined by Ryan from Mirka, the globally recognised Finnish brand behind some of the most advanced abrasives and sanding tools used across a wide range of industries. Whether it’s in automotive body shops, marine and yacht building, woodworking, or professional decorating, Mirka has become synonymous with high-performance, purpose-built equipment trusted by t...

In this episode of Trade Legends, we sit down with Andrew, a seasoned HVAC professional from Australia, to explore his journey through four decades in the trade. He shares how he fell into the industry almost by accident, what has kept him passionate over the years, and how the HVAC landscape has changed in both Australia and globally.

In this episode of the Trade Legends podcast, we sit down with Ryan O'Sullivan, founder of the Ry Group, to hear his honest and inspiring story—from struggling in school to building a successful multi-trade business with over 30 staff. Ryan talks about how he navigated early challenges with education, a derailed football career, and eventually found his place in the trades, starting with an appren...

On this Trade Legends episode, we’re joined by two frontline officers from the Metropolitan Police to delve into the growing problem of tool theft across the UK. With thousands of tradespeople falling victim to stolen tools each year, we explore what the police are actually doing to tackle the issue. From unregulated car boot sales and organised criminal networks, to how forensic tool marking is l...

On this episode of the Trade Legends Podcast, we’re taking you inside the Houses of Parliament for an important and eye-opening conversation with Shadow Secretary of State for Justice, Rob Jenrick, and trades campaigner Shoaib the Gas Expert. This episode marks a significant milestone in the fight against the tool theft epidemic, which continues to affect thousands of tradespeople across the UK. W...

On this week’s Trade Legends podcast, we speak to Graham Mundy about the growing issue of tradespeople having their vans broken into and thousands of pounds worth of tools stolen. For many in the trades, a van is more than just transport; it’s their livelihood. Graham explains how thieves are targeting tradesmen across the country and what can actually be done to protect your van, tools, and busin...

On this episode of the Trade Legends Podcast, we sit down with Kev, better known as Prestige Painter, an award-winning decorator with an inspiring story that spans professional football, high-level management, and a leap into entrepreneurship. Kev shares the raw truth about getting released from his football career at 18 and the emotional toll it took, before redirecting his drive into the automot...

In this episode of the Trade Legends podcast, we have electrician Adam from SOTA Electrical & Lucy from The Installer Show. Adam reflects on his hands-on journey from traditional electrical apprenticeships to running his own successful EV charging business. With candid stories about starting from scratch, transitioning into the domestic electrical space, and the power of YouTube marketing, he...

In this episode of Trade Legends, we sit down with Mark from StealthMounts, the innovative company revolutionising construction tool storage and organisation. From near bankruptcy with one business to making millions with another. Mark shares the fascinating journey of StealthMounts, from eBay to becoming a globally recognised construction tool brand. Mark opens up about the major challenges he fa...

In this episode of the Trade Legends Podcast, we sit down with Nick from JJ Roofing to explore the journey of a family-run roofing business growing into a leading name in the roofing and construction supply industry. Nick shares his path from a sports science graduate to working in mental health and eventually finding his footing in marketing within the trades, and helping JJ build a roofing busin...

In this episode of the Trade Legends podcast, we sit down with Martyn from Champions Sealant Services and Tom from TCM Air Conditioning to discuss their journeys in the trades industry. Martyn shares how he built a successful sealant business from the ground up after redundancy, using social media and word of mouth to grow his reputation. Tom talks about getting into air conditioning by chance, wo...

This week on Trade Legends, Mark and Al sit down with carpenter Liam. Liam wasn't very academic at school, but he knew from an early age that he wanted to work with his hands. The school recommended that he consider a career in carpentry, given his enjoyment of woodwork. After initially struggling to find an apprenticeship, he was lucky to come across a company that agreed to take him on and t...

This week on Trade Legends, we're joined by Jess. Academic by nature but never sold on the university route, she knew early on that a hands-on career was where she belonged, even if the option wasn't on the table at the time. After a couple of years studying hairdressing and a string of jobs that never quite fit, she started learning plumbing in her spare time and finally found the path sh...

This week on the Trade Legends Podcast, we talk about Scrap Metal Recycling in the construction industry, which is always a talking point, with how much money you will earn. Josh and Ed from Greencable_uk sit down with Mark on this episode to explain how they are revolutionising the scrap metal industry within the construction trade. Greencable will provide you with a scrap metal bin that you can...

James spent 10 years wiring new builds for someone else. Then one morning, he handed his van keys to his apprentice, rang his dad, and walked off-site. He was done. Six weeks later, he's running his own electrical business with no van, no plan, and no regrets. Josh and Ed run Green Cable UK, a scrap metal company that deals with tradespeople across the country. They know exactly what's goi...

Paul pulled up to a job in Sidcup. Half an hour later, his phone rang. Someone was breaking into his van. Two builders across the road had already run over, smashed the car window, and grabbed the keys from the thieves. The whole thing was on camera. Ten million views later, Paul came on the podcast to tell the full story. But the van break-in was just the start. The courtesy van got done two days...