John Downes
The Critical Few Actions
Overwhelmed by trying to do it all? Focus on the criticalfewactions™ that will have the biggest impact on your business's success. In this podcast, host John Downes, a seasoned business advisor with extensive experience in Big Consulting, successful entrepreneurship, and mentoring, helps you defeat the overwhelm. Through real stories from business leaders, experts insights, and John’s own experience, you’ll learn how to prioritize those criticalfewactions™ that, if you did nothing else, will drive your business forward to deliver your vision. We’ll cover everything from setting your vision and...
Author
John Downes
Category
Podcast website
Latest episode
Jun 2, 2026
Where to listen?
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Episodes
Not All Revenue Is Good Revenue: Strategic Lessons for Founders with Paris Singer 02.06.2026 33:58
WANT Paris’ checklist and Business Ready Checklist? https://www.criticalfewactions.com.au/podcast/Paris-Singer-Fluid-Branding Please Subscribe/Follow here https://www.criticalfewactions.com.au/podcast/Subscribe-Me Not All Revenue Is Good Revenue: Strategic Lessons for Founders with Paris Singer What separates a busy founder from a strategic one? In this conversation, Paris Singer shares lessons on...
Fiona Holland: How to transition from Founder to CEO and Chair and Avoid ‘Tissue Rejection’ 15.03.2026 1:04:59
Subscribe/Follow and click here for further information and the eBook of resources: https://www.criticalfewactions.com.au/podcast/ Please let me know if I’m on the right track with the podcast. It means the world to me to know I’m adding value. Are you stepping back from your business but still find everyone waiting for you to make the final call? Has your organisation outgrown instinctive, founde...
John Downes: You’ve Got the Strategy. Now What? Turning Plans Into Action 01.03.2026 54:19
Subscribe/Follow and click here for further information and the eBook of resources: https://www.criticalfewactions.com.au/podcast/ Have you ever completed a strategy offsite and wondered why nothing changed afterwards? Does your leadership team stay busy, but not truly aligned? Are you carrying the strategy in your head, hoping others will catch up? If you’ve written a strategy but it hasn’t deliv...
Carmen McKinney: How to beat AI Slop With Numbers You Can Trust 15.02.2026 41:03
Carmen McKinney: How to Beat AI Slop With Numbers You Can Trust Subscribe/Follow and click here for further information and the eBook of resources: https://www.criticalfewactions.com.au/podcast/ Please let me know if I’m on the right track with the podcast. It means the world to me to know I’m adding value. Are you making strategic decisions based on data you assume is accurate? Are you leading gr...
Grant Lingwood-Smith on the Four Habits of High-Performing CFOs 01.02.2026 1:01:41
Please Subscribe/Follow so I know I’m adding value and to give you more like this. Find further information and the eBook of resources: https://www.criticalfewactions.com.au/podcast/ Are you getting the insights you need from your finance team? Do your budgets and KPIs actually drive performance? Is your CFO helping your business learn, or only reporting numbers? If you struggle to get meaningful...
David Sanders: Why Getting Product/Service Costing Right Is the Key to Growing Performance and Value 25.01.2026 40:09
Have you Subscribed/Followed yet? Please do so I know I’m on the right track and adding value. Click here for further information and the eBook of resources: https://www.criticalfewactions.com.au/podcast/ Do you really know what your products cost? Or, just what your system says they do? When your data tells you one thing, but your invoices say another, who do you trust? And what if the purpose be...
Ben Verney: How to Restructure a Business in Distress, Before It’s Too Late 18.01.2026 48:46
Please help me by hitting the Subscribe/Follow button. Click here for information and the eBook of resources: https://criticalfewactionspodcast.com.au/Ben1Verney1EpisodePage How close is your organisation to a financial tipping point you haven’t yet recognised? What would you do if your creditors or the tax office called tomorrow demanding payment? Could your business survive a cash flow crisis ne...
