What does it really take to build a business that lasts? In this episode, Shannon and Paul sit down with a very special guest, Paul Purdon, founder of Fair Dinkum Builds and a man who has spent over 50 years in the building industry. Paul joins us through our shared business coaching community, Builders Business Black Belt, and brings with him a lifetime of hard-won lessons about leadership, resilience, people, and purpose.
This is not your typical business success story. Paul gets honest about the moments that nearly broke him, the creditors who stood by him, the father who accidentally ruined a polished timber floor, and the sports psychologist who helped him figure out who he actually is beyond the business.
If you are a builder trying to find your footing, or someone who has been at it for decades and is wondering what comes next, this conversation will hit home.
In this episode they cover:
– Why finding your A-class customer changed everything for Fair Dinkum Builds
– The real challenges of leading tradespeople and building a team from scratch
– How Paul nearly handed back the keys to his business, twice, and what pulled him through
– The importance of paying your subbies and suppliers on time, even when it hurts
– What legacy actually looks like when you have spent 50 years caring for your team
Key Timestamps
03:00 Leading tradespeople and the communication challenge
07:23 The polished timber floor story and dear old dad
13:40 The keys on the table and nearly walking away twice
16:53 The people who shaped Paul most in his career
19:20 Working with a sports psychologist to find his true purpose
22:50 Coming in two days a week and letting the leadership team lead
24:54 Why keeping 50 years of knowledge to yourself is selfish
