Jimmy Talks Construction

James Starbuck
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  • Business

Jimmy Talks Construction is an Australian construction podcast focused on real conversations with builders, contractors, tradies, and business owners across the construction industry. Each episode dives into construction business growth, civil construction, earthmoving, excavation, leadership on site, hiring subcontractors, scaling trade businesses, and the real challenges of running a construction company in Australia. From infrastructure projects and heavy machinery to cash flow, management, and lessons learned the hard way, this podcast shares honest insights from people building successful construction businesses from the ground up.

  1. 1h ago

    Aaron Witt: How BuildWitt Is Changing the Construction Industry | Jimmy Talks Construction

    Aaron Witt - the man behind BuildWitt and one of the biggest names in the “Dirt World” - joins Jimmy for a wide-ranging conversation about construction, business, leadership, social media and where the industry needs to go next. Aaron takes us back to working on the railroad, launching BuildWitt in 2017 and turning a passion for construction photography into a business and brand recognised across the industry. He explains why authentic content cuts through, why construction companies are struggling to attract people, and why better leadership, training and technology will be critical to moving the industry forward. Jimmy and Aaron also get into the less glamorous side of business - running out of money, making bad decisions, managing people, building trust, staying consistent when motivation disappears and learning from things that simply didn’t work. Aaron shares how Dirt World Summit grew from around 700 attendees to 1,500 and sold out six months ahead of time, why real relationships still matter more than scalable marketing tactics, and why sometimes the most valuable things in business are the things that don’t scale. They also discuss construction influencers, brand deals, authenticity, BuildWitt’s growing software ambitions and Aaron’s latest Australian trip through the Pilbara, Bowen Basin, Gladstone and Snowy Mountains. If you work in construction, run a business or are trying to build something for the long term, there’s plenty in this one. Subscribe to Jimmy Talks Construction for more conversations with the people shaping the construction industry. Connect with Aaron Witt https://www.instagram.com/aaronwitt/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaronwitt BuildWitt https://buildwitt.com/ Dirt Talk Podcast https://megaphone.link/IDWOO2325207760 Connect with Jimmy: 🌐 Website: https://starbuckgroup.com.au 📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JimmyTalksConstruction 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/starbuckexcavation 📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/starbuckexcavation 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-starbuck-13336546/ Sponsorships + Guest Enquiries: louis@lj-media.com Send in Business Problems: jimmytalksconstruction@gmail.com

    Aaron Witt: How BuildWitt Is Changing the Construction Industry | Jimmy Talks Construction

  2. Aug 18

    From $120 in the Bank to 100+ Employees | Angus Walker, ANA Asphalt

    Angus Walker started ANA Asphalt in his early 20s with a mate, a bobcat, a couple of rollers and a plan to make some extra cash. Today, the business employs more than 100 people, runs multiple paving and profiling crews, a sizeable fleet of trucks and equipment - and is taking its next step into asphalt manufacturing. In this episode of Jimmy Talks Construction, Jimmy sits down with Angus to unpack what actually happens between starting small and building a serious construction business. They talk about scaling too quickly, going backwards to go forwards, building the right team, the nightmare of middle management, vertical integration, why good people are worth holding onto and learning to let others solve problems better than you can. Angus also shares some of the brutal lessons along the way - including a three-night stretch that cost the business around $170,000 - and why those moments eventually forced him to stop trying to do everything himself. They also get into asphalt logistics, paving in the rain, trucking, building an asphalt plant, technology and AI in construction, incentivising staff, working from home, leadership and why staying curious has remained one of Angus’ biggest drivers. No textbook business advice. Just two construction business owners comparing notes on what it actually takes to build, scale and keep the wheels turning. Subscribe to Jimmy Talks Construction for more conversations with the people actually building Australia’s construction industry. Connect with Angus: 🌐 Website: https://www.anaasphalts.com.au/ 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anaasphalts/?hl=en 💼 LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/company/ana-asphalts 💼 LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/in/angus-walker-6a066719a Connect with Jimmy: 🌐 Website: https://starbuckgroup.com.au 📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JimmyTalksConstruction 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/starbuckexcavation 📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/starbuckexcavation 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-starbuck-13336546/ Sponsorships + Guest Enquiries: louis@lj-media.com Send in Business Problems: jimmytalksconstruction@gmail.com

    From $120 in the Bank to 100+ Employees | Angus Walker, ANA Asphalt

  3. Aug 11

    From 3 Cranes to 12: How Blue Dog Cranes Built a Business Differently | Samantha

    Samantha from Blue Dog Cranes joins Jimmy for a conversation about building a crane business, creating a strong team culture and what it actually takes to maintain high standards as a company grows. Before cranes, Samantha worked in event management, running major e-commerce conferences and events in Australia and Las Vegas. Then, after her husband Ben saw an opportunity to do things differently in the crane industry, they went all in. They purchased a small crane business with three cranes, battled through finance issues, built their team and eventually grew Blue Dog Cranes to a 12-crane operation across two Melbourne yards. Subscribe to Jimmy Talks Construction for more conversations with the people building, running and changing the Australian construction industry. GET YOUR TICKETS TO THE CONSTRUCTION EXCHANGE: https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1612879 Connect with Sam: 🌐 Website: https://bluedogcranes.com.au/ 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bluedogcranes/ 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/blue-dog-cranes/?originalSubdomain=au 📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bluedogcranes/ 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/samanthajind/ 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samantha-charlton-006ba123/ Connect with Jimmy: 🌐 Website: https://starbuckgroup.com.au 📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JimmyTalksConstruction 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/starbuckexcavation 📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/starbuckexcavation 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-starbuck-13336546/ Sponsorships + Guest Enquiries: louis@lj-media.com Send in Business Problems: jimmytalksconstruction@gmail.com

