Unprofessional

In this episode, Hilary sits down with Meghan Freed, CEO of FreedMarcroft, a Connecticut-based family and divorce law firm. They discuss the myth that entrepreneurship creates instant freedom, why employees should not be expected to “think like owners,” and how small operational issues can quietly become part of a company’s culture. From Toyota’s “Stop the Line” principle to the importance of surf...

In this solo episode, Hilary Corna shares the personal story behind her passion for Japanese culture, process improvement, and Toyota. She reflects on how childhood curiosity, studying Japanese, taking a leap to work abroad, and eventually joining Toyota in Singapore shaped the work she still does today. Hilary also shares why she left Toyota, how her first book came to life, and why she still fee...

In this solo episode, Hilary Corna shares reflections after speaking at EMP (a highly competitive, MIT-based program connected to the origins of EO). After dozens of conversations with founders and leadership teams, one theme kept coming up: most companies aren’t struggling because growth stopped—they’re struggling because growth started to feel heavier than it should. Hilary explains the concept...

In this solo episode, Hilary Corna calls out an uncomfortable truth: in many organizations, “continuous improvement” has quietly turned into corporate theater —a lot of activity that looks like progress, but doesn’t actually change anything. Hilary breaks down what real continuous improvement looks like day-to-day (stability, daily problem solving, psychological safety, and leadership maturity), p...

In this solo episode, Hilary Corna shares a real-time update from inside her Ops Edge Academy cohort—and a pattern she sees in almost every company trying to improve operations: the moment when “a few small fixes” suddenly turn into a web of dependencies. She explains why that discomfort is actually progress (not overcomplication), how scoping exposes the work that was already there, and what it l...

In this solo episode, Hilary Corna explains why most companies don’t improve until something actually breaks—and how that creates a “firefighting” culture that feels productive, but quietly makes the business fragile. She reframes the problem as a behavior issue (what gets rewarded) , not just a process issue, and shares how healthy organizations build momentum by improving while things are still...

In this solo episode, Hilary Corna explains what she calls the most dangerous (and most ignored) phase of business growth: the moment when everything looks fine on the outside—clients are coming in, the team is busy, the reputation is growing—but internally, execution feels heavier than it should. She breaks down the subtle signs you’re relying on effort instead of design, why issues become “norma...

In this solo episode, Hilary Corna unpacks a common leadership frustration: “We have really smart people… so why does everything still feel chaotic?” She explains why this usually isn’t a talent problem—it’s a systems and clarity problem. Hilary breaks down how unclear structures create inconsistent decisions and misalignment, walks through the three stages of organizational maturity, and shares t...

In this solo episode, Hilary Corna breaks down where to start with AI at work—without trying to “AI everything” and overwhelming your team. She shares a simple lens for choosing the right starting point (repeatable, already happening, and slightly painful), then walks through three high-ROI processes to AI-enable first: decision support, communication & documentation, and continuous improvemen...

In this solo episode, Hilary Corna challenges a common misconception in continuous improvement: doing “Lean” activities won’t automatically produce Toyota-level performance. She explains why many organizations copy the visible symptoms of Lean (boards, workshops, language) instead of building the system behind it—Toyota’s management architecture. Hilary breaks down what “architecture” really means...

In this solo episode, Hilary Corna breaks down what a “wait and see” culture really looks like inside growing organizations—especially during uncertainty—and why it quietly becomes one of the most expensive ways to run a business. She explains the three root causes that create reactive teams (fear of rocking the boat, unclear ownership, and overload), the hidden costs of waiting, and the simple cu...

Kicking off 2026 and celebrating year five of the show, Hilary Corna shares a simple but powerful leadership practice to spark meaningful process improvement: one question every leader should ask their team—“What feels harder than it should right now?” Hilary explains how this question uncovers real constraints, invites honest feedback, and shifts continuous improvement from something the business...

Build an ops engine that actually holds up in 2026. In this short holiday solo, Hilary shares three ways to work together in 2026—starting with The Ops Edge Academy (a 12-week, hands-on PDCA certification rooted in Toyota’s approach), plus the Flow State Workshop to master process mapping, 1:1 training for an Ops leader on your team, and her full engagement retainer for end-to-end process improvem...

