Unlocking Human Potential at Young Guns Container Crew

How Positive Intelligence® is helping a high-performance logistics company boost resilience, well-being, and productivity

young guns and pq logos

Young Guns Container Crew isn’t your typical logistics company.

Founded by brothers Scott and Trent Young — both former rugby league players turned entrepreneurs — the business began as a side hustle helping teammates find work. Today, it’s a fast-scaling, values-driven company with operations across Australia, New Zealand, and Canada. Its mission is bold: unlock the potential in people, especially those often overlooked in the workforce.

Young Guns has a young, geographically dispersed team doing physically and mentally demanding work — loading and unloading containers day in and day out. Leadership quickly saw that supporting technical performance wasn’t enough. They needed to support their people from the inside out.

“We’ve embarked on a mission to create a different business model — Potential First,” says Scott Young. “Because we believe this unlocks the potential of our workforce for significant productivity and genuine impact.”

That mindset led them to Positive Intelligence (PQ) and the PQ Program for mental fitness.

scott young

From Personal Curiosity to Companywide Change

President John O’Sullivan was first introduced to PQ through a coaching network. He quickly saw how well it aligned with Young Guns’ purpose — and realized it was more than a personal development tool. It could be a catalyst for business transformation.

“We’re a purpose-led company, and most of our team starts in entry-level roles,” O’Sullivan says. “Many come from challenging environments. If we can help them understand how they’re showing up — not just at work, but at home and in their own minds — we create real impact.”

After O’Sullivan’s positive experience with the PQ Program, he shared it with co-founders Scott and Trent, who were intrigued and quickly saw the potential. The company piloted the program with its executive team. From there, business unit leaders began facilitating Pods — small peer groups that go through the PQ Program together — across their regions, including operational crews in Australia, New Zealand, and Canada.

Pods provide built-in support and accountability — key drivers of lasting change. Research shows individuals are 500% more likely to build new habits when supported by accountability partners.

As a certified PQ Coach, O’Sullivan played a key role in the rollout and continues to lead Pods himself. Several other senior leaders who completed the program have since stepped up to lead Pods of their own — helping scale mental fitness in a way that’s sustainable and rooted in shared experience.

“We wanted this to feel accessible — not like another corporate initiative,” says Sam Banks, Head of Commercial Operations and Pod leader. “Our focus was on creating a safe space where people could be real, share openly, and build trust across the team.”

Positive Intelligence

Results That Speak for Themselves

Young Guns team members are seeing measurable results across performance, engagement, and emotional well-being.

88

%

say they’ve strengthened their emotional intelligence

76

%

feel better equipped to coach and inspire others

68

%

report greater trust in their team

84

%

report better stress management

72

%

say their personal relationships have improved

76

%

use mental and emotional energy more effectively

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    When we’ve applied the PQ techniques within our teams, we’ve seen an uplift of 300% productivity. All this value that sits in our teams and our workplaces is unrealized. We see it as our responsibility to unlock that for them themselves, but also for our customers.
    Scott Young Co-Founder & Director
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    PQ has done wonders for the cohesion of our teams, and in a team environment, cohesion is everything. With it, you can have outstanding productivity, and without it, you will never be better than average.
    Rob D'Alessio Chief Community Officer

A Mental Operating System

For the Young brothers, Positive Intelligence offered something they hadn’t seen before — a practical, structured way to develop mindset at scale.

“Everyone these days talks about a growth mindset,” Trent shares. “Positive Intelligence is a tool to unlock that … understanding how you think, and what’s holding you back from a thinking perspective. I think that’s much more powerful for the individual, and that flows through to much more value for the organization.”

They now view PQ as a key part of Young Guns’ operating system, integrated into everything from team huddles to leadership development.

“It’s now about integrating PQ into our operating system so we can be really deliberate about unlocking the potential of the mindsets in our teams — and integrate that with the mechanics of our business day-to-day,” Scott adds.

trent young headshot

Impact Across the Frontline Workforce

Young Guns serves a frontline workforce, many of whom are early in their careers or entering the workforce after life transitions. The PQ Program helps them build confidence, resilience, and self-awareness — fast.

“Understanding my Saboteurs helped me connect the dots between emotions and daily challenges,” shared one participant.

“I’m less reactive. I can pause, shift into Sage, and choose a better response,” said another.
And perhaps most telling: “I started off doubting the program, but by Week 3 I was fully invested. Now I use it at work and at home.”

Another team member summed it up this way:

“This is an outstanding program to develop self in all aspects of life. It builds a foundation for sustainable self-fulfillment and happiness.”

Banks saw these benefits firsthand. “Many team members had never been given language to describe what they were feeling,” he explains. “When they started using terms like Saboteurs and Sage, it helped them step out of reactivity and into real leadership — even at the front line.”

Pod leaders noted that the “Yes, and” brainstorming game and visualizing the “inner child” during empathy exercises stood out as transformational.

One employee shared, “When I want to do something but feel lazy, I hear that voice saying, ‘That’s your Saboteur.’ It actually helps push me forward.”

illustration modules pod meeting

A Culture Where Mental Fitness Is Built In

The program isn’t just an add-on — it’s part of how Young Guns operates now.

“We start meetings with PQ Reps or a Sage check-in,” O’Sullivan says. “We use the tools in our hiring and onboarding. We even built team Saboteur profiles so leaders could tailor how they support their teams.”

Pod leaders tracked weekly engagement and checked in one-on-one with team members who were falling behind — often due to Saboteur interference. “The data helped us personalize support and keep people engaged,” says O’Sullivan.

Banks also helped ensure Pods felt relevant to the demands of different teams. “We emphasized connection and small wins,” he says. “The way the program is designed — the app, the reps, the weekly reflections — it was easy for people to digest.”

Even new hires entering senior leadership are now enrolled in the PQ Program as part of onboarding.

Leadership That Lives the Work

Positive Intelligence didn’t just change the team — it transformed the leaders, too.
Coming out of a personal experience with burnout, O’Sullivan is especially passionate about what the program represents.

“High achievement without well-being isn’t sustainable,” he says. “PQ helps us strike the balance. We’re growing fast — but we’re doing it with humanity, not hustle culture.”

That intentional leadership sets the tone across the business. “As a leader, you can choose what energy enters the room,” O’Sullivan adds. “PQ gave us a way to not only recognize that — but to regulate it. And to coach others to do the same.”

Banks agrees: “You can feel it in the way our leaders show up. This isn’t just a toolkit — it’s a culture shift. And it’s changed the way we lead.”

A Competitive Advantage in a Demanding Industry

From rural beginnings to international expansion, Young Guns is on a mission to be more than a logistics provider. It’s a leadership incubator — especially for those who’ve been underestimated by the traditional workforce.

“Life is difficult, and PQ really helps you work through the challenges and find the positive gifts within those challenges to help you get momentum in life,” says Trent. “Collaboration as teammates through the PQ Program strengthens the trust, resilience, performance, and engagement of the team.”

Now, with Positive Intelligence woven into the company’s DNA, Young Guns is proving that frontline industries can be high performance and high care — and that investing in mindset pays dividends for individuals, teams, and the business.

Ready to Unlock Your Team’s Potential?

Positive Intelligence helps organizations build the mental fitness needed for sustained performance, resilience, and growth. If you’re ready to create a culture where people thrive — and your business grows — let’s start the conversation.

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