Damien Clifford is the founder of Ethos EQ and a specialist in early-stage cost consultancy, operating across RIBA Stages 0 to project completion.

With experience managing large-scale developments as a surveyor, Damien has seen first-hand how projects succeed or fail long before anyone steps on site. That early exposure to cost, procurement, and decision-making has shaped a very honest view of why so many construction projects struggle financially.

In this episode, Damien breaks down where things commonly go wrong between clients, consultants, and contractors and how better alignment at the front end can prevent cost overruns, disputes, and commercial breakdowns later on.

We explore:

• How managing global portfolios has shaped Damien’s approach to cost control

• Why margins are so thin in construction and how alternative procurement routes could improve them

• How costs and budgets spiral out of control on projects, often earlier than people realise

• What contractors get wrong when engaging with surveyors and project managers — and how to improve their chances of securing work

• Why turnover is often chased at the expense of profitability, and whether ego plays a role

• How final accounts can be manoeuvred within contracts, leading to disputes and non-payment

This is a practical, straight-talking conversation about money, risk, and behaviour in construction and how the industry can do better with clearer thinking, stronger procurement, and more honest engagement at the early stages.

A must-listen for contractors, surveyors, project managers, and anyone involved in controlling cost and risk on projects.

Ollie Plastow returns to SQ FT Stories for a second episode, but this time, the format is different.

Rather than a full life or business journey, this episode is a candid catch-up between two people actively working in the Design & Build and construction industry, reflecting on what’s changed since Ollie’s last appearance and what’s really happening on the ground right now.

We talk openly about the realities of running businesses in today’s market, the pressures across the supply chain, and the topics that keep coming up in conversations behind closed doors.

In this episode, we explore:

• How Ollie’s business has evolved since his last time on the podcast.
• What good business development in construction actually looks like and why it’s still misunderstood.
• Why subcontractors continue to struggle with payment and where responsibility sits.
• How tight margins shape behaviour across the industry.
• The knock-on effects these pressures have on people, projects, and relationships.

To finish, we switch things up with a quick-fire round, ten rapid questions each covering industry frustrations, opinions, and lighter moments that anyone working in construction will recognise.

This episode is honest, unscripted, and very much rooted in real experience.

If you work in Design & Build, construction, or the wider property sector, this one will feel familiar and probably spark a few strong opinions of your own.

Steve Kerslake is the founder of Construction Sport and one of the leading voices fighting to improve mental health across the construction industry.

Before launching Construction Sport, Steve worked on the tools and experienced first-hand the pressures, the culture, and the hidden struggles happening every day on building sites. His own journey includes major personal challenges from a life-changing acid attack to serious health issues that pushed him to breaking point and it shaped his mission to support those who feel they have nowhere to turn.

In this episode, Steve opens up about the realities behind the UK’s construction suicide crisis why it’s happening, what’s being missed, and the cultural issues that continue to put workers at risk. He also shares why he launched Construction Sport and how the organisation is now helping vulnerable people across the industry.

We explore:

• Why suicide rates in construction remain the highest of any UK sector
• The pressures, behaviours, and cultural norms that often go unnoticed
• Steve’s own journey through trauma and how it shaped his purpose
• Why the industry’s current systems aren’t enough to protect workers
• What construction companies can do to create safer, stronger environments
• How Construction Sport is providing support where traditional routes fail

This is one of the most honest and emotional conversations ever recorded on the podcast and an important one for anyone working in construction, managing teams, or trying to create positive change in the industry.

Fraser Munro is the Founder of Mfive Consultancy and one of the rare people in our sector who truly understands Design & Build from both sides of the table.

Fraser started his career in pre-con at LiquidSpace before becoming part of the founding team at ThirdWay, helping grow it into one of the leading Design & Build firms in London. After travelling the world and returning post-COVID, he launched Mfive Consultancy, a business that blends project management with deep D&B experience.

Because Fraser has sat in both chairs, contractor and consultant - there’s no pulling the wool over his eyes. He’s seen the tricks, the tactics, the commercial manoeuvres and the subtle ways both contractors and project managers can influence cost, programme, and decision-making.

In this episode, we explore:

• How Fraser helped build ThirdWay and what he learned from scaling a D&B business • The difference between how contractors think vs how consultants think • The tactics used on both sides of the table and why transparency matters • What’s changed in the D&B world over the last decade, and what still needs to change • Why the industry desperately needs more forward thinkers taking a lead role in shaping its future

Fraser brings experience, honesty, and a perspective that cuts through the noise.

