Episode Transcript
[00:00:08] Speaker A: You are listening to the Brand Alchemy Podcast with your hosts Jared Ascher and Jared Break, where we uncover the stories and truths of real entrepreneurs and their journeys of growth and brand transformation.
For more information go to www.timelesscreative.com.
welcome to the Brand Alchemy Port. Welcome to the podcast everyone. It's great to have you here for another episode. Episode 13 I believe it is. It's now the 14th of May. It's awesome to be back. We got our lovely co host here, Jared Brake. And you're speaking with the host, Jared Asher Herring.
[00:00:47] Speaker B: Hey guys, Jared here. Great to be back for another episode.
[00:00:51] Speaker A: We've got a special guest here today by the name of Mario Bellini. And yeah, looking forward to this conversation.
But before we go into that, I want to obviously brief everyone why we're here today. So we're the brand up in podcast where we uncover the stories of entrepreneurs who've transformed their own visions and pain points into a reality. And each week we want to share the breakthrough moments, hard won victories and insights that turn founders like Mario into market leaders.
Radio getting into it, we've got Mario Bellini here, all the way from the Sunshine Coast. Well here where we are right now, Mario is the founder and managing director of Mario's Plumbing Queensland and Mario's Plumbing and Gas in South Australia. Sunshine coast legend, resident, father of two, been in business for now seven years and we've been market working with Mario in many facets over the last couple of years and great to finally have him on this call. We've been wanting to you have this conversation for some time. So mate, it's good to have you finally in the seat here Mario, I.
[00:01:57] Speaker C: Can'T wait to have this chat.
[00:01:58] Speaker A: So mate, for the listeners tuning in, getting into it. So we want to learn about your story and your journey and and discover more about the the man behind Mario's Plumbing and Drainage and Mario's Plumbing and Gas in South Australia.
Share us a little bit about the last seven years, mate. Tell us, tell us about the story.
[00:02:15] Speaker C: No worries.
Yeah, so I started about seven years ago now, you know, just working for the bigger plumbing companies here on the coast. They were just a bit more corporate based almost to the point where you just feel like you're just another number, not a team member or part of the company. So I took the matters in my own hands when I was 25 years old or 2014, 25 and just decided to give this a crack really. And yeah, just took one step at a time to start off by myself. First just trying to pick up a few local kitchen Renault companies and bathrooms and few like unit blocks in the area. As you know, Sunshine coast has a lot of holiday units. So just to try and get my foot in the door with them.
So then pretty much within six months having to hire another plumber and also an apprentice just to help out with the workload. So it jumped, start off really slow, but then within a few months it just sort of took off naturally without, yeah, without even realizing. So we start off from that and then about two years into it we expanded that to a certain size where I felt like I needed a bit more stability in the company. So we actually looked at purchasing another Sunshine coast based company to help us set up a foundations with a workshed office, a couple of offices, receptionist, sorry.
And then from there grew to a certain size where we had in total 15 staff. So we had two in the office and then 13 plumbers with apprentices as well on the road at one time. So that, that is pretty much where I got to my peak peak in the, in the company and in the businesses as well as then starting up in South Australia in between that as well. So I did have a fair bit on my plate after four years of.
Yeah, about four or five years into business where I think I got to a point where I slowly realized I was getting burnt out. Pretty much just dealing with personal things in life as well as trying to run businesses. Being the only one where everyone sort of leans on you and depends on you all the time, it just become a very, very tiring job, I believe.
And it, yeah, it tested my patience, it tested who I am, my character, just as a person in general and a boss as well. And obviously trying to be a leader and lead everyone in the direction I was wanting to go into. And yeah, like I said before, it took my toll and I had to make a choice and decide to look at downsizing again just to have a bit more flexibility in my life and just to have a bit more stability where I could manage what I could manage and still hit our targets in our, you know, you're just more. Being more on top of my profit and losses and just having a better understanding on where the business is at, where I'm at and where I was wanting to be in life and not just life at the moment, but in the future as well with my two kids. So that's a bit of a brief sort of rundown I guess on where I started, where I got to, to my peak and then decided to turn around Turn things around and downsize a little bit to a more manageable company.