Fiona Hansen: How to Put a Price on Your Brand Before Someone Else Does 14.12.2025 33:37
Please please click Subscribe/Follow so I can keep giving you valuable insights. Click here for further information and the eBook of resources: https://www.criticalfewactions.com.au/podcast/ Please let me know if I’m on the right track with the podcast. It means the world to me to know I’m adding value. Do you know what your business is really worth, beyond what’s on paper? Are your brand, custome...
Rachel Delaney: From Startup to Sale-The Hidden Legal Traps That Can Derail A Business Exit 07.12.2025 40:49
Subscribe/Follow and click here for further information and the eBook of resources: https://criticalfewactionspodcast.com.au/RachelDelaneyPodcastUpdate1 Please let me know if I’m on the right track with the podcast. It means the world to me to know I’m adding value. Are you protecting your business, or leaving value exposed every day? Could a single contract clause undo years of hard work? Would i...
Marie Felsbourg: From Trauma to Triumph. How Marie Felsbourg built Astral Consulting in Information Management 30.11.2025 55:59
Subscribe/Follow and click here for further information and the eBook of resources: https://www.criticalfewactions.com.au/podcast/ Please let me know if I’m on the right track with the podcast. It means the world to me to know I’m adding value. => Can you really separate your life from your business? => What if your hardest experiences became the foundation for your greatest success? => A...
Dianne Semmens: Are You Only Using 20% of the ERP You’ve Paid For? How to Level Up 23.11.2025 22:18
Subscribe/Follow and click here for further information and the eBook of resources: https://criticalfewactionspodcast.com.au/DianneSemmens4EpisodePage Please let me know if I’m on the right track with the podcast. It means the world to me to know I’m adding value. Are you only using 20% of the ERP you’ve paid for? Could Phase 2 of ERP adoption be where the real value lies? What if the tools you al...
Leanne Simpson: Crisis Leadership. How CEOs Can Lead When Everything Goes Wrong 16.11.2025 49:19
Could I ask you a favour? Please let me know you are getting value by clicking Subscribe/Follow here, and I’ll continue to work my butt off to produce the best content I can for you. It means the world to me. What would you do if your board said: fix it or shut it down? How do you lead when floods, fires, and storms hit all at once? Can you act decisively when you don’t have the data, time, or res...
Kate Goss: Turning Research into Revenue. The Innovator’s Roadmap From Idea to Market in 12 Months 02.11.2025 48:08
Subscribe/Follow and click here for further information and the eBook of resources: https://www.criticalfewactions.com.au/podcast/ Please let me know if I’m on the right track with the podcast. It means the world to me to know I’m adding value. Have you ever had a brilliant idea that never made it past the whiteboard? Are you struggling to get from prototype to your first paying customer? Or wonde...
Will Hamilton: From Founder to Steward - What Smart Leaders Get Right About Wealth 26.10.2025 33:46
Subscribe/Follow and click here for further information and the eBook of resources: https://www.criticalfewactions.com.au/podcast/ Please let me know if I’m on the right track with the podcast. It means the world to me to know I’m adding value. What happens when your business is sold and you suddenly have $10 million or more to manage? Are you building a legacy? Or just a portfolio? Will yo...
Kate Whitehead: How to Win Government Grants Without Losing Your Mind. What Works & Doesn’t? 20.10.2025 41:20
Subscribe/Follow and click here for further information and the eBook of resources: https://criticalfewactionspodcast.com.au/KateWhiteheadEpisodePage Please let me know if I’m on the right track with the podcast. It means the world to me to know I’m adding value. → Are you wasting time on grant applications that never succeed? → What if your business could access funding, without giving up control...
Damien Lacey: Why Your Organisation Can Do More Without Working Harder 13.10.2025 39:46
Subscribe/Follow and click here for further information and the eBook of resources: https://criticalfewactionspodcast.com.au/DamienLacey1EpisodePage Please let me know if I’m on the right track with the podcast. It means the world to me to know I’m adding value. Are your people working hard but results still fall short? Do frustrations in daily work stop your business moving faster? What if your t...
