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Bust and Beyond

Bust and Beyond

Written by: Robin Hayhurst
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About this listen

Failure is a part of life and business, and I experienced the failure of a business in 2015 that my father had started in 1969. The effect it had on me emotionally was huge, yet the outside world knew nothing. I kept it to myself. I learnt so much from that failure, and it made me determined to support other business owners in the construction industry to avoid failure and flourish.
As I started to speak to business owners about failure, I learnt just how many had suffered from mental health issues and harmful thoughts. This drove me to start my podcast to educate and let people know how to avoid failure and know if they are going through failure, they are not alone, but more importantly, there is life and success after the failure of your business.

© 2025 Bust and Beyond
Economics
Episodes
  • E41 Coaching, Mentoring, And Mindset
    Nov 10 2025

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    If you’ve ever wondered whether you need a coach or a mentor—or why so many promises in the coaching world fall flat—this conversation gets honest about what really creates change. We unpack the practical difference between coaching (drawing out your own answers) and mentoring (handing you a proven path), then show how a thoughtful blend of both can unlock momentum when your calendar and your nerves say otherwise.

    We walk through the roots of the industry’s bad reputation—low barriers to entry, recycled slide decks, and glossy guarantees—and contrast that with a process built on clarity, accountability, and measured progress. From peer “boards” with AI-minuted action points to open team scorecards, we share tools that move owners from agreement to implementation. The thread underneath it all is mindset: how beliefs quietly keep you on site instead of leading, how time becomes the new excuse when funding removes cost, and how small wins compound into confidence and identity shifts.

    Beyond business mechanics, we tackle the world outside the office: social media’s manufactured envy, the pressure to perform, and the way grief and loss can reset a life’s direction. You’ll hear candid stories about failed companies, family bereavement, and the silver linings that power purpose. Growth means discomfort—giving the speech, running the first workshop, scoring performance in the open—and then turning that discomfort into a habit. If you’re tired of firefighting and ready to work on the business, not just in it, this is your map for choosing a trustworthy guide, demanding a transparent process, and doing the work that actually changes results.

    Enjoyed the conversation? Follow the show, share it with someone who needs a nudge out of their comfort zone, and leave a quick review with your biggest takeaway—what will you act on this week?

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    46 mins
  • E40 From Burnout To Blueprint
    Nov 3 2025

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    If you’ve ever felt like you’re working harder and getting nowhere, Dan’s story will hit home. We sit down with the owner of a Manchester-based building firm that went from “just crack on and hope” to a confident operation built on systems, accountability, and a sharper client experience. The change wasn’t magic. It started with one decision: stop winging it and build repeatable habits that protect profit, time, and trust.

    We unpack the pivotal shifts. Delegation gave Dan the space to overhaul his quoting process, clarify scope, and respond faster without cutting corners. A defined client journey—with a simple brochure, pre-start checklist, and two strategic stop points—reduced snagging and removed that frantic rush to handover. Gantt scheduling and better communication across multiple sites brought order to moving parts. Live cost tracking delivered visibility without bloated overhead. Small moves, consistently applied, produced big outcomes: higher win rates, happier clients, and a calmer calendar.

    People are at the heart of the turnaround. A practical team scoring framework helped Dan coach early, address issues fairly, and back the right players to grow with the company. We also dig into the trade’s bigger challenge: a shortage of skilled workers. Dan’s answer is unapologetic—invest in apprentices now or pay for it later. He’s building talent from the ground up while keeping standards high. Along the way, he shares a raw moment about nearly going under, and how honest conversations and peer accountability lifted the weight and reset the strategy.

    If demand is booming and you’re still stuck, the bottleneck is probably inside the business, not the market. This conversation gives you a realistic blueprint: process as freedom, not chains; data instead of guesswork; coaching over crisis management; and a peer group that keeps you honest. Subscribe, share this with a builder who needs a nudge, and leave a quick review with the one system you’ll implement this month.

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    31 mins
  • E39 Rebuilding After Bankruptcy: Stacey Stewart's Journey
    Sep 1 2025

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    What happens when you lose everything you've built? Stacey Stewart knows this reality all too well. From climbing the corporate ladder at IBM to building luxury homes and entire subdivisions in Texas, Stacey's property development journey exemplifies both spectacular success and devastating failure.

    The 2008 housing crisis struck Stacey particularly hard. With 35 homes in various stages of completion and no buyers in sight, she watched her thriving business crumble into bankruptcy. The aftermath was brutal—depression, divorce, losing custody of her daughter, and ultimately finding herself homeless, living in her repossessed daycare van. "It was very taxing on my mental health," she shares with remarkable candor. "I felt like I wanted to give up."

    Yet from this rock bottom emerged an extraordinary comeback story. Through faith, determination, and the crucial support of a friend who believed in her when no one else would, Stacey began rebuilding. Starting with just $5,000 borrowed from a relative and relying on hard money lenders with punishing terms, she fought her way back into the industry she loved. Fifteen years of persistence later, she proudly declares, "I became a multimillionaire all over again. I've been a multimillionaire three times in my life."

    Today, Stacey leverages her hard-won wisdom to help others avoid similar pitfalls. Her three essential tips for property developers—get a mentor, educate yourself thoroughly, and build the right support network—come directly from experiences that nearly broke her. "It humbled me," she reflects on her failure. "It made me a better person."

    Discover the raw reality of entrepreneurial resilience and the transformative power of perseverance in this compelling conversation that proves failure isn't final—it's formative.

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    28 mins
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