Podcast
Better Business, Better Life
Hosted by Debra Chantry Taylor · EN
You've heard the saying happy wife, happy life. This not only applies to marriage but also to business leaders.
We go into business looking for more freedom, money and happiness. But before too long you find yourself working long hours, stressed, overwhelmed and feeling like your business has a grip on you.
From the outside things look good - you've got the car, house, wife, kids, bach and toys but how often do you get freedom to do what you truly love? And is your wife loving you or leaving you?
Learn from those who have built a life they truly love, through building a better business.
We go into business looking for more freedom, money and happiness. But before too long you find yourself working long hours, stressed, overwhelmed and feeling like your business has a grip on you.
From the outside things look good - you've got the car, house, wife, kids, bach and toys but how often do you get freedom to do what you truly love? And is your wife loving you or leaving you?
Learn from those who have built a life they truly love, through building a better business.
39episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Debra Chantry-Taylor: Your Best Year Might Be the Start of Your Worst
1w ago00:13:55Tap to summarizeIn this episode of Better Business, Better Life, Debra Chantry-Taylor explores why having your best year in business can actually become one of the most dangerous moments for a leadership team. Drawing on both her experience working with entrepreneurs and the research from Jim Collins, Debra explains how success often creates complacency, weakens discipline, and slowly introduces the behaviours that eventually lead businesses into decline. She walks through the five stages that many businesses experience after a major period of success. From arrogance built on past wins, to chasing growth without focus, explaining away problems, searching for a saviour, and eventually giving up quietly, Debra highlights how decline is rarely sudden. Instead, it happens gradually when leadership teams stop asking hard questions and start avoiding uncomfortable truths. Throughout the episode, Debra shares why the businesses that continue scaling successfully are the ones that stay humble, disciplined, and curious, even after major wins. She explains how leadership teams often begin to lose traction when meetings become too polite, scorecards are ignored, and difficult conversations stop happening. Debra also discusses the dangers of relying on “saviour hires” to fix deeper systemic issues, and why true growth comes from maintaining strong leadership discipline, accountability, and honest communication across the business. This episode is a powerful reminder that success should never reduce focus or discipline. The businesses that continue to grow after their best year are the ones willing to stay honest, challenge themselves, and keep evolving long after the celebrations are over. 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 271 Chapters: 00:00 – Introduction 00:39 – The Danger of Success in Business 02:24 – Stages of Decline After Success 05:16 – Preventing Decline After Success 06:09 – Ad Lib Questions and Answers 10:22 – Spotting Early Signs of Decline 12:12 – Final Advice for CEOs
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Creating a Human Culture with Mel Rowsell
1w ago00:35:12Tap to summarizeMel Rowsell is a leadership coach & facilitator, as well as co-founder of Vend, a tech startup with rapid growth. Affectionately known as camp mother, she managed People & Culture as Vend grew from 0 to 250 employees. In this episode, Mel discusses the constant feeling of imposter syndrome while wearing the many, many hats founders & entrepreneurs are required to wear. After leaving day-to-day operations to start her coaching practice, she was surprised at her own resilience and resourcefulness. She shares how she overcame imposter syndrome and the ups & downs of a founder's journey.An expert at human connection in the workplace, she also shares tried and true advice on creating a curious & empathetic workplace culture. Find out if you're inadvertently rewarding behaviour that's harming your company and how to lead in the Fourth Imagination Age.