[00:05:35] Speaker A: Mate, that's awesome. Thanks for sharing that, Mario. I obviously we've known each other now for a couple of years and introduced by the other legend here, Jared. And you know, we, we've been working with you on a more marketing level than anything and probably looking at grace to grow the business and so on for a couple of years now. Right. And you know, one of the things that I've, I've found is, is plumbing as a, as a general is. Is very, very saturated in terms of market on the Sunshine coast predominantly, isn't it Mario? And what, what have you found? Being that you've been in business now for going on seven years, what have you found is sort of the thing where you were start and what you had that sort of that growth that you were experiencing in the first few years and then you've said you've had to downsize based on, you know, number of variables in the business and, and, and growth and so on. What's been the, you would say the big thing that's changed in terms of market for plumbers on the coast?
[00:06:33] Speaker C: Look, the way I sort of see it, I review every six months the business, you know, on a personal note and a business note and I feel like obviously ever since sort of COVID even though we did have our big peak, which is the peak when I got to, you know, in total 15 staff, it was then the downside of that after a year or two where, and that's when everything started going up in, in price, you know, you can. It was very hard to try and find that happy medium balance of your overheads and running costs per plumber to then, you know, after the two years after Covid, where it was very hard to put your pricing up to manage to still be able to win jobs as well as keeping your staff running. But then it was starting to then eat into profits and then it became over time over six months, a year. You're not two years. It became a big factor like geez, everything's going up. But you can only put your pricing up so much without losing the job at the same time. So it came a very.
For about a year or two. There's a lot of challenges on trying to find a happy medium.
[00:07:47] Speaker A: Gotcha. So it's mainly that the actual overall cost in, in the, in the market or is it more economy you think it's going up that's affected the way that operations have been working for plumbers over the last few Years, Is that what you're saying?
[00:08:02] Speaker C: Yeah, I'd say both, both of them. But obviously being in Sunshine coast, you know, it's, there's a lot of.
I feel like since COVID there's been a lot of people who've moved, say from Sydney or Melbourne who've come to get away to the Sunshine coast for a better life or lifestyle to get away from the whole COVID lockdowns and shutdowns that there are a lot, lot more soul traders now what it used to be.
[00:08:26] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:08:27] Speaker C: So that's saturated in a way because you know, they're sole traders that don't have big offices or staff or vehicles on the roads or you know, stuff like that. So they can reduce their pricing because it's only just them running their costs for themselves.
But when you start having other staff and offices and a receptionist and store that you've got, you've got more overheads but you're needing that when you have more staff.
So it was a very hard balance to find. And then obviously you've got a dried up market by having that as well.
[00:09:00] Speaker B: And you mentioned about the business, you know, testing you over that period of time.
How did you navigate that then? And you know, are you navigating those testing times differently now? Like tell us about the journey of it kind of. When it first started to test you, was that the first time you kind of experienced that form of pressure?
[00:09:19] Speaker C: Yeah, I mean testing me is because I guess I do it to myself.
I mean I do it to myself because I, I have a high standards and I feel like sometimes like I've always to do the best I can in the situations I'm in or the jobs we're doing or even just the fact, trying to keep everyone happy.
But I felt like I was getting tested as in like didn't matter how much I would drop everything to go to a job or how much would just go over and beyond, above and beyond to help clients out or you know, new clients get out of trouble. Even to the point where there was times where I had clients who just simply call us up crying on the phone. They had a blocked drain, it was a weekend, they couldn't afford the call out. But I'd take, you know, duty and care of my hands, reduce the price purely just to get him out of trouble.
But you know, we're there, we're there to help people. So it was very hard to find happy medium to try and keep us going as a business as well as try to look after our current clients and New clients coming through who were struggling, but at the same time we're in the same boat, struggling as well, running the business.
So it was testing me on knowing where do I have to stand, how far do I go?
Yeah, just on a day to day sort of operation basis, I guess.
[00:10:46] Speaker B: Yeah, it sounds like you, you know, put in an incredible amount of effort over that period of time to, to help other people, help people in the business, people that were working for you and you know, that kind of left you not having much time for yourself. Would I be right in saying that?
