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Paula Maidens

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Episode 120 - Decision Making Authority & Why You Need To Give It Away

In this episode, I discuss what decision-making authority is in your business and why it is important. I share how to hand over more of your decision-making power to build trust and confidence with your team.

Episode 119 - Powerful Content: How to ramp up your visibility without doing it all yourself with Mel Daniels

In this episode of Big Dreams Great Teams‪®‬, I am joined by Mel Daniels, a Content Marketing Strategist, speaker, podcast host and author. Mel shares her insights on how to create powerful content, the importance of authenticity, and when and how to delegate content creation.

Episode 118 - Boundaries: How to set ones that work (& keep them!)

In this episode of Big Dreams Great Teams‪®, I delve into the importance of setting and maintaining healthy boundaries in your business, and with your team. Boundaries are a positive tool for creating a thriving work environment, and they will support your business for further growth and success.

Episode 117 - Performance Enhancing Conversations with your Team

In this episode, I discuss the importance of having performance enhancing conversations with your team. These conversations are necessary to have regularly when you want to improve the performance of team members who are already ‘doing okay’ but you know could be doing better.

Episode 116 - Secrets to Successfully Hiring & Managing a Community Manager with Shana Lynn

In this episode of Big Dreams Great Teams‪®‬, Paula is joined by Shana Lynn, a trusted advisor for top-tier subscription companies looking to amp up their customer retention. Today, Shana talks about being an online community strategist and shares her expertise on hiring and managing community managers.

Episode #115 -Mastering Delegation: 7 steps to avoid burnout

In this episode the host, Paula Maidens discusses the importance of mastering delegation to overcome the cycle of overwork.

She shares seven steps to effectively delegate tasks and responsibilities in a business and offers ways that you can delegate effectively, free up their time, reduce stress, and create a business that can thrive beyond their personal involvement.

Podcast 114

In this conversation, Paula has invited offshoring expert Tiffany English to discuss offshoring and in particular, how to make a success of hiring a Filipino VA.

Podcast Episode 113

In this episode Paula dives into the common question of “When it is the right time to let someone go” along with all those other common questions about firing including "How much time is reasonable" "How do you know enough is enough" etc etc!

You'll hear the important considerations you need to take into account including the importance of being clear about expectations and responsibilities and giving someone the opportunity to change and improve before making this big decision.

EP-112-How to BE yourself at work with Cassandra Goodman

In this episode, Paula interviews Cassandra Goodman, a seasoned leader with over two decades of global executive experience. Cassandra, the author of "Being True: How to Be Yourself at Work," shares insights on authentic leadership and the importance of activating your true brilliance in the business world.

Paula Maidens 5 Interview Questions you Must ASK In 2024

In this episode, Paula encourages essential business owners, CEOs and key decision makers to focus on the quality of interview questions for successful hires, invites listeners to share and highlight hiring goals for 2024.

Ep 111: Laura O'Hagan - Paula Maidens Profit Profit Profit : How to get more of it in 2024

The focus of Ep 110 is all about: Profit. Answering questions such as why profit is often overlooked in favour of sales or revenue. Laura and Paula discuss reasons behind the lack of emphasis on profit in business conversations and why it is critical to both growth and sustainability.

Episode #109 - Hire Smarter Summer Series Pt 3 - Profitable Onboarding

In the last episode of the 3 Part Hire Smarter Mini-Series, the host Paula explores the often overlooked aspect of onboarding as a strategic investment rather than just an expense. She delves into the importance of viewing new hires as contributors to scaling your service-based business profitably.

Episode #108 - Hire Smarter Summer Series Pt 2 - How to Decide YOUR Top 5 Qualities To ONLY Hire Rockstars

In the latest episode of the Hire Smarter Mini-Series, the host Paula Maidens, focuses on achieving clarity before embarking on the hiring process and the significance of understanding five key aspects before getting started on your hiring process.

Episode #107 - Hire Smarter Summer Series (Part 1) - The Reason Why Most People Hire Wrong (and how to fix that for good!)

In this first episode of the Hire Smarter Mini-Series, hosted by Paula Maidens, the focus is on equipping CEOs with the knowledge and strategies needed to make great hiring decisions, ultimately leading to profitable scaling for service-based businesses.

 

Paula dives into the reasons most people hire wrong (and how to avoid that for good) and shares the inherent challenges of the hiring process, its potential for stress and overwhelm, especially when you as the CEO are already juggling multiple responsibilities.

