The average New Zealander will spend a third of their lifetime working and up to 160 hours commuting every year. They're a business' greatest asset. To get the best out of this human resource requires a human connection. So we're about to drop a range of New Zealand bosses into an experience that will show them what life is really like for their workers. Will this experience inspire the boss to make meaningful change for their workers? And will employees see their boss through new eyes? Tonight ` Licensed Renovations Managing Director Russell Clark takes on the challenge to live with one of his young building apprentices. Oh, I'm feeling a little bit excited, and a little bit nervous. But how will this building boss cope leaving his boys toys behind to live with tiny house-loving vegetarian Sophie? Good morning. How are ya? Hello. How are you? And how will he cope with being back on the tools? (GROANS) (CHUCKLES) Right on the stud. It will be an experience that brings this jokie-blokie tradie to tears. Knock-knock. I feel quite emotional. (CHUCKLES) I really do. It's, um... I actually really got emotional. Can green-living Sophie inspire Russell to improve conditions for all his workers at Licensed Renovations? A bit of a win-win for me and a win-win for you guys, you know? (APPLAUSE) www.able.co.nz Copyright Able 2020 (GENTLE MUSIC) My name is Sophie Jack. I am 23, and I am a building apprentice for a renovations company doing residential renovations. I guess, a typical working day would be getting up very early; having my breakfast and out the door; battling the Auckland traffic most days; and getting on-site for 7.30. Depending on what the job scope is, I guess it just progresses throughout the day what work is required. If there's any material pick-ups, then I'll head off in the van, pick them up. If someone else needs anything from another site delivered or picked up, that's me, and going to the different trade depots to pick up materials with my shopping list from the builders. Lots of head height and` Yes. Definitely head height. Currently, Sophie is renting in West Auckland with her partner, Adam, but she has big plans for a tiny house lifestyle. I'm a tiny bit obsessed with tiny houses. I want to, after I get qualified, build my own tiny house for me and my partner to live in as our first home. But I want to make it so it's all reclaimed timbers and really eco-friendly, and that's my way of promoting sustainable living. Sophie is the first female building apprentice to work at Licensed Renovations, but being the only female on the entire site can have its downside. It's definitely a male-dominated industry. Meeting other people on the job site that have not so positive attitude towards females on the building site. That's always a challenge. And having confidence around that, doing your job as a female in a male-dominated work area. But that's not Sophie's only concern. Seeing quite a lot of waste, stuff that goes through skip bins and a lot of skip bins turning out every other day, especially in the demo period of the work. So, everything just goes in the skip bin and straight into landfill. In the industry as a whole, it's just second nature. That's what they got taught, so then that's what they're teaching, and it would be cool just to have Russell walk away from this experience just being more open-minded and educated about sustainability. (INSPIRING MUSIC) That could be a big ask for Sophie's V8-loving old-school building boss. My name's Russell Clark, and I'm the General Manager and Director of Licensed Renovations. We specialise in all types of renovation, but I have a real passion for villas and bungalows. It's just awesome turning these old beautiful homes. Yeah, just give them some life again. And there's a lot of craftsmanship in that, so you're working with all the old timbers, so just using the whole craft` And, yeah, not everyone gets that privilege to work on some of these beautiful homes, so I'm pretty fortunate. I've been off the tools for many years, and so my day-to-day routine is come into the office, answering emails, making phone calls, putting out all the fires if there are any. Building as a career and the construction industry as a career, it's just an awesome industry, you know? It's forever changing. You get huge variety. You're in the outdoors a lot of the time. But it doesn't stop there. There's all sorts of different avenues you can go down. Russell has found a way to pass on his passion for building by training apprentices and sharing his 36 years of experience on the tools. I've always been really keen coaching and training young people. Yeah, I've got some of my apprentices that have moved on and got their own companies ` really successful ` and it's wonderful. Yeah, I look back, and I feel really, really, really proud that I've given them the opportunity. And, uh, yeah, it's really satisfying. So, how does this boss feel about spending a week back on the tools with an employee? I'm really looking forward to getting back on to the building site again, getting out of the office. I think I'm getting a bit soft. Russell is quite a joker, and there's quite a few dad jokes, so hopefully I can live with that and survive the dad jokes. (ENCHANTING MUSIC) It's the first day of the social experiment, and in Wiri, Russell Clark is packing for his upcoming trip, and he has a surprise in store for Sophie. Oh, my sleeping