[00:11:01] Speaker C: Yeah, right on the money. I'd probably.
There's a patch there for about a year where I was lucky to get three, four hours of sleep a day just to try to do everything I could. Right.
And keep everyone happy at the same time. But yet I was sort of running myself to the ground at that point in time, I believe.
[00:11:19] Speaker A: Yeah, that's amazing. So what, what have you found Mario? You know, now that you're sitting in a seat right here, I was having this conversation.
How have you found you've been able to manage some of that pressure or the stress of running a business as an entrepreneur? Like you know, how, what's your, some, some of your coping methodologies or strategies for anyone that's tuning in? How do you go about it in your business or your personal life?
[00:11:46] Speaker C: Oh look, if I was going to be honest, it actually probably comes more from more of a personal life as I had things going on in the background. Going through a divorce that didn't sort of help.
But I was purely just, it was work, work, work, work. I'll get up at 6 in the morning or 5:30 sometimes straight on the computer in the emails before, I mean receiving phone calls at 6:37 in the morning to action.
And then it was just working on a daily basis and also having my juggling my kids at school drop off and pick ups as well as working all the way through when they were asleep to one or two in the morning sometimes just to get quotes done, get them sent through, paying bills, organizing jobs, going, looking through plans.
It was a big juggle. So I had to put my foot down saying this is not healthy. Pretty much. I just wasn't sleeping right, I wasn't eating right.
And for me personally the biggest change was just putting it back to something I loved doing for myself and that was just training, just going back to the gym.
Just to know when works, work and then when's when the clock off and have time for yourself in a way to just to Just bit of breathing space just to work on myself and you know, even just my mental health side of it as well because you get so run down, you're mentally exhausted, you're just mentally drained, exhausted.
And it's just an ongoing effect which you know, after time it's not healthy to be honest.
[00:13:29] Speaker B: So that kind of pulling back and kind of doing less is really giving you the capacity to be able to deliver more.
[00:13:35] Speaker C: Yeah, pretty much just to know what's really important and what needs to be done to understanding that and to understanding, you know, these can wait two or three days. My health, my life and my lifestyle, you know, even with my kids and spending time with my kids, you know, you've got to find a balance. But that was a big part of my life and it helped me change as a better person and father I guess and just, just a better management of my workload I guess from a day to day.
[00:14:06] Speaker A: Yeah, I can you go Jaz, you're right mate.
[00:14:08] Speaker B: I was gonna say. Yeah, I can just hear, you know, the passion in your voice and kind of the conviction of where you're at and that kind of, I guess the learnings from that.
What may have seemed like a negative process, however, it seemed like maybe the necessary evil to kind of go through to, to be where you are now. And looking back on that now, you know, how do you feel when you look at that and where you are now?
[00:14:30] Speaker C: Yeah, I mean it's, I've a lot of, even family friends, family members have said, you know, I'm 32 now and I feel like the last 12 months, even through business and everything else and life is probably the best 12 months I've had in 32 years.
So I mean it goes to show like you know, it was hard and tough times and, and don't get me wrong, you still, you still have those times but being able to manage those times and your, your days, you work and your time frames and your hours to.
Yeah. Just helps you have a better, yeah. A better balance in life, lifestyle as well.
[00:15:10] Speaker A: Yeah, I have to agree on that.
[00:15:11] Speaker C: Mario.
[00:15:11] Speaker A: I, you know, being that we're all in business, we can all probably relate to what I'm going to say. But you know, running a business isn't, isn't easy. It's not for the faint hearted, is it? It really isn't. And one thing's, one thing I've personally found over the Last sort of 13, 12, 13 years or so, it's, it's a constant evolution of the human individual. Like an example, what I mean, by that is when we're growing a business, essentially what we're really doing is we're growing ourselves to know how to deal with problems, and we're becoming masterful at problem solving our businesses. But that also helps us apply how to manage problems in, in our personal lives as well. So they. They both go hand in hand with each other. I found. And I found the real key between running a business and running your own personal life or, or managing a family with kids and so on is how we learn to understand ourselves and how we learn to deal with problems in our own unique ways and what those strategies that we form as leaders are. So I think for me, and what I've personally found is leadership happens to be one of the most important learning journeys of all in running both a business but also a personal life. And from that, I mean, showing up, you know, rain hail or shine, whether you're having a tough day or not getting out of bed, you know, doing what is necessary, regardless of our own personal challenges, and even almost tricking yourself into believing that it's going to be a great day, even when sometimes, you know, deep down it's not, you know. So I think that's what I've personally encountered, you know, both on a personal and a business level, is just really knowing how to lead ourselves and lead others through the process.
