Episode 27

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Published on:

28th Jan 2026

The Truth About Addiction With Ron Isherwood

In this episode of TradesFormation Unlocked, Adrian Fadini sits down with Ron Isherwood to have the conversation too many trade business owners avoid… addiction, recovery, and what it really takes to get your life (and business) back.

If you’re running a plumbing, electrical, HVAC, roofing, or any trades business and the “Thursday beers” keep turning into a weekend you can’t remember… this one hits hard.

Ron Isherwood is the founder of The Truth About Addiction, which he launched in 2020 after more than 42 years working with people in recovery across a wide range of rehabilitation settings. Drawing on both his professional experience and his own journey through addiction and recovery, Ron identified a major gap in how addiction is understood and treated. That insight led him to build The Truth About Addiction, a program grounded in lived experience, compassion, and a strong belief in transformation. Ron also hosts The Truth About Addiction Podcast, continuing the conversation and sharing real stories that help people find a better way forward.

In the podcast, Ron shares his story; heroin addiction, prison time, recovery, and the mindset shift that changed everything:

“You’re not a bad person trying to get good. You’re a sick person trying to get well.”

They unpack why cocaine has become a silent epidemic in the trades, how “functional” addiction hides in plain sight, and why the opposite of addiction isn’t willpower… it’s connection. This isn’t a scare campaign. It’s a wake-up call with a path forward.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

  1. Why addiction isn’t weakness, it’s pain looking for relief
  2. “Functional” addiction vs street-level addiction (and why both destroy lives)
  3. The real cost of hangovers, comedowns, and missed mornings (you’re not just losing time, you’re losing trust)
  4. Ron’s 8 demands for rebuilding a life: openness, acceptance, reliability, consistency, congruence, thoroughness, respect, honesty
  5. Why mentorship is non-negotiable when your “one bag” turns into three
  6. How trade business owners can get help without blowing up their work and family life
  7. Why taking ownership is the first step to recovery

Episode Highlights

“Recovery means finding what you lost: yourself.”

“The opposite of addiction is connection.”

“If you can’t guarantee your behaviour once you start… you need a mentor.”

“When you show up hungover, you’re stealing from your boss, your family, and yourself.”

In this episode:

00:00 You’re not a bad person, you’re a sick person trying to get well

04:20 Cocaine + alcohol in the trades: the real-world fallout

06:45 The 8 demands that rebuild character (and business standards)

12:40 Ownership: the “Porsche with a flat tyre” lesson

16:05 Street-level vs functional addiction (and why denial is deadly)

18:00 Why “party drugs” aren’t a party, they destroy families fast

22:30 The trades epidemic: big money, no support, bad habits

25:40 How Ron’s program works (mentorship, flexibility, real accountability)

29:30 Why people don’t ask for help (and the consequences)

37:30 Identity change: how transformation actually sticks

Connect with Ron

Search: “The Truth About Addiction”

https://www.instagram.com/ronisherwood/

https://www.instagram.com/thetruthabout_addiction/

Connect with TradesFormation

https://link.me/trades_formation

https://tradesformation.com.au/

Learn to Sell. Build your systems. Lead your team.

If this episode reminded you of someone; a mate, a staff member, even yourself… don’t sit on it. Share it with another trade business owner. One conversation can change a life.

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About the Podcast

TF Unlocked: The Tradie Business Podcast
Sell. Scale. Systemise - The no BS podcast for Home Service Tradies
TradesFormation Unlocked with Adrian Fadini - the tradie business podcast for Plumbing, Electrical, HVAC, and home service business owners who want to grow with confidence.

This is your wake-up call. Your line in the sand. The moment you stop grinding through jobs and start building the business you know you’re capable of.

If you’re in the home service trades - Plumbing, Electrical, HVAC, and beyond this podcast cuts straight to what actually shifts your results: selling with confidence, leading with clarity, tightening your systems, and creating growth you can sustain.

Every episode gives you real stories, practical tools, and the kind of insights that get you out of your head and into action.

It’s time to step up.
It’s time to take control.
And it’s time to build a business that works without burning yourself out.

About your host

Profile picture for Adrian Fadini

Adrian Fadini

Adrian Fadini built Plumber To The Rescue from the ground up and turned it into one of Sydney’s most respected service trade businesses. He knows what it takes to build something that lasts—because he’s lived it.

After selling the business to his biggest competitor in 2012, he stayed on for two years, securing major commercial accounts—strata firms, pub groups, and businesses needing ongoing plumbing and electrical services.

Through it all, Adrian learned the power of training—not as a nice-to-have, but as a non-negotiable. It’s how he levelled up his team, created consistency, and built a business that could grow without him in the driver’s seat.

For over a decade, Adrian’s been coaching tradies across the service trades—plumbing, electrical, HVAC—you name it. He’s worked with clients at every stage, from solo operators trying to get off the tools to multi-million dollar businesses chasing serious scale.

Now, he brings all that experience to the table—real-world strategies, proven systems, and a genuine drive to help other tradies sell better, scale stronger, and systemize for long-term success.