The Profitable Tradie Podcast
The Profitable Tradie Podcast
Tony Fraser-Jones
If you run a plumbing, electrical, HVAC, or any other trades business and you’re tired of long hours, cash flow headaches, and pricing battles, this podcast is for you. Join Tony Fraser-Jones and Phil Smith from Profitable Tradie as they break down straight-shooting strategies to help you make more money, work fewer hours, and get your business running smoothly—without the usual headaches. We tackle the real challenges every trades business owner faces: ✔ How do I find and keep good techs when everyone is hiring? ✔ What do I do when customers don’t pay their invoices? ✔ How do I charge what I’m worth without getting undercut? ✔ Should I buy or lease my next truck or van? ✔ How do I get my crew to stop scrolling their phones and actually work? ✔ What’s the second easiest way to increase my profits? (The first is hitting play on this podcast!) We also bring on some of the most successful trades business owners in the world—real people who’ve built multimillion-dollar companies—so you can learn exactly how they did it. This isn’t just another business podcast. It’s your shortcut to building a highly profitable, well-oiled trades business that gives you more money and more freedom. 👉 Subscribe now and join thousands of tradies and contractors turning their businesses into profit machines. This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrp
How to keep your team happy (and no it's not all about the money)
[EMPLOYEE] Hey boss, can we have a quick chat in private?[BOSS] Uh oh... What’s up?[EMPLOYEE] It’s been great working here the last three years. I’ve learned a bunch and had a good time.[BOSS] I’m glad. You’re one of my best guys. I can always rely on you.[EMPLOYEE] The thing is... I’ve decided to move on. Work for someone else. This is my 2 weeks’ notice.[BOSS] Wait a minute, mate. Don’t leave. We can work something out.[EMPLOYEE] It’s a bit late for that. I've already made my decision.[BOSS] What are you after? A pay raise? What’s the other guy offering?[EMPLOYEE] It’s not just about money.[BOSS] Well, whatever it is, you can have it. My business is screwed without you.The truth is, he was gone long before he handed in his notice.WHAT YOU’LL GAIN FROM LISTENING TO TODAY’S PODCAST:What good workers really want from their bossThe warning signs your best guy has mentally checked outHow to keep A-players without paying the highest-wages in townLINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: Claim a Free Planning Session to learn what coaching could do for your businessSubscribe to our YouTube ChannelNew Book 'Built to Run' is now live, order your copy hereThanks for joining us this week. Want to subscribe to The Profitable Tradie Podcast? Have some feedback you’d like to share? Connect with us and leave us a review with a 5-star rating.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrp
Sep 15
47 min
The Cancer Diagnosis That Changed How He Runs His Business Forever
When your trades business gets bigger...More customersBigger jobsA larger teamMore revenueBut also…More expensesMore adminIncreased complexityMore problemsAt some point, you can't run it the same way you did when it was smaller.Something has to change.The question is, what do you change first, and how?WHAT YOU’LL GAIN FROM LISTENING TO TODAY’S PODCAST:Find out:The biggest changes you need to make as your business grows so it doesn’t become more stressful and chaoticThe numbers you need to know to stay in control of your pricing, profit and cash flowHow to build a business that can actually run without you so you can take time off without everything falling apartLINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: Claim a Free Planning Session to learn what coaching could do for your businessSubscribe to our YouTube ChannelNew Book 'Built to Run' is now live, order your copy hereThanks for joining us this week. Want to subscribe to The Profitable Tradie Podcast? Have some feedback you’d like to share? Connect with us and leave us a review with a 5-star rating.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrp
Sep 8
54 min
How to Become Dangerously Good at Running a Business in 42 Minutes | Ep.241