And I think that's what brings me to my next question, actually for you, Mario, in regards to our big reason why.
And I guess my question is, you know, you started a business seven years ago, and I've. I haven't asked you this question before. I'd love to understand it. What really inspired you to start your own business? What was the thing that you're like, I really want to do this because of this reason. Have you, have you understood what that is or discovered what that is?
[00:17:36] Speaker C: Yes.
Gonna be probably hard to try and say without breaking down, but for me, it was just my kids pretty much.
[00:17:47] Speaker A: Yeah.
And I know it might be a bit challenging for you to articulate it, I understand. But for. For anyone that's tuning in to help us understand that further, what does that mean by. When you're saying your kids.
[00:18:05] Speaker C: Just like, just. It's. For me, it's just to give them the best life I can, to be honest.
Probably a better life than I sort of had, in a way.
And just to make sure they're. They're going to be safe, you know, send them, you know, just small things like sending them to good schools and just. Yeah, small stuff like That I guess it's everything to do with the kids and their health and well being and everything else in life.
[00:18:34] Speaker B: Yeah, it's that, that small stuff, which is the big stuff. And I can see how passionate and how much that means to you, Mario.
[00:18:41] Speaker C: Yeah, yeah, it's just, it's just the small things. Like I always, I say to everyone now, if, if I didn't have kids, I wouldn't have, wouldn't have started a business. I just would have worked with someone, do what I had to do, go home and that's it. But it's.
Yeah, I knew how hard it was going to be. You know, my, my parents have always been in business. Most of my family have always been in business. So I've sort of been around it.
They've all done it, you know, to go on family holidays, to schools, sports, all that sort of stuff, you know, to give your kids a good life and an upbringing in a way, um, where for me, I'm just happy to have the simple things and I'm not too fast about anything else. But yeah, so to do it for them and just to teach them, like, doesn't matter how hard life can get or be, they will feed off that. Like, they'll, they'll know and see what they're seeing and think, oh, if dad can do it, I can do it. And that's sort of the attitude I try and teach my kids. Like, whatever you, whatever your dreams are, whatever you do, you can always do it. You've just got to put the hard, hard yards in.
[00:19:49] Speaker A: That's awesome, man. I fully can relate to that 100 because I've got kids too. And I know what it's like having that motivation. It's like the, it's like the driving force behind everything that you're doing, isn't it?
[00:20:01] Speaker C: Yeah. Yeah.
[00:20:02] Speaker A: There's this term out there that says discover your why in the personal development world at least. But in reality, what it really is is what's the motivation for your actions. What's the driving force that propels us to our outcomes, regardless of the pain, regardless of the, the that we got to go through in order to achieve the end result. But what, what I always found as well is the end result is never really an end result because it never will be. The end result is the journey itself. And we're constantly on that journey of highs and lows.
In the end though, it's, it's, it's what keeps us going. It's our kids, our, our, our, I guess our inspiration that is Driving us to achieve no matter what it is. And even if we're not achieving it, we're still propelling ourselves because of that inspiration that we've got deep within us. It's. Is that the same for you?
[00:20:52] Speaker C: Yeah. 100. The kids are my, they're my engine room. I guess they, they feel my fire to keep, to keep, to keep me pushing and keep going. Even on the days, you know, the days you don't want to go.
There's been days I've had to bring both kids with me all day, every day on school holidays. But they put their shirts on, they jump in the car, they're seeing what I do and you know, pushing, pushing through and, and they're a part of it as well. Like my 7 year old daughter is not scared to go into the van and get my tools out and bring it out to me and, and ask me questions and be involved. So that's sort of my, my why and my reasons is teaching my kids as well, showing them so beautiful.
