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Bad Boss Confessional
Bad Boss Confessional
Author: Speakeasy Podcast Network
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Description
Bad Boss Confessional is the podcast where entrepreneurs, founders, and leaders fess up to their most cringeworthy management moments—the times they micromanaged, blew up in meetings, or simply got it dead wrong. With names changed (to protect the innocent...and guilty), guests walk us through their “bad boss” moment in all its messy glory.
But this isn’t just a cringe-fest—it’s a redemption story.
But this isn’t just a cringe-fest—it’s a redemption story.
20 Episodes
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This week on Bad Boss Confessional, Beth Fahey welcomes Dominic Sergi, CEO of Clear Height Properties, for a conversation about how unchecked empathy almost held his company back. Dominic shares the hard lesson he learned from keeping the wrong people in the wrong seats for too long, all because he cared too much.
What began as a culture built on patience and compassion evolved into one grounded in clarity, accountability, and authentic care. Dominic reveals how a mindset shift from fear to candor transformed his leadership, accelerated growth, and created a workplace where radical honesty builds trust, not resentment. It's a story about letting go, leaning in, and learning to say “yes, and…” instead of “yes, but.”
Chapters
00:00 Empathy: Superpower or Kryptonite?
05:09 Learning from a Mentor
09:00 Empathy’s Double-Edged Sword
12:35 Right People, Right Seats
17:29 Mastering the EOS Journey
20:49 Building an Authentic Culture
26:52 The ‘Yes And’ Mindset
About:
Beth Fahey is a leadership coach, Expert EOS Implementer, and co-creator of the How to Be a Great Boss Workshops. With nearly 40 years of hands-on leadership experience, Beth has worn many hats: from working in film and owning a bakery to leading a national trade association.
Now, as the host of The Bad Boss Confessional, she shares candid stories about the challenges of leadership, mistakes made, lessons learned, and the path to becoming the kind of boss your team actually wants to follow. Through humor, honesty, and heart, Beth is on a mission to help leaders grow, one confession at a time.
Show Links
For more information about Beth Fahey follow the links below.
Website: www.eosworldwide.com/beth-fahey
Facebook: www.facebook.com/BethFaheyEOS
Instagram: www.instagram.com/bethfaheyeos/
TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@bethfaheyeos
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/bethfahey/
Bad Boss Confessional YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@badbossconfessional
Beth's Youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/@bethfaheyeos
Guest Links
Dominic Sergi is an entrepreneur and investor with a passion for building enduring companies. As CEO of Clear Height Properties, he’s led over $1 billion in industrial real estate transactions, co-founded Cresco Labs, one of the nation’s leading cannabis companies, and launched Westshore Capital Group, his family office built on the belief that patient capital can outperform the market while leaving a lasting legacy.
Clear Height Properties: https://www.clearheight.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dominic-sergi-8b5ba24
Sponsor Links
Thanks to our Sponsors
A big thank you to our amazing sponsors for making this episode possible:
Titus Talent – Helping organizations make the best hiring decisions with performance-based talent strategies.
Strety – Empowering teams through strategic planning and performance management tools built for modern workforces.
This week on Bad Boss Confessional, host and EOS Implementor Beth Fahey sits down with Mike Shannon, CEO of Impruve and author of Sweaty Equity. From surviving Shark Tank to opening his first businesses, Mike opens up about his cringiest leadership missteps, the chaos of scaling to 120 employees, and how embracing systems thinking (and a few bad boss moments) helped him grow as a leader. Expect startup war stories, EOS insights, and a fresh look at how AI is transforming financial advising.
00:00 From Ball Boy to Shark Tank
04:11 Early Entrepreneurial Challenges
10:47 Optimizing Executive Team Meetings
17:48 Impact of Structured Meetings
24:25 Improve: AI for Financial Advisors
36:04 Fear, Failure, Pain, and Systems
About:
Beth Fahey is a leadership coach, Expert EOS Implementer, and co-creator of the How to Be a Great Boss Workshops. With nearly 40 years of hands-on leadership experience, Beth has worn many hats: from working in film and owning a bakery to leading a national trade association.
Now, as the host of The Bad Boss Confessional, she shares candid stories about the challenges of leadership, mistakes made, lessons learned, and the path to becoming the kind of boss your team actually wants to follow. Through humor, honesty, and heart, Beth is on a mission to help leaders grow, one confession at a time.
Show Links
For more information about Beth Fahey follow the links below.
Website: www.eosworldwide.com/beth-fahey
Facebook: www.facebook.com/BethFaheyEOS
Instagram: www.instagram.com/bethfaheyeos/
TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@bethfaheyeos
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/bethfahey/
Bad Boss Confessional YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@badbossconfessional
Beth's Youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/@bethfaheyeos
Guest Links
CEO at Impruve | Author of ‘Sweaty Equity: A Ball Boy, A Billionaire, and the Bonkers Startup Tale You’ve Never Heard’
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeshannon101/
Email: mike@impruve.com
Sponsor Links
Thanks to our Sponsors
A big thank you to our amazing sponsors for making this episode possible:
Titus Talent – Helping organizations make the best hiring decisions with performance-based talent strategies.
Strety – Empowering teams through strategic planning and performance management tools built for modern workforces.
In this episode of Bad Boss Confessional, Beth Fahey welcomes Kathy Bresler, founder of Altar Community, a Chicago-based hub for connection, wellness, and growth. Kathy shares her journey from corporate strategist to reluctant boss and accidental entrepreneur. After years of envisioning a gathering space, she opened Altar in early 2020, just as the pandemic shut everything down. Forced to pivot, she and her community shifted online, building resilience through shared purpose.
