Latest / Renovate & Real Estate / Breaking the mould: Penny Petridis is changing the face of trades | More than Renovating

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Breaking the mould: Penny Petridis is changing the face of trades | More than Renovating · Renovate & Real Estate

0:00
Welcome to More Than Renovating a Renovate and Real Estate Podcast.
0:04
Our founder Belinda Smith talks to industry experts to provide you
0:08
with the knowledge and information
0:10
you need to make renovating for love and profit your reality.
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Belinda will also chat to some of her Renovation Mastery members
0:18
who are just everyday people doing extraordinary things,
0:21
following their passions in the renovation and property space.
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So let's jump straight into the episode.
0:27
Enjoy All right!
0:30
Hi everyone, I'm Belinda Smith from Renovate and Real Estate
0:34
and welcome to the More Than Renovating Podcast.
0:37
And today I'm excited to introduce you to someone who's blazing a trail
0:41
for women in construction.
0:42
The amazing Penny Petridis, founder of Female Tradie.
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Penny is a qualified carpenter and a licensed builder.
0:50
Penny, you've not only built up a thriving business in a male dominated industry,
0:54
but you're also empowering a new generation of women
0:58
and men to take up the tools
1:00
and own their own space in the trades, or even as DIYers.
1:04
So I know a lot of my guys listening to this podcast
1:07
are going to be leaning right into this conversation.
1:10
Penny's on a mission to break stereotypes, to raise the standard, and show
1:14
women and men, who have never picked up a tool before,
1:17
what's possible with a little bit of encouragement
1:20
and some training through her Get Handy Workshops.
1:24
So if you're someone who's ever been told you can't
1:27
or you shouldn't, this conversations for you.
1:30
Welcome, Penny.
1:31
Thanks, Belinda. How are you? Good, thanks.
1:33
Thanks for having. Me.
1:35
Not at all. You're so welcome.
1:37
Let's kick off like where the journey begins.
1:40
Take us back to the beginning.
1:41
Like what led you to pick up the tools and start working in the trade?
1:47
Yeah, well, yeah, it's been.
1:49
I was. I was always on tools.
1:51
So working with Dad in the workshop and always in the garden, so it was just a
1:56
no brainer.
1:56
It was just natural for me. That's.
1:59
I knew I loved doing it, fixing cars and that sort of stuff.
2:03
So I just knew as I was going through school,
2:08
I didn't really know what avenue to go by.
2:10
So I was very lucky to just fall into
2:14
jumping into trade.
2:15
So I started my first trade when I was 18, so
2:19
and that was basically building custom cars.
2:23
And getting, yeah it was crazy.
2:25
So I was basically I could build cars by, you know, turning, bending,
2:30
metal welding in that sort of jazz, so it was a pretty cool to go into.
2:36
I joined my first apprenticeship in a boilermaking trade,
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which is a heavy metal apprenticeship.
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So that was, that was amazing.
2:45
I got into boilermaking and structural metal beams in that
2:49
and I did that for the first seven years and that was pretty much the start
2:53
of my trades and tools and I never stopped after that.
2:57
I went into did horticulture, I completed my carpentry
3:02
kitchens, bathrooms, did my builders and yeah, I moved into training.
3:06
So it's just an addictive thing, right?
3:09
Once you start learning tools and you just want to learn more and more.
3:13
So that's how that started.
3:15
I agree.
3:16
I had a really good look at where it all began on your website actually.
3:20
And to see you go from really it must have been from one passion
3:24
to another, To go from mechanics into horticulture and then into renovating.
3:30
Good on you.
3:30
Good on you.
3:33
Yeah.
3:33
So, yes.
3:35
I mean, that's
3:36
I guess as you learn, you kind of want to be able to pick up more skills.
3:40
And that's what I try to share with my students now.
3:44
It's like
3:46
they've got that little bit of fear.
3:48
It's, it's just to just start somewhere, you know, like
3:51
get the skills and just keep learning and yeah, just go from there.
