How much of the tension, turnover, and productivity loss in your business is actually a communication problem in disguise? Most managers think they're communicating clearly — and most employees would disagree. This episode breaks down exactly where the breakdown happens, why it keeps repeating, and what you can do right now to address it before it costs you another good person.

In this episode, you'll learn:

1. The eight most common causes of manager-employee miscommunication — including ambiguous expectations, lack of clarity, differing communication styles, assumptions and stereotypes, inadequate feedback mechanisms, cultural and language barriers, power dynamics, and technology challenges — and what each one actually looks like in practice
2. What happens when miscommunication goes unaddressed — decreased productivity, eroded trust, missed opportunities for innovation, and increased conflict that compounds into turnover
3. A practical active listening exercise using an ink pen that Kerri has used in real employee-manager mediation sessions — and why parroting back what you heard, before responding, is one of the most powerful communication tools a leader can use
4. Why creating a role "as you go" without a job description is not actually a sign of respect for the professional — and how ambiguous expectations almost always lead to the exact frustration you were trying to avoid
5. Why addressing communication issues promptly instead of saving them for the monthly one-on-one is better for you, your employee, and your relationship — and how letting things linger quietly costs everyone more than the hard conversation would have

Chapter Markers:

• 00:00 — The 8 Root Causes of Manager-Employee Miscommunication
• 05:59 — What Happens When Miscommunication Goes Unaddressed
• 07:37 — Strategy 1: Establish Clear Communication Channels
• 09:00 — Strategy 2: Encourage Active Listening (The Ink Pen Exercise)
• 12:55 — Strategy 3: Provide Training & Development on Communication Skills
• 14:21 — Strategy 4: Clarify Expectations From Day One
• 15:51 — Strategy 5: Foster a Feedback Culture
• 17:13 — Strategy 6: Address Issues Promptly — Not at the Monthly Meeting

If you're seeing communication breakdowns in your organization and you're not sure whether your HR systems are set up to prevent them, the free HR Audit will show you where the gaps are: saltandlightadvisors.com/hraudit

🔍 Ready to find out what's really going on inside your business? Take the free Salt & Light HR Audit at saltandlightadvisors.com/hraudit. In about 10 minutes, you'll get a clear picture of where your people operations stand — and exactly where to focus next. No fluff, no sales pitch. Just clarity.

Resources to keep building:

🎯 Take the free HR Audit — Score your HR systems in 5 minutes and see exactly where your gaps are. 👉 saltandlightadvisors.com/hraudit

🎙️ Listen to Don't Waste the Chaos — The podcast for small business owners building strong people operations. 👉 kerrimroberts.com/podcast

📖 Get The HR Easy Button — Kerri's book on building HR systems that actually work for small businesses. 👉 https://amzn.to/4cPyrFh

✉️ Subscribe to the newsletter — Weekly HR insights for founders, in your inbox every Monday. 👉 saltandlight.myflodesk.com/saltandlightadvisors

Need fractional HR support or want to talk through a specific challenge? 👉 saltandlightadvisors.com/contact

Ready to build foundational HR systems on your own? 👉 saltandlightadvisors.com/hrfoundations

Connect with Kerri: 📷 Instagram: instagram.com/kerrimroberts 💼 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kerrimroberts 🐎 Hippo Creek Farm on Instagram: instagram.com/hippocreekfarm

Episode-specific resources mentioned:

• The Speed of Trust by Stephen M.R. Covey & Mark Covey

Full show notes + transcript: kerrimroberts.com/dontwastethechaos/15

Support the show

What does it actually take to succeed in sales when you're not a natural salesperson — and what happens when someone who struggles with empathy becomes one of the top producers in their industry? This episode is one of the most raw, honest, and genuinely surprising conversations I've had on this podcast, and I say that as someone who has been friends with this guest for over 16 years. Terry Roberts doesn't talk about this stuff publicly. Ever. So the fact that he's sharing it here means a lot — and I think it's going to mean a lot to you too.

In this episode, you'll learn:

1. Why Terry Roberts — a self-described 99.9% process-minded, 0.1% people-minded introvert with no interest in traditional selling — became a multi-million-dollar top producer, and what his process-based framework for sales can teach anyone who wants to get better at converting clients
2. How to think about the base salary plus commission vs. 100% commission decision — including the specific question Terry asks himself before betting on himself, and why going 100% commission doubled his income compared to the safer route
3. What alexithymia is — a clinical diagnosis describing the inability to recognize emotions in oneself or others — how it developed through military training and childhood adversity, and what Terry does to function at a high level professionally and personally despite it
4. Why the concept of tying your role to your identity is dangerous — and the railroad analogy Terry is building into a book that reframes how to think about failure, success, and the difference between who you are and what you do
5. What makes someone a bad fit for their sales role versus a bad salesperson — and why low conversion rates are sometimes a product problem, not a people problem

About the guest: Terry Roberts is an independent mortgage broker, 10-year United States Marine Corps veteran, and multi-million-dollar top producer with over a decade in the mortgage and finance industry. He has worked in quality assurance and process improvement, including work connected to the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, and brings a uniquely disciplined, process-driven framework to sales that has made him one of the most sought-after producers in his field.

