22 Years in Business Together: 9 Lessons for Tradie Couples

Andy
There has definitely been moments where I’ve thought, “Yeah, uh, I don’t know if I could work with you.”

Angela
Did you really think that?

Andy
Yeah, I did. Sorry.

Angela
Well, I’m sure I’ve had moments where I’ve thought exactly the same thing.

Andy
No, no, no chance.

Angela
Well, working with your husband or wife is a completely different game. You’ve got two personalities, two opinions, and two lots of pressure, and then you’re expected to go home at the end of the day and somehow leave all of it at the door.

Andy
Which we definitely didn’t always do.

Angela
Yeah. So today we’re gonna do things a little bit differently.

Andy
Okay.

Angela
Today I’ve put together a stack of questions-

Andy
Oh, here we go …

Angela
about what it’s really like to work with your partner. Yes. So there are gonna be questions li- about resentment- Okay … ones that might cause some arguments- Okay … and who actually gets the final say.

Andy
No wonder I never got a chance to see these questions, but, um, I’m looking forward to finding out what it’s all about. And the question might be whether knowing everything we know right now, all these years down the track, would we choose to do it all over again?

Angela
Well, that’s a great question. So this is either gonna be super fun- Oh … or it’s gonna be a complete train wreck.

Andy
I, it’s gonna, it’s gonna be a train wreck. I can feel it already. I feel like I’m getting led down the garden path.

Angela
All right, let’s do it.

Andy
Okay. You’re listening to The Tradie Show. This is the podcast for trade, business, and contracting bosses like you who wanna lead with confidence, make more profit, and create a better lifestyle.

Angela
We’re your hosts, Andy and Angela Smith, husband and wife team and co-founders of Lifestyle Tradie. Are you ready to have some fun?

Andy
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Andy
All right, it’s time to kick things off with some hell yeah wins from our amazing Lifestyle Tradie members

These are the legends who’ve been smashing it in their businesses, proving that small changes can lead to massive results, and hopefully these give you some inspo on what you can do in your business. Ange, what do we have this week?

Angela
Okay, great hell yes to share today. First up is a big shout-out to Tarum, who runs a plumbing business in Perth, WA, and he shares, “We have now just set up all the internals of all our utes so they are all the same. Now we’re saving time and money.”

Andy
Now you’re talking. That’s my wheelhouse, making sure every truck is set up exactly the same way so it doesn’t matter who jumps in between trucks or the apprentices jumping in between trucks, everything is in the same spot. That’s a good hell yeah. And what is up next, Ange?

Angela
Okay, next up is Dom, who operates a plumbing business in Melbourne, Victoria, and he shares, “We had our first team meeting after the last R&R event, and we focused on our seamless sales system from start to finish. We got the team together for breakfast. We ironed out lots of little creases, and now everyone has a hell of a lot more clarity around who’s responsible for what at each stage. It feels like a huge step forward.”

Andy
It is a huge step forward. Getting the seamless sales system from start to finish set up within your team is absolutely huge, and if you don’t do this right, I reckon it costs you about 20% of your turnover, depending on the style of work you do. A big hell yeah for me.

Last but not least, what’s up next, Ange?

Angela
Okay, last is Andrea and Matt, who operate a plumbing business in Queensland.

Andy
Wow, it’s plumbers all round today.

Angela
I know. We’re literally having a serious run of plumbers today. Yeah. All right. So these guys share, “Putting an offer on our new workshop for the business.

We’re upgrading ours via our self-managed super fund. We’re signing a contract on our new investment property as well. We’ve been working towards this for ages, so we’ll breathe a sigh of relief when I can set and forget for a while.”

Andy
That’s a big hell yeah. You guys are awesome. You’ve been members with us for about four years now, going strong.

And when you get to that point when you have consistent profit in your business day in, day out, this is what’s next, wealth creation, and we help teach you exactly that. And that’s what we’re all about here, helping tradies like you take control, make changes, and see the big and small wins roll on in

Angela
Okay, so today we’re gonna do things a little differently.

As a husband-and-wife team, and seeing we work with loads of husband and wives, I thought it’d be a great idea to answer maybe just a heap of questions about this subject. You ready?

Andy
Oh, yep, it’s gonna be interesting. Let’s go.

Angela
So to set the scene, we’ve been working together since 2003. We had a year break in there, so let’s say we’ve been together for 22 years.

