If you’re running a building business, chances are you didn’t start out thinking, “I want to do everything myself forever.” But if you’re the one still solving every problem, carrying every bit of risk, and putting out every fire well, you’re not alone.
“I’d built a team dependent on me as the foundation,” says Dan Urquhart, a builder turned business owner with 30 years under his belt. “It was breaking me. And it was crippling the business.”
We met Dan’s back in the G.J.s days, and he’s a great bloke.
We watched the launch video for his new course, Hand Head Heart, and reckon it’s worth a look, especially if your business is growing faster than your team can keep up.
This one’s for builders who know how to build a house but are learning (the hard way) that building a business needs a different set of tools.
Dan’s the founder of 1000 Feet Deep, a new outfit focused on leadership and culture for builders and business owners. He’s been through it all, running construction businesses, burning out, almost walking away.
At one point, five years into owning his own business, he hit the wall.
“I was telling myself I just wanted to try something different. But deep down, I was running. I had to face the real cause of my business and leadership issues.”
“Time and time again I see business owners and leaders with the biggest heart, greatest of desires and the best of intentions, crippled by a lack of time, people and resources.”
“All while carrying the majority of the workload and the overwhelming weight of responsibility.”
What changed for him? He stopped blaming the jobs, the staff, the market and started working on the foundations.
That experience shaped the Hand Head Heart Program, a self-paced online course that helps you build a team and culture that’ll actually carry the weight.
Dan puts it simply, “If you don’t build your business on a strong foundation, the cracks are going to appear.”
Those cracks aren’t always about poor workmanship. More often, it’s about people.
- Unclear roles
- Burnt-out leaders
- Team members with all the skills but none of the mindset
- Or worse, team members with neither.
It’s one thing to have good trades. It’s another to have a team that can handle pressure, solve problems, and bring their best to work every day with or without you standing over their shoulder.
What do we know?
The Hand Head Heart (HHH) program breaks it down into three areas:
- Hand – Skill set
Clear roles. Right training. Practical systems.
“The only thing worse than training people and having them leave,” Dan says, “is not training them and having them stay.” - Head – Mindset
Helping your team think clearly under pressure, stay adaptable, and grow.
“We don’t need to give them more to do. We need to give them better ways to think.” - Heart – Character
Building respect, emotional intelligence, and genuine care for the work.
“It’s not just being good at your job. It’s about bringing your best self to work every day.”
Each part matters. Miss one, and things start slipping.
This isn’t another fluffy leadership course with buzzwords and theory. It’s built by someone who’s been on the tools and made the mistakes.
The program helps you build your own team and culture development plan like a business plan, but for people. It’s online, self-paced, and something you can start with your crew or solo.
What stood out to us was this simple question Dan asks:
“Are you structurally sound or just momentarily stable?”
A team that’s just stable looks fine… until the pressure builds, and it always does.
We know leadership isn’t glamorous, and most of us didn’t get into building to run teams we got into it because we love making things. But the truth is, if you want to keep building, you can’t do it all on your own. If you’d like to know more, check out the video and see how it all works: Introduction to the Hand, Head and Heart (HHH)
Author: The Good Builder
The Good Builder is a media platform that provides news and insights for Australia’s home building industry. From exclusive stories and curated insights to bold industry perspectives, we deliver the news and updates that keep builders, suppliers, and the entire home building industry inspired and ahead of the curve.
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