attire, which is a vegan cow. I hope she likes that. With an injured ankle, Master Builder Russell uses a little Kiwi ingenuity to help him on his way. This is my electric reel for hapuka. I haven't caught a hapuka yet, but it's been really good with my ankle to get my groceries up the stairs, and it's worked out well today to get my bag down. (LUGGAGE THUDS) This company owner is leaving his boys toys and man cave behind to live with building apprentice Sophie to try and understand why females account for only 3% of construction tradespeople. Oh, I'm feeling a little bit excited, and a little bit nervous. Just gonna get some real good insight about young people's lives and, in particular, a woman in the construction industry. I'm not really sure how Sophie's feeling today with her boss coming to her house. I hope she's gonna be really excited. (EASY-GOING MUSIC) Sophie lives in Glen Eden ` an affordable West Auckland suburb popular with families and young people. She's about to welcome her 52-year-old boss into her home for the first time. Understandably, she's a bit apprehensive. Mixed emotions ` nervous and excited. Normally, you have your personal life separate to your work life, so having your boss have an insight and live with you for a bit will be a different experience, but hopefully it will be all good. (CHUCKLES) But will the experience help Russell attract more young people to a career in the trades? And will it make his home renovation business more sustainable? I'm really hoping to learn a little bit more about Sophie, a little bit more about her thoughts as a young person in the building industry. Cos what I think she may want or need or think might be absolutely 100% different to what I think. Good morning. How are ya? Hello. How are you? I'm good. Thank you. Good. Come on in. Come on in. Come on in? Oh, thank you. Yep. Oh, this is a nice little spot, eh? Thank you. Wow. I hardly recognise you with your hair down. Oh, thanks. (CHUCKLES) No. I look very different on the building site to now to` And you haven't got hat on, eh? Haven't got your hat on? No. Yes. I'm used to being the boss at work, and I'm actually used to being my own boss at home. The whole dynamics of this relationship, of her working with me, have now done a 360, and now I'm living in her home, and I don't know if I'll get to change channels on the TV remote when I want. Spare room/storage/clothes/guitars. Oh, look. All your guitars. Russell's tour of the compact house he'll be living in over the next few days is over in record time. We can try that later. Good stuff. Bedroom. Sweet. So, yeah. It's quite a small house. Oh, very nice. Well, you are into tiny houses. Yes, I know. Let's face it. Come on. It's gonna be a good transition. Yeah. Not every day you have your boss living with you, so I think it's` Hopefully, it will be a good experience, but a bit nervous at the moment. Just what to expect is unknown. The first task for the new flatmates is putting together the bed Russell will be sleeping on over the coming days. ...role reversal. I hate these kitsets. (CHUCKLES) I'm hopeless at these kitset things, I tell ya. I like doing kitsets. Do you? Yeah. Oh, right. Well, you're an expert, then. Included in the instructions are questions that will help them get to know each other. Oh. There's a couple of questions on there. READS: Describe what you were like at school? I guess I was quite quiet. Um... Yeah. Just always into sports and` I don't know. I did all my bookwork and study and stuff. But not much of an academic, I guess. I was really into music. Oh, OK. Cool. So I was in some` Did you go every day to school? I did. I actually went every single day. My mother was a school teacher,... Oh, yeah. ...initially, so, yeah. But I actually liked school. I loved the sports, so I was into every single sport at school. Um... Oh, yeah. I left in the fifth form and went and started my building apprenticeship. I guess that generation that was the way to go, which is quite cool, but now, I think, as you leave school, you're expected to finish school and then go straight into university. So, that's, I guess, a generational change. READS: What's been the best day of your life so far? I went on Spirit of Adventure` Oh, wow. ...for 10 days. So, I lived on a boat for 10 days, and that was a crazy, incredible experience. Awesome. So, that was probably a highlight. She's just revealing how she is, how courageous, how just outgoing. And I can see why she's in the construction industry because it's gonna offer all those things as well. All those challenges, she takes them absolutely head-on. And her biggest challenge now is me living with her. Who's your hero? I looked up to my old boss... OK. ...when I did my apprenticeship. Yeah. And I've known him since I was 10 years old. Yeah. Peter Jones. And he had a company called Argon Construction, who I did my apprenticeship with. And, yeah, he's been my mentor even now. We've had this real bond as a boss, as a friend, as a mentor. And, you know, we're still really good friends and in contact with each other regularly now. He's really encouraging as a boss and just wants to help young people get into the building industry cos he got helped out as a young person. So, he, I guess, wants to be a mentor to young people like me to help us through our building careers as well. (ELECTRONIC MUSIC) As the first day comes to an end, Russell is hoping