The Evolution Partners

Business owners often feel frustrated when their P&L shows strong profits but there’s little cash in the bank. This disconnect isn’t incompetence or unfairness – it’s a misunderstanding of how cash really flows through a growing business. In this fifth summer series episode, Andres Zylberberg, Richard Peake and I discuss how profit and cash are not the same.  Growt...

Weekly meetings are the cornerstone of effective execution, yet they often fail by becoming unfocused status updates that drain energy and momentum. When designed well, the weekly meeting creates rhythm, clarity, and accountability, helping teams move faster and avoid surprises at month or quarter end.  I’m joined again this episode for our summer series by Andres Zylberberg & Richa...

Many business owners slowly drift from loving their business to feeling trapped by it. The spark fades, Mondays are dreaded, and frustration replaces purpose. This happens when growth is chased for its own sake, signals of drift are ignored, and the owner tries to shoulder everything alone.  Richard Peake, Andres Zylberberg and I return for this third part of this summer series to discuss how...

Developing strong second-level leaders is essential for any organisation aiming to break through its next growth ceiling. Richard Peake, Andres Zylberberg and I examine the predictable points where companies stall, and the leadership evolution required to move beyond them. Common warning signs – including swamped executives, constant decision bottlenecks, and missed market signals – sh...

Quarterly performance reviews are often dreaded by employees and managers alike, largely because they’re treated as bureaucratic, last-minute tasks rather than meaningful coaching conversations. However, done properly, performance conversations can be one of the most powerful tools to consistently grow your people and your business.  This is the first episode of a summer series, where I...

If you want to stay sharp, energetic and high-performing well into your later decades, you need to deliberately invest in your healthspan, not just your lifespan. Sport and exercise physician Dr Peter Larkins is a former Olympic middle-distance runner and one of the pioneers of sports medicine in Australia. Across his career, Peter has worked with elite athletes, AFL clubs, national teams and majo...

Strong marriages don’t succeed by luck -- they succeed by design. Leading family lawyer and Leach Legal founder Catherine Leach shares the patterns she’s seen over 35 years that determine whether a relationship thrives or falls apart. Recognised nationally for her strategic approach to family law, she has guided thousands of couples through complex transitions and brings a rare blend o...

The first meeting can make or break a sale. Discovery-style meetings – where salespeople focus on gathering data – often fail to deliver meaningful value. Instead, Lee Salz introduces the consultation mindset, where sales professionals lead with insight, empathy, and emotion to create momentum from the very first conversation.  Lee Salz is one of the world’s leading voices i...

High-performing organisations aren’t built on strategy alone – they’re built on leadership teams that stay curious, connected and calm. That’s the core message from organisational psychologist, author and leadership expert Stephanie Bown, who has spent 20+ years helping founders, startups, scale-ups and market disruptors embed high-performance habits and culture. Stephanie...

The key to building a thriving business is surrounding yourself with what Danielle Mulvey calls “five-star employees” — the top 15% of talent who think and act like owners. Danielle has scaled multiple businesses generating over $50 million annually while working only around 10 hours a week, thanks to her proven hiring system.  Drawing on 25 years of experience, Danielle rev...

Some companies keep climbing, while others plateau – and the difference often comes down to where leaders focus their time and energy. Kevin Lawrence is founder of Lawrence & Co, co-author of Scaling Up, and my co-host for 166 episodes of The Growth Whisperers.  Kevin explains why growth only happens when CEOs stay in the cockpit, fix their eyes on opportunity, and summon the courag...

A better life isn’t something that happens by accident — it’s designed, deliberately and with intent. In this last episode of our seven-part series on ‘Bigger isn’t Better’, Andres Zylberberg, Richard Peake and I explore what it truly means to live a life of purpose, balance, and fulfillment.  We examine how true success comes from compounding progress acro...

Most owner-led businesses don’t fail due to lack of growth – they fail because they lack financial discipline. In this penultimate episode of the ‘Bigger isn’t Better’ series, Richard Peake and Andres Zylberberg join me to examine how financials drift toward unprofitability when money is treated as a goal rather than a resource.  Undisciplined spending in pursuit...

