Welcome to a new episode of I'm The Gaffer 👷♂️
If you're a construction business owner wondering whether the next stage of growth is worth what it might cost your culture, this conversation will stop you in your tracks.
In this episode, Hacia Atherton joins Gavin Coyle to discuss what success actually feels like (not just what it looks like on paper), why pushing past $5M in turnover changes your business in ways you can't reverse, and how leaders in male-dominated industries can build cultures where people feel like humans, not tools. Hacia is the founder of Empowered Women in Trades, author of The Billion Dollar Blindspot, and a high-performance culture strategist who rebuilt her own life after a catastrophic riding accident left her learning to stand again.
You'll learn:
- Why defining success as a *feeling* — not a revenue number — changes every decision that follows
- The "pirates to Navy" transition: what really happens to a family culture when you push past $5M
- How to spot consultants and marketing gurus selling one-size-fits-all playbooks (and why they can't work)
- How one trades business unlocked a whole new market by hiring female tradespeople for domestic-violence housing
- Why men in construction "opt out of life" before asking for help — and what leaders can do about it
- Practical niches and recurring-revenue ideas for trades businesses (data centres, med gas, maintenance education)
🎯 Episode Highlights / Timestamps
- 00:00 Coming up
- 01:17 Welcome: leadership, culture and the signs someone is struggling
- 03:00 A fifth-generation plumbing family ("plumbers save more lives than doctors")
- 05:01 The welding lesson: "the metal doesn't know if you're a girl"
- 05:46 The accident: crushed by her horse, six months learning to stand
- 09:20 From CPA to psychology — spotting the human gap in business education
- 12:24 Making workplaces where people feel like humans, not tools
- 13:09 What does success FEEL like on a Monday morning?
- 15:11 Gavin pushes back: can an outsider really see a company's culture?
- 17:12 No frameworks, no biases — active listening from apprentice to CEO
- 19:59 The courageous conversation: your vision may kill what you love
- 22:45 The $20M reality check: you'll never see an apprentice again
- 25:03 Curveball: 10x marketing gurus and the playbook problem
- 30:05 Success story: female tradespeople for domestic-violence housing
- 34:56 Market opportunities: data centres, med gas, niching down, recurring revenue
- 37:58 The next five years: men's mental health in male-dominated industries
- 40:46 Toxic femininity — the callout that gets her in trouble
- 42:18 Quick-fire: The Alchemist, Gladiator, and the raccoon confession
- 46:10 Where to find Hacia
Connect with Hacia Atherton
- Website: https://www.haciaatherton.com
- Empowered Women in Trades: https://www.ewitrades.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/haciaatherton
- Instagram: (their team confirms handle at review)
About Coyle Group
Coyle Group is a leading provider of outsourced safety solutions to the construction industry. With over 25 years of experience, a team of 100+ safety professionals, and more than 1 million safety hours delivered, Coyle Group helps construction companies build safer, more successful projects. Learn more at https://www.coyle-group.com
About the Podcast
I'm The Gaffer, hosted by industry expert Gavin Coyle, is the essential podcast for construction people, offering insider insights, expert interviews, and actionable strategies to blueprint unprecedented success in the dynamic world of construction. Whether you are still 'on the tools', just getting started, a seasoned site manager focused on large-scale project management, or a fast-growth building industry entrepreneur/developer, this podcast is for you.
I'm The Gaffer, available on:
Apple: https://bit.ly/ImTheGaffer
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YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@imthegafferpodcast
Website: https://imthegaffer.com
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