
How to Support the Mental Health of Your Team and Build Authenticity with Bardie Somerville
Tradies Who LeadShow Notes
Plenty of tradies are carrying more than they let on. Bardie knows, because she spent years wearing a mask to fit in, while the hard stuff went unspoken.
Bardie Somerville is the founder of The Shift, a platform built to give tradies real tools for life. She’s lived the mental health struggle she now helps others through with practical strategies that work onsite, whether you're leading teams or on the tools.
In this conversation, we get into: • How to lead yourself and embrace authenticity • What you can do when a mate’s doing it tough • Practical ways to seek support or settle your nervous system on the job
Chapters: 0:00 Meet Bardie Somerville from The Shift 2:01 What Authenticity Really Means 3:36 You Need to Stop People Pleasing to Lead Yourself 7:58 When Being Naïve Can Be a Good Thing 9:20 How to Create Change in Our Lives 10:28 Why Bardie Created The Shift 14:45 The Importance of Community in the Trades for Mental Health 17:17 Top Three Tips if you’re Having a Hard Time 20:22 Ways to Support Better Mental Health in Your Team 21:56 How to have a Mental Health Chat Onsite 23:46 How to Build Your Authenticity over Time 25:07 Conclusion
Follow Tradies Who Lead on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube or TikTok for more from the Tradies Who Lead community.
Tradies Who Lead is powered by Blue Leader. If you're looking for support in building leadership skills within your team, reach out here.
Or download our free eBook: 5 Things Every Tradie Needs to Know About Leadership If you want to connect with Bardie or The Shift, you can follow via their socials at:
Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bardie-somerville-a755a9286/ Insta: http://instagram.com/bards.builds or https://www.instagram.com/theshift.au/# TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bardiesomerville
If you or someone you know is struggling, help is always available:
Lifeline: 24/7 crisis support and suicide prevention services for all Australians. Call 13 11 14. Beyond Blue: If you’re going through a tough time, Beyond Blue offers brief counselling and support 24/7. Call 1300 22 4636. TIACS: A free, professional text-or-call counselling service offering mental health support to Australia's blue-collar community. Call or text 0488 846 988. Men’s Line Australia: Free 24/7 phone counselling for men facing mental health challenges, anger management, family violence, addiction, relationship concerns and stress. Call 1300 78 99 78.
Please reach out. You don’t have to go through this alone.
More from Tradies Who Lead
Landscaping is one of the toughest physical trades going. So how do you keep a crew motivated, run the business and still get home to your family?
What happens when your mentor ends up reporting to you?
Today we're joined by Dave Willmann, a licensed electrician, trade supervisor, and owner of Willmann Electrical, who's built a reputation across electrical, industrial, and commercial work. He’s also a trusted voice for sparkies online, known for his no-nonsense tool reviews and testing breakdowns.
Whether we’re promoted from tradie to supervisor, or shifting from tradie into parent, the change demands new behaviour.
Today we're joined by Adrian Gillman, a registered carpenter and owner of Kingsford Building and Carpentry in Metro Melbourne, with over 15 years in the trade specialising in bathrooms, extensions and detailed internal fitouts.