Offerings tend to drift toward mediocrity over time: adding products, chasing growth, and copying corporations dilute a company’s soul and distinctiveness. In this fifth ‘Bigger isn’t Better’ episode, we encourage owner-led businesses to resist the temptation of scale-for-scale’s-sake and instead focus on what they can truly be the best at.  My fellow coaches And...

Building customer advocacy – where trust and loyalty lead to customers fighting to stay with you – drives greater long-term profit and sustainability than endlessly chasing new growth. Better customers, not more customers, create compounding value.  In part four of this series, Andres Zylberberg, Richard Peake challenge and I challenge the belief that growth for its own sake is va...

Teams tend to drift toward dysfunction without intentional leadership, whilst prioritising rapid growth often leads to rushed hiring, misalignment, and toxic culture. I discuss a better approach in this third of a seven-part series with Andres Zylberberg and Richard Peake; that is, to build teams of “curious achievers” – people who are both responsible and inquisitive.  Thes...

Chasing growth without clarity can quietly erode your business. In this second episode of a seven-part series, Andres Zylberberg, Richard Peake and I explore how the relentless pressure to get bigger – driven by psychology, DNA and societal cues – often leads entrepreneurs down the wrong path.  Without intention, this pursuit of “bigger” causes drift – teams grow...

This episode is the first in a seven-part series exploring the themes of my forthcoming book ‘Bigger Isn’t Better, Better is Better’. Joined by Evolution Partners coaches Andres Zylberberg & Richard Peake, the discussion introduces the central premise: that for owner-led companies, increasing size does not necessarily deliver greater freedom, wealth, or fulfilment. Instead, I...

Putting profit first isn’t just a financial tactic, it’s a mindset shift that helps entrepreneurs build businesses that thrive without burnout. Celebrated author and small business advocate Mike Michalowicz shares how flipping traditional business thinking on its head can lead to lasting success. Mike built and lost multimillion-dollar businesses before discovering the frameworks that...

Putting people at the centre of business is the hallmark of the Small Giants community – leaders who choose to be great instead of big. Jean Moncrieff, who stepped into the role of community head in 2025, shares how values-driven leadership transformed his own business and why it continues to shape a global network of purpose-led entrepreneurs.  A longtime member turned coach, Jean disc...

Cash isn’t just a by-product of profit, it’s the lifeblood of every business. Yet many leaders chase revenue and focus on profit while overlooking the numbers that truly matter. Alan Miltz explains why understanding cash flow is the key to building stronger, more valuable companies.  Alan is the co-founder of Cashflow Story, software used by tens of thousands of businesses in more...

Great teams don’t happen by accident – they’re built through intentional coaching, clarity, and culture. Leadership coach and best-selling author Mike Goldman returns to explore the deeper drivers of team performance and why growing your people is the most powerful way to grow your business.  Drawing on decades of experience, Mike unpacks a practical five-step framework to s...

True success comes from aligning purpose, values, and peace—not just chasing profit. Keith Roberts blends ancient Buddhist wisdom with modern business strategy to help entrepreneurs lead with clarity and intention. Through the Oak Journal, he offers tools rooted in the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path to guide intentional living and ethical leadership.  Keith shares how understa...

AI and demographic shifts are transforming business faster than ever, demanding relentless execution, constant adaptation, and a focus on capturing market share over simply chasing growth. That’s according to Greg Crabtree, a speaker, entrepreneur, and author known for helping business owners gain financial clarity and scale profitably.  Drawing on data from 100 mid-market U.S. companie...

Jason Ross, co-founder of Time Under Tension, Australia’s first generative AI experience agency, explores the rapid evolution of AI and its transformative impact on business. He discusses how AI agents are already automating complex workflows, assisting with hiring, and redefining customer interactions.  Jason outlines the importance of engaging entire teams in AI adoption, prioritising...