EOS for a Better Business, Better Life

In this episode I am talking to Suzi McAlpine on the launch of her new book - "Beyond Burnout - a New Zealand Guide. How to spot it, stop it and stamp it out."  A leadership coach, award-winning blogger and keynote speaker, Suzi works alongside CEOs, managers and executives to facilitate clarity, direction and optimal performance in the areas people need it most.  Suzi McAlpine is a Leadership Development Specialist and author of award-winning leadership blog, The Leader’s Digest. She writes and teaches about accomplished leadership, what magic emerges when it’s present, and how to ignite better leadership in individuals, teams and organisations.  Suzi has been a leader and senior executive herself, working alongside CEOs and executive teams in many guises. Her experience has included being a head-hunter and executive coach, and a practice leader for a division at the world’s largest HR consulting firm.  Suzi provides a range of services as a Leadership Development Specialist, including executive coaching, leadership workshops and leadership development programmes for CEOs, leadership teams and organisations throughout New Zealand. She has worked with IAG, Weta Workshop, The Department of Conservation, Contact Energy, Merchant (Overland) Footwear, BDO Accounting, and Nelson Airport to name a few.  In 2012, Suzi started The Leader’s Digest, now an internationally acclaimed blog, which provides tips and insights to CEOs and executives around the globe. The blog has been named in CMOE’s Top 100 Socially-Shared Leadership Blogs, Serve To Lead’s Best 21st Century Leadership Blogs, Charles Specht’s Top 50 Global Leadership Bloggers, Hubworks Global Top 25 Leadership and Management Blogs and MP Star Financials’ global Top 25 Leadership Blogs for Small Business.  In 2018, she launched an online leadership programme for emerging leaders, The Leader’s Map. The programme fills a void in the leadership arena, teaching leadership skills and providing support to people who are thrust into roles in which they must lead. The programme gives emerging leaders the necessary tools to succeed in their role.  Suzi has used her expertise in the leadership space to write a book on burnout and how leaders can create environments in which people, as well as profits, thrive.  In this podcast, she shares some insights, actionable tools & practical tips for Leaders & businesses of all sizes.  

In this episode of Better Business, Better Life, Debra Chantry-Taylor sits down with AI expert and CEO of Bizzuka, John Munsell, to explore how businesses can move beyond basic AI usage and into true capability and scale. John shares his journey from financial services to becoming a leader in AI strategy, and introduces powerful tools such as the AI strategy canvas and scalable prompt engineering. These frameworks help businesses integrate AI into their operations in a structured, repeatable way rather than relying on ad hoc experimentation. Through real-world examples, including a case where AI reduced a three-week project to just three days and saved $70,000, John demonstrates the tangible impact of doing AI properly. He explains why using multiple AI models, structuring prompts effectively, and building knowledge-based documents are critical for achieving consistent, high-quality results. The conversation also tackles common barriers to AI adoption, including fear, lack of training, and unclear use cases. John outlines how organisations can elevate their teams by moving up the levels of AI mastery and embedding AI into everyday workflows across marketing, HR, finance, and operations. If you want to turn AI from a novelty into a true business advantage, this episode offers practical insights, frameworks, and next steps to help you scale smarter and faster. CONNECT WITH DEBRA:    ___________________________________________         ►Debra Chantry-Taylor is a Certified EOS Implementer | Entrepreneurial Leadership & Business Coach | Business Owner ►Connect with Debra: ⁠debra@businessaction.com.au ⁠ ►See how she can help you: https://businessaction.co.nz/ ►Claim Your Free E-Book: https://www.businessaction.co.nz/free-e-book/ ___________________________________________       GUEST’s DETAILS: ► John Munsell – LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jwmunsell/ ► Website – Bizzuka: www.bizzuka.com Episode 264 Chapters:   00:00 – Introduction 00:35 – Background of John Munsell 02:56 – John’s Journey into AI and Business Applications 06:23 – John’s Book and Certified Implementer Programme 13:23 – AI Adoption and Business Efficiency 20:15 – AI in Different Business Functions 28:58 – AI Tools and Best Practices 47:36 – AI in Meetings and Note-Taking 50:06 – John’s Tips for AI Implementation 50:21 – Conclusion and Future Plans