In this end-of-year solo episode, Hilary Corna looks ahead to 2026 and explains why it will be a “convergence year” where AI goes mainstream and operations become a true competitive advantage. She walks through three core questions every leader should ask about their operations before Q1, shows how lack of clarity (“who does what, when, and why”) caps growth, and reframes AI as a solution to real...

In this solo episode, Hilary Corna shares how to boost revenue without adding more leads by tightening the quality of your sales process. She breaks down a simple three-stage pre-sales framework—prospecting, quoting, and closing—and shows where businesses commonly leak money through poor lead fit, inconsistent follow-up, and non-standard proposals or contracts. With practical examples, Hilary expl...

Bold leaders don't guess, they implement. In this special episode, Hilary Corna brings together the most powerful moments of 2025, where founders and experts revealed the specific processes they used to scale with clarity. Discover how they applied principles like PDCA to simplify operations, make data-driven decisions, and build impactful businesses without burning out. Enrolling now for The...

Ready to launch your new processes with consistency and clarity? In this episode, Hilary introduces a powerful tool she uses with all her clients—a training template designed to simplify go live preparations. Download the template at: https://rebrand.ly/training-template or visit www. HilaryCorna.com/Learning-center This template ensures that every training session is structured, standardized, and...

Register for our upcoming free masterclass on process mapping and identifying waste at www. HilaryCorna.com. This podcast episode highlights how world-class organizations use breakdowns as opportunities for growth rather than setbacks. It explains how the PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act) cycle transforms mistakes into structured learning that compounds over time, building operational resilience. As leader...

Enroll one of your ops leaders in the 2026 Ops Edge Academy here: hilarycorna.com Is your business growing, but things behind the scenes feel messy? In this episode, Hilary Corna reveals her proven framework for closing out Q4 with intention, so you can build an operational engine that truly supports your growth in 2026. Hilary breaks down the five critical steps to transform your operations, from...

Download the free worksheet here: https://rebrand.ly/comm-sheet Is your "go live" announcement ready to make an impact—or is it missing the mark? In this solo session, Hilary breaks down the exact tool she uses with her six-figure clients to plan high-impact, intentional communication. You’ll get an inside look at the Communications Strategy Worksheet, a quick but powerful guide to help...

Download the free plug n’ play emails here: https://rebrand.ly/golive-email Ready to level up your launch strategy? In this episode, Hilary unveils her secret weapon: the Go Live Announcement Plug and Play Email Sequences. This powerful tool will help you streamline your business announcements with minimal effort and maximum impact. Hilary walks you through the exact steps she uses with her six-fi...

In this episode, Hilary Corna chats with Bill Tyndall, a business process improvement expert, about all things Kaizen and leadership. They dive into how to spark change in organizations, build a culture of innovation, and get past those common roadblocks. Bill shares real-world strategies on driving growth, fostering collaboration, and leading with impact. Is business process improvement just abou...

In this solo episode, Hilary walks you through our Go‑Live Checklist—a practical, easy-to-use tool to make sure every rollout feels smooth, supported, and on time. You’ll learn how to confirm trainings are truly complete, pre‑write your follow‑up emails, lock in comms channels, assign a single point of contact, and run a 48–72 hour pre‑launch walkthrough so launch day is calm and predictable. Grab...

In this episode, Hilary explores how artificial intelligence can help you document your business processes up to ten times faster. While many companies are dabbling in AI, few are using it strategically in areas like process documentation, where it can offer a huge advantage. Hilary breaks down how you can implement AI to streamline your workflows, eliminate inefficiencies, and gain a competitive...

What if building a global team wasn’t just about saving costs, but elevating your business to its next chapter? In this episode, Hillary chats with Borzou Azabdaftari, CEO of NickelBronx, about the deeper purpose behind outsourcing — and why it's time to rethink how we grow. Borzou shares the hard-won lessons of scaling companies with soul, the role of process in unlocking people’s potential,...