After leaving school behind at just 14 to begin a carpentry apprenticeship, Robert Neil quickly discovered a passion for building that would shape the rest of his life.

What started on job sites alongside his father grew into a career marked by resilience, pragmatism and the determination to turn even the hardest setbacks into stepping stones toward success.

“I had a passion for building, it’s as simple as that,” he says. “My father was a builder. I loved going to work with him on a Saturday or on the holidays. Without that passion, you’re getting up each morning going, ‘I have to go to work,’ rather than getting up each morning wanting to go to work.”

That passion carried him through the early years, but his journey was far from smooth. In 2005, Neil faced one of his hardest moments when Avoca Construction, the company he was running at the time, went into receivership.

“It was probably the hardest day of my life,” he reflects. “I don’t cry too often or show too much emotion, but I know on that day I cried.”

He rang his father, who gave Neil the advice that would shape his future.

“He said, ‘Rob, guess what? You’ll get another chance tomorrow. You get to wake up tomorrow, get another shot at it, get out there and have a go. Don’t sit back and wait for it to happen, don’t sit there and dwell on it,’” he says. “That’s probably one of the main reasons I’m here today.”

The experience taught Neil the value of taking control.

“Today, I don’t work for anyone else,” he notes. “We only create our own developments, build our own developments, we control our own destiny. If I don’t pay the bill, guess what? I’ve got only one person to blame. That’s myself.”

Building the family spirit

Neil’s leadership philosophy has also been shaped by family. He admits he sometimes finds it hard to openly show pride in his two sons, something he believes he inherited from his father.

“I know they know that I’m proud of them,” he says. “But it’s ironic, I’ve become a soft touch with my two granddaughters. I think if I had had daughters, I might have been slightly different in how I looked at life.”

The family spirit extends into Safari Group itself, where many senior leaders have worked alongside Neil for decades. He sees this loyalty as the foundation of the company’s strength.

“Everyone in Safari is part of our family,” he reveals. “We try our best to ensure that people see Safari as a safe haven.”

At the heart of Neil’s success is a simple philosophy that has guided him from his earliest days on the tools.

“You don’t spend a dollar till you’ve got it in the bank, and that’s pretty much the way I’ve looked at life,” he concludes.

Tune in to the full episode of CEO: Behind the Scenes to hear Neil share more on resilience, leadership and what it really takes to build lasting success.

Listen to the latest episode of our CEO: Behind the Scenes podcast with Robert Neil on Amazon, Apple or Spotify.