Transcribe →Debra Chantry-Taylor: Why Leadership Teams Avoid the Very Conversations That Would Unlock Growth
2w ago00:18:00Tap to summarizeIn this episode of Better Business, Better Life, Debra Chantry-Taylor tackles one of the biggest barriers to scaling: the conversations leadership teams avoid that could unlock growth. Debra exposes the “polite meeting trap,” where teams stay comfortable, avoid conflict, and leave meetings with no real decisions or progress. While it may feel safe, this behaviour quietly stalls growth and erodes accountability. She makes it clear that politeness does not build great businesses, effectiveness does. The episode dives into why leaders avoid hard conversations in the first place. Fear of conflict, protecting relationships, and power dynamics all play a role. When the most senior leader avoids tough topics, the entire team follows, leading to side conversations, misalignment, and slow execution. Debra explains how EOS provides the structure needed to make these conversations easier and more productive. With clear roles, accountability, and objective data, teams can separate people from problems and focus on solving real issues without emotion taking over. She also shares practical strategies to shift from avoidance to action, including eliminating sidebar conversations, bringing issues into the room, and regularly assessing whether team members are aligned with core values and truly fit their roles. If your leadership team feels stuck, overly polite, or avoids the real issues, this episode is a direct call to step up, have the conversations that matter, and create the clarity needed to grow. 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 270 Chapters: 00:00 – Introduction 00:55 – EOS Thinking and the Importance of Honest Conversations 02:46 – The Polite Meeting Trap 04:17 – The Founder and Power Dynamic Problem 05:58 – The Role of Structure in Facilitating Hard Conversations 06:49 – Ad Lib Questions and Answers 11:44 – The Real Cost of Polite Meetings 13:59 – Structures That Make Hard Conversations Safer 15:43 – The Importance of Regular Reflection and Conversations
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EOS Guilt-Free Weekends with Justine Parsons
2w ago00:28:50Tap to summarizeThe last in our series for Season 2 & a special for Australia & New Zealand, who are in lockdown.Justine is the Visionary / Founder at Your Virtual Assistant. The company has around 30 virtual assistants & Virtual Business Managers, based all around New Zealand.She came across EOS a few years ago & tried to self-implement. I'll let her tell you why it didn't work, however, she came to me back in March 2020, just before the lockdown in New Zealand hit. We were excited that I could help her to implement it into her business. However, once lockdown was announced, she came to me & said she wanted to pause.We had a discussion and fortunately, she decided that there probably wasn't a better time to be starting - given all the uncertainty that comes with a global pandemic.16 months later & Justine & her new Leadership team have smashed all their goals & are continuing to achieve their rocks each quarter.In a time when many businesses are struggling, the Your VA Leadership Team has Clarity, they have Simplified their business & they are achieving their Vision.And most importantly, Justine is back doing what she loves & takes her weekends off, without feeling even a little bit guilty.If you'd like to understand how she did this, then take a listen.
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Amanda Barkey: Using EOS vs Running on EOS
3w ago00:50:13Tap to summarizeIn this episode of Better Business, Better Life, Debra Chantry-Taylor sits down with Amanda Barkey to explore the difference between using EOS vs running a business on EOS, and why that distinction changes everything. Amanda shares her journey from self-implementing EOS in her Soccer Shots franchise business to becoming a certified EOS implementer. Starting with limited support and plenty of early struggles, she and her husband turned their business around by applying EOS tools and disciplines, eventually scaling and successfully selling multiple franchises. A key insight from Amanda is that simply using EOS tools is not enough. Real transformation happens when you fully commit to running your business on EOS with consistency, discipline, and accountability. She highlights how tools like the Level 10 Meeting, People Analyzer, and clear compartmentalisation improved communication, strengthened team health, and drove results. The conversation also dives into the importance of the visionary and integrator relationship. Amanda credits having a strong integrator as a major factor in their success, helping maintain structure and execution while the visionary focused on growth and direction. Beyond business, Amanda shares how she applies EOS principles in her family life, using tools like a family VTO and core values to create alignment and reduce conflict. She also discusses her nonprofit work in Cameroon, funded by her business success, demonstrating how EOS can support not just better businesses, but better lives. If you are currently “using” EOS but not seeing full results, this episode will challenge you to step up into truly running your business on EOS. 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: ► Amanda Barkey – LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanda-barkey-409908107/ ► Website – EOS Worldwide: https://implementer.eosworldwide.com/amanda-barkey/ Episode 269 Chapters: 00:00 – Introduction 00:35 – Amanda Barkey’s Entrepreneurial Journey and EOS Implementation 02:21 – Amanda Barkey’s Background and Business Journey 12:36 – Challenges and Successes with EOS Implementation 15:10 – The Role of an Integrator and Implementer 34:20 – EOS in Family Life 47:18 – Amanda’s Future Plans and Nonprofit Work 47:30 – The Power of EOS Tools 47:43 – Final Thoughts and Advice for Entrepreneurs
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Growth Junkies Unite with Emily Ransone
3w ago00:28:38Tap to summarizeEmily is the owner of SideMark, which she started 7 years ago. It is a highly successful company & she puts its success down to implementing EOS (The Entrepreneurial Operating System) into the business.Apart from the successful business, Emily is living her dream career life which she has crafted intentionally over time. She has just recently written a. book called Growth Junkies Unite – A Simple Guide to Invigorate your Journey.In this episode, she shares with us what being a growth junkie really is & how she has created a multi-faceted career, as co-owner of the business, a Professional EOS Coach & Business Coach, a published Author & a peer-group facilitator, as well as enjoying a full life outside of business.After implementing EOS to help them run their business 5 years ago and seeing tremendous success, Emily launched her EOS coaching practice to help other entrepreneurs and leadership teams get more of what they want from their business.She describes herself as the poster girl for EOS as she has run a business without EOS & with EOS. And she wishes she had found it earlier."When I first got into entrepreneurship, I didn't know what I was doing. It's not like I went to school and learn how to run a business. And at the time, I found this business was in need of a turnaround situation, it was a $13 million office furniture dealership down in the southwest part of the United States. And it was just so much fun to dig into. And yet I could have done it better now that I know what I know, it would have been easier and faster. And so when I moved into the opportunity to buy in as third owner of a $15 million office furniture dealership, my two partners and I quickly realized that we really wanted to come together and figure out our vision for where we wanted to take the company. And so luckily, at that time, I was a part of a peer group. And in that group, I heard about EOS, which is the entrepreneurial operating system. It's a way of operating and running a business more effectively and efficiently so that you can get more out of the business and actually enjoy the business more."Emily shares her journey to bring EOS into the business & how it changed not only the business but her life too.