As I recall it, you asked me to resign from my job and join Dr. Drip back in 2003. So my first question is, when I first came into Dr. Drip, did you actually see me as your business partner or as your wife who was helping you out?

Andy
Well, when I called you in, I knew I needed help, and I wanted you to come in.

Um, I… In reflecting on that, I was an absolute complete control freak, and, um, you were quite a strong person in your own mind, and it didn’t take long for me to think, “Holy shit, have I made the right decision,” to be honest- … to, to bringing you in? But you know what? It, it, it’s one of those things you don’t know until you get into it.

And, and I will look back, and I was a bit of a hothead. I was a bit of a control freak. I wanted, I wanted… I had control of everything ’cause I felt like that business was my baby, and I’d built it from the ground up, and you were coming in, and yeah, you were starting to tr- step on my toes a little bit.

Angela
So the way I- The way I recall it-

Andy
Good start. Let’s go.

Angela
The way I recall it-

Andy
Yeah …

Angela
I agree with you. I was a very headstrong female. -Yeah … And, and, and still. However-

Andy
Mm …

Angela
because we only lasted, we actually only lasted three months when I first- Yeah, yeah … came to work at Dr. Drip because- Yeah … you asked me specifically to work on marketing. Yeah. And I’m sure everyone’s heard this story before.

We had an argument because I placed an ad in a newspaper for, like, $297, and you lost your shit at me because I didn’t ask your opinion to begin with. And respectfully, I’d come from a national sponsorship position where I was managing a $3 million budget, so that really got my goat. But what it did do, it made me realize that you and I weren’t really clear around our responsibilities.

Um, but I will say, you h- actually had this business down pat. You were a massive control freak- I, I- … but you knew what was going on.

Andy
I knew what was going on. I knew what I believed worked in marketing. I knew what I wanted to say, and, and you went out on a limb and just put it in the newspaper, and I, I feel like someone that started so soon in business to work together, um, that was a very simple put in front of me, just wanna get your okay on this.

Angela
Yeah. So just for the record, um, I lasted three months. I went out and did, uh, another year’s worth of work at Coca-Cola in marketing before I actually officially came back. All right.

Andy
Yeah, and it was a hard three months, I think, in, in that period. Um, butted a lot of heads and realized what are we doing? This is not the right fit.

Angela
Yep.

Andy
So what about you? You know, it was a, it was a tough decision to say, “Hey, listen, I think it…” And I think it was a mutual decision thinking back, but, you know, how did you find it all?

Angela
Well, I had my own career, so it was a pretty big decision to give up, let’s call it my career, to come and work at Dr. Drip. At that stage, Dr. Drip was your business. It actually was the way I saw it. I wasn’t thinking that I was coming in to work on this business together. I was thinking I was coming in to work on your business. That is the way it was kinda seen.

Andy
Well, that means then you should have put that ad in front of me for approval.

Angela
No, I was employed to do a job.

Andy
Okay. Okay. Okay.

Angela
But I will say you and I did talk about it for a really long time. We table talked at night about the business for years, you know, w- for three years, I’m gonna say, or three and a half years, before I ended up coming in. So it wasn’t like a split decision, it was you had, let’s call it, wear me down about, “We’re ready for you now.”

Andy
Yeah, 100%. I wanted you to come in, um, and I, you know… We just weren’t ready. We didn’t have the guidelines set. Um, I wasn’t probably willing for you to come in and try and take over stuff like you expected that you were gonna do. Um, and it just didn’t work, so end of the story. 

Angela
So can I ask you this? -Mm … What was the hardest adjustment for you when we started working together?

Andy
That I was used to, for three years, make every single little decision, and then you came in and just started making decisions at whim without even consulting me. So, you know, what about you? What was the hardest adjustment for yourself?

Angela
So one of my hardest adjustments was actually working alone. Like, you were out on the tools every single day, but I worked inside our house in this little room that was our office that was in the middle of the building, where there was very little airflow and not a lot of natural light. And that was-

Andy
It was a cave.

Angela
It was a cave.

Andy
I chained you to your desk.

Angela
But do you know what? I’d come from corporate- Ugh … where life was very different, very structured, um, lots of humans, interaction every day. I… One day I was talking direct- to directors, the next day I was with farmers. Like, I… To all of a sudden work alone, making decisions about a business that I had absolutely no idea about, and I didn’t actual- I mean, I had you, and you were amazing, but I didn’t have anyone else around me, and that was really hard.

