#8 - Electric Dreams and Community Themes with Lake Macquarie's "Guru" Gary McCleay

What does building a successful business grounded in genuine community spirit take? Join us for an inspiring conversation with Gary McCleay, a well-respected electrician from Lake Macquarie whose career journey began in the most unexpected of places—a chicken farm.

With no need for flashy advertising, Gary's story is one of dedication, hard work, and the power of word-of-mouth. His deep roots in Morrissette and the Peninsula have shaped his career, allowing him to maintain a thriving business for decades. Throughout our chat, Gary reflects on his starting challenges, from work uncertainties to the necessity of proactive marketing strategies.

With insights into maintaining a healthy work-life balance and the unwavering support from his twin brother, Gary's story is a testament to the classic Aussie spirit. As he stands on the brink of retirement, he shares his thoughts on the evolving business landscape in Lake Macquarie, highlighting the opportunities that come with regional growth.

Known as the "Guru" from his football days, Gary's reputation and community connections have been pivotal to his success. This episode promises to leave you with valuable lessons about the importance of positivity and community engagement, all through the lens of Garry's remarkable journey.

Chapters

• 0:01 Building a Strong Community Through Business
• 9:59 Community Engagement and Business Success
• 13:02 Balancing Family with Business Life
• 18:58 Giving Back to the Community

Transcript

Leon Goltsman: 0:01

G'day folks. Welcome back to Engaging Conversations, proudly brought to you by Lake Mac Business in Focus, helping locals not just build their businesses but build a real sense of community. I'm your host, Leon Goltsman, co-founder of Eco ibrium Headquarters, and today we've got a ripper of an episode lined up for you. Now we've added a slight approach to this program, adjusted to our guest style, just for fun and if you're like me, who doesn't enjoy having a bit of fun while we work, especially when trying out different intros, like I am right now. Our next guest is Gary McCleay, a bloke who's just about as fair dinkum as they come.

Leon Goltsman: 0:45

Now Gary not here to talk about growing his business. Nah, he's actually winding things back. But don't let that fool you. This fella's got more than a few tricks up his sleeve and he's here to share his story, give some straight up advice for anyone looking to jump into business and maybe spin a yarn or two. But what I love about Gaz is that he reminds me of those classic Aussies who'd give anything a crack. No nonsense, no fluff, just a down to earth, happy, go, lucky kind of guy. Now I gotta say we won't be covering everything under the sun, though we could. But I'll be asking him how he got started as an electrician, how he became one of Lake Macquarie's most trusted sparkies and how he earned the nickname "he Guru Gary the kind of bloke you can have a chinwag with about anything, and after today's chat I reckon you'll see why. So, without further ado, let's get into it, eh.

Gary McCleay: 1:44

Yeah, my name is Gary McCleay. I've lived in Morrissette and the Peninsula for the last 63 years. I've seen a lot of um a lot of change in the area in those times and um, yeah, it's, it's great to live here to have that, to have that um regional feel about it, but it's it's really um ramping up with all the development in the area and waddington park, trinity, all these, the subdivision down dora creek, on the old troop farm, uh, there's gonna be a lot of people in the area in the next couple of years. I imagine It'll be good for business. Just there'll be plenty of business around.

Leon Goltsman: 2:32

Gary, you've obviously been part of this community for a very, very long time. What actually drew you to settle and build your business here in Lake Macquarie?

Gary McCleay: 2:41

For the fact that I've grown up in the area and I've known a lot of people in the area. I was very, very fortunate to start my business in 1990 and I was lucky enough to get a call from a chicken farm out on Deeves Road. That was really the springboard to my success, being invited out there to do all of the electrical work for Ingham's Enterprises. And yeah, from there it's just got grown bigger and bigger and I've had quite a few apprentices to go through that journey with me. So that's been really good.

Leon Goltsman: 3:20

So, basically, you saw an opportunity and you took it. Yeah, exactly yeah. So, look, opportunities are great, but with opportunities come challenges. What are the biggest challenges you faced when you started your business and, I suppose, how did you overcome them?