You crack open a beer after a huge week...Suddenly, a genie bursts out of the can!Says he can make you rich... A millionaire...IF you develop 7 boring habits.Would you do it?Guess what?This exact thing happened to me. And dangit, it worked.No lamp. No 3 wishes. Just 7 things, done consistently, to separate your business from the rest.WHAT YOU’LL GAIN FROM LISTENING TO TODAY’S PODCAST:Why the busiest business owners are often the least in control — and the one boring habit that flips itWhy blaming your team is a waste of time (and how McDonald's sauce proves it)The 1% trick F1 teams use to win races — and how it maps directly onto your pricing, hiring, and marketingLINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: Claim a Free Planning Session to learn what coaching could do for your businessSubscribe to our YouTube ChannelNew Book 'Built to Run' is now live, order your copy hereThanks for joining us this week. Want to subscribe to The Profitable Tradie Podcast? Have some feedback you’d like to share? Connect with us and leave us a review with a 5-star rating.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrp
Sep 1
42 min
From Broke to $30M, The Real Reason I Started Coaching Plumbers | Ep. 240 with Josh Moore
This is my story from broke to owning a $30m coaching businessLINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: Claim a Free Planning Session to learn what coaching could do for your businessSubscribe to our YouTube ChannelNew Book 'Built to Run' is now live, order your copy hereThanks for joining us this week. Want to subscribe to The Profitable Tradie Podcast? Have some feedback you’d like to share? Connect with us and leave us a review with a 5-star rating.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrp
Aug 25
48 min
Why Some Trades Business Owners Become Millionaires and Others Stay Stuck
Spot the difference:Two trades business owners.Same service.Same team size.Same number of hours worked.But one makes $100K profit a year.And the other makes $1 million.How can that be?WHAT YOU’LL GAIN FROM LISTENING TO TODAY’S PODCAST:How to multiply yourself instead of maxing yourself outWhy hiring before you're desperate is cheaper than hiring when you're notThe secret to scaling past the "I do everything myself" ceilingLINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: Claim a Free Planning Session to learn what coaching could do for your businessSubscribe to our YouTube ChannelBuilt to Run is now live, order your copy hereThanks for joining us this week. Want to subscribe to The Profitable Tradie Podcast? Have some feedback you’d like to share? Connect with us and leave us a review with a 5-star rating.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrp
Aug 18
25 min
The Hidden Reason You Can Never Switch Off (And How To Fix It)
You've got 47 unread emails...5 missed calls...9 text messages...Everybody wants something from you.Your employees, suppliers, customers...Your partner, your kids, your parents...They’re all important.So which one should you answer first?What do you prioritize?It's not the big decisions that wreck trades business owners.It's the hundreds of tiny ones like this... all day, every day.WHAT YOU’LL GAIN FROM LISTENING TO TODAY’S PODCAST:Why decision fatigue quietly bottlenecks your entire business (and how to spot it before it wrecks you)The exact system millionaire-profit owners use to stop making every single decision themselvesThe one mindset shift that turns "why is everyone asking me stuff" into "why am I not asking them"LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: Claim a Free Planning Session to learn what coaching could do for your businessSubscribe to our YouTube Channel'Built to Run' is now live, order your copy hereThanks for joining us this week. Want to subscribe to The Profitable Tradie Podcast? Have some feedback you’d like to share? Connect with us and leave us a review with a 5-star rating.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrp
Aug 11
26 min
He Thought He Was Having a Stroke, It Was His Business | Steve Vega Ep. 237
What happens when a successful trades business owner pushes so hard that his own business nearly destroys his health? In this episode of the Profitable Tradie Podcast, Steve Vega shares how 63-hour work weeks, chronic underpricing, and poor systems left him burned out before transforming his plumbing business into a $1M+ company. If you're a plumbing, HVAC, electrical, roofing, or home service business owner looking to increase profit, improve pricing, build better systems, and scale without sacrificing your life, this episode is packed with real-world lessons.