enormous emphasis on how his team engages with clients. He personally invests time in training his sales and marketing staff, not as salespeople, but as advisors. “I don’t spend my time teaching them how to sell; I teach them how to treat people,” he says. “If you treat people with respect, the rest follows. I can’t be everywhere at once, but by training my team to think the way I think and handle clients the way I would, I know they’re carrying the same values into every meeting.” That philosophy extends to staff culture within the company. Weekly meetings with sales, design, and construction teams focus on successes and mistakes alike, always with an eye to improvement. “I don’t believe in micromanaging. I want people to feel like they’re working for themselves, like they have the authority to make decisions. It builds trust, both within the team and with our clients.” Over the years, subcontractors and suppliers have become an extension of that culture. Many of Master Granny Flats’ tradespeople— electricians, plumbers, carpenters—have been with the company for over a decade. When new contractors are needed to meet workload demands, they’re brought in under clearly defined scopes and quality standards. “The secret to anything successful is your foundation, whether it’s a company or a building,” Robert says. “That’s why we’ve kept so much of our formwork, concreting, and slab work in-house. When people who worked with us move on to start their own businesses, we often bring them back in as contractors. We know how they work, and we know they understand our standards.” For Robert, the projects that remain closest to his heart are still the first two—those modest SEPTEMBER 2025
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