Gary McCleay: 3:37

It was, it was the first 12 months was will I go into Cardiff? So, yes, and sign up for the dole, because you know, when someone comes into the building trade as a newbie, well, it's not like an overnight thing where you're saying, right, you got work, well, you haven't got work. And yes, I went through that phase for a while where I was only working a couple of days a week, three days a week in the first yeah, especially the first six months. But I ended up sending around business card store builders and property manager people and stuff like that real estates and with my business card in it and that did help along the way, so to get involved and getting your name out there and your brand out there.

Leon Goltsman: 4:28

So it's all good and Gary. So basically, you didn't just sit around and wait for the business to come falling on your lap.

Gary McCleay: 4:34

No, no, not at all, I was. I've always been a get up and go type of guy and and, um, yeah, if it wasn't coming in, I would go out and put more business cards out and stuff like that in people's letterbox and stuff like that.

Leon Goltsman: 4:53

So that's basically modern day marketing for the time. Yeah, exactly.

Gary McCleay: 4:59

Foot marketing it was. It was just doing big drops and stuff like that, but it worked in the end. Like I've been busy, I haven't had to advertise for the last 20 years.

Leon Goltsman: 5:12

Well, if you don't advertise, how do you normally get your business?

Gary McCleay: 5:16

Word of mouth. Yeah, word of mouth and people, just people who I've worked for before in the past, and get re-engaged with them. So yeah, that's good.

Leon Goltsman: 5:28

So I know when I'm speaking to people that I've never met before, usually a good conversation starter is do you know Gary Maclay? And I can tell you there's two types of people in this world, or at least in this community the ones that know you or the ones that wish they had, because you seem to be a very popular kind of person yeah, yeah.

Gary McCleay: 5:46

Well, thanks, leon, it's, it's, yeah, I've. You know, like I, like I said, I've grown up in the area and love the area, love school. I didn't want to leave school.

Gary McCleay: 5:55

I didn't want school to uh, to stop I just loved it and uh and yeah, then I, you know, two days after my HSC I was cutting sods for the local turf grower, noel Ferris, who unfortunately passed away about five or six years ago.

Gary McCleay: 6:13

And yeah, I worked for him for six weeks and so be it. I moved into a first year apprentice at Wanji Power Station with 21 other electricians as well, doing exactly what I did. So that was. That was great years, those first four years when we went for our apprenticeship and stuff like that, and I used to do electrical engineering after the trade course in in Wood Street TAFE in Newcastle and I'd have to go in there two or three other nights to keep up with the level of subjects we were going through. And I stayed with Electricity Commission until September 89 and Voluntary Redundancy came out. In that time I, I, after the redundancy, I had a little bit of time off and and then I started off a business, electrical business in yeah, in June, the 30th I think of the 1st of July in in 1990.

Leon Goltsman: 7:22

So yeah, so I'm a little setback. You somehow managed to turn that into an opportunity. Yeah, more or less yeah, Well look, you've obviously hired many staff over the years. I mean, not only did you go out there and go from apprentice to business owner, but you've also had a few apprentices along the way.

Gary McCleay: 7:43

Yeah, I must have had 10, a few apprentices along the way. Yeah, I must have had. I let 10 or 12 apprentices over the years, some, some coming in the midway through the apprenticeship, some leaving, whatever. But yeah, it's been always good to give the young an opportunity where, in today's terms, like when we're, when I was a first year apprentice at wongy, there was 21 electricians at a small power station like wongy today a raring does not employ hardly bugger all apprentices wow, wow which is which is really disappointing on origin's fault, but I suppose it's all down bottom line stuff.