[00:21:35] Speaker A: And isn't it amazing? Like you, you know, we're just talking the, the topic of kids now. Like when, you know, when you just said you, your children are involved with what you're doing and they're asking you questions like that, you can't put a price tag on that, can you? You like, you just, you just know that they, this, they got your back and they support you. Even though they don't understand it on an intellectual level at least, they just instinctively follow you because you're leading them. And it's just so amazing to experience that, that, that level of leadership when they essentially looking up to you, so to speak, you know.
[00:22:09] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:22:10] Speaker A: So cool man. So, so cool.
Yeah. Now I understand, you know, Jared and I fully understand what, what your big, you're essentially your driving force is. And that's, that's what really at the end of the day, I think that's what creates success, isn't it? It's not doing the work as marketers, Jared and I and running businesses and different businesses ourselves and we're in the same position. Jared's got his family, his driving force and I got my own. And that's why we come together and no matter what. And some days Jared and I just have like really angry, frustrating days. And Jared, you can probably, you can probably testify to my frustration sometimes, but it's what keeps us going.
[00:22:53] Speaker C: Right?
[00:22:53] Speaker A: Don't you agree, Jerry?
[00:22:54] Speaker B: Yeah, it's that and it's frustration is also isn't always a negative. It's that driving Energy behind it. What, what fuels that frustration?
[00:23:05] Speaker A: So, so Mario getting back onto Mario's plumbing and drainage and also the business in, in South Australia.
What's, what's been the biggest hurdle you found practically operationally in the business over the last couple of years since COVID We've discussed your successes. Let's talk about the challenge of what you've experienced up until thus far.
[00:23:30] Speaker C: Odds they I'd say one of my challenges would be because I grew too fast too quick, which naturally happened. I hadn't planned for. I didn't expect it to happen and had no time frame for it just naturally happened. So I'd say my biggest thing was from day dot, which I wish I did, was setting up more systems in place that of just oh sort of here now then and now and deal with it later. And then later comes and, and you're too busy doing something else. And it just never came around.
You know, just small things like quoting systems or invoicing on sites and just procedures where staff could, you know, follow at least 80, 90% of it. And then yeah sure, there might be a question or two here instead of one or two questions a day compared to, you know, sometimes 30 or 40 a day. And that, you know, takes up your time. Phone calls, emails, break down communication here and there as well between myself office and the staff, plumbers on the road, the text on the road.
So that's probably the biggest, biggest hurdles I've come in across business. Everything else has been pretty manageable or understanding but it's probably, probably dealing with that more in house, systems in place for more more functional running business.
[00:25:04] Speaker A: Got you. So when it comes to that aspect of, of the the business challenge being operational systems, procedures and so on. I know you and I have discussed this personally as well, you know, outside of this conversation too Mario, so I get it. But for everyone is that is listening. This is a real problem for a lot of businesses and, and it's a good problem to have actually because one of these problems that happens in business is that we get to a certain point we're making, we're at this, we're at this critical juncture where the season of business is. We reach the certain revenue level where in order for it to grow to the next level, you must seasonally go back to the business, put systems in place to be able to handle that next level of growth. And that's built on the basis of knowing how to scale yourself as the leader of the business out of the business so you can operate inside the business to create the systems, it's what's required in order to have more staff, have more procedures and have more scalability. So it becomes more turnkey. Right. But in order for that to happen, you need to be basically pulling yourself out so you've got headspace to think about. All right, how do I create this system? What do I need to do in this part of the business? How do I do that? Um, and then the question is, do I need. Can I do it myself, or do I need to hire someone that's an expert who knows how to do it and they can do it? So my point here is everything you're experiencing is a good problem to have because it shows that you're at the bit at the level of the business that is requiring the next level of growth. But in order for you to get yourself out of the business, to make way for that to happen and is the number one thing. And so you and I discussed this the other day. I. We basically come up with the idea, didn't we? We just said, all right, stuff, there's four of you here. Put your heads together, get out of the business, and you guys solve the problems on your own. On Monday, Wednesday and Friday, Tuesdays and Thursdays, I'm going to be here in the business doing what I need to do. But those three days, you guys figure it out. Come back to me if you've got any problem with a solution, and I'll help you along the way. Brilliant.
