We Were Losing Money Just To Go To Work: Getting Started In Australian Construction

What does it take to earn respect as a young woman in construction? In Episode 14 of Behind the Facade, Jake from Proline Group and Daniel from Complex Facade Install sit down with Irene Tartiris for an honest conversation about women in construction, earning respect on site, career progression, leadership and the sacrifices behind building a career in the industry. Irene takes us back to moving from Greece to Australia at 11 without speaking English, studying architecture and messaging construction companies on Instagram to get her first opportunity. She shares how she balanced work, retail shifts and studying late into the night, then worked her way from residential projects into larger commercial builds. We get into her time at Mirvac, where she took responsibility for around $40 million in finishes and coordinated multiple subcontractors. Irene opens up about the pressure of those first three months, questioning whether she could do it, and how a supportive project team helped her build the confidence to deliver. She also explains what project coordination actually involves, from procurement and design changes to negotiating variations, managing defects and keeping work on program. The conversation tackles the challenges Irene has faced as a young woman in construction, including unwanted attention, inappropriate comments and learning to set boundaries. She talks about being the only woman in a room of 30 men, supporting younger women on site and why having someone you can turn to makes such a difference. Jake and Daniel share their perspective on site culture and the responsibility leaders have to build teams where people feel respected and supported. We also explore Irene’s progression into a senior project coordinator role, knowing when a company can offer genuine growth and when it is time to move on. She shares the personal cost of long hours and ambition, her goal of becoming a project manager, and the residential client-side project management service she has started building alongside her career. If you work in construction, facades, cladding, glazing, subcontracting, trades, architecture, estimating, project management, operations or business ownership, this episode offers a firsthand look at career progression, workplace culture and the support people need to succeed in the industry. Timestamps: 00:00 Moving from Greece to Australia at 11 without speaking English 03:13 Studying architecture, messaging builders and getting her first opportunity 08:53 Mirvac, $40 million in finishes and learning to handle the pressure 13:54 Backing yourself, asking for opportunities and refusing to stand still 16:48 Women in construction, unwanted attention and earning respect on site 27:38 Becoming a senior project coordinator and working towards project management 35:23 Bridging architecture and construction, design details and buildability 40:51 Supporting women in construction and the importance of mentors 45:51 Managing pressure, long hours and giving graduates proper support 58:18 Knowing when to stay loyal to a company and when to move on 01:04:51 Leadership, loyalty and helping people succeed as a business grows 01:17:13 The sacrifices behind career progression and starting a business ABOUT BEHIND THE FACADE Behind the Facade is a construction podcast hosted by Jake Gorry, Director of Proline Group, and Daniel Alizzi from Complex Facade Install Pty Ltd. The podcast goes behind the scenes of the facade, cladding, glazing and construction industry, sharing real conversations about business, leadership, site work, project delivery, culture and the people building the industry from the ground up.

In Episode 13 of Behind the Facade, Jake from Proline Group and Daniel from Complex Facade Install sit down with Aron Little, Director of A2Z Traffic Management, for a conversation about building a business from scratch, learning through failure and what it really takes to scale quickly in the construction industry. Aron’s story starts in Melbourne’s west. He left school at around 14 years old, lost his first carpentry job after falling asleep on site, and eventually became a qualified bricklayer. From there, his career took him through earthmoving, trucks and even a smoothie bar in Moonee Ponds before an unexpected conversation overseas introduced him to the traffic management industry. Despite having no background in traffic management himself, Aron backed the opportunity and moved quickly. What followed was anything but straightforward. He had to learn the industry from the ground up, navigate a difficult business partnership, deal with accreditation problems, lose a major client and keep a growing team employed through some of the most difficult periods of the business. Today, A2Z Traffic Management has grown to around 50 staff and approximately 30 vehicles on the road, with Aron describing the business as having doubled in size each year since it began. The conversation gets into the realities of scaling that quickly, why relationships and reputation matter more than competing on price, how Aron uses systems and AI to improve accountability across the business, and why he believes business owners still need to spend time on the front line rather than disappearing completely into the office. The boys also talk about mentorship, building culture, developing young people, knowing your numbers, dealing with difficult employees and why talented people can still become a liability if they damage the culture around them. Timestamps: 00:00 Welcome Aron Little and the story behind Episode 13 02:35 Growing A2Z Traffic to around 50 staff and 30 vehicles in under four years 07:06 Becoming a bricklayer and growing up around old-school trades 16:31 From bricklaying to earthmoving, trucks and the opportunity that came during COVID 22:09 Starting A2Z Traffic and the business partnership that didn’t work out 32:24 Losing accreditation, losing a major client and wondering whether the business would survive 39:11 Getting through the hardest period of A2Z and learning to keep moving when everything goes wrong 45:54 Aron’s first major job goes completely wrong 46:55 Hundreds of cars are sent down the wrong detour 49:13 Owning the mistake and learning every detail of traffic management himself 51:12 Why the owner still needs to be on site 55:36 Working in the business versus working on the business 56:33 Backing young people and trusting a 24-year-old to help run the operation 58:17 Why business owners need to move between the office and the front line 01:01:50 What actually happens behind the scenes before a traffic management crew reaches site 01:04:33 Competing on price and why Aron refuses to be the cheapest 01:07:30 Using AI and systems to monitor performance, punctuality and accountability 01:09:47 Why good service is worth paying more for 01:12:27 Aron’s daily routine and why motivation no longer enters the equation 01:14:51 The next five years for A2Z Traffic and Aron’s ambition to keep expanding 01:23:07 How do you know your business is actually working rather than simply surviving through hard work? 01:27:01 What seemed important when you first started but ultimately didn’t matter? 01:32:21 Should you keep highly skilled employees who are bad for the culture? 01:41:09 Final thoughts and what comes next for A2Z Traffic

