Find Grow Keep

When team performance drops, it is easy to assume the issue sits with one person.  Maybe someone is not motivated enough, not engaged enough, or not taking enough responsibility. And sometimes that might be part of the story. But in growing businesses, poor performance is often telling you something bigger.  In this episode, Karen explores what team performance issues can reveal about the business...

Karen speaks with Carolina Montanez from Plane 2 Sea about 15 years in business, building a strong team culture and learning how to lead people through growth, pressure and change.  Carolina’s business story started when she and three colleagues lost their jobs and decided to create their own opportunity. Fifteen years later, Plane 2 Sea has grown into a business built on simplicity, trust, commun...

In this episode, Karen is talking about employee engagement strategies that genuinely make a difference in small and growing businesses.  Employee engagement can sound like one of those corporate phrases that gets thrown around a lot, but when you strip it back, it really comes down to whether your people feel connected to their work, clear on what matters, valued for what they do, and motivated t...

In this episode, we explore why onboarding is one of the most underestimated parts of running a business. Many employers still treat it as a first day activity focused on paperwork, logins, and introductions, but good onboarding does much more than that.  When done well, it helps new employees settle in faster, understand what is expected of them, and become productive sooner. It can also prevent...

In this episode, Karen is joined by Deepa Mani (for a thoughtful conversation about inclusive leadership, belonging, heritage, and what it means to build a business outside the dominant framework.  Deepa shares the story behind her two ventures and reflects on how identity, culture, and lived experience have shaped the way she leads. We also explore why diversity should never be treated as a check...

In this episode, Karen unpacks a question that a lot of growing business owners quietly ask as their team expands and things become more complex: what does an HR company actually do?  HR can feel quite manageable in the early stages of business. But as you grow, what once felt simple can start to feel messy, inconsistent, and risky. That is often the point where business owners realise they need m...

Karen is joined by Peter Brace for a thoughtful and practical conversation about the difference between psychological safety and psychosocial safety, and why both matter in creating healthier, more effective workplaces.  These are terms that are being talked about more often, especially as employers navigate their responsibilities around psychosocial hazards and workplace wellbeing. But for many l...

Workplace conflict can feel uncomfortable to address, especially when you are already stretched and trying to keep the team moving forward. But avoiding it rarely makes it better.   In this episode, Karen Kirton shares a practical 3 step method to help managers and business owners resolve employee conflict calmly, clearly and without unnecessary drama.  You will learn how to get to the real issue,...

In this episode of the Find Grow Keep podcast, Karen sits down with Jason Le from JRNY Digital to talk about why purpose, values, vision and mission are not just nice words for your website. They help shape how small businesses grow, how they market themselves, who they attract, how they make decisions, and how they build teams that truly fit.  We explore why so many businesses struggle to stand o...

In this episode, Karen discusses how founders and business leaders can use automation to save time, reduce admin, and create more consistency across their people processes without removing the human side of leadership.  Because for many growing businesses, people management starts off as something you simply absorb into your day. But as the team grows, so does the admin. Before long, you are spend...

In this episode, Karen explores why so many small business leaders only think about performance management once something has already gone wrong.   Instead of seeing it as just paperwork, warnings and formal conversations, she looks at what good performance management really involves: clear expectations, regular feedback, role clarity, support, accountability and stronger leadership.  In today’s e...

In this episode, Karen is joined by Don Hett, founder of CleanKings, EarthyTabs and Crittiks.  Thirteen years ago, Don started CleanKings. Over time, the business grew successfully, but like many Founders, he found himself deeply embedded in the day to day operations. At one point he realised he had become a prisoner of his own company. That moment became a turning point.  In this conversation, Do...

In this episode, we explore what HR support services actually include, why they matter so much for growing businesses, and how the right support can help leaders feel more confident, reduce risk, and create a stronger workplace.  If you are spending more and more time dealing with hiring, performance issues, compliance questions, awkward conversations, or workplace tensions, this episode will help...

