Mining as a career offers fantastic opportunities. And with the right mindset, those opportunities are vast, no matter where you start out. Our newest member of Team FACE, Dave Tomek, proves this in spades.
Each Wednesday, join me, Peter Finn, managing director of FACE Contracting, as I navigate the ups and downs of the mining industry with forward-thinking professionals from all walks of life. If you’re involved in the mining industry in any way – whether you’re a lifer or a high-school student looking to make the leap – Full Production is the podcast for you.
Dave has joined us as our new labour coordinator and Cobar branch manager. The beauty of having Dave on board at FACE is that his own mining journey shows just how far you can go in this business, no matter what cards you’re dealt. As Dave tells it, in the eyes of the army at least, he’s as blind as a bat – a fact that led to some pretty early disappointment. But turning to mining he found he had the mindset to go from strength to strength, right up to shift boss. And the rest, as they say, is history. It’s a great lesson in not letting setbacks deny your potential.
Dave’s experience working with and managing all types of people in mining, puts him in a great place to really understand where people are coming from, what they’ve got to offer, and how they can reach their potential in what can be a lucrative and fulfilling career.
Here’s what we dig into:
- Dave’s journey from supermarket store man to mining success
- How to take the lessons from the tough times and use them for good
- Rising through the ranks in mining
- An insight into various different mining jobs and what’s involved
- Lessons from managing a crew
- Effectively dealing with burnout, redundancy and toxic workplaces
- What drew Dave to FACE and how he became part of the team
- Finding a new home for your skill set
- Why you should never be ashamed to seek outside help, mental, financial, career or otherwise
Links:
Full Production EP#11 – Tony Andrews on A Life In Mining, Miners’ Health and The Lessons Of History
Transcript:
Peter Fin [0:03] G’day Miners, this is Peter Fin. Welcome– to ‘Full Production’.
Narrator [0:10] On this podcast, Pete talks everything mining.
Peter Fin [0:13] A podcast dedicated to the Mining industry in the Australian Pacific Region.
Narrator [0:18] From production to development, and most importantly, employment opportunities of the industry’s biggest project. Here is your host ‘Peter Fin’.
G’day ladies and gents, welcome to this week’s episode of ‘Full Production’. The Phase Contracting Team expands yet again, as we welcome new Labor Coordinator and Cobar Branch Manager Dave Tomek to the Full Production family Dave’s a real people person and brings to the team his vast industry experience. During the episode we get to know Dave as he and Pete talk growing up in the Ingham area, Dave’s’ industry experience from drilling to shift bossing and we also get a real glimpse into what led Dave to the phase team. Let’s get into the conversation over to Pete and Dave.
Peter Fin [1:17] Dave Tomek, welcome to Phase in Full Production mate.
Dave Tomek [1:20] No worries, thanks for having me.
Peter Fin [1:22] I was writing down notes obviously when I was sitting down waiting for us to catch up before the operations minute so we’ve already had a pretty in depth conversation obviously we’re coming up to Easter but we’ve known each other for a fairly long time. Do you remember…? That’s probably a scary question to ask, but do you remember a younger Peter Fin in Ingham? Because you’re a bit older than me aren’t you?
Dave Tomek [1:47] Yeah, you’re pretty much the same age as my sister.
Peter Fin [1:50] Yeah me and Kel grew up together, we were the same year at school.
Dave Tomek [1:53] Yeah, I grew up with Kel too.
Peter Fin [1:56] Yeah, it’s frightening dude, but how much older are you than us?
Dave Tomek [2:00] Three years, 82 model. I vaguely remember and you know, just sort of around the same time as your cousin billy
Peter Fin [2:10] That’s right, Billy’s a golf and you’re a golfer, too aren’t you? So, you would have played–
Dave Tomek [2:14] I wouldn’t say a golfer I like to go and golf all around the paddy, but I wouldn’t call myself a golfer.
Peter Fin [2:20] I like to check out the whole golf course these days mate. I like to go side to side usually I like them holes where they got a field on either side because doesn’t matter where you go if you go left to right you still gonna land somewhere green. So, did you obviously, Billy who’s into golf, is that how you know Bill mainly?
Dave Tomek [2:37] Yeah, I sort of met him through junior golf and I had a couple years above him so when he got the high school, I started seeing him a bit more.
Peter Fin [2:46] Yeah, you know me and Bill are really close, I mean you probably know that we’re like brothers. Obviously we’re cousins but I haven’t seen- he’s one of those guys and still is today; obviously love him like a family member but I could run into him tomorrow or anywhere and it would just be so natural. He got me into golf actually even when we look younger he was really good. From what I remember.
Dave Tomek [3:09] Yeah, he just had natural ability. I would just sort of get out there and smash em as far as I couldn’t see what happened
Peter Fin [3:16] I’m still the same, so growing up in Cobar, I left Cobar, I left Ingham sorry and went to Cobar at a really young age. So I should have been year five or year six. I left Cobar so I never made it to Ingham high school I ended up making a high school in Cobar. My memories of you officially especially your old man, cause your old man is a Copper, he’s not a cop anymore are they still in Ingham, where are they these day?
Dave Tomek [3:45] Yeah same place, they’ve just knocked the whole house down and rebuilt it. Same place mate.
Peter Fin [3:52] I remember, obviously your old man is a Policemen so you and Kel probably had a bit of a different childhood than most Ingham people. But I do have vivid memories of your old man giving us a good sleep or kick up the ass and have a good tune and especially to Jimmy Nylon I don’t know if Nylon listens this podcast but I vividly remember us having no football helmets on only the cricket and it’s and yeah, I’ll miss the time they show
Dave Tomek [4:16] Yeah, I’ve had a couple kick up the ass too me and the boys used to answer that we use to get out there and cause a bit of mischief wasn’t until I got a bit older the old man would say “Let’s go back we’ll talk about it…you think I didn’t know” sometimes I thought it was more fun to say to put the wind up INAUDIBLE} thinking you could get away with it. We’ve actually sat down in later years and sort of had a bit of a laugh about it. I remember my sister Kelly was dating Derek Boyd for a long yeah he’s actually over in [Place working in the mines.
Peter Fin [5:00] Yeah, I tried to get him back over home a long time ago and [I bought it
Dave Tomek [5:04] Yeah, so we’re sitting there one night Derek and dad having a couple of beers sitting around talking shit and we the age] came up and we sort of talk about the old stories back in the day. In your bed]
Peter Fin [5:18] Yeah, he was a good cop your dad, like lots of people-obviously people he stayed in Ingham too- where are you guys from? Were you originally from Ingham, have you been in Ingham as long as I have. I know we were all just kids but how long were your mom and dad there for before you guys like-
Dave Tomek [5:34] We moved out there when I was 10, so we moved out there late ’92 ; we left Penrith we grew up with Penrith the week before my 10th birthday we move to Ingham my dad wanted a change of scenery in the couch] and so we moved out there and pretty much been there ever since.
Peter Fin [5:54] Do you remember pretty vividly growing up in Penrith and then moving? Cause it would have been a big challenge from Penrith and it would have been a good change for your dad I take it from a city police job to a country police job. But as a young kid too I moved to Cobar at the same age and not and I was] only Cobar down the road but it was a pretty big thing new friends, new school, new town you don’t forget to do you?
Dave Tomek [6:14] No, that’s it and it will sort of like yet you’re roughen up and it was partway through the year so people already got their friend groups and all that sort of thing you’re the new one in town so it was not too bad like I was at turn to your five we rocked up out there soI need on the lead on campus class because it wasn’t a maxi school level that was she thought she’d].