In Episode 12 of Behind the Facade, Jake from Proline Group and Daniel from Complex Facade Install sit down with Nouri from Concrete City and founder of CreteMate for a raw conversation about concreting, business, work ethic, sacrifice and what it takes to build a name in the construction industry. Nouri takes us back to growing up in housing commission, trying different jobs and trades before finding concreting, and eventually realising just how far he could take it. He opens up about the hunger that has driven him throughout his career, the influence of his father, the pressure of never feeling like he had done enough, and why he believes hardship played such a major role in shaping the person and businessman he became. We get into the reality behind building Concrete City, from 3:30 AM starts and spending full days on the tools to managing crews, quoting work and organising jobs after hours. Nouri also tells the story of a 1,500m² concrete pour where eight workers he had booked failed to show up and another arrived drunk, leaving a seven-man crew to get through one of the hardest pours of his career. Experiences like this exposed a major problem in the industry and helped drive the thinking behind CreteMate, his platform designed to connect concrete businesses with workers while creating greater accountability through profiles, ratings and reviews. The conversation also explores Nouri's huge social media presence and the concrete videos that have reached millions of people, why he still wants to remain on the tools regardless of how large the business becomes, how he develops younger workers, and why he openly teaches techniques and helps other concreters even when they could be considered competitors. If you work in construction, concreting, facades, cladding, glazing, subcontracting, trades, estimating, project management, operations or business ownership, this episode is an unfiltered look at work ethic, leadership and the reality behind trying to build something bigger than yourself. Timestamps: 00:00 Concreting in Melbourne weather, early starts and why Nouri refuses to call a pour off 04:19 From nightclubs and trying different trades to discovering concreting 09:02 Hunger, hardship and the challenge from Nouri's father that changed his goals 14:43 The 3:30 AM routine and what a full day running Concrete City actually looks like 20:30 Learning the business side of construction and building his first concreting company 25:50 Growing up in housing commission and why Nouri never wanted his kids to experience the same hardship 31:22 Meeting Stefan in court, developing him and turning him into a leader on site 36:13 Building CreteMate and creating accountability in the concrete industry 39:42 Eight workers don't show up, one arrives drunk and seven men face a 1,500m² pour 44:48 Going viral, millions of views and building a personal brand through concrete 48:27 Why Nouri still wants to stay on the tools as Concrete City grows 52:27 Teaching competitors, figuring out floating stairs and learning by doing 59:50 Is it worth leaving a good job to start your own business? 01:03:07 Should you ever go into business with one of your closest mates? 01:10:11 The real cost of success, losing friendships and what ambition requires you to sacrifice 01:19:10 Nouri's favourite concrete project and the jobs that push his skills the furthest 01:27:41 Have tradies gone soft? The future of construction, leadership and developing the next generation 01:35:33 Final thoughts on work ethic, finding the right people and setting the benchmark