A brilliant conversation with someone who’s seen the industry from every angle and isn’t afraid to say where it can be better.

Faisal Amin is the Managing Director of Peak One Partners, a specialist consultancy helping construction companies master business development and sales.

Unlike many in the sector, Faisal didn’t come from a construction background. His experience is rooted in pure business development and it’s that outsider perspective that’s given him a clear view of what the industry is getting wrong.

After spotting a gap in the market, he launched Peak One Partners to help contractors improve how they win work from refining their sales processes to building better client relationships. Faisal believes construction is a sales industry, even if most people don’t see it that way, and that the skills needed to sell effectively are rarely taught or embraced across the sector.

In this episode, we dive into:

• How most contractors are missing out on projects due to weak business development processes • Why the construction industry needs to stop fearing the word “sales” • What genuine business development looks like beyond chasing tenders and cold calls • The key differences between transactional selling and relationship-driven growth

Faisal brings a refreshing, commercial lens to the conversation challenging traditional mindsets and offering practical steps to help contractors rethink how they approach clients, pipeline, and growth.

This one’s for anyone in construction who wants to stop relying on luck and start building a real business development strategy that wins.

Jonathan Naylor is the Managing Director of Concept Construction, a multi-million-pound contractor specialising in the retail and leisure sectors.

Jonathan’s journey into construction is far from typical. Starting out in a builder’s merchants, he worked his way up through the industry with an instinct for sales and a natural ability to build and retain strong client relationships. That commercial edge has been central to his success but it’s also given him a front-row seat to the issues holding the sector back.

In this episode, Jonathan speaks openly about the realities contractors face today: from tender packs getting thinner and pushing design responsibility onto contractors, to the growing problem of blended roles: where, for example, designers are asked to evaluate tenders despite not being trained surveyors. He shares how these shifts are reshaping the way projects are won, priced, and delivered.

We explore:

- How Jonathan went from the merchant’s desk to running a multi-million-pound contracting business

- Why client relationships are the lifeblood of sustainable growth - The impact of poor-quality tender packs on contractors and project outcomes - Why blended roles and cost-cutting measures could be hurting the industry in the long run

Jonathan brings honesty, insight, and a practical perspective on what it takes to survive and succeed in today’s construction market.

Stephen is the Managing Director of Williams SW, a M&E Contracting business.

Beginning his career as a plumbing apprentice, Stephen has worked his way through every layer of the industry, experiencing the tough realities of construction first-hand.

Alongside growing his contracting firm, Stephen has also carved a path as a residential-to-commercial property developer, giving him a unique perspective on both building and investing in projects.

From struggling to find money for wages to facing non-payment from main contractors, Stephan’s journey hasn’t been smooth. But through grit, resilience, and sheer determination, he’s built a thriving company and earned his place as a respected contractor and developer in the industry.

In this episode, we explore:

• How Stephen went from apprentice to running a £6M firm • His journey into residential-to-commercial property development • The harsh realities of cashflow, non-payment, and fighting to survive in construction • Why resilience and belief are key traits for anyone growing a business in the industry • The lessons Stephan has learned about leadership, growth, and staying the course

Stephen’s story is raw, honest, and a reminder of what it really takes to build success in construction and property when the odds are stacked against you.

Lee Day is the Managing Director of Area Europe, a design and build company delivering workplace projects across the continent as part of the Fourfront Group.

A designer by trade, Lee’s career began in the furniture world before expanding into workplace consultancy and, ultimately, design and build. What’s never changed is his passion for the creative side of the industry the way exposed M&E services can transform a space, or how a team of specialists can come together to produce a true showpiece workplace.

Now leading Area Europe, Lee is spearheading the delivery of projects throughout Europe, while keeping one core principle at the heart of it all: maintaining the feel of a local supply chain, no matter where the project is based.

In this episode, we explore:

• How Lee’s design background shaped his approach to leading a European D&B business • Why creativity and technical detail both matter in building great workplaces • The challenges and opportunities of delivering projects at scale across Europe • How Area Europe balances global reach with a “local partner” feel

Lee brings creativity, perspective, and a clear love for what makes the design and build industry special. This one’s packed with insights into how workplaces are being delivered across Europe, and what it really takes to get it right.