Peter Fin [6:44] When I was growing up was always joined. I was also in the really smart class Dave as you can imagine. But obviously I’m moving to Ingham and you’re obviously an Ingham kid and your mom and dad still live there. Does Kel live in Cobar that days?
Dave Tomek [7:01] Yeah, and she was happy about going to go to when I moved out here I got her to come up and basically on the baby little cleaners which she got a job at 8pm on support Melissa she moved out to me Yeah. And then yeah,] she signed up for the military [instrument back to have your safe and then she went out to Trenton in the middle. Then went back to Ingham, met a fella got married had a couple kids. The marriage broke down and after they separated we myself and my wife asked her to come back out here. So she’s been out here the last couple of years and she’s all shacked up with [don’t
Peter Fin [7:42] if I don’t hear you saying don’t don’t get don’t] had a really bad accident remember he hurt his head?
Dave Tomek [7:49] Yeah.
Peter Fin [7:53] It was a pretty robust scar I remember that [We’re not held accountable for just doing a kangaroo shooter and rugby and a few things.
Dave Tomek [8:01] James, [yeah pretty much the scout some of the stuff that I was worried about, what he was getting up when all that went down. He’s settled down a bit now at least.
Peter Fin [8:13] That’s for sure. Yeah, well, good to hear I haven’t seen [ NAME] in a long time obviously you know he’s on families he’s only] well the question I ask is and it’s funny whether consciously or subconsciously. Now I think about is you and Kel have always sort of been in my life. As I’ve probably been in yours, it sort of wasn’t unusual to go to a Cobar party now that I think of it It wasn’t unusual to go to a Cobar party or an Ingham party and run into you will Kel there. Well, we talked about you know obviously even Duncan all them guys obviously he’s always the both of you on a personal point of view have gone through a favorite of grow from a professional point of view and a personal point of view of kids and you know married breakup and moving from one town to another and mom and dad still being down the road and you’re all obviously still really close there’s only two of you right? Only you and Kel that I’m aware of-
Dave Tomek [9:02] Just me and my sister.
Peter Fin [9:03] OK cool, and obviously your wife Tanya I grew up with as well obviously [Cory was one of our jumbo Fridays till you have a Title II II down the Harry Houdini honest but obviously year also married into a pretty close family friends with the Andrew family Guido and the rest of the family crew.
Dave Tomek [9:21] Yeah Guido, you had him on, on one of the earlier podcasts .
Peter Fin [9:27] Great guy yeah, I’ve had some plenty of that it] always looked after us. Guido and the whole Andrews family growing up you know obviously me and Corey are probably better mates than what me and Tanya, Tanya must have been a bit more older than me I presume or Tanya didn’t live here growing up.
Dave Tomek [9:51] She left and moved down to normal and on
Peter Fin [9:54] That’s right.
Dave Tomek [9:55] We should not be to answer
Peter Fin [9:59] I think you’re right my friend yeah, and obviously-
Dave Tomek [10:03] She’s 85 model as well.
Peter Fin [10:05] So she’s about the same age as, Corey must be- he’s a bit younger than me and her.I don’t know how old [walk is . But yeah, there you go so obviously,I’ll get back onto the story obviously you’re now working for me as a Labor Coordinator and we’ll get right into that in a minute. But you and Kel left and you come to Cobar what happened? When you finished school, did you know you were going to do was your old man and pushing you down the Police Avenue or did you have a few options in front of you?
Dave Tomek [10:33] Well that point the Police thing was a dead said ‘No’ we won’t get into that it caused of a lot of mental health issues in the household. Yeah, I don’t think] so, I highly do not recommend the police department .
Peter Fin [10:48] Yeah, it’s a whole other conversation, it’s a different world it’s a bit like when miners become, unappreciative of mining. They won’t want more money or want better conditions and you think shit mate you can go and join the police force and the shit you see all the things you go through would probably change your mindset and the paycheck you get a lot less.
Dave Tomek [11:09] They do get reasonable money, but I don’t think you can get paid enough to do what they have to do and what they have to see and the shit they have to put up with. Yeah, like I I’ve seen some of the stuff that dad has to suffer through every day now. Rolling Yeah, it’s not cool. So I have a lot of respect for the guys that have done it and have made a career out of it because it can be quite hard on you, not just your work life but your home life.
Peter Fin [11:39] My father in law righteous days of Cop Pete, I know a Cop and you hear him talk about the shit they’ve and had to do or whatever and they didn’t have you know counselors I guess your old man is quite similar he didn’t have that support network like what they probably do today. And it’s probably because of some of the stuff that’s happened in the past that they have all this infrastructure in play today.
Dave Tomek [12:01] Yeah yes, he never pushed me down that route I actually tried to get in the army but because I’m in the eyes of the army ‘blind as a bat’. They turn around like “no, we don’t want you to be a mechanic” I wanted to become a mechanic when I was younger. Getting to the cars and stuff like that it all came to that data-]
Peter Fin [12:23] Did you go to year 12 in Ingham or did you pull out at year 10?
Dave Tomek [12:26] No, I finished at home pretty much if you dropout of school at year 10 at a high science on choice for the ages. But yeah, I’ve tried for an apprenticeship in the army they said “We’d like to take you on but you’re too blind- sorry”.
Peter Fin [12:42] You do wear glasses obviously are you that blind? I probably should know since I’m your boss but you don’t seem blindly do you-
Dave Tomek [12:51] Like left eye is pretty bad but I’ve had it my whole life yeah. So quickly glasses has correct] and my right eye is pretty good. Yeah, I’m pretty much did everything so so you’re never gonna see me out on site without safety glasses on because I know the importance of how much I need my right eye so if I lose my right eye I’ll never be able to drive a car again. It’s that bad my left eye.
Peter Fin [13:21] Really, have you always wore glasses even as a kid?
Dave Tomek [13:24] Yeah, I’ve had them as far back as I remember.
Peter Fin [13:28] I never really noticed to tell you the truth so there you go, I’m sorry to get off topic obviously. So you didn’t get in the army route and they knock you back because your eyesight What did that do to you internally? Obviously it must be felt pretty shit.
Dave Tomek [13:45] Yeah, it was a bit of a kick in the gut especially when they turn around today so they will take on like 40 printers to the year and family and my 20th line so it was basically you will walk outside of the box Yeah, yeah, yeah. That was pretty pretty getting.] But at that time I had moved into a full time role at the local supermarket. I had work money coming in but it wasn’t meaningful work, it was a great bunch of people I was working with but there was no real purpose so it and yeah, so we had family friends I don’t know if you remember Chris Tomlin Jody and Matt Tomlin]. So I was friends with them and as a by product I spent a lot of time with Nick and them who used to be the General Manager at a general and bond and then a trick light up a good]
Peter Fin [14:38] Good Ingham people mate.
Dave Tomek [14:40] Yeah,
Peter Fin [14:41] I don’t know I think you might have retired me go do] I say Matt was living back home a little while ago and I’ve got a story about Jody I was in [avatar want to just go to uni and what else she must have I’m pretty sure it. One time we got really drunk I was actually meant to stay at a mates house and we got lost than we got stuck in the park and luckily enough she led us into the common room we slept in there cause it was gonna be- I don’t know if you’ve ever been to I know you’ve been [an avid doll and in the winter time mate, you’re pissing ice cubes. So that’s actually the last time I probably Jody so I’m forever grateful. But I caught up with Matt obviously I haven’t seen the rest of them for a long time but Matt was living around condo way he must have been the undergrad major there at Mineral Hill or an engineer in general for a while was he?
