Paul O’Neill, Director and multi-territory franchise owner with Plumbing Bros, shares his journey from a corporate telco career into the trades sector, building a rapidly expanding plumbing franchise operation across multiple Australian territories.

In Episode 160 - From scaling teams quickly to strengthening operational systems, Paul highlights how leadership, culture, and strong processes have supported growth while maintaining service standards.

He also discusses the realities of managing multiple regions, recruitment challenges in the trades sector, and why transparency and team alignment are critical when leading a business without coming from a technical background.

Paul wraps up with insights on future expansion, operational optimisation, and the evolving opportunities within service-based franchise industries.

0:00 Introduction

0:16 What Plumbing Bros does and Paul’s role

1:40 Moving from the UK to Australia and corporate telco background

4:08 Discovering Plumbing Bros through relationships 

7:16 Brand representation, authenticity, and opportunities

09:01 First impressions of Plumbing Bros growth vision

10:28 Franchise partnership model with real estate integration

13:10 Acquiring multiple territories and rapid expansion

13:28 Operational efficiency and leadership focus today 

15:46 Leading trades teams without a plumbing background 

19:01 Market differences between Perth and Melbourne

20:38 Recruiting talent and trade industry challenges

22:42 Future outlook for trades and AI disruption

24:27 Growth plans, optimisation, and next phase strategy

26:05 Wrap up

Listen or Watch on SPOTIFY HERE| Listen or Watch onApple Podcasts HERE | Listen or Watch on Amazon Music HERE