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Bad Boss Confessional
Bad Boss Confessional episodes
- 47: One Workshop, Four Confessions
In this episode of Bad Boss Confessional, Beth Fahey is joined by four fellow EOS implementers right off the back of a Great Boss Workshop. Mary Reilly-Magee, Jordan Regas, Phil Ouellette, and Barb Reimbold each bring their own confessions to the table, and none of them hold back.
The conversation covers public callouts, unclear roles, avoided confrontations, a deleted dataset, and the slow damage of being too nice to have the hard conversation. They also dig into what they saw in the workshop that day, why so few leaders ever receive formal management training, and what it actually takes to give feedback people can hear and act on.Four leaders, four stories, one honest conversation about what it really takes to get better.Timestamps00:00 Welcome and Introductions06:47 Early Management Mistakes09:43 Role Clarity and Buddy vs. Boss14:14 Addressing Confrontation and Epiphanies17:47 Leadership vs. Management & Nice Cultures23:22 Conflict Debt and Communication25:58 Positive to Negative Feedback Ratio35:06 No Poop Sandwiches and ConclusionSponsor Links
Thanks to our SponsorsA big thank you to our amazing sponsors for making this episode possible:Titus Talent – Helping organizations make the best hiring decisions with performance-based talent strategies.
Strety – Empowering teams through strategic planning and performance management tools built for modern workforces.
Subscribe to the Bad Boss Confessional podcast:
🎙️ Podbean: https://www.badbossconfessional.podbean.com▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@badbossconfessionalThe Bad Boss Confessional is where leaders come to tell the truth about the moments they rarely talk about out loud. The mistakes, the hard lessons, and what it actually takes to become a great boss.
Hosted by Beth Fahey, Expert EOS Implementer, co-author of ROLLOUT, and creator of the Great Boss Workshop.
Connect with Beth Fahey:
🌐 https://www.bethfahey.com▶️ https://www.youtube.com/@BethFaheyWant to be a guest on the show? Visit https://www.bethfahey.com/podcast to inquire.Pick up a copy of ROLLOUT: Get Your Entire Team Running on EOS to Achieve Your Vision at https://www.rolloutbook.com/order
Download free Rollout resources at https://www.rolloutbook.comJoin Beth at the next Great Boss Workshop at https://www.bethfahey.com/events
38 min - 46: When Confidence Becomes a Liability
In this episode of Bad Boss Confessional, Beth sits down with Scott Rusnak, expert EOS implementer, Olympic team coach, and author of the Audible bestseller "Who Is the Architect of Your Life?" Scott's confession starts at a Canadian Tire warehouse in 1979 and ends with a million-dollar mistake decades later that nearly cost him everything.
The conversation explores what happens when a leader stops listening, charges ahead on gut instinct alone, and finds out too late that the team saw it coming. Scott reflects on the moment he flipped the boat, what it cost him, and why the right people around you are only useful if you actually let them speak.Timestamps00:00 Introduction to Bad Boss Confessional02:29 The Root Cause of Business Issues05:10 Early Bad Boss Experience08:12 Ego and Colossal Failure12:25 Surrounding Yourself with Right People17:39 The Art of Saying No24:55 Fourth Quarter Mindset and LegacySponsor Links
Thanks to our SponsorsA big thank you to our amazing sponsors for making this episode possible:Titus Talent – Helping organizations make the best hiring decisions with performance-based talent strategies.
Strety – Empowering teams through strategic planning and performance management tools built for modern workforces.
Subscribe to the Bad Boss Confessional podcast:
🎙️ Podbean: https://www.badbossconfessional.podbean.com▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@badbossconfessionalThe Bad Boss Confessional is where leaders come to tell the truth about the moments they rarely talk about out loud. The mistakes, the hard lessons, and what it actually takes to become a great boss.
Hosted by Beth Fahey, Expert EOS Implementer, co-author of ROLLOUT, and creator of the Great Boss Workshop.