a bit of humour will help Sophie cope with her boss camping out in her living room. Ready for bed. Oh, no. (CHUCKLES) (CHUCKLES) How's that, eh? I didn't know what to wear. Farm animals are sleeping outside, thanks. Oh, really? (CHUCKLES) Yep. (BOTH CHUCKLE) And you have a tail as well. I know. It's good, mate, you know? Overall, I've had an absolutely excellent day. Like, I've always had a friendship with Sophie. She's an amazing woman, you know? I don't have a daughter; I have one son. And, you know, if I had a daughter, I'd wish a daughter just like Sophie. And just spending the day with her today in her house, in her environment, in her lounge is` Yeah, I feel quite a closer bond, to be honest with you. Yeah. It's really special. I'm really privileged and honoured to have this opportunity to do this. Russell will need a good night's sleep. Tomorrow will be his first day back on the tools. Some days it will be more than others... Coming up ` Russell gets a reality check out on the road,... We're really starting to starting to take liberties with Sophie. ...and gets crash course on being a woman in construction. A lot of builders, especially the older builders, are very sexist. All it takes it this, this, this, and this ` simple, yet somehow brilliant, because like all classics, when it's right, you know it's right. * Licensed Renovations owner and director Russell Clark is living with female building apprentice Sophie. He's subjecting himself to life on the bottom rung of the building ladder to see if he can make his business better for all his workers. It's early morning in Glen Eden, and Sophie is prepping Russell for his first day as Licensed Renovations newest apprentice. Oh, morning, Russell. Morning, Sophie. How are ya? I'm good. How did you sleep? Really good. Really good in my kitset bed. (BOTH CHUCKLE) You didn't fall off? Fall out? No, no, no, no. We did a good job. It's still hanging in there. Normally, you don't have your boss in your house. So, yeah, I think, yeah, it was a bit weird. (CHUCKLES) Things are also a bit strange for the boss, who's about to have his first taste of a liquid breakfast. (EXCLAIMS) Brekkie? Yes. Chocolate protein smoothie. So, lots of` Lots of fruit and vegetables. Chin-chin. Oh, good and healthy for you. That'll keep you going all day. Yeah. Oh, that's nice. Mmm. So, do you have this every day? Yep. Every day on the way to work. It's my takeaway breakfast. Nice and quick. Yeah. Nice and quick. Nice and simple. Yeah. Yeah. (INSPIRING MUSIC) Today will be Russell's first day back on the tools in over a decade, and thanks to his sedentary office job, he may need a bigger tool belt. You got your tool belt? Got my tool belt. Not sure it's gonna fit me, though. (CHUCKLES) How long has it been? (CHUCKLES) A fair while. A fair while. A few years? Today, Russell is going to spend the day with me on my normal workday and what I do. Gonna be, I guess, quite nerve-wracking having the boss seeing what I do during the day, but I think it will be a good insight for him. The building site may still be a man's domain,... Good shot. (CHUCKLES) ...but Sophie gets straight down to business showing the boss how it's done. It's got the old sarking on that, eh? Oh, cos it's a stud. (CHUCKLES) (UPBEAT MUSIC) There's definitely that preconception or preconceived ideas saying that females are not strong enough to do demo work or lift things or not thinking like a man, but I like breaking down those barriers and showing them that females can do a man's job. Being an apprentice requires some heavy on-site work,... (GROANS) (CHUCKLES) Right in the stud. (GROANS) ...so being fit for the job is a priority for Sophie. That's a good start. 'It's quite physical work. I'd forgotten how physical it was, actually. 'And it's, you know, in there doing the thing. I mean, it's great, and, 'yeah, I know I'm gonna sleep well tonight.' This is better than answering emails. (THUD!) I'm already starting to puff. (CHUCKLES) Yeah. Well, you do have to be quite fit and healthy. Um, I... It is a manual labour job. You're always on the move, so if you're nice fit and healthy and eating right, it does pay you back in your energy levels to keep up with the pace of the job. Must be smoko. It's probably time for another protein shake, eh? (BOTH CHUCKLE) Yep. Yeah. Swinging on the sledgehammer, I'm quite tired really quickly. But Sophie seems to be going all day. It's amazing, her strength, and her ability to just keep on going. I don't know where she gets that from. Just got a message. With multiple jobs on the go at the same time, Licensed Renovations uses a group chat messenger service to communicate. So message says on our group chat, 'Hi, Sophie. Can you please run the laser level to our site?' So, we have to drop everything that we're doing. Oh, who's that? Bugger. That must be a blimming pain, innit? To drop and run? Yeah. Yeah. Does that happen enough? Yeah. Yeah. Having the van, you are the errand person. So, having to go deliver things, what's needed on to different sites. Russell is quickly learning what it's like for Sophie at the bottom of the building pile. It's good on days when you can just stay on one job site and just work your way through. It gets quite fun. But sometimes you have to drop what you're doing and go do a run like this. How much time do you spend on the road, then, Sophie? Some days it will be more than others, but quite often there