Paula Maidens - Episode #106 - My 3 Top Client Lessons From 2023

As Paula shifts into reflection mode for 2023, she shares in this episode three common lessons that emerged across her clients throughout the year. You’ll be able to listen and reflect on your own leadership and take nuggets of wisdom for yourself into 2024.

Episode #105 - 5 Questions to Ask Each Of Your Team Before The End Of The Year

Before you dive into that well-deserved Christmas break, I’m sharing a simple yet impactful strategy to elevate your team's performance ready to kick off 2024!
And that is... by having an effective end-of-year catch-up with each of your team members.

In todays’ podcast episode, we delve into the art of how to have that conversation and how to make it meaningful, spark motivation and retention and you’ll learn the 5 strategic questions to ask to unlock the insights you need to enhance performance and kick off a successful 2024.

Episode #104 - 4 Day Work Week, Growth Lessons from Team of 3 to 12 and $2Mil + Revenue with Bonny Marsh, COO of Truii

In this episode of the Big Dreams Great Teams ™ , I am joined by Bonny Marsh, a multi-passionate entrepreneur, and the co-founder of Truii, a Brisbane-based technology and consulting company that creates data-driven web applications. She is also a Speech Pathologist, Mother of four, and mentor to mothers. In this candidate behind-the-scenes share, we discuss Bonny's experience of running their hybrid team of 12 staff, the challenges and practicalities of their family-friendly ethos, and the various evolutions they've faced growing to a $ 2 million plus revenue business - that is continuing to grow rapidly.

EP 103_website cover

In this week's podcast episode on the Big Dreams Great Teams™ Podcast, I'm revealing the 7 Priceless Truths that my Private Clients discover when they work with me.  These gems are from my 17-year journey in the industry, working with businesses of all sizes on hiring, growth and team development.

Episode #102 - What are you EXPECTING vs INSPECTING?

In this episode of Big Dreams Great Teams™, we dive into the vital distinction between Expectations and Inspections. High expectations are common, but true success lies in actively Inspecting and monitoring progress, particularly in business and team management.

Episode #101 - Creating a Neuro-inclusive workplace with Dr Lutza Ireland

In this episode of Big Dreams Great Teams™, I interview Dr Lutza Ireland (Autistic/ADHD/she/her) a psychologist, multi award winning designer, researcher and international speaker who is passionate about neuro-inclusion. In this episode Dr Lutza shares best practices for neuro-inclusive workplaces including universal design principles, focusing on clarity, collaboration, and effective tool usage.

The essential elements to a LEAN TEAM. How many can you tick? Part 2

In this episode of Big Dreams Great Teams™, I finish off my two-part series on the essential elements of building a lean team in your business. I share the last two critical strategies and elements that you need to have in place; effective time management and prioritisation. Today I share some examples of areas you can assess to see how effective time management is within your business, as it is a pivotal element in making your team a well-oiled machine.

Episode #99 - The essential elements to a LEAN TEAM. How many can you tick? Part 1

In today’s episode, I kick off a two-part series on the essential elements of building a lean team in your business. Having a lean team is not only about minimising your costs, but is also about optimising efficiency to maximise returns with your existing team. Whether you're an emerging entrepreneur or an experienced business owner, the insights I share will prove invaluable in enhancing your team's effectiveness.

Episode #98 - Avoid Hiring Headaches: Legal Advice for Growing Businesses with Tracey Mylecharane

In this episode of Big Dreams Great Teams™, I am joined by Tracey Mylecharane, an unconventional business lawyer who delivers confidence to small business owners. Tracey founded her business with an empower ethos and a commitment to educate and empower small business owners to back themselves, legally. Today, we discuss the legal side of hiring people and having a team in your business.

Episode #97 - Using AI to make Hiring & Performance EASIER

In today’s episode, I delve into the world of artificial intelligence (AI) and how you can use it in relation to your team. I talk about the ways in which AI can simplify your hiring and team management processes, and I provide some valuable insights and recommendations on how to use AI in your business.

Episode #96 - Mastering Retention: Nurturing Your Team for 3+ Years with Jazze Jervis

In this episode, I am joined by a great friend and previous client of mine, Jazze Jervis. Jazze is an entrepreneur, investor, and seven-figure business coach. Today, we go behind the scenes of her incredible business to gain some insight into how she works with her Online Business Manager (OBM) and team. Together, Jazze and her OBM have built a powerful team that operates with autonomy and efficiency.

