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Better Business, Better Life – Issue 116
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I hope you had a fantastic Easter.
We were very lucky to combine a business trip to Nelson with a few days of family adventures & fun.
We stayed in an ‘off-grid’ Airbnb in Nelson & spent time chilling out, cycling, playing with the drone my Dad left us, playing games (Rummikub), making all our food in the outdoor kitchen (including an amazing pizza with blue cheese, ham, walnuts, and caramelised chilli onions) & doing some reading.
You can check out some of the pictures of the fantastic mirrored loo & the retreat here.
BUSINESS TOOLS & REAL-LIFE LESSONS
Do you have the right people in the right seats?
The company that I am working with in Nelson is a family business. They are doing some amazing things with the 2nd Generation – The three brothers are starting to take over the business from Mum & Dad. Their new thinking & desire to significantly grow the business are really changing the shape of the business.
Fortunately, the three brothers get on very well & have very different skill sets, so they have been able to work through the roles required in the business and pick the best brother for each role.
But when you are growing a business, you must also surround yourself with the right leadership team. And for most family businesses, there is also the challenge of the 1st Generation letting go & deciding whether to have family members in the team.
That’s why I love the EOS Accountability Chart tool.
It helps remove all emotion, enables you to develop the proper structure for the business to move forward & pick the right people for the right seats. It starts with thinking about where the business wants to be & what structure it needs to have to achieve that. What are the main functions & within these roles, what do we need to hold them accountable for?
It provides clarity for everyone in the organisation about who is accountable for what & where things are handed between departments. Most importantly, it helps you pick the right people for these roles.
Within a family business, this can help the founders let go & allow them to pass the reins down to the next generation, as well as understand if family members are truly the right people for the roles.
It also helps non-familial business members understand that if a family member has a role in the business, they have the role because they are the best person for the role, not just because they are family.
If this is something you are struggling with then you might like to find out more.
Here is an article that I wrote for the Family Business Organisation website & newsletter, which includes a real-life case study. To read more, click here.
The articles in Better Business are also all about the Accountability Chart.
If you’ve got any questions, I’d be happy to have a chat – book a quick call with me – click here.
In the next issue, I will hopefully review one of the 4 books I started reading on my holiday – let me know which one you are most interested in.
LINKS TO USEFUL STUFF
This section gives you quick access to 9 links - to articles, blogs, podcasts & stuff that will help you to create a better business & lead a better life.
Better Business Articles
5 Tips to Build Your Accountability Chart
Create your efficient accountability chart today!
Essential Guide to Family Business Accountability Charts
Defining clear roles in family businesses.
Crafting Clear Blueprint for Family Business Success
Streamlining roles for harmony and efficiency.
Podcasts to Listen to
Business Transformation with Alkis Crassas
Discover invaluable business transformation strategies.
Ryan Charterina: Business Insights Galore
Unveil business insights driving transformative action.
Zac Cramer's Unconventional Business Revolution
Learn innovative strategies for business success.
Better Life Articles
Effective Strategies for Beating Insomnia Naturally
Unlock practical tips for overcoming sleeplessness.
MEET OUR TEAM
In this section, I introduce the team & our Trusted Partners.
This week, I’m thrilled to introduce one of our Trusted Partners and someone exceptional—my good friend and colleague, Michelle Keenan.
Ever encountered someone whose passion for their work shines through in everything they do? That’s Michelle in a nutshell.
I first met Michelle when we went together on a skiing trip with our mutual friend, James McGlinn.
Over the years, I have attended a few of her retreats & done a number of her yoga sessions, as well as following her journey into more holistic health within the business environment.
With over three decades dedicated to health & wellbeing, Michelle is committed to helping people from all walks of life achieve their wellness goals.
We’re both passionate about helping small and medium-sized businesses thrive & we know that people are at the core of this. Together, we focus on optimising team performance & fostering a positive work environment.
How do you help people?
I help people and businesses thrive through workplace wellbeing – people do their best work when they feel healthy, supported, appreciated, and excited about what they’re doing, so I help small and medium businesses make that happen!
Why did you get into what you are doing?