will be maybe one day a week or two days a week where the whole day is jumping between different sites... Yeah. ...and not actually even putting my apron on, some days,... Wow. ...not even getting any tools out of the car. I didn't know how much time she'd spend in the van, you know, being a delivery person, really. So, um, yeah, that was quite insightful. The idea wasn't for her to sit there and do deliveries all day. Yeah. It was quite a surprise to actually see and hear how much time she does actually spend driving around in Auckland traffic. It's really interesting, the van thing because, you know, like, early stage when you first started, I guess, it would've been a real good thing for you because you've, yeah, you get around to different sites, you get to know different people, you figure out` That was my whole thought behind it. You get to figure out` Yeah. No, it definitely is a great starting point because then you get to see all the different job sites and meet all the people, all the other builders, get to know everyone. So it's` So, you've got a good hold of the site, but now it's time for you to, sort of, move on and get` Yeah. I think at some points, because the guys would know I'd be in the van and have the van, it would get to the point where it's like, 'Oh, Sophie's got the van. She can go drop it off. 'She can come pick it up.' But` Yeah. That was never my intention to be a run-around-in-the-van type. Yeah. You know? So, I really appreciate the feedback. It's great. We're really starting to take liberties with Sophie, you know? It's a really bad habit. We're starting to rely on her for just those little bits and pieces and running around, etc. And now, she didn't sign up for this. She signed up because she wants to be a qualified carpenter, and that's her passion. That's her love, and, yeah, I owe it to her to actually get her out of the van and back into the tools and doing what she loves doing. (SLOW TECHNO MUSIC) Having battled the Auckland traffic, they're back on-site. Russell's learnt that Sophie is more than up for the job. He's now keen to find out about being the only female on the team. So, what's it like being a female on a building site, Sophie? (CHUCKLES) Any challenges? Um... Apart from being called one of the other builder's wife. Oh. (CHUCKLES) Thinking that I'm just someone's wife on the building site. I've had that once recently. (DEVICE BEEPS) Um, but, no, it's good because if the new people or the sub-trades come on-site, they come up to me and say, 'Oh, you're the first female I've seen as a builder ever.' Oh. So, it's quite` I guess, it's a positive and a negative. It's` A real minority. Yes. Definitely. Yeah. Yeah. Sophie stands up for herself 100%, you know? Most women that get into the construction and building know it's male-dominated. It's changing. I hope it'll change more in the future. But, yeah, no, you go into that industry knowing that it's a male-dominated industry. You don't let it get to you. You stand your ground. And Sophie wants to be recognised as a good carpenter. Whether she's a female, a male, whatever, she just wants to be recognised as a good carpenter. But Sophie isn't striving to fit in with the usual builder stereotype, so she's taking Russell along to the monthly meeting of NAWIC ` an organisation that offers assistance and mentorship to women in construction. That women on sites and things is still a bit of a novelty. Mm. I think` Definitely. You know? You reckon? You walk on, and it's just sort of silence. People either completely not talk to you at all cos they're basically scared of you, which is the younger guys, or the old guys will, like, have to say something cos they can't believe it. Are they scared of you? Yeah. (GROUP CHUCKLES) The younger ones, no one says anything. It's, like, you're trying to engage. RUSSELL: Is it just you? I don't know. (GROUP CHUCKLES) Could be. I know I'm not very big or anything. I can't be, like, physically intimidating. And the other part of it is in when you're looking at building a career in this industry, there's no role models to look up to. Like, we have to come to a meeting like this just to have a conversation with another woman in the industry. You can work on a job with 700 people on a site every day and be the only woman. Wow. For Russell to have an insight, not just a point of view from me as a female in his company, but other females in other parts of the industry and just hear as a collective voice, he can have a fuller understanding of what it's like being a female in the industry. And I may not have the same challenges as other females, but it's still a challenge being a female in the industry at some points. A lot of people are really confused when they see me with my apron on, and they say, 'Are you a builder?' I say, 'Yeah.' And one older gentleman, when I said yes, he just walked off laughing. And I thought, 'I wonder if he knows that I'm serious.' (CHUCKLES) (GROUP CHUCKLES) Like, I actually am. Um, but it's very curious. I used to go to functions in one of my first jobs, and people would say, 'Oh, are you his` Are you his wife or his girlfriend?' (CHUCKLES) And I'm like, 'I am a quantity surveyor.' And it would just be` And I would go to site with project managers, and the project managers would ask if I was the person just taking the notes at the meeting or whether I was the receptionist that he'd brought along. A lot of