3:55
So did you always imagine yourself in like some kind of hands-on trade
4:00
based role, like, and, and where did Female Tradie come out of all of this?
4:06
No, I guess no, I mean, I was just lucky.
4:08
It was just that there was the old guy that was running the workshop.
4:13
I was so loving it so much, and I just would turn up every day.
4:17
Basically, I didn't have a job or anything,
4:19
but he could just see that I was just so passionate about it, and.
4:23
And that's when he invited me to do an apprenticeship. So,
4:27
yes, I never knew I struggled at school.
4:29
And, you know, the last two years, I struggled so much
4:32
because I had no idea, you know, it wasn't your typical job.
4:35
So I struggled quite a bit in that sort of sense. So.
4:40
So, yeah.
4:42
Watching your energy, Penny, I'm not surprised.
4:43
I think your report card would have said Penny finds it hard to sit still,
4:48
but she's bright and has got a lot of potential.
4:50
I don't know, am I right?
4:51
Yeah, yeah, that's right.
4:55
This lady's going places, but not so much in the classroom.
4:59
Not so much in classroom, no.
5:00
And therefore, like working
5:03
like you have on trades in landscaping and,
5:07
and now obviously in the building industry, renovating, etc.
5:12
like, does that fulfill that part of you?
5:15
That was just never okay with sitting still.
5:20
Yep. Yeah.
5:21
It's, I just love it.
5:23
I think, you know, being able to get out, like, even when I'm doing work and I
5:27
have to be in the office now that we've, you know, gone a different avenue.
5:31
There's a lot more office work
5:34
than you used to be doing, you know, doing the trades, renovating.
5:37
full-time.
5:38
So I'm in the office for a couple of hours and it's just like,
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oh, I just can't wait.
5:43
And then once that finishes, I'll go to the workshop again and get the tools.
5:47
And then it's just like, natural. And I love it.
5:49
So that's yeah, I think,
5:53
yeah, that's.
5:54
And there's probably a lot of people like you, but like when you started
5:59
working in the building trade it really wasn't common for women at all.
6:03
So when you began, what challenges did you face early on
6:08
and how did you push through those challenges?
6:13
I think as an apprentice when I was younger,
6:17
it was trying to fit in like,
6:20
you know, it was very male-dominated, so I'm trying to see
6:25
where I can fit in or I was very nervous and anxious
6:29
just because I always had eyes on me and yeah, just knowing
6:34
what conversations to be part of and what not to be part of.
6:38
So sometimes it's like, okay,
6:41
I don't even and it's the same thing as, you know, I, you know,
6:45
grew up, as you would say, and basically started my own business
6:49
Female Tradie that the challenges were there was there were still challenges,
6:53
but the challenges were different as in the challenges I found then was that
6:58
I was the one being the project manager of of a renovation job.
7:03
So the challenges was being able to tell trades
7:07
what you wanted and then making sure that this got that discussion
7:12
came across well.
7:13
So I think that was yeah, it being able to number one is prove your skills.
7:20
I had to prove myself so I obviously knuckled down
7:23
and I was always on the top of the class.
7:26
So I wasn't first, I was second, you know, because I think
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no one can really say anything, if you're top in the class.
7:33
Yeah. I love that.
7:34
And I did that in the cops.
7:36
Yeah, when I was in the police, there were 11 women
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per 137 fellas in a station and women were new out on the street.
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We were the, or my class was the second class out on general duties,
7:50
which means at last we didn't have to do school lecturing anymore.
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Police work for us was, was more than just taking sexual
7:57
assault statements and doing all the female related stuff.
8:00
Man we worked so hard.
8:02
Us first girls to forge the path.
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We felt like we were doing it on behalf of everyone else and so we worked so hard.
8:10
And yeah, I was right up the top of my academy class too,
8:13
and, and I just thought, I'm not going to argue about it.
8:17
I'm not going to try and prove anything to them.
8:20
I'm just going to prove to myself
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that I can do really well, keep my head down, my bum up, and keep out of trouble.