Dave Tomek [15:29] Matt?
Peter Fin [15:30] [I know he’s all in
Dave Tomek [15:32] Yeah, I’m not entirely sure what Matt got up to really after you left out of Sydney I know they bought the newsagents down there. [okay yeah condo isn’t it? and just through doing a bit of research a couple months ago I saw that he is like the technical manager [for the five year mind
Peter Fin [15:59] OK the new one and that way, yeah.
Dave Tomek [16:01] Yeah, that one coming up so yeah, he’s still in the game. Yeah, he can’t get out of training [for a while longer Yeah, they still play a bit of golf together to seeing you soon . Yeah,
Peter Fin [16:14] I can imagine plenty of holiday gets thrown around there. I don’t know Matt from a work point of view I know him from a personal point of view but I’ve got a couple of mates with him like Jason Views and a few of them guys that know him and see him as a pretty sharp operator. I don’t think he’s ever going to have trouble for work with his skill set. And it’s good to know that he’s involved in operations that’s a bit closer to home because he’s always been a big fellow from what I remember of being close to home he’s never been one of them guys that went away flying he was always around at sporting events and long-
Dave Tomek [16:46] very close to the family there. It was actually Matt who got me into mining yeah, [it’s through the work hard play hard and soft enough and yet got me inspired and actually Bolton came out the Cobra I’m really
Peter Fin [17:06] Really so, he’s conned you into mining he knows, he didn’t job for yet in Ingham or wherever he was based at a time and you just decided to apply for a few jobs. Who are you working?
Dave Tomek [17:17] It was at Major Ponthill at the time.
Peter Fin [17:22] Wow, that’s a blast. I remember the yard being across the road from the service station.
Dave Tomek [17:29] Yeah, that’s where the office wants. It was literally just came up, spoke to the boss he’s like “Yep, I’ll give you a run, we kind of get anyone”. And I’ve spent the first two weeks living at the office, I like ‘this is no good, trying to sleep with parties every night at the pub’. So I ended up-
Peter Fin [17:50] The Oxen days had a pretty decent party too.
Dave Tomek [17:53] Yeah every night yeah pretty much and yes I am straight up tell him I need an out nations for a two bedroom flat shared it with another guy yeah and yeah went from there cool. Done nearly two years of that also on the light right quinoa yeah
Peter Fin [18:14] when I when I ran into Queen Bell when I knew him obviously just from the park nicely unfortunately passed away any I remember I used to be in a Brian a mighty is around the corner from you doing buddy over here is actually but he he was a truck driver or even doing something like that at a peek at the time he must have got off real and dirty
Dave Tomek [18:30] and while I’m the reason I left feeling was he was leaving mine okay yeah, we saw he saw the train often the sort of by that stage I had met the Mrs. she was down at Baptist at university I was getting sick of the traveling backwards and forwards the long distance email right now it’s time to move on. So I packed up shop when I was leaving so like yep he’s good Tom can start off with another drill is quitting on either a pretty good working relationship and yeah, we sort of get done and packed up and moved on the bathtub fall in love
Peter Fin [19:07] Alright cool, so how long we doing drilling for before you left the first time?
Dave Tomek [19:13] Nearly two years.
Peter Fin [19:14] Okay so you’ve done a bit what sites were you at, the peak or were you at other sites?
Dave Tomek [19:18] Yeah, I’ve done all the data feet on the ground every now and then when something was wrong was like down some path been mostly for whatever can’t do it on your own so I’m getting a little surface regal off the CSI every now and then but hardly done that so presumably]
Peter Fin [19:36] [I used to wear it every point your shirt or more knocked it off new you will never know but I used to wear it where it to a Apple Jacks you know Apple Jack and pretend I was offside are a driller grimy be always I was a child yeah he’s always get afraid]corporate thing so it went under unfortunately it wasn’t because of the music out there. I was really young only about 15 or 16 or 17 I was a definitely a man childhood put it but dumb. I’ve got fond memories of it. Was it Henry? Was Henry the big boss the big married fellow? Yeah I got to play a bit of rugby me and his sons were childhood friends Mr and harsh and we are good friends and he ran into Henry years later but this is this is a decade after long run for mayor he knew as as as kids up and marimba he was out there doing the job but I still haven’t seen the drilling game here’s a be good fellowship but he was a really good rugby player and he goes into rugby always obviously grown up being a kid and obviously you had a Sammy Beckett you know obviously a lot of Kiwis come to town because of the mining boom. Anyway, long story short, my first job offer was the door and really all started as well. But I got a job in the mill and I actually sorry, let me rephrase this. I was 16 or 17 my first out in the mines out in the lab and it went in the mill and I turned a day now really everyone wanted to get on the ground as you know and the only way to get underground was just by purely luck that you know you knew someone in the mining department or you had to go down and drill off so I’m no different to what you did and literally ran to Henry I said hey we want to go underground guys. Yep, I got a job for you. You know give me your resume and he had a job lined up for me to Dan and George Soros cheer and I went down to the pub ones having to be gone off to go underground you know a bit more money rah rah rah and as all sign that Jason users me Bravo alone right now it wasn’t a lot of the time you know obviously hanging around for me sister not because he’d be made but long story short he goes made on the on the project engineer or many different McMahon’s at the peak and he gave me a job on deeper an old truck driving at the time so that’s how that’s how I got to skip skip down and drilling outside my friend
Dave Tomek [21:43] [Yeah how lucky you are it was good job very physical. But it depends on leads so I know some sites are pretty good gallon and they actually use all the I joined with the Korean flag hanging out and all that but until that to like just tell me diamond jewelry yeah yeah
Peter Fin [22:02] Some good people in the game
Dave Tomek [22:04] Yeah when working with Quinnbo being a local which made it alot easier so we got curb every day so to speak with the crew. I didn’t mind it
Peter Fin [22:17] I know you don’t drink now but did you drink back then?
Dave Tomek [22:19] nah all my mates used to and I’d see them out drinking, just one of those things
Peter Fin [22:28] We had a Quinnbo we could knock back a few.
Dave Tomek [22:32] Yeah, he use to love it, was like yes like like yoga all night long have you and Rob yeah]
Peter Fin [22:37] [Yeah he’s made he’s made a meal and a couple of times here on the set him and Jed millennial him sort of fellows lot as long time ago near with only young feller and yeah I’ll clean a pretty funny sort of guy. Obviously he passed away unfortunately rainbow definitely someone to remember he was a really good character and and to get on top of you again. You obviously Queen violation you obviously went off bucket on TV oh god and spend time with Tom and in batches and he moves let’s move on let’s go over again and went down the best?
Dave Tomek [23:07] Yeah pretty much just threw everything in the car and came down.
Peter Fin [23:13] How long were out for what did you do down in Beth was just hanging out in the supermarket where you began or whatever?