Episode #95 - Difficult Conversations - My top 10 Tips to make them EASIER

In today’s episode, I talk about how to have difficult conversations with someone on your team and share 10 of my top tips with you. One of the most common questions I get asked by current and potential clients is how to have difficult conversations, as for most leaders this skill does not come naturally. Having difficult conversations is something that needs to be practiced and learned time and time again. I know that difficult conversations can be challenging for you as you grow and scale your business and in this episode, I share some valuable insights and tips on how you can make difficult conversations feel totally normal.

Episode #94 - Why only 7% of businesses grow past $2mil with Jenny Stilwell

In today’s episode of Big Dreams Great Teams™, I am joined by the inspiring Jenny Stilwell, author of The 7% Club. Jenny sheds light on the challenges faced by businesses as they aim to grow their revenue beyond 2 million dollars, with only 7% of Australian businesses achieving this milestone. We delve into the complexities that arise during business growth and share some valuable insights on how to overcome common obstacles many entrepreneurs face growing and scaling their business.

Episode #93 - Building Business Sustainability: Creating a Team That Doesn't Rely On One Individual

In this episode, I delve into an important aspect and topic of business; how to build business sustainability into your team. I dive deep into this common challenge many entrepreneurs face, which is being over-reliant on key team members. I talk about how you should have established systems and processes in place that ensure your business's continuity, regardless of individual circumstances.

Episode #92 - The secret to finding YOUR unicorn Virtual Assistant with Amy Dawe

In today’s episode of Big Dreams Great Teams, I am joined by Amy Dawe, founder of Seed Virtual Assistants. Amy is a mentor to many Virtual Assistants (VA) around Australia helping them leverage their unique strengths to launch, grow and scale their business, and is committed to educating and supporting businesses to understand the power of outsourcing. Today we dive deep into the world of Virtual Assistants, and the incredible value and support they can bring to your business.

Episode #91 Making flexible working... actually work (for you!)

In this episode of Big Dreams Great Teams™, I delve into the balance between flexibility and structure when it comes to your team. These days, it is really common for businesses to offer flexible working arrangements for both employees and contractors. I talk about how you can make flexible working arrangements work for you, and some of the things to look out for to set your business up for success.

Episode #90 Are you the bottleneck in your business? (And what to do about it!)

Today’s episode is about staying in control of your business while not staying involved. Have you ever considered if you are a bottleneck in your business? I talk about what this concept means and share some real-life examples to help you understand where this might be happening in your business and some steps on how you can effectively work with your team.

GREAT leaders with KICK ASS teams have these 5 traits. Which ones can you tick?

In this episode of Big Dreams Great Teams™, I share my top five leadership traits with you. These leadership traits are ones that I see demonstrated by the best-performing leaders, with the best-performing teams

EPISODE #88 ARE YOU PLANNING FOR SPACE?

A few weeks ago, I had a really busy week which made me reflect and think about whether I had set myself and my business up for success, by allowing and planning for space. In this episode of Big Dreams Great Teams, I reflect upon how I have structured my business and share some reasons why as entrepreneurs, we should be planning for space to support us in weeks when things don’t always go according to plan.

Episode #87 EOFY reflections - a personal BTS share from my biz

I am so excited to share today’s episode of the Big Dreams Great Teams podcast as I take you behind the scenes and share some of my end-of-financial-year reflections. Dive in with me as I share an overview of my accounts, profitability, revenue, and some of the highlights and lessons I have learned along the way.

How hiring an Ops Manager created instant 20% revenue growth - a BTS of a Bookkeeping business with Sally Brindle

Today I go behind the scenes with one of my wonderful clients, Sally Brindle, who owns Total Accounts, a business that provides full-service bookkeeping to small and medium businesses. Sally started Total Accounts 10 years ago and is extremely passionate about helping small businesses thrive. In this episode of Big Dreams Great Teams, Sally and I explore the journey of leading her high multiple six-figure business, and some of the big shifts she has made over the last nine months since working together in both her business and her life.

Having it all - Business, Health & Family with Jaiana Francis

In today’s episode of Big Dreams Great Teams, I am joined by CPA turned holistic health coach, Jaiana Francis. Jaiana is the Founder & CEO of Boss Babe Fitness Academy and today she talks with me about the challenges of being an entrepreneur growing and scaling a business and not letting our health and fitness journey fall by the wayside.