And I wanna add that I reckon that’s probably one of the hardest parts for all trade businesses when they are a husband-wife team and she comes into the business because she comes with her own career, a nurse, education, whatever it is her background is, and she’s come into a business, and she has never learnt business. Like, I didn’t know business. So y- it’s a- Yeah, listen … it’s a steep learning curve.

Andy
There’s no doubt over the years I’ve been a, a marriage counselor for a lot of our members at certain times and, and have stepped in. And, and there’s always two sides to a story, and, and I never, ever take sides. But, you know, I think us tradies, we are control freaks, most of us that go out on our own.

We know we need help, and we, we drag our partner, sometimes kicking and screaming, into the business because we’re just overwhelmed, and we think we need help. But then we drag them in, and then we expect them to know everything, can not make decisions. And, and I’ve, I’ve seen it so many times over and over, over the years.

There’s just gotta be some z- very simple rules about when your partner comes in to work with you. Um, and it’s gotta be really identified what is their role versus what is their responsibility versus what can they approve or not. Um, and, and have that real, um, you know, have that set up right from the start.

Because, you know, you hear me say a lot about blurred lines. If you have blurred lines in anything in life, the other person thinks it’s something different- Mm … and they make different decisions. So I do hear about it a hell of a lot. It, it, it’s definitely one of the most common things. Working with your partner within your business in the early stages can be an absolute nightmare unless you set it up the right way.

Angela
Okay, so I’ve got a new question for you. Um, maybe I have to answer it first so you get the question. What’s one of your earliest memories that you can think of that other husband and wives would resonate with? So I’ll answer first. Mine is we used to go out for dinner, and because we were a 24/7 emergency plumbing company, I would often be sitting at the dinner table drinking a glass of wine, for instance, alone, looking at you through the window with a phone attached to your head with a notebook and pen, answering calls.

And I’m not resentful of that. It was actually just our life But it is interesting to say what you tolerate becomes very normal. That was such a part of… That’s such a normal part of our life

Andy
Yeah, it definitely was. And, and if I answer that question, I, I think the biggest one I hear with most trade businesses out there is, um, and, and this isn’t picking any side here, but, you know, most tradies are so busy with their day-to-day, their head dealing with so many different things, that most partners really struggle to ask questions during the day.

Or if they do ask questions during the day, they get a very, um, rough response, uh, because they just don’t have the time. “I will chat about it later. We’ll do this, we’ll do that.” And it’s very gruff, I suppose the word is. Um, and then I think what happens then is the tradie comes home, he’s tired, he’s, he’s worked in the hot sun, whatever.

Um, you know, you, you’ve had dinner, you’ve, you’ve put the kids to bed, and then the wife really then starts asking business questions, and sometimes heavy-hitting business questions too late at night. And I get it, she couldn’t ask during the day, so when is she gonna do that? But I, I think that’s a real common problem where tradies just go, “Oh, for sake.

Now my mind’s ticking. I just wanna go to bed and, and now I’m getting hit hard at the wrong time of night with the wrong questions.”

Angela
So what’s your solution to that? I have a solution- Well- … to that, but what’s yours?

Andy
Well, well, we had the solution ourselves and, um, we brought it in that anything after 6:00 at night on any night, um, that you couldn’t ask any hard-hitting, uh, business questions unless it was something that was fun and exciting.

And you might sometimes go, “Hey, Andy, I wanna ask you a question. Is it fun or exciting?” And then you go, “Mm, yeah.” I go, “Well, that can wait till tomorrow.”

Angela
It’s about an invoice.

Andy
Yeah. Right. So, uh, you know, that’s what we did and it worked very well. But then you need to cl- put clear defining times of when you guys can catch up.

Like you, you can’t have- You need a meeting … the partner reaching out to the tradie, um, all day and saying, “No, no, no, no, no, no, no.” Then at night going, “No, no, no, no, no, no, no.” Like nothing can get done. So there’s gotta be clear communication barriers of when to ask, when do you allow times to do that.

Angela
Which, which means you need to have structure with meetings and treat it like that. Yeah. So even though you’re husband and wife, you need to meet like you’re meeting any other employee inside the business. Exactly. Even to a point that if you can’t cope with, “You’re now meeting Ange,” then I m- change my name to Sarah, and today you have a meeting with Sarah. Ooh. And you need to make sure you show up at 8:00- 

Andy
That’s a bit kinky when we’re changing names and we’re perhaps out. Well- Well … what’s going on? You’re role-playing. Um, yeah.

