Podcast by Cara Mackay
NattyShedLife
Funny, Clever and Ridiculously Good Looking - a no bullshit take on the way we; live, parent, work and believe.
NattyShedLife
Latest episodes
18 December 2025
Leading With Heart ❤️ Cara & Nicola In The Hot Seat | NattyShedLife Podcast
In this episode of the NattyShedLife Podcast, producer Ross steps into the role of host to speak with Cara and Nicola about not just their leadership roles at Gillies & Mackay, but how they hold each other up every day.
This is a conversation about trust built over time, decisions made under pressure, and the responsibility that comes with leading people you genuinely care about. Cara and Nicola reflect on how their relationship began, how it’s been tested, and how it’s grown through moments of uncertainty, conflict, resilience, and belief.
They talk openly about leadership that feels human – we cover the emotional cost of doing the right thing, and the importance of having someone beside you who sees the full picture when things get heavy.
This episode is an honest reflection on partnership, care, and what it really takes to keep moving forward together. Oh, and boy do we have a lot of fun.
🎙️ About NattyShedLife
NattyShedLife is where we share the stories, people, and lessons that shape Gillies & Mackay. From team spotlights to behind-the-scenes chats, this is your place to hear what really goes into building a business with legacy at its core.
🔔 Subscribe & Listen
Never miss an episode – subscribe for free on your favourite platform:
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@NattyShedLife
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/nattyshedlife/id1691999360
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6PTAxiE6p5T7ITHST05h3s
Alitu: https://nattyshedlife.alitu.com/
📲 Connect with Us
Website: https://nattyshedlife.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nattyshedlife/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NattyShedLife/
💌 Got a question or idea for the pod? Drop us a message at hello@nattyshedlife.com!
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01:15:30
15 December 2025
Where It All Began: The Founding Story of Gillies & Mackay | NattyShedLife Podcast
Before the sheds, before the awards, back where it all started… there were three people building something out of nothing: Grant, John and Caroline.
In this special episode, Cara looks back at the real beginnings of Gillies & Mackay – not as a company, but as a young family trying to make a life.
Working in an old farm, raising five children, borrowing tools and favours, learning as they went… they created a business that's over 35 years in now, built on the foundations of love, graft, courage and pure belief.
This is the story of where G&M truly started – in a home, in a family, and in the hearts of three people who gave everything to build something that would last.
This penultimate episode of Season 1 of the NattyShedLife Podcast is a warm, honest tribute to the people who made it possible.
🎙️ About NattyShedLife
NattyShedLife is where we share the stories, people, and lessons that shape Gillies & Mackay. From team spotlights to behind-the-scenes chats, this is your place to hear what really goes into building a business with legacy at its core.
🔔 Subscribe & Listen
Never miss an episode – subscribe for free on your favourite platform:
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@NattyShedLife
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/nattyshedlife/id1691999360
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6PTAxiE6p5T7ITHST05h3s
Alitu: https://nattyshedlife.alitu.com/
📲 Connect with Us
Website: https://nattyshedlife.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nattyshedlife/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NattyShedLife/
💌 Got a question or idea for the pod? Drop us a message at hello@nattyshedlife.com!
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50:24
11 December 2025
Grit, Growth & Getting It Right: The Dean Episode | NattyShedLife Podcast
Dean’s story is all about grit – the kind that comes from showing up even when it’s hard, learning the long way, and holding yourself to a standard no one else can see but you.
In this episode, Cara sits down with Nic to talk about one of the workshop’s most heartfelt grafters: the effort, the setbacks, the expectations he carried, the pressure he put on himself, and the growth that came from all the moments he thought he wasn’t getting it right.
This is a quiet, powerful episode about the kind of growth you don’t always see – the growth that happens on the inside first. Dean is a reminder that becoming good at your craft means becoming good with yourself, too.
🎙️ About NattyShedLife
NattyShedLife is where we share the stories, people, and lessons that shape Gillies & Mackay. From team spotlights to behind-the-scenes chats, this is your place to hear what really goes into building a business with legacy at its core.
🔔 Subscribe & Listen
Never miss an episode – subscribe for free on your favourite platform:
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@NattyShedLife
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/nattyshedlife/id1691999360
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6PTAxiE6p5T7ITHST05h3s
Alitu: https://nattyshedlife.alitu.com/
📲 Connect with Us
Website: https://nattyshedlife.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nattyshedlife/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NattyShedLife/
💌 Got a question or idea for the pod? Drop us a message at hello@nattyshedlife.com!