Leon Goltsman: 8:24

But like I can't see an electrical um apprentice or a fitter or whatever and see him being a problem in the bottom line of origin, which is a multi, multi national, massive company, origin so obviously we need more business owners who are doing more for the community, like yourself, because it's not just about the bottom line, because certainly you're adding value to the community when you hire good, competent people, but you're also, um, you're building up the local economy and it's through the local economy that everybody thrives. So, um, what, what's been the most rewarding part of bringing new people into your business? And, Gary, what advice would you have for others about building a strong team?

Gary McCleay: 9:08

It's seeing the apprentices take on the role as electrician and seeing them complete their apprenticeship so they move into the trades field, which is, you know, fiscally it's double the amount of what the apprentice wage was, and you know they deserve it, and I've got one just about to come out of his time again. So it'll be good for Nathan and everybody else and it'll be good for me because it'll be the start of my retirement years, I see you making a full circle of my retirement years making a full circle yeah, making the full circle more or less, yeah and have you, um, have you had any, uh, any stories you'd like to share with some of your apprentices actually gone out and and and been opposition?

Leon Goltsman: 9:59

Well, whether they've been opposite I wasn't going to say opposition but who have actually succeeded because of you? Yeah, well there has been.

Gary McCleay: 10:07

There have been quite a few guys that do it. Sometimes people get out of the profession, like I had an apprentice there five, six years ago and he went into police force and I had actually my own son son I put through his time and he left me and to go into the black coal industry. So yeah, everyone's got their own needs and thoughts and and yeah, I think I do the right thing by my all my clients and customers and stuff like that.

Leon Goltsman: 10:40

so you know when, when I do ask people if they know you, because I feel like if I mention your name, I'm suddenly becoming Mr Popular.

Gary McCleay: 10:48

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Leon Goltsman: 10:50

So when I say Gary McLean, they say oh guru. And at first I thought why are they calling him that? There must be a story about that.

Gary McCleay: 10:59

There was. It was my playing days on the football field. I had a bit of prowess, I had a little bit of leg speed and I used to tackle very, very hard and I just got called guru. There was a winger from the Eels in the early 80s, Eric Grofe, and he was guru and I was not his exact same style but I was on the footy field in another way, you know, just running and just barrelling guys and defensively I was quite strong on defence and stuff like that.

Leon Goltsman: 11:38

Who do you think is going to win the next premiership?

Gary McCleay: 11:42

That is a hard one, isn't it? It definitely won't be the Roosters.

Leon Goltsman: 11:47

I don't think it's going to be the Roosters.

Gary McCleay: 11:49

I think it'll be probably Penrith again.

Leon Goltsman: 11:51

Yeah.

Gary McCleay: 11:52

I really do. I wouldn't doubt it anyway, because they've got I don't know what it is, they've got good players in all the positions and I suppose a good strategy as well.

Leon Goltsman: 12:05

Gary, family seems to be a big role in your life and in business. For some of the people out there who are wondering how have you managed to balance the demands of running a business and what lessons have you learned along the way?

Gary McCleay: 12:19

When you're an electrician, you're generally the most popular family member, as in doing love, jobs for family. I stopped that a long time ago.

Leon Goltsman: 12:30

Well, for neighbours as well, because I'm sure I know myself how many people have actually called you.

Gary McCleay: 12:38

That's right. Yeah, balancing family. Like Ra raquel, my beautiful wife, she looked after my two sons up until, uh, high school age and then she went out in the workforce, which has been a boon for us both. Um, yeah, just, it's really difficult sometimes because, you know, obviously, being an electrician, I did a lot of maintenance work and you had to be available. If some industry lost its power, you had to be there to rectify it. So, yeah, it was quite difficult. It was quite difficult and saying that I was looking after chicken farms for 25 years and being on call on weekends and stuff like that, and being down the beach and have to rush home to get in a truck and go out there and fix them up, and it happened. It happened very, very often.

Leon Goltsman: 13:36

So, Gary, looking back, what's one piece of advice you wish you had received before starting your business? That could have perhaps made your journey easier.