Kathy reflects on her struggles with leadership, from toggling between being too directive and too accommodating, to learning how to balance vision with execution. She candidly explores perfectionism, self-doubt, and the weight of wanting to be liked while leading. Through it all, Kathy found strength in purpose, community, and a commitment to growth, offering lessons in perseverance and authenticity for every leader who has wrestled with their own bad boss moments.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Accidental Entrepreneurship
01:36 The Vision of Altar Community
03:28 Launching Altar Amidst COVID
06:17 Pivoting to Online Community
11:13 Kathy’s Corporate Background
14:42 Turning Point: Breast Cancer Diagnosis
17:23 Reluctant Boss: Challenges of Leadership
23:05 The Conundrum of Coaching vs. Leading
25:29 Influential Books and Self-Discovery
30:59 Embracing the Entrepreneurial Journey
34:01 Purpose Over Profitability
About:
Beth Fahey is a leadership coach, Expert EOS Implementer, and co-creator of the How to Be a Great Boss Workshops. With nearly 40 years of hands-on leadership experience, Beth has worn many hats: from working in film and owning a bakery to leading a national trade association.
Now, as the host of The Bad Boss Confessional, she shares candid stories about the challenges of leadership, mistakes made, lessons learned, and the path to becoming the kind of boss your team actually wants to follow. Through humor, honesty, and heart, Beth is on a mission to help leaders grow, one confession at a time.
Show Links
For more information about Beth Fahey follow the links below.
Website: www.eosworldwide.com/beth-fahey
Facebook: www.facebook.com/BethFaheyEOS
Instagram: www.instagram.com/bethfaheyeos/
TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@bethfaheyeos
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/bethfahey/
Bad Boss Confessional YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@badbossconfessional
Beth's Youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/@bethfaheyeos
Guest Links
Kathy Bresler is the founder of ALTAR Community, a hidden gem in Chicago that’s both a vibrant community and an inspiring event space. ALTAR hosts everything from curated corporate offsites for teams and leaders to speaker series and wellness programs — all designed to help people connect, recharge, and grow. A visionary entrepreneur, Kathy speaks candidly about the messy, humbling, and ultimately transformational journey of turning vision into leadership.
Altar Community: https://www.altarcommunity.com/kathy-bresler
Sponsor Links
Thanks to our Sponsors
A big thank you to our amazing sponsors for making this episode possible:
Titus Talent – Helping organizations make the best hiring decisions with performance-based talent strategies.
Strety – Empowering teams through strategic planning and performance management tools built for modern workforces.
This week on Bad Boss Confessional, Beth Fahey sits down with Matt Haney, a seasoned fractional integrator who helps visionary-led teams cut through chaos and get traction. Matt shares the story of a firing he regrets to this day: an ungraceful exit of a 20-year employee during a pandemic downturn. Despite having let go of 15 others with care, this one moment turned combative, cold, and ultimately changed the way he leads forever.
Matt unpacks the emotional aftermath, the gut-punch feedback he received, and how it led to a complete shift in his leadership mindset. From learning the power of intentional feedback to never letting someone be “surprised” by a termination, this is a raw, real story about what it means to mess up… and grow.
Timestamps
00:00 Welcome & Introducing Matt Haney
01:52 Journey to Fractional Integrator
05:46 A Bungled Termination Story
10:14 Reflecting on a Bad Decision
13:46 Improving Termination Practices
17:46 The Power of Intentional Feedback
21:44 Integrators & Visionary Challenges
27:42 Visionary Transition and Guilt
30:36 Strength as a Weakness: Multitasking
33:15 Be Present, Stay in the Question
39:53 Closing Thoughts
About:
Beth Fahey is a leadership coach, Expert EOS Implementer, and co-creator of the How to Be a Great Boss Workshops. With nearly 40 years of hands-on leadership experience, Beth has worn many hats: from working in film and owning a bakery to leading a national trade association.
Now, as the host of The Bad Boss Confessional, she shares candid stories about the challenges of leadership, mistakes made, lessons learned, and the path to becoming the kind of boss your team actually wants to follow. Through humor, honesty, and heart, Beth is on a mission to help leaders grow, one confession at a time.
Show Links
For more information about Beth Fahey follow the links below.
Website: www.eosworldwide.com/beth-fahey
Facebook: www.facebook.com/BethFaheyEOS
Instagram: www.instagram.com/bethfaheyeos/
TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@bethfaheyeos
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/bethfahey/
Bad Boss Confessional YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@badbossconfessional
Beth's Youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/@bethfaheyeos
Guest Links
Matt is a hands-on business operator, serving as a Fractional Integrator, with over 15 years of experience working with visionary founded businesses who have reached a ceiling. What does this mean? Matt helps teams get out of the shit show !
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattlhaney/
Sponsor Links
Thanks to our Sponsors
A big thank you to our amazing sponsors for making this episode possible:
Titus Talent – Helping organizations make the best hiring decisions with performance-based talent strategies.
Strety – Empowering teams through strategic planning and performance management tools built for modern workforces.
In this episode of Bad Boss Confessional, Beth Fahey, Expert EOS Implementer®, sits down with Rhonda Meyers for a raw and inspiring conversation about the realities of leadership. From navigating adversity and stepping into entrepreneurship, to the courage it takes to stand in your truth, Rhonda shares her journey of growth and resilience.