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34:05
08 December 2025
Gordon: The Legacy in All of Us | NattyShedLife Podcast
Gordon has been part of Gillies & Mackay since, basically, the very beginning. From laying slabs with John and Grant as a teenager, to becoming the operations director and Cara’s right hand man in leading the legacy forward.
In this episode, Cara reflects on the man who has been in her life since childhood: the funny, warm, endlessly hardworking “big brother” figure who helped raise not only her, but the business too – and helped steer it through some of its hardest eras.
We revisit the turning points that reshaped Gordon and Cara's relationship: cultural turbulence, leadership transition, COVID crisis, and the moment Gordon stepped forward to help Cara carry the weight.
Gordon isn’t just a company director – he’s one of the strongest foundations within the business.
This is the story of the man who shows up, every day, for everyone – and the legacy he’s still building.
🎙️ About NattyShedLife
NattyShedLife is where we share the stories, people, and lessons that shape Gillies & Mackay. From team spotlights to behind-the-scenes chats, this is your place to hear what really goes into building a business with legacy at its core.
🔔 Subscribe & Listen
Never miss an episode – subscribe for free on your favourite platform:
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@NattyShedLife
- Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/nattyshedlife/id1691999360
- Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6PTAxiE6p5T7ITHST05h3s
- Alitu: https://nattyshedlife.alitu.com/
📲 Connect with Us
- Website: https://nattyshedlife.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nattyshedlife/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NattyShedLife/
💌 Got a question or idea for the pod? Drop us a message at hello@nattyshedlife.com!
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41:10
04 December 2025
The Delivery Duo: Every Day's an Adventure | NattyShedLife Podcast
Every day really is an adventure when you’re Ross and Darren – the dynamic delivery duo at the heart of G&M’s delivery team, and the last people customers see before their building becomes real. SO exciting.
In this episode, Cara and Nic take us behind the scenes of the team who have to navigating tight access, wild weather, unpredictable ground, and all the curveballs that come with delivering and assembling our wonderful buildings in the real world.
You’ll hear honest reflections about leadership, teamwork, on-site realities, trust, responsibility, and what it takes to do the job to perfection – day in, day out.
🎙️ About NattyShedLife
NattyShedLife is where we share the stories, people, and lessons that shape Gillies & Mackay. From team spotlights to behind-the-scenes chats, this is your place to hear what really goes into building a business with legacy at its core.
🔔 Subscribe & Listen
Never miss an episode – subscribe for free on your favourite platform:
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@NattyShedLife
- Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/nattyshedlife/id1691999360
- Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6PTAxiE6p5T7ITHST05h3s
- Alitu: https://nattyshedlife.alitu.com/
📲 Connect with Us
- Website: https://nattyshedlife.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nattyshedlife/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NattyShedLife/
💌 Got a question or idea for the pod? Drop us a message at hello@nattyshedlife.com!
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28:11
01 December 2025
The Master Craftsman: Chrissy’s Story | NattyShedLife Podcast
Chrissy has been part of Gillies & Mackay for as long as anyone can remember – literally.
He grew up around the business, started sweeping up as a kid, trained as a master craftsman, and became the person who can build the most complex structures G&M has ever produced.
In this episode, Cara and Nicola look back on 17 years of Chrissy’s impact – in the workshop, in the culture, and in their lives.
From the summers spent island-hopping with the G&M “family cult” to the early days on site, right through to becoming Workshop Manager, Chrissy’s story is woven into every piece of the company’s history.
🎙️ About NattyShedLife
NattyShedLife is where we share the stories, people, and lessons that shape Gillies & Mackay. From team spotlights to behind-the-scenes chats, this is your place to hear what really goes into building a business with legacy at its core.
🔔 Subscribe & Listen
Never miss an episode – subscribe for free on your favourite platform:
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@NattyShedLife
- Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/nattyshedlife/id1691999360
- Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6PTAxiE6p5T7ITHST05h3s
- Alitu: https://nattyshedlife.alitu.com/
📲 Connect with Us
- Website: https://nattyshedlife.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nattyshedlife/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NattyShedLife/
💌 Got a question or idea for the pod? Drop us a message at hello@nattyshedlife.com!
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35:40