I built a $200 million national services business from scratch without ever writing a business plan. I had a vision, I believed in it, and I kept taking one more step. Now I help founders and business owners do the same.
Set a clear vision. Believe in it. Then break it down until the next step is obvious, and take it.
Sometimes you take one step forward and two steps back. That's business. But if you hadn't taken that step forward, you'd be three behind instead of two. Forward momentum and simple, progressive steps are what build something that lasts.
The X is whatever your next step is. That's what we work out together.
I'll walk into your boardroom in a suit, or meet you at the pub over a chicken parmie and a beer. Money doesn't fall out of computer screens and spreadsheets. It comes from people dealing with people, from connections, and from doing things smarter, not harder.
From a one-off health check to coming on the journey with you as a non-executive director and investor.
A deep dive into your business and a clear plan for your next One More X.
One-offOne-on-one sessions on business, leadership, mindset and life balance.
MonthlySustainable growth that moves you towards passive income, without selling.
By applicationA 3 to 5 year plan to scale, then sell for the strongest possible multiple.
By applicationA genuine MC and speaker who adapts to your vibe, from a 500-guest wedding to a funeral service.
By event
Not long ago I was over 120 kg, on painkillers, and couldn't hold a conversation after a flight of stairs. Nothing at work slowed down. What changed was how I looked after myself.
You don't have to trade your health for high performance. The same approach that got me through 100 km of Sydney bushland at the Sydney Ultra Marathon, and across the finish line at HYROX in Sydney and Las Vegas, is how I think about business: don't look at the finish line, look at the next step.
126 days stuck over the border, the grandmother who backed me, and why business leaders are heroes too.
Cyclones, tornadoes and floods, and keeping Queensland connected through it all.
My conversation with Scott Dillon of 365 Performance on health and high performance.
Tell me where you want to take your business. I'll be straight with you about how to get there.
Self-employed my whole life. Founder of TVH. Non-executive director. Dad, husband, mate, ultra runner.
I started earning at 13, mowing lawns, raking leaves and doing handyman jobs for the neighbours before and after school. By 17 I'd saved an $80,000 cash deposit, kept under my bed, and bought my first house.
In 2011 I started TVH, a mechanical, electrical, fire and HVAC hygiene services business. Over the next fifteen years we grew it into a $200 million national company with around 800 staff and 43 self-delivered locations, from Darwin to Melbourne and Port Hedland to Townsville.
I never wrote a business plan. I had a vision of where we were going, I believed in it, and I broke it down into one more tender, one more job, one more happy client, one more payroll.
In 2026 I stepped back from day-to-day management. I remain a non-executive director and shareholder of TVH, and I've started One More X to help other founders, business owners and leadership teams build something that lasts.
My mission is straightforward: live, laugh, love, and always be human in everything we do. In a world of automation, endless emails and AI bots, people still connect with people.
Mowing lawns, raking leaves, handyman jobs and delivering prescriptions for the local pharmacy, all before and after school. My nan was my biggest backer.
Bought with an $80,000 cash deposit I'd squirrelled away under my bed.
My first business, run out of Milperra, on the tools as a tradesman.
Director, building the foundations for what came next.
Started from scratch with a vision to do things differently in HVAC hygiene and facilities services.
Spent 126 days living in Rockhampton during the COVID border closures to lead the transition. TVHi launched the same year.
Led crews through Cyclone Jasper, the Christmas tornadoes and Cyclone Kirrily to keep communities connected.
Took TVH through due diligence and into a 49% private equity partnership. I'm still actively involved as a director and shareholder, and I see first-hand what a founder brings that a spreadsheet can't.
Stepped back to non-executive director at TVH and founded One More X.
She nurtured my desire to do things differently. Whenever I got in trouble for questioning the status quo or pushing boundaries, she encouraged me to keep going. She passed in February 2022 at 93, and her wise words and loving truth bombs are still with me in every big decision.
Read the open letter →
Building TVH took a lot, and my family made sacrifices no one else will ever fully understand. I've learnt you don't have to trade your health or your family for success. That's a big part of what I want to pass on.
