Aaron
Build Hatch developed production. Hello, I'm Aaron and welcome to another episode of Build Hatch. This week's episode of Build Hatch was a really enjoyable and energetic episode. I love getting around every single week, meeting the real people. And on this week's episode of Build Hatch, I got to sit down with Robbie and Dean from EVO built in Melbourne. These guys are a lot of fun. And like I said, full of passion and energy. These guys are builders who also happen to be cousins. And you're going to hear the full story. That is the real story of how these guys grew up together and evolved into owning and operating successful building company in Melbourne. And these guys also happen to have recently completed the latest successful series of channel nines the block. Like I said, Robin Dean, we're full of energy. And I absolutely loved hearing how EVO build evolved from a small carpentry business into the building company that it is today. These guys just took advantage of every opportunity that's come their way, and you'll get to hear about their unofficial motto. That is just make it happen. This week is a beauty. So I bring you Robin Dino from eBay. Now let's get into it. So Robbie and Dean, welcome to Build Hatch. She's fine. So you guys are from EVO built, which is a Melbourne based builder. Yep. So like always, we always like to go back on our guests history and find out what inspired them to get into the building and construction industry. So whereabouts did you guys grow up?
Robbie
Southeast suburbs. We both sort of grew up monbulk emerald, at the sticks. I actually did plastering for like four and a half years. Done mistake a terrible, terrible job. And Good work. Good skills come in handy a few times don't read those. But yes, those
Aaron
are writing right into us when this goes live. Like the Legos.
Robbie
But yeah, just done that for a while and then made a bit of a deal with one of the bosses. Were doing commercial. So I said to him, Look, can I do a carpentry apprenticeship or run your plastering side of it? And you teach me how to do carpet trees.
Aaron
Let's go back a step. So what got you into construction? What was your school life like? Or childhood growing up
Robbie
ever? No, really? Just for F's and DS and
Dean
we grew up making rope swings into dams.
Aaron
So you guys actually guys are actually cousins? Yeah. So you guys go way back.
Dean
Way back. We started mullet stand shoulder look to the back to the womb
Aaron
really? Yeah, so you guys required Scott You got to grow up interacting with each other's families growing? Yeah,
Dean
we had a big Dutch family always had big Christmases and very humble sort of family and yeah, it was it was good. Good upbringing.
Aaron
So did you get a good cry D's and F's at school as well?
Dean
Um, I plus in sport? If and everything else.
Aaron
So you're a practical kid. Yeah.
Robbie
Organised drama. That's the only I ever got my life ain't drama.
Aaron
I would never have guessed that. Talking to you and getting to know you. So going through school though. Did you say you knew that you weren't going to go to university. So you're looking at a trade profession?
Dean
Yeah, well, I got into your 10 paths and dropped out halfway through your living and all the roof tiling labour for three weeks just to make some cash in last fall, didn't last long. Chop a few buckets. And then that's what they say. And then ended up doing a carpentry pre apprenticeship, which led into a full carpentry apprenticeship and also qualified by the age of 21. If any loved this was cool. Yeah, I did. I did love it. I didn't realise where it was gonna bring me to but always like playing with Lego when I was a kid apparently is what mom said. McCullough building to build build a few tree assets to that was always in our blood, I suppose. And that just led to Yeah, eventually getting the qualification.
Aaron
So, you did your apprenticeships and then we you were obviously working for other other companies.
Robbie
Yeah, I did a plastering apprenticeship first and then rolled into carpentry apprenticeship. And then sort of here teed up with Dean was all a bit of a fluke. Really,
Dean
you do commercial? Yeah, I
Robbie
did commercials building banks, then was obviously all residential. And we sort of got together on a job and she didn't want to start a company.
Dean
Yeah, it was good combination, the commercial and domestic experience because it was there was nothing that we didn't sort of know how to tackle or there was no problem. We couldn't solve sort of thing. But then there was the unit. Robbie was approached by a builder to build six single storey prefab credit units in Preston. And he sort of realised he needed an extra hand and all floating around as a salary at the time. And I was okay, I'll jump on board with that. And that's what kind of sparked it. This was before we even had our first apprentice before we had a logo. Before we had any core values and
Aaron
the early days yeah, let's do it.
Robbie
Just sort of branch from there and we lost our shoot. We can't do this yourselves. We got six units to build and it was for the government for government housing in Preston. So it's a bit of a timeframe. We thought she was an apprentice one I jumped on Gumtree fairly young work cane is keen as he was 17. catching the bus to work He'd get up at like is from Diamond Creek, he's getting up. I reckon is like for four o'clock in the morning, catching a bus to hear trying to hear, cut, someone's getting an Uber go to work. And we're just like, Man, you've got good morals and good work ethic. And yeah, then maintain, well, I can't worship, we might as well get a logo. So we sort of sorted out the EVO built logo and expanded we got that was hard. Yeah, that was harder took probably mouthful. So getting the logo together. And
Aaron
so what about the name EVO build always like to tack into what the meaning is and where it's come from.