Steve started his career designing multi-million dollar racing yachts, and building and coaching high performing teams to help his clients win the world's most demanding races. He has run and grown a small business, and then transitioned his career to become a certified PMP program manager managing million dollar budgets and helping the US Navy launch ships into the fleet. Six years ago he started his own business, Catylator, with the mission and passion to help business owners build better lives through building better businesses, getting unstuck, fueling growth, achieving more profit and having more fun with their crew. He is a Professional EOS Implementer, is certified in the LEGO Serious Play method, and teaches, facilitates and coaches individuals, leaders, and business leadership teams on their voyage to success. He can be reached at steve@catylator.com, or through his website at https://www.catylator.com.

In this episode of Better Business, Better Life, Debra Chantry-Taylor explores why scaling a business is rarely a strategy problem. Instead, it is often a leadership evolution challenge. Debra explains that as businesses grow, the leadership team must grow with them. Behaviours that worked in a smaller business can quickly become bottlenecks in a larger one. Without clear decision rights, role clarity, and true accountability, leadership teams struggle to scale effectively. She discusses the common challenge where visionaries struggle to let go, unintentionally blocking their integrator and leadership team from stepping up. Debra highlights the importance of productive tension in leadership meetings, clear accountability charts, and decision-making authority that moves down as the business grows. The episode also explores the unique challenges faced by family-owned businesses, where family, ownership, and management roles can easily overlap and create emotional friction. Debra explains why separating these roles and clarifying decision rights is essential for healthy leadership dynamics and sustainable growth. If your business has hit a ceiling, this episode offers practical insights on how evolving leadership behaviours, improving accountability, and embracing healthy tension can unlock the next stage of scale and create a better business and a better life.      CONNECT WITH DEBRA:    ___________________________________________         ►Debra Chantry-Taylor is a Certified EOS Implementer | Entrepreneurial Leadership & Business Coach | Business Owner ►Connect with Debra: debra@businessaction.com.au  ►See how she can help you: https://businessaction.co.nz/ ►Claim Your Free E-Book: https://www.businessaction.co.nz/free-e-book/    Episode 263 Chapters:    00:00 – Introduction 00:36 – Scaling Requires Clear Decision Rights and Leadership Evolution  02:19 – Growth Reveals Leadership Problems  03:46 – Role Clarity and Decision-Making  06:10 – Accountability and Leadership Evolution  07:25 – Scaling as a Leadership Upgrade  08:01 – Early Signs of Leadership Team Outgrowing Current Operations  09:08 – Distinguishing Growth Problems from Leadership Behaviour Issues  09:22 – Role Clarity Problems in Businesses Hitting a Ceiling  10:19 – Founder or Long-Tenure Behaviour Blocking Scale  11:17 – Healthy Tension in Leadership Meetings  12:16 – Confusing Busyness with Effectiveness  13:06 – True Accountability for Growth  14:25 – Leadership Dynamics in Family-Owned Businesses  15:56 – Avoided Conversations in Leadership  16:55 – Unlocking Scale with Open Conversations 

Scott Rusnak is an accomplished business owner, having built & successfully exited 2 of his companies. He is now a Certified EOS Implementer whose passion is helping business owners and burgeoning entrepreneurs get what they want from their businesses so they can live the life they want.Scott is also the author of 'The Entrepreneurs' field guide - Design your life before someone else does it for you!'In this podcast, we talk about how success isn’t rocket science... It’s all about getting clear on what you want and focusing on it.Scott shares his journey through building & exiting 2 businesses of his own, some of his client success stories, as well as his top 3 tips for helping you to design your best life.We chose to go freestyle on this podcast, with Scott sitting outside on his balcony, next to his surfboard. The sound quality might not be the greatest, but it was a real, open, honest & fun conversation which I hope you'll enjoy!