Chapter Markers:

• 00:00 — Why a Process-Minded Marine Became a Top Sales Producer
• 07:32 — How Terry Thinks About Sales as a System, Not a Personality
• 12:23 — Should You Start in Sales With Leads or Generate Your Own?
• 14:37 — 100% Commission vs. Base Salary: How to Know Which Path Is Right for You
• 20:26 — Terry's Career Journey: From W-2 to Independent Broker
• 30:41 — A Message to Anyone in a Sales Slump
• 30:54 — What Is Alexithymia? Living With an Empathy Diagnosis
• 38:10 — How Military Training Shapes Emotional Response
• 41:03 — How Terry Functions in Professional & Personal Relationships Despite Alexithymia
• 46:53 — The Role of Faith in Managing Emotions and Empathy
• 50:39 — The Railroad Book: Separating Your Identity From Your Role

If you're a business owner managing a sales team or trying to build people systems that attract and retain top performers, the free HR Audit will show you whether your infrastructure is actually set up to support them: saltandlightadvisors.com/hraudit

🔍 Ready to find out what's really going on inside your business? Take the free Salt & Light HR Audit at saltandlightadvisors.com/hraudit. In about 10 minutes, you'll get a clear picture of where your people operations stand — and exactly where to focus next. No fluff, no sales pitch. Just clarity.

Resources to keep building:

🎯 Take the free HR Audit — Score your HR systems in 5 minutes and see exactly where your gaps are. 👉 saltandlightadvisors.com/hraudit

🎙️ Listen to Don't Waste the Chaos — The podcast for small business owners building strong people operations. 👉 kerrimroberts.com/podcast

📖 Get The HR Easy Button — Kerri's book on building HR systems that actually work for small businesses. 👉 https://amzn.to/4cPyrFh

✉️ Subscribe to the newsletter — Weekly HR insights for founders, in your inbox every Monday. 👉 saltandlight.myflodesk.com/saltandlightadvisors

Need fractional HR support or want to talk through a specific challenge? 👉 saltandlightadvisors.com/contact

Ready to build foundational HR systems on your own? 👉 saltandlightadvisors.com/hrfoundations

Connect with Kerri: 📷 Instagram: instagram.com/kerrimroberts 💼 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kerrimroberts 🐎 Hippo Creek Farm on Instagram: instagram.com/hippocreekfarm

Episode-specific resources mentioned:

• Terry Roberts — Mortgage Tip Daily: mortgagetipdaily.com
• Terry on Instagram & TikTok: @mortgagetipdaily
• Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award — nist.gov/baldrige
• Episode 8: How to Buy a Home with Terry Roberts — kerrimroberts.com/dontwastethechaos/8

Full show notes + transcript: kerrimroberts.com/dontwastethechaos/14

Support the show

Do you actually know what kind of employee benefits plan you're running — or are you just renewing it every year and hoping your broker has it handled? Most small business owners have no idea whether they're in the right plan structure, whether they're leaving money on the table, or whether their employees even understand what they have. This episode pulls back the curtain on all of it, with two of the sharpest benefits minds I know breaking it down in plain language.

In this episode, you'll learn:

1. What the difference is between a fully insured, level-funded, and partially self-funded employee benefits plan — including which plan structures give employers access to surplus money back at year end, claims data visibility, and more control over cost — and what size employer is a good candidate for each
2. Why million-dollar health insurance claims have risen 340% since 2014 and two-million-dollar claims have risen 1,000% — and what employers and employees can do right now to be smarter consumers of their own healthcare
3. What benefit plan communication actually does for your employees — including a Willis Towers Watson study showing the exact same benefits plan was valued three times higher at employers with an effective communication strategy versus those without one
4. What tech credits are — why most employers have never heard of them — and how to ask your benefits broker today whether they can fund a benefit administration platform like Employee Navigator at no cost to you
5. What employers need to know about emerging trends including direct primary care, telemedicine, predictive pharmacy analytics, HealthJoy, and subscription-style health plans — and what to watch out for if you're considering a cost-sharing model

About the guests: Lexi Stiles is a Senior Executive at Assured Partners, a global insurance brokerage, where she advises small to large employers across the Midwest on employee benefits. Named a Motivated Millennial by Resources Magazine at just 26, Lexi brings over 10 years of insurance industry experience with a background in health sciences. Sarah Hudson is a top-performing producer and employee benefits consultant at Assured Partners, named a Rising Star in Insurance and one of the best insurance professionals under 35 in the US in 2023. A certified CrossFit trainer with a holistic approach to health, Sarah brings wellness-minded expertise to helping employers build benefit strategies that actually work.