Dean
It sounded fresh, and it looked good on eBay, and EVO build was taken. But Evo is kind of short for for evolution. We want to be the ever evolving building industry and contribute to it. And then the built part is kind of like, you know, past tense contradicts itself ever evolving. But it's already been built. So it's kind of like COVID, or EVO built. Yeah.
Aaron
So they're the meanings that I love to find out. You know that you wouldn't no one would know that drove Pisces, I think if they built just another name, just another night. Yeah. But there's some meaning there. And yeah, it definitely has meaning. And also like, if I can put it into context, like you guys grew up together as cousins. So you've both evolved, and yeah, definitely it's morphed into EVO built. So yeah. All right. So how did that first job go?
Robbie
It was good. It was good. Yeah, we learned a lot. We definitely learned a lot. The builder. He was actually a plumber that got his builder's licence. So we're all sort of not teaching him. But yeah, sort of showing him what to do and sort of taking a bit of control of it. And yeah, it turned turned out pretty good. We've done full start to finish from digging the stump holes to lay on the turf. Like we're literally done the landscaping, built all the fences, painted some of them or did a bit of plaster, and like it was a jack of all trades. And yeah, got it done. And we sort of utilised all our mates, one of our roofers Simon from hillside who we continually use now we've used for sort of three and a half years that we used him on that first job because I grew up with him as well. And we use a Sparky, JB data and which one is we grew up with him in Emerald as well. So we sort of tried to keep it a tight knit. And now that we're sort of growing bigger, we want to try and keep all that together.
Aaron
You want to keep that family yeah, keep a value culture going with with with your business. Yeah, definitely.
Dean
It was good project that the product was called force 10. It was a prefabricated steel and cement sheet structure that we were the only people in Victoria that knew how to put them together. And it could have been a lot bigger, but they kind of I think that died off a little bit.
Robbie
I don't think they got their marketing. Right. But it was Yeah, though. Hurricane proof and fireproof.
Dean
The building overseas earthquake prone. Yeah, areas, a lot of the junk Zealand,
Robbie
Vanuatu. Right, all these different places that get earthquakes, but it was good job.
Aaron
So that sort of evolved into being a carpentry crew business.
Robbie
Yeah, definitely. Yeah. The first sort of 12 months, we'll just sort of taken it as it comes in. We've got another apprentice, which was one of our first apprentices, best mates, a live down the road from each other. So they were catching the bus together, and parents would drop them off. And then we ended up getting uniform and thought, get SignWriting. And we started sort of pumping up the company a bit and paying ourselves fo and yeah, trying to just build a business really?
Dean
Yeah, the kind of second year of operating was transitioning from the force 10 stuff to our own little jobs, bits and pieces. And we noticed that our two apprentices were lacking basic framing experience, which is like a key component to a carpenter really. So we thought we'll do mesh recon frames for a year. That's
Robbie
really one of my best mates Luke. He's got a company l Mac constructions he sort of took us under his wing. He's like, I'll look for us one frames meant that he pumps him out two or three a week, is I'll give you a couple of frames. So we're just like is when we realised that we're way too pedantic to do framing because we'll plumbing it up trying to get things to the mail in doing way too much for slapped together frames and but I didn't make good money on it at all because we're too slow.
Aaron
But I love that you guys thought how can we get this you experience for young and fresh team so you're willing to have a go and ask her out and say, well, let's actually instead of trying to find out how to do this, let's actually go learn practically firsthand and get some exposure going. So yeah, at least you got to go through that system of getting it done and learning it.
Dean
Yeah, it was good for us too. Because we had to learn how to teach people
Aaron
Isn't it funny how a carpenter you assume that that's part of your trade but there's so many different aspects to being a carpenter, isn't it? You can work carpenter you can be a stick framer just put up frames you flooding fixing. Yeah, there's just so many different components
Robbie
in landscapers these days do
Aaron
landscape, build deck steps, but
Robbie
always there's another ballpark altogether.
Dean
And then you got commercial? Yeah, there's there's probably there's six major aspects to carpentry I suppose. To be the master of all of them. You probably need 20 years experience
Aaron
came the little fella that caught the bus and went above and beyond is he still working for you guys is with
Dean
Alma Yeah, he's
Robbie
Yeah, cuz he just loved framing through it. He loved it. You don't have to work for us. No. Had graduates called Luke and said, Do you want another apprentice? Oh, yeah, buddy. Now, yeah, he's working with him.
Aaron
Alright, so you guys were plodding along back then. So where did you sort of continue on from there? What what sort of projects were you? Were you trying to sort of stay like a carpentry crew or you're aspiring to be a builder eventually.