8:26
But do you reckon a
8:27
sense of humor really helps, as well?
8:31
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
8:32
Of course. Always, you know. Yeah. And no ego.
8:34
You got to try not to make sure, you know, you just have no ego.
8:37
You just you just got to go I think it's number one is your knowledge
8:42
making sure you've got the knowledge to back yourself up.
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And number two is being able to communicate effectively
8:50
So there's no there's no power thing it's just being able to create that space.
8:55
Did you find that there are people
8:59
who are naturally rejecting
9:02
your, I'll say new place in the world, and really
9:06
you have forged the way for, a lot more female tradies are around and about now.
9:09
But you know, back, back in the day, not so many. So.
9:14
So some people are really accepting.
9:15
Did you find workmates were either accepting
9:20
and and really respected you and were prepared to back you, but
9:24
there were a few people that would kind of push back on the whole concept of it.
9:29
What was your, what was your experience?
9:30
Yeah, and I still get that.
9:33
Like I put a post on TikTok yesterday and I've had like four or five guys going
9:38
who the hell is this person?
9:39
What does that person know?
9:41
No, it's like, yeah, just yesterday, four people and it's like, it's
9:46
and it's just like, it's just funny because if they, if they only knew, like,
9:51
my experience, my trades,
9:52
and if they like, there's not that many people
9:55
that have got four trades under their belt, you know what I mean?
9:57
So I just find that I find it, I find it quite hilarious, but
10:03
so yeah,
10:03
but I think, you know, that's how Female Tradie started.
10:07
So number one, in regards to clients.
10:10
Yeah.
10:11
You know, I would be rocking up.
10:12
I started my own business.
10:13
I'd been rockin' up to see clients and then,
10:17
you know, a turn up on the door and they'll be like, oh, it's a female.
10:21
So they'll be like, oh, can you, can you do the job?
10:24
Are you going to be able to do it?
10:26
Are you licenced?
10:26
So, there was always a story that would start.
10:31
So there'll be 20 minutes story before I even got to the job.
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So, yeah, and that kind of went on and went on.
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And I was like, I'm just over the story.
10:39
I just want to do the job. So
10:41
honestly, even today, doing this podcast,
10:44
that's the story that people are always going to ask you and I'm
10:47
going to ask you about, and it's what people people are very interested in.
10:51
But the truth is you're a capable tradie.
10:53
You're doing your thing at a very, very high standard
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and and that's what you want to be known for.
10:59
Right?
11:02
Yeah, that's right.
11:03
That's right.
11:04
But yeah, that's I mean, that's how that's how that started.
11:06
It was that's how Female Tradie started, because if you changed the name,
11:10
then that way we had get rid of the story and whoever was,
11:13
you know, willing to be able to employ a female tradie.
11:17
And then when you move on, as you said, onto the job sites at team, you
11:21
my team was great.
11:22
We created a a good renovating team and that that was it.
11:26
You had you electrician, your plumber, and that's you know,
11:28
that's what you probably would teach too, you know,
11:31
making sure that you get the right trades and creating a perfect team.
11:34
Then, you know, that's like, yeah, half of the problem's like
11:38
so, you know, once I've built that, that was great.
11:42
But obviously, you know, there's always challenges when you're,
11:46
you know, going to a site.
11:48
There's always people that are going to be
11:50
you know, heckling at you or something.
11:53
Eyes on you.
11:54
You've always got to be like this positive, confident,
11:58
like because you know that there's always someone looking at you.
12:02
Yeah, you've got to hold your space. It and that's getting better.
12:04
Yeah, I think it's getting better too and you hold space.
12:07
But the upside of that for for women,
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especially single women who are at home in their own environment,
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do you find that they take to you and that you're more likely
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to take them on as new clients if you're working on a project for them, etc.
12:24
because there's that automatic connection and feeling safe and
12:28
and we communicate at a different level and yeah, I don't know.
12:33
I say it is a real positive in the marketplace. We need more.
12:37
Yeah.
12:37
And again, that's how our workshop started.