Angela
I just think it’s important- … that you respect me like you would anyone else inside the business. Of course. Yes. So don’t change your… If, if you wouldn’t speak to an employee that way, don’t speak to me like that either. That’s what I mean Is that fair?

Andy
Yeah, that’s totally fair.

Angela
So in those early days when you were actually working, maybe not necessarily on the tools, but really deep in Dr. Drip, what do you think you brought home from work that you didn’t realize maybe you were bringing home that affected us as a couple?

Andy
Yeah, I think the big one was, and I, I changed this later on, but I think at the start I would bring all my mood stress- um, my feelings into the household.

Uh, I would potentially be on a work call, and I would come into the house, I’d have the kids wrapping around my legs, and I’d be on the phone. And there’s nothing worse than trying to talk to a customer or deal with an issue with kids with your legs. You know, like trying to kick them off Like a dog wiggle your leg and kick these kids off, and it’s like, “Leave me alone.” And, and then not only was I feeling bad that I wasn’t giving the customer what they wanted, I was feeling like shit because I wasn’t giving the kids what they needed as well. So- 

Angela
Oh, they’re so excited you just walked in the door …

Andy
so y- yeah. So I really made a pact that I would never walk in the door if I was on the phone. I’d never walk in the door if I was in a terrible mood. I would listen to some music, stay in the car, finish the phone call. I don’t know, have a, my towel in the ute, jump in the ocean. Do something to break that cycle so that when you do come home, you’re coming home in a real happy and a good place.

Angela
Yes. I’m gonna add, it actually comes back to my sentence of what you tolerate becomes normal. Mm. So for instance, if for instance, us being out at dinner, you answering these emergency calls or answering questions or customers or whatever during dinner, don’t do that at home. Like, try not to do that, I mean. It’s like, have rules around that as well. And-

Andy
Yeah, I think emergency calls and that was, is- Tricky … is a whole different situation. You know, um, our whole business was around answering that phone, offering amazing customer service, and I, I think we just needed to deal with that the best way we could, and we did for many, many years. Um, and it’s just one of those things that sometimes we just needed to deal with.

Angela
You and I have completely different strengths, and in your opinion, do you think this has made us better business partners, or has it actually made working together harder at times?

Andy
Oh, no, it’s definitely, um, better business partners, and I think most partners have different strengths in some way.

Uh, it, it’s actually about understanding what those strengths are, making sure you guys aren’t, um, butting heads, and having a clear expectation of what each person is doing, and they should be held accountable for that part of that role. So what about you? How would you answer that question? You know, like having completely different strengths, what made it easier? What has made it harder?

Angela
Well, I’m gonna say easier, the, to answer that one first, is you’re a really big-picture person, and so you’ll come in with these incredible ideas, but it’s like you drop a bomb, and there’s no thought about how to actually pull it off.

Andy
We’ll work that out later.

Angela
Yes. But that’s where you and I work out, work well. ‘Cause I also think big picture. I am a big visionary person. But you’re really good at that, but I’m super detailed. Mm-hmm. So you’ll come in with some great idea- Tick, tick … and I’ll come in with the- Yeah … immediately of this is how we’re gonna pull that off, with so much detail that actually that annoys the hell out of you.

Andy
Yeah, I switch off.

Angela
Yeah. But we get it done.

Andy
We do.

Angela
Yes. And so-

Andy
Well, when I come with a big picture and, and if it’s you or anyone in the team and I say, “Okay, this is what I wanna do,” um, you know, I just expect that you guys are gonna pick it up and run with it and ask any questions you may have, but just get it done.

Angela
Yes.

Andy
I don’t wanna hear all the nitty-gritty of what’s going on. Just make it happen.

Angela
Yes. I think, um, to switch that what’s made it harder when it comes to our strengths, I would also say from an emotional perspective you are… We’re both highly emotional, but I’m gonna say I’m really calm and you are maybe not really calm.

Andy
No, I lose my shit really quick. Definitely.

Angela
And I think the balance-

Andy
And you’ve, and I re- and I have to say over the years, you’ve been amazing at listening to me when I lose my shit. And actually not taking it personally, and actually responding in a calm way. Because if you responded in a bad way, that never… I just seem to ramp up again. It’s crazy.

Angela
So, so

Andy
This is making me sound like shit.

Angela
I think that’s a really good tip though. Like anything that we even teach, right, is coming from a place of experience. When someone is highly emotional, imagine a customer has come to you and they’re irate. Don’t come back at them irate. Like, you can’t calm someone down like that. You’ve gotta come in calm and soft.