Robbie
It's all like even up until now. It's all just snowballed and just continued on. And at that point, we sort of thought, oh, let's try and get some other work. So we I think we were like even driving down the peninsula. I'm just thought, well, let's try and call whoever we want to work for. So we drove past the grass. I'd be like, Ah, shit, that's unreal. Grab the number off the fence. And I think Dane called a builder called Anthony lOn. And he turned out to build just phenomenal joints. Lucky built this cafe den, Martha. And I actually made a couple of cheapies. And next minute, he's got all four of us just on an hourly rate on carpentry building, like this million dollar Cafe down the Mornington Peninsula called Xanatos. And unreal food, and
Aaron
shout out to tonnato. So
Robbie
but yeah, and just to conjoin the story a bit he Anthony lands, actually the one that got us onto the block. So like, you know, two years later, yeah, we never realised that that connection that we made with him, actually led us to be on the block two years down the track. So we don't do work for him anymore. But he just sort of called us up and yeah, that story. But anyway,
Dean
it's funny how it all comes together in the end. Yeah. Because after the whole volume building stuff, we started doing stuff like that for Anthony lon a couple of other builders. realised we needed a few more guys. And then
Robbie
that's when we started our business coaching. Yeah, we got we got an accountant, just wizard accountant. Yeah. And, yeah, he just goes over, can you boys, it's suit this business coaching that I do up in Sydney. So I can't, we're pretty open minded. Like we'll give anything to crack if we lose money, lose money, who cares? As long as you get that experience? So I thought I have we have a chat to this guy, Sean school. And he just hit it off and still do to this day. So we two and a half years of that.
Dean
Those are those are big, big milestone. Big stepping stone. Yeah, we put us in our places a lot taught us a lot about leadership and culture, your culture,
Robbie
massively culture.
Aaron
What were the early conversations like between you two about did you have vision for your business and where you wanted to go, but we're just happy being cousins working together.
Dean
Recently, we put both of this to an audio book called Rocket fuel, which is about how to people in a business can get the most out of each other. And we've learned that Rob is definitely a visionary. And you're a nominee integrator, which is perfect. And when we did the this test, where it shows like people's traits or personality. We were not polar opposites, but opposites, which is apparently a really good thing.
Robbie
Although we had those two traits that showed that DNA is actually an integrator, and I'm an a visionary.
Aaron
So reduce the likelihood of conflict. Yeah,
Robbie
and double and up to like two chiefs or have some sort of have come up with a dumb idea. Yeah, let's let's do this. And then a lot get called No worries, let me know when and they'll just make it happen. That's probably a majority of our company decisions. When they go down. Just make it happen. Yeah, well, that was actually a motto it's funny. That was our motto for like the first series yes to sort of it's like the boys come to us with a problem just make it up a night I haven't called What If I break it doesn't matter my will fix it. Just have a crack
Aaron
yet. Yeah. Look, it's it's obviously a very positive can do attitude, like you said, just make it happen. Reduce your boundaries and and just try and go out and do it. I guess with that comes some element of not being able to pre plan but through experience and having two directors of a company with a can do attitude, who don't conflict with each other, it achieves positive outcomes.
Dean
Yeah, definitely. There's a lot of things pop up trying to give a good example where we pull each other up on a bushy block. Now, we should not do that, or why. XYZ? Yeah, fair enough. It's good to have that. Our second opinion, which is boy, you make a silly decision,
Robbie
which is what our business coach calls the red team. And we've thought actually tried to implement that. It's like if you if you think you're possibly doing something wrong, or you don't know about the answer, you got Dean, can you come and check on this, calling the red team, and they have a look at it from another point of view, it's like looking at it from an outside perspective.
Dean
firepits philosophy? Yeah, we did the business coaching, I just want to dive into that a bit. Because it's been so beneficial. It's really, it's really has like, changed my whole perspective on life, it's just led you down the right positive track in dealing with people when you when you're teaching someone, something you have to remember when you didn't know how to be able to do it. So you can't expect too much of someone, you have to be able to nurture them and give them a positive outcome, as opposed to being aggressive and negative. And trying to manipulate them into a situation where you can play force them to do something, but you're not going to get the best out of that person. We've learned a lot to care and be kind for our team and always refer to them as a team member, not a worker, or just another employer or a number. We like to play golf with them have team meetings quite a lot. And yeah, just that whole philosophy of getting the best out of people and being positive about it has changed the culture in your team. Massively.
Aaron
Yeah, look, I love that because I and I often talk to a lot of people about when they experiencing one of their team members they're having trouble with or how do I, how do I deal with my boss or superior? Well, don't beat around it, like, just go have a conversation. And it's not an easy thing to do. You're lucky being on top of the the org structure where you're you guys run the company, if you already have those relationships, like being able to play golf, it allows you to have that conversation. Whereas if you don't have a workplace that has those things in place, where you can say, Listen, what you're doing is annoying me or it's it wasn't the right thing to do, or that's not how you speak to a client or, you know, when someone said this, you didn't react to it. It's so much easier to just go out and have those early conversations. You're just suddenly so much more approachable. And
Dean
yet, I said, Yeah, a couple of guys have have come to us. A couple guys come directly to Robin said, you know, oh, there's days when I don't want to get a bed like I'm not. I'm not mentally feeling right, my life's gone shit. And we're just like, No, we're not having that. Get them out at work, boost him up, boost him up.