12:40
Because, and I did a clip not long ago,
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it was because I knew that Female Tradie
12:47
there was a potential to franchise that to go nationally.
12:51
And the thing is that we just didn't have enough skilled women
12:55
to franchise the business.
12:58
So me taking on an apprentice once a year or two,
13:02
you know, two of them over the year, it wasn't enough to expand.
13:06
So that was one of the reasons why we had to start workshops was
13:10
so we can train people to, you know, get more skilled
13:14
but also me turning up to a job and me
13:17
doing a job I always had them
13:21
looking over my shoulder, you know, like they were curious.
13:24
There were so many people that were curious,
13:26
and they wanted to learn what I was doing because I never had that opportunity.
13:31
And that's what, you know, you keep hearing their voices
13:34
and you're like, alright, we need to kind of do something about it.
13:37
So yeah, that's yeah.
13:40
There's a real market for it, you know, and
13:43
for, for women.
13:44
I think there's a real market
13:46
for women, for men and women clients, but there's there's something
13:50
that there's a connection, I think a feeling of trust and safety and,
13:55
and maybe being on the same peer level I don't know.
13:59
I just, I think it's phenomenal. Keep going, Penny.
14:02
Keep going.
14:03
Thanks. Thanks, Belinda. Yeah,
14:06
it is.
14:07
It is a communication I think a lot of a lot of women have had bad experiences
14:12
with, you know, builders, you know, male builders,
14:16
and they just struggle a little bit to hear
14:19
what the actual client wants.
14:22
And it's all about what this is, how it is.
14:26
And I think that's where the difference lies, you know,
14:29
being able to actually listen.
14:31
What you know, I had a client that wanted like a timber pergola
14:35
and the builder actually went and installed a metal pergola
14:39
because he said basically that was the best option.
14:43
She was mortified, like dio you know what I mean?
14:45
But just situations like that.
14:49
So, not saying everyone's the same.
14:51
But I think it's being able again, with anything, it's
14:54
been able to listen like, yeah, create that space for them.
14:58
And for people hiring builders, the fear of being dismissed
15:03
and your opinion not valued is right up there.
15:06
And I find that with a lot of my renovation
15:08
students too, it's one of the things where they say,
15:10
you know, I need to get a good builder because I want to be able to communicate
15:14
where we both understand each other and how we work.
15:16
And honestly, once you do, once you do find that tradie,
15:19
then everything's a gift.
15:21
It's just everything is,
15:23
that's when people really start to renovate with confidence and ease.
15:26
And it's great for the tradie and it's great for,
15:29
say, your client, which is my students, essentially.
15:33
Yeah, fantastic.
15:34
So you work with lots of newbies, lots of women to wanting to learn how to build.
15:40
Do they want to do odd jobs around the home or renovate?
15:43
Like one of the most common reasons that people come to you
15:47
to do your training courses.
15:51
And so
15:52
we basically have like like three groups.
15:56
Yeah.
15:56
So we've got like we've got a group that wants to learn
16:01
to just fix things around the house I've just being able to use a drill
16:04
so you know, a cabinet door falls off,
16:08
so they're not having to rely on trades or getting a handy person in.
16:13
So there's that group, then there's the renovators that the renovators
16:17
are there to renovate their own home to make it like they
16:21
dream little home or renovating for profit.
16:25
Do you know, you've got those people that renovated for profit
16:28
and then they I'm a big advocate on on supporting people to run their own
16:33
maintenance business because I think there's a really big gap in that.
16:36
So it's basically home repairs, renovators
16:39
and you know maintenance like their own business in it.
16:43
So yeah, that's the three areas we sort of cover.
16:48
Do you think when renovators gain more knowledge,
16:51
when they start to really get a better understanding of how things come together,
16:55
that it's beneficial and how does it benefit people?
17:02
With learning they're renovating skills?
17:04
Yeah.
17:05
Yeah.
17:05
So, so like for me,
17:09
like I've done heaps of renovations myself
17:11
even like if you take it back to my personal ones.
