In this episode of Better Business, Better Life, Debra Chantry-Taylor is joined by Mathis Young, a former dog grooming franchise owner and now Professional EOS Implementer®, to explore his journey from struggling to scaling a business.

Mathis shares how he went from struggling with the day-to-day demands of running a dog grooming franchise, including managing appointments, grooming dogs & dealing with the stress of being constantly needed, to building the largest franchise in the USA.

A major turning point came when Mathis recognised that he could not continue doing everything himself. Hiring his first manager, Steve, gave him the support & perspective he needed to step away from the operational side of the business and focus on growth. Mathis explains how having the right people in the right seats became a crucial part of his journey.

His experience with Vistage during the challenges of COVID-19 eventually introduced him to EOS®. Although initially sceptical, Mathis discovered how the EOS framework could bring structure, accountability & clarity to his growing business. Through tools such as the Level 10 Meeting®, Accountability Chart® & Scorecard, his leadership team developed stronger communication, clearer priorities & greater ownership.

The conversation also highlights the importance of asking for help, surrounding yourself with a supportive network & being willing to learn from others. Mathis shares how mentors, peer groups & the EOS community helped him achieve not only greater business success but also more peace & fulfilment.

If you’re feeling stuck in your business, doing too much yourself, or wondering what it takes to scale successfully, this episode offers an honest & inspiring look at what can happen when you ask for help, build the right team & create the structure needed to grow.

CONNECT WITH DEBRA:   

___________________________________________        

►Debra Chantry-Taylor is a Certified EOS Implementer® | Entrepreneurial Leadership & Business Coach | Business Owner

►Connect with Debra: debra.chantry-taylor@eosworldwide.com

►EOS Worldwide: https://implementer.eosworldwide.com/debra-chantry-taylor/

___________________________________________      

GUEST’S DETAILS:

► Mathis Young – LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mathisyoung/

► Website – EOS Worldwide – https://implementer.eosworldwide.com/mathis-young/

Ep 287 Chapters:

00:00 – Introduction

00:32 – Mathis Young’s Journey to Entrepreneurship

02:33 – Mathis’ Entry Into the Dog Grooming Franchise

05:23 – The Turning Point: Hiring a Manager

08:48 – Joining Vistage and Discovering EOS®

11:42 – Implementing EOS® and Its Impact

25:14 – Transitioning to an EOS Implementer®

31:11 – Mathis’ Approach as an EOS Implementer®

34:31 – Challenges and Successes with Clients

40:54 – Mathis’ Personal Reflections

Financial wellbeing is one of the single biggest causes of stress for Kiwis. And money is a very emotional thing.

Having forged a career as a tax specialist, business owner and Chartered Accountant, Jono Bredin is the proud CEO of Enable.Me - a business whose core purpose is to change the financial lives of hardworking New Zealanders.

Enable Me has been around for the last 14-15 years and is the brainchild of Hannah McQueen, an amazing human who revolutionised the way Kiwis think about their finances. Jono shares how Hannah is a Visionary, with all the incredible ideas at rapid pace. He stepped in to run alongside her & help her with some of the heavy lifting, so that she could focus on what she is best at.

That's what really brought EOS to the front of his mind as a tool that could take Enable Me to that next level - being able to harness the absolute best of Hannah in an organised way. He shares how they started implementing with 15 people on their leadership team, and through EOS introducing more rigor and accountability to these roles, they now have a leadership team of 6.

Not only is Jono the CEO & Integrator, he is also a customer of Enable.Me.

"What sticks with me, as I went through my journey, was that I thought I was good with money. I was an accountant. But when you actually turn up the dial, what are you frittering away each week? And how could we be using that to get you ahead faster?

For people who've got family, how do we help them achieve the goals that they've got for their children and for the next generation?

We are ultimately trying to build out a personal or a family's cash surplus, that's the first stage of the journey. Then it's how do we put that surplus to work? How can it be multiplied by doing things in a certain way?"

Every person in New Zealand can use financial literacy and financial accountability to get ahead faster. Even those people who think they are good with money, Jono included, can benefit from a layer of accountability that Enable Me provides.

In his spare time, Jono is a National Rugby Referee, having also officiated Netball to the highest international level. Jono's biggest challenge is being the proud Dad of three kids 5 years old and under!

In this episode of Better Business, Better Life, Debra Chantry-Taylor explores why another year on the Scorecard should never be treated as just another set of numbers. Instead, it can be an opportunity to recognise progress, strengthen culture & understand what is helping a business succeed.

Debra challenges the tendency for leadership teams to focus almost exclusively on what is going wrong. Red numbers, missed targets & Rocks that have fallen off track naturally attract attention, but when leaders only notice failure, they can unintentionally teach their teams that problems get recognised while consistent success simply becomes expected.

As her own business approaches its 21st anniversary, Debra reflects on the years of decisions, challenges, mistakes, relationships & achievements that build a business over time. She explores why celebrating success does not mean lowering standards or handing out praise for the sake of it. Genuine recognition is about noticing meaningful results, incremental improvements, courageous behaviours & people living the organisation’s Core Values.

The conversation also looks at how leaders can use their Scorecard differently. Instead of treating it purely as an exception report for problems, Debra encourages teams to examine what is going well & ask why. When a person or team consistently delivers strong results, understanding what they are doing differently can help turn individual success into a repeatable system that others can learn from.

Debra also explores what success looks like in family businesses, where commercial results are only one part of the picture. Healthy succession conversations, clearer boundaries between family & business, and next-generation family members earning their roles through merit can all represent significant wins that deserve recognition.

At the heart of the episode is Debra’s idea of carefrontational leadership. Great leaders need the courage to address underperformance, but they also need the awareness to acknowledge excellence. By asking questions such as “What are we proud of from the last 90 days?” & “What are we doing now that we used to find difficult?”, leadership teams can create a culture where progress is noticed as well as problems.

This episode is a reminder that another year on the Scorecard is more than a collection of targets & results. It is a story of what the business has learned, what its people have achieved & what can be celebrated as it continues 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/
___________________________________________      

Ep 286 Chapters:
00:00 – Introduction
01:23 – The Importance of Noticing Success
05:00 – Lessons from Twenty-One Years
06:50 – Defining Genuine Recognition
08:19 – Using the Scorecard Effectively
12:41 – Building Culture Through Values
14:03 – Success in Family Businesses
16:36 – Implementing Better Leadership Habits