You are exactly where you are meant to be.
HYROX in Las Vegas, the Las Vegas Half Marathon, and 100 km of the Sydney Ultra Marathon in 18.5 hours.
Business health checks, mentoring, coaching and non-executive board roles, with a particular focus on trades, construction and services businesses. Small, medium or large. Plus MC and public speaking for the moments that matter.
A one-off, honest look at your business: people, operations, numbers, growth and risk. You walk away knowing exactly where you stand and what your next One More X is.
Regular one-on-one sessions covering business, leadership, mindset and life balance. You join the One More X network and get someone in your corner who has been there.
I come on board as a non-executive director or advisor on a retainer, with the option to co-invest. Together we build sustainable growth and move you from working in the business to earning from it.
A 3 to 5 year plan with clear goals and deliverables to scale, often through acquisitions, then sell for the strongest multiple. I go on the whole journey with you, as an investor where it makes sense.
A genuine MC and public speaker who adapts to your vibe. From a formal, traditional wedding with 500 guests, to an event where you need someone to work the room, to an MC who can hold the room through a funeral service. JL can and will do it all.
Sell your business for 4X
In some industries that's 3 or 4 times earnings. In others it's 10. The multiple depends on how the business is built, and that's the part we work on together.
I've taken a business through private equity due diligence and the deal itself, from the founder's side of the table, and I'm still actively involved today as a director and shareholder of a private equity-backed business. Private equity brings discipline and capital. A founder brings the relationships, the culture and the shoe leather that actually makes the money. I help you get both right.
Every business is different, so every engagement is too. Get in touch and we'll work out what fits.
Stories from twenty years of building a business, and what they taught me.
Scott Dillon and I talk about long days, constant travel, and building habits that hold up under real pressure. Nothing changed at work. What changed was how I looked after myself.
Cyclones, tornadoes and floods over one Christmas, and what it took to keep Queensland connected through it all. In 20 years of business I'd never felt pressure like it, or so much pride in a team.
126 days stuck over the border, the grandmother who backed me from the start, and why I believe entrepreneurs and business leaders are heroes too.
Today marks exactly 12 months since I left our family home in NSW, filled with nervous excitement about my company's first big acquisition which was about to take place in Central QLD. It was the very same day that the Queensland Premier announced the COVID-19 border shutdown:
"Queensland borders will close to New South Wales & the Australian Capital Territory from 1am Saturday, August 8. All visitors will be denied entry except for rare exemptions & returning Queenslanders will have to pay for 14 days mandatory hotel quarantine." — Annastacia Palaszczuk (QLD Premier)
I received my exemption to cross the border at around 11pm, only to be denied access and instructed to contact the Queensland Health Minister on Monday. After staying in Tweed Heads for three days, I was finally permitted to make the trip. Little did I know that I would not see my family again until the 12th of December, 2021. I could get home but would not be allowed back into the state where the business needed me, which left me stuck for:
Surprising the family with my homecoming was a wonderful experience, especially with the festive season excitement setting in. However, testing positive for Covid on Christmas Day and having to stay housebound until the New Year was definitely not part of our much-anticipated seasonal schedule. As a new year began, we knew the hardest was yet to come as my 93-year-old grandmother was now in palliative care.
My grandmother believed in me from a very early age. She nurtured my desire to do things differently. She subtly supported me from the wings as I pushed back against restrictive family norms and expectations. Whenever I got in trouble for questioning the status quo or pushing boundaries, she encouraged me to keep going.
As a young teenager, I did odd jobs (like mowing the lawn for elderly neighbours) before and after school instead of attending music lessons. While this was not the norm, my grandmother spurred me on. By 17, I'd squirrelled away enough cash under my bed to buy a house, and that was the beginning of the rest of my life.
I had no idea how much it would hurt when my hero passed on Saturday the 12th of February, leaving us with many special memories, including the wise words and loving truth bombs she had shared during pivotal moments.