In this episode of Better Business, Better Life, Debra Chantry-Taylor speaks with Haraya Del Rosario Gust about what it means to become an EOS Driven Entrepreneur. Haraya shares her journey from the corporate world into entrepreneurship and how implementing EOS helped her scale her business from 13 to more than 50 employees in just two years. She explains how clarity, accountability, and strong leadership structures transformed the way her company operated and allowed her to step out of the day-to-day operations. The conversation explores the power of the accountability chart, the challenge many founders face when transitioning from operational roles into strategic leadership, and why building strong leadership teams is essential for sustainable growth. Haraya also introduces her new book, The 90-Day Leadership Field Manual, designed to help first-time leaders build confidence, structure, and clarity in their roles. Haraya and Debra also discuss the importance of prioritising health, creating supportive leadership environments, and building communities that allow entrepreneurs and leadership teams to grow together. Haraya shares her vision for expanding EOS communities across Southeast Asia and supporting more leaders on their journey. If you want to understand what it truly means to operate as an EOS Driven Entrepreneur, this episode offers powerful insights on clarity, leadership development, and scaling a business with the right systems in place. CONNECT WITH DEBRA:    ___________________________________________         ►Debra Chantry-Taylor is a Certified EOS Implementer | Entrepreneurial Leadership & Business Coach | Business Owner ►Connect with Debra: debra@businessaction.com.au ►See how she can help you: https://businessaction.co.nz/ ►Claim Your Free E-Book: https://www.businessaction.co.nz/free-e-book/ ___________________________________________       GUEST’S DETAILS: ► Haraya Del Rosario – LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iadelrosario/ ► Website – Satori: https://teamsatori.asia/ Episode 262 Chapters:   00:00 – Introduction 00:42 – Journey to Entrepreneurship and EOS Implementation 10:26 – Discovering EOS and Scaling the Business 10:51 – The Impact of Accountability Charts 29:52 – Challenges and Growth in Leadership 35:05 – The Role of Visionaries and Strategy 37:40 – Personal Growth and Professional Fulfilment 37:51 – The Science of Scaling and Personal Development 39:58 – Supporting New Leaders and Building Communities 40:47 – The Importance of Clarity and Health First 44:41 – Future Plans and Exciting Announcements

Verity Craft is an entrepreneur, writer, consultant, speaker (and musical theatre nerd!) based in Auckland, New Zealand. Together with founder Christina Wedgwood, she’s built content agency Intelligent Ink into the experts on thought leadership content in New Zealand.For Verity, there’s nothing better than working with people who are passionate about improving their corner of the world (and nothing worse than random capital letters in the middle of sentences!). Her career has seen her work with hundreds of businesses, brands, and champions of industry who also believe in better – developing and leveraging clients’ expertise into exceptional content that positions them as authorities in their industries.“To me, better means leading the conversation; not just doing what’s always been done, or saying what’s already been said. Better means adding value for the people you’re here to serve – it means serving them up something extraordinary.”In this podcast with Debra Chantry-Taylor (Professional EOS Implementer & Entrepreneurial Leadership & Business Coach), she talks about how you can use thought leadership to become a true authority. She gives examples of what to do & what not to do, as well as tips for how you start on your better-thinking journey.

Dan Wiliams started his entrepreneurial journey at age 10 earning money as a paperboy and local lawnmower kid.The thrill of the enterprise always meant more to him than the money. He started building and selling computers at the age of 15 and became the go-to for all technology needs for all friends and family. He eventually had his first experience running and owning a business after joining a small IT business at the age of 21. He helped grow it to over $20M in revenue and replaced himself in it and exited. He has done about 5 mergers, sales and acquisitions throughout that time and started his own advisory in 2017 to share his experiences with other business owners. These days he is a director in a software company, a fulfillment company and has his own EOS practice.In this episode, Dan shares with me his journey to exit & how it's important to elevate those around you in order to really let go!The Formal BioDan is a Certified EOS® Implementer and has more than 20 years experience in the IT industry. He is the former CEO of Australian MSP and certified Great Place to Work, Powernet.He has facilitated hundreds of sessions globally on leadership, growth, and culture. Dan is driven by his passion for helping others and lifting the tide across the IT industry. Dan is a facilitator in the IT Nation Evolve program and former peer group member.Dan spends the majority of his time pursuing his purpose of connecting people with possibilities to unlock potential. As a lifelong entrepreneur himself, Dan now works with over 25 technology service providers across the APAC region as their EOS Implementer and Coach on their journey.