builders, especially the older builders, are very sexist. Yeah. There was a few things, I suppose, that sort of shocked me. I suppose, the attitude of people and employees. And I, myself, I'm a huge advocate for women in industry and in construction. Yeah, but there's a lot of people that aren't. Very interesting comments. Cos, like, when I first employed Sophie, it wasn't really, was she, you know, female, male, black, white, green, blue, it didn't really, for me, personally didn't matter at all. So, I also wonder is that` You know, when you first start cos you don't know anything. You know, it's no different from a green 16-year-old or 17-year-old guy. In fact, you know, you're probably way more organised than most young apprentices I've had, to be honest with you. (GROUP CHUCKLES) You really are. And you've got a mission statement. You know where you wanna be, where most young guys out of school ` no friggin' idea. It would be great at some point to have another female on the job site within the company because I've turned out well in this company and added benefits, so, why not another female? Coming up ` a field trip shakes up the boss,... Oh, I was just blown away by how much waste is there. ...and meat-lover Russell makes friends with salad. So, here we go. Jackfruit. (CHUCKLES) * Licensed Renovations managing director and owner Russell Clark has been living and working with his only female building apprentice, Sophie. Over the past week, he has been subjected to some of the challenges faced by his young workforce. Right. What's next boss? (CHUCKLES) Back on the job and Russell has had an insight into Sophie's life as a female on-site. Oh, I'm puffed already. Today, she wants to highlight to her boss another issue close to her heart ` the impact his business has on the environment. Is all this going into the skip? Yep. All of it goes into the skip, and then the bin truck comes, picks it up and then takes it to the landfill. It seems such a waste, eh? Yeah, it does. All this nice timber. Don't think we can use this one again, though. (CHUCKLES) No. I keep forgetting. I mean, I haven't been on the tools for a long time. You know, the amount of waste you get, it's like, wow. It's just piles and piles of it. You know, Sophie's really brought that to my attention about where does it go, and, to be honest, I never really considered it that much. I just` It went off-site, and, yeah, she's certainly got me thinking about that. With 50% of all waste in New Zealand coming from construction and demolition, Sophie's lined up a field trip to show Russell that there are alternatives available to deal with his building waste. So, it comes in off a building site straight into this door here. And from here, it is lifted by the materials handler and placed on an automatic sorting machine, and that sorts out things under 100mm and then everything over 100mm goes up and on to a hand sort line. Building and construction waste makes up a big chunk of the landfill tons on an annual basis. Hundreds of thousands of tons are still going from building sites to landfills. What we're achieving here at the plant is over 80% of a typical building construction bin, waste will be diverted away from landfill. I'm just amazed at the volume that's coming through that is normally going to landfills. And just swapping out your provider of bin supplier, even just that small change, will make a difference. This pile here represents about a week's worth of wood. Imagine that pile going into landfill every week sort of thing, you know? So, we have pallets that we're able to chip into in untreated chip, and what we do is we are making that into a landscaping mulch or for animal bedding. And we're also colouring it black. And that's in great demand by people at home or landscaping companies. So, wherever possible, we'll turn it into another product and have it reused. Oh, I was just blown away by how much waste is there, you know? Like, there's so much waste. And the numbers and the figures has absolutely got me thinking about my waste on-site, how I get rid of it, what I can actually reuse, and, yeah, looking at the whole opportunity going forward. So, when plasterboard comes in just on its own in bins, it gets tipped into the plasterboard receiving area. You'll see the loader at the back. He's loading it into a processing machine. That processing machine is turning that board over and over and over again until the paper is separated from the gypsum. It's certainly given me something to think about. I'm not too worried about the cost at the end of the day cos there's gonna be a cost to us all if we don't do it ` simple as that. Back at home and tonight's dinner, a vegan feast with friends, is an opportunity for Sophie to introduce meat-loving Russell to one of her favourite dishes. Now, have you this before, Russell? No. Young jackfruit. Yes. No idea what it is. So, it's a fruit, but it's got a meat texture. So, it's kind of like pulled pork alternative,... Oh, wow. ...and it's totally vegetarian. So... Oh, I'm looking forward to trying that. Yeah. Why are you a vegetarian going on to vegan? I'm not wanting to eat animals. I guess, in my eyes now, animals are, I guess, friends not food. But also, sustainability aspect of consuming meat and the dairy industry and that kind of stuff is quite a taxing toll on the environment. So, I guess, that and health reasons as well. It's really amazing