17:15
To get away from the tradies thing.
17:17
It's just
17:19
knowing what you can do on a cosmetic renovation
17:22
that you can do yourself that could put
17:26
so much value onto your house,
17:29
whether it's for yourself or you, you know, be able to create
17:31
a nice little sanctuary for yourself or just add value to your home.
17:36
And it's just those little things, the cosmetic stuff, or even even learning
17:40
how to do all the skirting,
17:42
like the basic carpentry or repairing, you know, building a little deck.
17:46
Like there's all those things that I try to to share
17:51
because I know it's just those small jobs I'm not telling you
17:54
go out and build a structural wall or put some roof on or,
17:57
you know, anything about what we can teach you in our workshops.
18:01
Just those little small things that add such great value to,
18:07
you know, renovations and I also think it's great for you to be able to
18:12
have that connection with your builder.
18:14
I'd like to be able to gain that trust.
18:16
And that's what I teach a lot in our workshops.
18:19
I especially our three day carpentry, I always say to them,
18:23
If you could even be able to learn
18:26
to measure and cut like precisely
18:30
that would become such a value add because that you basically become
18:34
their first year apprentice or their second year apprentice and so.
18:38
Yeah, yeah.
18:39
Without having to go to a trade.
18:42
You know, the fact that a builder can trust you.
18:44
Yeah, yeah.
18:45
I mean, in the renovation space, I'm all for DIY if you're the right person.
18:50
I think DIYers that have got no clue,
18:53
no interest and they're times better spent at work.
18:56
Should just hire people to do stuff.
18:58
But I also think if you're a DIYer and you've got a natural ability
19:01
and you love it and you're interested, you can really push a project
19:05
through like you're
19:07
just being on the tools and you're doing stuff, even cleaning up
19:10
after tradie and making their day easier so that they can hit the ground running.
19:14
And if you're paying them per hour, they can just get to it and you can do
19:18
all the little bits and pieces in the background for them, man.
19:22
That's, that's that you've created a machine.
19:25
You really have.
19:26
That's when you get through much, much faster. Definitely.
19:30
Yeah.
19:30
And the thing is like, it's okay if you've got a builder taking over,
19:33
taking care of the whole job, but if you're the project manager,
19:36
and you're getting all the little trades taken care of,
19:39
then it's
19:39
the little things that break off, like I say, a handle on a kitchen cabinet,
19:43
you know? Yeah.
19:44
The hinge like the fact that you could go and get your drill and fix it yourself.
19:48
In 5 minutes. Is a game changer.
19:50
Do you know what I mean, instead of having to go, oh gosh, I have to call somebody.
19:54
Yeah, yeah.
19:55
Oh, look, I agree I love it.
19:58
All right, so how terrified are people about getting on the tools
20:01
if it's something they've never done before?
20:04
So terrified.
20:05
I was having this conversation the other day.
20:09
But not everybody does.
20:10
Most probably, I would say I would say
20:13
80% are very excited because they, you know, they've seen me on socials,
20:18
they know that it's a safe space to be and they know I'll take care of them.
20:24
But there is still like that small percentage when I do speak to them
20:27
then that we're a bit nervous, there's a lot of people that don't even come
20:31
because they're actually nervous to even go to a beginner's workshop.
20:35
In case they get hurt.
20:38
Yeah.
20:39
Well just because
20:40
the fear that they don't know anything, they don't even know how to put a drill
20:43
in a drill bit.
20:44
And I think that that's you know, that they need to have some sort of a start.
20:47
Yeah.
20:48
Look, honestly, even as a couple, my hubby does a lot of the power tools
20:53
stuff and I do all the finishing off that's traditionally
20:55
how we've worked through our renovations.
20:57
For me to pick up the power tools, I feel like he's always
21:01
looking over my shoulder like I have to ask permission.
21:04
He's like, this is my thing. Hun, you just do your thing.
21:06
I'll do my thing.
21:07
So I feel empowered
21:09
when I'm on, I'm on the tools when I've actually given the opportunity.