    From 3 Cranes to 12: How Blue Dog Cranes Built a Business Differently | Samantha

  4. Aug 4

    How Plot Joinery Compressed 20 Years of Growth Into 6 | Charley Li

    Can content compress a 20-year reputation-building journey into just six? Charley Li, founder of Plot Joinery, joins Jimmy to unpack how brand, trust and operational discipline helped a young architectural joinery business compete against companies with decades of experience. Charley shares how he went from studying construction management and failing to win a single client with his first business idea, to launching Plot Joinery with $20,000, progressively building an approximately 14-person team and moving into an 800-square-metre manufacturing facility. The conversation goes well beyond joinery. Jimmy and Charley discuss why marketing can accelerate both a great reputation and a terrible one, whether every construction business should be creating content, and how long-form media can build the trust required to win higher-margin work. Connect with Charley: 🌐 Website: https://www.plotjoinery.com.au/ 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/plotjoinery/?hl=en 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/plotjoinery/?originalSubdomain=au 📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/plotjoinery/ 📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@plotjoinery 🎙️Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sitetostudio/?hl=en 🎙️ Podcast YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@sitetostudiopodcast8482 Connect with Jimmy: 🌐 Website: https://starbuckgroup.com.au 📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JimmyTalksConstruction 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/starbuckexcavation 📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/starbuckexcavation 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-starbuck-13336546/ Sponsorships + Guest Enquiries: louis@lj-media.com Send in Business Problems: jimmytalksconstruction@gmail.com

    How Plot Joinery Compressed 20 Years of Growth Into 6 | Charley Li

  5. Jul 28

    Why Builders Go Broke: $3.5M Turnover, Almost No Profit | Matt Ryan

    Mathew Ryan from Ryan Developments joins Jimmy to explain how turning over approximately $3.5 million forced him to confront the difference between running a busy building company and running a profitable one. Mathew shares his journey from completing his carpentry apprenticeship in Whittlesea to building Ryan Developments into a specialist custom-home and knockdown-rebuild company operating across Melbourne. Jimmy and Matt discuss: Why high turnover does not guarantee profitThe true hourly cost of employing a tradieMargin versus markup in constructionWhy underquoting is sending builders brokeLosing a major project to a builder who quoted $200,000 lessThe risks of pricing your own labour below industry ratesDifficult clients, unpaid claims and VCAT disputesLosing tens of thousands of dollars on completed workWhy builders need to investigate their clientsFinding a profitable niche in constructionWhy scaling a business is not always the right decisionCreating a strong culture and looking after your employeesWork ethic, apprentices and expectations on site Mathew also explains why challenging sites, steep blocks, custom homes and knockdown rebuilds became the right niche for Ryan Developments—and why knowing your numbers is just as important as being a skilled tradesman. This is an honest conversation about construction pricing, builder profitability, cash flow, leadership, employees and the realities of running a building business in Australia. Subscribe to Jimmy Talks Construction for more conversations with Australian builders, contractors, tradies and construction business owners. Connect with Mathew: 🌐 Website: https://www.ryandevelopments.com.au/ 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ryandevelopments/ 📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Ryandevelopments/ Connect with Jimmy: 🌐 Website: https://starbuckgroup.com.au 📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JimmyTalksConstruction 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/starbuckexcavation 📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/starbuckexcavation 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-starbuck-13336546/ Sponsorships + Guest Enquiries: louis@lj-media.com Send in Business Problems: jimmytalksconstruction@gmail.com

