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

In 2009, while battling breast cancer, Kim Sorrelle's love, Steve, received a pancreatic cancer diagnosis. After six great weeks together, Kim held Steve as he took his last breath. Her first book, Cry Until You Laugh, chronicles that journey through laughter and tears and laughter again.

The back-to-back cancer diagnosis led her youngest son, Noah, to change his trajectory and earn a Ph.D. as a cancer researcher. With a focus on breast cancer, Noah has made significant discoveries that have already helped with other research and continue to move the needle on the survivor rate.

Kim's second book, Love Is, came from a desire to know the true meaning of love. Love Is, chronicles her year-long quest to discover the true meaning of love, a sometimes funny, sometimes scary, always enlightening journey that led to life-changing discoveries found mostly on the streets of Haiti.

Today, Kim lives in her hometown of Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA, a regular radio, television, and podcast guest, Kim speaks to audiences all over the world. Inspirational and educational, Kim entertains CEOs, industry leaders, company staff members, educators, parents, women's groups, and more.

With first-hand experience, Kim also speaks for The American Cancer Society and Susan G. Koman.

A coach is always a coach and Kim is no different. Working with individuals and teams, Kim helps people succeed not only in business and family life but in every aspect of life, leading to greater fulfillment and happiness while teaching the secrets to working less and playing more.

When she is not writing, broadcasting, coaching, speaking, or serving, Kim enjoys her life-long and newer friendships, hanging out with the grandkids, reading, playing tennis and pickleball, painting (she's no Bob Ross!), traveling, meeting new people, and an occasional stick of black licorice.

HOST'S DETAILS:

___________________________________________

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

►See how she can help you: https://www.businessaction.com.au/

____________________________________________

GUESTS DETAILS:

____________________________________________

►Book: https://www.amazon.com/Love-Yearlong-Experiment-Living-Corinthians/dp/0825446740/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=love+is+kim+sorrelle&qid=1629861751&sr=8-1

►Website: https://www.kimsorrelle.com/

In this episode of Better Business, Better Life, Debra Chantry-Taylor is joined by an experienced EOS Implementer®, Mirko Roettgers to explore how to go from losing money to 20%+ Profit with EOS®.

The conversation begins with Mirko's journey from digital transformation in Queensland’s tourism industry to entrepreneurship, where he discovered EOS® while working with a Martech startup. At the time, the business was struggling with negative profits. After implementing EOS, it transformed into a company generating more than 20% profit margins.

A major part of that turnaround came from focusing on the right things. The leadership team introduced a disciplined Scorecard®, identified the numbers that genuinely drove performance, & made sure the right people were in the right seats. Debra & Mirko also discuss the Accountability Chart®, why it can be confronting, & how it helps leadership teams clarify ownership, uncover gaps & resolve confusion around accountability.

They also explore the value of leading indicators, the challenge of being an Integrator pulled into constant firefighting, & why sustainable growth requires a strong leadership team underneath the Integrator role.

The conversation then turns to the opportunities ahead for Queensland, including the 2032 Olympic Games & major infrastructure investment. Rather than simply hoping for growth, Debra & Mirko discuss why businesses need to build the structure, people & systems now so they are ready when those opportunities arrive.

Drawing on the discipline of ultra-marathon running, this episode is a powerful reminder that business growth rarely comes from one dramatic effort. It comes from consistent execution, clear priorities, disciplined habits & the willingness to keep moving when things get difficult.

A valuable listen for business owners who feel stuck, want to improve profitability, or need to prepare their organisation for the next stage of growth.

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:

► Mirko Roettgers – LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mirkoroettgers/

► Website – Mirko Roettgers – https://www.mirkoroettgers.com.au/

Ep 285 Chapters:

00:00 – Introduction

00:30 – Mirko’s Professional Journey

05:36 – The Power of EOS Tools

09:54 – Developing Effective Scorecards

14:23 – Challenges of the Integrator Role

18:58 – Transitioning to EOS Implementation

22:50 – Economic Outlook and Scaling

27:07 – Clarity and Business Discipline

Wyndi (Rodokal) Tagi is a Visionary who is passionate about enhancing the mana of Māori and Pacifica People, with a vision to impact the lives of 10 million.