21:14
So I think we got to create these opportunities for ourselves, you know?
21:17
And quite often people will start in a couple.
21:20
They end up single for whatever reason.
21:22
Their life takes a different path.
21:24
Then all of a sudden they're faced with having to do stuff.
21:27
My mum's having to do stuff.
21:28
Now that dad's gone, she never had to do that all the way through her life.
21:32
And to be able
21:33
to, you know, use the simple stuff put hang pictures on walls, do repairs,
21:38
do handles like you were just saying on doorknobs is so valuable, so useful.
21:45
Yeah, we get that a lot, you know, we get that
21:47
we get older participants, students too that that's what's happened.
21:51
You know, they've lost, you know, a partner or, you know, split up
21:55
and then all of a sudden they've got tools and that.
21:58
Yeah.
21:59
And they feel a little bit lost like not even they have no idea.
22:02
So yeah.
22:04
So you know, you do your.
22:05
Definitely a skill gap.
22:08
Yeah, I agree.
22:09
You know how you do your carpentery course, like your basic, your basic.
22:13
What do you call that?
22:15
The beginners, one?
22:17
Yeah.
22:18
So, we run a few workshops. Yeah.
22:21
We run a beginners home and repair one.
22:27
So basically that's for beginners that don't even know how to use a drill.
22:32
We go through a tool box, how to use hand tools.
22:35
And just so we can give you a bit of, screws and that sort of stuff
22:38
so you can fix things on the wall and you know, know how to navigate that.
22:43
But then
22:45
we, then we've got a three day carpentry.
22:47
So that's like a quite in-depth course.
22:50
It's a good mix between theory and practical and gives you,
22:54
because obviously I can't teach you how to go and build a deck without
22:58
you not knowing the building theory behind it.
23:00
Like, yeah,
23:01
let's, you know, let's be honest people, you know, they do a four year trade.
23:05
So I'm not trying to teach carpentry in three days, but we do work.
23:10
Yeah, well, it's about learning
23:13
your skills, the confidence on power tools as I said,
23:17
like being able to cut perfectly for you builder,
23:20
you know, using the power tools safely, correctly with confidence
23:23
and they do get to build a small decking project so they can
23:27
maybe add a little decking project on their renovation or even,
23:31
you know, change the decking boards, all that sort of stuff.
23:33
So it's quite an in-depth course.
23:36
There was no gap in between that.
23:38
And we found that, you know we've had over 500, you know,
23:40
600 people through our workshops,
23:43
but not everybody wanted to go from a beginners to a three day in-depth.
23:47
So we're just launched last week a power tool
23:50
one day, it's Power Up - Power Tool Workshop.
23:53
Which I'm excited about because I think that's going to be a game changer
23:58
because they're going to learn how to use like ten power tools.
24:02
But every power tool is going to be specifically for renovation project.
24:06
So from your, say for instance, your framing gun,
24:09
I'm going to show you how to be able to build a partition wall.
24:13
And then we're going to use a finishing gun,
24:15
which you're going to learn how to put a VJ board on a wall.
24:19
Those skills just those skill alone in renovation is amazing, right?
24:24
To be able to put together.
24:26
So it's just these little things that I think
24:29
these little skills will make a major difference
24:32
for a renovator like you know, using the jigsaw and teaching them
24:37
how to cut a benchtop and their, you know, sink hole into the benchtop.
24:42
So routering cabinet doors, that sort of stuff, it's just learning in one day,
24:47
being able to learn the confidence, to use the skills, the power tools,
24:52
but to actually do something for your renovation.
24:55
So yeah, I'm pretty excited about that one.
24:57
We just launched that last week, so because that is going to be.
25:01
Me too.
25:03
Yeah.
25:05
You've hit the nail on the head and
25:07
that's an absolute. Yeah, yeah.
25:10
And beyond that for the creatives and I have a lot, a lot of
25:13
women and men in my group who like to do a few smaller jobs,
25:17
like make some furniture or adjust some furniture or,
25:20
you know, simple things like a small cupboard or a coffee table.