In this episode, Karen is  joined by Dan Moussa from Third Way Advisory, and we unpack what really makes recruitment work in a small business. We talk about why so many hiring processes go off track before you even post the job ad, how to spot the early warning signs, and how to keep your process simple without being sloppy.   In today’s episode, you will learn about  The most common leadership hi...

In this episode, Karen Kirton sits down with accountant and business advisor Jonathon Hunt-Mason to unpack the real numbers that keep small and midsize businesses healthy. If revenue looks fine but something feels off, this conversation will help you spot survival mode early and course-correct with confidence.  You’ll learn:  Why cash flow data is a lagging indicator and what to watch first  The t...

If you have ever thought, I need HR support but I do not need a full time HR person’’, this episode is for you.   Karen unpacks what on demand HR services really look like, who they suit best, and how to get the support you need without the overheads of building an internal HR team.  In today’s episode, you will learn about:  What on demand HR services are and how the model typically works for sma...

If you are hearing “I am so stressed”, you are not alone. Today I am joined by Jess Jasch , a Wellbeing Consultant and Embodied Leadership Coach who helps leaders and teams build real stress resilience with practical mindfulness. No hours of meditation. No fluffy language. Just simple habits that actually work at work.  In this episode you will learn   The difference between healthy stretch and sy...

This episode is a special one as it also marks five years of the Find Grow Keep podcast!   In this conversation, we explore why leadership development workshops are one of the most practical ways to lift performance, strengthen culture, and improve retention, especially in small and medium sized businesses.  In today’s episode, you will learn about:  What leadership development workshops actually...

If your HR tasks are living on sticky notes or inside your head, this episode is for you.  Many small business owners do not lack effort when it comes to their people. What they often lack is a clear people strategy. Instead of building intentionally, they are reacting to hiring needs, performance issues, contracts, onboarding gaps and compliance questions as they arise.  In this episode, I walk y...

In this conversation, Karen Kirton sits down with marketer Michael Field to unpack the hidden force behind so many B2B wins and losses. We explore the invisible buying committee, the stakeholders you rarely meet yet who quietly shape every major decision. You will learn how to identify them, speak to what they value, and create simple assets that help them champion your solution inside the room yo...

If HR keeps landing on your desk, this episode is your reset.   Karen breaks down what HR outsourcing actually covers for Australian SMEs, the real-world signals it’s time to get help, and a simple 90-day plan to cut risk and free up leadership time.  Who it’s for: Owners and leaders in small to medium businesses who are juggling contracts, awards, onboarding and tricky people issues alongside sal...

What if your team was spread across three cities and still worked as one team?   In this conversation, Karen Kirton sits down with Mark Swinnerton, CEO of Green Gravity, to unpack the practical leadership habits that keep people aligned, fast and focused as you scale.  In this episode, you’ll learn:  The simple weekly rhythms that cut noise and build trust  How to recruit in a competitive market b...

Promoting a brilliant team member into their first leadership role is exciting. It is also where many small businesses stumble. In this episode Karen shares a simple 30 day plan that builds clarity, confidence and momentum for new managers, with an easy runway to 90 days. You will hear practical steps you can use this week, plus simple tools that make leadership feel human and doable.  You will le...

Rapid growth can make everything noisier. In this conversation, Karen Kirton and guest Andrew McVeigh, Managing Partner of Remara, unpack practical ways to scale without chaos — from hiring earlier than feels comfortable, to moving from “all hands” to clear ownership, setting simple rhythms for communication, and using a one-sentence purpose to align teams and investors.  In today’s episode, you’l...

Are you managing or just hoping?  If your team has grown from five to twenty people and performance is running on memory and gut feel, this episode gives you a simple system you can roll out in thirty days. No complex software. Just a clear rhythm that creates better conversations and better results.  In this episode you will learn   • The purpose of reviews in a growing business and how to keep t...