In this episode of Better Business, Better Life, Debra Chantry-Taylor unpacks what scaling really means and why most leadership teams get it wrong. Scaling is not about adding more projects, more people, or more hustle. It is about raising minimum standards, eliminating tolerated nonsense, and using time as a strategic tool. Drawing on Dr Benjamin Hardy’s book The Science of Scaling, Debra explains why reasonable goals protect the status quo while impossible goals force clarity, discipline, and structural change. She challenges leaders to stop confusing effort with progress and to start designing businesses that no longer tolerate “zombie work” such as unnecessary meetings, reports, and projects that quietly drain energy and capacity. Through practical examples and sharp insights, Debra outlines how impossible goals with clear timelines create focus, expose inefficiencies, and demand better leadership. If you want to scale without burning out your team or sacrificing quality, this episode will shift how you think about growth, standards, and execution.    CONNECT WITH DEBRA:    ___________________________________________         ►Debra Chantry-Taylor is a Certified EOS Implementer | Entrepreneurial Leadership & Business Coach | Business Owner ►Connect with Debra: ⁠debra@businessaction.com.au ⁠ ►See how she can help you: https://businessaction.co.nz/ ►Claim Your Free E-Book: https://www.businessaction.co.nz/free-e-book/    Episode 261 Chapters:    00:00 – Introduction 00:42 – Scaling Businesses: The Science of Scaling  01:21 – Challenges in Scaling Businesses  03:15 – The Role of Impossible Goals in Scaling  04:13 – Practical Examples of Scaling  06:00 – The Frame-Floor-Focus Execution Ladder  08:36 – Eliminating Zombie Work  10:05 – The Real Science of Scaling  11:36 – Ad Lib Questions and Answers  20:43 – Conclusion and Contact Information 

Nick and Jeni Clift are the owners & Directors of DWM Solutions, now merged with Milan Industries Group.  They have been working together in their own businesses for close to 25 years.Nick is Director of MIG, and holds the role of Visionary.Jeni is Head of People & Culture at MIG. She also has a consultancy business, Tenassia, working with her clients as an EOS Implementer and providing Business & Leadership Coaching.DWM Solutions opened for business in February 2002. We provide proactive IT support services for Local Government, Water Authorities, Education and Health entities as well as small to medium Commercial organisations. In a nutshell, we think about your IT so you don’t have to!Our clients are located across Victoria, we support them from our offices in Melbourne, Bendigo and Echuca, and in January 2017 we relocated our Geelong office to Torquay.  We currently employ 16 staff.Prior to founding DWM Solutions, Nick held various roles within the computer and information technology industry. These included Director and General Manager of TriTech Computer Services; and Engineer, Service Manager and National Technical Services Manager over a 13-year career with Unisys.  Nick holds Certificate of Technology in Electronics and Certificate of Technology in Computer Servicing from RMIT.  These, coupled with his extensive industry and product certifications, highlights a wealth of knowledge and skills. More than 30 years of experience in the computer industry has given Nick a sound understanding of the important role technology plays in business. His ability to keep abreast of the ever-changing pace of information technology is second to none.Jeni’s background is in Human Resources & Administration, she has worked with many of Australia’s best known brands, including Morgan & Banks, P&O, KPMG, NAB, Unisys and Phillips. Jeni is a Professional EOS Implementer and works as a Business Coach specialising in Leadership and Personal Development.  Jeni is a regular speaker at IT industry events and internationally, sharing her experiences in running a family business and managing the “people” side of a business.