Dave Tomek [23:18] It was about two years that we sort of had a gap from there because we really were in PLACE] for a while I literally went down there with no job nothing on the horizon and I went into one of the employment joints and said ‘look I want anything’ and there was a guy there asking “What have you been doing?'” I told him he goes “Sweet I’ll pick up on Monday we’re going with me, you’ll be working at my farms”. I was actually pruning the pine trees out on the farm. The first day I went out there and I’d done 33 for the day it was .80 cents per tree you got paid. [When I got home I couldn’t move a muscle and I thought ‘There’s got to be a better way to make money than this’ so I went out there the next day. I could barely move enough screw this [someone’s where we are playing is when this goes back to say oh hey you gotta get back to them why not gonna walk through the hallway and he was like yeah, I’m not doing this anymore though. Hats off to the guys have done it I think you could make a couple hundred dollars a day when you got good at it but, I had expenses that I had to pay and I didn’t have time to hang around for that and went straight into skills. Though they’ve had a name change now own label program now they’re called- Yeah, I went into them and said “look I need something now I don’t give a fuck what it is I’ll do anything” and they go “look you’ve got a car are you willing to drive this guy?” Yep. So they put me on the production line and with getting all the screens for a couple of weeks just filling in gaps. So I’ve done that and when that came to an end and what else we got it we got a job with leaky faucet over on on hi res forklift like and trust the MDF plan. I had done nearly a year out there first day on the job on cannot be like five time worth of MDF boards for about eight and above you and I’m first of all a dad and I pick it up and the whole plan around what am I got The boss was pretty good with a call all the guys are headed salary you he’s gonna come on stop soon enough so I don’t be out there and like what I call the graveyard for all the reject boards as it is going to be out there. Get your own get used to it. Like if you spend a week out there then we’ll start loading your kidney live in the basic truckloads and that is actually was actually probably a really great job for me personally because it is all the time such a cruise around the fourth is the full amount with is where I became pretty either white because Tom Ryan a pretty good kitchen not a forklift for 12 hours in the day and you might like 30-40 trucks in the day but every truck completely difference. Are you a US and that is my head every top so everything on the slide was measured in millimeters and tracking the lights off the inches here you got a 45 for trial we’re going to see down 2.4 Major Lazer board on there and so you have to sit there and you draw yourself a little plan handle it and make sure you get the actual white drive that was you’re always using the head he days just to flies by you didn’t have enough time in the day to get through everything and I loved it. The Mrs. had to do some job placement for a University degree but her degree only ended up being three years.
Peter Fin [26:37] She’s a Journalist isn’t she? She runs the Cobar paper now, she and Lady of Darren Sharon
Dave Tomek [26:44] [Yeah, so she’s got a Bachelor of Communication in Journalism and so a part of her course she had to go do two weeks of job placement her first week she does if it’s an hour long years where she had contacts and then Sharon home the boss being my mother-in-laws best friend through high school. So she did her second week at Cobar Weekly the end of the first week is the norm on users on look we’re going to offer offer you the job and he ran in the fight against the same the journalists settled on the trading in the office to German I advertising and the admin and I told a reporter together so she got given the job there and She last for six months so we moved an airline from Baptist so she actually was doing that while still at University the lecture and said “look you doing the job send us some papers every couple weeks and you only have final final assignments we won’t worry about all this stuff because you’re actually doing at night pretty much on or off those continents issue that no cool and she lasted about eight nine months out there and really didn’t enjoy it, like it was working for Rural Press and she just wasn’t a fan of the mainstream media kind of thing and she reached back out to Sharon and said “Look, is the office still there to work for you guys?” And they couldn’t get her put here quick enough and so the decision was made we’re done we’re moving out here
Peter Fin [28:14] And you’ve been here ever since haven’t you?
Dave Tomek 28:16 Yeah, so while we’re living at Narrowmine let me move from Baptist in their mind I struggled finding a bit of work. I had done a bit of Fletcher’s have done a bit of a demo CD found it going] so I had done Fletcher’s for a couple weeks that will on the floor the floor it’s not for everyone, I recognized that quite quickly and I went back to skilled and said look give me anything they put me in a double pair decoding that finished up and then they got me a Timber finishing job and that was basically a company made kitchens and all the cupboards would get sent to this joint to be painted and I was doing all the prep work for the painters to paint them all, so that was pretty good job I [got the inkling to get back into mining. So yeah, I had a few calls quite a few and production team just as the industry picked up around 2006 and got to start with bone cancer treatment treatment
Peter Fin [29:18] I think I had a couple of mates there Scotty Glover?
Dave Tomek [29:21] Yeah Scotty Glover he was our foreman and Saran Harley I think it was?
Peter Fin [29:28] [I bike I stayed roommates we’ve added the Bearcat crew was Scotty Glover little grumpy I mean we’re not working together for years and years ago like in this photo taught we were actually met through the Ning and crew but yeah good tonight it was just when treating first started
Dave Tomek [29:45] Yeah very early day so I was out there for a little bit of time I was doing the driving an app for on for all start at mom and dad. Kelly was in the middle of that point in time so we were actually working the same roster
Peter Fin [29:59] That’s really nice
Dave Tomek [30:01] Yeah rock up on the wrong path taking the live radio color. What are you so she was working in the middle where they fit into the group leader to school and all the sweeties and she found that out oh yeah
Peter Fin [30:19] That must been pretty brand new too you both must have started there when it was a brand new mine.
Dave Tomek [30:23] Yeah I’m not brand new down on a few levels. But, it was very early days.
Peter Fin [30:28] What was your first job truck driving on your phone? What are you doing?
Dave Tomek [30:32] Hi to the NEPA Oh, Bill Rogers was be shaped by it. Yeah, so got out there. And I actually really liked the differences your flat out all day. But yeah, it was pretty ordinary money around 20 bucks an hour.
Peter Fin [30:49] Okay yep.,
Dave Tomek [30:52] Working your ass off getting that and then they actually started hiring great people coming in now stop and straight on the tracks on 24. Come on here we go. Yeah won’t be still doing this, but you’re not showing me alone. Yeah. And pretty much I said, Look, the only way you’re going to get more money is to get on the truck or audio. But that’s what I should do to make it look here. And they took me on the truck we were doing that, I was out there for about six, eight months. And in that time, we actually moved to Cobar and that’s when she got fed up with Rural Press and we moved out to Cobar with the ‘Weekly’. So I was still doing the driving and after awhile I-
Peter Fin [31:35] pull back the same day. So it wasn’t it. Yeah.
Dave Tomek [31:40] [So I put the feelers out in Cobar and I got a nice little job offer. Making the job. So your time Oh, yeah. So like oh this will be a pretty easy decision have spent most of the time underground the other page, so I’m only way around. I can hit the ground running. Yeah. And well, so I had an interview with]
Peter Fin [32:01] Right, Robert. Last Name Robert.
Dave Tomek [32:08] No Steve Rowe.
Peter Fin [32:10] Now you’re being on Steve Rowe. I do know, Steve Rowe yeah, big fella.
Dave Tomek [32:15] had an interview with him on a diet. And that’s even the baseline I called him up for a bit of feedback, so I talked to the HR advisor and just to get a bit of feedback for myself in the future. And she goes “actually we might have another job”. She called me back two days later and said “Yep, Johnny Gunnery remembers you from Diamond Drill and he wants you”. He waived the interview so it was easy paperwork.Peter Fin [32:38] Is Johnny still at the Peak because he obviously you’ve been at the Peak ever since that moment. I take it? Is Johnny still out there?
Dave Tomek [32:45] Johnny took redundancy [well, that’d be five years ago. The first round of redundancy in recent times to take down a retired yet? Yeah. Yeah. Seems to get rammed down. Yeah.
Peter Fin [32:59] Yeah professional golfer. [Golf Bonnie joining] I’d say.
