#247 // Business Lessons || Aaron Roberts from Radicool

Welcome Aaron Roberts from Radicool Air Conditioning + Electrical for his first ever podcast! Radicool is based out of the trade god approved country aka the Sunshine Coast. He has a team of 15 including operations managers, service managers, project managers, admin, tradies + apprentices. Today Robbo shares 8 lessons in 8 years as follows: -business is harder than you think -try not to be personally attached -build a good team around you -keeping it simple -get stuff out of your head -look after yourself -enjoy the moment -be nice Enjoy the podcast! Much love x. Summary Aaron Roberts, owner of Radical Air Conditioning on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, reflects on eight lessons from eight years building his HVAC business. In conversation with host Greg Crowe, he shares practical lessons on hiring, simplifying systems, documenting business knowledge, protecting his wellbeing, staying present, and leading with kindness. Keywords Aaron Roberts, Radical Air Conditioning, HVAC business, trade business lessons, business owner, hiring tradespeople, job management systems, tradie wellbeing, Sunshine Coast Key Topics Aaron Roberts started Radical Air Conditioning after 11 years in Brisbane and an exhausting Sunshine Coast commute of at least four hours a day. The company grew to roughly 15 or 16 people, including eight tradespeople, five apprentices, and three admin staff, focusing on HVAC and some electrical work. Lesson 1: Business ownership is harder than it looks, and presentation and technical skill alone do not guarantee work or business ability. Lesson 2: Avoid taking every lost quote or departing employee personally; consider their perspective and look for patterns instead. Lesson 3: Build a team that complements the company’s strengths and weaknesses, and hire for both relevant skills and fit. Lesson 4: Keep onboarding and processes simple; too many apps and logins can overwhelm staff and make systems less likely to be used. Lesson 5: Get business knowledge out of the owner’s head and into the job-management system, procedures, and team workflows. Lesson 6: Exercise and other restorative activities help Aaron manage his wellbeing and show up better as a business owner and family member. Lessons 7 and 8: Be present with family and work, and lead with kindness, honesty, and low ego to build trust and a workplace people want to join. Takeaways starting and running a business is not as easy as it looks from the outside try not to be personally attached, which is super hard to do build a good team around you that cater for your strengths and weaknesses keep it simple, stupid get stuff out of your head look after yourself as in myself, a business owner, physically and mentally enjoying the present moment be nice the simpler it is, the more that it will get used nothing's ever perfect, so continue working on yourself Sound Bites "get stuff out of your head" "enjoying the present moment" "continue to learn" Chapters 00:00 Coaching staff, reviewing quotes, and setting up the conversation 03:45 Why Aaron started Radical Air Conditioning 06:44 Eight lessons from eight years in business 09:25 Lesson 2: Don’t take every departure or lost quote personally 14:56 Lesson 3: Build a team that complements your weaknesses 19:47 Lesson 4: Keep onboarding and systems simple 23:27 Lesson 5: Document what’s in your head 28:02 Hiring admin and valuing a friendly voice on the phone 31:06 Lesson 6: Look after your physical and mental health 37:34 Lesson 7: Stay present instead of living in the future 39:45 Lesson 8: Be nice, honest, and low-ego 44:29 Eight lessons recap and the importance of personal development