Episode 22

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Published on:

26th Aug 2025

Beast Mode, Execute Like a Boss with Tommy Mello

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What does scaling a 300 million plus home services empire in the US have to do with your Plumbing, Electrical, or HVAC business in Australia? More than you think.

Adrian Fadini links up with Tommy Mello for a straight-talking deep dive.

Tommy reveals the mindset, systems, and standards that took him from technician to leading one of the biggest home service brands in the world. He walks through how to build a culture that performs, why real branding goes way beyond a logo on a van, and how technology and ruthless prioritisation separate scalable businesses from the ones that stay stuck in chaos. He also shows how to sell what people actually want, not just what you feel like offering, and how to reverse-engineer growth so every move is intentional.

This conversation is a wake-up call for Aussie trade business owners who are tired of firefighting and ready to build something that runs on vision instead of fear.

You’ll learn:

  • How lessons from a 300M plus US home services business apply directly to Australian trade businesses
  • The key ingredients of a high-performance culture that actually hits targets
  • Why branding is built in the customer experience, not just the logo
  • How to use technology and prioritisation to get out of constant firefighting
  • The power of "selling what people want" to lift average job value and profit
  • How to reverse-engineer your numbers so growth becomes a plan, not a guess
  • Practical steps to hire smarter, systemise better, and lead with a clear vision

In this episode:

00:00 What a 300M home services giant can teach Aussie trade businesses

06:05 From technician to empire builder

13:20 Culture, standards, and building a team that performs

21:10 Branding beyond the logo and van wrap

28:45 Tech, prioritisation, and getting out of daily chaos

36:30 Selling what people want and engineering profit

44:15 Shifting from survival mode to strategic leadership

Disclaimer: This episode is for education only. It is not business, financial, marketing, or legal advice. Your situation is unique. Get proper guidance before making decisions.

Follow TradesFormation

https://link.me/trades_formation

https://tradesformation.com.au/

Connect with Tommy Mello

Website:https://www.tommymello.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tommymello/

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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.