Dave Tomek [33:03] [Yeah, I haven’t played enough golf of maintain these days but yeah, he’s still about town I remember the day Johnny took me back on site I drove up there and walked up to the gate and they’re like yeah, what are you doing here? You aren’t meant to be on site the first day, they put me on the phone to get an MRI and he wants to play Do you don’t have any you’re meant to be on the friggin night shift [no one told me that yeah, it all come in any way you can run a random day shift the chipper. Which was Damon Effie? So I ran around for the day with Effie and that was the last shift from the panel had he four days off which is when I got inducted and the first day out on crew one of the time that was that was on longer in recruitment back on day shift. I started with Danny Brooklyn and Dave Youin
Peter Fin [33:54] Yeah, are Danny and they guys still there? I only know Danny.
Dave Tomek [34:01] Yeah Brooker he was actually ended up being shifter. He is the one who helped bring me into the fold.
Peter Fin [34:09] Ok, cool
Dave Tomek [34:10] Ever since my first day actually working at a site apart from about a 12 months stint I was working on the same crews with them.
Peter Fin [34:18] Ok, cool. So obviously when you started yet there you pretty well stayed pretty content with your crew and the peak operations in general. Obviously seen a few changes there was it like, Hinder was he, he’s moved on now? Rod Burns? Yeah.
Dave Tomek [34:34] Yeah, Tim Henner he started out there he moved over and he actually to kind over shift bossing on 31 for awhile on through one for a while. Then he moved on to arm and I think he went to then came back.
Peter Fin [34:45] Yeah, that’s about right.
Dave Tomek [34:47] Ted Burns, So he was a Superintendent out there for many years. Till I actually got a LinkedIn message from him couple weeks ago.
Peter Fin [34:56] Oh, yeah.
Dave Tomek [34:58] So yeah, [he’s up the last one. I think it is.]
Peter Fin 35:01 Oh is he? There you go, I told you didn’t know, I haven’t heard from Burns in a long time; he’s got an old mate there Pat Evers. Yes Pat Evers, I believe he got an olympic ban. Oh, is he? I thought he was at CVH Rosmond
Dave Tomek [35:17]
[It could be there. So I remember one of the song off right we used to have on Kristalina title and she ended up going to work for I can’t remember where was she worked out of both Mill for bit and then she’s an Olympic Dam now so I can’t remember which sites after that.
Peter Fin [35:33] OK, cool. So you obviously come up to Cobar and you obviously go start on a mining crew so you would have been pretty tough you weren’t drilling outside and obviously some good people around you Brooker out and Johnny Gunnery you end up becoming a shift boss during the last few years but. How did you create progress, it took a bit of time you always see them crews at a peak hours it’s changed now and you’re seeing the change firsthand with Pybar coming in and we’ll probably talk about the shift field and the culture field you saying that between a contractor and an operator a bit later on in the conversation but how was it over the next 5-10 years, from a career progression point of view and even even a family feel point of view on the crew.
Dave Tomek [36:16] Yeah, actually we used to have after night shift every swim, and Tenner was a big push before we having a barbeque down the golfy. The whole crew would turn up, we used to do that all the time. And the 414 Elsa that everyone was in county because you didn’t have enough time to take of driving that lifestyle so everyone up. So we actually had a really good deal abou those. Which over the years when we did get to 7&7 lost that because it became more appealing for the drive and in that lifestyle
Peter Fin [36:51] You would have seen that change too, from 4-4 to 7-7 was that the biggest change is you’ve seen in the town of Cobar?
Dave Tomek [36:57] Yeah, it looked- people say it has nothing to do with the rosters. Personally I think-, it has everything like that 40 teams that are having trouble building a decent site. People aren’t sticking around on their days off money is not getting spent in the shops.
Peter Fin [37:13] You’re right you know, back in the day we had you know, a really good Rugby League team, a really good Rugby Union even had a NFL team a lot of Tasmanians you know Victoria guys would come over and you know started their own team the Cobar Blues so yeah, I agree with you mate. I wasn’t in town when it changed from 7-7 or 4-4 to 7-7 hours away working in other areas.
Dave Tomek [37:35] I wasn’t a big fan of it because at that time I was running my own day time business on my days off so I used to work pretty much every day of the week and on the 4-4 roster it made it easy because you come in you do a little bit if you couldn’t get your work done in that week. It’s only a couple of days later before you can get a customer in but on the 7-7 if you couldn’t fit it in on your days off it’s another couple weeks before you could see them yeah and someone coming to see one of the service and you can see you straight away it’s not great and, eventually when that sort of started happening I have sorted all dialed it back actually in that period I was burning the candle at both ends too much and ended up burning myself out.
Peter Fin [38:21] Yeah, you would I know what it’s like you work your days on and work your days off I see it sometimes. I try and be really conscious around farmers because I know the farmers you know they work their days on I know they don’t mind a day or two off. They still like to get out there on their motorbike and fix a few things and keep occupy and I can fully appreciate, you can tell when someone and you’ve experienced it firsthand you must have been pretty aware of that too when you became a supervisor yourself.
Dave Tomek [38:47] Yeah, either I picture episodes, were I’ve had the burn out, and I actually noticed when it would start to come up again; and that was basically when I said ‘No I have to close down the business’. So yeah, it has made me more aware of it for the guys I’m working with whether I’m working with or they’re working for us.] So I’m a lot more aware of it now
Peter Fin [39:14] With your career how did you progress through the ranks though? You went obviously from the truck, service crew, Boga, did you know getting on until you a modal production drilling I’m assuming that you got on the jumbo or I think you did which obviously you charge and below that sort of stuff
Dave Tomek 39:26 Well pretty much Pete hired me as they’re all around so I was crushing, truck, loader, service crew, nipper. Wherever they needed me I could do it all and was paid a little bit more than Nick does, so I’ve done that for a while and then when they had a restructure that position became the Diamond. So they go “look they’re putting you into a truck now that’s what you’re going to be hired as that’s because your position isn’t there anymore. You gotta take it by design then. Bailey was on the truck I remember I took it quite hard was quite negative about it like ‘what have I done wrong deserve this demotion?’ But in reality of that caught everyone that was on the on paper because majority of the time I was on the motor. That’s why we had old Bluto Gary, yeah and Marty Brown don’t know if you remember him though by production, vulgar Fridays and Marty was having a kid and Pluto kind of long term holidays and and they went shit we didn’t train you up on the right so here you go spend the next two three months flat out only doing remote training because when these guys are off on hold and at the same time you’re in. So you need to be able to do it sort of thrown in the deep end there. And pretty much like a on paper I have been a loader operator for about 10 years on paper but in that time we had some more restrictions. We went from having just one shift boss on crew to having a development and production shift boss and they recognize a shortage that we had in the development crew for moving like organizing the gods we had three jumbos running and just chasing them moving so they took me off to the lighter you had a couple other people who can feel my spot and put me in to help the development crew keeping it like my control the hair you can set up for the jumbo by organized ok we’ll we’ll get to the expanded into this heading law abiding that we’ve got these headings you know jobs I was sort of an all rounder in the developing world that we just sort of organized amongst the crew look I’ll in brick I was developed out of production supervisor and ‘Shorty’ Andrew Brian, he was a development supervisor. So they basically work with Apple I want to do and kind of say me and this is where we want to put down what we want you to do. And from there was I started learning on the jumbo while I was a couple of the boys Rod Chapman ‘Chap oh’ Bret with mining. He was on the jumbotron a very young fella and I’d be getting in the jump on the other boom have a plan around because of my eyesight I struggled a lot with putting the bolts in. I just didn’t have the depth perception and I recognize that so I didn’t really try and chase that sort of direction and I also have any friends Selina Kyle was on the solo so I started when I didn’t have my jaan I’d go and annoy her and started getting signed a bead on the on the solids are not an operator leaving the same but knew enough with each of them to get into trouble.