And while all of this played out, I was navigating a service-based business through Covid while transitioning our largest acquisition to date and managing a huge growth phase. In the last 12 months, the business had almost doubled in size (350+ staff) and revenue (close to $100 million). There was, and is, a lot of responsibility resting on my shoulders. That's why I will be forever grateful for my incredibly resilient business partners and staff, many of whom I am fortunate to call friends not employees.
As business growth has continued and border restrictions have lifted, I've been on the move a lot. Business travel has taken me away from my extraordinary wife and two beautiful children (who would all make your heart skip a beat if you met them!).
And, as an entrepreneur, I feel people's eyes on me. I hear the comments they make. I receive feedback about how I need to be a "better" husband and father. Usually, I don't engage in these types of conversations because I know how my family feel. They have my back, understand my battles and cheer me on, near or far. I also make a consistent, conscious effort to be present and spend quality time with them whenever I possibly can.
However, recently, this "feedback" has become quite overwhelming. Of course, I know that spending time away from home is my choice, but why is it not deemed heroic when an entrepreneur makes such choices while so many other professions are applauded for their service to society? The Defence Force, pilots, professors, maritime shipping staff, space station explorers, oil and gas/offshore operators… the list goes on.
In my humble opinion, entrepreneurs and business leaders are heroes, too. I know for a fact that I have changed and saved a life in the past 12 months.
Sometimes that comes in the form of supplying resources and support for people in their moments of need. Other times, it involves training and developing individuals to better serve their community with products or services. All the time, we're providing employment that puts food on family tables.
I don't do what I do for money. I do what I do because I am passionate about helping, mentoring and guiding people through life. It is not always glamorous. In fact, it rarely is. This way of life demands unthinkable levels of dedication, courage and resilience, and I love it.
Thank you for taking the time to read my personal letter.
← All articlesOver the past few months, I've been deeply entrenched in recovery efforts following a slew of natural disasters in Queensland. Fighting to get telecommunication networks online during cyclones, tornadoes and flooding has involved immense sacrifice and struggle. In 20 years of business, I've never felt pressure like it. But I've also never felt so much pride, in the TVH team and the heart-warming community spirit that has emerged during such trying times.
It's incredibly difficult to put such chaotic and catastrophic events into words, but I know I need to. Firstly, I want to raise awareness about how devastating these natural disasters have been for the people of Queensland. I also want to offer a reminder that shared purpose is powerful and makes things meaningful, even business. Hundreds of other people's stories deserve to be heard, but for now, this is mine.
The journey began in November when I was in Queensland to streamline TVH's operations. I met lots of new faces, and we were creating fantastic momentum. I hadn't seen my family much lately, so we flew to Brisbane for the week before the company Christmas party. That's when Cyclone Jasper struck Cairns, setting off a chain of events that would require all our energy and resources.
I received a call from our customer, one of the largest telecommunications network providers, and was requested to fly to Cairns immediately. I promptly left my family in Brisbane and flew to Cairns. Our task was clear: restore vital communication infrastructure across the region, ensuring that communities remained connected during the crisis.
The cyclone came and went, but then there was a deluge of rain for days, so much rain I forgot what the sun was like.
A whirlwind of activity followed, with teams working tirelessly to deploy and refuel generators, overcome logistical hurdles, and navigate treacherous conditions while flying in personnel and coordinating with government agencies and emergency services. As the days wore on, we worked around the clock. I was part of a daily group call referred to as "the bridge" from the crack of dawn until everyone was home safe, which was usually midnight or beyond. At one point, I remember a colleague noticing I had only eaten a blueberry muffin in a 24 to 48-hour period. There was simply no time for anything but the pursuit of our mission.
It was incredible witnessing the hospitality of North Queenslanders, who rallied together to support our efforts. From offering accommodation to sharing meals, their generosity was astounding. One local pub owner welcomed our exhausted team with open arms, even washing their clothes while they rested in the bistro with a steak and a beer, wearing nothing more than their underwear. These were all moments of profound humanity.
We did as much as possible on the ground, but when conditions got too dicey, we started using helicopters. At Bloomfield, we had to land on a sports ground, and a couple of teenagers with ATVs took our generators and fuel up the mountains. Another memory that will stick with me forever was when members of my team delivered a Christmas ham to some locals who had let us land in their backyard to access network huts.
