In this episode, Kane sits down with Rhys, founder of Oceania Plumbing and Gas, for a straight-talking conversation about what it actually takes to build a trades business from the ground up.

Rhys started his business in 2019, living at home with mum and dad, just as Covid hit. Three months of uncertainty quickly turned into one of the busiest periods he'd ever seen, and from there he scaled to six vehicles and a growing team. He and Kane get into the real stuff: hiring tradies vs apprentices, keeping staff long term, building systems when everything is chaos, customer service, social media, managing vehicles and insurance, and what they both wish someone had told them when they started out.

If you run a trade business or you're thinking about going out on your own, this one is packed with practical lessons from someone who's been in the trenches and figured it out along the way.

Follow Hypotential:

Website: https://www.hypotential.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hypotential_

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HypotentialCo

Follow Kane: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kanetylersmith_/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KaneTylerSmithWA

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@kanetylersmith

Connect with Oceania Plumbing and Gas:

Website: https://oceaniaplumbingandgas.com.au/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oceaniaplumbingandgas/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/oceaniaplumbingandgas/

In this episode, Kane sits down with Jevyn from Men's Talk, a men's health promotion charity based in Western Australia, for a raw and eye-opening conversation about the mental health crisis quietly affecting men across Australia.

They cover the alarming suicide statistics (7 men die every day in Australia), the role isolation, divorce and job loss play as warning signs, why tradies are 9 times more likely to die by suicide than from a workplace accident, and how Men's Talk is doing things differently with non-clinical drop-in centres, free mentoring programs and their one-of-a-kind mobile outreach van "Monty the Man Van."

Whether you're a bloke who's been disconnecting without realising it, or someone who wants to know how to check in on a mate, this one's for you.

Follow Hypotential:

Website: https://www.hypotential.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hypotential_

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HypotentialCo

Follow Kane:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kanetylersmith_/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KaneTylerSmithWA

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@kanetylersmith

Connect with Men's Talk:

Website: https://www.mtalk.com.au/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mens_talk_au/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MensTalkAU

Mitch Suleau moved from Tasmania to Perth two years ago with a carpenter's ticket and nothing else. He started MBS Building Company anyway and is still figuring it out the right way.

Kane and Mitch get into what the early years of a trade business actually look like. Why you have no idea what you want until you are almost there. Why hiring a tradesman as your first employee beats bringing on an apprentice. How to find work through referrals and social media before spending on advertising. What it takes to build a reputation fast in a city where bad tradespeople can hide. And what Kane would do differently if he was starting Smartfix again from year one.

If you are in the first two to three years of running a trade business and figuring it out as you go, this episode is worth your time.

hypotential.com

Perth, Western Australia

Mitch Suleau

MBS Building Company

Mitch Suleau is the founder of MBS Building Company, a Perth-based carpentry and outdoor living business specialising in decking, pergolas, patios, and renovations. Two years in, building the right way with a growing team and a builders ticket on the way.

mbsbuildingcompany.com

facebook.com/mbsbuildingcompany

instagram.com/mbsbuildingcompany