Chapter Markers:

• 00:00 — Employee Benefits Trends: Rising Claims, Carrier Innovation & What's Changing
• 05:31 — How Employer Benefits Spending Is Shifting Post-COVID
• 10:41 — Fully Insured vs. Level-Funded vs. Partially Self-Funded: What's the Difference?
• 23:58 — Common Misconceptions Employers Have About Benefits Plans
• 28:06 — Emerging Tech in Employee Benefits: HealthJoy, Employee Navigator & Telemedicine
• 36:29 — How to Navigate Compliance in the Employee Benefits Space
• 39:48 — How to Improve Employee Engagement With Your Benefits Strategy
• 44:35 — Future Trends: Direct Primary Care, Self-Funding & Subscription Health Plans
• 50:13 — How to Be a Smarter Healthcare Consumer & Advocate for Yourself

If your HR systems and benefits aren't set up to work together — or you're not sure what your total compensation spend is actually doing for retention — take the free HR Audit to see where your people operations stand: saltandlightadvisors.com/hraudit

🔍 Ready to find out what's really going on inside your business? Take the free Salt & Light HR Audit at saltandlightadvisors.com/hraudit. In about 10 minutes, you'll get a clear picture of where your people operations stand — and exactly where to focus next. No fluff, no sales pitch. Just clarity.

Resources to keep building:

🎯 Take the free HR Audit — Score your HR systems in 5 minutes and see exactly where your gaps are. 👉 saltandlightadvisors.com/hraudit

🎙️ Listen to Don't Waste the Chaos — The podcast for small business owners building strong people operations. 👉 kerrimroberts.com/podcast

📖 Get The HR Easy Button — Kerri's book on building HR systems that actually work for small businesses. 👉 https://amzn.to/4cPyrFh

✉️ Subscribe to the newsletter — Weekly HR insights for founders, in your inbox every Monday. 👉 saltandlight.myflodesk.com/saltandlightadvisors

Need fractional HR support or want to talk through a specific challenge? 👉 saltandlightadvisors.com/contact

Ready to build foundational HR systems on your own? 👉 saltandlightadvisors.com/hrfoundations

Connect with Kerri: 📷 Instagram: instagram.com/kerrimroberts 💼 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kerrimroberts 🐎 Hippo Creek Farm on Instagram: instagram.com/hippocreekfarm

Episode-specific resources mentioned:

• Lexi Stiles on LinkedIn — search Lexi Stiles, Assured Partners
• Sarah Hudson on LinkedIn — search Sarah Hudson, Assured Partners
• Assured Partners — assuredpartners.com
• Employee Navigator — employeenavigator.com
• HealthJoy — healthjoy.com
• Surest (UnitedHealthcare) — surest.com
• Tokyo Marine Stop Loss Report (cited data source)
• Willis Towers Watson benefits communication study (cited data source)
• ZyWave compliance alerts — zywave.com
• Health Equity HSA app — healthequity.com

Full show notes + transcript: kerrimroberts.com/dontwastethechaos/13

Support the show

Is employee engagement something you talk about at your company — or something you actually measure, act on, and build systems around? For most small and mid-sized businesses, it stays in the "we care about culture" category without ever becoming a real strategy. This episode is the practical roadmap that changes that, with specific tools you can start using this week whether you have five employees or fifty.

In this episode, you'll learn:

1. Why employee engagement isn't a nice-to-have — including the data on how replacing a single employee costs between half and two times their annual salary, why the US turnover rate is sitting at 18%, and what that number means for your budget right now
2. Six actionable strategies to improve employee engagement: clear communication, growth and development, recognition, work-life flexibility, a positive and authentic work environment, and purposeful leadership — with specific implementation ideas for each
3. How to implement a 60-day new hire check-in using your HR payroll system — including the 15 questions Kerri recommends, how the process flows between the employee, HR, and their supervisor, and why this one tool dramatically improves early retention
4. Why the languages of appreciation in the workplace — based on Gary Chapman's Love Languages framework — can reveal blind spots in how you recognize your team and what it actually takes for each individual to feel valued
5. What the return-to-office (RTO) debate means for employee engagement right now — why flexibility has surpassed traditional benefits as a top employee priority, and what leaders need to honestly examine about their own work habits before setting expectations for their teams

Chapter Markers:

• 00:00 — Why Employee Engagement Is the Secret Sauce of Workplace Success
• 01:16 — The Business Case: Productivity, Retention, Customer Experience & Culture
• 07:29 — Strategy 1: Clear Communication — From Job Posts to Company Goals
• 08:55 — Strategy 2: Growth & Development — 60-Day Check-Ins, Performance Reviews & Career Ladders
• 13:55 — Strategy 3: Recognition — How to Appreciate People the Way They Actually Want
• 16:12 — Strategy 4: Work-Life Flexibility — The RTO Debate & What Employees Really Want
• 19:22 — Strategy 5: Building a Positive, Authentic Work Environment
• 20:46 — Strategy 6: Lead With Purpose & Authenticity

If your team doesn't feel engaged and you're not sure where your people systems are falling short, the free HR Audit will show you exactly what to look at first: saltandlightadvisors.com/hraudit

🔍 Ready to find out what's really going on inside your business? Take the free Salt & Light HR Audit at saltandlightadvisors.com/hraudit. In about 10 minutes, you'll get a clear picture of where your people operations stand — and exactly where to focus next. No fluff, no sales pitch. Just clarity.

