Do you feel like you’re doing alright on turnover, but you’re still the one holding everything together?
In Episode 489, Matt sits down with Greg Wilkes from Develop Coaching to break down what separates $1M builders from $10M builders, not in theory, but in the real world, where clients call at 7pm, staff need answers on site, and the paperwork piles up when you finally get home.
The real difference lies in your role within the business.
Many builders become stuck at the $1M to $2M level because their business remains centred on their role as the primary tradesperson on site.
Greg calls it out clearly:
“They’re obsessed with being on the tools,”
and that pride can make it challenging to step into the identity shift that scaling requires.
Then he delivers the key point: to advance, you must adopt the mindset of a business builder, not just a skilled builder.
That does not mean you stop caring about quality. It means you stop being the bottleneck for quality.
If you stay on the tools, you cap your growth
This is where some builders get uncomfortable, because being on the tools is familiar. It feels productive. It feels safe.
But Greg keeps it simple:
“There’s no way you’re going to scale a business to 10 million while you’re on the tools.”
He doesn’t mean you can’t use the tools ever again.
He’s saying you cannot build a business that runs without you if you’re still stuck doing the work that someone else could be trained to do.
If you want a business that gives you time, better margins, and less stress, you need leverage.
That leverage comes from people, systems, and a clear pipeline.
The hire that changes everything: site supervisor
If you are constantly dealing with client updates, variations, problems on site, and trades running late, your week disappears fast.
Greg explains why the next big hire matters so much:
“The next big hire for most is going to be that site supervisor… when they’re dealing with clients and they’re dealing with the constant day-to-day firefighting. That’s what’s going to drain the time of the business owner.”
A competent site supervisor takes pressure off you by owning client liaison, quality control, and the daily issues that pull you away from growth.
And what does that free you up to do?
Greg’s answer is blunt: focus on the lifeblood of your business, marketing and sales, plus systematising delivery so quality stays consistent as you scale.
Job value beats job volume
Greg offers a clever strategy for scaling without overwhelming yourself: prioritise job value over job volume.
Instead of stacking your calendar with heaps of smaller jobs, you start designing the business, marketing, and brand to win fewer, larger projects you can deliver confidently with the right team.
It’s a different game. But it’s a much calmer one when you get the foundations right.
The one list you need: five shifts to move towards $10M
- You stop trying to be the hero on every job and start leading the business
- You buy back time with low-level support first, then move into bigger hires when the revenue is there
- You build simple systems that make quality repeatable, so you can delegate without fear
- You protect your margins by knowing your numbers, not guessing
- You build around lifestyle, not ego, so growth actually makes life better
Be a $10M builder starting today
If you want to stop being the bottleneck and start building a business that runs without you, the next step is simple: pick one shift from this episode and act on it this week.
Whether it’s your next hire, tightening your systems, or finally getting clear on your numbers, momentum comes from doing, not overthinking.
And when you stack a few of these wins, that $10M version of your business stops being a dream and starts becoming the plan.
📚 Resources from this Episode
Get in touch with Greg Wilkes:
Website: https://developcoaching.co.uk/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/greg.wilkes.coach
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/greg.wilkes.coach/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/greg-wilkes/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DevelopCoaching
Links mentioned:
Develop Coaching (Australia): https://developcoaching.com.au/
Develop Coaching (UK): https://developcoaching.co.uk/
Free book download: Building Your Future: https://developcoaching.com.au/download-building-your-future/
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