G’day Legend,
Welcome to the latest edition of the Yarn. We just celebrated our fifth birthday but how’s this for one even better: TIACS is turning three! That’s right, three full years of free counselling for Aussie tradies, truckies, and blue collar workers. Huge thanks to every single one of you legends for supporting TradeMutt and TIACS to make sure that we keep making the invisible issue of tradie mental health impossible to ignore. And don’t forget: text or call 0488 846 988 whenever you need to start a conversation with a professional. Don’t forget to tell your mates about TIACS either. When in doubt, TIACS is there for you.
Thanks legends, Dan, Ed, and the TradeMutt team
Dan takes the stage at TEDx
G’day Legends,
Late last year, Dan got up on stage in Brisbane as part of TEDxBrisbane’s return to the stage after a few years disrupted by COVID. Given that we’re not Dan, we’re gonna let you know it was an incredible talk that he gave up on that stage in front of the attendees.
He was stirring, entertaining, tear-jerking, heartbreaking, and inspiring all at the same time. For a chippy that started selling colourful workwear, he did a pretty good job public speaking. But of course we’re going to say that, aren’t we?
In fact: the talk was so good TED went ahead and just published it to their YouTube channel right after we submitted it. They told us it could take weeks to do that! As the first cab off the rank for the 2023 TEDxBrisbane video releases, Dan’s went down with a splash. Thousands of you legends have watched it, commented on it, and sent it around to family and friends.
Every bit of interaction with Dan’s TEDxBrisbane Talk gets us closer to a tradie who needs to talk to TIACS. It’s a bloody great talk, really, and we actually wouldn’t say it if it wasn’t true.
But that’s enough chit-chat from us. Here are Dan’s own words about it:
“If you had have asked me five years ago if I ever imagined that I would be delivering a TEDxTalk, I would have thought you were mad.
Well, as some of you may already know, last year I was honored to be invited to take the stage at TEDxBrisbane to share the story of how two tradies from Brisbane reinvented high-vis work wear to tackle the issue of mental health in a fun and innovative way.
After months of hard work including, writing, rewriting, editing, learning, practising and performing, I took the stage on Saturday the 3rd of December to deliver a story from the heart that hopefully makes the TradeMutt and TIACS communities proud.
That TEDx Talk has now gone live and I’m incredibly proud to be able to share it with you.
I do, however, have a very specific ask which could help TradeMutt and TIACS become recognised on a global scale…
- Watch
- Like
- Share
In the spirit of TED’s over-all mission to research and discover “ideas worth spreading”, our goal is to spread this talk as far and wide as possible to be able to grow our reach and impact as far and wide as possible. And with an audience of over 38 million subscribers, this TEDx talk presents an incredible opportunity to be able to positively impact the lives of many.
So if you’ve got 15 minutes spare, I’d love for you to watch my talk. If you like what you see, then clicking that little thumbs up button at the bottom of the YouTube video does more than you know. If you think others could benefit from watching, then please share the YouTube link to your LinkedIn, Facebook, email database, or to anywhere or anyone else that you think might enjoy viewing.
Ed and I can’t thank you enough for your continued support over the past five years. With your help by sharing this TEDx Talk, we can’t wait to tackle the next five years head on, taking an innovative approach to starting positive conversations and impacting the lives of vulnerable individuals right around Australia and possibly even the world.
Watch it on the our website via the link in the menu.
Cheers,
Dan”
Talking TIACS Impact At The Brisbane Bunnings Trade Expo
By Ed Ross
Dan and I as well as Jason from TIACS have been on the road for a few weeks hitting the big 3 expos on the east coast in Brisbane, Sydney, and Melbourne. They were all incredible events with many conversations, laughs and the odd tear here or there. However the chat I had with a 3rd year apprentice at the Brisbane expo stands out.
