Better Business, Better Life

In this episode of Better Business, Better Life, Debra Chantry-Taylor sits down with Scott Rusnak to explore what happens when trust starts to break down inside a leadership team, & discuss what the missing ingredient in high performing EOS® teams. Drawing on Patrick Lencioni’s Five Dysfunctions framework, Debra & Scott discuss why trust & psychological safety need to come before productive conflict, commitment, accountability & results. A major theme throughout the conversation is the challenge of dealing with a high performer whose results are strong, but whose behaviour is creating problems for the wider team. Scott shares the example of a business that made the difficult decision to remove a salesperson responsible for around 40 per cent of revenue. It was a significant risk, but the business remained profitable, customers continued to be well served & the decision reinforced an important lesson:Strong performance alone isn’t enough when trust, Core Values & team alignment are being compromised.  Debra & Scott also explore how EOS® tools such as the People Analyzer, Level 10 Meetings & IDS can help leadership teams make clearer people decisions, solve the real Issues & avoid letting difficult conversations drag on. This episode is for business owners & leadership teams dealing with difficult people decisions, trust issues or questions about whether a top performer is still the right fit.    CONNECT WITH DEBRA:    ___________________________________________          ►Debra Chantry-Taylor is a Certified EOS Implementer® | Entrepreneurial Leadership & Business Coach | Business Owner  ►Connect with Debra: [email protected] ►EOS Worldwide Website: Debra Chantry-Taylor | EOS Implementer | EOS Worldwide ___________________________________________       GUEST’S DETAILS: ►Scott Rusnak – LinkedIn: Scott Rusnak - www.ScottRusnak.com | LinkedIn ►Scott Rusnak – Website: Scott Rusnak | Author, Executive Coach, Expert EOS Implementer     Ep 297 Chapters:  00:00 – Introduction 00:35 – The Importance of Team Trust 05:25 – Managing End Runs and Politics 08:05 – Handling High Performers and Core Values 16:19 – Mindset and Personal Resilience 23:08 – The Value of Clarity Breaks 33:19 – Effective Leadership Practices

In this episode of Better Business, Better Life, Debra Chantry-Taylor is joined by Eliot Wajskol, a Certified EOS Implementer®, to explore how entrepreneurs can build a Successful Business Without Sacrificing Your Life. Eliot shares his experience helping grow a change-management consultancy by more than 20% each year for nine years, reaching around $25 million before its exit to Accenture. He later helped grow a healthcare business to more than 45 locations, but eventually recognised the personal cost of operating at breakneck speed. That realisation led Eliot to discover the Visionary and Integrator concept through Rocket Fuel and eventually adopt EOS.He explains how EOS gives leadership teams a practical framework for creating a shared vision, setting priorities, clarifying accountability & establishing the disciplined meeting rhythms needed to execute consistently. Debra & Eliot also explore how Scorecards, measurables & IDS help leadership teams have fact-based conversations, uncover root causes & solve Issues rather than repeatedly treating symptoms. While implementing EOS can lead to difficult people & leadership decisions, Eliot explains that teams often experience greater relief & cohesion once roles, expectations & the shared vision become clear. He shares practical ideas including setting one major annual personal goal, scheduling four tentpole events in advance, trying something new every other month & having a short weekly relationship check-in covering wins, unresolved issues, appreciation, support needs & how the week was rated. This episode is a valuable reminder that business growth should not come at the expense of the life you’re trying to create.    CONNECT WITH DEBRA:    ___________________________________________          ►Debra Chantry-Taylor is a Certified EOS Implementer® | Entrepreneurial Leadership & Business Coach | Business Owner  ►Connect with Debra: [email protected] ►EOS Worldwide Website: Debra Chantry-Taylor | EOS Implementer | EOS Worldwide ___________________________________________      GUEST’S DETAILS: ► Eliot Wajskol – LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eliotwajskol ► Website – EOS Worldwide – Eliot Wajskol | Certified EOS Implementer     Ep 296 Chapters:  00:00 – Introduction 00:31 – Eliot Wajskol’s Professional Journey 07:50 – Discovering the EOS Framework 12:22 – Ideal Client Profiles and Success 19:13 – The Power of Accountability and Clarity 39:29 – Designing Life with Intent

Founder Of Frank And Fearless Adam Harris:"I work with CEO’s, managing directors, their boards and leadership teams as well as aspiring leaders who want to climb the corporate ladder.I help them achieve greater results for their teams, their businesses and themselves.How? By taking them from where they are to where they want to get to.I do that not by answering their questions, but by questioning their questions. By being Frank and Fearless.I ask tough questions and encourage my clients to say what they really think.I create space to enable them to stop, pause and reflect. Out of that space comes clarity and real opportunities for growth.I help my clients do incredible things. I help them understand that good and bad things happen.Life goes on regardless.What matters is your perspective and how you react to the shit that happens to you.What you get out of life depends on how you navigate your way through it.If you want to know more about my Frank and Fearless journey, click here."HOST'S DETAILS:___________________________________________►Debra Chantry-Taylor is a Professional EOS Implementer | Entrepreneurial Leadership & Business Coach | Business Owner►See how she can help you: https://businessaction.com.au/____________________________________________GUESTS DETAILS:____________________________________________►Website: https://frankandfearless.com/►Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aharris1/

