Back in 2018, when Dan and I launched TradeMutt, we had no idea what we were in for. We were just two tradies trying to kickstart conversations. One of the early legends who backed us was Russ.
Russ came on board when TradeMutt was still just an idea. He helped us get into China and became our key contact for manufacturing. Without him, those early days would’ve been a lot harder.
By March we launched. By June, we were flat out, running a business we barely knew how to manage. Then something happened that stopped us in our tracks.
The world lost Anthony Bourdain. A man loved for his honesty and storytelling. From the outside, his life looked perfect, but it wasn’t. His death was a gut punch.
Russ saw a post from a mental health charity acknowledging Bourdain’s passing. In the comments, someone wrote:
“This is where I’m headed.”
Russ saw it for what it was, a young bloke crying out for help. So he messaged him.
They got talking. He was a tradie who’d recently split with his partner, was broke, and in a dark place. He’d reached out for help, and was waiting to hear back.
When we heard that, we threw our hands up.
“This is the whole fucken problem. We tell people to reach out, but no one’s there.”
We weren’t flush with cash, but we knew we had to do something. So we called Apples from Bretts Timber & Hardware.
He didn’t hesitate.
“Leave it with me.”
A few hours later, he called back. Bretts would cover the cost to get this bloke professional help. And it worked. He got the support he needed.
That moment sparked the idea for TIACS.
Last Friday, almost five years on, Dan and I stood in front of 400+ tradies and business owners at the Level Up Experience hosted by Duayne Pearce.
We shared how TradeMutt’s Funky Shirt Fridays start conversations. How every shirt has a QR code linking to TIACS, a professional, confidential mental health service for blue-collar workers.
Over 550 new clients access TIACS every quarter. Most are tradies. Most need support with relationships or money, just like that young bloke in 2018.
And where were we delivering that message?
Bretts Timber & Hardware.
The same place that backed us five years ago.
Full circle.