Connect with Beth Fahey:
🌐 https://www.bethfahey.com▶️ https://www.youtube.com/@BethFaheyWant to be a guest on the show? Visit https://www.bethfahey.com/podcast to inquire.Pick up a copy of ROLLOUT: Get Your Entire Team Running on EOS to Achieve Your Vision at https://www.rolloutbook.com/order
Download free Rollout resources at https://www.rolloutbook.comJoin Beth at the next Great Boss Workshop at https://www.bethfahey.com/events
34 min - 45: Ask Me Anything: Real Questions, Real Answers
In this episode of Bad Boss Confessional, there's no guest... just Beth!
Listeners sent in their questions and she answered them, from EOS deep dives to career what-ifs to a heartfelt moment about the baking industry she'll always call home. She also shares a confession of her own about a pastry chef, a walk-in cooler, and a moment she wishes she could take back.
It's the most personal episode yet, and proof that nobody is off the hook on this podcast... not even the host.
Timestamps
00:00 Introduction & Career What-Ifs03:39 My Bad Boss Confession06:09 Favorite Non-EOS Leadership Book07:37 Connecting Diverse Career Paths10:20 Ideal Kolbe Score for an Integrator12:51 Visionary-Integrator Authority Dynamic17:37 Common Leadership Team Mistakes20:18 Running EOS During Major Change23:09 Baking Industry Crisis & Adaptation29:51 Lessons as an EOS ImplementerSubscribe to the Bad Boss Confessional podcast:🎙️ Podbean: https://www.badbossconfessional.podbean.com▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@badbossconfessionalThe Bad Boss Confessional is where leaders come to tell the truth about the moments they rarely talk about out loud. The mistakes, the hard lessons, and what it actually takes to become a great boss.
Hosted by Beth Fahey, Expert EOS Implementer, co-author of ROLLOUT, and creator of the Great Boss Workshop.
Connect with Beth Fahey:
🌐 https://www.bethfahey.com▶️ https://www.youtube.com/@bethfaheyWant to be a guest on the show? Visit https://www.bethfahey.com/podcast to inquire.Pick up a copy of ROLLOUT: Get Your Entire Team Running on EOS to Achieve Your Vision at https://www.rolloutbook.com/order
Download free Rollout resources at https://www.rolloutbook.comJoin Beth at the next Great Boss Workshop at https://www.bethfahey.com/events
33 min - 44: How a Visionary Becomes a Bottleneck
In this episode of Bad Boss Confessional, Beth sits down with Mark C. Winters, Expert EOS Implementer, co-author of "Rocket Fuel", and author of the new book "Visionary." Mark confesses to something a lot of visionaries won't admit: he was burning his team out by diving deep into the details and staying there.
The conversation explores what happens when a visionary's hyperfocus lands in the wrong place, why learning to let go is harder than it looks, and how finding the right integrator changed everything. Mark reflects on the moment a business partner pulled him out of a CRM rabbit hole and redirected him to where he actually belonged, and what that shift taught him about the best use of a visionary's time.His lesson is one every visionary eventually has to face: the work that feels effortless is often the work only you can do.Timestamps00:00 Introduction & Marc C. Winters’ Background03:20 From Operator to Advisor & EOS05:08 The Visionary-Integrator Obsession06:29 Confessions of a Visionary Bottleneck11:10 Trust & Control for Visionaries14:46 Obsessive Focus: Superpower or Pitfall?17:01 Visionary’s Highest Use & Team Dynamics22:05 Tools for Visionary-Integrator Alignment27:54 Building a Strong Leadership Team32:18 Know Thyself: The Visionary’s Inner Work35:10 The Tattoo Confession: Freedom39:34 Upcoming Books & Closing RemarksSponsor Links
Thanks to our SponsorsA big thank you to our amazing sponsors for making this episode possible:Titus Talent – Helping organizations make the best hiring decisions with performance-based talent strategies.
Strety – Empowering teams through strategic planning and performance management tools built for modern workforces.