In this episode of Better Business, Better Life, Debra Chantry-Taylor is joined by Jonathan Sheldon, owner of BelleauWood Coaching, to explore the Entrepreneurial Stool and the three essential foundations entrepreneurs need to build a successful business & life.Jonathan shares his journey from serving as an infantry squad leader in the Marine Corps to spending 14 years in financial planning before transitioning into professional coaching.Drawing on his experience in leadership, business & mentorship, Jonathan explains why coaching is about elevating others, providing an objective 30,000-foot view & helping people pressure-test their own answers rather than simply telling them what to do.At the centre of the conversation is the Entrepreneurial Stool, built on three essential legs: a coach, an operating system & a peer group.Jonathan explains how each plays a different but complementary role. A coach provides perspective & accountability, an operating system such as EOS® provides practical structure & tools, and a peer group helps combat the isolation that often comes with leadership while creating space to share ideas & learn from others.The conversation then turns to purpose and the Japanese concept of ikigai, which explores the intersection of what you are good at, what you love, what the world needs & what you can be paid for.Jonathan finishes with three practical principles for creating greater focus every day: conduct regular time audits, keep your personal purpose visible & create a concrete daily schedule built around three non-negotiables: one personal, one business & one flexible task.This episode offers a practical framework for entrepreneurs who want more than business growth. CONNECT WITH DEBRA:    ___________________________________________         ►Debra Chantry-Taylor is a Certified EOS Implementer® | Entrepreneurial Leadership & Business Coach | Business Owner ►Connect with Debra: [email protected] ►EOS Worldwide Website: Debra Chantry-Taylor | EOS Implementer | EOS Worldwide ___________________________________________      GUEST’S DETAILS: ► Jonathan Sheldon – LinkedIn: Jonathan Sheldon, PCC. - BelleauWood Coaching | LinkedIn ► Website – BelleauWood Coaching – https://www.belleauwood.coach Ep 295 Chapters:  00:00 – Introduction 00:38 Introducing Jonathan Sheldon 02:28 The Story Behind BelleauWood 04:41 From The Marines To Financial Planning 08:58 Starting A Coaching Practice 12:52 Why Everyone Needs A Coach 14:18 The Three Legs Of The Entrepreneurial Stool 17:20 How Coaching And Accountability Work 21:01 Jonathan’s Experience With EOS 23:50 Common Struggles For Business Owners 28:40 Counterbalance, Not Work-Life Balance 33:40 Ikigai And Finding Your Purpose 39:25 Marine Lessons: Practise More Than You Play 41:45 Three Top Tips And Wrap-Up

Founder / Creative Director at Follis Inc John Follis:"I began on Madison Ave with the top agencies in the US on accounts like VW, Pizza Hut and Coke. That led to the co-founding of my own agency, Follis&Verdi, which became one of the most awarded creative agencies in the country.As the media and marketing landscape changed, so did my business. In '04, I created one of the first online consultancies, "Follis Marketing Therapy", which enabled business owners across the US to work with me directly on their marketing and creative issues.In '06, I hosted and produced the first marketing podcast; "The Marketing Show with John Follis" which continued for 7 years.In 2013, to meet the demand for the exploding digital video market, we added "Big Idea Video" which offers businesses a variety of high-impact web video content including animated "explainer videos". Currently, that work is featured on Vimeo, LinkedIn, and 4 YouTube Channels.Additional career highlights include:Being selected one of "New York's 12 Best" by The New York Ad Club.Being honored at The White House for a national public service campaign that I spearheaded.Receiving the first ever United Nations Public Service Award at The UN.Being invited to speak at venues including The World Business Academy and Yale University.Winning over 3 dozen major ad awards including Clio Awards.Having my successful ad work featured in a Prentice-Hall marketing textbook.Having my successful ad work taught as a case study in The Harvard Business Review.Being invited to write for ADWEEK and Small Biz Trends.Being published in a pop-culture anthology with internationally known writers including Stephen King.Writing, directing and producing a film that won a Hollywood International Documentary Film award.Being listed on Wikipedia: https://en.everybodywiki.com/John_Follis"HOST'S DETAILS:___________________________________________►Debra Chantry-Taylor is a Professional EOS Implementer | Entrepreneurial Leadership & Business Coach | Business Owner►See how she can help you: https://businessaction.com.au/____________________________________________GUESTS DETAILS:____________________________________________►Website: https://www.follisinc.com/

