Are you staying nice on the outside while fuming on the inside? In this episode, I help you understand how to give clear feedback as a leader without causing a massive blowout or hurting someone's feelings. Most leadership friction in growing businesses isn’t a strategy problem; it’s an avoidance problem.

I give you some advice on how to ditch the outdated "feedback sandwich" and replace it with a powerful, fact-based framework called SBI (Situation, Behaviour, Impact).

You will learn how to manage the emotional stories in your head, check your true intent, and approach your team with curiosity instead of reaction.

I also give you some neuroscience hacks to create a brain-friendly space so your message actually lands instead of sending your team into defence mode.

Stop waiting for your team to "just know" the boundaries and start leading with clear, respectful communication that builds trust and drives business growth.

• 00:00 - Introduction - Why unclear is unkind
• 02:54 - Check your intent: Shifting from what’s wrong to what’s strong
• 05:41 - The 4-step process to reflect and manage your emotions
• 09:35 - The SBI framework
• 11:22 - Why you must practice your feedback out loud
• 13:40 - Creating a brain-friendly space using the SCARF model
• 15:30 - Case study: The massive cost of an unsaid conversation
• 17:50 - How the human brain actually remembers feedback

LINKS

Emma McQueen:

Website: https://tea-with-the-queen.captivate.fm/website

For a copy of Emma's book, 'Go-getter: Raise your mojo, shift your mindset and thrive' – https://emmamcqueen.com.au/want-more/emmas-book/

August Go-Getter Event in Brisbane: https://emmamcqueen.com.au/events/go-getter-brisbane/

June Go-Getter Event in Melbourne:

https://emmamcqueen.com.au/events/go-getter-day/

BD Sprint:

https://emmamcqueen.com.au/coaching-services/bd-sprint/

Mentioned in this episode:

Tracey Rudich - Intimo - Instagram

Tracey Rudich - Intimo - Instagram

If you’ve been told to post more, show up more, and be everywhere, this episode is your permission slip to stop treating visibility like the goal. Visibility matters, especially early, but if you’re still hustling for every sale years in, it starts to feel like a treadmill that never switches off.

We unpack the shift from visibility to positioning using a simple lighthouse test, plus a real example of what it looks like when a buyer arrives already warm, already trusting you, and basically already sold. No chasing, no convincing, no heavy lifting.

You’ll hear the core building blocks that move you from being seen to being chosen, and the mindset shift that makes it stick. If sales feels harder than it should, or you keep attracting the wrong clients, this will help you figure out what’s actually going on and where to start.

LINKS

Tracy Rudich, Initmo: https://www.instagram.com/tracy.rudich

Emma McQueen:

Website: https://tea-with-the-queen.captivate.fm/website

For a copy of Emma's book, 'Go-getter: Raise your mojo, shift your mindset and thrive' – https://emmamcqueen.com.au/want-more/emmas-book/

August Go-Getter Event in Brisbane: https://emmamcqueen.com.au/events/go-getter-brisbane/

June Go-Getter Event in Melbourne:

https://emmamcqueen.com.au/events/go-getter-day/

BD Sprint:

https://emmamcqueen.com.au/coaching-services/bd-sprint/

Mentioned in this episode:

Tracey Rudich - Intimo - Instagram

Tracey Rudich - Intimo - Instagram

If you’re somewhere between $100k and $500k in revenue and thinking, “Why does this feel harder now?”, welcome to the messy middle of business. You’re not in the startup phase anymore, but you’re also not running a calm, well oiled machine. Things are working… but they’re also not working.

In this season, the chaos isn’t a sign you’re failing. It’s feedback. More clients, more moving parts, more expectations, and suddenly the cracks show. You drop balls, your calendar becomes a mess, and the old strategies that used to work stop feeling reliable.

We’ll talk about the sneaky pipeline drought that hits right after a strong quarter, why undercharging becomes obvious in this phase, and how “doing everything yourself” turns into the biggest bottleneck. This is also where mindset matters, because growth can mess with your confidence even when revenue is rising.

If you’re in the messy middle of business, here are your next steps: keep the pipeline warm, price for outcomes, delegate one draining task, and know your numbers (profit, not just revenue). The messy middle isn’t permanent, but it does require a new way of operating.

Mentioned in this episode:

Tracey Rudich - Intimo - Instagram

Tracey Rudich - Intimo - Instagram

Hiring is one of those business milestones that sounds simple until you’re the one doing it, and because most of us aren’t hiring every week, it’s easy to second guess yourself, delay it, or rush it when you’re already exhausted. In this episode, we’re talking about why so many women put hiring off for too long, what hiring fear really looks like in a growing business, and why “I’ll just keep doing it myself” quietly becomes the most expensive option.

I’m sharing what I’ve learned from sitting on every side of the hiring table, from recruiter to HR Director to coach, and the patterns I see over and over when business owners start hiring. We’ll unpack the real cost of a bad hire (it’s not just money), and why messy hiring decisions tend to leak into your time, your energy, your confidence, and your team.

You’ll also hear the simple hiring framework I come back to when I want hiring to feel calm and commercial: getting clear on what to delegate, writing a position description that actually attracts the right person, hiring for skill and will, and building a basic interview process and onboarding plan so you’re not winging it. If hiring has been sitting on your to do list for months, this is your nudge to stop overthinking and start getting clear.