listening to Sophie and her values with her vegetarian or vegan, you know, pathway. Quite inspiring, really. And it's certainly making me think about things and wake up my ideas. And, yeah, it's great. OK. Here we go. Jackfruit. (CHUCKLES) (QUIRKY MUSIC) Oh. That's` (CHUCKLES) (CHUCKLES) That's a bit different. (LAUGHS) Eh? (GROUP CHUCKLES) That was like` It's not bad. It's pretty good. Out of 10? Seven. Seven. My dinner parties aren't so much jackfruit. They're more, you know, a bit of pizza, a few beers, you know, watching the rugby. So, uh, yeah. So, but, you know, I've, you know, I'm getting to the age where I really have to look after my health. And, yeah, it's sort of eye-opening to me, and it was really enjoyable. It's been a big day with some key learnings, and Russell is starting to be inspired by his young apprentice. Sophie's a very focused and driven young woman, so that's amazing to see. Once Sophie learns the basic skills of building, it won't be long before she'll be running a job. She's really organised, you know? More organised than I am at times. So, yeah, I'm looking forward to see Sophie on her journey and her career, and I'm gonna be certainly helping her in any way possible. Knock-knock. Coming up ` Oh, wow. ...the jokie-blokie tradie is reduced to tears. Yeah, I actually really got emotional. And later ` the big announcement. A bit of a win-win for me and a win-win for you guys, you know? (APPLAUSE) * Licensed Renovations managing director Russell Clark is spending a working week with building apprentice Sophie and her partner Adam. How are you going? Hey. Yeah, yeah. (GROUP CHUCKLES) This is all a bit weird, eh? I'm sitting in the house with your partner drinking coffee. This boss has traded his bachelor pad and boys toys for eco-friendly living to get a unique insight into the life of one of his young female employees. Mixed it through. Do you have any tummy muscles? (CHUCKLES) This morning, 52-year-old Russell is taking part in one of Sophie's twice-weekly Pilates sessions with instructor Nicola. It doesn't go any higher, lady. (CHUCKLES) Come on. Oh, I got cramp already. (CHUCKLE) I thought Pilates was just like a little bit of, you know, low-level sort of stretching and heart rate wouldn't go up and, you know, bit of a chat. (CHUCKLES) (EXHALES) Oh, yeah. That's a bit harder. Breathe in. Two, three, four, five. Sophie, can you smell my toes? (CHUCKLES) You're going good, Russell. What forms did I fill out on the medical? (CHUCKLE) You're going good. Pump this arm. Go. Three, two... It was a bit of hard yakka, actually. It was` Yeah. It was hard work. Lucky I got lots of chins. (CHUCKLE) Reach your arms long. (GRUNTS) Arms long. Ready. We're gonna pump our arms. In... I'm never gonna fly. (CHUCKLES) Russell is a joker regardless of the situation, but I think more so in situations where he's unsure of. Oh. Done. (CHUCKLES) (CHUCKLES) (LAUGHS) I think the joking comes out more if he's struggling. (EXHALES) Are you all right? Yeah. There we go. (CHUCKLES) That's quite tough, that. Yeah, it's really cool that her key focus is to do it for her job, to get stronger, prevent injuries, which is good. We never, you know` Old buggers like me never think of that at all, but for a young woman in the industry, you know, it's really awesome that she's doing Pilates. (CHUCKLE) High five. Yeah. (PANTS) Yeah. Thank you. (CHUCKLES) Well done. (LAIDBACK MUSIC) It's a wet Auckland morning, and today Sophie is required to be on-site at a job in South Auckland. Yeah, it's pretty wet. Good day for ducks. Tradies. Kia ora. He doesn't look very happy. No. He didn't look to happy in the rain, did he? No. (CHUCKLES) (CHUCKLES) What about yourself? Some days it's quite hard getting up. We're here. Yay. Hey, Rhys. Licensed Renovations currently have six building sites on the go, so this morning Sophie will be helping out with some of the structural framing. Bit of framing to do in here. Just finish off nogging. Know what you're doing? I think so. I've got a fair idea. Perfect. But once the boss, always the boss. Russell just can't resist showing off on the tools,... What can I do, Soph? I got that. I'm good. I'm good to go. Beep beep. Wait. Make sure it's` (CHUCKLES) (EXCLAIMS) Done. Cool. (CHUCKLES) Haven't lost my knack, eh? Yep. Do it from the top. It's easier. Stand up. ...and he's got a few tips for Sophie while he's at it. ...down on the top. Yeah. Bang. (GUN CLICKS) I think it's hard to stop being the boss at times, and I really love sharing my knowledge and expertise, you know, with Sophie and others, and I really should be doing that more. Do you enjoy using the nail gun? I like using the nail gun. It definitely is a skill to learn. Have you got a finishing gun as well? No. Oh, OK. So, I've got a small amount of power tools ` my own that I've started to build up ` Yep. ...but then there's still things that I haven't needed just yet or I borrow off the other guys,... Yeah. ...and then slowly building up my own kit. When I first did my apprenticeship, no nail guns. Oh, really? I'm not that old, but that was the truth. (CHUCKLES) Yeah. And what about` Have you got your tools insured, the ones that you've got now? Um, not currently. That's on the list to do. No? On the list. Yeah. But tool insurance is definitely a big thing because, I don't know, you have some of the other guys getting their cars broken into and their tools gone. Yeah. It