Talking with Joey Hidalgo about Estimating, Offshoring, and the Power of Starting from Zero

2025-12-22

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Got a question about the show? Click here & Send us a text!Welcome back to The Building Talks Podcast, wrapping up Season 4 with a story that perfectly captures grit, growth, and what’s possible in construction when mindset meets opportunity.In this finale, I’m joined by Joey Hidalgo, founder of the TMC Academy and host of The Profitable Estimator Podcast. Joey moved from the Philippines to Australia with just $700, sending out 50 resumes a day bef...

Got a question about the show? Click here & Send us a text!

Welcome back to The Building Talks Podcast, wrapping up Season 4 with a story that perfectly captures grit, growth, and what’s possible in construction when mindset meets opportunity.

In this finale, I’m joined by Joey Hidalgo, founder of the TMC Academy and host of The Profitable Estimator Podcast. Joey moved from the Philippines to Australia with just $700, sending out 50 resumes a day before breaking into estimating and launching his own Estimating business. He shares how he built his career, the underestimated power of estimators, and why systems and mentorship matter more than ever. We also discuss how offshoring can solve skills shortages when done right and why Australia’s hiring mindset needs a serious rethink.

Takeaways:

✅ Building a career from scratch in a new country
✅ Estimating as a critical (and overlooked) skill
✅ Joey’s WPR framework: Win, Profit, Repeat
✅ The offshoring debate: cheap labour or opportunity bridge?
✅ Fixing the hiring mindset to focus on training, not perfection

Chapters:

05:23 Cultural Representation in Construction
08:20 National Pride and Historical Context
14:14 Career Path and Opportunities in Engineering
17:03 Transitioning to Estimating in Australia
23:54 Innovations in Estimating Processes
29:57 Reflections on Diversity in Construction
39:25 From Estimator to Entrepreneur
42:55 Identifying the Skills Gap in Estimating
45:40 The Challenge of Estimating in Construction
51:39 Building a BPO for Estimators
55:34 The Importance of Fair Compensation
58:22 The SOT Framework for Successful Offshoring
01:01:11 Building Trust and Communication in Remote Teams
01:08:43 Developing Talent in the Construction Industry
01:17:19 Finding the Right Fit: Training vs. Hiring
01:27:43 Perceptions of the Australian Construction Industry

Tune in for an inspiring, no-fluff chat about building a career from scratch, unlocking offshore potential, and why estimating deserves way more respect.

Hope you enjoy the podcast!

#ConstructionCareers #EstimatingMatters #TheBuildingTalksPodcast #TMCacademy #ProfitableEstimator #OffshoringInConstruction #SkilledMigration #MentorshipInConstruction #ConstructionLeadership #DiversityInConstruction

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The views and information shared in this podcast are for general purposes only and do not constitute legal or professional advice. Neither the host nor guests are providing specific guidance. Please seek professional advice before taking any action based on the content of this podcast.

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