Andy
So- Yeah, and I think tradies over the years have struggled with that. I mean, we put into our procedures to make sure that if a customer did complain, the girl in the office would listen to it, agr- and understand it all, write it all down and say, “Listen, we’ll get back to you in the next 24 hours.”

And the reason why we did that was a chance for the customer to calm down, um, a chance for even myself and our team to calm down and get the advice so that when we do interact again, it’s very, um, monotone and to the point.

Angela
Maybe not monotone

Andy
Maybe monotone. What does monotone mean again? I mean, you know, calm.That’s what I meant to say. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Angela
It’s, calm-… is what you meant. Okay. All right, here’s a new question for you. What’s your opinion on the statement that there should only be one boss?

Andy
Yeah, listen, I, I think, um, at the end of the day, you need someone to make the final decision. Um, it doesn’t matter if it’s business partners that aren’t, you aren’t together or if you are together.

At some stage it’s gotta get to a point and we’re gonna go, “Well, I think this, and I think that,” and someone has to make that end decision, otherwise you just never get anything done.

Angela
So I would say you actually have to deal with the facts, but yes, although I’m gonna say I, I’m the, I’m the boss. We both know that when it came to Dr. Drip, you were the boss.

Andy
Oh, listen-

Angela
You had the final say …

Andy
when it comes to family and kids and, um, dealing with the day-to-day household and, and that, you’re definitely the boss, and I love you being the boss. Um, when it came to the business though, yeah, I was definitely that one. Um, I think it was the way I, you know, listen, you know, my temperament and, um- You know, it depends how stressed I was.

There’s no doubt in the early days when I had high pressure, high stress, my temperament, I was a bit of a firecracker at times. And, um, and, and that sometimes, um, helped with what we did and keep people in line and all that kinda stuff. Um, but it sometimes shot us in the foot as well. I think this day and age, it’s hard to be like that as much these days, um, with HR and, and staff just, you know, pretty much don’t wanna tolerate it.

So, you know, you’ve just gotta make that, that decision on who you are and, and what you’re comfortable in doing and how you go about it.

Angela
I think one of the hot tips in there that I take out of that is, as a husband and wife team working in a business, make sure your team have clarity on who is responsible for what.

So for instance, if it’s something to do with HR, who do they go to to ask questions? Or regardless of whatever their question is, they should know, is it Andy that they go to, or is it Ange? Because if they don’t know, they’ll just go to the person who is the softest. Yeah. Who they can manipulate, let’s say.

Andy
And, and I, I don’t know what questions you’re, you’re asking here today, but I’ll have to say this. It’s… This is a, a real big one. Never ever as a husband and wife team have arguments. Um, and I know it’s hard, and you have little cracks at each other, but it’s not ideal having yelling match, screaming arguments, and I’ve heard that in other businesses, and staff just, they just-

Angela
In front of the team.

Andy
Is that the- In front of the team. You’ve gotta try and, and tone it down. And, and I, I look over the years, you and I have definitely had a, a few things here and there. But you and I know ourselves so well that we can have an argument like that, and the, the one thing I say about you and both of us, we’ve never held grudges.

So we could have a blow up. It could be the biggest blow up ever, but we then, as soon as it’s finished, there’s no real grudge, and we move on and get on. But not everyone. Some people are real grudge holders, aren’t they? Totally. Right? And they can last forever. So I think when the team sees it, they go, “Oh, hang on.

Hang on.” But, you know, it’s hard. I mean, running a business with the stresses and the finances and trying to find money for everyone and pay their wages and getting taxed so heavily and all the shit that comes with running a business is highly, highly stressful. And if you’ve got a business that doesn’t run well or isn’t running well, it’s even higher.

So there’s no doubt. There’s, there’s a high percentage- A lot of pressure … of times. There’s a lot of pressure, and you’re gonna have your blowups at times.

Angela
Yes. So your point is don’t ever have arguments in front of the team.

Andy
Try not to.

Angela
Well, don’t. And e- and even if you, you’ve just gotta hold your tongue and just circle back after to actually say, “You saying that in front of the team was not okay,” or, “I didn’t agree with that.” So that you actually have to have open lines of communication between you and your husband.

Andy
I think sometimes the husband and wife teams, if it’s the husband or if it’s the wife, can say something that’s belittling- Yes … in front of staff, and that’s when it gets seriously-

Angela
Yeah, dangerous …

Andy
goes dangerous, yeah.

