Find Grow Keep

There is a moment in every growing business when you realise it is time to level up how you lead people.   In this episode Karen shares five practical people drivers that help small businesses hire better, lift performance and build momentum.   From clarifying your brand and purpose to a simple four week manager reset, you will get a clear plan you can use right away.  You will learn   How to writ...

Culture is not a side project for HR. It is a core growth lever that shapes performance, customer experience and profit. In this episode Karen shares a practical way to treat culture like any other business strategy so you can unlock growth through your people.  In this episode you will learn   Why culture belongs on your leadership agenda, not just in HR  How the Find Grow Keep framework turns va...

In this episode, Karen Kirton shares practical and evidence-based ways to build a culture of wellbeing that actually drives performance,  not one that slows it down.  Across Australia, work-related mental health claims are rising, and new regulations mean every business has a legal duty to manage psychosocial risks. But beyond compliance, creating a workplace that genuinely supports wellbeing lead...

Have you ever been in a meeting where one person dives straight into the data, another wants a plan, someone else checks how everyone feels, and another is already brainstorming new ideas?  It’s not chaos — it’s different thinking styles at work.  In this episode, Karen Kirton explores Whole Brain Thinking (HBDI) , a model that helps you understand how people prefer to think, communicate, and make...

In this episode of Find Grow Keep , Karen Kirton chats with Michael Todd , CEO of OnePointHealth Group , about how his team built a thriving culture that recently earned them recognition as one of Australia’s Best Places to Work .  Michael shares the story behind OnePointHealth’s growth to over 100 employees, their innovative cadet program that’s become the backbone of their recruitment strategy,...

Hiring great people sounds simple — until it isn’t.  If you’ve ever found yourself wondering why a new hire didn’t work out, you’re not alone. From rushing the process to writing generic job ads, most hiring mistakes come down to one key issue: a lack of clarity.  In this episode, Karen Kirton shares the nine most common hiring mistakes that cost businesses time, money, and team morale — and, more...

Have you ever been blindsided by a resignation? One minute your top performer seems fine, and the next they’re handing in their notice. It’s disruptive, costly, and leaves you wondering what you could have done differently.  The truth is that most resignations don’t happen overnight. Employees usually send signals of disengagement well before they quit, but managers often miss them.  In this episo...

Are you caught in the tug-of-war between giving your team autonomy and keeping control? Micromanagement often comes from fear.  Fear the work won’t get done, or that mistakes will slip through. But here’s the paradox: the more you micromanage, the less likely your team is to perform at their best.  In this episode of Find Grow Keep , Karen Kirton shares a practical 3-part framework to help leaders...

In this episode of Find Grow Keep , I sit down with Renee Francis , founder of The Bubble Co and Take3 , two marketing agencies that have been fully remote since day one. Renee shares her journey of building flexible teams over the last decade, the leadership lessons she’s learned, and the structures that keep her businesses innovative and connected.  We cover:  ✅ Why remote work isn’t for everyo...

As a founder, do you ever feel stuck firefighting staff issues instead of focusing on growth? You’re not alone.   One of the most common challenges for business owners is balancing the day-to-day of managing people with the long-term goal of scaling sustainably.  In this episode, Karen Kirton explores why so many founders get pulled into reactive people management — from hiring mistakes to underpe...

Flexibility is one of the most talked-about workplace trends right now — from 4-day work weeks, to working from anywhere, to hybrid being the new normal. But for small and medium-sized businesses, these trends can feel out of reach or simply too complicated to implement.  In this episode, Karen Kirton breaks down the myths versus realities of workplace flexibility, backed by research and real-worl...

In this episode, Karen Kirton is joined by Julian Fenwick, CEO of GRC Solutions, to explore how a business can grow across borders without losing its people-first values .  Julian shares:  How GRC Solutions scaled across Australia and into Asia while maintaining a strong internal culture  The practical ways they’re using AI to improve productivity and job satisfaction  Why compliance training does...

