Leigh Parsons (Adelaide Retaining Walls) - How to grow and scale trade business in Australia

Leigh pulls back the curtain on how he built Adelaide Retaining Walls over 21 years, starting with a truck and an excavator to running one of South Australia’s most recognised retaining wall and fencing companies.From a $5,000 name change to industry leadership, this episode is a masterclass in building a family trade business the right way. We dive into the early pivots that changed everything; ditching hourly rates for project pricing, betting big on marketing when no one else would, and doubling down during COVID while others pulled back. Leigh shares how meticulous ROI tracking, brand-building, investing in personal development and long-term thinking became his advantage.This is also a raw look at what it takes to run a family business, from working alongside his wife to raising kids around the dinner-table conversations of business, and now welcoming his daughter into the company.We talk leadership, hiring struggles, getting off the tools, managing risk, mentoring future competitors, and the philosophy that underpins it all: “Finding a way.”If you’re in a trade, construction, or any small-to-medium sized Australian business, this episode is worth a listen. Packed with hard-earned lessons, honest mistakes, and real-world stories.For more on Adelaide Retaining Walls: https://dev.adelaideretainingwalls.co...Proudly brought to you by the HU Group: https://hugroup.com.au/Producer: Kieran HookwayHosts: Jordon Tomopoulos and Brendan Hookway