Wyndi took an idea, convinced her husband to start a business and things were going well. Then they were told by one of the big 4 accounting firms that they should stop spending so much time & money with their community & with their family - that their culture didn't differentiate them. It was demoralising but also a big turning point for Wyndi & her husband Eli.

Hear how they took this, what it prompted in them & how they built this into a purpose-led business across several countries.

Wyndi is now one of my EOS clients. We connected on LinkedIn initially and just chewed the fat over a walk & talk. Later on, she contacted me having read the EOS books & wanted to talk to me to see if I could help them. She shares what EOS has done for the business & their family, how they went from 47 goals down to 6 & how they manage to employ family in the business without any issues.

More about Wyndi:

On her mother's side, she is from Ati-Hau-Nui-A-Paparangi, on her dad's side, she is of NZ European descent from England and Greece.

After her first breast cancer diagnosis in 2017, she decided that she wanted to ensure she lived her best life and she wasn’t interested in dying with regret. So she's been living into her purpose, which is to better the statistics of Māori and Pacifica people. WE Accounting is one of the many vehicles she drives for doing just that.

"At WE, WE don’t just believe in a better future, WE are building it. Our Accounting Practice provides support, guidance and opens growth opportunities to small and medium-sized NZ businesses. WE know that SME’s are the backbone of the economy and when they thrive, so too do families, communities and our economy."

In this episode of Better Business, Better Life, Debra Chantry-Taylor is joined by Dr Michael Filosi, former owner of Fullarton Park Dental, to explore his remarkable journey from doing everything to almost nothing in the business he built.

Michael began his career as a dentist after graduating from Adelaide University in 2006. For years, he was deeply involved in the clinical side of the practice, personally generating around 40% of its revenue. But as his interest in business, strategy & leadership grew, he began asking an important question: how could he build a successful business that no longer depended on him?

That question led Michael on an intensive journey of business education. He read around 100 business books in three years, including Traction by Gino Wickman, & began applying what he learned to his practice. Over time, he reduced his clinical contribution from 40% of revenue to just 0.6%, creating a business that could operate successfully without relying on any single person.

Michael shares how clear expectations, strong recruitment, accountability & the right Visionary/Integrator relationship helped him build a more scalable & dependable organisation. With a strong leadership team around him, he was able to move away from doing everything himself & focus instead on vision, growth & the bigger picture.

Debra & Michael also explore some of the harder realities of business ownership, including dealing with underperforming team members, maintaining high standards, learning from mistakes & creating a culture where people feel comfortable giving honest feedback. Michael explains why reducing key-person dependency is one of the most important things any owner can do to protect the long-term value of their business.

The conversation also dives into financial resilience. Michael shares why business owners need to prepare for difficult periods while things are going well, from maintaining a rainy-day fund to understanding cash flow & making thoughtful long-term investments. Having experienced economic uncertainty firsthand, he explains why planning for the unexpected is essential for both financial security & peace of mind.

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:

► Dr. Michael Filosi – LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/in/michaelfilosi

► Website – Fullarton Park Dental : https://www.fullartondental.com.au/

Ep 284 Chapters:

00:00 – Introduction

03:29 – The Importance of Business Education and Planning

06:57 – Building a Scalable and Dependable Business

08:06 – Challenges and Lessons in Business Ownership

08:37 – The Role of Leadership and Team Dynamics

08:49 – The Impact of Business Ownership on Personal Life

09:32 – The Journey to Success and the Importance of Resilience

11:32 – Preparing for the Worst

54:38 – Top Tips for Business Success

Jack Martin is the Co-founder of 52TEN, a proud U.S. Army Veteran, Father & Husband.

In this episode, he talks us through how he founded 52Ten, 6 years ago & has built it up to over 25 people. He share the challenges he has faced & how he overcame them, plus where that name come from.

But most importantly he shares with us how he keeps his family 7 children & particularly his wife happy & how he brings Andrea on the EOS Journey.

Jack's top 3 tips:

1. Read the book Traction, before you buy or start a business. And find yourself an EOS Implementer

2. Stay in your superpower 80% of the time

3. Learn how to let go