Peter Fin [42:42] Good to know mate obviously that is what led to the shift bossing role then?
Dave Tomek [42:47] From the development stuff I got off the head I was in the Taiwan was not also told you’re going over there on the different crew and only exactly excited about it I vividly remember a very heated discussion with Robert on sort of spoke a bit out of turn and he gave me to back in what ‘yep yep what I deserve that’ and yeah it probably didn’t do my career any favors you know but yeah and learn from it and going over the New Coma I dead set did not want to go only your mates work on this roster none of my friends are on the same day off or on this hour. This is gonna be shit and I actually walked back over there well blessing in disguise Lawson staring up in the sunshine, fresh air.]
Peter Fin [43:44] I’ve been told that when they first started I I think it might have been Mark Smith and Yeals and a them guys they they said it was awesome in the early days.
Dave Tomek [43:54] It still is, I worked over there right up to when it was finish, it was great but I’ll still creeping up on so that there’s like a five minute drive 10 minute drive to the app on surface in the office and say you after you got five or five answers that you need to deal with anything personal you jump on the phone and deal with it you had some excellent contact with the world so you’re not living in underground darkness yeah you get a bit of vitamin D in you said in the sunshine. It was it was a blessing in disguise and I ended up on a day crew over there and eventually Brooklyn moved over there to take over that crew supervising as well so he came over about 8-12 months afterwards so I ended up continuing on working with him. He came in say me after a while because we had all turning brown brown he moved over there not longer after I did on the jumbo and I added him to our sales as the lead supervisor. And he dead set did not want to do it and I was quite interested in it and we sort of came about and okay but let’s get the training happening. So they spent a lot of time in developing the skills for me and put a lot of effort into me staying behind the scenes and giving me a personal view on the job. I was quite interested in it and enjoyed it actually a lot of people said they don’t but I did and I’m saying that is the the career progression.
Peter Fin [45:29] My down and having people like Tony Brown character he’s a cool character to brand new awesome I don’t know who’s made each other stronger I think he’s made me stronger or make him stronger I’ve taken into a couple of bucks shows I’m going to obviously one of my best mates his car boring which you know well as well being a beta peak fella and you a brand new Bulger and Berto and then guys are a good characters and demo it’s good night it just just on that what what did you enjoy you enjoy the just the I guess the responsibility in the end obviously you’re a good people person you’re pretty easy to get along with your good talk I did you enjoy that side of things to have been able to influence change and make a difference and obviously you having a good mentor like Brooker I don’t know Brooker can be pretty intimidating if you don’t know him but you know he’s a good guy and he always he would have been a good mentor for you to develop them skills on how to handle situations from a technical point of view as well as a people manager point of view?
Dave Tomek [46:23] Yeah, we had many long discussions with that how to deal with certain situations like even to the point, still even to this day look on I’ve been talking to me he’ll be a mentor I’m pretty confident and we’ll stay in contact for many years to come. He’s technically still a peek employee he’s on long term for the moment but he hasn’t actually been through the change over process however. But they’re like talking to them a couple of days ago he was asking how the new role is going. So he’s been great like even to the point where I’d be down there remoting away and he’d come and talk to me about some issue that he’s had come up and venting and ‘this is what’s been going on behind the scenes and how you sort of work through them so we’ve had a lot of backwards and forwards about that. I might have an idea of how you can move forward and he has an idea we sort of brainstorm best way to do something on crew Yeah.
Peter Fin [47:29] Do you find that that exposure them conversations on major enjoy working a bit more to that you know, the challenge stimulated?
Dave Tomek [47:37] Yeah, because I have been told I am own to talk a lot.
Peter Fin [47:44] Who are you talking to mate?
Dave Tomek [47:46] So, I’d rather get down there and stop in see the guys have a form up for 10-15 minutes heavy on to see what’s going on like I’m not wanting to go pull out the clipboard and you know ‘my truth me that you’re doing this wrong’. But actually have a discussion with and you when you pull out a clipboard a lot of people will just clam up and think they got an enemy here but if you rock up down there and I’m kind of a realist in a lot of things and have a have a discussion with the guys and girls down there on the on the job. You pick up something that’s not real life instead of coming down with a ton of bricks on them a lot of people just playing off they’ll just on that if you actually have the discussion explained look at this is why we do list and I don’t really care if you agree or not this is these are the rules were being given to abide by, thi is what we will abide by, but then you look at the bigger picture.
Peter Fin [48:46] That was a big thing for us getting you on board mate was your your reliability and your mining background, your shift boss you you can relate to a variety of different personalities as you know mining in any environment brings a variety of personalities to the table and obviously you got that practical ability to understand what they’re going to go through from a day to day point of view. I think the biggest thing I want to talk to you about being a shift boss you know yourself that the shift boss are the people that can create the environment bring the best out of people. Did it feel good to be able to be that person that could bring the best out of people
Dave Tomek [49:20] [Yes and no, while I was doing it, it was probably the worst period ever to be doing it through these wholesale process new golden then the change to five hours hours. It was really nice at the point of time]
Peter Fin [49:38] It was pretty messy from the outside in and I presume from the inside out was pretty messy as well.
Dave Tomek [49:45] It was, it wasn’t pleasant to be part of this. But the biggest thing for me was I never personally got to deal with it myself because I’d walk up to work and I’d be trying to help the guys that I’m working with help them through it. So why can I had quite a few guys that you see me on the job and having the having the arm to arm the arm down the best and and yet sort of taking on board their their issues and helping them work through it so I never really got a chance to deal with it myself. So it was good it was a very good learning experience because I made it through it as a citizen I made it through the process but affecting actual change I think I was sort of all I could do at that point out there was help the guys I was working with get through it as best as I could because [the company is going through the South Texas didn’t put a lot of money into the one of the issues with a staffing they work with no money into getting the men there that we needed so guys left behind had to pick up the pieces and that made it quite difficult in trying to keep the guys focused and still try to keep whatever goals we got, it was challenging.]
Peter Fin [51:07] I bet it was mate. It’s never an easy time there’s probably something that you may never go for again this last time. You know it does happen and he talked to a few of the old and presume your father in law Guido has probably been a good mentor. Someone you spoken to privately and efficiently about work but you know this stuff has happening in the past. I guess hopefully if anything is given earlier, some good learnings to take home obviously I presume they’re only going to get bigger and hopefully some people like yourself you know who lives who have gone through something like this and you know people like Brooke and a lot of good people left town or still going through that long service leave and having to weigh out what the future looks like because you did swap over to fiver at the end of it they might spend a bit of time obviously all picked up on obviously very fortunate to have you on board now as a Labor Coordinator and a Branch Manager the Cobar region but you know did you see a bit of a failure of a culture shift in attitude shift between like you know, I guess when you were shift boss me you know even when you’re working you had these real community long term vibe and then all of a sudden to have a contract a mentality of new faces and a different approach and maybe have a bit of fly in fly out and a bit of you know different chemistry in the in the teams did you notice the big difference between the two?
Dave Tomek [52:26] Yeah I did it was basically once the change over came in so we have five are out there for nearly two years ago without making up numbers in the faith operations they did a small contract Ivan the time off getting some development over there that I’m going to take and they had the wise as I told it shouldn’t be done Peter and their their wife right so what should be done and ultimately it was Pete’s side that at that point in time while we’re offering an hour label out wants to change if it happened five took us they ran with it and okay with this today I’m on now and ran it in their direction. I really hope that I can make a go of it I believe they’re still trying to fill up all the positions to man up all the crews. And they do have their work cut out trying to change the mentality of the people that are still out there, the culture is should hopefully start to change in the next couple of months and they start moving forward. It was towards the end when the changeover happened it was quite toxic unfortunately it’s not good for anyone involved and so I really hope that I can make a go of it.