How have you found that?
By making that small little adjustment. What do you believe on a personal level that will help you get to the next level?
[00:27:15] Speaker C: Oh, it's going to help help, you know, in a big way. Instead of constantly on the phones and running around to other jobs and checking up on stuff, it's going to give me, like, I'm a type of person. I like to be organized. I like to set myself up and get myself in that zone.
I feel like that's very hard to do when you're sort of sitting down. And every, you know, every 20 minutes or half hour and we have multiple staff as well, you're getting that odd phone call, and it sort of takes you out from what you're trying to do, which, you know, over time, it causes me to stop, start, stop, start, but actually never really get anything done. I'm just starting things but never finishing. So I think it's going to make a big, big difference. I can, you know, head down and bum up and. And, you know, make that next steps and do what I need to do. Required to move forward again.
[00:28:04] Speaker A: It's fantastic. It's fantastic.
What's your thoughts there, jazz?
[00:28:08] Speaker C: Yeah. 100. Yeah.
[00:28:10] Speaker B: You know, I think that that's. We kind of talked about earlier about pulling back and the importance of it.
I guess we've mentioned a bit about, you know, the struggles and, you know, things which are hard. I'm wondering, Mario, what's your kind of like now? Like, what would you say is your favorite thing about business and like, the. Your favorite thing about, you know, the customers that you work with?
[00:28:34] Speaker C: To be honest, it's just turning. You know, I've got a lot of our clients, too. They. They're unsure about if they can do things or not do things.
We've got new clients that coming through now who've come through, rung us up, and said, look, we've had three plumbers come out that can't. They don't. You can't come up with a design or a solution to fix this problem.
Is there anything you can do? I love a challenge. Like, I'll never knock it back. You know, a lot of people say, oh, it must be for a reason.
The reason for me is to sort out a solution.
So whatever that takes is me thinking outside the box or even just me teaming up with my plumbers, and we're all putting our heads together and trying to knuckle down something we can come up with to get that, because that, to me, is customer service. But I don't like to say no to anything like, there. I believe everything's always got a solution. You've just got to find it.
[00:29:28] Speaker B: Yeah, it sounds like you, obviously.
[00:29:31] Speaker C: Yeah. A lot of plumbers will just easily rock up to a side, go. It's too hard. Just walk off. You know, they're on the easy jobs where give me a challenge any day of the week. Doesn't matter what it is.
I'll give it my best shot, and I'll do everything I can. And that's. That's what I like to, you know, because you got a client then who's happy, who's getting what they wanted or they were needing done.
Done.
So that's. That's my kick, I guess I get out of it. Yeah, I love a challenge.
[00:30:01] Speaker A: One of the things I found with Mario's plumbing on the coast is, you know, as a brand. Mario, you know, you.
[00:30:08] Speaker C: You.
[00:30:08] Speaker A: You've got. You've got some leverage there. You know, I found that even when I first met you a couple years ago, you got great brand presence. And the cool thing is you got a Brand that somewhat leveraging the Super Mario Brothers brand, you know, which I think is really cool. It's a good play on. Play on things being that you've got an Italian background and Mario Brothers is Italian obviously. So you've got that and I think you've done it quite well. Knowing how to, how to leverage that, that nuance of, of branding from such a well known brand being the Nintendo Super Mario Brothers. How have you found, being that face of Super Mario, of Mario Brothers, how have you found people understanding that? Are they getting that sort of understanding that it's from like a connection towards that Super Mario Brothers brand?
[00:31:04] Speaker C: Yeah. Where do I start with that?
Yeah. We've got obviously the few cars on the roads in our big van which is like a mobile billboard. You can't miss it.
[00:31:15] Speaker A: Yeah, totally, totally.
[00:31:17] Speaker C: It's.
It catches a lot of attention.
I had just the other day I had something, I was actually going to nearly post it on our social media on our post, but I had someone put their pull their car on the middle of the road just down in, just near down the middle mountain, the racetrack, Corbell park. Just to stop his car on the side of the road to get his phone out while in the car to take a photo of me at the T intersect in the car.