Together, they unpack the challenges of wearing “six seats” in business, the hidden curse of being highly capable, and the bravery required to lead with both strength and vulnerability. Rhonda opens up about love as both a superpower and kryptonite, the power of authenticity, and the responsibility leaders have to empower others. She leaves listeners with a powerful reminder: “I am enough.”
This episode is a must-listen for leaders seeking honesty, inspiration, and permission to lead with heart.
02:00 From Adversity to Entrepreneurship
05:24 Standing in Your Truth
08:16 Leadership Journey and Growth
11:22 The Burden of Six Seats
16:21 The Curse of Highly Capable People
22:07 Bravery in Leadership and Vulnerability
27:49 Love as a Superpower and Kryptonite
35:32 Authenticity and Empowering Leaders
39:01 I Am Enough: A Leader’s Reflection
About:
Beth Fahey is a leadership coach, Expert EOS Implementer, and co-creator of the How to Be a Great Boss Workshops. With nearly 40 years of hands-on leadership experience, Beth has worn many hats: from working in film and owning a bakery to leading a national trade association.
Now, as the host of The Bad Boss Confessional, she shares candid stories about the challenges of leadership, mistakes made, lessons learned, and the path to becoming the kind of boss your team actually wants to follow. Through humor, honesty, and heart, Beth is on a mission to help leaders grow, one confession at a time.
Show Links
For more information about Beth Fahey follow the links below.
Website: www.eosworldwide.com/beth-fahey
Facebook: www.facebook.com/BethFaheyEOS
Instagram: www.instagram.com/bethfaheyeos/
TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@bethfaheyeos
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/bethfahey/
Bad Boss Confessional YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@badbossconfessional
Beth's Youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/@bethfaheyeos
Guest Links
Rhonda Meyers, is a visionary early childhood education leader.
Rhonda has an extraordinary capacity for building collaborative relationships that span from toddlers to school administrators, and her expertise includes program development, strategic business growth, and creating educational environments where every child can thrive.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rhondajmeyers/
Sponsor Links
Thanks to our Sponsors
A big thank you to our amazing sponsors for making this episode possible:
Titus Talent – Helping organizations make the best hiring decisions with performance-based talent strategies.
Strety – Empowering teams through strategic planning and performance management tools built for modern workforces.
On this week’s episode of Bad Boss Confessional, Beth Fahey chats with EOS implementer John McMahon, who opens up about his toughest management, including the dreaded task of firing an employee. From learning that silence can speak louder than words to discovering the power of open-ended questions, John shares how missteps turned into lessons in empathy, communication, and leadership growth.
01:37 Trial by Fire Leadership
05:22 First Lesson: What Took You So Long?
08:21 The Fear of Firing
11:06 Empathy and Curiosity Muscle
14:32 Reframing Questions and Vulnerability
17:33 Curiosity and Active Listening
20:39 The Power of Silence
25:44 Checking Assumptions and Deepening Relationships
28:50 Empathy Breakthroughs with Clients
About:
Beth Fahey is a leadership coach, Expert EOS Implementer, and co-creator of the How to Be a Great Boss Workshops. With nearly 40 years of hands-on leadership experience, Beth has worn many hats: from working in film and owning a bakery to leading a national trade association.
Now, as the host of The Bad Boss Confessional, she shares candid stories about the challenges of leadership, mistakes made, lessons learned, and the path to becoming the kind of boss your team actually wants to follow. Through humor, honesty, and heart, Beth is on a mission to help leaders grow, one confession at a time.
Show Links
For more information about Beth Fahey follow the links below.
Website: www.eosworldwide.com/beth-fahey
Facebook: www.facebook.com/BethFaheyEOS
Instagram: www.instagram.com/bethfaheyeos/
TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@bethfaheyeos
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/bethfahey/
Bad Boss Confessional YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@badbossconfessional
Beth's Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@bethfaheyeos
Guest Links
EOS Implementer John McMahon
Website: https://www.trellis-works.com/
Email: john.mcmahon@eosworldwide.com
If you'd like to learn more about Dr. Dino Signore that was mentioned in the podcast follow this link. https://drsignore.com/
Dr. Dino Signore, founder of The Signore Group, is a business psychologist and “second stage sensei” who helps entrepreneurs, nonprofit leaders, and advisors navigate growth challenges. With a focus on both the economic system of a business and the social system of its people, he facilitates leadership development, team dynamics, and organizational performance. Known for asking the right questions rather than prescribing quick fixes, Dr. Signore empowers leaders and their teams to think differently, adapt, and elevate their organizations to the next level.
Sponsor Links
Thanks to our Sponsors
A big thank you to our amazing sponsors for making this episode possible:
Titus Talent – Helping organizations make the best hiring decisions with performance-based talent strategies.
Strety – Empowering teams through strategic planning and performance management tools built for modern workforces.
Do you think of “process” as boring, rigid, or suffocating? In this episode of Bad Boss Confessional, host Beth Fahey sits down with Lisa Gonzalez, EOS Implementer, lawyer-turned-entrepreneur, and co-author of Process: How Discipline and Consistency Will Set You and Your Business Free. Lisa shares her most cringeworthy leadership moment of secretly creating a six-inch binder of hyper-detailed processes that her team ignored, a project fueled by fear and perfectionism. She reveals the painful lessons behind costly missteps, why buy-in matters more than binders, and how compassion and progress over perfection can transform leadership.