Robbie One of the boys was you know, six o'clock in the morning actually came to work. And he was like, half an hour earlier. I was like, What are you doing here and he was actually sitting down real, real glum. He's, he's a good bloke real manly man, like you wouldn't have picked it and actually started breaking down and said, I want to be here anymore. A faculty mean. So I've just had enough kind of stay in life anymore. I just want to, I just want to jump off the bridge, told myself that she might have had a good hour chat with him and sort of set him a few goals with us and we'll go home. Before the end of the day, I want you to start boxing again because he always said to us don't want to get in boxing. And you just start reading a book about positivity or recommend a few audibles. Now, one was have a have a stern chat with his girlfriend, but in a positive way, because she wasn't doing a few things that he appreciated said she's got a voice that night, you got to have a good chat with it. Don't get angry or anything like that. Just do those three things for me. I said also, you're going to come around a golf and he hates golf, but sort of had a chat with Dane as well. So do you mind if I bring Dean in on this and had a chat with Dean and we he just walked in and play golf? We just come for a walk around the golf course and just had a good old chat. Yeah, have a good old chat and really open up his mind. And yeah, freshen it up and come back. The next day. He said, I've done all those three things. And yeah, a couple of weeks later, he is really opening up to us and sort of Yeah,
Dean
I think sometimes people just need that ever reset bit of a flick. And also they need the option to be able to go to their peers in life. And you know, we needed to show our vulnerability, so that people will come up to us and be like, this is how I'm feeling. Because that's what we want to get the best out of people. One thing that we've been working on lately is our mission and purpose. And we've been so strongly team orientated and just I had sleepless nights thinking what is our mission and what is our purpose and one mission that's it's changed a few times probably it keeps changing throughout your business journey. But at the moment, we're a dynamic team and we were more so about nurturing people through their journey of life so that they have a more positive impact. when they go home to their family and their friends and whatnot, building is just the byproduct of what we do. And we create beautiful spaces for people to live and retreat. But that's our real mission is to get the team going to be on the same page on the same journey, get one hit in the same direction, kind of football team mentality, isn't it? Well, yeah,
Robbie We use that a lot actually, like a footy team. Like we're trying to win the grand final. And sometimes you might only get in the semis. But sometimes you'll make it all out at the end. So we sort of try and you got to look out for your team, you got to train every day, you got to eat healthy. Danes, always, whenever we have a team meeting, we have tried to have a team meeting every three months, we get a big whiteboard. And Dean's always the first one to write like, nutrition, sleep, energy, health. They're all like key aspects to coming to work and being healthy. Because
Aaron
if it works underneath those ones, yeah, those ones right. The results speak for themselves. Yeah, yeah, look, I I talk about this regularly. And I sort of look at running construction business like feeding the beast, you've got to get that beast up to a point where it can look after itself. Now it's like raising children sometimes like you got to teach them to crawl and then walk and eat. And then eventually they do all that themselves. But there's that journey to get to that point. Yeah, you've got to get the right old Foundation, yeah, the solid foundation and the right nourishment, and get that into the system. So that the system then the beast learns to take care of itself. And it's not an easy thing to do. So what are those late nights and hard conversations like all that I
Dean
teach you in school heavy businessman, do we know how to swing a hammer? You can make that happen? But then when we started the company, we were like, well, this is it? It is yeah, you need a university degree to do this. Okay, you need a cert Fornia either diploma or Advanced Diploma or building licence or DBL or now dBu or we have to keep training for that. And we have to teach people and nurture them and be half an accountant. And it's a lot of freaking an entrepreneur and you know, yeah, sleepless nights. Yeah, I mean, sleepless nights.
Aaron
Now you guys have just wrapped up filming of channel nine's the block. So how did that journey come about? Robbie?
Robbie Yeah, Anthony lon, who we mentioned that we worked for sort of two years ago, we've probably done work for him for maybe solid year on our record, and he called me up out of the blue one day and just goes off. You wouldn't even be interested in going on the block, would ya? And like, you know, everyone's saying the blocks you can put 12 users aren't you suppose because I called me mate Harry. He's one of the contestants. Like, are you guys coming over meeting with him? Yeah, no worries, Dean. I think Dean was busy at the time. So I was like, I'll come to any factory. So knocked off work and went down to the factory and he's sitting in there with harian M sock on supposed to be a contestant Harry Hagen. Exactly. Right. So what trays have you got? Have you got a sparky and Omaka Oh, hang on him said yes. And how he's all I'm assuming you want to do it? Because you're here. I was like, oh, yeah, I suppose. You know, quick phone call later today know where you can go on the block. It starts in a couple of weeks and
Dean
the night the night before the block? Or was actually out on a Sunday afternoon heavens, receivers and robbers. I think you're out as well. And I'm like, I'll be on the block tomorrow. What what's going on this hairy boy wearing his back? Because because he was getting filmed on a challenge.
Robbie That busy night. We didn't even know yet. We then got locked in like hadn't talked rates or what how you can get paid. And then in 10 o'clock that night, because that's when they must be given the phone at 10 o'clock or some phone call. So you boys ready for tomorrow? We're gonna go to work. Me boys? Do you want to call you know, I don't know, four or five, bring in 310. So we had no idea and hey, get there and you guys just bring hard hats. Floros every tool you got shit. Alright,
Dean
and you're trying to juggle all the other jobs that we had on as well. So we really need to make this happen.