Gary McCleay: 13:46

Yeah, when I first started out, it was very, very slow and I was lucky enough to have a twin brother who was fiscally okay and he sent me, he lent me, quite a fair bit of money so we could set up all the infrastructure what you needed in running an electrical business, and he was, yeah, he was, was good, and I paid him back and yeah, and so be it, and the business was rolling along at a great rate and it just become busier and busier and busier as time went on, busier and busier and busier as time went on.

Gary McCleay: 14:25

Now I'm looking at those, those, those, um, those times in the past because it's not going to be like that in the future anymore. I'll be, I'll be, I'll be really ramping it down as far as the, the days that I do work and I just can't suddenly just chop, chop off and just say, right, I'm in retirement now. Suddenly just chop off and just say, right, I'm in retirement now and yeah, and work one or two days a week or whatever it needs to, because I'm going to have quite a few clients who have really been really good to me and I'll help them out over the next couple of years to keep them going.

Leon Goltsman: 15:01

What I love about somebody who works hard and also is very well respected and I think that's got a fair bit to do with it is you're always happy, You're always smiling, You're always laughing, you're always chatting to people, and I think that's probably one of the reasons for having such a successful business, isn't it?

Gary McCleay: 15:17

Yeah, yeah, yeah. It puts you in a good spot, like we're in a good spot in our lives right now emotionally, physically or physically, maybe not physically, maybe not. Yeah, working 40, 35 years or basically 45 years, what I had worked 10 years in the power session before that, but but yeah, yeah, just I'm physically okay so Gary Lake Macquarie has changed a lot over the years and I know you've mentioned some of the ways it's changed.

Leon Goltsman: 15:48

But how have you seen business landscape evolve and what do you think are the biggest opportunities for new business owners in the area today?

Gary McCleay: 15:55

Oh, it's population, the population growth and yeah, there's going to be no shortage of um of uh, customers. I don't think, because it's just growing. Like wadigan park is amazing it's. They're going to be basically building to the bottom of the wadikins and there's a lot of people and there's a lot of people to come in at dora creek and Trinity's filling up.

Leon Goltsman: 16:25

Trinity is world-class, isn't it?

Gary McCleay: 16:27

Yeah, it will be world-class.

Leon Goltsman: 16:28

Well, it already is. You've seen some of the. I've been there a few times actually.

Gary McCleay: 16:33

Yeah, you see some of the concept plans out of this world like futuristic stuff they're going to build there and, yeah, 700, I heard a figure, 720 million I think it is it's going to cost to build what they want out there. So I think you know like it's going to put Morissette and the surrounding areas on the map, trinity Point. I think it'll be a boon for everyone who owns real estate in that bay, especially in Barton's Bay on the water. They'll take some credence out of Trinity Good investment huh Good investment yeah.

Leon Goltsman: 17:17

Yeah, yeah, and you would have seen so many businesses come and go. What do you think sets apart those that succeed from those that don't?

Gary McCleay: 17:28

Some of the common mistakes that people make when starting their businesses. It can be their service with their clients, their pricing with their clients. Yes, having good staff under them.

Leon Goltsman: 17:48

When you say service and pricing and clients, do you mean too expensive or too cheap, Too expensive too?

Gary McCleay: 17:58

expensive. People love cheap. You're getting a cheap bargain or whatever in life. But yeah, just going a little bit too hard on the pricing. I've seen lots of businesses in the Morrison area do that. They just price themselves out of the market.

Leon Goltsman: 18:17

From experience I've noticed that people are happy to pay, but they want to know that they're getting something of value yeah value? Yeah, exactly. And if you charge too much, exactly what say the next person is, or even more expensive than what they can get online they're not going to come to you?

Leon Goltsman: 18:31

are they exactly, you know? But and and I I feel a lot of people don't necessarily promote the convenience and and the ability, the reliability, because some people are happy to pay a little bit extra knowing that they've got that reassurance. Yeah, so it's really about communication, I suppose yeah, it is a lot of business owners don't really know how to sell themselves.