is, eh? And that's quite a common thing with tradies... Tradies, yeah. ...and their vans getting broken into. (BLADE WHIRRS) You can't be cutting things with the old handsaw these days. You gotta have a drop saw. You gotta have laser levels. You gotta have battery drills. And there's so many different components and different materials these days. You've gotta have all the gear for it. It's really expensive, and when you're on Sophie's wage, or apprenticeship wage, it's really difficult. But Sophie has budgeted to live on an apprentice wage so she can learn to build her own tiny house. Look. They've got a worm farm too. Jeepers. Today, she wants to show her Master Builder boss the simple craftsmanship of these small, inspiring spaces. Knock-knock. Oh, wow. That's cool, isn't it? It's bigger than I thought. Heaps of character. Yes. Definitely custom-made, this one. Yeah. That is wicked. A tawa floor. Yeah. So, that was actually repurposed and came out of some houses that were gonna get torn down in Auckland. OK. So, heaps of` So, quite a bit of recycled stuff? Yes, quite a bit. So, all their lights and their extractor fan in the kitchen... Yeah. ...and the bathroom is all run off a solar panel. So, their power bill is down to $35 a month. Wow. Really? So, they have really low outgoings. Yeah. They have a land rent every week` I want one. I want one. I want one. You want one? (CHUCKLES) OK. Yeah. I guess, he understands a lot more where I'm wanting to go with my career and what I want to build as well and just that lifestyle ` a little bit alternative. So, we'll go check out the loft now. Yeah. This is so cool. It's cool. Yeah. It's like a little hideaway hut. It is. It's so cute. (CHUCKLES) Oh, yeah. This is good. This, as a kid, is what you always wanted, eh? Your own hideaway. A little loft house, eh? I want one. I could see myself in one of these, absolutely easy. And it's so spacious, and it's so light. And, yeah, it's cool. And I love the fact all the recycled materials, and, yeah, it's eco-friendly and sustainable and really cheap living. So, do you wanna know a cool thing? Yeah. Guess who built it? Who? Marcel. Did he? He did. So, this is one of his` (MUMBLES) Oh, wow. You know Marcel. I know Marcel. So, Marcel worked for me... Yeah. ...for a number of years, and he was always a craftsman, you know? And, yeah. Oh, that's so exciting. I'm so stoked. So... That's really awesome, eh? I feel quite emotional. I really do. (CHUCKLES) Yeah. I actually really feel emotional. It's really being a boss and seeing young people get better and do things, you know? And, yeah. And Marcel was one of my workers, and he's gone on to do different things, and this is one of his tiny homes he built, and it just` It really` I don't know. It really, really makes me feel so proud to have some young guy come through your company and do his own thing and get on, and now, what he's building, he's inspiring Sophie to do, and it's just this whole big cycle. And it's why we do it, you know? It's absolutely why we do it. It's the final night, and with his flatting days almost over, Russell wants to share with Sophie some of his building career highlights. You can see me there, eh? Is that you? (CHUCKLES) Yeah. The old concrete pump, eh? So, I was right into it. That's cool to have it all, I guess, documented like this. Yeah. Oh, this is the whole thing about building. It's so visual, and you can` Yeah. And even now, I'm looking at these now, going, 'Wow. Look at that.' Some pretty cool jobs. 'Yeah, I've really enjoyed staying here with Sophie and Adam. It's been a really good experience.' It was a bit weird to start with, but, yeah, now I'm pretty comfy, really. I'm just like a flatmate. You're gonna have an album soon. Each time I do something, I take a photo. Yeah. But, I guess, yours is in an album all printed off on photo cards,... but, I guess, mine, I'm putting it all up on Facebook and Instagram... There's my challenge to you. There's my challenge to you. Get an album. ...and sharing it with people, with my friends and family to show them my progress. I guess, every other week I post something up of what I'm doing. Mm. Yep. Yep. And so, they are involved with what I'm doing, but, I guess, yeah, that's` You have a book, and I'm on social media with it all. 'It definitely has been an enjoyable experience getting to know Russell as a person, not just as your boss, and kind of having that separation of work life and personal life quite separate. That connection as well is quite cool. (AMBIENT GUITAR MUSIC) Yeah, looking forward to the little changes that I can do to make it easier on Sophie, but not just Sophie, make it easier on everyone else in the workforce and for my company. You know, if my guys are happy and my girls are happy, they're gonna give my clients good service. And that's the real key thing. That's what we're in business for. And also, give me just a real general satisfaction. Yeah, that's me for the night. I'm a bit buggered. (CHUCKLES) So, um, good night. Coming up ` the team gathers for the big announcement,... Hey, look, I've got a little announcement to make. ...and Russell surprises everyone. A bit of a win-win for me and a win-win for you guys, you know? (APPLAUSE) * (WHIMSICAL MUSIC) It's the final day of the experiment, and it's time for Russell Clark to return to his life as managing director of Licensed Renovations. But what will this boss take away