25:24
And so they can take those skills and use
25:29
and put their creative flair to it and perhaps make a few bits
25:33
and pieces themselves at home.
25:36
Yeah, I mean you. Would.
25:37
Find that there's a lot of courses and small
25:40
courses that run like woodworking workshops.
25:44
You'll find thousands of them. But
25:48
we're pretty much like, you know,
25:50
leading the game in regards to DIY renovation school.
25:54
So for me or for me, it's like you can learn all that woodworking stuff
25:59
for me is all I want to teach you like a trade skill
26:02
that you could do in a weekend, that you could then build confidence to be on tools
26:08
so you can learn to renovate, you know what I mean?
26:10
To be able to have that.
26:12
Obviously when you get the confidence and know
26:15
how to use a tool properly, that's when they start getting creative.
26:19
Yeah, definitely.
26:19
Like one of the students finished the one day course
26:23
she wanted to do a side gate, quite a nice side it was.
26:27
She got quite it four and a half grand, like two quotes, not just one.
26:32
And she was like, oh, so she just got a bit
26:34
creative, cause she learned the skills and learnt how to fix things.
26:38
Then she went and built it itself.
26:40
Sure, it wasn't like 100% perfect, but
26:43
we were all still impressed when she showed us the photos.
26:47
That she had to go.
26:48
And impressed that nobody, honestly, nobody else would notice the small faults
26:52
if it wasn't perfect.
26:54
I was amazing. I was like, okay, so.
26:57
What about the sense of pride attached to that?
27:00
Yeah, that's right.
27:02
And I still do that.
27:02
Belinda, when I got, you know,
27:04
when I got to build something, I still, I still love it.
27:07
I still.
27:07
Yeah, I look back and love it.
27:09
So yeah, you can't, you can't beat building something with your own
27:12
hands, really.
27:14
You can't beat fulfillment, Penny.
27:16
You can't beat fullfillment, right?
27:19
You can't put a price on it.
27:22
All right.
27:22
So in your experience, do
27:24
people want to get on the tools just really quickly to either save money
27:28
or because it allows them to bring their own designs to life or to start a career?
27:37
Well, what?
27:38
So what was that?
27:41
Yeah, I said people actually in your experience
27:43
and coming through your workshops do people actually want to get started
27:46
on the tools to to save money
27:51
or because it allows them to be able to do their own thing,
27:54
like bring their creative designs to life or to start a career?
28:03
Yeah. It's a company, definitely.
28:04
It's the three people, you know, the three markets
28:06
that I was saying that we connect with.
28:08
So yeah, at the moment we, it's about 70% of people
28:13
wanting to learn to do it for their own home.
28:16
Yeah. Fix things around their home.
28:17
So they have to, especially in like Queensland
28:20
because they've got they've all, got Queenslanders.
28:23
Yeah. Yeah.
28:24
Their step or something, something's rotting.
28:28
Somethings broken all the time.
28:28
Oh yeah.
28:29
Somethings broken, so they want to be able to, you know, save money
28:33
and they don't have to get someone in and also independence
28:38
like not having to wait for someone to do it,
28:40
whether it's a relative or whether it's a tradie.
28:44
So that's the biggest thing.
28:45
We are getting a really big like influx of people wanting to renovate now
28:50
more and I think that's because of all the renovation shows, you know.
28:54
Yeah, yeah.
28:55
That they can, they could basically see, oh, they can see
28:59
this woman did it or she did it, she did it, she did it.
29:02
I want to do that.
29:03
So I think there's, I want to do that too.
29:07
I can do that. So I could and that sort of.
29:11
Yeah, yeah.
29:11
So I think more exposure is like, we're getting a lot of the renovators
29:15
to come in again for their own home and you know, as you know,
29:19
we're getting some of your students coming through now too.
29:22
So I think the more that they learn that they can make money
29:27
through profit from renovating like doing programs like yourself.
29:32
Yeah. Because it's all fit.