In Episode 11 of Behind the Facade, Jake from Proline Group and Daniel from Complex Facade Install sit down with Damien Quinn, founder of Visibuild, for one of the most unique conversations we have had on the podcast yet. Damien brings a wealth of on-site experience after a career spanning almost 15 years with one of Australia's most highly regarded builders, Multiplex. This episode gets into what it actually looks like to step away from a 15-year career in the construction industry to back yourself and build something from scratch. Damien unpacks the moment he decided to take the leap into tech, what the transition from site manager to software founder really felt like, and why his experience on the tools and on site turned out to be his biggest advantage in building a tech company for the construction sector. We also get into how AI is transforming the way construction businesses operate day to day, why doing things manually before automating them is the only way to build systems that scale, how Damien is navigating capital raises and investor pitches, and why the people who have lived and breathed site work are the best positioned to solve the industry's biggest operational challenges. If you work in construction, facades, cladding, glazing, project management, site management, subcontracting, trades, estimating, operations, software, or business ownership, this episode is a raw look at what it takes to back yourself completely and build something the industry actually needs. Timestamps: 00:00 Welcome Damien Quinn, founder of Visibuild and his 15-year career in construction 08:24 From managing sites with a clear set of plans to building a company from a blank sheet of paper 15:43 Why doing things manually before automating them is the only way to build systems that scale 24:17 How AI is changing the way construction businesses report, schedule and manage their teams 35:52 The moment Damien knew he had to step out of construction and back himself completely 44:11 Building a software company without a tech background and why construction experience is the advantage 58:30 Raising capital for the first time, pitch decks and what investors actually want to see 01:10:22 Why the construction industry is years behind on technology and what it will take to close the gap 01:28:44 Do things that don't scale first, then work out how to automate and make them efficient 01:41:09 The next 12 months for Visibuild, the Series B raise and what success looks like from here ABOUT BEHIND THE FACADE Behind the Facade is a construction podcast hosted by Jake Gorry, Director of Proline Group, and Daniel from Complex Facade Install Pty Ltd. The podcast goes behind the scenes of the facade, cladding, glazing and construction industry, sharing real conversations about business, leadership, site work, project delivery, culture and the people building the industry from the ground up.

In Episode 10 of Behind the Facade, Jake from Proline Group and Daniel from Complex Facade Install sit down with Ethan Chittick, Director of Commercial Carpentry, for a raw and honest conversation about what it really takes to build a high performance construction business from the ground up. This episode gets into the culture, mindset and daily discipline behind one of Melbourne's most respected commercial carpentry businesses. Ethan breaks down how he built a team that goes to war for the company, why the best installers don't always make the best leaders, and how a production line mentality on site is the difference between a job that hums and one that bleeds money. We also get into the 4am club and why physical discipline is the foundation of business performance, how to get on the shortlist of the best tier one builders in the country, the right client right job mentality, why staying hungry matters more when you're on the way up than when you get there, and what it really means to build something that lasts beyond the next job. If you work in construction, commercial carpentry, facades, cladding, project management, site management, subcontracting, trades, estimating, operations, or business ownership, this episode is a masterclass in what high performance actually looks like on the tools and in the boardroom. Timestamps: 00:00 Welcome Ethan Chittick, the 4am club and why morning training sets up everything that follows 07:04 What a high performance day actually looks like for the director of a commercial carpentry business 12:55 Calendar discipline, being militant with your time and how the best operators structure their weeks 20:15 How Commercial Carpentry built a culture where the team competes with each other to perform 28:40 Production line mentality on site, one touch efficiency and how to make a job hum 40:18 Doors are the bread and butter and why process beats raw talent every time 47:07 Why promoting your best installer into leadership is often the biggest mistake you can make 52:00 The two metrics that tell you whether a job was actually successful 58:30 Right client right job, how to know which builders and scopes are worth your time 01:07:05 Why the best builders are the hardest to get in with and how to prove you belong there 01:12:30 Construction is chess not checkers, knowing the other subbies on your job before you price it 01:20:10 Staying hungry on the rise and why getting things is more fun than having them 01:25:58 Boys in a van to $150M, gratitude, goals and what the journey actually looks like ABOUT BEHIND THE FACADE Behind the Facade is a construction podcast hosted by Jake Gorry, Director of Proline Group, and Daniel from Complex Facade Install Pty Ltd. The podcast goes behind the scenes of the facade, cladding, glazing and construction industry, sharing real conversations about business, leadership, site work, project delivery, culture and the people building the industry from the ground up.