In this episode of Bad Boss Confessional, Beth Fahey sits down with Ben Stern, EOS implementer and former integrator who helped scale a transmission remanufacturing company from 300 employees and $40 million in revenue to 850 people and $190 million. Ben's confession starts long before that chapter, back on a construction crew where being the hardest worker in the room felt like a leadership strategy.
The conversation explores what happens when intensity without emotional intelligence becomes the culture, why the habits that make someone a standout performer can quietly poison a team, and what it actually took to close the gap. Ben reflects on nearly two decades of deliberate work, the people who helped him see what he couldn't see himself, and why learning Spanish to connect with his team is one of the things he's most proud of.
His lesson is one every high performer eventually has to face: what got you here won't get you there.

Timestamps
00:00 Ben Stern’s Background
02:13 From Hammer to CEO
06:17 Reflecting on Growth and Wins
10:12 The Hard-Charging Boss
14:59 Journey to Emotional Intelligence
19:17 Work-Life Balance and Gen Z
22:01 Leadership Through Parenthood
26:27 Deprogramming and Human Connection
30:12 Scaling Leadership and GWC
35:15 Continuous Learning and Empathy

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.

Subscribe to the Bad Boss Confessional podcast:
🎙️ Podbean: https://www.badbossconfessional.podbean.com
▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@badbossconfessional

The Bad Boss Confessional is where leaders come to tell the truth about the moments they rarely talk about out loud. The mistakes, the hard lessons, and what it actually takes to become a great boss.

Hosted by Beth Fahey, Expert EOS Implementer, co-author of ROLLOUT, and creator of the Great Boss Workshop.

Connect with Beth Fahey:
🌐 https://www.bethfahey.com
▶️ https://www.youtube.com/@BethFahey
Want to be a guest on the show? Visit https://www.bethfahey.com/podcast to inquire.

Pick up a copy of ROLLOUT: Get Your Entire Team Running on EOS to Achieve Your Vision at https://www.rolloutbook.com/order
Download free Rollout resources at https://www.rolloutbook.com

Join Beth at the next Great Boss Workshop at https://www.bethfahey.com/events