Angela
Okay. So when we had Hannah, we employed an office manager, Carolyn. Yes. And she was with us for around 10 or 12 years. Absolute superstar. And she was amazing.

Andy
She was amazing.

Angela
So in your opinion, what major benefit did Carolyn bring when it came to our relationship?

Andy
Yeah, I th- I think it was really, um, clear from early on that you and I couldn’t sit side by side talking to each other every single day.

And what Carolyn did for us was sort of brought a bit of a buffer. Um, Carolyn took over majority of running the business, and running the business was sort of my wheelhouse, so I sort of worked directly with Carolyn. So she’d ask me, I’d ask her, and we’d make decisions on that. So when we were making a lot of that kind of decisions, you weren’t so involved.

Angela
Yeah.’Cause I had the kids …

Andy
And I think- it was good to keep it a little bit separate, yeah.

Angela
Yeah. And even when I did come back into the business with the kids, um, Carolyn was always there. A- and when it wasn’t Carolyn, it was Alexis. Mm. So we’ve always had this other person that you always… So let’s call it somewhat a mediator to-

Andy
Well, I d- I don’t think we need a mediator, but we just realized that, you know, with your strong will and who I am as a person, me dictating f- for what you have to do all the time wasn’t great.

So it was a chance that you could sorta own your own role, and you could talk to Carolyn or Alexis, and you and I didn’t necessarily tell each other what to do and vice versa. I could talk to Carolyn or Alexis, and we didn’t get in each other’s way.

Angela
Yeah. So that way it was always what is best for the business.

Andy
100%.

Angela
Yeah, so we stayed in our lane. So change of question. In your opinion, with a husband and wife who wanna grow the team at different speeds, like one maybe is open to change and the other one isn’t, in your opinion, how can this be overcome?

Andy
Well, I think it, w- when you’re trying to make decisions and, and one wants it and one doesn’t, you’ve gotta sit down, and I’m a real believer in, in sitting down with a big whiteboard, a bit old school when I say this, or a, a, a notepad or your computer, but write down the pros and cons of why you wanna grow versus, um, why they don’t wanna grow, and you’ve just gotta have it out.

And then at the end of that, you’ve gotta make a decision. You know, um, I think everyone’s happy to grow, but the tradie normally wants to grow ’cause you’ve got so much work you can’t cope. Um, and if the wife doesn’t wanna grow, normally that’s because the, the office isn’t structured the right way and they’re at breaking point.

So this is all about getting your business model right and having your structures and everything, and your systems and everything we teach at Lifestyle Tradie to make sure then you can do whatever you wanna do and you don’t have that stress.

Angela
Yeah. Agreed. I’ll also say I think you need to come back to some actual fundamentals of a husband and wife to say, “What do you truthfully want in your life?”

Because we talk about this life by design, about recommending all of our members go back and actually, uh, individually have a really good think about your future and what do you even want out of it. It’s a very structured process. And then we encourage them to come together and talk about it because If you don’t have, let’s say, goals, although that’s con- a bit of a washy word, i- the intent here is you’re only on this planet once, so what do you two wanna get out of this life?

Because when you can connect dots between, I’m even gonna be a bit materialistic and say, if you want that house or you want your kids to go to private school, or if you want certain holidays, for instance, they all come with a price tag. So what is that price tag? Yeah. ‘Cause the price tag comes from the business. That’s how you earn money.

Andy
Yeah, you need to make sure that you and your partner are completely con- connected, and the life plan that we used to do and put on a big piece of cardboard and stick on the bedroom wall and, and see it every night before we went to bed I think is an absolute must. Um, but the, the real thing there is once you know what you both want out of life, you can actually start putting dollar prices against those things, and then it’ll actually tell you pretty quick how much money you need to make a year- Totally … to do that.

So then if you know you need to be doing 200,000 or maybe it’s 500,000 a year, that’s telling you then what size business you need to be able to reap those rewards to be able to have that lifestyle of your dreams. So I think it’s really good having, uh, the, you know, having these life plans and understanding what you want, and that’s a… that comes health and mentally and- Definitely … there’s a whole lot of pillars around that whole life plan. But if you’re both on the same page, then if I am working seven days a week because I have to, then we all know we’re working towards this, the, the common goal. And I hear occasionally some tradies like, “I’m just getting… My wife’s attacking me ’cause I’m never at home, I’m never this, but I’m working seven days a week. I’m making all this money. What does she want from me?” Um, and th- and this is a breakdown of communications. I think this is where these life plans and this kinda stuff, it’s, it’s really critical.

