Why start a podcast?

This space here is to make people aware of who we are, what we do and what we stand for. I'm not here to build everybody's home. If I can have people take away a few golden nuggets from with what I'm putting out there and then they find a great builder that's going to give them the same experience, I'm all for that. It's only going to empower them to maximize what they're going to get in the end result.

Hey, guys, welcome to the Builder's Edge. I'm Norm Wales from Norm Wales Constructions. Now, for me, the whole purpose of this podcast here is to bring a little bit more awareness around the construction industry. I've been feeling for many, many years that there's not enough helpful information out there to support you guys to make the right choice. Now, we are a smaller family independent building company and we're not here to build everybody's home. But we would definitely love to be able to work with you to facilitate your dream home. But if we don't build your new home, we want you to be able to make the right decision in choosing the right builder for you. So hopefully the information that I'm able to provide through this podcast can, can be informative and helpful that you can now create your dream home. So hope you enjoy it and thanks for watching.

Why have you decided to.

Take the time out and sit down here and record these podcasts?

Yeah, look for myself there. I'm a big believer of obviously investing in yourself, but also investing in the areas that you're very passionate about and construction. For me, you know, it's a. It's a field that I thoroughly enjoy and love, but, you know, for me, it's about giving just valid information that people can digest and take, you know, for a grain of salt if they like. It's up to them how they want to digest this and how much I read into what it is, but just want to give some few hard, honest truths that are out there and those misconceptions in our wonderful building industry that we have and just give people the tools and the knowledge to make the best choice for themselves. Like, obviously, we want to be able to facilitate and help as many people as we possibly can, but we still only want to stay a smaller family independent building company. I'm not looking at trying to become the next biggest thing in our town. I'm not interested in that there. What we do now is. I'm. I'm very happy with, I want to stay that way, you know, so for me, if I can get a message out to someone that's looking at building and, you know, even if we don't build their home for them, hopefully the tools and the knowledge will, we've been able to give them can help them pick the right builder for them. Because there are, you know, a handful of, you know, very good builders in our area. There's many others out there as well. And I think it's time that people really start investing in themselves and then the general public and the customers there can have the honest truth of actually what goes on in, in the construction industry. And you know, all I want to see is happy homeowners. You know, like it's, I said it's a beautiful industry to be in and I said we, we thoroughly enjoy what we do. I, I just want other, you know, positive stories being shared out there from other great builders. And instead of hearing the negatives and the horror stories all the time, you know, let's start making the news for the right reasons and not the bad reasons.

Yeah, it's so interesting because, you know, what's that saying that bad news travels twice around the world before the truth gets out of bed?

Yeah, look, there would be something like that. Like, unfortunately, you know, a lot of people can be always focused on the negative. You could do a hundred fantastic things, but this is one thing that, you know, didn't go quite to plan and that'd be the first thing people talk about, you know, So I think, you know, we all as a whole need to start, you know, celebrating the wins a little bit more and, you know, focusing on the positive aspects and work harder to build better relationships and, you know, communicate well through those different areas so that it becomes a win win for all involved. You know, it doesn't have to be a difficult thing, you know, and it's going to be a lot more positive out there knowing that people are armed with the right information to make the right choice to have a great time.

Where did all this come from? And, and I guess where, when did it start for you? Because I suppose there's a lot of builders out there who aren't doing anything remotely close to what you're doing in terms of raising awareness to the building industry. But is this something that had, has always been a passion of yours, is to kind of educate the market and as you said, you know, all you want to see is happy homeowners. Is that something you always had right from the get go or is that, is that something, a passion that was developed over time?

Look, from the beginning, that's all we've ever wanted to do is like, you know, we've always put everything into what we do, you know, and over the years, you know, you see and hear, you know, unfortunately a lot of horror stories there and it's disheartening because it's bringing down the industry, something that I'm heavily invested in, you know, and you know, I said there's many other great building companies out there that do a fantastic job and it's surely going to be disappointing to them as well to see that, you know, there's a couple of bad eggs out there that this may not do the right thing. And you know, unfortunately, then someone hears a bad story, then they all think all builders are the same, they're all going to do this. And you know, that's where they procrastinate and safeguard themselves there, which, you know, all due respects, we can see why. But if they can have the tools and equip themselves with the right things there to make the right choices, it's only going to empower them, you know, it's to, to maximize, you know, what they're going to get within the end result.

How important do you think it is that builders invest into themselves?

