She Built a 50-Machine Civil Business. Then Everything Changed.

From a burnt-out D6 dozer to a civil construction business operating up to 50 machines and employing 70 people, Asha Russell built Sage Civil Australia through determination, relationships and years of hard work.

But after years of building her business, mounting financial pressures, missed contracts, difficult weather conditions and rising operating costs brought her to one of the toughest decisions of her career.

In this episode of Jimmy Talks Construction, Jimmy sits down with Asha Russell, Managing Director of Sage Civil Australia, for an honest conversation about the realities of running a construction business in Australia.

She also opens up about selling personal assets to support the business, entering a small business restructure, and eventually deciding to significantly downsize her operations.

They discuss:

• Building a civil construction business from the ground up
• Growing to 50 machines and 70 employees
• Losing major contracts and managing financial risk
• The impact of rising costs, wet weather and cash-flow pressure
• Why construction businesses are struggling in Australia
• Mentoring women in the civil construction industry
• The personal sacrifices behind running a business
• Why Asha ultimately decided to step away from day-to-day operations

This isn't just a story about construction equipment and big projects. It's a conversation about resilience, knowing when to change direction, and what success really means when the business you've built becomes your identity.

Subscribe to Jimmy Talks Construction for honest conversations with the people building, running and shaping Australia's construction industry.

Connect with Asha:

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sagecivil/

💼 LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/company/sage-civil-australia

💼 LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/in/asha-russell-41790170

🌐 Website: https://sagecivil.com.au/

Connect with Jimmy:

🌐 Website: https://starbuckgroup.com.au

📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JimmyTalksConstruction

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/starbuckexcavation

📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/starbuckexcavation

💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-starbuck-13336546/

Sponsorships + Guest Enquiries: louis@lj-media.com

Send in Business Problems: jimmytalksconstruction@gmail.com