In this much-needed episode of Big Dreams Great Teams, Paula Maidens dives into a growing issue that’s costing business owners serious time, money and peace of mind. It is the difference between advice and opinion.

Paula unpacks how well-meaning but misinformed recommendations can derail your decision-making and explains how to safeguard yourself and your business by learning to tell the difference. Drawing on her own 20+ years in HR, recruitment and business ownership, she shares practical guidance on when to lean into others' experiences, and when to seek genuine, expert advice that will stand up under pressure.

If you’ve ever been swayed by someone else’s "this worked for me" suggestion, hired based on a referral in a Facebook group, or used a shared document as a legal template, this episode is a must-listen.

Paula also introduces her Team Performance Audit, her powerful service designed to give business owners personalised, expert advice about their unique team setup, challenges and goals.

🎧 Listen in and learn the key questions to ask when someone is giving you input so you can stop relying on borrowed opinions and start making confident, informed decisions that truly suit your business.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN:

• The critical difference between advice, opinion and shared experience
• Four common ways that advice gets confused with opinion (and why it matters)
• How to protect your business from costly mistakes by asking better questions
• Why your growing business needs to move beyond scrappy, borrowed advice
• The shift every CEO must make from free Facebook feedback to expert guidance

EPISODE CHAPTERS

00:00 – Introduction: The advice epidemic in business
01:31 – The danger of taking opinion as expert advice
03:12 – Paula’s personal standard for giving advice
05:40 – The “sample size of one” problem and the difference between advice and opinion
08:22 – Generalists giving specialist advice
10:41 – Industry norms versus legal compliance
12:52 – Why Paula refers clients to lawyers
15:12 – The risks of taking advice from Facebook groups
17:34 – Who you should take advice from (and why)
20:00 – Evolving beyond scrappy startup decisions
22:14 – Questions to ask to test real expertise
24:28 – Introducing the Team Performance Audit
25:40 – Final thoughts: Protect your business with real advice

LINKS MENTIONED:

Explore the Team Performance Audit – a powerful tool to pinpoint where trust (and performance) is breaking down in your business. This includes a detailed questionnaire, a 45-minute strategy call, and a written recommendations report.

Click here: 👉🏻 https://paulamaidens.com/go/team-performance-audit/

CONNECT WITH PAULA:

Website:https://paulamaidens.com/

Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/paulamaidensconsulting/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/paulamaidensbuildingawesometeams

LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulamaidens/

In this solo episode of Big Dreams Great Teams, Paula Maidens dives deep into one of the most pivotal elements of team performance: trust.

If you’ve ever felt like your team isn’t quite stepping up, you’re constantly being pulled into decisions, or you’re stuck re-doing tasks instead of driving strategy, this episode is for you.

Paula shares real-life stories from her clients (and her own consulting experience) to show how misplaced or mismanaged trust can become a massive bottleneck to your business growth. You’ll hear why trust isn’t binary, how to avoid the trap of micromanagement, and what to do when trust breaks down within your team.

You’ll also learn the five signs that trust is off-track and how building it the right way can free up your time, improve your systems, and help your business scale with confidence.

This is a must listen for business owners growing beyond the $600K–$3M mark who want their team to operate at a high level without needing to be in every conversation.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN:

• Why trust is the cornerstone of high-performing teams (and what it really looks like in action)
• The common “trust traps” many small business owners fall into
• Five warning signs that your current trust levels are holding back growth
• The cost of micromanagement (and how it silently erodes performance)
• How to build trust with clear expectations, transparency and developmental feedback
• Simple strategies to create accountability, autonomy, and collaboration

EPISODE CHAPTERS

00:00 – Introduction: The Power of Trust in Teams

02:00 – What Trust Actually Looks Like in a Business

06:00 – The Trust Tightrope: Overtrust, Undertrust, and Missteps

12:00 – Warning Signs That Trust is Missing (or Too Loose)

17:00 – How to Build and Rebuild Trust With Your Team

22:00 – Wrap-Up & Next Steps: Where to Go From Here

LINKS MENTIONED:

Explore the Team Performance Audit – a powerful tool to pinpoint where trust (and performance) is breaking down in your business. This includes a detailed questionnaire, a 45-minute strategy call, and a written recommendations report.

Click here: 👉🏻 https://paulamaidens.com/team-performance-audit

CONNECT WITH PAULA:

Website:https://paulamaidens.com/

Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/paulamaidensconsulting/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/paulamaidensbuildingawesometeams

LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulamaidens/

In this powerful episode of Big Dreams Great Teams, Paula Maidens is joined by Shelly Horton – journalist, TV presenter, women’s health advocate, and founder of ShellShocked Media. Shelly brings her trademark humour, candour, and energy as they dive into an essential and often overlooked topic: navigating perimenopause whilst running a business and leading a team.

Shelly shares her deeply personal journey through perimenopause, including the hidden challenges she faced with brain fog, anxiety, and depression. Together, they discuss why education is critical, how workplaces can better support women, and practical strategies for managing the mental load, rebuilding confidence, and speaking with impact – even on difficult days.