In this episode of Better Business, Better Life, Debra Chantry-Taylor is joined by Guy Newton, an experienced EOS® practitioner and an EOS Implementer, to explore how the 1-3-1 Method can help teams make better decisions, build confidence & reduce leadership bottlenecks.Guy shares his unconventional career journey from jackaroo work and mining into IT, leadership & business operations. After more than 20 years in IT and helping to build and run a building company, he discovered EOS and spent around eight years applying the tools inside businesses before becoming an EOS Implementer himself.Throughout the conversation, Guy explains why EOS works best as an integrated system rather than a collection of individual tools. He highlights the Level 10 Meeting as one of the most powerful tools, showing how its consistent structure brings together the Accountability Chart, Scorecard, Vision/Traction Organizer (V/TO) & Issues List to turn discussion into action and keep teams moving forward.A key focus is the 1-3-1 approach: identify one Issue, come up with three possible options & recommend one.Guy explains how this simple method encourages people to think through problems themselves rather than immediately escalating every decision to their manager. Over time, it builds confidence, ownership & better decision-making throughout the organisation.This episode is a practical look at how EOS can help businesses make faster decisions, strengthen accountability, reduce bottlenecks & develop teams that take genuine ownership of solving problems.CONNECT WITH DEBRA:   ___________________________________________        ►Debra Chantry-Taylor is a Certified EOS Implementer® | Entrepreneurial Leadership & Business Coach | Business Owner►Connect with Debra: [email protected]►EOS Worldwide Website: Debra Chantry-Taylor | EOS Implementer | EOS Worldwide___________________________________________      GUEST’S DETAILS:► Guy Newton – LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/guy-newton► Website – EOS® Implementer – https://implementer.eosworldwide.com/guy-newton/Ep 294 Chapters:00:00 – Introduction00:37 – Guy Newton’s Background06:25 – The Power of EOS Tools09:13 – Integrator vs Implementer Roles11:05 – Implementing Effective Leadership22:27 – Managing Visionaries and Values30:18 – Getting Started with EOS

In this episode of Better Business, Better Life, Debra Chantry-Taylor is joined by Sonya, a retired architect & experienced EOS Implementer®, to explore what it really takes to make EOS® work & create lasting change within an organisation. Sonya shares her journey from a 46-year career in architecture to becoming an EOS Implementer. After being dismissed from a leadership role, she realised she was ready for a new direction. Discovering Traction & Get a Grip introduced her to EOS, & after attending boot camp, she went on to spend eight & a half years implementing EOS with more than 50 clients. With her architectural background, Sonya has a particular passion for working with architects, engineers & contractors. She explains why these professionals can be excellent at delivering work for clients, but often struggle to step back & work on the business itself. EOS provides the structure & clarity needed to make that transition. A major focus of the conversation is The Accountability Chart, which Sonya describes as her favourite EOS tool. She explains how it clarifies roles, responsibilities, expectations, hand-offs & cultural guardrails, while helping leadership teams make better decisions about people & structure. Debra & Sonya also explore how The Accountability Chart works alongside the V/TO, Core Values, People Analyzer, IDS & Rocks to create deeper organisational change. This episode is a valuable listen for business owners & leadership teams who want to understand what it really takes to make EOS work. It is not simply about completing the tools. It is about mastering the system, changing behaviours, strengthening the culture & creating an organisation that can continue to grow with clarity & confidence.

In this episode of Better Business, Better Life, Debra Chantry-Taylor explores why business is a game and how the principles of Formula 1 can help leaders create greater clarity, accountability & consistent performance. Debra compares running a business to competing in a Formula 1 championship, where everyone knows the rules, understands their role, knows the consequences & can see exactly what the scoreboard is measuring. She challenges leaders to look beyond individual wins, busy teams or one strong month and ask a more important question: What championship is your business actually trying to win, and how do you know when you’re winning? A major focus of the episode is the Scorecard. Debra explains why leaders need a small number of meaningful measures that show both what has happened & what is likely to happen next. Leading indicators such as quality sales conversations, appointments, proposals or demonstrations can provide an early warning when performance is heading off track, while revenue, profit & cash show the results. The goal isn’t to punish people with numbers. It’s to use data to understand performance, spot problems earlier & make better decisions. The Formula 1 analogy also highlights the importance of clear roles & accountability. The leadership team acts like the pit wall, interpreting the information coming from across the business & giving the driver the right information at the right time. Clear ownership matters because when everyone owns a result, nobody truly does. Debra also explores why this becomes particularly important in family businesses, where people can simultaneously hold family, ownership & employee roles. The episode looks at how businesses need to respond when conditions change, whether that’s a lost customer, changing interest rates, AI, regulation, tariffs or another unexpected disruption.Like a racing team responding to a safety car or changing track conditions, strong businesses adapt without losing sight of the championship they’re trying to win. This episode is a practical reminder that business is a game, but winning isn’t about one spectacular race. It’s about knowing what winning looks like, measuring what matters, making timely adjustments & consistently improving quarter after quarter.    CONNECT WITH DEBRA:    ___________________________________________          ►Debra Chantry-Taylor is a Certified EOS Implementer® | Entrepreneurial Leadership & Business Coach | Business Owner  ►Connect with Debra: [email protected] ►EOS Worldwide Website: Debra Chantry-Taylor | EOS Implementer | EOS Worldwide ___________________________________________          Ep 292 Chapters:  00:00 – Introduction 02:07 – The Importance of a Scorecard 04:18 – Winning Races vs Championships 09:18 – Building High-Performing Teams 12:53 – Using Data to Improve Performance 15:47 – Executing Through Pit Stops 18:47 – Planning in 90-Day Cycles 20:30 – Managing Roles and Boundaries 22:14 – Defining Your Own Success