Robbie Because at this stage, we, when we first started the business coaching, we had four blocks, and they taught us how to scale pretty good. So we sort of went from four and 10 months later, we had 12. We got to 14 At one stage got a bit hectic. So when Harry was calling us we had 12 blocks on and he goes oh, get bring four. So Sunday night. You're like our cheat. Okay, so we need three blocks here. So you got to try and organise what everyone else is doing. And yeah, we don't know what room you don't until I think now they actually told us Sunday. Italia Sunday night about 10 o'clock.
Aaron
They want the reaction and the drama that goes with the unknowns and not as much control. So fuels today things to develop.
Dean
There was a there was a little note, they were like, should we actually do this or not. And we'll walk it'll be a great challenge to say if we're up for to see if we can do it because it is it's the hardest I've ever worked.
Robbie And it's the smallest I've ever had to work on It's a pressure cooker. Like just an absolute pressure cooker.
Dean
Yeah, very challenging. Very challenging.
Aaron
What do you guys like to do outside of work when you're not building? Golf? Yeah,
Robbie Yeah, keen golfers.
Dean
We got into golf about a year and a half ago. And it's good because when you're playing golf, you got to really focus on what's going on don't topic don't stop thinking about work. So it's a good release. And you will you will play about five and a half k or something like that. So it's good fitness pushing the buggy. See some kangaroos and yeah, yeah, no, sir. therapeutics really nice. It's really nice than your and then you get really angry as well. Yeah, they stopped a few clubs.
Aaron
And then you'd have a few schooners afterwards, a couple of years after, yep. So what's on the cards for everbilt?
Robbie Did I really just sort of grabbing the bull by the horns, and we're going to build his last since the start of this year, we've done three or four rhinos? Yep. Extensions. Yeah. And just just learn as we go, deciding if we're going to expand or sort of stay where we are and concentrate on certain other aspects. And I suppose every builders goal is to become a developer, really, so we're just gonna get some cash together and, you know, potentially buy a home and renovated or even build, or buy a house with some land at the back and put a unit on it.
Dean
Yeah, we did one renovation with our RT, which was a house in a play. Yeah. went three ways on it. That gave us a taste of what it was like to actually be responsible for the the build of a house and the scheduling the money, and are you going to make profit? Or you're not going to make profit? It's completely different hat, isn't it? Yeah, we made a we made a little bit of money. Like it was worth it. Yeah. But the money wasn't worth it. Over capital, we didn't lose it. We didn't lose money. And a lot of people said that the first one you do, you might lose money, or you might just break even. But we did make a little bit, which was a good sign. And one question that our business coach keeps asking us is, what is your end goal? What's your mission? Why do you complete it? And what do you want to build to? Like? Do you want to be a $40 million company with 40? Employees? I don't think so. Do we want to be that small niche building company with 12 employees and look out for your boys? Yeah, that's what probably more so what we want to do.
Aaron
Yeah, because what happens is particularly running and building construction businesses, as that base starts to get fueled, and it starts to look after itself actually becomes more difficult to say no to opportunities that present themselves. So you kind of lose a little bit of a control and in a certain respect. And so these opportunities that are presenting themselves, particularly from exposure from a TV production that has a fair audience around Australia, you have all these opportunities that keep coming away, the door keeps knocking. And it's very difficult to say no. So you keep saying yes. And then you keep growing. And with saying yes, and growing, you lose a little bit of control of your systems and processes and all these different things that are paramount to running a successful construction business. So it's important isn't it to find keep an eye on it, keep an eye on it, and make sure it doesn't go by the wayside and, and have those days in your calendar locked in where you to meet together, you know, you have your golf days and things like that. But there's those days where you meet, and you talk nothing but business and say, wherever we come from, where are we now? And where are we heading in the future,
Robbie which is what this business coaching is definitely good for every three months, you're locked in, you're out there for four or five days, and do nothing but business. The boys look out for themselves. It's actually a good sort of leadership challenge for those boys.
Aaron
I probably like it too.
Robbie Because we just shoot off, get on the plane, go to Sydney, obviously, we organise stuff for him and make sure they're all right. We're always on the phone if we have to. But we sort of give them a chance to sort of step up and organise and execute whatever they need to execute, and gives us a chance to really concentrate on what the next step is. Because I think we're at that point where we need to really start implementing systems and automation to the business, we've always questioned or do we get someone that does an admin role? Do we get a contracts administrator? Do we get an estimator, they're all key aspects to building company. But we don't really know where we're heading yet. If we're going to need them full time. We're sort of doing that together, really, I'll call it I'll do a bit of the admin day, it'll take most of this sort of systemization he's always researching new apps and programmes that track the boys hours and for quoting and stuff like that, so
Dean
probably got a little bit too much on our plates at the moment or are going on pretty stretched. I'm pretty sure all these would be almost same.
Robbie So I'm sort of on site supervisor, construction manager sort of role, because I'm trying to get her roles down pat, you're stepping on each other's toes because it's sort of like you'd waste a lot of phone calls gone. I've you quoted this. Did you have you invoices? So we're sort of trying to delegate and we don't actually have our set roles. I sort of want to be sales, client communication, quoting Estimating, invoicing, that sort of side of it. And Dean's really good at organising is super organised. So he's like, organising materials, making sure all the boys are there on time sorting out their roles and responsibilities.
