In this episode, I discuss the importance of fostering an environment in your business where team members feel empowered to take initiative and make decisions, particularly in busy or peak times. I talk about why giving permission and creating psychological safety for team members is important for your business, and how it allows them to make execu…

In this episode, Jenny Stilwell sits down with Tom Ricca-McCarthy, CEO and founder of GetLucidity, to discuss effective strategy execution. Tom shares insights from his tech background and explains how his passion for strategy led him to create GetLucidity. They explore the importance of continuous strategic planning and companies' common challenge…

Today, I discuss the four characteristics of an effective team and how to identify whether your team is operating efficiently (or not!). I share the reasons why having regular conversations with your team about expectations and decision-making is important if you want your team to operate effectively and in a spacious way. I talk about how to under…

In this episode, I discuss two common business challenges that have been a theme for many of my clients in the first quarter of 2024. I talk about how to manage team members you feel are performing at an average or below-average level, and how to evaluate your team costs and efficiency, particularly in the context of potential changes in revenue. I…

In this episode, Jenny Stilwell interviews Robine Stephenson, a seasoned expert in digital transformation and technology, with over 20 years of experience. Stephenson shares insights into practical ways toleverage AI effectively, drawing from her background in strategic service design and her involvement in setting up Geelong's first regional AI hu…

In this episode, I talk about how to determine appropriate pay structures for your team members, and how it can impact your team dynamics and business outcomes. I explore some of the intricacies of underpaying and overpaying for a role, and explain why it is important to align pay rates with market research, financial feasibility, and the role's in…

In this episode, I discuss what decision-making authority is in your business and why it is important. I share how to hand over more of your decision-making power to build trust and confidence with your team. I explore the reasons why clear decision-making power is essential to ensure the smooth operations and growth of your business. I share some …

In this episode, Jenny Stilwell interviews Trevor Young, a seasoned PR and communication strategist, offering valuable insights into business growth and marketing strategies. Trevor shares his journey and emphasizes strategic planning and experimentation in business. He discusses the evolving landscape of PR, stressing the importance of deepening c…

In this episode of Big Dreams Great Teams®, I am joined by Mel Daniels, a Content Marketing Strategist, speaker, podcast host and author. Mel shares her insights on how to create powerful content, the importance of authenticity, and when and how to delegate content creation within your team. Mel shares the four P’s of content creation, and why they…

In this episode of Big Dreams Great Teams®, I delve into the importance of setting and maintaining healthy boundaries in your business, and with your team. Boundaries are a positive tool for creating a thriving work environment, and they will support your business for further growth and success. I talk about how clear boundaries are guiding princip…

In this episode, Jenny Stilwell interviews Alan Dib, the founder of Lean Marketing and author of the 1-Page Marketing Plan. Alan shares insights from his journey, transitioning from an IT geek to a successful entrepreneur focused on empowering others in marketing. They also dive into the core principles of strategic marketing outlined in Alan's glo…

In this episode, I discuss the importance of having performance enhancing conversations with your team. These conversations are necessary to have regularly when you want to improve the performance of team members who are already ‘doing okay’ but you know could be doing better. I talk about how performance enhancing conversations should be two-sided…

In this episode of Big Dreams Great Teams®, Paula is joined by Shana Lynn, a trusted advisor for top-tier subscription companies looking to amp up their customer retention. Today, Shana talks about being an online community strategist, and shares her expertise on hiring and managing community managers. We discuss the benefits of having someone else…

In this episode, host Jenny Stilwell welcomes Marianne Page to discuss the importance of establishing effective processes and systems within businesses, drawing on Marianne's extensive experience at McDonald's. Marianne emphasizes the need for clear processes, particularly in hiring, training, and feedback, before businesses consider expanding thei…

In this episode the host, Paula Maidens discusses the importance of mastering delegation to overcome the cycle of overwork. She shares seven steps to effectively delegate tasks and responsibilities in a business and offers ways that you can delegate effectively, free up their time, reduce stress, and create a business that can thrive beyond their p…

In this conversation, Paula talks to offshoring expert Tiffany English about all things offshoring and in particular, how to make a success of hiring a Filipino VA. Tiffany starts with sharing the difference between offshoring versus outsourcing and the various skills and roles that Filipino offshore resources can excel in including how much this h…

In this episode, Jenny Stilwell interviews Louise Brogan, founder of a boutique marketing agency specializing in LinkedIn. Louise shares her journey from social media training to becoming an expert in LinkedIn marketing, highlighting its effectiveness, particularly during the pandemic. They discuss the importance of LinkedIn profiles for individual…