Which I thought was strange because he probably could have caused a few accidents.
It was that bad. I was like, I'm like what's this guy doing? And then when I drove around him, I could see he was taking a photo of the van on the middle of the road.
Look, it's. It turns heads I guess and it's for us.
Look for me, if I'm going to be totally honest, if I go back to why I even started off and naming it Mario's Plumbing, it was actually because of the Mario Kart theme. I actually never played Mario Kart up to the date when I created my business. I actually never played any Nintendo's or anything. I knew about it, but never actually played it.
[00:32:24] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah.
[00:32:25] Speaker C: So but it does its job. But the more purpose for me, which took a bit of, a bit of convincing it was actually I named the company after my grandfather.
Yeah. So I'm named after my grandfather Murray Vicenzo Bellini.
It's an affair. It's a family Italian thing where you sort of name the names get passed on through the family line, the family tree.
[00:32:55] Speaker A: That's really cool, man. That's cool.
[00:32:56] Speaker C: Yeah. So for me actually to be honest, got nothing to do about the Mario Kart theme. I just use that more as a better branding for the business. Sure. But that wasn't my intentions, the actual intentions to named after someone I looked up to, you know, pretty highly.
[00:33:12] Speaker A: Fantastic. And just on that note, just for awareness purposes, is your grandfather in Australia or is he traditional Italian?
[00:33:21] Speaker C: Yeah. So his, it's. He's from, he's born in Italy.
[00:33:26] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:33:27] Speaker C: He moved over to Australia obviously he came by boat when he was by himself when he was 16 years old. Yeah.
For a better, just a better life and wanted a better lifestyle, you know, better life and wanted to start a family.
Yeah. Australia in Australia. It's a good country to start up a family. So he came by himself with six, six dollars Australian dollars to his name or in his pocket to be honest.
A suitcase came to a, came to Australia, didn't even know how to speak nothing himself. He had a few other family members who we could kind of bounce off to start to start off with who came over as well but started from bed like scrap, just picking up anything he could do, dropping off milk. I had three, four jobs.
End up meeting with my nonna and yeah. Became a father of six working three jobs his whole life.
[00:34:24] Speaker A: Wow.
[00:34:27] Speaker C: Seven days a week, four day, 1214 hour days just to provide for his family.
[00:34:33] Speaker A: And yeah, so that's, yeah, just a machine. So yeah.
And that's on your dad's side, Mario, is it? On your dad's side? Yeah, Nick, yeah, Nick. Nick's a good, good fella. We met Nick last year. He's a great chap. So good to understand that. Mario, thanks for, for sharing. Sharing that to understand the family tree and, and obviously, yeah, how, how you got into business with the name of that and how the connection is in regards to Super Mario Brothers and sounds like it's purely just brand awareness, isn't it? More so than actually, you know, you know, a connection is to your family and so on.
[00:35:11] Speaker C: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
[00:35:13] Speaker A: So mate, we're gonna, we're gonna wrap it up but I will ask you this question like we are. We always ask a question as a, a knowledge thing for anyone that is listening to this so they can walk away with something of value.
And we want you to ask a question to the audience that you wished you would have asked if you were 20 years younger, what would that question be?
[00:35:41] Speaker C: Sorry to say that again.
[00:35:44] Speaker A: Did I say it correctly? I confused everyone.
No, my question was if you could ask one question to your, let's say one question to your younger self 20 years ago, what would that question be?
[00:36:00] Speaker C: Well, that's a tough one.
So what could I ask myself, ask myself a question to myself if I was 20 years younger?
[00:36:07] Speaker A: Correct.
[00:36:09] Speaker C: Oh, you got me thinking.
[00:36:11] Speaker A: Yeah, Sounds like I put you on the spot there, Mario.
[00:36:14] Speaker C: Yeah, you have. I'm not too sure.
[00:36:19] Speaker A: If you can't answer that question, flip it on its back. If you could ask the audience a question or if they were to ask you a question, what would that question be?
[00:36:27] Speaker C: Would you start a business again if you had the opportunity to?
[00:36:30] Speaker A: Okay, great. And why would you ask that question?
