In Episode 15 of Behind the Facade, Jake from Proline Group and Daniel from Complex Facade Install go back to where it all started. Each of them brought a stack of old photos on an iPad, picked one of the other's, and asked for the story behind it. What comes out is an honest look at the early years and what it actually took to get to tier one.

Jake opens with his original red induction card from February 2006 and a message for everyone asking for the quick way to the top. There isn't one. It takes time and reps. Daniel's first photo is from September 2012, sitting on a roof with a bucket, and it turns out that was the day he nearly walked away from Complex to become a PT until Matty talked him round. Jake's photo from January 2017 takes him back to being 22 with a nine month old daughter, a house he couldn't afford, moving into his factory in East Keilor and losing money just to go to work.

From there, Jake tells the story of the van he bought off his old man for $1,000, driving to Ballarat in winter with the window stuck down, and Ryan, who worked six weeks without pay and is now his construction manager running a $1 billion hospital job. A question from Jace leads into the day they met, a Friday invoice that went in at 3:30 PM and was paid by 5 PM, and the phone call where Jake told him he was going to build the biggest cladding company he'd ever seen. That leads into a real conversation about cash flow and how payment terms can strangle good businesses.

Daniel takes us through writing "you will not outwork me" in his notebook after moving to Queensland at 26 to set up Complex's interstate division, Complex's first hospital at Waurn Ponds and a skylight that leaked like a sieve, putting in the first of around 15,000 panels at Australia 108, a 500kg glass panel near miss, a CLT curtain wall job where the building grew 30mm, and lifting nine metre sheets of glass 70 levels up at Swanston Central. Jake also covers landing next to a three metre tiger snake on site, how he awarded himself Melbourne's number one cladder, and the shed in East Keilor that was his office, bedroom and showroom all at once.

If you work in construction, facades, cladding, glazing, subcontracting, trades, estimating, project management, operations or business ownership, and you've ever wondered how to get there faster, this episode is two blokes who did the time telling you why you can't skip it.

Timestamps:

00:00 Fifteen episodes in seven months, Jake's 2006 red card and why there's no shortcut to tier one

08:22 The 2012 bucket photo and the day Daniel almost quit to become a PT

11:21 22 with a baby, a house he couldn't afford and losing money just to go to work

16:19 Waurn Ponds, Complex's first hospital and a skylight that leaked like a sieve

21:55 Cladding letterboxes and why the small jobs teach you everything

26:00 "You will not outwork me", coffee shop contracts and going solo in Queensland at 26

33:19 The $1,000 van, the neighbour's forklift and Ryan working six weeks unpaid

37:08 Jace's question, an invoice paid the same day, the start of Proline and why cash flow is king

47:43 Australia 108, the first of around 15,000 panels and the Starburst lift 72 levels up

57:34 Ryan's question: landing next to a three metre tiger snake

01:02:30 How Jake made himself Melbourne's number one cladder and filled a box at the MCG

01:07:30 Chompers' pick: a 500kg glass panel near miss at Waurn Ponds

01:11:44 The first CLT curtain wall job and a building that grew 30mm

01:17:16 Jake's East Keilor office, bedroom and showroom, mentors and doing your own marketing

01:23:44 Swanston Central, nine metre glass 70 levels up and why you can't skip the hard years

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.

In Episode 9 of Behind the Facade, Jake from Proline Group and Daniel from Complex Facade Install sit down for a wide ranging conversation about what it really takes to build a construction business that can withstand the pressure of a slow market without compromising on standards or pricing.

This episode gets into one of the most important mindset shifts in construction right now. We break down why turning down work you could win is sometimes the smartest move in the business, how five years of internal data is now driving every tender decision, and why the businesses that hold their standards through the slow period are the ones that come out the other side ahead.

We also get into the AI voice tool that's producing 35,000 words in a weekend, why preparation before a job starts is worth more than anything you do on the tools, the 4am club and why physical discipline and business discipline are the same thing, a live Q&A from the audience on finding mentors and managing cash, and the mindset behind studying your competition and picking them off one by one.

If you work in construction, facades, cladding, glazing, fabrication, project management, site management, subcontracting, trades, estimating, operations, or business ownership, this episode is a raw and honest look at how the best businesses in the industry hold their nerve when the work dries up and come out the other side stronger for it.

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro and Whispr Flow, the AI voice tool producing 35,000 words in a weekend

05:36 Business update, $22 million in tenders out in one week and how new software doubled output

10:50 Why a 14% strike rate on tenders is intentional and why winning every job is a warning sign

14:23 Why signing cheap work in a slow market sets you up to lose money before you start

22:13 How to price jobs correctly using your own data instead of guessing

25:31 Mount Hospital prep and why the work you do before boots are on the ground determines everything

32:55 Mentor sessions, what Danny, Luke Edmonds and Griffo each taught Daniel about building a business

38:12 If you can't look after yourself you can't look after a business and the discipline connection

39:53 The 4am club, 15 gym memberships, ice baths and why training your leaders together changes everything

43:23 Live Q&A: how to find a mentor when you didn't grow up around successful people

48:17 Model the rise not the outcome and why studying your competition is fuel for the fire

01:08:36 The supply system one of the team built overnight and why building beats buying every time

01:12:10 Only 50% of your working day is actually productive and here's what to do about it

01:22:47 Biggest wins and biggest mistakes of the month and what the standard you walk past says about you

In Episode 8 of Behind the Facade, Jake from Proline Group and Daniel from Complex Facade Install sit down for a raw conversation about AI, data, systems, leadership, stepping away from the business, and what separates the construction businesses that are winning right now from the ones that are quietly falling behind.

This episode dives into why most Australian construction businesses are years behind on the tools and systems that are already transforming the industry's best operators. Jake and Daniel break down how AI is being trained and embedded inside Proline Group, why data is the most underused asset in construction, and how measuring everything from labor hours to order patterns is changing the way decisions get made on site and in the office.

They also get into what happens when a leader steps away from the business, why you can never skip the steps when building experience, how to capitalise on momentum when you've got it, and the performance review process they're using to develop the next generation of construction leaders. The conversation also covers internal awards, building software from scratch, leadership structure, the supporting cast behind every successful business, and why pen and paper still has to come before any software.

If you work in construction, facades, cladding, glazing, fabrication, project management, site management, subcontracting, trades, estimating, operations, or business ownership, this episode gives a real look at how systems, data and leadership are separating the businesses that grow from the businesses that get left behind.

Timestamps:

00:00 — Intro: The new war room and what's been happening

02:30 — Why stepping away from your business is one of the most valuable things a leader can do

07:23 — If your team can't function without you walking through the door, you've got a problem

13:53 — How Jake trained 35 people in how he personally uses AI and why the results have been baffling

17:21 — If you're not measuring it you're guessing — why data is the most underused asset in construction

19:34 — You can't skip steps — why experience is the one thing money can never buy

28:27 — The personality traits of the most naturally data driven people in construction

32:53 — Working in three degree conditions at Docklands — why leaders who haven't lived it can't judge the team

36:05 — The fortnightly AI award and the Built Not Bought award — how to drive innovation inside your business

43:44 — Cam's story — five roles before finding the one he was built for

01:06:20 — Performance reviews in construction — what they're really for and how to run them without it getting personal

01:14:17 — No one gets there alone — the supporting cast behind every successful construction business

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.