Chapters
00:00 Introducing Lisa Gonzalez
04:09 The Cost of Lacking Process
09:46 Compassion, Perfection, and Process
14:32 Getting Processes Followed by All
22:58 Personal Process Challenges & Wisdom
About:
Beth Fahey is a leadership coach, Expert EOS Implementer, and co-creator of the How to Be a Great Boss Workshops. With nearly 40 years of hands-on leadership experience, Beth has worn many hats: from working in film and owning a bakery to leading a national trade association.
Now, as the host of The Bad Boss Confessional, she shares candid stories about the challenges of leadership, mistakes made, lessons learned, and the path to becoming the kind of boss your team actually wants to follow. Through humor, honesty, and heart, Beth is on a mission to help leaders grow, one confession at a time.
Show Links
For more information about Beth Fahey follow the links below.
Website: www.eosworldwide.com/beth-fahey
Facebook: www.facebook.com/BethFaheyEOS
Instagram: www.instagram.com/bethfaheyeos/
TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@bethfaheyeos
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/bethfahey/
Bad Boss Confessional YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@badbossconfessional
Beth's Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@bethfaheyeos
Guest Links:
Website: Website: https://www.lisagonzalez.com.
Email: lisa.gonzalez@eosworldwide.com (paola.machuca1@eosworldwide.com for coordination please)
If you want to dive deeper into turning from Doer to Leader, check out Lisa's OPS leadership peer group at lisagonzalez.com/process-success-cohort
Thanks to our Sponsors
A big thank you to our amazing sponsors for making this episode possible:
Titus Talent – Helping organizations make the best hiring decisions with performance-based talent strategies.
Strety – Empowering teams through strategic planning and performance management tools built for modern workforces.
We’ve all been there: fired up in a meeting, convinced our point is the only one that matters… until we realize the room has gone silent. In this episode of Bad Boss Confessional, host Beth Fahey sits down with Reid Hutchison, COO and integrator of HOH Technology, to unpack a moment he’s not proud of. Reid shares the time he let his emotions hijack a leadership meeting, turning collaboration into tension.
The real lesson? How he owned the mistake, apologized in the moment, and rebuilt trust with his team. Reid’s story reminds us that passion can be a strength, but only when it is balanced with self-awareness and respect for others.
Chapters
00:00 Welcome and Guest Introduction
01:37 HOH Technology’s Legacy
04:39 A Bad Meeting Moment
08:47 The Importance of Apology
13:17 Building Self-Awareness and Health
16:17 Rebuilding Trust and Consistency
20:19 Team Accountability and Growth
24:37 Facilitation Challenges and Ads
28:47 The ‘WAIT’ Acronym and Conclusion
About:
Beth Fahey is a leadership coach, Expert EOS Implementer, and co-creator of the How to Be a Great Boss Workshops. With nearly 40 years of hands-on leadership experience, Beth has worn many hats: from working in film and owning a bakery to leading a national trade association.
Now, as the host of The Bad Boss Confessional, she shares candid stories about the challenges of leadership, mistakes made, lessons learned, and the path to becoming the kind of boss your team actually wants to follow. Through humor, honesty, and heart, Beth is on a mission to help leaders grow, one confession at a time.
Show Links
For more information about Beth Fahey follow the links below.
Website: www.eosworldwide.com/beth-fahey
Facebook: www.facebook.com/BethFaheyEOS
Instagram: www.instagram.com/bethfaheyeos/
TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@bethfaheyeos
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/bethfahey/
Bad Boss Confessional YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@badbossconfessional
Beth's Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@bethfaheyeos
Guest Links
HOH Technology: https://hohwatertechnology.com/
Thanks to our Sponsors
A big thank you to our amazing sponsors for making this episode possible:
Titus Talent – Helping organizations make the best hiring decisions with performance-based talent strategies.
Strety – Empowering teams through strategic planning and performance management tools built for modern workforces.
This week, Beth Fahey sits down with Kelly Knight of EOS Worldwide to talk about the messy (and meaningful) side of leadership. From a vacation epiphany that reshaped her company’s mission to the tough call of laying off 38 employees, Kelly opens up about mistakes, lessons, and the power of vulnerability in business. Tune in for real talk on staying true to your core focus, building trust, and leading with courage.
00:00 The Core Focus Dilemma
04:08 The Pitfalls of Software Expansion
08:49 Overcoming Embarrassment with Vulnerability
12:57 Lessons from Leadership Mistakes
18:41 Preventing Future Missteps
23:22 Restructuring for Alignment
28:24 Advice on Organizational Structure
About:
Beth Fahey is a leadership coach, Expert EOS Implementer, and co-creator of the How to Be a Great Boss Workshops. With nearly 40 years of hands-on leadership experience, Beth has worn many hats: from working in film and owning a bakery to leading a national trade association.
Now, as the host of The Bad Boss Confessional, she shares candid stories about the challenges of leadership, mistakes made, lessons learned, and the path to becoming the kind of boss your team actually wants to follow. Through humor, honesty, and heart, Beth is on a mission to help leaders grow, one confession at a time.
Show Links
For more information about Beth Fahey follow the links below.
Website: www.eosworldwide.com/beth-fahey
Facebook: www.facebook.com/BethFaheyEOS
Instagram: www.instagram.com/bethfaheyeos/
TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@bethfaheyeos
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/bethfahey/
Bad Boss Confessional YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@badbossconfessional
Beth's Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@bethfaheyeos
Guest Links
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellypknight/
Thanks to our Sponsors
A big thank you to our amazing sponsors for making this episode possible:
Titus Talent – Helping organizations make the best hiring decisions with performance-based talent strategies.
Strety – Empowering teams through strategic planning and performance management tools built for modern workforces.
