After The Shift

About After The Shift

After The Shift is where tradies, founders and operators talk about the stuff that doesn’t get posted on Instagram. Money. Stress. Wins. Failures. Business growth. Relationships. Mental pressure. The reality behind the highlight reel. No scripts. No filters. Just real conversations after the shift ends. New episodes weekly. 🎙 Hosted by people who’ve been on the tools and in business 🇦🇺 Built for tradies and operators who want more 📈 Real talk about work, life and building something bigger

Publisher

Kirk Skinner

Category

business

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

20 Feb 2026

Latest episode

29 Jul 2026

Latest episodes

8 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   29 Jul 2026

   #8 - Jay Tough

   Jay "Toughy" Tough did two apprenticeships, hated the first one, and built Fusion Projects into a nine-man electrical and carpentry business on the Central Coast without ever advertising. He tells Kirk, Sam and Liam how it really went: working a full year to lose $20,000, the BAS bill that emptied his savings, the first hire that made him busier instead of freer, and the business coaching that finally taught him his numbers. Plus the monthly toolbox talks where he shows the whole crew the profit and loss, why every quote goes out within 24 hours, and the culture that has his boys camping together on weekends.Book a call with The Agency Alternative: https://ghl.email.theagencyalternative.com/widget/bookings/business-review-1The Agency Alternative: https://theagencyalternative.com/Fusion Projects: https://fusionprojects.au/New episodes weekly. Follow the show so you don't miss the next one.

2. 

   28 Jul 2026

   #7 - Tamika Johnston

   Trade business coach Tamika Johnston has seen the pattern hundreds of times: tradies working six days a week, flat out, burnt out, and not paying themselves a cent. She joins Kirk, Sam and Liam to break down the financial model she uses to turn that around, from tracking hours on every job to the client who was earning $1,000 an hour on work he was trying to push away. She shares her own story too: building a construction business, nearly breaking down, losing it in a divorce, and coming back as the coach she wishes she'd had. Plus director's drawings, why bookkeepers beat accountants, her $100K minimum profit guarantee, and the truth about husband-and-wife businesses.Book a call with The Agency Alternative: https://ghl.email.theagencyalternative.com/widget/bookings/business-review-1The Agency Alternative: https://theagencyalternative.com/Tamika Johnston: https://tamikajohnstoncoaching.net/New episodes weekly. Follow the show so you don't miss the next one.

3. 

   28 Jul 2026

   #6 - Tom and Zoe

   Two firsts on the show: our first female guest and our first couple. Zoe the Barber grew up in her dad's barbershop and has been cutting for 15 years; her partner Tom Maloney ditched a teaching degree to start a sparky apprenticeship at 24. They join Kirk, Sam and Liam to talk about the trauma-dump chair and what blokes really tell their barber, the UK barber who got a free Porsche for cutting hair, unpaid invoices including a plumber chasing $50K from the council, and both of their biggest stuff-ups: a cut-throat razor incident and a stone benchtop that met a grinder.Book a call with The Agency Alternative: https://ghl.email.theagencyalternative.com/widget/bookings/business-review-1The Agency Alternative: https://theagencyalternative.com/New episodes weekly. Follow the show so you don't miss the next one.

4. 