The conversation also explores how Shelly’s advocacy work is transforming discussions about women's health in businesses across Australia, and how her upcoming book I’m Your Peri Godmother aims to be the guide she wished she had.

This episode is a must-listen for anyone ready to normalise conversations around women’s health, support themselves and their team better, and show up as their most powerful self.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN:

• How perimenopause affects the brain and business performance
• The warning signs many women miss and why education matters
• Practical strategies to manage brain fog without losing momentum
• How to manage negative self-talk (and the hilarious method Shelley recommends)
• Simple public speaking techniques to present with confidence at any stage of life
• How workplaces, big and small, can create more supportive environments
• Why taking a ‘Zero Day’ can recharge your mental health and productivity

EPISODE CHAPTERS

00:00 Introduction to Shelly Horton and Perimenopause

01:38 Shelly's Personal Journey Through Perimenopause

08:31 The Importance of Awareness and Education

12:14 Understanding Brain Fog and Its Impact

18:39 Strategies for Managing Perimenopause in the Workplace

24:36 Speaking with Confidence: Techniques and Tips

31:20 Overcoming Negative Self-Talk and Performance Anxiety

LINKS MENTIONED:

• Pre-order Shelly’s Book: I'm Your Peri Godmother
• Join Shelly’s Workshop: Speak with Impact
• ShellShocked Media Website: https://shellshockedmedia.com
• Follow Shelley on Instagram: @shellyhorton1
• Australasian Menopause Society (Find a Doctor Tool): https://menopause.org.au

CONNECT WITH PAULA:

Website:https://paulamaidens.com/

Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/paulamaidensconsulting/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/paulamaidensbuildingawesometeams

LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulamaidens/

In this solo episode of Big Dreams Great Teams, Paula Maidens walks through a simple but powerful assessment to evaluate your team's performance and how it may be helping or hindering your business growth. With over 70% of her clients expressing frustration around their team’s output, Paula unpacks the most common performance concerns and explains how to identify the exact areas where your team might be falling short and what to do about it.

If you've ever found yourself wondering if it's okay to expect more from your team (spoiler: it is), this episode will help you step fully into your CEO role, assess what your business truly needs, and feel confident making changes that lead to stronger performance and better results.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN:

• Why 70% of business owners want more from their team
• How to assess if your team is truly delivering what your business needs
• The four core categories to evaluate team performance
• What effective communication and accountability actually looks like
• How to shift out of micromanaging and into leading with clarity
• Why change resistance might be stalling your growth

EPISODE CHAPTERS:

00:00 – Assessing Team Performance for Business Growth
02:46 – Key Areas of Team Evaluation
06:01 – Initiative and Problem Solving
08:47 – Communication and Accountability
12:06 – Embracing Change and Growth
14:51 – Final Thoughts on Team Performance

LINKS MENTIONED:

• Team Performance Audit – A personalised audit process that helps you assess your team’s current performance, identify key gaps, and create a clear plan of action. Includes a detailed questionnaire, a 45-minute strategy call, and a written recommendations report.
• High Performing Teams Workshop – Brisbane, 14 May – A live in-person event for business owners ready to elevate their team culture, performance and leadership. Join Paula for a practical workshop designed to help you build a team that drives sustainable business growth.

CONNECT WITH PAULA:

Website:https://paulamaidens.com/

Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/paulamaidensconsulting/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/paulamaidensbuildingawesometeams

LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulamaidens/

Growing pains aren't just for growing teenagers… your business experiences them too!

In this value packed episode, Paula Maidens dives into a challenge that catches many successful business owners by surprise: why your once-perfect team dynamics often struggle as you approach that exciting $1M revenue milestone.

With 15+ years of hands-on experience guiding businesses through team transformations, Paula breaks down the three predictable breakdown points that emerge during growth phases.

Plus, she shares practical, implementable solutions to help you navigate these transitions without losing momentum.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN:

• The surprising truth about why more revenue often leads to less freedom (not more!)
• What's really happening when your previously rock-star team members suddenly seem overwhelmed
• The hidden reason your communication systems start breaking under pressure
• When those "wear-all-the-hats" roles that worked brilliantly in early days become business bottlenecks
• How your collaborative, everyone-has-input approach might actually be stalling your growth

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• Simple yet powerful adjustments to streamline communication when complexity increases
• A fresh approach to evolving roles that honours your team's strengths while supporting growth
• The decision-making framework that frees you from being the bottleneck (without losing control)

Whether you're currently feeling these growing pains or planning your path to that next revenue milestone, this episode gives you the practical roadmap to evolve your team structure with confidence and clarity.

KEY MOMENTS:

[05:32] Why communication systems break down during growth
[13:23] When flexible roles no longer scale effectively
[19:37] How collaborative decision-making becomes a bottleneck
[24:51] Practical framework for empowering team decision-making
[29:31] Introduction to the Team Performance Audit

LINKS MENTIONED:

Team Performance Audit – Paula's personalised assessment to pinpoint exactly where your team needs adjustment

Not sure what you need? Book a FREE call to discuss what's right for you >> Book a Dream Team Discovery Call

https://paulamadens.com/team-performance-audit

CONNECT WITH PAULA:

Website:https://paulamaidens.com/

Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/paulamaidensconsulting/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/paulamaidensbuildingawesometeams

LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulamaidens/

In this essential episode of Big Dreams Great Teams, I’m interviewing Lisa Turner, founder of Accounted For You, a specialised Zero-only bookkeeping practice helping female-led businesses understand their numbers with clarity and confidence.