In this episode Paula dives into the common question of “When it is the right time to let someone go” along with all those other common questions about firing including "How much time is reasonable" "How do you know enough is enough" etc etc! This episode covers all the important considerations you need to take into account including the importance…

How to BE yourself at work with Cassandra Goodman Welcome to another podcast episode with Paula Maidens. In this episode, Paula interviews Cassandra Goodman, a seasoned leader with over two decades of global executive experience. Cassandra, the author of "Being True: How to Be Yourself at Work," shares insights on authentic leadership and the impor…

In this podcast episode, Jenny explores the strategic considerations for businesses contemplating new hires. She advises evaluating existing roles and optimizing processes before deciding to add personnel. Jenny also emphasizes the importance of calculating the total cost of hiring, considering competitive salaries and associated expenses. Assessin…

5 Interview Questions you Must ASK In 2024 Welcome to another podcast episode with Paula Maidens. The host, Paula Maidens discusses the importance of strategic hiring in the new year and shares five strategic interview questions to ensure you make the right choices for your team. Highlights of this episode: The threefold purpose of an interview and…

Profit Profit Profit : How to get more of it in 2024 Welcome to 2024 with our first Big Dreams Great Team® podcast episode for the new year! In this episode, Paula is joined by her guest, Laura O’Hagan, a profit and growth consultant who helps business owners pay themselves more. Laura specialises in the health, beauty, and professional services in…

In this podcast, Jenny Stilwell interviews Paris Cutler, founder of Planet Cake, sharing her unique journey from strategic entry into the cake business to navigating the Global Financial Crisis (GFC). Paris discusses pivoting during the downturn, emphasizing leadership lessons and the importance of quick decisions. Paris also talks about her post-P…

Part 3- Hire Smarter Summer Series - Profitable Onboarding Welcome to the final episode of the Hire Smarter Mini-Series with Paula Maidens. The host, Paula has shared invaluable insights in this three-part series to help you make confident and informed hiring decisions. In part one, Paula covered the common mistakes to avoid when hiring and in part…

Join Jenny Stilwell on today's episode as she dives into five powerful strategies to elevate your client sales revenue. Drawing from her wealth of experience and successful business ventures, Jenny shares practical insights that have fueled her enterprises and transformed the bottom line for numerous clients. In this episode, Jenny discussed the fo…

Episode 108 - How to Decide Your Top 5 Qualities To Only Hire Rockstars In Part 2 of the Hire Smarter Mini-Series, the host Paula Maidens, focuses on achieving clarity before embarking on the hiring process and the significance of understanding five key aspects before getting started on your hiring process. Paula highlights the tendency to overlook…

Episode 107 - The Reasons Most People Hire Wrong (and How to Avoid That For Good) In this first episode of the Hire Smarter Mini-Series, hosted by Paula Maidens, the focus is on equipping CEOs with the knowledge and strategies needed to make great hiring decisions, ultimately leading to profitable scaling for service-based businesses. Paula dives i…

Episode #106 - My 3 TOP CLIENT LESSONS FROM 2023 As Paula shifts into reflection mode for 2023, she shares in this episode three common lessons that emerged across her clients throughout the year. You’ll be able to listen and reflect on your own leadership and take nuggets of wisdom for yourself into 2024. You’ll hear about: The Need for Clarity Pa…

Episode #105 - 5 Questions to Ask Each Of Your Team Before The End Of The Year With the holiday season looming, you're probably juggling year-end tasks and eagerly awaiting that well-deserved Christmas break. But before you shift into relaxation mode, I have a fantastic opportunity for you to consider to maximise your team's potential for a strong …

In this episode, Jenny Stilwell interviews Paula Maidens, a hiring strategist and leadership coach, on building and managing high-performing teams in growing businesses. Paula shares insights on hiring, retaining talent, avoiding common pitfalls, and handling performance issues with curiosity. She emphasizes efficient systems and processes to enhan…

In this episode of the Big Dreams Great Teams™, I am joined by Bonny Marsh, a multi-passionate entrepreneur, the co-founder of Truii, a Brisbane-based technology and consulting company that creates data-driven web applications. She is also a Speech Pathologist, Mother of four, and mentor to mothers. Bonny runs her business with a family first ethos…

In this episode of the Big Dreams Great Teams™, Paula shares the 7 REAL Truths that consistently emerge when she’s coaching her private clients towards growth, team efficiencies and effective leadership. These truths comprised from her 17 years of industry experience and they are jam-packed full of practical ideas and solutions for you on your lead…

In this podcast episode, Jenny Stilwell shares a client case study where a business owner transformed their company from 2 million to 5 million in two years. They overcame growth challenges through improved structure, a capable team, and a strategic focus on sales growth. Eventually, they became an eight-figure global business. The key lesson is th…