   2 Jun 2026

   #5 - Simon Moloney

   Simon "Simo" Moloney got sacked from two apprenticeships before he turned 21 — once in carpentry, once in tiling. Today he runs his own tiling business on the Central Coast with a crew of four, books work out 12+ weeks in advance, and does 95% of his jobs through builders he's known for nearly a decade. In this episode, we get into how he actually got there — the boss who taught him to quote and showed him the money on every job, the Saturdays and Sundays he worked in his fourth year that locked in his builder contacts, and what it's really like running a trade business while renovating your own house with two kids under foot. We talk about hiring his first subbies and what to actually look for in young guys, why he books out 12-14 weeks ahead and hits $10k a week minimum, the difference between builder work and private work, and why scaling to eight guys means walking straight into the commercial cutthroat zone. Simo also opens up about the waterproofing stuff-up that cost him $7k when he was too young to argue his case, learning money management the hard way, and the stress of renovating a "hoarder's house" while running a business and raising two kids. We get into pop-up companies chasing government rebates, the Kevin Rudd insulation disaster, why most tradies should keep showing the numbers to their apprentices — and finish on an eagle at Mangrove Mountain. If you're a tradie thinking about going out on your own, hiring your first guys, or just trying to run a steady book of work without chasing leads — this one's for you. Book a call with The Agency Alternative:https://ghl.email.theagencyalternative.com/widget/bookings/business-review-1 (https://ghl.email.theagencyalternative.com/widget/bookings/business-review-1) Chapters:00:00 Intro02:00 Sacked from carpentry, sacked from tiling — and the boss who got him through04:30 Why a good boss matters (and learning to quote)06:00 Hiring his new subby and what to look for in young guys09:00 Booking 12 weeks ahead and working with builders11:00 Why builders are less stress than private work13:00 Hitting $10k a week minimum17:00 Money management, paying taxes, and learning the hard way19:00 Why he went out on his own22:30 Renovating a "hoarder's house" with two kids and a business32:00 The PVC fence build with Liam35:00 The waterproofing stuff-up that cost him $7k41:00 Cheaper quotes and the commercial cutthroat46:00 Passing wisdom to apprentices47:30 Keeping good people on after they qualify50:00 Long-term goals and scaling55:00 Pop-up companies chasing government rebates57:00 The Kevin Rudd insulation rebate58:30 The eagle at Mangrove Mountain1:00:00 Bangkok and Hyrox1:04:00 Wrap

5. 

   26 May 2026

   #4 - Tommy Simpson

   In Episode 4 of After the Shift, Kirk, Sam and Liam (LS Fencing) are joined by special guest Tommy Simpson — carpenter, lifelong rugby league player, jiu-jitsu addict, and former cast member of MTV's Aussie Shore.Tommy takes us through the full ride: growing up in Wollongong, falling in love with footy at 9, getting signed by the Dragons, losing his mum to cancer at 20, finding mental toughness on brick-laying sites, tearing his ACL in his first game with the Bulldogs feeder club, discovering jiu-jitsu in his late 20s, and somehow ending up on reality TV.It's a raw chat about purpose, discipline, the trades, brotherhood, and why having a craft to fall back on matters — no matter how good you are at sport.Chapters:00:00 — Intro & meet Tommy Simpson01:30 — How Tommy & Liam became mates (the Wollongong story)05:30 — Starting footy at 9 — Corrimal Cougars & growing up08:30 — Holy Spirit College, rep footy & first signs of serious talent11:00 — Losing mum at 20 & the decision to get into the trades13:30 — Bricklaying: the hardest 3 years that shaped him18:30 — Civil construction, the Vulkanovski connection & concreting21:30 — Finally finding carpentry at 2423:30 — The COVID season, NSW Cup & meeting Tim Grant25:00 — Getting signed by the Mounties (Bulldogs feeder)26:30 — Tearing his ACL in the first game — and the comeback30:00 — Why every young athlete needs a trade32:30 — Discovering jiu-jitsu & falling in love with it37:30 — Brothers, competitiveness & the changing of the guard44:00 — Working with Liam at LS Fencing — Belmore stories51:30 — How Tommy got cast on MTV's Aussie Shore56:00 — Why he held back on camera (and is glad he did)59:30 — The Souths game, Alex Johnston & letting fans storm the field1:00:00 — The biggest stuff-up segment: the exploding glass panel1:03:30 — Kirk's elevator-table disaster in Wollongong1:04:00 — Would you still be a chippy if you'd made it in footy?1:06:00 — Advice for young athletes1:08:30 — Losing friends along the way as life takes you in different directions1:13:30 — Bali catch-up incoming?Follow Tommy:https://www.instagram.com/tom.simpson/Follow LS Fencing (Liam):https://www.instagram.com/lsfencing/Follow After the Shift:https://www.instagram.com/aftertheshiftpodcast/#AfterTheShift #RugbyLeague #TradiePodcast #AussieShore #Carpentry #Jiujitsu #Wollongong

6. 