In this episode of Bad Boss Confessional, host and EOS Implementer Beth Fahey sits down with Brian Dosal, CEO and co-founder of Strety, to talk about the messy side of leadership, ignoring red flags, hiring missteps, and the tough calls that come with rapid growth. Brian shares his entrepreneurial lessons on humility, adaptability, and why holding onto under performers can cost you your best people.
03:11 The Difficult Decision to Let Go
07:34 Ignoring Red Flags and Outgrowing Roles
11:04 The Impact of Loyalty on Tough Decisions
15:02 Hiring Heavy Hitters and First-Time Managers
19:34 Strety: The EOS Software Platform
24:02 Honesty, Not Kindness in Leadership
About:
Beth Fahey is a leadership coach, Expert EOS Implementer, and co-creator of the How to Be a Great Boss Workshops. With nearly 40 years of hands-on leadership experience, Beth has worn many hats: from working in film and owning a bakery to leading a national trade association.
Now, as the host of The Bad Boss Confessional, she shares candid stories about the challenges of leadership, mistakes made, lessons learned, and the path to becoming the kind of boss your team actually wants to follow. Through humor, honesty, and heart, Beth is on a mission to help leaders grow, one confession at a time.
Show Links
For more information about Beth Fahey follow the links below.
Website: www.eosworldwide.com/beth-fahey
Facebook: www.facebook.com/BethFaheyEOS
Instagram: www.instagram.com/bethfaheyeos/
TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@bethfaheyeos
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/bethfahey/
Bad Boss Confessional YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@badbossconfessional
Beth's Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@bethfaheyeos
Guest Links:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bdosal/
Thanks to our Sponsors
A big thank you to our amazing sponsors for making this episode possible:
Titus Talent – Helping organizations make the best hiring decisions with performance-based talent strategies.
Strety – Empowering teams through strategic planning and performance management tools built for modern workforces.
On this episode of Bad Boss Confessional, host and EOS Implementer Beth Fahey sits down with Lynda Martin to unpack the lessons learned from bulldozing through leadership missteps. From failed ventures and perfectionism to the power of slowing down, Lynda shares how embracing the physical, emotional, and spiritual sides of leadership transformed her career. Expect honest stories, big breakthroughs, and plenty of laughs as they explore what it really takes to grow as a leader.
03:01 Integrating Life and Business
07:07 The Bulldozer Visionary Blunder
12:56 Learning from Failure & Perfectionism
16:56 Slowing Down and Personal Growth
22:04 EOS, Humanity, and Influential Resources
26:02 Business as Service to Humanity
31:21 Future Vision & Lotus Blossom Tattoo
About:
Beth Fahey is a leadership coach, Expert EOS Implementer, and co-creator of the How to Be a Great Boss Workshops. With nearly 40 years of hands-on leadership experience, Beth has worn many hats: from working in film and owning a bakery to leading a national trade association.
Now, as the host of The Bad Boss Confessional, she shares candid stories about the challenges of leadership, mistakes made, lessons learned, and the path to becoming the kind of boss your team actually wants to follow. Through humor, honesty, and heart, Beth is on a mission to help leaders grow, one confession at a time.
Show Links
For more information about Beth Fahey follow the links below.
Website: www.eosworldwide.com/beth-fahey
Facebook: www.facebook.com/BethFaheyEOS
Instagram: www.instagram.com/bethfaheyeos/
TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@bethfaheyeos
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/bethfahey/
Bad Boss Confessional YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@badbossconfessional
Beth's Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@bethfaheyeos
Guest Links:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lynda-martin-eos/
Thanks to our Sponsors
A big thank you to our amazing sponsors for making this episode possible:
Titus Talent – Helping organizations make the best hiring decisions with performance-based talent strategies.
Strety – Empowering teams through strategic planning and performance management tools built for modern workforces.
What happens when a fast-moving entrepreneur skips clarity and hires quickly? This week on Bad Boss Confessional, EOS Implementer Beth Fahey welcomes Drew Spurgers to unpack a hilariously painful hiring misstep, the chaos it created, and how clear communication (or lack thereof) can make or break your team. From titles that confuse to sales goals that actually work, Drew shares hard-won lessons about leadership, trust, and the power of saying exactly what you mean. This is your crash course in what not to do (and how to turn it around), with a reminder that clarity isn’t optional!
00:00 The Importance of Clarity in Communication
02:51 Meet Drew Spurgers
04:04 Drew’s Entrepreneurial Journey
06:19 Lessons from Past Mistakes
08:14 A Tough Hiring Experience
10:00 The Emotional Roller Coaster of Leadership
11:24 Clarity is Key
15:01 The Power of Clear Communication
20:01 Setting Measurable Goals
22:03 Navigating Team Dynamics
26:46 Learning from Mistakes
30:41 Assuming Positive Intent
About:
Beth Fahey is a leadership coach, Expert EOS Implementer, and co-creator of the How to Be a Great Boss Workshops. With nearly 40 years of hands-on leadership experience, Beth has worn many hats: from working in film and owning a bakery to leading a national trade association.
Now, as the host of The Bad Boss Confessional, she shares candid stories about the challenges of leadership, mistakes made, lessons learned, and the path to becoming the kind of boss your team actually wants to follow. Through humor, honesty, and heart, Beth is on a mission to help leaders grow, one confession at a time.
Show Links
For more information about Beth Fahey follow the links below.
