Have you ever looked at a project and thought, "Everything says we're on track, but something doesn't feel right"?

The budget appears fine, the team is busy, and progress reports look positive. Yet deadlines keep shifting, decisions are taking longer than expected, and the scope seems to be growing without anyone formally approving the change. In this episode of The Business Behind Your Business, Paul Sweeney sits down with project management consultant Richard Broo to discuss why projects rarely fail overnight and how business owners can identify the warning signs before small issues become costly problems. Drawing on more than 40 years of experience, including work with major organisations such as Toyota and General Electric, Richard shares practical strategies that small and medium business owners can apply to improve project outcomes.

What you'll learn:

• The early warning signs that a project is drifting off course
• Why communication breakdowns create costly misunderstandings
• How poor scoping and inadequate planning lead to scope creep and budget blowouts
• The importance of monitoring costs, timelines and staff capacity
• How to identify risk triggers before they become major issues
• Why successful projects focus on delivering value, not just completing tasks

Throughout the conversation, Richard explains why many businesses wait too long to seek help and how a lack of discipline around planning, reporting and accountability often leads to avoidable delays and overspending. He also shares practical ways to bring teams back into alignment, uncover the root cause of problems and get projects moving in the right direction again. Whether you're leading a major business transformation, implementing a new system, or managing day-to-day operational improvements, the lessons in this episode can help you avoid common mistakes and improve your chances of success.

Richard Broo has spent more than four decades helping organizations recover projects that are over budget, behind schedule, poorly scoped, or at risk of failing.

His work spans Fortune 500 companies, mid-market firms, and private-equity-backed businesses across manufacturing, packaging, automotive, medical equipment, construction materials, consumer goods, and electronics. He is often brought in when internal teams are stuck and leadership needs clear, practical solutions.

As founder of True North PMP Consulting, Richard works inside client organizations to identify the root causes of project failure, restore clarity and accountability, and help teams bring complex projects back under control.

www.truenorthpmpconsulting.com

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This episode is supported by the Business Planning Operating System. My 9-module course is built from 30 years of experience as an accountant, giving business owners a simple, one-page 90-day plan they'll actually use. Learn more at thebusinessbehindyourbusiness.com/focus

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You may have years of experience, a strong track record and a proven ability to help clients. But if the market cannot quickly understand your value, you can still find yourself chasing opportunities and repeatedly explaining why you are the right person for the job.

In this episode of The Business Behind Your Business, Paul Sweeney speaks with Henry DeVries, publisher of Indie Books International and a contributor to more than 200 business books. They explore how writing a book can help business owners clarify their expertise, build trust and attract better-fit clients. More importantly, they explain why the finished book is not the final goal. It is the starting point for speaking opportunities, podcast interviews, referrals and stronger business conversations.

You’ll learn:

• Why a book can be a powerful authority-building tool for professional service providers
• How becoming an author can help potential clients understand and trust your expertise
• Why you do not need to write your book alone
• How interviews, workshops, articles and voice recordings can become source material
• Why your first draft should focus on ideas rather than perfection
• How to identify your niche audience and the specific problem your book will solve
• Why client stories are one of your most valuable hidden assets
• How a book can open doors to speaking engagements, podcasts and referrals
• Why you only need to become well known to the right audience, not everyone
• How to break the book-writing process into manageable steps

Henry DeVries also shares a four-question framework for starting strategic conversations with potential clients: clarify the goal, identify hidden assets, uncover roadblocks and share a relevant success story.

If you have ever thought you should write a book but felt short on time, confidence or writing experience, this conversation offers a practical way forward. You may already have the raw material in your client experiences, workshops, articles and ideas. The next step is to organise that knowledge into a tool that helps the right people recognise the value you bring.

Henry DeVries is a freelance journalist, ghostwriter, and bestselling author. The author of twelve marketing books and a columnist for The California Business Journal, he is a partner at Indie Books International. Prior to that he helped double revenues as president of an Ad Age 500 PR agency and was a vice president of marketing communications that doubled awareness for a $5 billion insurance company. After serving as adjunct marketing faculty and the assistant dean of continuing education at the University of California San Diego, he has been a ghostwriter, co-author, and publisher of more than 300 business books.

henry@indiebooksintl.com

www.marketingwithabook.com

This episode is supported by the Business Planning Operating System. My 9-module course is built from 30 years of experience as an accountant, giving business owners a simple, one-page 90-day plan they'll actually use. Learn more at thebusinessbehindyourbusiness.com/focus

Support the show

https://thebusinessbehindyourbusiness.com/

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With so much attention on AI, automation and business systems, it's easy to assume that better technology will automatically lead to better outcomes. But what if the real constraint to growth isn't the tools you're using, but how you make decisions when the pressure is on?

In this episode, Paul Sweeney sits down with Dr Sarah Choudhary, founder, AI expert and author of The Sirr Code. After more than 20 years building AI systems for large enterprises, Sarah shares why business performance ultimately comes down to the human side of decision-making. Together, they explore how founders can make better choices, avoid decision fatigue and use AI more effectively without becoming overwhelmed by information.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why more data doesn't always lead to better decisions
• How pressure impacts the way business owners think and act
• The hidden cost of decision fatigue and how to reduce it
• A simple framework for prioritising decisions based on risk and importance
• Why many AI projects fail despite having the right technology
• How to brief AI tools like you would a new team member
• How high-performing founders structure their decision-making processes
• A powerful framework for setting up a business with AI from day one

Whether you're embracing AI, leading a growing team or simply looking to make better business decisions, this conversation offers practical insights you can apply immediately.

Dr Sarah Choudhary brings together decades of experience in artificial intelligence, entrepreneurship and human performance to remind us that no technology can replace clear thinking, sound judgement and self-awareness. This episode will challenge the way you approach business decisions and help you build a more focused, resilient and effective business.

Dr Sarah Choudhary has been a prominent figure in the industry for over a decade, helping organizations leverage technology to achieve their goals. She has been recognized with numerous awards for her contributions to the field of AI and digital transformation and was named to the 2024 Marquis’ Who’s Who List. She is the CEO of ICE Innovations, creating innovative solutions for daily life such as ICEride, iChef, and Sprawberry.

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www.sarahchoudhary.com

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