Episode #84 The 3 Steps to Giving ROBUST Feedback (and not feel like a bitch!)

One of the most common questions I get asked by my clients and business friends is HOW to phrase giving somebody feedback. In today’s episode of Big Dreams Great Teams, I dive deep into this topic and start by discussing how giving feedback is an art, a skill and a science that can be learnt, as for many entrepreneurs it often does not come naturally. I share my three steps to giving useful and robust feedback so that you can get the results you are after with your team.

Surprising Leadership Lessons after 5yrs in Business - a BTS with Entrepreneur Amy Sanders-Robbins

In today’s episode of Big Dreams Great Teams, I go behind the scenes with one of my incredible clients, Amy Sanders-Robbins, who owns Bespoke Family Lawyers, a family law practice based in Brisbane, QLD. Amy has been a family lawyer for 15 years and started running and managing her own practice five years ago. Today, Amy shares her story with us and tells me how she's evolved and transformed as an individual, and most importantly as a leader and business owner.

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Something I notice that is really common with my clients is that when something goes wrong in their business, they try to immediately fix the symptom themselves, rather than taking the time to understand the cause or reason for the problem.  When running your own business, it can be really normal that when you see a mistake or something that you don’t like, you jump right in and fix it, rather than pausing and asking why or how it happened.

In this episode I talk about how often I see the common mistake continually fixing the symptoms rather than the cause, and by only fixing the symptoms - it’s like putting a short term bandaid on the situation.  Instead, you need to pause to understand the root cause of the problem and work out an effective way to address it and in this episode I explain to you how to know the difference and how to fix the right thing.

How understanding your Human Design can help streamline your business with Amy Lea

One of the big things that I work on with my clients is how they can design a business and team that truly suits them as an individual. So today I've invited Amy Lea onto the podcast to talk about working in coherence instead of hustle, and how understanding your human design can help streamline your life and your business.

Amy is an astrologer, Human Design consultant and somatic business coach who helps her clients uncover their true selves, lead with their strengths and create their most aligned and enriching lives. She also teaches Human Design and astrology to coaches, healers, practitioners and leaders who are looking to bring this transformational work to their own clients.

Surprising Leadership Lessons from a Yoga Class
Some of you may not know that I’ve been doing yoga for a really long time. Almost 20 years, in fact. Shortly after starting, it began to impact my life to the point where I would be told that when I practiced regularly, I became a better businesswoman, mother and wife. So what does yoga and leadership have in common? Today I share with you the surprising leadership lessons I’ve learnt on my yoga journey through the years.
EP 79 2 POWERFUL ways to Elevate Your Thinking From Entrepreneur to Empowered 7 Figure CEO
I’m so excited to dive in and share with you how you can elevate your thinking, revolutionise your business, empower your team and take it to new heights to become a 7 figure CEO. In this episode, I’m introducing you to 2 different ways you can change your business processes and the way you approach handling your team to achieve growth. You'll not only free up your own time but also unlock the full potential of your team members. Together, you'll drive your business forward and achieve a new level of productivity and success.
Episode #78 5 RED FLAGS to look for when hiring
I’ve seen many employers and managers face hiring regret every day. You may think you have hired the absolute perfect person for the role but when they start working, they just don’t seem to be a good fit for the company culture or they just aren’t delivering the results you need. In this episode, I’m sharing 5 red flags to look for upfront during the application and interviewing stage to help you avoid having hiring regret.
Time Audit Results - My Surprising Results: What I Discovered & What I'm Changing

I recently spoke on the importance of doing a time audit in your business when it comes to managing your and your team’s time. Today, I go behind the scenes and share the surprising results I received from my own time audit. I dive into what I discovered, how my perspective has shifted and what I’m now committed to changing.

It’s true that many of us find joy in attempting to do it all ourselves, not only in our businesses but our personal lives as well. We get a kick out of feeling organised, but it’s important to take a step back and ask yourself some serious questions. Why am I choosing to spend time here? Does it have to be me? Is there another way?