Website: www.eosworldwide.com/beth-fahey
Facebook: www.facebook.com/BethFaheyEOS
Instagram: www.instagram.com/bethfaheyeos/
TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@bethfaheyeos
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/bethfahey/
Bad Boss Confessional YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@badbossconfessional
Beth's Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@bethfaheyeos
Guest Links
Email: drew.spurgers@eosworldwide.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/dspurgers
Thanks to our Sponsors
A big thank you to our amazing sponsors for making this episode possible:
Titus Talent – Helping organizations make the best hiring decisions with performance-based talent strategies.
Strety – Empowering teams through strategic planning and performance management tools built for modern workforces.
Beth Fahey is joined by fellow EOS coach, implementer, and entrepreneur Jim Coyle, who shares his journey from childhood candy bar hustler to managing a Chicago bar. He opens up about the pitfalls of hiring friends, the emotional weight of leadership, and why management isn't for everyone. This episode brings laughs, lessons, and the wisdom every founder needs.
00:26 Meet Jim Coyle
02:07 Jim’s Entrepreneurial Journey
04:06 The Challenges of Managing Friends
06:19 Lessons from the Bar Business
09:03 Realizations About Management
13:00 Finding the Right Fit
15:01 The Role of a Practice Manager
18:08 Understanding GWC
20:20 The Paradox of Leadership
24:40 The Beauty of Purpose
27:49 Final Thoughts and Reflections
About:
Beth Fahey is a leadership coach, Expert EOS Implementer, and co-creator of the How to Be a Great Boss Workshops. With nearly 40 years of hands-on leadership experience, Beth has worn many hats: from working in film and owning a bakery to leading a national trade association.
Now, as the host of The Bad Boss Confessional, she shares candid stories about the challenges of leadership, mistakes made, lessons learned, and the path to becoming the kind of boss your team actually wants to follow. Through humor, honesty, and heart, Beth is on a mission to help leaders grow, one confession at a time.
Show Links
For more information about Beth Fahey follow the links below.
Website: www.eosworldwide.com/beth-fahey
Facebook: www.facebook.com/BethFaheyEOS
Instagram: www.instagram.com/bethfaheyeos/
TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@bethfaheyeos
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/bethfahey/
Bad Boss Confessional YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@badbossconfessional
Beth's Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@bethfaheyeos
Guest Links
EOS Profile: https://www.eosworldwide.com/jim-coyle
Website: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimcoylenexus/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimcoylenexus/
Email: jcoyle@eosworldwide.com
Thanks to our Sponsors
A big thank you to our amazing sponsors for making this episode possible:
Titus Talent – Helping organizations make the best hiring decisions with performance-based talent strategies.
Strety – Empowering teams through strategic planning and performance management tools built for modern workforces.
Have your emotions ever hijacked your leadership? In this episode of Bad Boss Confessional, host Beth Fahey talks with Jill Young, EOS expert and creator of Coaching Magic, about three cringe-worthy moments that changed her approach to leadership. From losing her cool with an employee asking for a raise to firing someone who didn’t see it coming, Jill shares how these painful lessons taught her the power of responding thoughtfully instead of reacting emotionally. This candid conversation reminds us that even seasoned leaders have moments when they act like a bad boss, and recognizing these moments is where real growth begins.
01:08 Introducing Jill Young
02:18 Reflecting on Leadership Mistakes
05:22 The Importance of Emotional Awareness
08:03 Learning from Reflection
11:30 Responding vs. Reacting
14:00 Stepping into Your Best Self
19:03 The Power of Apology
22:29 Facing Difficult Conversations
26:10 Entering the Love
28:06 Tattoo of Remembrance
30:01 What’s Next for Jill?
About:
Beth Fahey is a leadership coach, Expert EOS Implementer, and co-creator of the How to Be a Great Boss Workshops. With nearly 40 years of hands-on leadership experience, Beth has worn many hats: from working in film and owning a bakery to leading a national trade association.
Now, as the host of The Bad Boss Confessional, she shares candid stories about the challenges of leadership, mistakes made, lessons learned, and the path to becoming the kind of boss your team actually wants to follow. Through humor, honesty, and heart, Beth is on a mission to help leaders grow, one confession at a time.
Show Links
For more information about Beth Fahey follow the links below.
Website: www.eosworldwide.com/beth-fahey
Facebook: www.facebook.com/BethFaheyEOS
Instagram: www.instagram.com/bethfaheyeos/
TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@bethfaheyeos
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/bethfahey/
Bad Boss Confessional YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@badbossconfessional
Beth's Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@bethfaheyeos
Guest Links
Website: www.jillyoung.com
Email: jill@jillyoung.com
Thanks to our Sponsors
A big thank you to our amazing sponsors for making this episode possible:
Titus Talent – Helping organizations make the best hiring decisions with performance-based talent strategies.
Strety – Empowering teams through strategic planning and performance management tools built for modern workforces.
In this episode of Bad Boss Confessional, EOS implementer Beth Fahey sits down with Miranda Barrett, founder of Mind the Mic Consulting, to unpack a leadership low point that rocked her confidence and reshaped her career. From onboarding fails and harsh feedback to a bombshell resignation that called her integrity into question, Miranda shares the painful—but powerful—lessons that helped her build trust, lead with transparency, and simplify management with EOS tools.
01:45 Meet Miranda Barrett
03:26 First Steps into Leadership
04:56 The Challenges of Management
06:31 A Cringeworthy Leadership Moment
11:50 Lessons Learned from Feedback
16:09 Evolving as a Leader
20:00 Revisiting Performance Reviews
24:21 Core Values and Business Growth
25:15 Mind the Mic Consulting
27:30 Tattoo of Wisdom
About:
Beth Fahey is a leadership coach, Expert EOS Implementer, and co-creator of the How to Be a Great Boss Workshops. With nearly 40 years of hands-on leadership experience, Beth has worn many hats: from working in film and owning a bakery to leading a national trade association.
