Finding the right builder community can transform everything, especially when you feel lost and alone.
SAM DISCOVERED HOW A BUILDER COMMUNITY CHANGED HIS APPROACH TO ACCOUNTABILITY, SYSTEMS, AND SUCCESS. READ HIS STORY.
Running a building business in a small town can feel incredibly isolating.
When one bad job nearly destroyed everything, Sam realised he couldn’t do it alone anymore.
What he found wasn’t just business coaching.
It was a community that changed his entire approach to business and life.
Read the transcript below. Be sure to also subscribe to the Live Life Build YouTube channel.
Why Every Builder Needs Community
Running a building business can feel incredibly isolating.
When things go wrong, where do you turn?
Who do you ask for help?
How do you know if you’re doing things right?
Sam knows this feeling all too well.
For 12 months, Sam watched Live Life Build from the sidelines. He saw other builders transforming their businesses. He followed Duayne’s content on social media. He knew he needed help, but he hesitated.
Then one job, a client that wasn’t his ideal fit nearly destroyed everything he’d built.
“We’d always run a pretty good business and then we took on one job that wasn’t our ideal client and it ended up nearly…” Sam pauses, the weight of that memory still present. “We didn’t have the systems or processes in place.”
That crisis became his breaking point. Sam realised he had no choice but to look for help. What he found wasn’t just business coaching, it was a builder community that would transform how he approached his entire business and life.
In this honest testimonial from one of our live events, Sam shares his journey from isolation and blame to accountability and support, proving that sometimes the biggest breakthroughs come from our darkest moments.
From Crisis to Finding Your Builder Community
Shea: Sam, how did you hear about Live Life Build?
Sam: Through a mate. It was about 12 months before I actually joined and I sort of should have jumped on through Duayne’s socials.
I pretty much watched and sort of just got feedback over a year and then ended up in a situation where I had no choice but look for help, basically.
Shea: So what was happening in your business before that?
Sam: We’d always run a pretty good business and then we took on one job that wasn’t our ideal client and it ended up nearly… we didn’t have the systems or processes in place, which I knew after that happened that we need to learn more about the business structure and the business side of it and put in steps in place that would stop something like that from happening again.
Shea: So what have you implemented now and what changes have you seen in your business?
Sam: We’ve just been really working on our systems, our inquiry process, really trying to find our ideal clients as well as just networking and communication, getting feedback from others and having support through others on which way to take the direction of our business.
We’ve also just been implementing systems on-site to work with our contractors and set standards and expectations for our clients and let them know our expectations for them and what they should expect from us.
How Community Changes Your Mindset
Shea: What’s been some of the moments where you’ve really pushed your comfort zone?
Sam: Definitely Kingscliff, the first Live Life Build event. The first time I sort of got up and spoke in front of everyone and I know I was a nervous wreck that weekend.
I was very new to the community, but just threw myself out there and just dug right in and looked for the support because if you’re not going to put yourself out there, you won’t get back. You need to give.
Shea: Did you find that it takes a lot of courage to do what you did at that conference?
Sam: Yeah.
Shea: Did you find that you grew and changed stories in your head?
Sam: Absolutely. So the stories I used to tell myself… Especially coming first into Live Life Build, I would sort of put the blame on everyone else instead of taking accountability. So that’s been a massive thing for me, is actually taking accountability for my own actions and learning from the mistakes in the past.
And we’re all going to have dramas from time to time, but take them as a learning experience and then use that to put better systems and processes in place for the future.
What Real Support Looks Like
Shea: How do you find the Live Life Build community?
Sam: There’s nothing like it, to be honest. The community itself, I was lost for words last time I was here, but now I’ve sort of found them. It’s like walking into a big family base. There’s no judgement.
The community itself has got me, I feel, back on track to where we are today. We’ve still got a long way to go, but just the support from the many members, it’s definitely what drives me to keep pushing a lot of the time.
Shea: What would you say to anyone thinking about joining, sitting on the fence?
Sam: I definitely think anyone who’s not doing business coaching of some sort, you need to be willing to learn and continue your growth. And don’t be afraid if you don’t know something. It’s fine. We’re not taught it. So you don’t know what you don’t know. You’ve just got to definitely jump on board.
Shea: Did you feel before you joined that you were alone?
Sam: Yes.
Shea: Going through all these struggles yourself?
Sam: Yeah, especially since I’m in a small town. So a small town community. I did reach out to other builders I knew in the community, but a bit behind the times in the sense of people actually giving advice.
They sort of leave you in the dark a little bit to work out yourself. And I didn’t know where to go next or what steps I should be following through next with the business or even where to start. I was very lost. And yeah, now I don’t feel lost anymore.
STOP FEELING LOST IN YOUR BUILDING BUSINESS
Sam’’s transformation highlights a truth many builders face: you can’t solve problems you don’t know exist, and you can’t implement systems you’ve never learnt.
For Sam, running in a small town meant more than geographic isolation, it meant professional isolation. When the crisis hit, there was nowhere to turn. Other local builders weren’t sharing their knowledge. He didn’t know what questions to ask or what steps to take next.
“I was very lost. And now, I don’t feel lost anymore.”
That shift didn’t happen because Sam suddenly figured everything out on his own. It happened because he found a builder community willing to share openly, give honest feedback, and support him through the messy process of rebuilding his business properly.
But perhaps the most significant transformation wasn’t in Sam’s systems, it was in his mindset.
From blaming others to taking accountability. From hiding struggles to asking for help. From being a “nervous wreck” at his first live event to confidently sharing his story to help others.
Sam still says they have “a long way to go.” But he’s no longer walking that path alone. He’s surrounded by builders who understand the struggles, celebrate the wins, and push each other to keep improving.
If you’re feeling lost, isolated, or overwhelmed in your building business, especially if you’re in a regional or rural area – Sam’s story is proof that you don’t have to figure it out alone.
The community is waiting. The support is real. And the transformation starts the moment you stop trying to do it all yourself and start asking for help.
Join Elevate today and discover what’s possible when you’re no longer building alone.