Subscribe to the Bad Boss Confessional podcast:
🎙️ Podbean: https://www.badbossconfessional.podbean.com▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@badbossconfessionalThe Bad Boss Confessional is where leaders come to tell the truth about the moments they rarely talk about out loud. The mistakes, the hard lessons, and what it actually takes to become a great boss.
Hosted by Beth Fahey, Expert EOS Implementer, co-author of ROLLOUT, and creator of the Great Boss Workshop.
Connect with Beth Fahey:
🌐 https://www.bethfahey.com▶️ https://www.youtube.com/@BethFaheyWant to be a guest on the show? Visit https://www.bethfahey.com/podcast to inquire.Pick up a copy of ROLLOUT: Get Your Entire Team Running on EOS to Achieve Your Vision at https://www.rolloutbook.com/order
Download free Rollout resources at https://www.rolloutbook.comJoin Beth at the next Great Boss Workshop at https://www.bethfahey.com/events
42 min - 43: Fixing the Problem, Losing the Person
In this episode of Bad Boss Confessional, Beth Fahey sits down with Raina Fryer, head of talent strategy at Titus Talent Strategies. Raina's confession takes her back to a training room early in her career, where she was young, eager to prove herself, and co-facilitating alongside someone she was supposed to be developing.
Every time her teammate made a misstep, she stepped in. Mid-sentence, in front of the room, again and again. She told herself it was about safety. Looking back, she knows it was also about ego. Two months later, her teammate quietly asked for a new manager. That was the moment that stuck.Her lesson is simple and hard-earned: the points that actually count are the ones that make people feel safe enough to trust you.Timestamps00:00 Introduction to Raina Fryer03:19 Raina’s Bad Boss Confession09:54 The Impact of Imposter Syndrome13:01 Training and Role-Playing for Managers16:47 Titus Talent’s Holistic Approach19:26 Top People Issues: Accountability Chart23:07 Culture Integration & Manager Elevation28:56 Continuous Learning & Personal InsightsSponsor Links
Thanks to our SponsorsA big thank you to our amazing sponsors for making this episode possible:Titus Talent – Helping organizations make the best hiring decisions with performance-based talent strategies.
Strety – Empowering teams through strategic planning and performance management tools built for modern workforces.
Subscribe to the Bad Boss Confessional podcast:
🎙️ Podbean: https://www.badbossconfessional.podbean.com▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@badbossconfessionalThe Bad Boss Confessional is where leaders come to tell the truth about the moments they rarely talk about out loud. The mistakes, the hard lessons, and what it actually takes to become a great boss.
Hosted by Beth Fahey, Expert EOS Implementer, co-author of ROLLOUT, and creator of the Great Boss Workshop.
Connect with Beth Fahey:
🌐 https://www.bethfahey.com▶️ https://www.youtube.com/@BethFaheyWant to be a guest on the show? Visit https://www.bethfahey.com/podcast to inquire.Pick up a copy of ROLLOUT: Get Your Entire Team Running on EOS to Achieve Your Vision at https://www.rolloutbook.com/order
Download free Rollout resources at https://www.rolloutbook.comJoin Beth at the next Great Boss Workshop at https://www.bethfahey.com/events
34 min - 42: What Got You Here Won't Get You There
In this episode of Bad Boss Confessional, Beth Fahey sits down with Ben Stern, EOS implementer and former integrator who helped scale a transmission remanufacturing company from 300 employees and $40 million in revenue to 850 people and $190 million. Ben's confession starts long before that chapter, back on a construction crew where being the hardest worker in the room felt like a leadership strategy.
The conversation explores what happens when intensity without emotional intelligence becomes the culture, why the habits that make someone a standout performer can quietly poison a team, and what it actually took to close the gap. Ben reflects on nearly two decades of deliberate work, the people who helped him see what he couldn't see himself, and why learning Spanish to connect with his team is one of the things he's most proud of.His lesson is one every high performer eventually has to face: what got you here won't get you there.Timestamps00:00 Ben Stern’s Background02:13 From Hammer to CEO06:17 Reflecting on Growth and Wins10:12 The Hard-Charging Boss14:59 Journey to Emotional Intelligence19:17 Work-Life Balance and Gen Z22:01 Leadership Through Parenthood26:27 Deprogramming and Human Connection30:12 Scaling Leadership and GWC35:15 Continuous Learning and EmpathySponsor Links
Thanks to our SponsorsA big thank you to our amazing sponsors for making this episode possible:Titus Talent – Helping organizations make the best hiring decisions with performance-based talent strategies.