LINKS

Emma McQueen:

Website: https://tea-with-the-queen.captivate.fm/website

For a copy of Emma's book, 'Go-getter: Raise your mojo, shift your mindset and thrive' – https://emmamcqueen.com.au/want-more/emmas-book/

August Go-Getter Event in Brisbane: https://emmamcqueen.com.au/events/go-getter-brisbane/

June Go-Getter Event in Melbourne:

https://emmamcqueen.com.au/events/go-getter-day/

BD Sprint:

https://emmamcqueen.com.au/coaching-services/bd-sprint/

Mentioned in this episode:

Style Bundle

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/style_bundle/

Style Bundle

Style Bundle

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/style_bundle/

Ever feel like you’re sprinting through the week, ticking every box, and still going nowhere? This episode is for the high-performing business women who are doing a lot, moving fast, and quietly feeling flat.

This year I picked a word: intentional. Which sounds simple, until you realise it means slowing down long enough to hear yourself think, and pausing before you say yes just because you can.

I’m sharing what I’m practising instead, like tiny moments of silence between meetings, quiet walks and sleeping on decisions so I stop reacting at lightning speed. It has changed how I lead my business.

If you’ve been wondering how to escape the productivity trap, take one small step this week. Create one pocket of space, even five minutes, and notice what changes. Not in your to do list, in you.

LINKS:

BD Sprint:

https://emmamcqueen.com.au/coaching-services/bd-sprint/

Emma McQueen:

Website: https://tea-with-the-queen.captivate.fm/website

For a copy of Emma's book, 'Go-getter: Raise your mojo, shift your mindset and thrive' – https://emmamcqueen.com.au/want-more/emmas-book/

August Go-Getter Event in Brisbane: https://emmamcqueen.com.au/events/go-getter-brisbane/

June Go-Getter Event in Melbourne:

https://emmamcqueen.com.au/events/go-getter-day/

Atomic Habits Book by James Clear:

https://jamesclear.com/atomic-habits

The Third Space:

https://dradamfraser.com/speaking-content/the-third-space

Mentioned in this episode:

Style Bundle

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/style_bundle/

Style Bundle

Style Bundle

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/style_bundle/

This one’s for the business owners who keep buying the blueprint.

The “proven” content plan or the foolproof sales script. The morning routine that apparently turns you into a millionaire by Thursday. You see it work for someone else and you think, cool, I’ll just do that. Easy.

Except you try it and it feels like you’re wearing shoes that don’t fit. They look great on, and you technically can walk in them, but every step is uncomfortable, forced, and annoying.

I’m sharing a few simple client examples that show how one small change in process can make content feel easy and sound like you again, plus how to use “forced vs flow” as data instead of a reason to beat yourself up. We’ll also unpack the sneaky danger of business “shoulds” and why doing less can sometimes create more traction.

Listen in, then ask yourself this. What are you doing because it’s proven, even though it doesn’t suit you? And what would change if you gave yourself permission to do it your way instead?

CHAPTER MARKERS

00:00 Stop Copying Playbooks

00:53 Content That Sounds Like You

02:24 Voice Notes and Better Inputs

03:25 Realistic Posting Commitments

05:29 Find Your Content Rhythm

07:00 Networking Your Way

10:30 Goals Money and Profit

13:44 Bigger Rooms Better Principles

15:38 Four Steps to Your Method

18:11 Build Your Own Business Strategy Blueprint

LINKS:

BD Sprint:

https://emmamcqueen.com.au/coaching-services/bd-sprint/

Emma McQueen:

Website: https://tea-with-the-queen.captivate.fm/website

For a copy of Emma's book, 'Go-getter: Raise your mojo, shift your mindset and thrive' – https://emmamcqueen.com.au/want-more/emmas-book/

August Go-Getter Event in Brisbane: https://emmamcqueen.com.au/events/go-getter-brisbane/

June Go-Getter Event in Melbourne:

https://emmamcqueen.com.au/events/go-getter-day/

Mentioned in this episode:

Style Bundle

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/style_bundle/

Style Bundle

Style Bundle

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/style_bundle/

This one’s personal. A “minor” ankle injury forced me to stop, and I didn’t realise how much I rely on my regulators (walking and running) to keep steady until it was suddenly gone.

While I was benched, I also had a routine skin check, and it brought up more emotion than I expected after last year’s melanoma. I told myself it was fine, filed it away, and kept going. Then I jumped on a call with Serena, my sister and business manager, and one simple question opened the floodgates.

In this episode, I’m talking about what happens when your “regulator” gets taken away, why stress can stack up quietly until you feel flat and heavy, and how to find your way back without needing some big dramatic reset. I’ll also give you a few questions to help you spot your early warning signs, protect the thing that keeps you well, and make sure you’ve got someone in your corner who won’t let “I’m fine” be the end of the conversation.

LINKS

Emma McQueen:

Website: https://tea-with-the-queen.captivate.fm/website

For a copy of Emma's book, 'Go-getter: Raise your mojo, shift your mindset and thrive' – https://emmamcqueen.com.au/want-more/emmas-book/

August Go-Getter Event in Brisbane: https://emmamcqueen.com.au/events/go-getter-brisbane/

June Go-Getter Event in Melbourne:

https://emmamcqueen.com.au/events/go-getter-day/

Mentioned in this episode:

Style Bundle

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/style_bundle/

Style Bundle

Style Bundle

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/style_bundle/