Leon Goltsman: 18:51

Exactly, yeah, exactly yeah so, Gary, you're known as an important part of this community. How has giving back to lake macquarie, whether through your business or personally, shaped your experience as a business owner?

Gary McCleay: 19:04

yeah, well, I give back to the community. Over the years I've done community work, like I did a lot of work for um drive reviver in the in the 2000s period. We um, we certainly, yeah, set up that that drive reviver side at the end of um the freeway going to um, to beresfield and Currie that road there. That was just part of doing a love job for the Lions Club at the time it was the authority of the site. You know, like for football clubs and stuff like that I'll do work for nothing, like I remember doing some lights at the showground for Pro Rata. So that's how you give back to community. You invest back in the community what you invested back in the years yourself.

Leon Goltsman: 19:58

So yeah, but also creating jobs and recruiting new apprentices and giving people a great start in life.

Gary McCleay: 20:06

Exactly, yeah, leon, and yeah, just having an apprentice with you and to see him successfully go out as a tradesman is very, very pleasing.

Leon Goltsman: 20:23

So, Gary, as we're coming towards the end of this interview, what advice would you give to someone in the early stages of starting a business, especially in a regional area like Lake Macquarie?

Gary McCleay: 20:37

Anyone starting a business in Lake Macquarie regional areas as per se and such you'd have to have a good amount of energy get your brand out there, advertise, do as much as you can to get people coming through your premises or whatever. That would be the best way to go and you can have a go and especially if it's some niche market which is really profitable, it would be a great idea. So to have a go at doing it, because you'd always think back that why didn't I start that? Why didn't I have a go? That's all you've got to do is you've just got to have a go.

Leon Goltsman: 21:28

Well, regardless of how things are changing, I still think that, as a country, as a nation, you know, we got to keep giving it a go, don't we?

Gary McCleay: 21:36

yeah, yeah, definitely definitely and Gary.

Leon Goltsman: 21:39

Is there anything else, if anything, that you like people to take away and remember one thing from this conversation? What would that one thing be?

Gary McCleay: 21:48

work hard, work hard. Yeah, that would be the simplest site to say you've got to work hard. You've just got to man the phones, you've got to do anything what it takes to get to get business coming through your door yeah, yeah, not get complacent and not fall asleep at the wheel.

Leon Goltsman: 22:06

Yeah, exactly, yeah, yeah, well, Gary, fantastic advice. Thank you so much. I'm sure there's going to be a lot of people appreciating this and, um, mate, I certainly am so thank you very much for for coming in not a problem, leon been a pleasure.

Gary McCleay: 22:20

Thank you very much for having us excellent.

Leon Goltsman: 22:22

Thank you, Gary. Well, that's a wrap, and what a great conversation that was. Gary is a true example of how to turn setbacks into opportunities, showing us the courage it takes to give it a go when those chances come along. From building a successful business to helping others get their start, whether it's learning a new trade, hiring, hiring apprentices or delivering top-notch customer service, Gary commitment to his community shines through. He's come a full circle and he's a fantastic reminder of what can be achieved when you love what you do, work hard and surround yourself with the right people.

Leon Goltsman: 23:02

Next week, I'm excited to introduce two fantastic guests. Next week, I'm excited to introduce two fantastic guests, john and Jason, the owners of Derby Street Pharmacy in Newcastle. I met them and their team a few weeks ago whilst on my way to another appointment, and they really made an impression on me. We all know how important our local pharmacists are, but what these guys are doing truly takes it to the next level. They don't just fill prescriptions. They provide personalised care, build lasting relationships with their customers and offer services tailored to the needs of the community. At a time when it takes weeks to see a doctor, it's reassuring to know that people like John, jason and their team are there for us. I can't wait for you to meet them. Oh and, if you have any questions for Gary or myself or any of the other speakers on any of our shows, please check the show notes for details on how to get in touch. I'm Leon Goltsman and I'm looking forward to connecting with you again next week. Until then, stay engaged, stay connected and let's keep making a difference together.