Resources to keep building:

🎯 Take the free HR Audit — Score your HR systems in 5 minutes and see exactly where your gaps are. 👉 saltandlightadvisors.com/hraudit

🎙️ Listen to Don't Waste the Chaos — The podcast for small business owners building strong people operations. 👉 kerrimroberts.com/podcast

📖 Get The HR Easy Button — Kerri's book on building HR systems that actually work for small businesses. 👉 https://amzn.to/4cPyrFh

✉️ Subscribe to the newsletter — Weekly HR insights for founders, in your inbox every Monday. 👉 saltandlight.myflodesk.com/saltandlightadvisors

Need fractional HR support or want to talk through a specific challenge? 👉 saltandlightadvisors.com/contact

Ready to build foundational HR systems on your own? 👉 saltandlightadvisors.com/hrfoundations

Connect with Kerri: 📷 Instagram: instagram.com/kerrimroberts 💼 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kerrimroberts 🐎 Hippo Creek Farm on Instagram: instagram.com/hippocreekfarm

Episode-specific resources mentioned:

• The Speed of Trust by Stephen M.R. Covey & Mark Covey
• The 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace by Gary Chapman & Paul White
• SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management) — shrm.org
• Enneagram, Myers-Briggs, DISC — personality and leadership assessments

Full show notes + transcript: kerrimroberts.com/dontwastethechaos/12

Support the show

What does it actually take to build a thriving med spa business from scratch — survive a cease and desist before you even open your doors, and still come out the other side with an award-winning brand? That's exactly what Beth Donaldson did, and her story is one of the most honest, gritty, and inspiring entrepreneur conversations I've had on this podcast. This episode is equal parts business strategy and personal transformation, and I think you're going to love every minute of it.

In this episode, you'll learn:

1. How Beth navigated one of the most stressful pre-launch adversities an entrepreneur can face — a cease and desist letter over her business name before SkinBe Med Spa even opened — and what the rebranding process taught her about grit, resilience, and building a brand that actually means something
2. What strategies have kept SkinBe thriving past the critical five-year mark — including why continuous learning, pivoting when needed, and refusing to jeopardize quality for price are non-negotiable in a fast-moving industry
3. What's happening right now in the med spa and aesthetics industry — including the shift toward biostimulators like Sculptra, more natural results, and why the industry was valued at over $7 billion in 2023 and is expected to grow by over 20% in the next decade
4. How Beth differentiates SkinBe in a saturated market — through safety, results, cutting-edge techniques, and a client experience philosophy that turns first-time visitors into loyal regulars
5. What Kerri's own 18-month transformation journey with SkinBe has looked like — including 55 pounds of weight loss, NAD+ injections, Emscupt Neo, fractional CO2 laser, PRP, pelvic floor health, and the medical-grade skincare that started it all

About the guest: Beth Donaldson is the founder and CEO of SkinBe Med Spa, an award-winning medical spa based in St. Louis that she built from the ground up after 16 years in corporate, several of those at the executive level. Named one of the top inspiring women in leadership to watch in 2023 by CIO Magazine, Beth is a trailblazer and innovator in the aesthetic space with national award recognition and plans to expand through additional locations and franchising.

Chapter Markers:

• 00:00 — Building SkinBe: Grit, Adversity & the Cease and Desist Before Opening Day
• 07:45 — What's Kept SkinBe Thriving Past the 5-Year Mark
• 10:07 — Med Spa Industry Trends: Biostimulators, Natural Results & the Experience Economy
• 16:17 — Work-Life Integration: How Beth Prioritizes Self-Care as a CEO
• 20:08 — How SkinBe Differentiates in a Saturated Market
• 24:20 — Advice for Aspiring Med Spa & Wellness Entrepreneurs
• 27:24 — Collaborations, Vendor Partnerships & the Skimbassador Program
• 30:09 — What Excites Beth Most About the Future of SkinBe & the Industry
• 31:52 — Kerri's Personal 18-Month Transformation Journey with SkinBe
• 38:16 — SkinBe's Most Popular Services: Sculptra, PRP, Emsculpt Neo & More
• 43:44 — Exclusive Discount Code for Don't Waste the Chaos Listeners

If you're a small business owner in the wellness or aesthetics space and you're not sure whether your HR and people operations can support the growth you're planning, take the free HR Audit and find out what foundation you're actually working with: saltandlightadvisors.com/hraudit

🔍 Ready to find out what's really going on inside your business? Take the free Salt & Light HR Audit at saltandlightadvisors.com/hraudit. In about 10 minutes, you'll get a clear picture of where your people operations stand — and exactly where to focus next. No fluff, no sales pitch. Just clarity.