Rick Girard is the CEO of Stride Search & Intertru. in this episode, Rick shares his passion about helping founders win-win the strongest hires to fuel unprecedented company growth. Learn also how to eliminate bad hires by building value - interview process that produces concrete evidence to support each and every hiring decision.Podcast guest Rick Girard CEO of Stride Search & Intertru:"I help entrepreneurs eliminate bad hires by building value-driven interview process that produces concrete evidence to support each and every hiring decision.Healing Career Wounds available: https://amzn.to/3tGbtreExtremely passionate about helping founders win-win the strongest hires to fuel unprecedented company growth!Created the Hiring Operating System, HireOS®. The solution for leaders to win-win the strongest people by blowing up "best practices" with a humanistic, evidence driven, non-biased and time efficient experience.Author of "Healing Career Wounds" (May 2021) & Radio/podcast host of Hire Power RadioStrong social media presence, podcast audience, public speaking, and mad street credWhen not running a school for Gifted Mutants as Professor X, I host the Hire Power Radio Show & Podcast, a weekly series on LinkedIn Live, which serves as a business leader’s resource to solve their most difficult hiring challenges.I compete in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and have an affinity for any adrenaline-pumping activity such as surfing, snowboarding, rock climbing and running with scissors."HOST'S DETAILS:___________________________________________►Debra Chantry-Taylor is a Professional EOS Implementer | Entrepreneurial Leadership & Business Coach | Business Owner►See how she can help you: https://businessaction.com.au/____________________________________________GUESTS DETAILS:____________________________________________►LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rick-girard-07722/►Email: [email protected]

In this episode of Better Business, Better Life, Debra Chantry-Taylor is joined by Megan Piper to explore how EOS® helped transform a technology business From $3M to $52M, while creating greater clarity, accountability, and trust across the leadership team.Megan shares her journey from an unhappy French teacher to becoming an Integrator and fractional CFO, playing a key role in helping a technology business grow from $3 million to $52 million. Her experience demonstrates how the right operating system can bring structure and consistency to a rapidly growing organisation without creating unnecessary rigidity.Throughout the conversation, Megan and Debra explore how EOS creates a common language for leadership teams, helping them move away from ad hoc follow-up and towards consistent quarterly execution. Rather than being a fixed structure or piece of software, EOSprovides a framework that can be adapted to the needs of each organisation.With distributed teams becoming increasingly common, Megan and Debra also discuss the importance of intentional communication and how virtual environments can sometimes reduce hierarchy and give more people an opportunity to participate.This episode offers an insightful look at what can happen when a growing business combines a clear operating system with strong leadership, accountability, and trust. From $3M to $52M is not simply a story about revenue growth, but about the people, systems, and leadership practices that helped make that growth possible. CONNECT WITH DEBRA:    ___________________________________________         ►Debra Chantry-Taylor is a Certified EOS Implementer® | Entrepreneurial Leadership & Business Coach | Business Owner ►Connect with Debra: [email protected] ►EOS Worldwide Website: Debra Chantry-Taylor | EOS Implementer | EOS Worldwide ___________________________________________      GUEST’S DETAILS:► Megan Piper – LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meganpiper/ ► Website – EOS® Implementer – https://implementer.EOS®worldwide.com/megan-piper/Ep 291 Chapters: 00:00 – Introduction 00:36 – Megan Piper’s Professional Journey 03:39 – Defining Business Operating Systems 14:22 – Lessons from Scaling and Challenges 17:07 – The Visionary and Integrator Dynamic 21:59 – Key EOS Tools and Implementation 22:52 – Communication and Team Dynamics