Don't Waste the Chaos

Rewiring your brain with gratitude and mindset isn't a fluffy concept — it's backed by functional MRI scans, the Journal of Applied Psychology, Harvard Business Review, and research from the University of Manchester. If you've been feeling stuck, spinning in your head, or wondering why certain people seem to attract opportunities while you keep grinding, this episode is the one. Ker...

If you've been going, going, going for so long that you can't quite remember what it feels like to lead from a place of ease instead of survival, this episode is going to resonate deeply. Healing hustle culture isn't about doing less — it's about learning to recognize when your nervous system is running the show, understanding the masculine and feminine energy imbalance that&ap...

Most small business owners don't have a strategy problem — they have a clarity problem. They're busy, they're reactive, and they've mistaken their to-do list for a strategic plan. In this solo episode, Kerri Roberts strips business strategy down to its essentials, pulling from some of the sharpest minds in leadership and organizational health — Peter Drucker, Patrick Lencioni,...

If your business is running you instead of the other way around, you're not failing — you're just overdue for a hard look at everything you're holding. Sustainable leadership doesn't start with better time management tips or a new project management tool. It starts with a brain dump, some honest math, and someone willing to sit with you in the mess. In this episode, Kerri Rober...

If you're a small business owner who's been hearing about AI for two years but still only using it to help you meal plan or write the occasional email, this episode is your wake-up call. According to a 2024 McKinsey report, 40% of small businesses have already integrated AI into at least one operational area — and companies that adopt it early are growing twice as fast as those that don&...

How do you know when it's time to pivot your business — not because things are falling apart, but because the way you've built it is quietly draining you even while the revenue keeps coming in? If your clients don't fully understand what you do, your offers are all custom-built, and your team can't explain the core thing you sell, that's not a failure — it's a signal....

Reentering the workforce after staying home with your kids is one of those transitions that nobody fully prepares you for — the mom guilt, the identity questions, the logistical chaos, and the feeling that you have to prove yourself all over again. In this episode, recorded live from the Salt & Light Advisors team retreat at the Four Seasons in St. Louis, Kerri Roberts sits down with two membe...

Reverse bullying in the workplace — when employees intimidate, manipulate, or threaten their managers — is one of the most underreported and underdiscussed dynamics in leadership today. Most leaders who experience it tell themselves they're supposed to be strong enough to handle it, that speaking up would make them look weak, or that addressing it will make things worse. In this solo episode,...

What if the reason your business isn't performing at its best has less to do with your strategy and more to do with what you put in your body every single day? Whole foods and holistic wellness aren't just personal health topics — they're foundational to your energy, your focus, and your capacity to lead. In this episode, Kerri Roberts sits down with Kalle, owner of Nourish Cafe and...

Writing a book to grow your business sounds like something other people do — people with more time, more certainty, or a bigger platform. But what if the book you've been putting off is one of the most powerful things you could do for your credibility, your business, and your legacy? In this episode, Kerri Roberts pulls back the curtain on her own book writing journey — the real timeline, the...

What does it actually cost your business when employees don't understand their benefits — or when your broker has quietly been renewing your plan year over year without ever fighting for a better deal? Employee benefits are typically the second largest line item on your P&L, and most small to mid-sized business owners are navigating them almost completely blind. In this episode, Kerri Rob...

Can small businesses offer employee benefits that actually matter — without a Fortune 500 budget or a full HR department to manage them? The answer is yes, and in this episode Kerri Roberts breaks down exactly how she approaches benefits for her own team at Salt & Light Advisors, including the specific tools, frameworks, and alternative benefit structures that most small business owners have n...

The leadership lessons that come from running a university of thousands are surprisingly transferable to anyone building a team, navigating chaos, and trying to figure out how to grow people — not just manage them. Dr. Sue Thomas, the 17th president of Truman State University, is one of the most self-aware and direct leaders I've had on this podcast, and this conversation went places I did no...

A PEO — professional employer organization — sounds like the answer to every small business owner's HR headache, and sometimes it actually is. But sometimes it's an expensive co-employment arrangement you'll spend years trying to untangle. Nearly 15% of small businesses in the U.S. use a PEO, and companies using one see an average of 27% savings on HR-related costs — but those stats...

Knowing when it's the right time to expand your team is one of the most consequential decisions a business owner makes — and most people wait too long, move too fast, or hire in the wrong order. Stevie Aylsworth has spent 22 years in executive search, built a global referral network of 150+ search partners at TriSearch, and has a front-row seat to what separates businesses that hire well from...

Unclear expectations and undefined goals are responsible for more employee disengagement, missed deadlines, and team conflict than almost any other leadership failure — and the frustrating part is that most of it is completely preventable. If you've ever heard "I didn't know that was my responsibility" or watched a good employee slowly check out and had no idea why, this episod...

The biggest hiring mistakes businesses make aren't usually about the resume or the interview — they're about the process (or lack of one) that surrounds the whole thing. George Zimny is back on the pod, and this conversation is one of the most practically useful ones I've had on the recruitment side of building a business. George has recruited his way through four businesses of his...

Most of us use the words stress and anxiety interchangeably, but they are fundamentally different things — and treating them the same way is exactly why so many people stay stuck in a cycle they can't seem to get out of. Karen Brooks is back on the pod, and this conversation is one of the most practically useful ones I've had on the mental health side of this show. Whether you're a...

If you've had that little voice telling you that you should start a podcast — this episode is your sign, your permission slip, and your complete 12-step checklist all in one. Kerri Roberts is celebrating one full year and 52 episodes of Don't Waste the Chaos, and in this anniversary episode she pulls back the curtain on exactly how she built this podcast from scratch — the equipment she...

If you're a solopreneur getting ready to hire your first employee — or a small business owner who's hired a few people but never really built a system around it — this episode is going to save you from the mistakes that cost the most time, money, and frustration. Most small business owners either skip the HR foundation entirely or wing it one hire at a time, and then wonder why their peo...

The stereotypes about HR are real, persistent, and quietly doing damage to businesses that deserve better people operations than what the "policy police" version of HR can deliver. If you've ever wondered why your HR person isn't getting a seat at the strategic table, or why your organization keeps running into the same people problems year after year, this conversation is goin...

Most business owners know metrics matter — but when you're juggling everything else, it's easy to either track too much and do nothing with it, or track nothing at all and fly blind into the new year. This episode cuts through the noise with five specific areas and fifteen metrics that give you a real, honest look at how your business performed and exactly where to focus your energy in 2...

What does it actually take to turn a small insurance agency into a top 20 U.S. acquirer — and then walk away and build something even bigger from scratch? Jeff Turner has done it twice, and the lessons he's learned along the way apply to any business owner thinking about growth, acquisition, or preparing to sell. This episode is one of the most strategically rich conversations I've had o...

Sustainability in business is no longer a buzzword or a nice-to-have — it's becoming a critical business strategy, and 2025 is shaping up to be the year that separates businesses who've been thinking about it from businesses who've been doing it. And here's the part most people miss: sustainable business practices aren't just good for the planet — they drive real cost savi...

If you're a manager frustrated by young employees who seem to be missing the basics — or a young professional who genuinely wants to level up but isn't sure where to start — this episode is going to give you a real, practical roadmap. The soft skills gap that so many organizations are dealing with right now isn't a potential problem, it's an exposure problem. And in this solo e...