[00:36:32] Speaker C: Like, why would I ask that question? Well, I think because a lot of people, it's. It's easy. You can easily think the grass is greener sometimes on the other side. And look, don't get me wrong, for some it can be. Yeah, I just feel like it's a, it's a, it's a lot of, it's a lot of hard work, don't get me wrong. But it's, it can take up a lot of, a lot of time and a big part of your life too, just dealing with a lot of, you know, the stresses and the balance of work life. So I'd make them really think hard and long about it. Instead of just jumping the gun and going just like I did. I just got in there, jumped the gun, had, didn't have the training, didn't have the right tools, and it's like, I'm just gonna go for start. Register a name and just start running business.
[00:37:14] Speaker A: So it was like an automatic response, so to speak. It wasn't a planned effort. It was more like, let's just go.
[00:37:19] Speaker C: Yeah, pretty much, yeah. I think I decided within two, three weeks I was just going to do it. I started without even having nothing. I just, just jumped the guns, registered a business name, got my, my license and this. That was it.
No, no, no, real plan. Just jumped in and went for it.
[00:37:35] Speaker A: And here you are seven years later, Mario.
[00:37:38] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:37:40] Speaker A: Well, I guess that's a pretty good question you would ask the audience. The question really is everyone that is tuning in.
Well, not question, more the statement.
Make sure. If you're going to start a business, make sure you got your ducks in order so you don't do what Mario did.
[00:37:55] Speaker C: Learn from my mistakes. I think.
[00:37:58] Speaker A: Now that's awesome, brother. And that's, I guess that's the, that's the key here, isn't it? It's created, you know, who you really are, Mario, where you're sitting here right now. And the truth is, is you wouldn't be sitting in that seat wanting to have this conversation, wouldn't be so passionate and be providing for the family in the way that you are. Had you have not gone through that seven years of your journey in the last, you know.
Yeah, seven years of. Of running a business. So kudos to you, brother.
[00:38:23] Speaker C: Thanks just for that.
[00:38:24] Speaker A: Yeah.
So. So guys, just want to say. Yeah, thank you again for being here. I want to say thank you for Mario for being here as well. And thank you for being so raw. Mate. It's really good to have conversations with people that are just wanting to share everything and that's what it's all about, right, where we're not really trying to present how good we are. It's about being humble, I think, and being able to explain how we've achieved what we've achieved in our journey because we haven't got our together. So mate, thank you again for, for being here and sharing all that, brother.
[00:38:59] Speaker C: No worries. Thanks for having me as well. Appreciate it.
[00:39:02] Speaker A: Anything else you want to add?
[00:39:03] Speaker B: Jazz, I guess probably Obvious statement, Mario. How do people find you if they want to.
To reach out and to. To use your. Your services?
[00:39:14] Speaker C: Yep. So we.
You can find us on Google through our website, our Google page, Instagram, Facebook, we're sponsors, a few few clubs on the coast here as well. Signs and shopping centers, our vehicles. So we around the whole sunshine coast, we're pretty easy to find.
But yeah, if you search us anywhere on Google, you know, you'll find us there easily. Perfect.
[00:39:41] Speaker A: Right. Well, there you go. You heard it from Mario. If you want to get in touch with them, if you need a block drain or you've got an issue with something to do with hot water, anything that's plumbing related, reach out to Mario. Him and his team are amazing. We know that because we've used him and his team as well. So we can vouch for it. All you got to do is go to www.mariosplumbing and drainage.com, reach out to Murray and the team and he'll be able to help you out. But again, thank you for everyone being here and for us, myself and Jared. If you are experiencing a marketing challenge or you feel like you're not achieving the result you want in your business, maybe you've got issues with attracting leads or attracting new clients into your world, reach out to us. We're happy to help and be able to direct you in the right, at least the right way. All you gotta do is go to www.timelesscreative.com boardroom. Until then, thank you again guys and we look forward to seeing you all very soon over now you've been listening.
[00:40:41] Speaker C: To the Brand Alchemy podcast with your hosts Jared Asher and Jared Break.
For more information or to request your.
[00:40:50] Speaker A: Spot as a guest speaker, go to www.timelesscreative.com a you.