Oh, look, I think not just builders, but all people should invest themselves, especially if they are planning on having a professional business there.

Builders, you know, specifically, you know, should take the time to invest in themselves through all stages of the actual sort of construction industry there, you know, and that's, you know, just assist them for their day to day sort of stuff and, you know, by them educating themselves a little bit deeper, you know, they'll probably find things a lot easier in some ways and then find tools and ways to actually then help their customers further.

Have you, have you noticed any sort of difference in the way that customers approach you or deal with you since you started putting out more content and started raising more awareness of the building industry?

I look, me personally, I think our customers always dealt with us the same way. But I've always been very.

Heavily involved in being at being open and honest with all, you know, our customers there. Like, I'm a big believer calling a spade a spade. And you know, some people can take that, you know, a little bit differently and, and that's okay, but I'd prefer to be upfront and honest and tell the truth and be as informative as I possibly can be. So then, you know, they can then make the best decision for themselves.

You mentioned earlier about happy homeowners. That's all you that's all you want to see is happy homeowners. Where did that desire come from?

Look, I guess it's, you know, for being a young fella building those little cubby houses and bits and pieces there that, you know, you take the pride in what you do and you know, working with a happy customer and giving them a product at the end there that they're proud of there, it's just, you know, it goes full circle and, and it's just like complete self fulfillment there. It's, you know, never in anyone's interest there to sort of upset the apple cart, I guess, as you could say. But you know, even if there are disagreements or things that might occur, it's really important that you know that open communications that are there that you can still, you know, move on from stuff and work together to still achieve, you know, at the end of the day, that perfect home for the customers. So, you know, getting to that, that end of it there, you know, that that is really self satisfying for us.

With everything that you're doing here, recording a podcast before the content that you've created in the past and all the content you will be continuing, continuing to put out, there's going to be a lot of families who will come to you guys and may go with other builders. How does that make you feel knowing that these guys have learned from you but have gone somewhere else?

Oh, look, like I said before, you know, this space here obviously is to make people aware of who we are, what, what we do and what we stand for. Look, I'm not here to build everybody's home, you know, I mean, if I can have people take away a few golden nuggets from, with what I'm putting out there and then they find a great builder that's going to give them the same experience there, I'm all for that, you know, I mean, I, you know, highly commend them and you know, wish them all the best on that journey. You know, it's. What I don't want to see is, you know, that Pacific family or retired couple or whoever it happens to be not have this information and then fall into the, you know, pitfalls and fall into that trap of then potentially not having their home completed, do you know what I mean? And then their life savings, you know, that, that dream family home, you know, it just doesn't happen because they, they took the wrong path.

With everything that you've shared in the past and everything you're sharing on this podcast, to those listening now, if they were to take one thing away, what would you want them to walk away with?

Look, the number one thing, and you would have heard me say, and I continue to say there, it's communication. You know, communication really is the key thing. The good, the bad, the ugly. It doesn't matter what it is. You've got to be able to communicate. And I think if you've got that good open rapport and that connection there and you can talk and discuss with whatever topics it happens to be, you know, everybody's going to be on that same page and it's going to be a lot more enjoyable, you know. So if, yeah, you're looking at building and you're going to go down that path, don't be scared and coming forward and being open and communicating with your builder. The more open you can, can be there, the further they're going to be able to assist you.

I love that. Before we wrap up, we've got one more question.

Okay.

And it's from our get to know you jar.

Let's see if you can pick out a beauty.

Let's have a look.

To this question. Oh my gosh. Let's go again. Round two.

She is okay.

Ah, this is a good question.

What's your childhood dream? You've never outgrown.

Look. My childhood grammar. Never outgrown look.

I guess I'm always a bit of a big kid at heart. Yeah, look, I have a little bit of a saying there's that Peter Pan never grows up. So yeah, I guess I'm a little bit like Peter Pan and just keeps living life and enjoying every moment of it there. So yeah, I think it'd have to be the old, yeah, Peter Pan and yeah, going down that avenue that, you know, just enjoy life. You know, like it's still, still okay to be a bit childish and be a bit young and dumb and have some fun.

Yeah.

But no, look, yeah, definitely it's something that I, I, I, I definitely tend to want to enjoy, you know, with, with everyone. So it's about being a bit more open minded and a bit more relaxed at times.

I love that. That's beautiful. Well, as always, thanks, Norm.

Too easy, mate. Appreciate it. Cheers. Cheers buddy.