Peter Fin [53:49] I think Parbat okay to get their hands on to adjust to that reasons is to take control of the situation and try and make it better. Look, at the end of the day it is what it is and hopefully they can move forward and kick some good goals and you know obviously keep the Cobar community ticking along in the same process. I appreciate you giving me a pretty in depth insight into your mining career, how much is Guido or Tony can you know being interviewed. I did give his podcast episode number 11 Guido, obviously he’s a bit crook at the moment, but you talk to him pretty regularly about work and what you’re up to and that sort of stuff has he been a bit of a bird on the shoulder mate?
Dave Tomek [54:28] Yeah, we go down to the Dubar we generally try and stop in sometimes we can’t make it happen, we just don’t have time. But generally we try to a couple hours a week go in to Dubar, stop in catch up and he still wants to keep your finger on the pulse and asks “what’s going on here?”. Asking questions and even talking about some issues we’ve faced sort of give me a different perspective. He’s worked out with the new gold out of trading predominantly out of the endeavor so he’s given us a bit of an insight from his point of view working at other sites and it’s been pretty good to to get that info as well so not only my contacts and getting their perspective it gives an outside perspective as well.
Peter Fin [55:18] He’s a good man, actually while I’m talking to you and Tan and Corey quite regularly just for work, man you talk all the time and obviously Tan is your wife and your childhood friend. Corey is a well travelled man too you know he’s obviously he’s got your homework for he’s always at the moment like he’s not coming around getting free meals anymore mate.
Dave Tomek [55:38] Yeah he’s stopped around a couple of times Sunday rice. Yeah, he must have to been paid too well.
Peter Fin 55:46 I thought he’d have been around a bit more often than that. I want to get down the avenue of how you’ve come to join me so obviously I’m not even sure how it came about. Did you reach out on Facebook or how did this come about you joining Phase? Obviously what we why that was on the way out why that was moving on and we will lock right oh, we had I’ll tell you what happened internally. Why was on the wire obviously the Pete is going for a lot of changes, you know that the whole region’s gone for a lot of changes and we decided that the next person we employee has to be a local to Cobar has to have an extensive amount of mining experience from a shift boss level and obviously you fit them all perfectly for one being local to Cobar. Is Cobra a long term picture for you and Tan?
Dave Tomek [56:30] Yeah, like we’ve owned our house here since three months, literally I finished my probation with beak and bought a house. We do have planned in the future eventually move down the Baptist we got 100 acres we want to build on Yeah, so there’s no timeline on at the moment.
Peter Fin [56:50] And so how’d it come about you joining me? I don’t even know how I got your resume I don’t even know how we had this conversation. Did you Facebook me? I don’t even know how it came about mate, you probably know better than I do.
Dave Tomek [57:00] You never even got my resume literally I was in a bit of a dark spot myself. I really wasn’t enjoying work and I think it was a case of when the changeover happened because of the way the legalities of a transfer business happens well I’ve already had to offer me the position that I was on paper and I was never actually put into a full time supervisory role. So they put me back to the line which is fine, I fully expected that but once I got there I didn’t have the pressures and stresses of the supervisor role so actually I got a chance to reflect on everything that’s happened and this isn’t right for me now like I need to change out of here I wasn’t happy going to work and no doubt the guys that I work with probably picked it up and all I was sending off a toxic vibe and it’s not good for anyone that and I picked up on this I I wasn’t in a great head space. I had a pretty in depth chat with the missus will actually over a fairly long period of time and I just came home one day and like ‘no I can’t do this anymore I something has to change I’m going to go go around the band’. I literally I went to the doctor went got a couple of days off after that I had a trip away with the boys and on somebody dies off down the volume of the Super Bowl back in February. And so I’ve gone down there and I’ve had a great weekend cleared my head and I think the final catalyst or evolves with it. On the day that I was driving back, I was in Melbourne on the link road and the project manager rang me just to confirm what day I was coming back to site. It was nothing just ‘How are you? I want to make sure you’re starting on the right day because we’ve changed from starting the roster on a Wednesday to starting on a Thursday’. That’s basically all the discussion was, I’m back on site on Thursday and it was It was after I got off the phone I was in the car on the own to 10 hours of sleep the light switch and it was like I never had never even had a break. All those issues that I had basically came out again I’m like ‘no, I can’t do this. I I’m not ready to go back to work on a break or I’m good to noone yeah-
Peter Fin [59:37] You identified you need to change their man, like pretty obviously.
Dave Tomek [59:43] Yeah and so I came back I spoke to Mitch and said ‘look I don’t want to go back to the swing or I can’t do it’. And that’s when I pretty much we’ve worked out if I leave now we’re right with the long service and annual leave I have booked up, I’ve got six months before I can get work. I could put that money sitting in a canvas paint myself wage I’ve got six months before I can work find a job. We pretty much looked at and go ‘you know what it’s time for a change we’re nearly ready for me to put my notice in there’. And then she goes ‘well you do have some sick leave? Maybe explore that I went and seek some outside. I’m not ashamed to say that.
Peter Fin [1:00:29] Well, you see Konya to which I employee life coaches as you know so we’ll talk
Dave Tomek [1:00:36] I had a session with Calbert Swan actually, Yeah, I went and seeked outside help and it became evident that I needed to change and literally I picked up the phone sent you a text saying “Hey dude, when you got 10-15 minutes to spare give me a call”. I think you were on your way to Brisbane when you first Dean are on and you talk to me at the airport briefly and basically you’ve hit me up “what’s going on what was happening”. I told you what was going on why I wanted to change and I pretty much said look ‘I’ll do anything to keep my bills paid at the moment, but I need to change’ and you say “give me give me two weeks I’ll get back to you I’ve got to plan I can’t say much on it right now. Give me two weeks and I’ll get back to you and say what you think”. You called me back and said “look this is what we’re thinking I’ll get Dino our GM to sit down with you”, we couldn’t make the side of the line but Dana gave me a call and she had me on for about an hour or so. Literally the day after Dino gave me a call back and said “hey we want to give you the job, what do you think?” At that point we hadn’t even discuss dollars rosters absolutely anything that was that phone call was like a magic line of work okay. I don’t have to worry about what’s happening in the future the bills are paid and I can I can actually go and deal with self and fix myself and yeah it came about really quickly so from the first message to you to signing on the dotted line was like three weeks I think it was and then I served out my months notice.
Peter Fin [1:02:16] [You know it’s funny I remember now you texting me and me giving you a call at the airport and I totally forgot about this whole story. I didn’t know how bad it was till just then, till you told me, I remember you said to me this major economic I want to bug have a barber it’s all good you know I’ve spoken and obviously had some pretty clear conversation and then guys that you weren’t joining as well by the sounds of it like there was no hidden agenda and-]
Dave Tomek [1:02:46] I actually only done a few shifts out there with them before- like it was coming and then when I’m going out there- I tried to go out there a couple of times and because of actual staff the formans were shift bossing and the project manager aren’t doing what they have to do so. It was a bit hard to try and get in contact with people.
Peter Fin [1:03:08] Timing is everything my friend.
Dave Tomek [1:03:10] That’s it the stars aligned for us and here we are.