Peter Buckingham: How to Pick Winning Locations Using Strategy and Data, Not Gut Feel 06.10.2025 1:04:16
Subscribe/Follow and click here for further information and the eBook of resources: https://criticalfewactionspodcast.com.au/PeterBuckinghamEpisodePage Please let me know if I’m on the right track with the podcast. It means the world to me to know I’m adding value. What’s the cost of opening the wrong site? How do you know if your next location will succeed? Are you planning growth, or guessing yo...
Brian Goldberg: From Startup to Sale: How Trademarks Are Now Business Essentials, Not Legal Extras 30.09.2025 40:58
Subscribe/Follow and click here for further information and the eBook of resources: https://www.criticalfewactions.com.au/podcast/Brian-Goldberg-Trademarking-Brands/ Please let me know if I’m on the right track with the podcast. It means the world to me to know I’m adding value. == Are you investing in your brand but ignoring its legal foundations? == Have you assumed your domain name means you ow...
Elise Margow: The Hidden Cost of Poor Negotiation and How To Avoid Them 20.09.2025 59:21
**Subscribe/Follow and click here for further information and the eBook of resources:** https://www.criticalfewactions.com.au/podcast/ Please let me know if I’m on the right track with the podcast. I’m driven by adding value. **Are your team members giving away value because they want to be liked?** **Do technical experts in your business struggle to hold their ground?** **Could poor negotiation h...
Diem Huynh: How to Win Government Tenders Without Wasting Time or Money 13.09.2025 42:15
Subscribe/Follow and click here for further information and the eBook of resources: https://www.criticalfewactions.com.au/podcast/ Please let me know if I’m on the right track with the podcast. It means the world to me to know I’m adding value. = Are your team wasting hours writing government tenders that never get shortlisted? = Have you ever wondered why competitors always seem to win tenders yo...
Dianne Semmens: 4 Essentials for ERP Success – and How to Avoid the Trough of Disillusionment 06.09.2025 30:22
Subscribe/Follow and click here for further information and the eBook of resources: https://criticalfewactionspodcast.com.au/Dianne-SemmensEpisodePage Please let me know if I’m on the right track with the podcast. It means the world to me to know I’m adding value. Food For Thought: Have you underestimated the disruption an ERP system can cause your team? Are you setting your business up for ERP su...
Steve Wood: The Four Aces Every Business Must Play 31.08.2025 21:48
Subscribe/Follow and click here for further information and the eBook of resources: https://criticalfewactionspodcast.com.au/SteveWoodEpisodePage Please let me know if I’m on the right track with the podcast. It means the world to me to know I’m adding value. ??Are you working hard but not getting ahead? ??Do your people know exactly what to prioritise each day? ??Could your business be busy witho...
Jennifer Ford: From Local ROV Service to Global Net Repair Innovator 26.08.2025 40:16
Subscribe/Follow and click here for further information and the eBook of resources: https://criticalfewactionspodcast.com.au/JenniferFordEpisodePage Please let me know if I’m on the right track with the podcast. It means the world to me to know I’m adding value. ?? Do you know what it really takes to export your product beyond Australia? ?? Are your business partnerships helping or hindering your...
Craig Peacock: 5 Steps to Build a Business Case Boards Can Say ‘Yes’ To 19.08.2025 39:19
🔗 Subscribe/Follow and download episode resources: https://criticalfewactionspodcast.com.au/CraigPeacockEpisodePage Please let me know if I’m on the right track with the podcast. It means the world to know I’m adding value. ❓ Do you know how your next investment decision will be judged by your board? ❓ Have you considered all your strategic options, or just the one you favour? ❓ Can AI really...
Herman Mott: The Simple Metric That Transformed a $13M organisation into $230M in 10 years. Yes 25%CAGR 12.08.2025 46:28
Subscribe/Follow and click here for further information and the eBook of resources: https://criticalfewactionspodcast.com.au/HermanMottEpisodePage Please let me know if I’m on the right track with the podcast. It means the world to me to know I’m adding value. Do your customers trust you to deliver? Are late or incomplete deliveries costing you repeat business? Is “on time” performance just a dash...
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