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Why Businesses Get Stuck (and What Founders Can Do About It with EOS) - Part 2
4w ago00:47:30Tap to summarizeIn this episode of Better Business, Better Life, Debra Chantry-Taylor and Adam Harris go deeper into what it really takes to get a business unstuck, moving beyond surface-level fixes to uncover the root causes holding companies back.They explore why so many businesses face the same issues again and again, and why most teams jump to solutions too quickly without properly identifying the real problem. Using tools like the EOS Issue Solving Track (IDS) and simple but powerful W questions (Who, What, When, Where, Why), they explain how to dig deeper and solve issues properly the first time.A major theme in this conversation is clarity. Without it, teams become reactive, communication breaks down, and founders feel increasingly overwhelmed as the business grows. Debra and Adam highlight how lack of clarity around roles, expectations, and outcomes leads directly to stagnation.They also discuss the importance of accountability, structured meetings, and consistent practice. High-performing teams don’t just talk about issues, they build the muscle to solve them through repetition, trust, and open, honest conversations.The episode also tackles tough topics like having the wrong people in key roles, unproductive meetings, and early warning signs that a business is losing traction. Founders are encouraged to step back, take a clarity break, and seek external support such as coaches, mentors, or peer groups to gain perspective and momentum.If your business feels stuck in cycles of the same problems, this episode provides practical tools and mindset shifts to help you regain clarity, fix root causes, and move forward with confidence. 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: ► Adam Harris – LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/adam-harris-eos/ ► Website – EOS Worldwide: https://www.eosworldwide.com/adam-harris Episode 268 Chapters: 00:00 – Introduction 00:36 – Why Businesses Get Stuck: Introduction and Initial Thoughts 02:48 – Exploring the Root Causes of Repeated Issues 13:35 – The Importance of Teamwork and Practice 18:47 – Identifying the Wrong People in Key Roles 23:47 – Unproductive Meetings in Growing Companies 35:58 – Communication Breakdown and Reactive vs Proactive Behaviour 38:53 – Overwhelm Among Founders and Lack of Clarity 41:27 – Early Warning Signs of Businesses Losing Traction 41:39 – The Role of Lack of Clarity in Business Stagnation 44:28 – First Steps for Founders to Take When Recognising Symptoms
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It's Not About the Money... But It Is! with Sam Stubbs
Apr 1800:33:43Tap to summarizeSam Stubbs is the founder of the nonprofit KiwiSaver fund Simplicity. A reformed investment banker and stockbroker his career also spans politics, philosophy and technology. His mission is to make the finance industry a force for good as a source of profit which he thinks can be achieved by companies embracing long-term thinking, sustainability and full diversity.He set up Simplicity with the aim to disrupt the KiwiSaver model, in the midst of a midlife crisis. It was never about the money for him but the money he can create for other people!What is Simplicity and what is its mission and vision?‘We're a nonprofit fund manager. If you're overseas you might have heard of Vanguard… the vanguard of New Zealand… wouldn't be too far wrong. Our main aim is to give people dignity in retirement and how we do that is we give them choices. People who have choices in life have dignity.We run as a nonprofit fund manager, which charges the lowest fees and making people richer. Simplicity is a charity, a social enterprise, a nonprofit, a whole lot of things! We give 15% of the fees we do earn to charity.We've been running for almost five years now and we manage about $3 billion on behalf of over 60,000 members, in total we're giving away about $100,000 a month to charity, and making extremely good returns.’In this podcast, Sam talks about the journey from Westie to Corporate & back to fighting for the people. Simplicity was an idea developed by four guys at a pub with a piece of paper. Sam shares how he got the right people into the business & some of the challenges along the way.Why the title of the Podcast? Sam shares that he didn't start Kiwisver to make money - rather help other people have dignity in retirement, however, he also shares how cash flow really is king in building a business & how you should treat every last dollar as if it were your own.