Peter Fin [1:03:14] Let’s ask a couple of questions like how are you finding Dino? He’s your boss directly, I’m the big boss but Dino is a pretty smart cookie he’s a Mining Engineer, Geologists and pretty much a value adding machine How do you find working for him?
Dave Tomek [1:03:28] Yeah, pretty good he is very switched on a nice document that’s all that like some of these policies that he’s getting up to date for a goal like a good luck with me trying to write them. But yeah, I think that side of being having to use is not just these engineers managing project manager, you’ve also got the geology side of things handled as well. So he’s a very big toolbox of tools and they can tap into which he’s got the technical side of things and I’ve got one of the practical side from on the ground that we can play off of each other we’ve had quite a few lengthy discussions about opportunities in the industry shortcomings in the industry and what we can try and do for it.
Peter Fin [1:04:19] He’s not too worried for an engineer he’s not too weird he’s all right, he’s semi normal.
Dave Tomek [1:04:26] Yeah, very good to have a chat with. Downside is I have worked with some some guys that are out there worked with some firecrackers that would go absolutely go apeshit over the littlest things and then it had one that you couldn’t even have a conversation with but whether they’re imported with very broken English.
Peter Fin [1:04:55] You’ve experience all that haven’t you, and I guess I’m when you run into someone like Dino, you know, obviously, he’s not only got the smart, he’s probably got a favorite a practical smarts as well. And as we turned into a more diversified business, what I get excited about him, is, you know, Kevin, guys, like you had that practical experience, when he starts to get the systems and processes and these foundations in play, it’s already given you the confidence to start talking more about ‘hey we should look at this opportunity, you know, to invent walls or, you know, getting a machine’. We obviously got a few things in the pipeline to try and start to make ourselves a bit more of a stable smaller contractor and build from that, you know. Being a small team, you’re more obviously aware that this, is a really good opportunity to use your skill set, not just from a practical point of view, but an emotional intelligence point of view. To how you relate to screening people and interviewing people. I think definitely the Ying and Yang between you and Dino, taking his lead I think the future is pretty bright. How are you finding interviewing people have you found Carl to be very helpful in your own personal development in your emotional intelligence around that sort of thing. Interacting with a lot of people.
Dave Tomek [1:06:04] Yeah, Carl has helped me with, stuff I had in my head, plans goals and sort of getting and articulating that type of stuff. It’s been helping me give myself a bit of direction, that’s been great; it also gives me a bit more insight talking, to the potential candidates. Yes, if you had asked me two three years ago, if I ever thought I’d have a life coach, I would have laughed at you, but thinking now it’s like ‘Why did I?’ and it’s given me another perspective, like even just thinking. They go if you want a motivated person, we don’t want a motivated person, we want an inspired person and that’s something, until he explained it to me it’s, like ‘Yeah, why didn’t I think this way before?’
Peter Fin [1:07:02] [He’s extremely good at being able to articulate a point of view and a perception and, you know, it’s funny. It probably makes you realize maybe how subconsciously we have been going hrough tlife moving forward. He really does give you the energy and the tools to give you a favorite of clarity about how you, should move through life and ironically it sounds like the timing of you joining Phase and starting using Carl party employment packages as being pretty well on song for your own personal development moving forward.]
Dave Tomek [1:07:32] Yeah, it’s pretty exciting times ahead it’s like a kind of a changing of the guard so we’ve had obviously it’s your your business but we’ve had a nice influx of new people. We got Dino heading up the business got Reagan, in the office with me unfortunately, Wades’ moved on, Kell’s moving on. So we’ve-
Peter Fin [1:07:59] J. B and Jess?
Dave Tomek [1:08:02] Yep, so we’ve got a bit of fresh ones coming in with a new perspective. Yeah, I’m really hoping with discussions with Carl and we had a session in the office Reagan and I this morning with Carl that-
Peter Fin [1:08:17] How was that this morning as well? Did he make you do some weird shit?
Dave Tomek [1:08:21] No, we’ve done a lot of discussions, it was a some exercises about positive communication and stuff like that, to help us communicate between clients and also internally whether it-
Peter Fin [1:08:36] Was it was at the picture drawing one where we had to draw the pictures and he had to try and describe what you’re drawing?
Dave Tomek [1:08:41] No Reagan and I got to do that ourselves in his office, he drew a couple things on post it and talked a couple minutes about it basically, you feedback and what we just spoke about-
Peter Fin [1:08:56] He’s an interesting guy, is that the first time you met him face to face obviously got family ties in Cobar, as well.
Dave Tomek [1:09:03] [Yeah, he was just intense a family vacation. So he made time to come in the opposite. Made up with this idea of the restaurant. I’ve been doing online with him. I finally be like, three sessions with a nail that want to be for]
Peter Fin [1:09:20] [Cool mate, good to know it’s adding value to your life mate, and you’re feeling right at home because you personally, it feels good to have you around mate. I think you’re right from an overview point of view on what I see from, meetings and how it president forward we’re moving into Western Australia. We’ve got some stuff happening in Queensland, we got the call on to why, you know, personally, I see the team dynamics with people like yourself and Reagan and Jess, J billion and Dino leading the front. You know, we will have Rachel John and again, I see that there’s plenty of cohesion and it’s pretty exciting. I get that feel from you as well that you know, being being in your hometown of khobar. It’s um you know, I’ll be always forever grateful what Kobe has given me from an opportunity point of view and they’ll always be a pretty pretty strong foundation I feel for face and our BGP feel the same covers we are both learning and co our kids by the looks of it so it is a lot of reasons I mean you to look at that area personally as well.
Dave Tomek [1:10:19] I think it also helps the private connection with you Reagan close friend, she’s very good friends with my wife. Cameron is one of my best mates.
Peter Fin [1:10:29] Me and Kingsy grew up together we’re pretty good mates too Atlas Copco-
Dave Tomek [1:10:34] I just got word from Tony today that Cameron needs- he’ll be crashing with us this weekend.
Peter Fin [1:10:40] Very good mate tell him I said g’day I should probably- I’m having a tech free weekend but Kinsey’s is a good men. Get him to talk about his Atlas Copco mate I should actually tell you that for me to get on the podcast because he’d be a good person to get on. I’d like to talk Atlas Copco I’ve actually got down in my mind Gail but I’ve also got another good mate who’s the other color. Sand Michael Ham it’s funny that we all grew up together. Obviously Kinsey’s if you go to that was cop came in and he was a senior me so I’ll make sure I’ll get a bit of a battle happening between them too. They’re both pretty knowledgeable around their own products and I’m probably willing to really overdo it for a catch up with Kinsey. We’ve being talked for over an hour now and can easily go a bit longer, yeah I look at the time and was like ‘shit that got away quick’. I’ll get moving because obviously we’re heading into Easter weekend so mate I’m pretty excited to have you on board. Obviously the only thing I’ve got left to do I rid of Dino is always doing my notes; to this interview that I’ve got to get you on the website. I got your email and on there. So mate thanks for coming on the podcast. Welcome to the team, my friend and looking forward to the to the future.
Dave Tomek [1:11:51] Right, amen. Pretty exciting time.
Peter Fin [1:11:53] Yeah, good stuff mate talk to you shortly.
Dave Tomek [1:11:56] Will do.
Narrator [1:11:58] Dave, welcome to the team, mate and thank you to all of our listeners. Stick around because we have plenty of new guests and Young’s coming up in future episodes of the podcast. And don’t forget to join the Full Production Facebook group to get amongst the conversation and keep up with the latest. Catch you next week. Cheers.
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