Strety – Empowering teams through strategic planning and performance management tools built for modern workforces.
Subscribe to the Bad Boss Confessional podcast:
🎙️ Podbean: https://www.badbossconfessional.podbean.com▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@badbossconfessionalThe Bad Boss Confessional is where leaders come to tell the truth about the moments they rarely talk about out loud. The mistakes, the hard lessons, and what it actually takes to become a great boss.
Hosted by Beth Fahey, Expert EOS Implementer, co-author of ROLLOUT, and creator of the Great Boss Workshop.
Connect with Beth Fahey:
🌐 https://www.bethfahey.com▶️ https://www.youtube.com/@BethFaheyWant to be a guest on the show? Visit https://www.bethfahey.com/podcast to inquire.Pick up a copy of ROLLOUT: Get Your Entire Team Running on EOS to Achieve Your Vision at https://www.rolloutbook.com/order
Download free Rollout resources at https://www.rolloutbook.comJoin Beth at the next Great Boss Workshop at https://www.bethfahey.com/events
42 min - 41: The Feedback Nobody Should Have Given
In this episode of Bad Boss Confessional, Beth Fahey sits down with Jeanet Wade, Expert EOS Implementer, ForbesBooks author of The Human Team, and one of the top 100 innovators and entrepreneurs in her region. Jeanet comes with two confessions, and they both involve the same person.
The conversation explores what happens when dysfunction travels downhill, why secondhand feedback is its own kind of leadership failure, and what it looks like to stop the madness in real time and just tell the truth.Her lesson cuts through the noise: when the feedback doesn't feel right, it probably isn't.Timestamps00:00 Introduction & Jeanet's Background03:10 The Allure of Entrepreneurship07:52 First Bad Boss Confession: Task Management11:56 Second Bad Boss Confession: Secondhand Feedback15:41 The Human Team: Bridging Nature to Nurture22:06 Team Dynamics in Entrepreneurial Settings27:30 Bossing Bosses & Overcoming Dysfunctional Teams33:00 Growth Optimization & Vulnerability39:19 Leadership Evolution & Personal TattooSponsor Links
Thanks to our SponsorsA big thank you to our amazing sponsors for making this episode possible:Titus Talent – Helping organizations make the best hiring decisions with performance-based talent strategies.
Strety – Empowering teams through strategic planning and performance management tools built for modern workforces.
Subscribe to the Bad Boss Confessional podcast:
🎙️ Podbean: https://www.badbossconfessional.podbean.com▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@badbossconfessionalThe Bad Boss Confessional is where leaders come to tell the truth about the moments they rarely talk about out loud. The mistakes, the hard lessons, and what it actually takes to become a great boss.
Hosted by Beth Fahey, Expert EOS Implementer, co-author of ROLLOUT, and creator of the Great Boss Workshop.
Connect with Beth Fahey:
🌐 https://www.bethfahey.com▶️ https://www.youtube.com/@bethfaheyWant to be a guest on the show? Visit https://www.bethfahey.com/podcast to inquire.Pick up a copy of ROLLOUT: Get Your Entire Team Running on EOS to Achieve Your Vision at https://www.rolloutbook.com/order
Download free Rollout resources at https://www.rolloutbook.comJoin Beth at the next Great Boss Workshop at https://www.bethfahey.com/events
42 min - 40: What Gets Lost When You Move Too Fast
In this episode of Bad Boss Confessional, Beth Fahey sits down with Larry Garcia, co-founder and president of Strety, a software platform built for EOS-run businesses. Larry shares what happened when he stepped into a VP of Sales role against his better instincts and decided his first move would be cutting what looked like an inefficient meeting.
