“Watching my mum juggle three jobs to raise five kids on her own showed me what real work ethic looks like. It made me hungry. If she could hold our family together like that, I had no excuse. That drive still fuels everything I do,” says serial entrepreneur Joe Berriman.

From a tough childhood, through near-death experiences, to building multiple successful businesses by his twenties, Joe credits his no guts no glory attitude as the secret to his success.

The entrepreneur turned business coach is the first to admit his early life wasn’t exactly smooth sailing. By 14, he had been expelled from school.

“Getting expelled felt like the end of the road at the time but it was actually the start. I was angry, frustrated, and unsure where I’d end up. Moving to Krambach and starting my carpentry apprenticeship gave me direction. I learned quickly that no one’s coming to save you. You’ve got to get after it.”

Then, at 18, Joe faced something far more dangerous, a near-death experience in WA that would shape his entire approach to life and business. A case of mistaken identity saw the teenager being abducted and left for dead by teh side of the road.

“That moment in WA changed everything. When you’re left for dead and somehow survive, your perspective on life flips. I promised myself then if I made it through, I’d stop playing small. That moment gave me urgency, courage, and a zero-excuse mindset.”

A survivor’s mindset

Leaving WA behind, the teenager returned to his hometown of Newcastle and decided to set up a business. His first foray back into construction was a joint venture with two others. It started out well with him and his partner residing comfortably in a penthouse, but ended abruptly, leaving him at risk of losing his car. After this business failure, Joe had a decision to make: play it safe or trust himself.

“I realised I’d rather back myself and fail than rely on someone else and stay stuck. The joint venture falling over gave me the clarity I needed. I knew I had the work ethic. I just needed to bet on me.”

Sometimes, the push we need comes from unexpected places. For Joe, it came during a Reiki session.

“Midway through the session, the masseuse just stopped and looked me dead in the eye and said, ‘You already know what you need to do, you’re just scared to do it’. It was like he’d pulled the words straight out of my head. No fluff, no motivational speech, just brutal honesty. That moment snapped something into place. I walked out of there, opened my laptop, started quoting jobs, and made the call that I was going all in. That one conversation flipped the switch.”

Chasing momentum, not money

Joe says backing himself paid off fast. Within weeks, he had scored a staggering amount of work.

“I landed over a million bucks in work straight off the bat because I’d already laid the groundwork. I’d built trust, delivered results, and people knew I could get the job done. So when I finally backed myself and launched, it wasn’t starting from scratch. It was just giving people the green light to work with me directly. No fancy website, no big team, just a solid reputation and the drive to deliver.”

By 22, Joe had become a millionaire, and he makes it clear it wasn’t about chasing dollars.

“I didn’t become a millionaire by chasing money. I chased momentum. I made fast decisions, reinvested, moved quickly on opportunities, and didn’t let fear slow me down. I also hired early, which most tradies avoid.”

Scaling up: from building to property development

Soon, building, renovating and flipping properties wasn’t enough, and Joe segued into property development. The move brought bigger risks but also bigger rewards.

“The leap into development came with big lessons. Cash flow pressure, DA headaches, risk. But it also came with a big upside. I learned to play a bigger game. The key was building a team and creating systems fast. Otherwise, the whole thing would’ve swallowed me.”

Thinking back on the time, Joe says some projects stick out more than others.

“The first multimillion-dollar subdivision I did was special. Not just because of the scale, but because I did it on my terms. I backed myself when most would’ve waited years. That job proved to me I was capable of more.”

The switch to coaching

Eventually, Joe realised his passion extended beyond bricks and mortar. He wanted to ‘build’ people, too.

“Coaching found me. Other builders started asking for advice, then developers, then business owners outside of construction. I realised what lit me up wasn’t just building houses. It was building people. Premier & Co came from that.”

Having worked with over 500 business owners, he’s noticed a common trap.

“The biggest mistake? Thinking busy means successful. I see business owners with full calendars and empty profits. They’re on the tools, in the emails, doing it all themselves. They don’t build real teams or real systems. Just glorified jobs.”

Joe says there is a mindset shift needed if you want your business to succeed.

“When you stop hiring to fill gaps and start building a high-performance team, everything changes. You go from managing people to leading players. That’s when scale, freedom, and impact actually become possible.”

Designing a business that supports your life

Joe tells Business Builders he loves seeing clients transform.

“One that sticks with me is a builder who was ready to shut the doors. No structure, no direction, no confidence. Fast forward six months, and he’s built a team, stepped off the tools, and bought his first investment property. Different person now. That’s the real win.”

For him, the business is a means to live the life he wants, not a life built around the business.

“It means doing what you love every week, not waiting for some one day retirement. For me, that’s riding motorbikes, building businesses, travelling, and spending time with my fiancé. The business is built to support that, not the other way around.”

Joe says avoiding burnout is key.

“Burnout used to hit me hard. Now I build buffers. I plan my calendar around performance, training, sleep, and time away. I buy back my time aggressively and say no to anything that doesn’t serve the mission or my energy.”

An advisory board also keeps him sharp.

“My advisory board is like my inner circle of weapons. People who challenge me, give perspective, and keep the ego in check. Every serious business owner needs one, even if it’s just two or three trusted operators.”

Systems, cash flow and taking action

When it comes to systems and cash flow, Joe keeps it simple.

“I focus on cash flow like a hawk. Weekly reports, clear payment terms, knowing my numbers. And I systemise everything that’s repeatable, quoting, onboarding, delivery, marketing. If it can be mapped, it can be scaled.”

For young tradies feeling stuck, he has this advice:

“You don’t need it all figured out to start. Just back your work ethic, keep learning, and build one step at a time. Most people wait too long.”

And failure?

“Early on, failure used to feel personal. Now I see it as feedback. I expect it. It’s part of the process. The only real failure is not learning or not getting back up.”

Even if Joe had all the money in the world, he says he wouldn’t slow down.

“I’d still be doing exactly what I’m doing now, but probably from a track day in Italy or a boat in Bali. I love business. I love helping people. I love moving fast and building things that matter. The vision is what keeps me sharp.”

Want more? Get our newsletter delivered straight to your inbox!  Follow Business Builders on Facebook , X , Instagram , and LinkedIn.