Aaron
And what about the, you know, one of the most important interactions, which is the interaction with the client? How do you managed the client interaction is
Robbie We've actually come to the conclusion like we've only done you know, we've only got three or four minutes, but we've done heaps of little jobs prior for straight to direct the client, we find it works best is if Dean and I both set aside some time and we actually go there, one of the jobs that we just done down in eighth Vale then managed to get onto that job, but we made it a sort of mission to go there together. And as soon as we walk in, you always want to be in my locker. Yeah, this is this is going to be pretty relaxing. Turned out he absolutely loved golf. He had a putting green in his backyard. It was a doctor and his missus was a cop. So a very successful little couple. And, yeah, we just got on like a house on fire and ended up giving them a packet, got EVO built logo golf balls and gave me these unreal man. Thanks heaps. And we built a big gentleman's room for him. And he sits back in there and smokes his cigar and stuff. He's only a young boy, I think was like 37. Just to rip a couple. And I feel like Dane and all are when we're sitting there across from the kitchen table, we sort of bounce off each other, and we've got different personalities. So they might, you know, chat to his missus for a while because he's chatting about that all chat to golf. And then obviously, when we go away, if we can make a positive impact, they're gonna go well, yeah, let's get them to do the job.
Aaron
Yeah, the guy I agree, like, in our short space of getting to know each other and talking and you can see the different personality types, but you look at each other for reassurance and acknowledgement. And so it's obviously a good combo. And it's, it's working successfully for you.
Dean
It is it is good, like, catching up with the clients, we love it. They're just people into the day as well, why we've got this huge responsibility to possibly build that dream. Even if it was a little Renee, we were treated like, they've saved the whole office, this is a big deal. People want to do business with people they know and trust. So we need to, we need to create that with them that trust not to worry them into it. But we want to have a relationship after the built as well. We want to get recommended to their friends and family and ultimately get more clients and stuff like that. So it's not over once the jobs, you know, signed, sealed, delivered. We want to pop in there and see how it's gone. Possibly play golf with you know, the doctor that plays golf and, and meet people in life, you know, what's their journey? And what are they into?
Aaron
Yeah, look, I talk about it a lot. If I could pick social media as an example, right, people are watching you, they're monitoring you they're having a look at it, that earmarking you out for a potential project long before they've reached out to you so but the importance of that interaction with the client, the meet and greet, and then not only that the relationship isn't over when you guys finish the project. You could be building second third generation projects for that one client.
Robbie Well, that that one client that will talk about the doctor and the cop, they actually called the mom said, she's down the road, it has failed, she lives in Aspendale. turns around, she wanted a quarter of a million dollar renovation, but they go don't don't even shop around if I built on it. So we're 80% through that renovation and then their next door neighbour goes, Oh, can you build a rooftop deck on the third story roof on the beach.
Dean
And then the next door neighbour to the next neighbour wants another one done? Apparently,
Robbie yeah, she just called us today while I was sitting down for lunch. So that's all off one job. And just right,
Aaron
this shows the how important that interaction is and how long it can go. He can just continue on.
Dean
And like you say with the social media stuff, and also just the branding. Robbie's been really good with getting stuff printed up getting the Instagram going and getting a look good the website pushing, pushing, pushing, getting the banners made up recently. Like they really look nice professional looking ones and people walk past that and they see it and they're immediately drawn to that nice colour. We've got an our logo, and you know, they might have seen us on the block or they may just be in the right place the right time ago, I wanted a renovation done as well. And if you don't, if you don't implement all those little things, the signage, the clothes, the website, the Instagram, you're going to miss out on a lot of work.
Robbie So there's one percenters Yeah, one of our strict rules. If you rock up out of uniform to work, you go. And we've got we've got we've actually got a no smoking rule. And a few people have actually quit smoking in that time, which is to health benefit eyesight, but haven't fit eight years or whatever. But I think it's a good thing to have coffee health.
Dean
Definitely. Yeah, and doesn't look bad.
Aaron
And I value your organisation that much that they're willing to willing to have. Yeah, yeah, give up a diary.
Robbie One of the apprentices taught. I don't think he owns other clothes either. The neighbour bill calls oh man, can I get another shirt? He's a great BMX rider. It'd be down the skate park all night. And he's a built jumper. No dramas, absolutely love. It's
Aaron
good marketing. And he's gotten,
Dean
yeah, he can do door hardware, but in the most qualified blocks.
Aaron
Now, tendering, so do you guys tend to for projects,
Robbie we've sort of dabbled in, it jumped on like estimate one and you're paddling, multimillion dollar companies. It's just not really worth it. I've probably got 1520 quotes that I've got to get to. And I've actually been on the tools that job we've gotten pressed in. So don't really tender, we're not going to try and sell ourselves short or beaten the next bloke, if you want us to come and do
Dean
it. And then 15 jobs that we've probably got. Yeah, because people have already done their research and gone is it we want to use so much luck, like you're
Aaron
you're obviously fortunate you you're in an area, and you have the people. So your end product is at a point where the supply and demand is out balanced, where you can sort of say, well, look, we've got work on our name speaks for itself. And we're able to just continue that successful formula moving forward. And the inquiries keep coming, the door keeps knocking. So you don't really need to go down that path of tendering as such. Yep.