EP 76

A common struggle that many leaders and business owners face is knowing how to get the most value out of their people. Getting to a place where you are ready to hand over tasks and delegate to people on your team can feel like yet another thing on your growing to-do list. In today's episode, I’m taking you through some powerful ways to get maximum productivity and value out of people who are working on your team without the worry, guilt or stress that a lot of business owners carry. Delegation is challenging for a lot of leaders, but I encourage you to sit down and really invest the time to create this list and master plan. It might surprise you how much time and energy you can free up!

Improving your systems and processes to help you scale with Shauna Vassell

Creating effective systems or implementing change within your business has the potential to support you and your team in a powerful way. However, doing so can be such an overwhelming concept for busy entrepreneurs, that really nailing down our processes often falls by the wayside. Today I’m joined by Shauna Vassell, who shares her wisdom on improving your systems and processes to help you scale.

Do you have HIGH EXPECTATIONS or are you being UNREASONABLE?

A conversation that often comes up with my clients and business friends is around the topic of expectations. How do you know if what you are asking is okay? And what is the difference between having high expectations and being unreasonable? In this episode, I dive into the difference between high and unreasonable expectations and share five areas to consider when determining if your expectations are reasonable or unreasonable.

Have you done a TIME AUDIT before? Here's why this is a MUST for your business

Have you ever done a time audit in your business before? I know what you’re thinking - this sounds more than a little boring and there are way more exciting ways to spend the precious minutes of your day. But, I’m here to tell you why tracking where your and your team’s time is going will blow your mind and is an absolute MUST for your business. In today’s episode, I address three common challenges that my clients often talk about when it comes to managing their time, and recommend the practical tips and tools I’ve found have really helped get to the heart of these situations and take back control.

EP72

Change impacts different people in different ways, and it’s important to know how to deliver information in a way that supports anyone who may be affected by it. Today I’m joined by Mel Loy, who shares with us her top five tips to communicating change to your team effectively. Whether it’s to do with your people, operations, structure or services, change can be tricky to navigate. It can often be challenging to get everyone on board when it comes to implementing new ideas, and having a strategy in place to share new information to your team is vital. We talk about how being prepared and early in your communication will put you on the front foot and keep you in control of the narrative. We talk about owning the decisions we make, even when change is out of our control. Standing strong in your choices will squash any uncertainty that may arise, and reduce the anxiety it can bring to your team.

EP 71

In today’s episode, I define micromanagement and aim to dispel some unhelpful myths about it only being a bad thing. Micromanaging is almost like a dirty word, and we generally strive to steer clear of leading in this way. But is micromanaging always a bad thing? When is it good, and when is it not? I share my thoughts on this topic and encourage you to examine your own definition of micromanagement. I also challenge you to reflect on the way you’re interacting with your team - are you boosting their productivity or hindering it? Finding the balance in how you lead your team is so important. Providing guidance to your employees, as well as the space to do their work, will allow you the freedom to focus on the things that are important to you.

EP70

Today I chat with the amazing Dr Heather Finley, a registered dietician and gut health specialist, about how your gut health may be affecting your performance at work and in life.

We talk about healthy gut bacteria and how it can prevent diseases and infection and how it can make us more resilient to stress - an extremely valuable asset for busy entrepreneurs!

If you haven’t thought about how your gut health may be affecting your productivity, I encourage you to be open and take in the valuable wisdom that Dr Heather Finley has to offer. We share some simple ideas you can use right away to easily create more variety in your life, and I hope that today’s episode will support you to take steps to enhance your performance as you grow your business.

EP 69

Today we're talking about team values and how having a value statement plays a critical part in building a high performing team. Whether you’re a small business owner or a large corporate, defining your guiding principles is vital and will really support your team to meet and exceed your highest expectations.

BEHIND THE SCENES of re-hiring a key person into my business

In today’s episode, I get personal and give you another behind the scenes look into how I run my business. I share my process for re-hiring a key person, what my hiring mastery method is all about, and the 5 important recruitment lessons I have learnt over the years.

Episode 67

Today’s topic is leadership. In particular, what does a POWERFUL and GRACEFUL leader look like? How do you need to act and react to be both powerful and graceful? In this episode I talk about how to step up into power as a CEO and share 4 common leadership traits that prevent CEO’s leading with authentic power.

Episode66

I give you a behind-the-scenes look at what’s going on for me in my business. In particular, how I’m working through this really strong sense of being busy.  I share the questions I’m asking myself to reflect on this state of busyness, and urge you to ask yourself these questions too if you’re in the thick of a busy business.

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