Resilience isn’t just a nice-to-have in the workplace — it’s essential for keeping your team engaged, productive, and ready to adapt to change. In this episode, we break down what resilience really means (and what it isn’t), the critical difference between pressure and stress, and five leadership techniques you can use to build high-trust, high-performing teams.  You’ll discover:  Why resilience i...

As business owners, we often talk about scaling — but how do you grow sustainably without burning out your team or losing sight of what matters most?  In this episode, Karen Kirton is joined by Matthew Forzan, Managing Director of Yoghurt Digital, a Sydney-based agency specialising in SEO, CRO, and data-led UX. With over 20 years in the industry, Matthew shares how his team uses data not only to d...

We often think of employee retention as "keeping them forever." But what if success means helping someone grow—even if that growth takes them beyond your business?  In this episode, Karen shares the story of a high performer who was supported with mentoring, development, and stretch opportunities—and stayed for seven years before moving on to a bigger role elsewhere. And the best part? I...

What does it take to build a business where every employee thinks and acts like an owner?  In this episode I’m joined by Jarred Rubin, CEO and Partner at Blackwattle Investment Partners—a new-generation Australian investment firm doing things very differently. Jarred shares how they built their business from a blank sheet of paper, designing a structure where alignment, accountability, and equity...

As a business owner, one of the hardest decisions you’ll ever face is knowing when someone just isn’t the right fit for your team — especially when you've already invested time, money, and energy into them.  In this episode, Karen draws inspiration from an unexpected source: Gordon Ramsay . Yep, the fiery chef from Kitchen Nightmares offers a surprisingly perfect metaphor for what to do when...

HR isn’t just a line item or a compliance tick-box. It’s a strategic investment that can either help your business grow or quietly cost you through high turnover, poor onboarding, and disengaged teams.  In this episode, Karen breaks down: What the data says about HR costs (and what benchmarks you should ignore) The hidden financial and cultural risks of underinvesting in people How HR should look...

In this episode of the Find Grow Keep podcast, Karen sits down with Michelle Miller, CEO of Robokids—an award-winning STEM education company that started as a side project and has now reached over 375,000 teachers and students across Australia.  Michelle shares her journey from classroom teacher to purpose-driven CEO, revealing how she built a business that puts people first—every single time.   W...

Your company might look like it has a great culture—polite people, snacks in the kitchen, values on the wall. But what if those surface signs are hiding something deeper?  In this episode, Karen tackles the concept of shadow values—the unspoken, often unhealthy behaviours that silently shape workplace culture. These are the behaviours that don’t show up on your website, but do show up in meetings,...

In this episode, Karen Kirton is joined by bestselling author and family enterprise advisor David Werdiger , to explore a topic rarely talked about in business circles: the emotional relationship founders have with their businesses—and why letting go is essential for sustainable growth.  We unpack:  Why stepping back is one of the hardest (yet most important) things a founder can do  How to prepar...

Have you ever had that sinking feeling a few weeks after hiring someone, wondering if you made the right decision?  In this episode, Karen dives into what it really means when a new hire isn’t working out—and how this connects to your overall employee turnover. Whether you’re seeing early warning signs in a new employee or questioning why great people are leaving your business, this episode is pac...

In this episode, Karen Kirton is joined by Povel Torudd one of the most powerful (and underused) tools in internal communications: storytelling .  Povel is the Managing Director of Berkeley Communications and Lead Storyteller for APAC, and we unpack how stories can be used not just in branding and marketing, but to create a thriving, emotionally connected workplace culture.  In this conversation,...

It’s easy to assume that offering employee benefits automatically means they’re effective—but are your benefits truly driving engagement and retention?  In this episode, Karen explores the often-overlooked question: Are your employee benefits actually working for your people and your business? From underused EAPs to forgotten wellbeing perks, she unpacks why many programs fall short and how you ca...

In this episode, Karen Kirton is joined by the ever-insightful and energetic Peita Diamantidis , co-founder of Caboodle Financial Services and co-host of the Schitt with Money podcast (it’s a rewatch of Schitt’s Creek from a fun financial perspective!).  Together, they explore why financial wellbeing is no longer a “nice-to-have” in today’s workplace—it’s a necessity.  Peita shares how financial s...