29:33
They just don't know. Yeah.
29:36
Well they've never done it before and they're nervous about having a go.
29:40
Yeah.
29:40
Because let's, let's be honest, you can lose a lot of money,
29:43
you know, like if you do the renovation the wrong way,
29:45
you go out of the budget, you know, you got the wrong tradies
29:48
if you don't follow a systems, the systems that you would go through
29:52
and then, you know, your profit might not no longer be profit.
29:56
So that's the biggest problem.
29:59
All right, Penny, what's.
30:00
Everyone's scared everyone.
30:02
Oh, no. Fear is a big thing.
30:04
I agree.
30:06
Yeah.
30:07
What's what's next for you, Penny?
30:08
Female Tradie. Your Get Handy Workshops.
30:11
What are your big goals and plans for the next few years?
30:16
Yeah, so
30:16
I won't be I won't be doing as many renovations.
30:20
The focus is on our workshops, our training.
30:23
Yeah.
30:23
And so and now focuses on going nationally.
30:27
So, you know,
30:28
we've got four cities now where in Northern Rivers now, Brisbane, Sydney.
30:32
And we launched Canberra.
30:34
We're hoping to go down to Melbourne soon.
30:35
And, you know, in time, I hope Perth in Adelaide is not that far away.
30:41
So if we can just hit every single main city and get that,
30:46
I think we've got it down pat in regards to the workshops I want to provide.
30:52
You know, we've got a basics tiling too, we've got a kitchen
30:55
one too so, I think that's a
30:58
yeah, I think that's enough in regards to the content
31:02
now I know that that's the courses, so it's just nailing them,
31:06
getting the right trainers to help us support that.
31:09
So in the main cities, because my focus is basically
31:13
I want to create my own training center here in Northern Rivers.
31:16
So I want to be able to, you know, do it
31:21
retreat-style training space where people can come
31:24
and say do five days here with me and we build a tiny home
31:28
or something that sort of along those way.
31:31
So that's kind of what my dream is getting and own property.
31:35
That would be so much fun.
31:37
And I know there's 800 of my students that would put their name down for that.
31:42
Yeah, that's amazing.
31:44
What a great fun few days.
31:48
And building something with purpose too would be awesome. So
31:51
well done.
31:52
Thank you so much for joining me today.
31:54
I know that
31:55
what you what you're putting together is very purpose driven
31:58
and is very targeted to really assist anybody who wants to get on the tools
32:02
who may not have done it before.
32:04
Is a bit nervous about starting all the safety stuff,
32:07
but just be able to do some small repairs at home and,
32:10
you know, to make a start and then venture into bigger things, perhaps.
32:14
Spot on.
32:15
Penny, it's been really nice to have you today.
32:17
All right. So I'm going to ask you a question.
32:19
If there's one piece of advice you'd like to give anyone who's thinking
32:23
about picking up a tool for the first time, what would it be?
32:29
And just safety?
32:31
Make sure that you you know, you do things safely and get
32:34
be able to go get coached, come to our workshops.
32:37
Don't be scared.
32:38
You know, just have a go, you're in a really safe space.
32:41
So if you just start, you're going to think, oh, I wish I did it earlier.
32:45
Yeah, I agree. Just do it!
32:48
Just do it.
32:50
Okay. Thanks so much, Penny.
32:52
I look forward to having you at my workshop in October.
32:56
Thanks, everyone, for tuning in.
32:58
And if you'd like to work with Penny, you can find Penny on email
33:03
at info@femaletradie.com.au and you can also find her at
33:08
femaletradie.com.au is her website and you can have a look around
33:14
at her latest courses and feel free to contact Penny direct.
33:20
And if you can't find her, find me and I'll put you in touch.
33:24
Amazing.
33:26
Amazing you, thank you!
33:28
Let's go girls, and boys.
33:31
I know you have blokes at your training too.
33:33
Yeah, we do. We do. Teach 'em to get handy.
33:36
Yeah, brilliant.
33:38
Thanks Penny. Have a great day. Bye.