I got into the fitness industry more or less straight after college, working as a trainer and aerobics instructor in the local gym that I’d been a member of for years. From there, it’s been a 30-year journey of learning more about total wellbeing – mental and emotional, as well as physical – which led to me owning two Pilates and yoga studios at various times and coaching clients one-on-one to integrate better habits and feel happier and healthier. During COVID-19, the impact on people’s mental health was something that really came to the forefront, and the idea of helping workplaces navigate a post-COVID world was called to me. People aren’t prepared to sacrifice their wellbeing for work anymore, and this is actually a great opportunity for businesses because happy, healthy employees are more engaged, creative, and productive, so embedding wellbeing into day-to-day operations is the best way to attract and retain top talent for any business.
What do you love about it?
I love the challenge of making the process fun and engaging for people, simplifying things and helping them see that it doesn’t have to be complicated to make real change – it can be straightforward and manageable and still be effective! When you see that lightbulb moment occur, whether at an individual or organisational level, it’s a great feeling.
I often work with businesses over a period of time, so seeing the changes in real-time is so gratifying – changes like teams getting on better, businesses having their best quarter ever, things running more smoothly because of better leadership and improved culture, people who were close to burnout and ready to walk out the door enjoying their job and feeling good again.
What do you do in your spare time, pursuing other passions?
I still love teaching yoga and Pilates, and I’ve just signed up as a volunteer teacher for the Yoga Education in Prisons Trust – yoga has been instrumental for me in managing anxiety and chronic pain and in dealing with stress, so this seems like a way to pay that forward. I do a fair bit of hiking with my 15-year-old son on the weekends, and I paddleboard in the summer. For non-active pursuits, I love to read, and I’ve also recently taken up knitting as a bit of a new mental challenge!
Tell us something that very few people know about you?
I’m somewhat addicted to crime novels and read at least once a week. It’s probably weird to admit that I read them at bedtime, and I have no idea what it says about me that I find them relaxing, but it’s the truth – I read a chapter or two in bed and then usually drop right off to sleep!
FIND OF THE WEEK
I wanted to share something incredibly exciting that I’ve recently discovered and plan to explore further: the FreeStyle Libre Flash Glucose Monitoring System. You might be wondering why someone like me would be interested in such a device.
I am not diabetic. I am fascinated by bio-hacking & what we can do to improve the body we are born with, or in my case, the body I have sometimes abused.
So, I’ve been trialling one of these to learn how different foods & stress affect me so that I can adjust my diet & lifestyle to get the best results for my health & wellness.
Imagine seeing in real time how your body responds to that morning cup of coffee, a midday snack, that glass of wine, your evening walk, your flights locally and overseas, or your post-workout protein shake.
With the FreeStyle Libre 2, you can!
It’s for anyone like me who’s curious & ready to take control of their wellbeing. It was like having a little health coach right on my arm, guiding me towards better choices.
What did I learn?
That white rice is one of the few things that really spikes my sugar levels. And a bad night’s sleep means that my sugar levels don’t get back down to the levels they should be.
Fortunately, travel doesn’t seem to have much impact, & coffee & chocolate have a lot less impact than I thought they would, which is the best news ever. 😊
And it didn’t hurt to install it onto/into my arm, which is great because I am such a wuss!
If you’re curious, you can check it out here. FreeStyle Libre Flash Glucose Monitoring System
We are here to help you live a better life by creating a better business. We are real-life business owners with years of experience & a strong desire to make a huge difference to the lives of entrepreneurs.
If anything here resonates with you or you would like our help, then please get in contact. Just reply to this newsletter & let us know who you would like to speak to…. Or visit our webpage & contact any of our team from their own pages.
If you know someone who would benefit from reading this, then please forward it onto them. 💖
NEED HELP?
If you’d like to learn more about any of these tools or would like to find out how I can help you achieve a better life through creating a better business, then book a free Discovery Call with me.
We’ll talk about what you want to get from your business & your life & come up with a plan to do that!
Debra Chantry-Taylor
Certified EOS Implementer | Accredited Family Business Advisor | Entrepreneurial Leadership & Business Coach | Speaker & Workshop Facilitator