With 20 years of experience in finance and accounting and 8 years running her own business, Lisa is passionate about making numbers feel simple.

In this super practical and easy to digest episode, Lisa reveals why many business owners feel overwhelmed by their finances and how this leads to avoidance behaviours that can seriously impact your growth potential. She shares practical tips for moving from financial anxiety to confident decision-making, particularly when growing your team.

What You'll Learn:

• Why understanding your numbers is critical before making hiring decisions
• The common financial mistakes that may be sabotaging your business growth
• How to determine if you're financially ready to hire your next team member
• Practical systems to manage cashflow and prevent tax-time surprises
• Essential financial reports every business owner should regularly review
• The crucial difference between revenue, profit, and cashflow
• Why the "bank balance method" of decision-making is a dangerous trap

Resources Mentioned:

• Lisa's upcoming Learning Hub - covering financial basics for business owners
• Profit First methodology - a framework for managing business finances

Connect with Lisa Turner:

• Website: accountedforyou.com.au
• Instagram: @accountedforyou
• Lisa’s Podcast - Your BookKeeping Matters https://accountedforyou.com.au/your-bookkeeping-matters-podcast/
  Podcast: "Your Bookkeeping Matters"
• Freebie: Xero Money Saver Guide

Connect with Paula Maidens:

• Website: paulamaidens.com
• Instagram: @paulamaidensconsulting
• Facebook: Paula Maidens - Building Awesome Teams
• LinkedIn: Paula Maidens

Book a Dream Team Discovery Call

In this episode of Big Dreams Great Teams, Paula shares a powerful framework to transform your team meetings from energy-draining obligations into the strategic engine of your business. Discover the three specific questions that create accountability, reveal obstacles, and develop proactive thinking in your team - ultimately allowing meetings to run effectively even without you present.

What You'll Learn:

• Why most team meetings accidentally create dependency on you as the leader and how to shift this dynamic
• The fundamental difference between informational meetings vs empowering meetings
• Three specific questions that transform meeting energy and outcomes
• How to implement a meeting structure that runs with or without you
• Practical steps to transition your team to this new meeting framework

Chapters:

[00:01:49] Why team meetings often drain energy instead of creating momentum

[04:42:30] The core problem: meetings structured to create dependency on you

[07:07:36] Real example of how Paula implemented self-running team meetings in London

[09:22:25] Why your team meeting should be the engine of your business

[11:47:16] Question #1: Focusing on wins to build positive momentum

[14:11:04] Question #2: Creating clarity and public accountability

[16:32:69] Question #3: Fostering interdependence rather than dependency

[18:50:49] How to implement this structure as your standard meeting agenda

[21:05:69] How this structure gradually reduces the need for your involvement

[23:25:96] Tips for handling initial awkwardness during implementation

[25:28:73] Signs that indicate the new meeting structure is working

[27:49:03] How these questions develop better thinking beyond the meeting room

Resources Mentioned:

Strategic Leadership Circle waitlist

Dream Team Discovery Call booking link

Connect with Paula:

Website:https://paulamaidens.com/

Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/paulamaidensconsulting/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/paulamaidensbuildingawesometeams

LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulamaidens/

Are you exhausted from being the only person in your business who can solve problems? Tired of explaining the same things over and over to your team? In this powerful episode of Big Dreams Great Teams, Paula Maidens reveals why "telling" might actually be your biggest leadership blindspot.

Discover the simple shift in approach that has helped Paula's clients for over 15 years cut problem-solving time in half and dramatically reduce those frustrating "why are we dealing with this again?" moments that drain your energy as a business owner.

What You'll Learn

• The hidden leadership habit that's accidentally training your team to depend on you
• Why even the most well-intentioned business owners get stuck in the "bottleneck cycle"
• A fundamental mindset shift that transforms how your team operates without you
• The surprising way this tiny change develops true ownership in your team members
• A practical challenge you can implement this week to see immediate results

Highlights

Paula shares a powerful insight that questions activate thinking while answers shut it down. She explores why many small business owners get caught in the trap of being the constant problem-solver and how this apparently efficient approach actually creates long-term inefficiencies in your business.

Through practical examples and real-world scenarios, Paula demonstrates how this simple shift works across various leadership situations, and why investing a little more time now will save you massive amounts of time (and sanity) later.

You'll walk away with a concrete challenge to implement in your business this week, along with the reassurance that this shift from telling to asking is one of the most powerful leadership transformations Paula sees happen in her clients.

Connect With Paula

Ready to transform how you lead your team and create the kind of responsibility and ownership that frees you up to work ON your business rather than IN it? Book a complimentary Book a Dream Team Discovery Call to discuss your specific situation.

Website:https://paulamaidens.com/

Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/paulamaidensconsulting/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/paulamaidensbuildingawesometeams

LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulamaidens/