In this episode of Bad Boss Confessional, Beth Fahey sits down with Mary Reilly-Magee, an entrepreneur, Expert EOS Implementer, and author who built a three-location swim school before exiting in 2018. Mary came prepared with a confession she has carried for years, and it starts with a sign on her wall: never try to teach a pig to sing.
She walks through what it really means to believe in someone more than they believe in themselves, the bookkeeper she held onto long after the writing was on the wall, and the two clients she eventually had to walk away from. The conversation gets honest about why avoiding a hard conversation always makes things worse, and what it actually looks like to lead with clarity instead of hope.
Her lesson is one every leader eventually learns the hard way: you cannot want it more than they do.

Timestamps
00:00 Introduction & Sponsor Shoutouts
02:11 Meet Mary Reilly-Magee
05:14 The Pig-Singing Dilemma
08:42 Visionary’s Dilemma & People Development
12:14 The Importance of GWC
16:47 Addressing People Issues & Self-Forgiveness
21:02 Not Your Business: The Implementer’s Perspective
23:17 The Cost of Avoiding Difficult Conversations
27:37 The Impact of Courageous Leadership
30:03 Parenting & Personal Tattoos
35:28 Conclusion & Book Promotion

About:
Beth Fahey is a leadership coach, Expert EOS Implementer, and co-creator of the How to Be a Great Boss Workshops. With nearly 40 years of hands-on leadership experience, Beth has worn many hats: from working in film and owning a bakery to leading a national trade association.

Now, as the host of The Bad Boss Confessional, she shares candid stories about the challenges of leadership, mistakes made, lessons learned, and the path to becoming the kind of boss your team actually wants to follow. Through humor, honesty, and heart, Beth is on a mission to help leaders grow, one confession at a time.

Show Links
For more information about Beth Fahey follow the links below.
Website: www.eosworldwide.com/beth-fahey
Facebook: www.facebook.com/BethFaheyEOS
Instagram: www.instagram.com/bethfaheyeos/
TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@bethfaheyeos
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/bethfahey/
Bad Boss Confessional YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@badbossconfessional
Beth's Youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/@bethfaheyeos
Website: https://implementer.eosworldwide.com/robert-hartline/

Mary Reilly-Magee is an entrepreneur, leadership coach, Expert EOS Implementer, and Outgrow Revenue Growth Advisor who helps individuals and growth-oriented companies turn their visions into reality. She built a thriving three-location swim school business that employed 100 people before successfully exiting in 2018. Drawing on her experience as a teacher, coach, and facilitator, Mary now guides leaders through transformational growth - both personally and professionally.

Sponsor Links
Thanks to our Sponsors
A big thank you to our amazing sponsors for making this episode possible:

Titus Talent – Helping organizations make the best hiring decisions with performance-based talent strategies.

Strety – Empowering teams through strategic planning and performance management tools built for modern workforces.