   19 May 2026

   #3 - Andrew (Sootie) George

   Andrew "Sootie" George went from swinging a hammer at 19 to running Lou Projects — a custom home building company now constructing $2-3 million homes on the Central Coast. In this episode, we dig into how it actually happened (spoiler: it wasn't the plan), what it costs mentally, and why he reckons most builders are looking at their business completely wrong. We cover how Lou Projects started from renovating his own house, why he named the business after his dad, and the discipline behind running a high-stress build company (including how jiu-jitsu fixed his stress tics). Sootie breaks down why custom home building is brutal to scale and nearly impossible to sell, the real cost of NSW's overregulation on builders going bankrupt, and how he charges for quotes and converts 90% of them. We also get into why he thinks builders need to plan a $5M+ exit instead of just a wage, where AI and VAs are taking the building industry, the truth about solar and energy, and what "healthy homes" actually means versus just getting the basics right. Sootie shares why YouTube and Instagram bring him most of his work — and the problem with being the face of your own brand when you want to eventually walk away. If you're a tradie, builder, or business owner thinking about scaling, exit strategies, or just keeping your head straight while running the show — this one's worth your time. Andrew George / Lou Projects:Instagram: @sootcatInstagram: @lou.projectsWeb: louprojects.com.au Book a call with The Agency Alternative:https://ghl.email.theagencyalternative.com/widget/bookings/business-review-1 (https://ghl.email.theagencyalternative.com/widget/bookings/business-review-1) Chapters:00:00 Intro00:30 How Lou Projects started (and why it's named after his dad)03:30 Where discipline actually comes from05:30 Training, routine, and the half iron man story09:30 Cutting off work at 5pm and protecting deep work15:30 Building a team and letting go of the reins17:30 Why Sundays are the most productive day20:00 DNA tests, caffeine tolerance, and bloodwork21:30 AI, VAs, and where the trades are heading25:00 NSW overregulation killing builders29:30 The real numbers behind a custom build business32:30 Why custom home building is nearly impossible to sell38:00 How Instagram and YouTube bring in million-dollar clients44:30 The pre-designed home project Sootie's been chipping away at50:30 Leading older tradies in your 20s53:30 Government, group chats, and not relying on the system1:01:00 The truth about solar, lithium, and "healthy homes"1:09:30 Wrap

7. 

   12 May 2026

   #2 - Kirk Skinner

   I thought I'd be great in business. Then I lost ~$150k in business and ~$60k on a crypto horse-racing Ponzi. This episode is the full story — engineer at BlueScope, made redundant at 25 with a $60k payout, blew some of it on NBA finals tickets in San Francisco, tried to build an app, came home, failed at a few businesses, made money in ecommerce during COVID selling gym shorts, lost the lot in a crypto NFT scheme, and eventually ended up helping my brother Liam scale his commercial fencing business — which turned into The Agency Alternative. The lessons that came out of getting it wrong with my own money are the same ones I now use with carpenters, shutter installers, plumbers, and commercial trades. What we cover: - Why every first-time founder gets the same rude shock — and what most don't survive - The honest cost of "following the journey" (NBA tickets, a wedding ring's worth of crypto, a Ponzi-shaped horse called Pegasus) - Spotting a bad business model before it sinks you — including the one I missed - Why the Sydney plumbing market is $180-a-click warfare, and why agencies poach the leads you paid for - How a brother's fencing business became the entry point into trades — and why 80% of our book is now service businesses For: founders who've taken the leap, learned expensively, and want to hear from someone on the other side of that journey. — Watch the full conversation on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AfterTheShiftPodcast More from The Agency Alternative: https://theagencyalternative.com/ Book a 20-min call: https://ghl.email.theagencyalternative.com/widget/booking/SSryKELQZh82xyRMxb7L

8. 

   20 Feb 2026

   #1 - Liam Skinner

   What do you do after you get sacked as an apprentice? In this first episode of After The Shift, we sit down with Liam — who was let go as a landscaping apprentice… and went on to build a fencing company that now employs 15+ people. We unpack: Getting sacked early in your career The mindset shift from employee to owner Quoting and under-quoting Taking the risk to go out on your own Growing from 1 man on the tools to a real team The mistakes, pressure and lessons along the way This isn’t theory. It’s what actually happens when a tradie decides to build something bigger. If you’re on the tools, running a small crew, or thinking about starting your own company — this episode will hit home. — 🎙 After The Shift is a podcast for tradies and operators who want more than just staying busy. Real business. Real money. Real growth. Subscribe for weekly episodes.

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