Resources to keep building:

🎯 Take the free HR Audit — Score your HR systems in 5 minutes and see exactly where your gaps are. 👉 saltandlightadvisors.com/hraudit

🎙️ Listen to Don't Waste the Chaos — The podcast for small business owners building strong people operations. 👉 kerrimroberts.com/podcast

📖 Get The HR Easy Button — Kerri's book on building HR systems that actually work for small businesses. 👉 https://amzn.to/4cPyrFh

✉️ Subscribe to the newsletter — Weekly HR insights for founders, in your inbox every Monday. 👉 saltandlight.myflodesk.com/saltandlightadvisors

Need fractional HR support or want to talk through a specific challenge? 👉 saltandlightadvisors.com/contact

Ready to build foundational HR systems on your own? 👉 saltandlightadvisors.com/hrfoundations

Connect with Kerri: 📷 Instagram: instagram.com/kerrimroberts 💼 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kerrimroberts 🐎 Hippo Creek Farm on Instagram: instagram.com/hippocreekfarm

Episode-specific resources mentioned:

• SkinBe Med Spa — skinbemedspa.com
• Beth Donaldson on Instagram: @queenbdonaldson
• Hustle and Heart Podcast — search "Hustle In Heart Podcast"
• Exclusive 15% discount code for Don't Waste the Chaos listeners: KERRI24 (valid through April 2024 — contact Kerri for current offers after that date)
• SkinBe online skincare store — skinbemedspa.com
• Complimentary virtual skincare assessments — available at skinbemedspa.com

Full show notes + transcript: kerrimroberts.com/dontwastethechaos/11

Support the show

Are you running your small business finances off a shoebox of receipts, a half-maintained QuickBooks file, or just hoping your tax person figures it out at the end of the year? If any of those hit close to home, you're not alone — and you're also not as far from having a real financial foundation as you might think. This episode is the money conversation most small business owners wish they'd had in year one.

In this episode, you'll learn:

1. The most common misconceptions small business owners have about bookkeeping and accounting — including why "I know math, I can do it myself" is one of the most expensive beliefs a founder can hold
2. What a fractional CFO actually does — and how having one gives you a financial partner who can model out decisions like hiring, pricing, and raises in real time so you're making choices based on data, not gut feelings
3. The most common financial pitfalls Allison sees when she takes on a new client — from miscategorized expenses in QuickBooks that make it impossible to read your own P&L, to owner draws incorrectly posted as payroll expenses that are quietly distorting your net income
4. What it actually looks like to work with a fractional CFO month to month — including how Allison uses a "what if" column in her financial modeling to show clients the real impact of adding a person, a service line, or a product before they commit
5. How the landscape of accounting services for small businesses is changing — and why specialization and fractional access are making it possible for more small businesses to get past that five-year mark

About the guest: Allison Carney is the CEO and founder of Domino Bookkeeping, a boutique firm she launched in 2021 specializing in bookkeeping and fractional CFO services for real estate investors and service-based small businesses. With a bachelor's in psychology, an MBA, and a master's of accountancy — plus five years in audit across real estate, manufacturing, and insurance — Allison brings a rare combination of financial expertise and approachability to small business finance.

Chapter Markers:

• 00:00 — The Most Common Misconceptions About Small Business Bookkeeping
• 02:10 — Why Small Businesses Need More Than Just a Tax Professional
• 03:40 — The Primary Benefits of Fractional CFO & Accounting Services
• 05:53 — How a Fractional CFO Partners With You to Make Financial Decisions
• 10:00 — Challenges Small Businesses Face Without Proper Financial Management
• 12:39 — Allison's Path: From Psychology to Fractional CFO
• 16:36 — How Allison Tailors Her Approach for Small Business Clients
• 18:52 — The Most Common Pitfalls When Business Owners Manage Finances Alone
• 24:34 — How Tech & Automation (Including QuickBooks) Support Better Decisions
• 27:33 — Advice for Business Owners Considering Outsourcing Finance for the First Time
• 33:11 — The Future of Accounting Services for Small Businesses

If you're not sure whether your HR and payroll costs are even categorized correctly — or whether you have a clear picture of what you're actually spending on your people — the free HR Audit is a great starting point alongside the financial conversation: saltandlightadvisors.com/hraudit

🔍 Ready to find out what's really going on inside your business? Take the free Salt & Light HR Audit at saltandlightadvisors.com/hraudit. In about 10 minutes, you'll get a clear picture of where your people operations stand — and exactly where to focus next. No fluff, no sales pitch. Just clarity.

Resources to keep building:

🎯 Take the free HR Audit — Score your HR systems in 5 minutes and see exactly where your gaps are. 👉 saltandlightadvisors.com/hraudit

🎙️ Listen to Don't Waste the Chaos — The podcast for small business owners building strong people operations. 👉 kerrimroberts.com/podcast

📖 Get The HR Easy Button — Kerri's book on building HR systems that actually work for small businesses. 👉 https://amzn.to/4cPyrFh

✉️ Subscribe to the newsletter — Weekly HR insights for founders, in your inbox every Monday. 👉 saltandlight.myflodesk.com/saltandlightadvisors

Need fractional HR support or want to talk through a specific challenge? 👉 saltandlightadvisors.com/contact

Ready to build foundational HR systems on your own? 👉 saltandlightadvisors.com/hrfoundations

Connect with Kerri: 📷 Instagram: instagram.com/kerrimroberts 💼 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kerrimroberts 🐎 Hippo Creek Farm on Instagram: instagram.com/hippocreekfarm

Episode-specific resources mentioned:

• Domino Bookkeeping — links in show notes (kerrimroberts.com/dontwastethechaos/10)
• Allison Carney on Facebook, Instagram & LinkedIn — links in show notes
• Free ebook for real estate investors — link in show notes
• QuickBooks Online — quickbooks.intuit.com

Full show notes + transcript: kerrimroberts.com/dontwastethechaos/10

Support the show

Do you know why your employees are actually leaving — or are you just shrugging it off and hoping the next hire sticks? High employee turnover is one of the most expensive and avoidable problems in small business, and most of the time the root cause was visible long before anyone handed in their notice. This episode is a practical, no-fluff walkthrough of exactly what to do — before, during, and after someone leaves — to get your retention numbers moving in the right direction.