⏱ CHAPTERS00:00:00 | Introduction00:01:01 | 1. Stress & Burnout: Fighting severe physical stress and 63-hour shifts00:07:38 | 2. Operations Shift: Moving from a chaotic operator to structured teams00:15:47 | 3. Underpricing Traps: Overcoming guilt and mindset traps around money00:24:22 | 4. Back-Costing: Using pricing targets and reviews to plug profit leaks00:32:15 | 5. Culture & Time: Scaling with team 1-on-1s, time audits, and calendars🔗 FREE RESOURCESGet our free book — The Profitable Tradie: profitabletradie.com/bookBook a free strategy call: profitabletradie.com/contact📲 WORK WITH USIf you're a trade business owner ready to build a more profitable,better-run business, we work with plumbers, electricians, HVAC techs,roofers, and similar contractors across Australia, New Zealand,the US, and Canada.Find out more: profitabletradie.com🎙 ABOUT THE PROFITABLE TRADIE PODCAST & CHANNELProfitable Tradie helps trade business owners build businessesthat make real money and don't depend on them to run.Hosted by Tony Fraser-Jones & Phil Smith.📱 FOLLOW USInstagram: @profitabletradieTikTok: @profitabletradieFacebook: Profitable TradiePodcast: Search "The Profitable Tradie Podcast" on Apple or Spotify#TradesBusiness #ContractorLife #BusinessCoaching #tradesman #bluecollar #tradesmen #plumbing #hvac #electrical #electrician #unitedstates #usa #northamerica #australia #canada #newzealandThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrp
Aug 4
49 min
How To Be Firm, Not Nice (Quit being a pushover)
You’re hard working...You’re dedicated...And you care a lot...All great qualities in a trades business owner.But there's one trait – which is super common – that could quietly cost you thousands, create team problems, and leave you burnt out.WHAT YOU’LL GAIN FROM LISTENING TO TODAY’S PODCAST:The surprising habit that's quietly draining your profit (most owners never spot it)Why trying to keep everyone happy is costing you the one thing that actually grows a businessThe simple shift that lets you stay kind and respected... while making a lot more moneyLINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: Claim a Free Planning Session to learn what coaching could do for your businessSubscribe to our YouTube ChannelGet a copy of the Profitable Tradie bookThanks for joining us this week. Want to subscribe to The Profitable Tradie Podcast? Have some feedback you’d like to share? Connect with us and leave us a review with a 5-star ratingThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrp
Jul 28
26 min
7 Numbers Every Profitable Business Owner Needs to Track
You know how much money came into the bank last month...But do you know how many leads you got?Your conversion rate?Or how much you’re still waiting to be paid?Most trades business owners have no idea.They’re not tracking much.But the owners killing it out there are tracking 7 key numbers.WHAT YOU’LL GAIN FROM LISTENING TO TODAY’S PODCAST:The 7 numbers that tell you if your business is actually making moneyHow to make better business decisions using facts instead of gut feelThe simple scorecard which tells you what to focus on nextLINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: Claim a Free Planning Session to learn what coaching could do for your businessSubscribe to our YouTube ChannelGet a copy of the Profitable Tradie bookThanks for joining us this week. Want to subscribe to The Profitable Tradie Podcast? Have some feedback you’d like to share? Connect with us and leave us a review with a 5-star rating.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrp
Jul 21
23 min
Top 10 Uses for AI in your Trades Business(Plumbing, HVAC, Electrical, or Similar)
“What’s one cool thing you’re using AI for?”I asked 1,200 trades business owners that question...A few of the answers genuinely caught me off guard.WHAT YOU’LL GAIN FROM LISTENING TO TODAY’S PODCAST:How to create dashboards that track your most important business numbers automaticallyHow trades business owners are creating custom software and apps without knowing how to codeHow to get AI to analyze your numbers and spot problems before they become expensive mistakesLINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: Claim a Free Planning Session to learn what coaching could do for your businessSubscribe to our YouTube ChannelGet a copy of the Profitable Tradie bookThanks for joining us this week. Want to subscribe to The Profitable Tradie Podcast? Have some feedback you’d like to share? Connect with us and leave us a review with a 5-star rating.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrp
Jul 14
26 min
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