from the experience? And has Sophie convinced him changes can be made to benefit everyone in the workforce? Sort of feels like it's quite weird. It'll feel lonely without being in their house ` some young, vibrant young people talking about all sorts of things, and, you know? Yeah. Feeling quite flat today. Bet they'll be ringing me in a few days saying, 'Russ, come back.' Maybe not. (CHUCKLES) (ELECTRONIC MUSIC) With Russell ready to share the outcome of his week with Sophie, staff have gathered at their local pub. Hey, look, thanks everybody for coming today. I really appreciate your time to turn up here today. I've got an announcement. I've been part of an experiment. I've been living with one of my employees. So, I've been living with Sophie for the last week. Yeah. It's been pretty awesome, really. So, with that in mind, I've been really contemplating myself, my life and our business and what we co going forward with Licensed Renovations. One of the things that happened where Sophie brought her lunch. Hey, when you're on apprenticeship wage, you gotta make ends meet. So, what I've actually done, we bought a microwave for every site so everyone there can heat all their food up. We bought some toasted sandwich machines, and we bought some jugs and kettles, so on-site, on the cold winter's day, we can heat our food up, bring our food from home if we need to or heat things up. Saves us mucking around and going up to the shop all the time as well, so it's a bit of a win-win for me and a win-win for you guys, you know? (APPLAUSE) Everybody on-site will be able to have a good meal, a hot lunch, you know? That's what you need, especially in winter when you're working hard. You wanna be able to have a good hot lunch. But in time to go, there's gonna be people in this room that wanna start their own businesses, so what I'm also offering and what I want to do is do some business mentoring amongst you guys. So, I wanna share some of that experience, not just in the building. Cos after a while we can all knock the nails in, you know? It's about those other parts of the business. So, yeah, I'm offering some support and some mentoring and some coaching once a month. Come if you wish. (APPLAUSE) He's obviously successful. He's got a good business, and it hasn't crashed and burned. So, yeah, no. I'll take any advice I can get. Working on the building site over all these years, we just get all our rubbish, and we just throw it away, we scrap it. And living with Sophie and Adam for that short time has made me realise about sustainability. Our little company last year alone spent $21,000 on jumbo bins and rubbish bins. $21,000. Over 70 bins, which equates to 94.5 tons of waste and rubbish going into landfill. So, I want to do something about that. And so, I've now signed up and we've changed accounts, because I wanna know that materials on our building site are gonna be recycled and be used to the maximum it can. (APPLAUSE, LAUGHTER) It's a crapload of waste to be chucking in the landfill every year, just us, so it's definitely worth looking at those options as to how we can cut that down. You know, when you're an apprentice, it's really difficult because you're on a minimum wage, you don't know anything, you're having to learn. And tools are so expensive, you know, to buy tools, and the only way you're gonna get through this job as an apprentice builder or even as a carpenter is having the gear and having the tools. So, at the moment I'm looking at insurance for our company to be able to cover some of our personal tools. Awesome. Yeah! (APPLAUSE) Tool insurance was a surprise. I mean, most companies don't really do it. Everyone` Most people don't even have tool insurance, and as a builder and an apprentice, like myself, you're constantly worried about your tools, and sometimes it's just cheaper just not having the tool insurance, and if they get nicked, they get nicked. And you just replace them. It's cheaper that way cos you're just gonna be paying for your tools a year anyway, so it's good that the boss covers it all, and, yeah, I'm pretty happy with that. You might've thought that it's been really hard for me to live with Sophie, but I reckon she thought it was really hard to live with me. (CHUCKLES) So, for taking one for the team, Sophie, I've just got this little gift for you. Wow. Thank you. (APPLAUSE) Cheers. I'm so surprised that Russell gave me a finishing gun. It will definitely come in handy. (APPLAUSE) Good stuff. Yeah. I think it was really cool, all the changes that Russell is making. And, yeah, I think it's definitely positive changes that benefits the whole company. (TOUCHING MUSIC) Next time ` in Wellington, Supercare cleaning owner and managing director Ian Kebbell takes on the challenge to live the life of commercial cleaner Ben. I think I know our people and our team, but I probably really don't. But how will this successful business owner cope with the realities of life for working class New Zealand? Kia ora, Ian. Ben, hey. (CHUCKLES) No. I don't even go near them. Right. No. They're just too expensive for the budget. Yeah. It will be a week of triumph... Good boy! ...and tears. VOICE BREAKS: And a guy who's sick like that` Excuse me. But can big-hearted Ben inspire Ian to truly connect with his workforce and improve conditions for everyone at Supercare? And one of the things that I'm delighted to announce... (APPLAUSE) www.able.co.nz Able 2020