Robbie And we've actually had that quite a few times. So you know, get a different quote, but I just sort of say, well, I'm going to send you a very detailed quote, and delegate exactly what I've allowed for, you know, they might allow for 15 grand from bathroom, I've allowed 25 domain and you will go well, there's 10 grand already, what did they bind for you in 15 grand, like, you're gonna get a bathroom Bunnings and a shitty shower. Great. And we'll do like a nice in situ with a custom vanity. So there's a big difference, you sort of got to really show the client, what they're gonna get without sort of giving away too much. Because obviously, if you're given numbers, then they'll go back to the other person and go, we'll go shopping around Exactly. And you don't, you don't want to do that. Because you sort of you might spend, you know, 810 hours on a tender as such 40 hours, or 48, depending how big the job is, but it's a lot in it. You don't want to waste all that time because we don't charge for quotes. A lot of people actually said, you know, we charged 20 and 50 bucks for quote, haven't dove down that path yet. But yeah, it feels like if we can sort of win people over and have a good personality and just chat to him, then that's the client that we want.
Aaron
What's a favourite aspect of your role and working for EVO built,
Robbie I think the client interaction would be would be good all like going and meeting someone that I've never met before and but just connecting with people and learning just I think we're both day in and day out a big journey of
Dean
learning. Absolutely. And another big one is definitely been like a life mentor for our, our younger team members to steer them in the right direction.
Robbie In terms of you know, saving money looking after your health, having goals, like all of our team, you could put any two of them together, and they'd spend the night drinking beers and they're all good mates after them go out with each other on the weekends ride bikes together. So we've got a good culture.
Dean
There's a good journey,
Aaron
and it's only just beginning to be more exciting. How do you guys differentiate yourself with with your competitors?
Robbie Well, mate, there's plenty of other Better Builders than us. Yeah, guarantee that, but they might not care as much as we do. This, there's some Roopa chippies like, we've got a network of probably 3040 chippies, we've grown up with GPS, all their mates. I've got a mate, Aaron from ah, oh, it lives down the road for me. If I'm quoting something, instead of being competitive, I was calling out my sheet. How much do you do you know, Laakso panel for maybe I've got I'm 850 bucks a square minute. Cheers, mate religion, typing in the quote, send it off. And he'll do the same. Are you ever done this claim before you make this is how we do it? And we'll catch up, have beers grew up together? And I think it's just a
Aaron
that's one of the aspects of it. That's probably one of the best aspects of the construction industry is having that collaborative impact, the the opportunity to be able to not compete. I mean, yes, there will be instances when you are competing, but a lot of builders tend to put themselves in particular areas of construction, whether it's residential, or commercial, or both. But when you're in a niche field, you tend to excel in those particular areas. Yeah, you learn to you soon learn to know what you're good at.
Dean
Exactly. We don't want to in terms of competing with the open market, we don't want to get too big. And I don't think we've ever been in a position where we're going to have to compete, because we're just going to stay true to all the positive things that we're about. And I think it's just going to keep organically growing and we're never not going to be looking for work.
Aaron
Who inspires you guys? each other a bit?
Robbie Yeah, definitely. Then Dean teaches me heaps. So forms I just get real pissed off and because I hate on tech just county me need to get angry. happened a couple of times and look,
Dean Shawn shows inspired me. Yeah, which has mental masterfully and everyone a part of that group this lock monitored. That's been really powerful. Yep.
Robbie Speaking of social media, so many people on there are just out to help. Maddie from elevate. I've never actually met him in person. I've chatted to him texted on Instagram. Before the block one of this bloke Hopkins construction. never met him before, but he doesn't like a charity thing and just call him up started chatting. Now he's a landscaper and a cheapy. If I if I've quoted some landscaping, I'll just call him up. No dramas. I've only known him for three months. Maybe like him, hey, no worries, this is how to do Thailand for outside. And so all those people are inspiring. And
Dean
yeah, you can always scroll back on social media to see what someone used to be like, as very interesting and inspiring. Do you go? Well, it's doable. Someone has to do it. Yeah.
Aaron
Dale Cheeseman the Melton builder. He's, he's been on the shows previous guests. And he I remember him talking about how it's actually nice to go back and see where you've come from. Yeah, I mean, some people delete images and things like that. But if you could go back in time and see where you've come from, to where you are, now, you can then sort of determine where you want to go in future with it.
Robbie Well, three years ago, I wouldn't have even guessed would have an employee at all, you're always
Dean
happy to find a nice building company and be just a supervisor, be their main chippy next minute, we've got 12 blocks,
Aaron
or more about having a tailored approach to each individual client, to each individual project, and equally to your employees. Because the dynamics in your group are obviously very different as well. You have different personality types. So you're in the business of people, you're in the business of hopes and dreams.