In this episode, you'll learn:

1. How to identify the root causes of employee turnover before someone quits — including how to run stay interviews, management by walking around (MBWA), and employee engagement surveys that employees will actually trust and respond to
2. The four most common reasons employees cite for leaving — lack of career growth, poor management, inadequate compensation, and work-life balance issues — and specific action steps to address each one
3. Why if someone leaves in the first 90 days it's a hiring or onboarding problem, between 90 days and a year it's a supervisory problem, and past a year it's usually a culture and career growth problem — and what to do about each
4. What an effective onboarding process looks like even if you have only eight employees — and why showing a new hire you were prepared for them before day one does more for retention than almost anything else
5. How to use total reward statements, compensation data studies, pay bands, and career ladders to build a compensation and growth structure that keeps your best people from quietly looking elsewhere

Chapter Markers:

• 00:00 — Why Employee Turnover Is Costing You More Than You Think
• 00:54 — How to Identify Root Causes Before Someone Quits
• 01:02 — Tool #1: Management by Walking Around (MBWA) — Peter Drucker's Framework
• 03:45 — Tool #2: Stay Interviews — What to Ask and How to Use the Data
• 05:51 — Tool #3: Employee Engagement Surveys — How to Run One That Actually Works
• 08:18 — Tool #4: Exit Interviews — What to Do After Someone Gives Notice
• 10:37 — The 4 Reasons People Leave & How to Address Each One
• 15:59 — Prioritizing Employee Engagement: Recognition, Feedback & Development
• 16:47 — Compensation Strategy: Pay Bands, Total Reward Statements & Transparency
• 18:00 — Growth & Development: Career Ladders, Gap Analysis & Individual Development Plans
• 19:05 — Effective Recruitment & Onboarding: Why Your First 90 Days Matter Most
• 23:57 — Fostering Strong Leadership: Why Turnover After 90 Days Is a Management Issue
• 24:51 — Monitoring & Measuring: The HR Metrics You Should Be Tracking

If you're seeing turnover and you're not sure whether your HR systems are actually built to support retention, the free HR Audit will show you exactly where the gaps are — before you lose another good person: saltandlightadvisors.com/hraudit

🔍 Ready to find out what's really going on inside your business? Take the free Salt & Light HR Audit at saltandlightadvisors.com/hraudit. In about 10 minutes, you'll get a clear picture of where your people operations stand — and exactly where to focus next. No fluff, no sales pitch. Just clarity.

Resources to keep building:

🎯 Take the free HR Audit — Score your HR systems in 5 minutes and see exactly where your gaps are. 👉 saltandlightadvisors.com/hraudit

🎙️ Listen to Don't Waste the Chaos — The podcast for small business owners building strong people operations. 👉 kerrimroberts.com/podcast

📖 Get The HR Easy Button — Kerri's book on building HR systems that actually work for small businesses. 👉 https://amzn.to/4cPyrFh

✉️ Subscribe to the newsletter — Weekly HR insights for founders, in your inbox every Monday. 👉 saltandlight.myflodesk.com/saltandlightadvisors

Need fractional HR support or want to talk through a specific challenge? 👉 saltandlightadvisors.com/contact

Ready to build foundational HR systems on your own? 👉 saltandlightadvisors.com/hrfoundations

Connect with Kerri: 📷 Instagram: instagram.com/kerrimroberts 💼 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kerrimroberts 🐎 Hippo Creek Farm on Instagram: instagram.com/hippocreekfarm

Episode-specific resources mentioned:

• Management by Walking Around (MBWA) — concept from Peter Drucker
• Elevé — recruitment strategy partner (saltandlightadvisors.com/contact)
• ProduceifyX — recruitment strategy partner (saltandlightadvisors.com/contact)
• Canva — recommended for onboarding deck creation (canva.com)
• SurveyMonkey — employee engagement survey tool (surveymonkey.com)
• Salt & Light newsletter — saltandlight.myflodesk.com/saltandlightadvisors

Full show notes + transcript: kerrimroberts.com/dontwastethechaos/9

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Are you thinking about buying a home — or an investment property — but you don't actually know if you're ready, what your credit looks like, or how to find a lender you can trust? Most people don't start that conversation until they've already found a property they love, and by then the stress is real and the options are limited. This episode is the conversation you should be having at least a year before you're ready to make an offer.