He walked into a struggling company, saw an hour of rah-rah he thought nobody needed, and deleted it. What he didn't see was how much that hour was holding the team together. The conversation digs into what happens when a new leader moves before they've earned the right to change things, why culture is the first casualty of efficiency thinking, and how fast trust can disappear with a single calendar invite.Timestamps00:00 Introduction to Larry Garcia02:22 Larry’s Career Journey05:22 The Big Confession11:40 Impact of New Leadership on Culture16:30 BreakGage to Strety Transition20:01 Family Legacy and American Dream24:51 Culture and Software Development29:52 The Soul of SoftwareAbout:
Beth Fahey is a leadership coach, Expert EOS Implementer, and co-creator of the How to Be a Great Boss Workshops. With nearly 40 years of hands-on leadership experience, Beth has worn many hats: from working in film and owning a bakery to leading a national trade association.Now, as the host of The Bad Boss Confessional, she shares candid stories about the challenges of leadership, mistakes made, lessons learned, and the path to becoming the kind of boss your team actually wants to follow. Through humor, honesty, and heart, Beth is on a mission to help leaders grow, one confession at a time.Show LinksFor more information about Beth Fahey follow the links below.Website: www.eosworldwide.com/beth-faheyFacebook: www.facebook.com/BethFaheyEOSInstagram: www.instagram.com/bethfaheyeos/TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@bethfaheyeosLinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/bethfahey/Bad Boss Confessional YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/@badbossconfessionalBeth's Youtube:https://www.youtube.com/@bethfaheyeosWebsite: https://implementer.eosworldwide.com/robert-hartline/Larry is former CRO of BrightGauge and Current Strety Cofounder and President. He's based out of Arlington, Virginia and when he's not helping build the EOS software people love, he's a coffee farmer in Mountains of Colombia.
Sponsor Links
Thanks to our SponsorsA big thank you to our amazing sponsors for making this episode possible:Titus Talent – Helping organizations make the best hiring decisions with performance-based talent strategies.
Strety – Empowering teams through strategic planning and performance management tools built for modern workforces.
35 min - 39: You Can't Want It More Than They Do
In this episode of Bad Boss Confessional, Beth Fahey sits down with Mary Reilly-Magee, an entrepreneur, Expert EOS Implementer, and author who built a three-location swim school before exiting in 2018. Mary came prepared with a confession she has carried for years, and it starts with a sign on her wall: never try to teach a pig to sing.
She walks through what it really means to believe in someone more than they believe in themselves, the bookkeeper she held onto long after the writing was on the wall, and the two clients she eventually had to walk away from. The conversation gets honest about why avoiding a hard conversation always makes things worse, and what it actually looks like to lead with clarity instead of hope.Her lesson is one every leader eventually learns the hard way: you cannot want it more than they do.Timestamps00:00 Introduction & Sponsor Shoutouts02:11 Meet Mary Reilly-Magee05:14 The Pig-Singing Dilemma08:42 Visionary’s Dilemma & People Development12:14 The Importance of GWC16:47 Addressing People Issues & Self-Forgiveness21:02 Not Your Business: The Implementer’s Perspective23:17 The Cost of Avoiding Difficult Conversations27:37 The Impact of Courageous Leadership30:03 Parenting & Personal Tattoos35:28 Conclusion & Book PromotionAbout:Beth Fahey is a leadership coach, Expert EOS Implementer, and co-creator of the How to Be a Great Boss Workshops. With nearly 40 years of hands-on leadership experience, Beth has worn many hats: from working in film and owning a bakery to leading a national trade association.Now, as the host of The Bad Boss Confessional, she shares candid stories about the challenges of leadership, mistakes made, lessons learned, and the path to becoming the kind of boss your team actually wants to follow. Through humor, honesty, and heart, Beth is on a mission to help leaders grow, one confession at a time.Show LinksFor more information about Beth Fahey follow the links below.Website: www.eosworldwide.com/beth-faheyFacebook: www.facebook.com/BethFaheyEOSInstagram: www.instagram.com/bethfaheyeos/TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@bethfaheyeosLinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/bethfahey/Bad Boss Confessional YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/@badbossconfessionalBeth's Youtube:https://www.youtube.com/@bethfaheyeosWebsite: https://implementer.eosworldwide.com/robert-hartline/Mary Reilly-Magee is an entrepreneur, leadership coach, Expert EOS Implementer, and Outgrow Revenue Growth Advisor who helps individuals and growth-oriented companies turn their visions into reality. She built a thriving three-location swim school business that employed 100 people before successfully exiting in 2018. Drawing on her experience as a teacher, coach, and facilitator, Mary now guides leaders through transformational growth - both personally and professionally.