Robbie And that's the difference between going from a site supervisor to company owners is he go from the business have now moved together to communication and organisation looks like
Aaron
and everything is the business of people. I really liked that actually. And there's there's equally romance in it as well with with a client, it's you have to change and adapt. And some clients want more interaction than others. Some are so busy and hectic in their lives that by you sending a message and by you communicating in that way it adds fuel to their fire and their whole world blows up. Yeah, so it's about tailoring that approach and mentality to eat and customising it to each individual client. And that's why I like working with people, because every person is different. Just like every project is different. And looking back, like you said before earlier about, like stepping up coming from the tools. You're not necessarily building something, you're used to creating something with spaces using equipment and tools to now shifting into that additional space where you're managing people, personalities, suppliers, weather impacts, emotions, emotions, yeah, materials, people's pockets, people's pockets.
Aaron
And using the analogy of stirring the pot, you putting that all into to make this one big meal out of different ingredients. And sometimes it's not going to come out, right. But if you can adapt and then manage that interaction with the client say, Look, I'll put my hand up. We didn't do that perfectly. It wasn't 100%. But you know what, if I can have that tough conversation and say, look, at the end of the day, we're prepared to go back and fix what we've stuffed up. What's the worst thing that that client can say about you guys at the dinner table? Because that's I'm telling you now that's where all the bad stuff and the good stuff comes? That dinner table dinner table and or dinner parties and things like people entertaining right there. Hey, yeah, that that guy that you said that client? He's got the cigar bar. He loves that moment of having people over in his gentleman's area, having a cigar or having a few whiskies? Yeah. And talking about you should see these guys, you know, and by the way, it looks a lot like Gary Abilene. You know what I mean? These guys, they or it could be anyone else and they say, You know what, at the end of the day, I wasn't happy, but they came back. That's the worst thing that they can say. Yeah. No one cares about that. No one says I had to come back and fix something. Yeah, they just want to know that you committed to solving their problems, and working with them.
Robbie And that's, that's actually one thing we've always adapted as if someone's not happy. We'll we'll just go back and fix it. And we'll we'll put a hand up. Yep, no dramas. And I know we've done that confidently because it's actually gone down our team chain, because some of our guys will go shit, that you've stuffed something. And I'll hang up the phone and I ain't ours. Next day. He called me up. He's like, all right. I'll fix that lock up. What do you mean? I was at work with you till 330. Now I went, I went back. I was there till six o'clock last night, and I fixed it up for you for nothing, and they weren't even clocked on. I was like, All right,
Aaron
That is good. It means a lot.
Robbie He's good. That's good culture.
Aaron
Yeah, you've obviously both done that extremely well to instil that culture into your business. And as you said, you're not just building spaces or products or creating spaces, but you're feeding the base, the base, your employees, they've got your backs, they're wearing your shirts the way you wanted them to. And going above and beyond to get get that that client happy or or put out that fire for you. Quarterly work breakups help.
Robbie Whenever someone comes on board, I was one thing about the company, quarterly work breakups. Not actually unreal, boosts the morale. All boys get to know each other because they might be on a job for three months and not get to know like, half of our guys haven't even met our newest employee. Don't even know who he is. And he's coming to work break up and they're like, Who's this Dan, bloke? Work broker, you get to meet him you get to know him.
Aaron
So what's work break look like?
Robbie Last time we hired a party bus and drove them down to talk a different beach and just just bought five slides, chuck them on the bus and went down there hide everyone's carts. Yeah, had a few beers and played golf for the day and had a bit of fun. I was on a weekday session. Was there now we're not going to work today and on that and or bottomless brunch or just something get all the boys together and people Yeah, we don't people,
** Aaron ** those little things. They're not massive outlays, it's it adds up it costs a bit to have a day off work. But what you get out from that small outlay makes a huge difference moving forward with your business. Definitely. All right. Well, Robbie, and Dean from eBay bill, it's been really nice to sit down and talk to you guys and, and hear the story, the real story behind everything else. So congratulations on your work on the block. That's always been cheating. And you obviously get a lot of exposure out of that. But just having those relationships with people moving forward. I think it's a really nice thing. And yeah, well done, you guys.
Well, that was another build, whichever. So with Robbie and Dino from EVO built, as you can tell, these guys have a lot of fun at work. And I love how although they'd like to enjoy their job. These guys know what it takes to lay the right foundations and get the fundamentals right. Well, so too far away from a crazy end of 2020. And this year has been such a privilege to bring you these stories every single week. At the time of recording this, we only have a couple of weeks left over by popular demand. And for the amazing listeners who tune in every single week. I have some exciting announcements and plans for an even bigger 2021. So stay tuned for that announcement. You guys and your feedback and all the stories keep me going every single week. And I absolutely love opening up all these opportunities, bringing more building construction and architectural content on Build Hatch. As usual, please check out our Instagram page where you'll be able to learn more about our guests and some of the features of the work that we talked about. Have a great week and you hear me again on the airwaves next week. Thanks for listening for another episode. We'll catch. You have experienced our bills have developed production
