Sadler says Phoenix slot at The Meadows all about rewarding staff
Peter Sadler enjoys a punt, but he wants to make one thing clear – his purchase of a slot in the $1.65 million Phoenix is not a fairytale story he is chasing for himself.
It is not about the race, either. It's about his people. The people he has given his past 25 years to developing both at and away from their workplace.
In 1997 when he started out in the transport industry at Peter Sadler Removals and Logistics alongside his father, Peter Snr, the now managing director and owner realised it was tough to make a living if you weren't doing specialised work.
That specialised work requires a high level of skill, mental aptitude and physical fitness.
So Sadler, his father and a few mates started chasing the “tough-to-do” work.
That work was less about the type of vehicle and more about the person behind the wheel – and in some instances, in the passenger seats.
This meant building a family of committed, enthusiastic and fun-loving people, which was the most important thing his business could do.
Twenty-five years on, it has not changed.
At The Meadows on December 17, Sadler will throw the Christmas party of a lifetime.
And he has given his employees the opportunity to share the winning prizemoney, with a cool $1 million going to connections of the winning greyhound.
“Every person in the business can't wait. Not only is it an opportunity for everyone to get a once-in-a-lifetime Christmas bonus during trying inflationary times, but it's also going to be one hell of a party, after restricted versions the past three years,” Sadler told Australian Racing Greyhound.
For someone who is proud to talk about overcoming his own mental health and anxiety issues, it is this team ethos which has seen Sadler tackle his demons and grow his business into a very reputable one.
From starting out alongside his father with just two trucks in 1997, the organisation now employs over 100 people at two departments in Laverton North.
In today's world where many feel alienated in their jobs – particularly during and after the COVID pandemic – Sadler strongly values making all his employees feel “over-valued” and “part of the family”.
He has treated his employees to skiing trips in Queenstown in New Zealand, paintball and bungy jumping team-bonding sessions among others over the years.
“It started out as ‘oh yeah, that'd be something good to do for our people',” Sadler said.
“And then we said, ‘let's have a really great Christmas party at a venue, and also give our people the opportunity to celebrate the great Australian dream of having a go'.”
While they're at it, Sadler's work crew will indeed lap up the opportunity to be a part of something truly special – having a one-in-eight chance of sharing $1 million among themselves.
“The opportunity (to buy a slot) presented itself and there was one spot left. So we said ‘why don't we put our everyday-growing business up against the corporates and give them a run for their money?'” he said.
“For us, it's not about the gambling side of things.
“I'm one of those have-a-go punters. I own a racehorse here and there.
“But it really wasn't about the gambling aspect of it. It was more around the opportunity and what it could present.
“I think we've always had a really good culture within our business.
“And we liked the way Greyhound Racing Victoria presented it to us, and The Meadows.”
It's a far cry from when he was a teenager when he was largely withdrawn and lacking confidence.
“I left school at Year 7 for anxiety reasons, to tell you the truth,” he said.
“I found a home and a belief in myself by growing up and playing football, and from there adopting team cultures.
“From the age of 12 to 16, I was a very scared little boy. What happened to me was I had no choice but to work.
“And I was lucky enough to work in markets with my father, and just found retail and I grew my confidence from there.
“What has really helped me is being engaged with people. Genuinely helping people and understanding people and being there for people – I think that's helped me as well.”
You can find good stories among the constant grind of greyhound racing every day.
And indeed, if Sadler's dog wins The Phoenix next month it will be – as the saying goes – one for the good guys.
“Having some experience in the horse-racing industry back in the day, it's a hard minefield to navigate,” he said.
“You come up against a few robots. You look at some of these corporates like Sportsbet, Ned's and TAB.
“They're all in it for obvious reasons. They're buying to pick the right dog.
“I guess the story that I want out there is that if we win, we'll donate a percentage to the greyhound adoption program.
“And we'll give the money back to the employees at the Christmas party.
“As my wife has always said ‘dream big'.”
Like her husband, Jenny Sadler has most certainly not been afraid to dare to dream of achieving great things.
“My wife owns 12 McDonald's stores as well and employs over 1500 people,” Sadler said.
“Now she's the most successful female licensee in the whole of Australasia.
“She started with nothing.”
Sadler's team will also dare to dream big, but with his wife's humble “little battling underdog” mentality for The Phoenix on December 17.
“For us, it's not about any stigmas. It's really about ‘you know what, isn't it great that a business can go up against corporates?'” he said.
“And to say ‘we want to be in it to win it as well'.
“We're not doing this for any other reason bar we want to celebrate as a team.
“We want to have a ripping Christmas party, and if we fluke it, we fluke it.
“We want our dog to be the people's dog. It's not beneficial for me in any way, shape or form.
“The only benefit for me is my people get an opportunity.”
Most employment managers around Australian cannot afford to buy a slot in the world's richest greyhound race for their staff.
But it's this team-first ethos which matters greatly to Sadler.
And it's a mindset he wants to promote – with the national exposure he now has leading up to The Phoenix – in the hope of inspiring other leaders around the nation to also put the needs of their staff first.
“We do a lot of investing into our employees because we feel like retention is really important in today's world,” Sadler said.
“A lot of people who work in the management team started on the road at a young age, and evolved internally, which has also been great.
“And making someone feel like they're more than just a number is equally as important.
“If I can inspire others to do the right thing by their businesses, that's key for me.”