Sponsor Links
Thanks to our SponsorsA big thank you to our amazing sponsors for making this episode possible:Titus Talent – Helping organizations make the best hiring decisions with performance-based talent strategies.
Strety – Empowering teams through strategic planning and performance management tools built for modern workforces.
37 min - 38: Every Coach Has to Learn to Lead
In this episode of Bad Boss Confessional, Beth Fahey sits down with Josh Hauser, certified EOS implementer, entrepreneur, and father of eight. Josh shares what happened when a rate crisis hit his growing insurance practice and exposed a gap he hadn't seen coming: he knew how to teach and coach, but he had never learned how to lead and manage.
The conversation explores what it looks like when a leader's default mode stops serving the people around them, why victim thinking spreads fast inside an organization, and what it actually takes to close the gap between knowing something and living it.His lesson is one that cuts across business and life: the easy path creates complexity. The hard work is what makes things simple.Timestamps00:00 Introduction to Josh Hauser02:15 Josh’s Background & Entrepreneurial Leap06:40 The ‘Reach Teach Eliminate’ Confession11:33 Recognizing and Overcoming the Problem16:24 Positive Intelligence and Taming Ego21:51 Practicing Leadership Beyond Business29:04 From Running From to Running To32:06 Purpose-Driven Work and EOS36:57 Tattoo and Final ThoughtsAbout:
Beth Fahey is a leadership coach, Expert EOS Implementer, and co-creator of the How to Be a Great Boss Workshops. With nearly 40 years of hands-on leadership experience, Beth has worn many hats: from working in film and owning a bakery to leading a national trade association.Now, as the host of The Bad Boss Confessional, she shares candid stories about the challenges of leadership, mistakes made, lessons learned, and the path to becoming the kind of boss your team actually wants to follow. Through humor, honesty, and heart, Beth is on a mission to help leaders grow, one confession at a time.Show LinksFor more information about Beth Fahey follow the links below.Website: www.eosworldwide.com/beth-faheyFacebook: www.facebook.com/BethFaheyEOSInstagram: www.instagram.com/bethfaheyeos/TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@bethfaheyeosLinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/bethfahey/Bad Boss Confessional YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/@badbossconfessionalBeth's Youtube:https://www.youtube.com/@bethfaheyeosWebsite: https://implementer.eosworldwide.com/robert-hartline/3 time entrepreneur, father of 8, Josh wakes up everyday with a purpose to Reach one person/team, Teach one person/team, and help them Eliminate an obstacle or excuse that is keeping them from the joy, success, and humor life can bring.
Sponsor Links
Thanks to our SponsorsA big thank you to our amazing sponsors for making this episode possible:Titus Talent – Helping organizations make the best hiring decisions with performance-based talent strategies.
Strety – Empowering teams through strategic planning and performance management tools built for modern workforces.
42 min
About Bad Boss Confessional
From the publisher's feed
Bad Boss Confessional is the podcast where entrepreneurs, founders, and leaders fess up to their most cringeworthy management moments—the times they micromanaged, blew up in meetings, or simply got it dead wrong. With names changed (to protect the innocent...and guilty), guests walk us through their “bad boss” moment in all its messy glory.
But this isn’t just a cringe-fest—it’s a redemption story.