In this episode, you'll learn:

1. How to know when you're financially ready to buy a home or investment property — including how to check your credit report for free, what to look for, and why at least half of buyers are surprised by something on their report when they finally pull it
2. How to find and vet a lender before you need one — including what an NMLS ID number tells you, the difference between a broker, bank, and mortgage company loan officer, and the one question to ask any lender before you move forward
3. What illegal steering is in real estate, how it happens through Zillow lead-sharing arrangements and office space rentals, and what buyers can and should ask their agent and lender about their relationship
4. What small business owners and self-employed borrowers need to know about qualifying for a mortgage — including why deducting every possible expense can make it nearly impossible to qualify, and how your business structure affects what a lender can count as income
5. The difference between what you qualify for and what you can actually afford — and why getting pre-approved early, long before you're ready to buy, puts you in a completely different position when the time comes

About the guest: Terry Roberts is a 25-year mortgage and real estate investment veteran, a 10-year United States Marine Corps veteran, and co-owner of a real estate investment company alongside Kerri. He has personally reviewed over 10,000 credit reports and served over 10,000 clients in helping them navigate home financing — with specialties in VA home loans and complex borrower situations.

Chapter Markers:

• 00:00 — Why Real Estate Is One of the Best Long-Term Investments You Can Make
• 02:00 — How Terry Got Into Real Estate (And Made $30K on His First House at 21)
• 03:38 — How to Know If You're Ready to Buy
• 04:37 — How to Pull Your Credit Report for Free & What to Look For
• 06:42 — Why You Should Build a Relationship With a Lender Before You Need One
• 07:45 — How to Find and Vet a Good Loan Officer
• 10:49 — How to Find and Vet a Good Real Estate Agent
• 15:11 — What Is Illegal Steering and How to Spot It
• 22:36 — Common Questions Buyers Ask That They Should Already Know
• 27:20 — What Self-Employed & Small Business Owners Need to Know About Mortgages

If you're building a business and thinking about real estate alongside it, the decisions you make about how to pay yourself and structure your business today will directly affect your ability to qualify for a mortgage tomorrow — and the free HR Audit is a great first step to making sure your people operations and business foundation are solid: saltandlightadvisors.com/hraudit

🔍 Ready to find out what's really going on inside your business? Take the free Salt & Light HR Audit at saltandlightadvisors.com/hraudit. In about 10 minutes, you'll get a clear picture of where your people operations stand — and exactly where to focus next. No fluff, no sales pitch. Just clarity.

Resources to keep building:

🎯 Take the free HR Audit — Score your HR systems in 5 minutes and see exactly where your gaps are. 👉 saltandlightadvisors.com/hraudit

🎙️ Listen to Don't Waste the Chaos — The podcast for small business owners building strong people operations. 👉 kerrimroberts.com/podcast

📖 Get The HR Easy Button — Kerri's book on building HR systems that actually work for small businesses. 👉 https://amzn.to/4cPyrFh

✉️ Subscribe to the newsletter — Weekly HR insights for founders, in your inbox every Monday. 👉 saltandlight.myflodesk.com/saltandlightadvisors

Need fractional HR support or want to talk through a specific challenge? 👉 saltandlightadvisors.com/contact

Ready to build foundational HR systems on your own? 👉 saltandlightadvisors.com/hrfoundations

Connect with Kerri: 📷 Instagram: instagram.com/kerrimroberts 💼 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kerrimroberts 🐎 Hippo Creek Farm on Instagram: instagram.com/hippocreekfarm

Episode-specific resources mentioned:

• Terry Roberts — Mortgage Tip Daily: mortgagetipdaily.com
• Terry on Instagram & TikTok: @mortgagetipdaily
• Free credit report: annualcreditreport.com
• NMLS registry to verify loan officers: nmlsconsumeraccess.org
• Try Magicmind, the productivity elixir Kerri swears by: https://magicmind.com/kerriroberts
• Looking for a new daily vitamin? Get GEM: go to dailygem.co and use code GEM-A-KERRIROBERTS

Full show notes + transcript: kerrimroberts.com/dontwastethechaos/8

Support the show

Are you still running HR and payroll out of a spreadsheet, a stack of paper files, or — bless your heart — a typewriter? If managing employee hours, taxes, benefits, and compliance feels like it's eating your week alive, the problem isn't you — it's that you haven't found the right system yet. This episode breaks down exactly what small business owners need to know before choosing HR and payroll software, straight from someone who has been on both sides of that conversation for over 20 years.

In this episode, you'll learn:

1. What the most common HR and payroll pain points are for small businesses — from manual time tracking and tax compliance to benefits enrollment and employee self-service — and how the right software addresses each one
2. What key features to look for when selecting HR and payroll software, including automated payroll processing, tax compliance management, scalability, reporting and analytics, data security, and why customer service matters more than most features combined
3. What a PEO (Professional Employer Organization) actually is, when it makes sense, and why Cody and Kerri both caution small business owners to understand the loss of control, high costs, and benefit limitations before signing on
4. How automation in HR and payroll software reduces errors, improves productivity, and gives business owners back the time to actually run their business instead of drowning in administrative tasks
5. What's coming next in HR tech — including predictive analytics and AI — and why embracing these tools is a process enhancement, not a threat to the humans running your organization

About the guest: Cody Cummings is a Senior Business Consultant with Tesseon, a human capital management solutions company. In 2023 alone, Cody assisted over 70 organizations comprising 3,500 employees in improving their internal HR and payroll systems, and contributed to 40% sales growth in Q2 and 60% in Q3.