    Why Builders Go Broke: $3.5M Turnover, Almost No Profit | Matt Ryan

  6. Jul 21

    The Construction Payment System Is Broken | Michelle Cirson

    In this episode of Jimmy Talks Construction, James sits down with Michelle Cirson, founder of Subcontractor Legal and The Subbies’ Toolbox, to unpack the contractual and commercial traps costing Australian subcontractors millions. Michelle explains why retentions are often used to support builder cash flow, how Security of Payment legislation works, why being the “good bloke” can leave subcontractors exposed and when suspending work may be the only way to bring a builder to the negotiating table. They also discuss: • A formworker pressured into taking on three high-rise projects with one builder • How payment claims can be deliberately delayed or reduced • Why subcontractors need an accounts receivable escalation procedure • Protecting machinery and equipment through PPSR registrations • An excavator being withheld after a subcontractor entered liquidation • Directors’ guarantees, secured creditors and preference payments • Fixed-price contracts and rapidly increasing fuel costs • Variations, acceleration claims, delay costs and contractual time bars • Why relationships alone will not protect your construction business This is essential listening for subcontractors, civil contractors, trades, plant hire companies, commercial managers, contracts administrators and construction business owners. This podcast contains general information and discussion only and should not be treated as legal advice. How to Claim Costs Increases Under Fixed Price Contracts: https://www.subbiestoolbox.com.au/cost Connect with Michelle: 🌐 Website: https://www.subcontractorlegal.com.au/ 🌐 Website: https://www.subbiestoolbox.com.au/ 🎙️Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/68whpTaxxcmIDhWXNdXIu5 🎙️Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/the-subbies-toolbox-podcast/id1663062832 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michellecirson/ Connect with Jimmy: 🌐 Website: https://starbuckgroup.com.au 📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JimmyTalksConstruction 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/starbuckexcavation 📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/starbuckexcavation 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-starbuck-13336546/ Sponsorships + Guest Enquiries: louis@lj-media.com Send in Business Problems: jimmytalksconstruction@gmail.com

    The Construction Payment System Is Broken | Michelle Cirson

  7. Jul 14

    He Shut Down His Business. Then Started Again | Max Eagles

    Max Eagles, owner of X1 Plumbing, joins Jimmy Talks Construction to share how his first plumbing business failed—and what he changed before starting again. In this episode, Max and James discuss: The difference between being a good plumber and running a profitable plumbing businessQuoting a $40,000 job when the next price was approximately $70,000The apprentice mistake that flooded an entire basementWhy verbal warnings were not enough during a Fair Work claimThe risks of operating as a sole traderCalculating charge-out rates, overheads, efficiency and profit marginsWhether taking lower-priced work is better than leaving employees at homeLosing money on a job to protect an important client relationshipMoving from residential maintenance into larger commercial plumbing workRebuilding after failure and launching X1 PlumbingHiring, leadership and maintaining company culture while growingSubscribe to Jimmy Talks Construction for honest conversations with the people building Australia’s construction industry. Connect with Max: 🌐 Website: https://www.x1plumb.com.au/ 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/x1plumb/ 📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/X1-Plumb-61568419870480/ 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/x1-plumb-pty-ltd/?originalSubdomain=au 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/max-eagles-5248822a8/ Connect with Jimmy: 🌐 Website: https://starbuckgroup.com.au 📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JimmyTalksConstruction 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/starbuckexcavation 📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/starbuckexcavation 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-starbuck-13336546/ Sponsorships + Guest Enquiries: louis@lj-media.com Send in Business Problems: jimmytalksconstruction@gmail.com

    He Shut Down His Business. Then Started Again | Max Eagles

  8. Jun 30

    Kapitol Group Founder Andrew Deveson: From $0 to $1.5B Builder in 8 Years

    In this episode of Jimmy Talks Construction, Jimmy sits down with Andrew Deveson, co-founder and director of Kapitol Group, for one of the biggest conversations we’ve had on the podcast. Andrew shares the full story behind Kapitol Group’s rise — from starting with zero employees, zero revenue, and putting everything on the line, to building one of Australia’s most talked-about construction companies with 550 full-time staff and a projected $1.5 billion in turnover. This conversation goes deep into what actually separates high-performing construction businesses from the rest: customer obsession, losing tenders the right way, managing variations, fixing productivity, dealing with COVID and inflation, controlling waste, building better systems, using data properly, and why AI could completely change the future of construction. Andrew also breaks down the early days of Kapitol, their first $160,000 job, the discipline required to survive during the construction inflation period, why training became mandatory across the business, and why productivity may be the biggest challenge facing the entire industry. This is a must-watch for builders, subcontractors, construction business owners, project managers, engineers, developers, and anyone interested in how a construction company can scale fast without losing sight of quality, culture and execution. Connect with Andrew: 🌐 Website: https://www.kapitol.com/ 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kapitolconstruction/ 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/kapitol-groupau/posts/?feedView=all 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-deveson-a76995147/ 📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUJjjId5sDGMdo-h3jceq8g Connect with Jimmy: 🌐 Website: https://starbuckgroup.com.au 📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JimmyTalksConstruction 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/starbuckexcavation 📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/starbuckexcavation 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-starbuck-13336546/ Sponsorships + Guest Enquiries: louis@lj-media.com Send in Business Problems: jimmytalksconstruction@gmail.com

    Kapitol Group Founder Andrew Deveson: From $0 to $1.5B Builder in 8 Years
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About

Jimmy Talks Construction is an Australian construction podcast focused on real conversations with builders, contractors, tradies, and business owners across the construction industry. Each episode dives into construction business growth, civil construction, earthmoving, excavation, leadership on site, hiring subcontractors, scaling trade businesses, and the real challenges of running a construction company in Australia. From infrastructure projects and heavy machinery to cash flow, management, and lessons learned the hard way, this podcast shares honest insights from people building successful construction businesses from the ground up.

Information

  • Creator
    James Starbuck
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    66
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © James Starbuck 2025
  • Show Website
    Jimmy Talks Construction

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