Hey Legends! Welcome to another insightful episode of the Building Talks Podcast!  In this edition, we're diving into the later stages of a construction career with our special guest, David Fisher. With over four decades of industry experience, David shares invaluable insights on navigating retirement age in construction.  From his roots in New Zealand to wearing multiple hats in the sector, David's journey offers a wealth of knowledge. Now at 61, he's contemplating how to maintain momentum while embracing a more relaxed pace in the twilight years of his career.  Join us as we ..read more

Hey Legends! This week's podcast episode is a real treat! I had a chat with two of the directors at St Ferrer, a mid-tier building contractor in Port Melbourne. They've got quite the story to share – from being a fit-out and refurbishment contractor to becoming a top player in cladding remediation projects.  In this episode, we meet Dan Burmeister and Chris Bertacco, each with their own unique journey into the construction world. Chris, haling from a non-traditional background, started off in the restaurant biz before finding his groove in business development roles. Dan, on the other ha ..read more

Hey Legends! This week, I had an awesome chat with Justin McGrath, the construction director at DeLuca Corp in Brisbane. Justin's journey to becoming Construction Director is super interesting – he started out as an Apprentice on the tools, worked his way up through different roles, and now he's killing it in his current gig.  We talked about everything from the importance of apprenticeships to mastering new skills as you climb the career ladder. Justin shared some really valuable insights into developing Leadership skills and adapting to different teams and roles in the industry. It was ..read more

Hey, Legends! In this episode, I had a great chat with Jordan Skinner, who runs Moonshot Media, a cool company helping construction organisations build strong brands and ace their marketing game. We dove deep into how to make your company stand out, attract top talent, and create a killer recruitment strategy. Oh, and Jordan hosts an awesome podcast called "Crushing It in Construction" where he talks to industry bigshots every week. We didn't chat about that today, but it's definitely worth a listen! Throughout our conversation, we shared some insider tips on branding, marketing do's and don ..read more

Hey Legends! This week, we took a fascinating dive into the world of property development with the one and only Steven Chandler! With over 20 years of experience in both construction and development, Steven's insights are like treasure troves - he's actively developing projects as the CEO of LEFTA Corporation whilst coaching and mentoring future Development professionals, in his role as Director of Property Development Institute.  From the ins and outs of what drives a developer to the big-picture challenges they face, we covered it all. We explored the risks, finances, and the intricate ..read more

Hey, Legends! In the latest episode of The Building Talks Podcast, we're venturing into the fascinating world of data centres, a booming asset class making waves in Australia's development landscape. To unravel the mysteries, I had the pleasure of chatting with Simon McFadden, Industry Director at Aurecon, the International Consulting Engineering firm. Simon, with his wealth of experience, shares insights into what data centres are, their growth drivers, and the unique challenges in constructing and delivering these tech hubs. If you're all about the Aussie construction scene and curious abo ..read more

Hey, Legends! This week, we've got a treat for you – the return of Jono Conley, the Director of Concise Recruitment, who rocked our podcast last year with one of the top five episodes! We go way back, so this episode has more of a matey vibe. Ignore any tech hiccups (such as 'Frank' my dog barking at a delivery driver) – just two mates having a chat. We delve into the past 12 months, offer a sneak peek into what 2024 might unfold, and share insights on career moves, CV crafting, and the crucial trait of resilience, in building a great career CV. In this episode, we spill the beans on some rec ..read more

Hey, folks! This week, I took a stroll into the academic side of construction with a laid-back chat featuring Matt Stevens, Senior Lecturer for construction at Western Sydney University. Matt, who's also a VP and fellow of the Australian Institute of Building, might not be swinging the hammers right now, but his academic insights into the construction world are golden. We dove into topics like what drives students entering the industry, how to keep academic syllabuses relevant, and a bunch of other cool stuff. With Matt being a guru in research and having penned some academic gems about const ..read more

Hey, folks!  This week on the podcast, I had a ripper of a chat with Nick Hewson, the brain behind Arboralis.  Nick's journey from structural engineer to a timber maestro is a story worth tuning in for.  Arboralis is his brainchild, fuelled by a love for all things mass timber and engineered goodness. We rolled up our sleeves and got into the nitty-gritty of wood—engineered timber, cross-laminated timber (CLT), you name it. Nick spilled the beans on how it's made, where it's made, and the cool projects happening down under.  Australia, turns out, is rocking the engineered ..read more

In our latest podcast, I sat down with one of the industry's most highly regarded leaders, Matthew Mackey, from Arcadis, and dived headfirst into the world of Aussie construction. If you're a construction enthusiast, this one's for you – it's like striking gold (Coast). We went deep into the future of Queensland's construction scene, which is about to explode! Matthew spilled the beans on all the upcoming projects, what they mean, the hurdles, and how they'll shake things up. But we didn't stop there. We explored how major events like the Commonwealth Games (RIP.....thanks Matthew ?) and the 2 ..read more