Angela
Well, I think as a trade business owner, this is the most incredible industry to be in.

You know, when we talk about wealth creation, and business is one of the asset pillars, we are all in the most incredible position that you truthfully can build a, a beautiful business that is profitable- Mm … that does give you the life that you want. Yeah. So fix it. Uh, and then, you know, together you have this incredible life together, so

Andy
I have so many trade business owners tell me, “I’ve had a gut full and I’m gonna this and I’m gonna that,” but after I have a quick chat with them about their lifestyle and what they run through the business and, and all these other bits and pieces, then you, you s- you start to see quite quickly that if they shut that business down and worked for a job and just got…

You know, you couldn’t run anything through the business and you just have to pay 50% tax, that they were in a terrible position and, and not feel comfortable, that you realize running a trade business is definitely the right place to be. You just gotta run it the right way with the right structure, the right systems, the right business model.

And it, it drives me crazy, because you and I see it all the time. There’s so many businesses out there that they’re losing money every single year just because of simple little things they don’t have in place, and they don’t spend a little bit of money to get coaching or to get help when that is the turning point for everyone in business.

And everyone we’ve ever worked with have got results. And why wouldn’t you spend that little bit of money to make sure you do that?

Angela
So that’s just made me go in my head on a little bit of a tangent about, you know, motivation will only get you so far, but the dis- the discipline of just showing up to do the work every single day, even when you don’t wanna do the work, you just do it anyway. Like, if you wanna go to the gym, you just put on your clothes and you’ll get there, get to the gym.

Andy
D- dis- discipline is amazing, and, and, and I believe motivation, you’re right, only gets you so far, and discipline’s where it’s at. But if your discipline is turning up and working every day, going in the same grind, the same business model, the same structure, the same shit, and you’re not actually getting ahead, that’s a sign of madness.

You need to make change. Yes. And you need to be better.

Angela
Yes.

Andy
And I think too many people are playing average. They’re in the grind. They just do the same old shit. They’re not really that happy in the business, but they don’t know what else to do, and they don’t pull their finger out of their ass to fix it.

Angela
So when you think about the importance of health, why is that good for a husband and wife who work together?

Andy
Yeah, listen, we all know that we’re at our best when we’re healthy. I mean, I don’t know about everyone listening out there, but i- if I have a big weekend on the terps, then I’m always a cranky dickhead on a Monday, Tuesday.

I, I just am, and depending on what you do on a weekend, you know, it can really affect how your week starts- How you show up … and how you show up. So listen, I, I… There’s not a person out there that’s given up alcohol that hasn’t said it’s been better. Um, for me personally, Tray has been trying to do it for a long time, but, I…

for me, I just love the social. I love a beer, love catching up with people. I’m never giving up. You just gotta be a bit smarter and make sure you can, you know, you do those runs, you do those extra miles, that you can have a couple of beers here and there.

Angela
So if you had any tips for other husband and wife teams, what would you say that they need to embrace if they wanna prevent the business from costing them their relationship?

Andy
Have a real clear definition on, of both their roles. Have clear, um, understanding of when you can talk to each other, when you have your meetings, h- everything’s got a clear understanding of how it is gonna work in the business. Who at the end makes the final decision? You You know, if you, if you have clarity, then everyone knows and you agree with it at the start, and I think that’s the best way.

But you’re gonna have to adapt because there’s no doubt about it, everyone wants the partner to come and work in the business, and the partner understands that’s where the money is, um, for the future for their family. But the partner just… Like, a lot of tradies just throw everything at their partner and just expect them to work it out.

Like, this is where they need help, too, and I think it’s about getting the right balance, the right structure, the right conditions, and the right rules. And if you can do that, I believe it’s a huge asset being able to work together, as long as you guys can do it. There’s some people that are both firecrackers and it’ll never work.

Angela
Yeah, and there are two sides to every business, right? There are the, the team that are out on the tools, seeing the customers and doing billable time, and then there’s the team that runs the office, uh, which is the, let’s call it the back of house. But the two are just as important as each other, so therefore it is important that people have a voice, are brave enough to speak up if that’s their strength, and it’s their responsibility of that part of the business.