Now, as the host of The Bad Boss Confessional, she shares candid stories about the challenges of leadership, mistakes made, lessons learned, and the path to becoming the kind of boss your team actually wants to follow. Through humor, honesty, and heart, Beth is on a mission to help leaders grow, one confession at a time.
Show Links
For more information about Beth Fahey follow the links below.
Website: www.eosworldwide.com/beth-fahey
Facebook: www.facebook.com/BethFaheyEOS
Instagram: www.instagram.com/bethfaheyeos/
TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@bethfaheyeos
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/bethfahey/
Bad Boss Confessional YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@badbossconfessional
Beth's Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@bethfaheyeos
Guest Links
Website: https://www.mindthemic.com/
Email: miranda@mindthemic.com
Thanks to our Sponsors
A big thank you to our amazing sponsors for making this episode possible:
Titus Talent – Helping organizations make the best hiring decisions with performance-based talent strategies.
Strety – Empowering teams through strategic planning and performance management tools built for modern workforces.
Recommended Reading and Resources
Radical Candor - https://www.radicalcandor.com/the-book/
9-Whys - https://whyinstitute.com/tag/9-whys/
Jonathan Reynolds, CEO of Titus Talent, joins EOS Implementer Beth Fahey on Bad Boss Confessional to share the hard-earned lessons behind his biggest leadership missteps. From hiring failures to communication breakdowns, Jonathan reveals how applying EOS principles, empowering teams, and leading with clarity transformed his management style, and his company’s success. A must-listen for founders and business leaders seeking better hiring, smarter delegation, and stronger organizational health.
00:45 Meet Jonathan Reynolds
03:00 The Dirty Underbelly of Recruiting
05:09 Hiring for Performance
08:20 Onboarding Success
10:11 A Hiring Confession
15:06 The Visionary’s Blind Spots
19:15 Vulnerability in Leadership
22:00 The Power of Sabbaticals
27:48 Encouraging Risk and Growth
30:00 Cultivating Trust in Leadership
36:07 The Importance of Clarity
41:48 Understanding Different Perspectives
47:12 Building a Culture of Generosity
About:
Beth Fahey is a leadership coach, Expert EOS Implementer, and co-creator of the How to Be a Great Boss Workshops. With nearly 40 years of hands-on leadership experience, Beth has worn many hats: from working in film and owning a bakery to leading a national trade association.
Now, as the host of The Bad Boss Confessional, she shares candid stories about the challenges of leadership, mistakes made, lessons learned, and the path to becoming the kind of boss your team actually wants to follow. Through humor, honesty, and heart, Beth is on a mission to help leaders grow, one confession at a time.
Show Links
For more information about Beth Fahey follow the links below.
Website: www.eosworldwide.com/beth-fahey
Facebook: www.facebook.com/BethFaheyEOS
Instagram: www.instagram.com/bethfaheyeos/
TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@bethfaheyeos
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/bethfahey/
Bad Boss Confessional YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@badbossconfessional
Beth's Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@bethfaheyeos
Guest Links
Website: https://www.titustalent.com/
Website: https://jonathandreynolds.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanreynolds/
Thanks to our Sponsors
A big thank you to our amazing sponsors for making this episode possible:
Titus Talent – Helping organizations make the best hiring decisions with performance-based talent strategies.
Strety – Empowering teams through strategic planning and performance management tools built for modern workforces.
Recommended Reading:
Right Seats, Right People
When creative ideas crash and egos flare, even the most seasoned leaders can stumble spectacularly. This week, Vistage chair and facilitation expert Francine Lasky joins host and EOS Implementer Beth Fahey to confess her most cringeworthy leadership missteps—think brutally rejected ideas, painfully misunderstood meetings, and explosive clashes with powerhouse personalities. Tune in for raw, hard-won wisdom on vulnerability, buy-in, and building purpose-driven conversations that actually work.
01:11 Meet Francine Lasky
03:01 The Weight of Expectations
06:42 Francine’s Cringeworthy Moment
10:04 The Reality of Creative Ideas
14:44 Strategies for Improvement
17:05 The Art of Gathering
24:04 Preparation is Key
29:00 Building Trust Through Vulnerability
32:36 The Power of Intention
40:00 Learning from Disagreements
44:20 Embracing Growth and Purpose
46:00 Connecting with Francine Lasky
About:
Beth Fahey is a leadership coach, Expert EOS Implementer, and co-creator of the How to Be a Great Boss Workshops. With nearly 40 years of hands-on leadership experience, Beth has worn many hats: from working in film and owning a bakery to leading a national trade association.
Now, as the host of The Bad Boss Confessional, she shares candid stories about the challenges of leadership, mistakes made, lessons learned, and the path to becoming the kind of boss your team actually wants to follow. Through humor, honesty, and heart, Beth is on a mission to help leaders grow, one confession at a time.
Show Links
For more information about Beth Fahey follow the links below.
Website: www.eosworldwide.com/beth-fahey
Facebook: www.facebook.com/BethFaheyEOS
Instagram: www.instagram.com/bethfaheyeos/
TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@bethfaheyeos
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/bethfahey/
Bad Boss Confessional YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@badbossconfessional
Beth's Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@bethfaheyeos
Guest Links
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/francinelasky/
Email: francinelasky@gmail.com
Thanks to our Sponsors
A big thank you to our amazing sponsors for making this episode possible:
Titus Talent – Helping organizations make the best hiring decisions with performance-based talent strategies.