Transcribe →Adam Harris: Getting Your Business Unstuck Starts with You and EOS
Apr 1300:49:14Tap to summarizeIn this episode of Better Business, Better Life, Debra Chantry-Taylor and Adam Harris dive into what it really takes to get a business unstuck and moving forward again with EOS. They explore the hidden forces that cause businesses to stall, particularly fear and complacency. Fear often shows up as indecision or hesitation, while complacency creeps in when things are going well and leaders stop pushing for growth. Together, these can quietly bring momentum to a halt. A key theme in the conversation is how founders themselves can become the bottleneck. Without self-awareness and clear accountability, visionaries can drift back into day-to-day operations, slowing the business instead of leading it. Adam highlights the importance of rediscovering your “mojo” and finding where you truly add value as a leader. Debra and Adam emphasise that getting a business unstuck is less about strategy and more about execution. That means having a clear vision, strong accountability structures, and consistent communication rhythms. Tools like the accountability chart and regular leadership meetings ensure alignment and keep everyone moving in the same direction. They also discuss the powerful role of external facilitators, who bring objectivity, challenge thinking, and hold founders accountable in ways internal teams often cannot. If your business feels stuck or slow, this episode offers practical insights to help you regain clarity, rebuild momentum, and lead with confidence. 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: ► Adam Harris – LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/adam-harris-eos/ ► Website – EOS Worldwide: https://www.eosworldwide.com/adam-harris Episode 267 Chapters: 00:00 – Introduction00:36 – Why Businesses Get Stuck and How Founders Can Address It 25:33 – Common Reasons Businesses Get Stuck 28:49 – Founders Becoming Bottlenecks 29:06 – The Role of Accountability and Vision 29:39 – The Importance of Clarity and Execution 33:05 – Misalignment Among Leadership Teams 41:42 – Founders as Bottlenecks 46:39 – The Role of External Facilitators 47:15 – The Importance of Regular Communication 47:35 – Final Thoughts and Next Steps
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Living the EOS Life with Daniel Davis
Apr 1100:33:45Tap to summarizeIn this podcast episode of Better Business, Better Life, Daniel Davis shares some tips on what the EOS life really is & how you can live the EOS life as an Entrepreneur or Business Owner.Daniel has a 20+ year history of building companies, and his obsession is helping entrepreneurial organisations to clarify, simplify and achieve their vision. He has been a founder, owner and leader in six successful companies in varying industries, and is now responsible for bringing the tools of EOS®, The Entrepreneurial Operating System®, into Australia, New Zealand and the Asia Pacific region.In this podcast, Daniel talks about:His love for fast cars, what he learned as life as an IGA owner in the Blue Mountains, how he discovered EOS & his 'twin' Gino Wickman, how he uses EOS in his personal life, how something can be simple but not easy!Daniel's passion to help others is evident in this podcast - you don't want to miss this episode!Daniel's EOS Life:When I read the book Traction by Gino Wickman, I loved it so much that I made it my mission to bring EOS® to Australia.EOS, the Entrepreneurial Operating System®, is widely used in the USA and Europe by tens of thousands of companies, and we want to see as many companies as possible enjoying the benefit of the EOS tools across Australia and beyond.Since 2017 the team at EOS Worldwide has entrusted me with the honour of representing and expanding the EOS brand here in Australia and New Zealand, and the wider Asia Pacific Region, where we are building a thriving community of entrepreneurs who are running their businesses using the EOS Process, Model, and Tools. As the regional Community Leader, I train and prepare EOS Implementers for a successful journey to EOS Mastery.At EOS Worldwide, we are devoted to finding, training and supporting like-minded entrepreneurs who want to become master EOS Implementers and live the "EOS Life":Doing what you love to doGrowing with people you enjoyMaking a significant differenceBeing compensated appropriatelyWith time to pursue other passions
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