In this episode of Big Dreams Great Teams™, we dive into the vital distinction between Expectations and Inspections. High expectations are common, but true success lies in actively Inspecting and monitoring progress, because as the saying goes “You get what you INSPECT not what you EXPECT”. I talk about how business owners and entrepreneurs who are…

In this episode of Big Dreams Great Teams™, I interview Dr Lutza Ireland (Autistic/ADHD/she/her) a psychologist, multi award winning designer, researcher and international speaker who is passionate about neuro-inclusion. This episode explores neurodiversity and celebrates the unique strengths of different minds, and shares insights into neuro-inclu…

In today’s episode, I finish off my two-part series on the essential elements of building a lean team in your business. I share the last two critical strategies and elements that you need to have in place; effective time management and prioritisation. In the fast-paced world of business, time is a precious resource. It's essential not only for you …

In this podcast episode, Jenny Stilwell interviews Nicki Osbaldiston, a marketing strategist and LinkedIn consultant, as they dive into the world of content marketing. Nicki introduces a comprehensive visibility framework encompassing vision, values, value proposition, voice, and visuals, offering a strategic approach to content creation. In this e…

In today’s episode, I kick off a two-part series on the essential elements of building a lean team in your business. Having a lean team is not only about minimising your costs, but is also about optimising efficiency to maximise returns with your existing team. Whether you're an emerging entrepreneur or an experienced business owner, the insights I…

In this episode, we delve into the core elements of creating a successful strategy roadmap for business growth. I outline three indispensable steps: the acquisition of pertinent information about your business and clientele, the implementation of a strategic decision framework for confident decision-making, and the crucial task of providing clarity…

In this episode of Big Dreams Great Teams™, I am joined by Tracey Mylecharane, an unconventional business lawyer who delivers confidence to small business owners. Tracey founded her business with an empower ethos and a commitment to educate and empower small business owners to back themselves, legally. Today, we discuss the legal side of hiring peo…

In today’s episode, I delve into the world of artificial intelligence (AI) and how you can use it in relation to your team. I talk about the ways in which AI can simplify your hiring and team management processes, and I provide some valuable insights and recommendations on how to use AI in your business. I share 5 ways that you can use AI, and how …

In this episode, I am joined by a great friend and previous client of mine, Jazze Jervis. Jazze is an entrepreneur, investor, and seven-figure business coach. Today, we go behind the scenes of her incredible business to gain some insight into how she works with her Online Business Manager (OBM) and team. Together, Jazze and her OBM have built a pow…

Sarah Rey co-founded Justitia in 2005, an award-winning, innovative legal practice specialising in employment, discrimination, labour relations and governance advice. In her 30 years as a lawyer, Sarah and her team have worked in many sectors partnering with clients to create workplaces where people can thrive, and develop alternative strategies to…

In today’s episode, I talk about how to have difficult conversations with someone on your team and share my top 10 tips on how you can make them feel easier. One of the most common questions I get asked by current and potential clients is how to have difficult conversations, as for most leaders these conversations do not come naturally. I know that…

In today’s episode of Big Dreams Great Teams™, I am joined by the inspiring Jenny Stilwell, author of The 7% Club. Jenny sheds light on the challenges faced by businesses as they aim to grow their revenue beyond 2 million dollars, with only 7% of Australian businesses achieving this milestone. We delve into the complexities that arise during busine…

In this episode, Jenny Stilwell delves into the significance of the "gating process" through a real-world example. Sharing insights from her experience with a fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) client facing operational challenges due to rapid growth, Jenny introduces the concept of the gating process as a solution to streamline complex business ope…

In this episode, I delve into an important aspect and topic of business; how to build business sustainability into your team. I dive deep into this common challenge many entrepreneurs face, which is being over-reliant on key team members. I talk about how you should have established systems and processes in place that ensure your business's continu…

In today’s episode of Big Dreams Great Teams, I am joined by Amy Dawe, founder of Seed Virtual Assistants. Amy is a mentor to many Virtual Assistants (VA) around Australia helping them leverage their unique strengths to launch, grow and scale their business, and is committed to educating and supporting businesses to understand the power of outsourc…

In today's discussion, we uncover nine game-changing factors for business growth beyond the 2 million-dollar mark: Visionary leadership The paradox of growth Strategic business models Optimized products and services The business owner's mindset Fostering a strong company culture Effective people management Streamlined business structure The art of …

In this episode of Big Dreams Great Teams, I delve into the balance between flexibility and structure when it comes to your team. These days, it is really common for businesses to offer flexible working arrangements for both employees and contractors. I talk about how you can make flexible working arrangements work for you, and some of the things t…