Strety – Empowering teams through strategic planning and performance management tools built for modern workforces.
Recommended Reading
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-art-of-gathering-priya-parker/1127329849?ean=9781594634932
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-let-them-theory-mel-robbins/1146342595?ean=9781401971366
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/mindset-carol-s-dweck/1100167257?ean=9780345472328
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/think-again-adam-grant/1137570667
https://www.amazon.com/Crowns-Until-Suited-Rummy-Style-Purple/dp/B00000IV35?source=ps-sl-shoppingads-lpcontext&ref_=fplfs&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&th=1
What happens when Beth Fahey’s own coach, Shasheen Shah, confesses his journey from high-powered hustler to heart-led healer? In this candid conversation, Shasheen reveals how chasing success nearly broke him—and how raw feedback, failure, and deep self-work rewired his path. From walking away from a tech industry failure to confronting childhood wounds and loneliness, he opens up about ego traps, emotional breakthroughs, and authentic self-care. It’s an honest talk about shadow work, self-worth, and learning to find joy from the inside out.
01:17 Meet Shasheen Shah
03:31 Shasheen’s Journey to Coaching
08:15 The Shift to Coaching
11:19 From Ego to Empathy
15:09 The Inner Critic
20:05 The Relationship with Self
22:29 Lessons from ‘A Beautiful Mind’
28:40 The Invitation to Heal
31:00 The Loneliness of Achievement
33:27 The Role of Coaching
36:47 Shadow Work and Client Profiles
38:05 Embracing Vulnerability
40:22 Returning to the Heart
42:14 Connecting with Shasheen
About:
Beth Fahey is a leadership coach, Expert EOS Implementer, and co-creator of the How to Be a Great Boss Workshops. With nearly 40 years of hands-on leadership experience, Beth has worn many hats: from working in film and owning a bakery to leading a national trade association.
Now, as the host of The Bad Boss Confessional, she shares candid stories about the challenges of leadership, mistakes made, lessons learned, and the path to becoming the kind of boss your team actually wants to follow. Through humor, honesty, and heart, Beth is on a mission to help leaders grow, one confession at a time.
Show Links
For more information about Beth Fahey follow the links below.
Website: www.eosworldwide.com/beth-fahey
Facebook: www.facebook.com/BethFaheyEOS
Instagram: www.instagram.com/bethfaheyeos/
TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@bethfaheyeos
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/bethfahey/
Bad Boss Confessional YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@badbossconfessional
Beth's Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@bethfaheyeos
Guest Links
Shasheen Shah
Website: https://www.shasheen.com/
Substack: https://substack.com/@shasheen
Thanks to our Sponsors
A big thank you to our amazing sponsors for making this episode possible:
Titus Talent – Helping organizations make the best hiring decisions with performance-based talent strategies.
Strety – Empowering teams through strategic planning and performance management tools built for modern workforces.
Can you lead when you're stuck in the chaos? In this episode, Beth Fahey chats with René Boer—author of How to Be a Great Boss—about ego, empathy, and the messy art of leadership. From cringe-worthy missteps to hard-won wisdom, René shares real stories and practical tools, revealing why soft skills might be your secret weapon. Perfect for anyone who's ever doubted their leadership abilities—spoiler alert: you probably are cut out for this, you just need better tools.
00:00 Meet Rene Boer: The Mentor
02:10 The Journey to Leadership
05:30 The Challenges of Modern Leadership
09:05 Writing ‘How to Be a Great Boss’
12:35 The Importance of Communication
17:25 Confessions of a Bad Boss
26:10 Evolving as a Leader
29:39 The Weight of Leadership
33:46 The Call to Greatness
36:19 The Reality of Leadership Teams
40:09 Lessons in Listening
46:00 Building Connections
About:
Beth Fahey is a leadership coach, Expert EOS Implementer, and co-creator of the How to Be a Great Boss Workshops. With nearly 40 years of hands-on leadership experience, Beth has worn many hats: from working in film and owning a bakery to leading a national trade association.
Now, as the host of The Bad Boss Confessional, she shares candid stories about the challenges of leadership, mistakes made, lessons learned, and the path to becoming the kind of boss your team actually wants to follow. Through humor, honesty, and heart, Beth is on a mission to help leaders grow, one confession at a time.
Show Links
For more information about Beth Fahey follow the links below.
Website: www.eosworldwide.com/beth-fahey
Facebook: www.facebook.com/BethFaheyEOS
Instagram: www.instagram.com/bethfaheyeos/
TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@bethfaheyeos
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/bethfahey/
Bad Boss Confessional YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@badbossconfessional
Beth's Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@bethfaheyeos
Guest Links
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rene-boer-0833407/
Ph: 708.369.8190
Email: reneaboer@outlook.com
Recommended Reading
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/youre-not-listening-kate-murphy/1131637438?ean=9781250779878
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-7-habits-of-highly-effective-people-stephen-r-covey/1136602703?ean=9781982137274
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/how-to-be-a-great-boss-gino-wickman/1123362924?ean=9781942952848
Thanks to our Sponsors
A big thank you to our amazing sponsors for making this episode possible:
Titus Talent – Helping organizations make the best hiring decisions with performance-based talent strategies.
Strety – Empowering teams through strategic planning and performance management tools built for modern workforces.
Coming soon!