At most events Dan and I are fortunate enough to be inundated with people coming over, be it existing TradeMutt customers or people who are like, ‘What’s the go with these shit looking shirts?’ A conversation is started every time…
I was in a conversation with a group of people already when I noticed a young bloke standing off to the side but looking to get my attention. As soon as I was finished with the group, he shot straight over. ‘Just wanted to thank you and Dan for everything you do mate,’ he said. My standard response is, ‘Mate it is nothing we did, we just had an idea and a community of legends like you got behind us. I need to be thanking you!’
He went on to explain that he had been through a rough 12 months. Sadly he had lost his father not long ago, was in his 3rd year of a carpentry apprenticeship, and was not in a good place at all. Realising he needed help, he reached out to TIACS. Not only did he reach out, he locked in 7 sessions with one of our counsellors. When I asked him how the service was, his reply?
"I could never afford to gain access to counselling at this level if I had to pay for it. Being able to speak to the same counsellor through my sessions has been incredible as I have been challenged, supported and educated on how to improve my mental health and wellbeing."
We went on chatting a little longer and before he left I said, ‘Mate, make sure you tell your mates about TIACS and how the service has been for you so we can get more people through.’
‘Don’t worry,’ he said, ‘I have been telling everyone about it!’
TIACS, the mental health counselling service you tell your mates about.
ED
59,052 reasons why we do it.
While we donate 50% of our profits from every work shirt you buy to TIACS, we’re not the only business that donates to TIACS to provide free mental health counselling for tradies, truckies, and blue collar workers.
The TIACS Alliance is a growing group of Aussie businesses that also contribute to TIACS to pay the wages of licensed, qualified counsellors so that we can make sure help is always available. Even with this incredible support, sometimes we’re still blown away by one-off moments of generosity from outside our formal partnerships. Sometimes, the community just comes together to make big things happen. We couldn’t be prouder.
In the first week of May, out in Albury in southwestern New South Wales, a few legendary businesses came together to put on a super special fundraiser to combat declining mental health outcomes in rural Australia.
Led by Elders Albury/Wodonga and Paull & Scollard Nutrien Ag Solutions, the fundraiser was a charity cattle auction facilitated by the Northern Victoria Livestock Cattle Exchange. There were ten head of cattle up for auction and one was a double charity bonus with the cow bought to be served up to the local community.
Between the cattle auction and an extra three-day sale hosted by AuctionsPlus, the team down south managed to raise $59,052.40 to donate to TIACS. This massive figure will provide over 600 hours of free counselling to rural and farm workers across Australia.
LEGISLATIVE BLUES
Have you ever heard of Queensland’s “Managing the Risk of Psychosocial Hazards at work Code of Practice 2022”, or are you, like me, confused by at least one of those words?
The long and short of it, is that as of April 2023, Qld businesses need to factor for psychological health when considering the health & wellbeing of their workers, which includes managing psychosocial hazards and risks, aka, having a plan in place to make sure your team’s mental wellbeing is supported.
Well, what has 2 thumbs, and is keen to help your business get involved in Funky Shirt Friday? This guy!
Email us at sales@trademutt.com today to enquire! (no related pic – just wanted to confirm I have 2 thumbs...)
Shannen – TradeMutt Business Development Manager
Heroscopes
Aries Don’t let your hard hat get in the way of your big ideas this week.
Taurus Your determination is as strong as a reinforced steel beam, but maybe ease up on the servo pies at smoko.
Gemini Your witty banter will win you a few extra tea breaks this week.
Cancer When life feels like a dusty construction site, find solace in a weekend fishing trip.
Leo Embrace the adventure of change, just like exploring the outback in your trusty 4WD.
Virgo Time to put down the vape and pick up the tools; there’s work to be done.
Libra Balancing work and play can be tricky, but remember to pencil in some quality time at the local footy game.
Scorpio Your attention to detail will save you from another run-in with the boss.
Sagittarius Embrace the adventure of change, just like your never-ending search for the perfect snag sanga.
Capricorn Your disciplined work ethic will have you leading the pack like a true blue Aussie shearer. Shear brilliance!
Aquarius Your innovative ideas may raise a few eyebrows, but at least it’s not as bad as Bob’s dodgy hairpiece.
Pisces Dive into that paint can of creativity and make a masterpiece out of those drab walls.