Um, because to your point, blurred lines cause problems, so allow people to take control and improve their section of the business for the best of the business. You’ve gotta sometimes put aside the fact that you’re husband and wife. It, it is tricky when you, you know, you’ve come from being life partners doing all these fun, adventurous, cool things in your life, especially when you’re young, and then you come into this pressure, pressure cooker, um, and, and relationships, uh, its sit- its situation is different.

Andy
But looking back on it all, if we put everything aside, is it a good decision that you came to work with us? Not those first three months, that was not a good decision. But when we cleared it all up and we had, uh, clear goals of what needed to be done, it was the best decision ever. I’ve worked with thousands of trade business owners over the last 20 years in this same environment, and when you fix this and do it the right way, it definitely is a good decision.

Yes. And majority, 95% of everyone that’s gone down this path and sorted it out, would all agree it’s been a good decision for the family, for the business, for everyone, for that to actually happen.

Angela
We definitely work with some powerhouse couples, don’t we?

Andy
We, we definitely do.

Angela
Who have worked this out.

Andy
Yes.

Angela
All right. Well, that was interesting.

Andy
Yeah. Well, listen, I don’t know if it was a train wreck. I think the, I think there’s a lot of good points in there, and I, and I hope a lot of people took a lot out of that. And it’s obviously a bit raw and real, and not knowing the questions coming in was interesting.

But listen, I, I just think that’s part of everything in life. You just need to understand what you’re up against. You gotta find clear communication, clarity for both of you. And if you do it the right way, and you, you, you don’t drag stuff into the night, and you, you know when you can chat and ask those questions, that it’s a real winner.

Angela
If nothing else, I actually really hope that this conversation got you thinking about your own situation working with your partner. Are you even on the same page, or are you actually butting heads and need to get yourselves back on the same path? Because the obvious, your relationship is too important to ignore it. It comes first.

Andy
It is. And, and if there are challenges there, what are you gonna do? How are you gonna help it? And I, and I, I do think that’s something that we’ve done very well with Lifestyle Tradie is help partners and tradies work together with our content and everything we’ve built. Yes. That it’s not just the person coming in the office doesn’t know what to do next, because we help and train them, which takes a lot of pressure off the male as well.

Angela
Mm. Valid. Well, this has been fun. Thank you.

Andy
Oh, I love you too, darling.

Andy
It’s Tradie Dilemma time, brought to you by Buy for Tradies, the buying group helping tradies like you save serious coin on materials, fuel, vehicles, tools, and other services. If you’re not using it, you’re probably paying too much. This is our Q&A segment where you let us know what you’re having trouble with in your business, and we’ll give you our best advice to sort it all out.

Angela
Okay, so this one feels pretty fitting for this episode. This listener is Fred. He owns a plumbing company in Melbourne, and he writes, “My wife works in the business with me, and lately every conversation about work seems to turn into an argument. She says I don’t listen to her, but from my side it feels like she questions every decision I make. We both care about the business, but we’re starting to bring this frustration home. How do we stop?”

Andy
Oh, listen, I just think Freddy needs to listen to this podcast we just did And actually go over it. But listen, um, I understand it from both sides. It’s tough at times. I get it. But to be really honest, I, I will say that I believe tradies bring their partners into the business, um, and don’t give them the support they need.

And a lot of that time the partner’s trying to do the right thing, and we don’t let them in. We, we, we set them up to fail because we don’t have the right structure and the right stuff in place. So I think, Freddy, listen to this podcast. Go over all these steps. Clear communication, clear guidelines on what needs to be done.

And if you need someone to help from the outside to make sure you’re setting the business up the right way with the right structure, technology systems, then get that help. It’ll be money well spent.

Angela
Thanks, Fred. Thanks for your question. I’m sure Andy’s given you some insights about how the two of you can get back on the same page, like go back and listen to this podcast.

Andy
Hell yeah.

If this episode felt a little too close to home, don’t ignore that. The reality is maybe you need some help with that. A mediator of sorts to sit between you to help work things out. I’ve done plenty of times and would love to help you too. Business is not supposed to come between the both of you.

Relationship first, business second. If you need my help, then book a game plan call by finding the Book Now button on our website at lifestyletradie.com.au. I look forward to getting you both on track.

Angela
I couldn’t agree more. It’s great that you can actually have the opportunity to work together, but it can take some time to adjust.

So let us help you find that happy rhythm. Thanks for being with us today. We’ll catch you next time.

Andy
Subscribe to The Tradie Show wherever you get your favorite podcasts. Rate and write us a review or for more information about Lifestyle Tradie, head to lifestyletradie.com.au