Business Unlocked with Marcus Kroek

Most business owners set their prices by looking around and copying what everyone else is doing. Then they wonder why they're busy but broke. In this episode, Marcus dives into the fastest lever in your business: getting your prices right. Marcus explores why undercharging is so common, from the psychology and beliefs we inherit about money to the fear of losing clients or being judged. He rev...

AI isn't something you need to master - it's something you're already using, and there's a lot more of it available to you right now inside the tools you're already paying for. In this episode, I walk through the practical ways I use AI every day in my business coaching practice - from searching emails and transcribing client meetings to analysing financials and researching competitors. The point...

It's Episode 50 — and we're marking the milestone with a full year-in-review using the Business Unlocked Wheel of Success. In this episode, we cut through the noise and ask one powerful question across every area of your business: what's the 20% that gives you 80% of your results? We also kick things off with a practical, no-hype breakdown of AI tools you can start using in your busine...

Your business often grows to the level of who you decide to become, not just what you decide to do. In this episode, Marcus shares three real client stories: Steve, who went from late nights to regular holidays, Adele, who stepped from CFO to CEO as the business grew from $7.5M to $46M, and Tony, who moved from $600K on the tools to running an $8M business from an office. Three different people. T...

Working harder is not always the answer. For many business owners, the real problem is not effort. It's structure. In this episode, Marcus breaks down the Business Unlocked Wheel of Success and explains how foundations, growth and scale need to work together if you want a business that delivers real profit, more time, and less chaos. You'll hear the three common traps that keep owners stuck: the e...

Growth gets the attention, but operations and leadership are what hold a business together. In this episode, Marcus Kroek unpacks two of the most overlooked parts of building a business that actually works: how you consistently deliver on what you sell, and how you create a team culture that supports the way your business needs to run. Marcus breaks down why simple systems matter, how consistency...

To build a business that'll stand the test of time, you've gotta have a solid model. I'm likening it to building a house, and today we're laying down some crucial foundations. In Ep45, I talked about getting your financial model right. Now, we're moving to the other end of the organisational chart: marketing and sales. They're often spoken about as one, but they're actu...

Building a house is one of the most exciting things you can do, but most people spend all their time picking out kitchen benches while ignoring the slab. I've noticed business owners do the exact same thing. We fall in love with the "sexy" parts (like marketing and branding) but we don't spend enough time on the foundations that actually keep the building standing. In this episod...

As your business grows, so do the meetings. More people. More discussion. More time. And often… less productivity. In this episode, Marcus shares seven practical lessons from over 20 years of coaching and leadership that will immediately improve your meetings. Whether you’re running a management meeting, financial review, marketing session or one-to-one, these principles ensure everyone leaves cle...

I've been in the coaching world since 2005 (back when I had to explain to people what a business coach even was) and I've seen the industry change a lot. Nowadays, everyone calls themselves a coach, but most of them are actually doing something else entirely. If you're looking for an outcome in your business, you've got to know exactly what kind of help you're paying for. In this episode, I'm brea...

Running a seven-figure business? Thinking a bookkeeper is enough might be holding you back. In this episode, Marcus Kroek is joined by Nadia Vendetti to explore the hidden gaps in bookkeeping that can quietly limit growth. From payroll and BAS to reconciliations and accounts management, we dive into what full-service bookkeeping really looks like — and why it matters. Are your numbers giving you c...

I've noticed a recurring problem for seven and eight figure business owners. They have a bookkeeper, but they don't have clarity. Most people think bookkeeping is just about data entry and staying compliant with the government, but that's only the tip of the iceberg. If you're only getting reports at the end of the month, you're looking at history instead of shaping your future...

Sales often feels “fine” in growing businesses — but fine isn’t scalable. In this episode, Marcus Kroek breaks down a seven-step sales meeting system designed to help business owners inspect, train, and scale sales without relying on instinct or individual talent. Learn where sales conversations quietly leak opportunity, why most teams miss a critical step, and how structure in sales creates lever...

In today's episode, I sit down with Nathan Rigney (Principal of NGR Accounting) to discuss a question that every business owner needs to ask: Does your accountant actually care about you? Nathan's built his entire practice on the idea that they should. He's even got a banner that asks (pretty bluntly) if your accountant gives a s#!t about your success. (I have to censor that so the alg...

If you've ever felt like your business is stuck despite all your hard work, it's likely because you're focusing on the wrong part of the equation. In this episode, I'm breaking down two fundamental frameworks that determine whether you'll actually hit your goals this year (the Be-Do-Have formula and the Formula for Change). I cover why most business owners start with what they...

We all complain that we don't have enough time, but the truth is we all have exactly the same amount. The real difference lies in how we use it to build a life we actually enjoy. In this episode, I explain how small, consistent changes (the Kaizen principle) can compound into massive results for your business and personal life over just 90 days. I also break down the concept of the "Defau...

It's the start of 2026, and it's the perfect time to get serious about what lies ahead. I'm joined again by my business partners (Nadia and Felicity) to look at the critical difference between hoping for an outcome and actually planning for it. Most people rely on willpower, but that usually fades by February. In this episode, I explain why you need emotional leverage (pain and pleasur...

It's time to review the year, so we can understand where we are, what worked - and what we could do better. In this episode, my business partners (Felicity and Nadia) and I discuss the highs and lows of the last 12 months. We look at personal wins and the reality of launching Business Unlocked from scratch. We cover the importance of saying no to the wrong people to protect your business cultu...

Today, I sit down with Kim MacDonald, a money and mindset mentor who I met during our Profit First Mastery days. We look at why logic and strategy only account for 80% of your success and why the other 20% (your mindset) is actually the most critical part. Kim explains why work-life balance is a myth and describes it more as a "dance" where you constantly shift focus. We also look at the "money st...

Our logo and our brand are often confused as being the same thing. To clear this up, I am joined by professional graphic designer Amanda Hargraves from Creative Cause. She explains why a logo is merely a trigger while the brand is the actual experience your customer feels. We discuss the psychology behind colour selection (why accounting firms use blue and fast food chains use red) and why picking...

In this episode, I sit down with my friend Rosie Hargraves, a Profit First Professional and tax accountant from AmaRose Accounting on the Gold Coast, to discuss how to get the most out of the relationship with your accountant. Too many business owners treat their accountant as someone they visit once a year just to stay compliant. Rosie explains why this approach costs you money and adds unnecessa...

Entrepreneurs are always looking for ways to systemise their business for efficiency. That's why I'm such a raving fan of Profit First. It's theoretically a cash management system, but it's so much more than that. It gives you real-time information that is easy to understand and simple to manage once it's in place. In this episode, I address the 10 most common myths or strange ideas I hear about P...

I used to be a police officer in the Highway Patrol. It was a long time ago, but the lessons I learned on the road (and in the station) are incredibly relevant to running a profitable business today. In this episode, I share seven specific insights from my time in the force. I talk about why giving your team the right equipment matters more than you think and why hiring for attitude is usually bet...

"How do I get my employees engaged?" This is one of the most common questions I get from founders and CEOs. Research backs up this concern. If you imagine your company as a boat, 20% of your people are rowing hard, 60% are just dipping their oars, and 20% are actively rowing against you. The typical response is to force teamwork, but I believe that approach is flawed. We often say "...

Many businesses have developed a culture statement, but too often it ends up as just a sign on the wall or paper in a folder. You think you have it covered, but it's not actually working. In this episode, I explain why most culture statements fail. We often use generic terms like "teamwork" or "honesty," but these are too general and don't define the  behaviors  that ac...