Epi 173: What Saved This Builder? Hiring "Dead Wood" vs. Brave Leadership (With Simone)

Crystal sits down with Simone (Majority Shareholder) and Brooke (Operations Manager) from Core Refurbishments, a company specializing only in retirement living refurbishments . Simone shares her raw, vulnerable journey from taking over the business to facing imminent closure just 12 months ago, when she was losing "hundreds of thousands of dollars a month" and felt hopeless. They discuss the pivotal moments that turned everything around: the "brave" decision to get builder-specific coaching, firing "dead wood" staff , hiring Brooke as a key operational leader , and finally implementing proper margins. This is a powerful story of resilience, honesty ("the numbers don't lie" ), and the strategic decisions that resulted in a massive shift to profitability, rapid client growth from 1 to 7 , and a major contract to expand interstate. 🕒 Timestamped Key Points [01:24] Niche: Refurbishments only in retirement living [03:36] 12 months ago: "looking at shutting the doors" [03:46] The low point: In tears, "I can't do this anymore" [04:22] Coach's advice: "get rid of your dead wood" [04:29] First change made: Hiring an Operations Manager [06:48] Being "brave": Firing staff & fixing margins [07:07] The payoff: A 12-month QLD expansion contract [07:40] Rapid client growth: 1 to 7 in four months [07:56] The turnaround: From losing $100k+ monthly to profit [09:17] The hard truth: "Simone, the numbers don't lie" - Our construction business coaching has helped 2,500+ building companies succeed. Subscribe to The Builder’s Ladder Podcast for weekly, actionable insights — tailored to help you grow a profitable construction business.   Follow TPB for more: 👥 FB Group – https://www.facebook.com/groups/professionalbuilder 📸 Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/theprofessionalbuilder/ 🖥️ Get your business health audit + free resources (including website audit) here – https://www.theprofessionalbuilder.com 🚀 Head to https://tpb.tools/pod-call to book your FREE strategy session. 📈 Resources For Builders – https://tpb.tools/resources https://www.facebook.com/groups/TPBmember: https://www.facebook.com/TheProfessionalBuilderSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.