The next challenge came in the dense Daintree Rainforest. The Mossman exchange faced a critical fuel shortage, threatening the entire fibre network's integrity. With only two hours before far North Queensland and some remote islands would lose all communications, we had to find a solution without driving (due to landslides and flood waters) or flying (it was a no-fly day). Fortunately, a local ex-employee managed to contact a friend who lived nearby, and he literally waded through the water to break into the facility, with permission, using jerry cans of fuel to keep the generator running. The team's resilience was remarkable; they spent 18 hours a day completely soaking wet. But when each generator started and another community was brought out of isolation and back online, you could almost feel a group applause. It was electric.
When all sites were operational again, it marked the end of a challenging yet rewarding chapter. We even celebrated over a few drinks before heading home on Christmas Eve (with a headache). But our troubles didn't end there. Just as we thought we could catch our breath on Christmas Day, I was informed that tornadoes were, without warning, tearing through Southeast Queensland. I remember looking at my wife, Jade, and simply saying, "I've got to go", then boarding the first flight to Brisbane in the morning.
The damage caused by the tornadoes in Southeast Queensland was probably worse than Cyclone Jasper, catching us unprepared and with everyone on annual leave. I urgently called 15 to 20 staff, asking them to come in despite the holiday. It was mayhem as we scrambled to acquire equipment and struggled with staff shortages. Despite our efforts, site outages continued to build.
I remember someone reaching out on "the bridge" to say that if we lost two more critical sites that night, no one would be able to ring emergency services. I managed to contact Braden, my Southeast Queensland electrical supervisor, who, along with his colleague, came to the rescue despite being on holidays hours away. They had no idea at the time, but those two men effectively kept the Queensland emergency services network running that night.
The storms were just relentless. Every day, we would get ten sites back online, and then another storm would hit at night, knocking out another fifteen. We just couldn't make headway. It was such a pressure cooker.
On New Year's Eve, my family were in Coolangatta. I said I'd visit, and that night I drove through one of the worst storms I've ever experienced. I remember pulling over, exhausted, crying and thinking, "Can these storms please stop?". It was a melting pot of emotions, from the challenge and the stress to the achievement and the amazing people on my team. I spent the morning with my family, and by midday, I'd been called back to ground control.
Thankfully, the Southeast Queensland turmoil eventually passed by. I left on January 4th, coinciding with my daughter's 16th birthday. My Southeast Queensland team could take over, allowing me to surprise her at home. Then, after a couple of pre-arranged weeks working away for staff onboarding, came the discussion about Cyclone Kirrily hitting Townsville.
Having just returned home, I told Jade I wouldn't need to join this recovery mission. I spent the first half of the week doing absolutely everything I could to assist our local Townsville team with fuel, generators and semi-trailers.
But then I got a call from our customer requesting that I run the recovery in person. So, I packed my bags and spent an eerie flight wondering why I was choosing to fly into the eye of a cyclone! Thankfully, when I arrived, the damage was nowhere near as bad as expected. After a night in a hotel with the cyclone moving over our heads, the team and I executed an incredibly efficient recovery.
When I got home from Townsville, people asked how I felt. My response was simply, "I'm looking forward to Christmas", because that's how much of a blur the whole festive season felt. But now the dust has quite literally settled, I'm filled with a profound sense of pride, not just in what we've accomplished, but in the strength of our community and the resilience of the human spirit.
Throughout these tumultuous times, I've been humbled by the dedication and commitment of my team. From sacrificing holiday plans to working tirelessly through the night, they exemplified the true meaning of teamwork and solidarity. I want to say a huge thank you again to every single one of them. It is amazing what you can achieve when everyone is motivated by a shared purpose instead of dollars and cents.
One thing I have learnt recently is that, in life, "You are exactly where you are meant to be". The last few months have proved that to me. So, get comfortable, look for the purpose behind your situation and recognise that you are exactly where you are meant to be right now.
← All articlesBoardroom, phone call or a beer at the pub. Book a call, or tell me a bit about you and your business and I'll get back to you personally.
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