Chapter Markers:

• 00:00 — Why Small Business HR & Payroll Is Broken (And What to Do About It)
• 02:03 — Common Pain Points: What's Actually Costing You Time
• 03:46 — Key Features to Look for in HR & Payroll Software
• 06:57 — The Case for a Single Source HR & Payroll Solution
• 08:14 — Best Practices for Payroll Accuracy & Tax Compliance
• 09:11 — Managing Employee Benefits & Why Education Matters
• 12:46 — How Automation Reduces Errors & Improves Productivity
• 13:34 — How Software Solutions Differ for Small vs. Large Businesses
• 16:59 — What Is a PEO and Is It Right for Your Business?
• 22:30 — Data Security: What Every Small Business Owner Needs to Know
• 24:35 — How to Transition From Manual Processes to Automated Software
• 28:37 — What's Next in HR Tech: AI & Predictive Analytics
• 30:11 — The Human Side of HR: Community, Recovery & Why People Come First

If your HR and payroll systems are still manual and you're not sure what's holding your business back, the free HR Audit will show you exactly where your people operations stand before you invest in anything new: saltandlightadvisors.com/hraudit

🔍 Ready to find out what's really going on inside your business? Take the free Salt & Light HR Audit at saltandlightadvisors.com/hraudit. In about 10 minutes, you'll get a clear picture of where your people operations stand — and exactly where to focus next. No fluff, no sales pitch. Just clarity.

Resources to keep building:

🎯 Take the free HR Audit — Score your HR systems in 5 minutes and see exactly where your gaps are. 👉 saltandlightadvisors.com/hraudit

🎙️ Listen to Don't Waste the Chaos — The podcast for small business owners building strong people operations. 👉 kerrimroberts.com/podcast

📖 Get The HR Easy Button — Kerri's book on building HR systems that actually work for small businesses. 👉 https://amzn.to/4cPyrFh

✉️ Subscribe to the newsletter — Weekly HR insights for founders, in your inbox every Monday. 👉 saltandlight.myflodesk.com/saltandlightadvisors

Need fractional HR support or want to talk through a specific challenge? 👉 saltandlightadvisors.com/contact

Ready to build foundational HR systems on your own? 👉 saltandlightadvisors.com/hrfoundations

Connect with Kerri: 📷 Instagram: instagram.com/kerrimroberts 💼 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kerrimroberts 🐎 Hippo Creek Farm on Instagram: instagram.com/hippocreekfarm

Episode-specific resources mentioned:

• Tesseon HR & Payroll Software — tesseon.com
• Connect with Cody through Kerri — saltandlightadvisors.com/contact
• SHRM Greater St. Louis Chapter — shrm.org

Full show notes + transcript: kerrimroberts.com/dontwastethechaos/7

Support the show

Do you actually have what it takes to be an entrepreneur — or are you just romanticizing the idea of working for yourself? That's not a rhetorical question, and the honest answer might save you years of unnecessary pain. This episode is equal parts encouragement and reality check, straight from someone who spent 15 years insisting she'd never own a business before launching one and never looking back.

In this episode, you'll learn:

1. The key indicators that suggest someone is wired for entrepreneurship — including passion and vision, risk tolerance, resilience, adaptability, self-discipline, financial acumen, and networking — and how to honestly assess yourself against each one
2. The five qualities of a good entrepreneur: visionary leadership, resilience and perseverance, adaptability and flexibility, innovative thinking, and risk management — and what each one actually looks like in practice in year one
3. The hardest parts of starting a new business that no one warns you about — uncertainty and risk, financial constraints, market competition, balancing priorities, regulatory compliance, building a team, cash flow management, marketing and branding, and burnout
4. Why nearly 70% of small businesses fail in the first five years — and what grit, strategic planning, and intentional stress management have to do with being in the 30% that makes it
5. How Kerri went from sole proprietor to S-corp in year one, hired her first contractor in month four, and built a team while managing cash flow — and what she learned about financial acumen, outsourcing, and knowing your strengths along the way

Chapter Markers:

• 00:00 — Do You Have What It Takes to Be an Entrepreneur?
• 00:25 — Key Indicator #1: Passion, Vision & the Work-Life Integration Myth
• 03:17 — When Corporate Crushed the Entrepreneurial Spirit (A Personal Story)
• 05:20 — Key Indicators: Risk Tolerance, Resilience & Adaptability
• 07:24 — Self-Discipline, Financial Acumen & Building Your Numbers IQ
• 10:49 — Networking & Relationship Building (Even When You're an Introvert)
• 12:24 — Being in Process in Public — What Kerri's Son Taught Her About Grit
• 16:06 — The Top 5 Qualities of a Good Entrepreneur
• 19:37 — The Dark Side: 9 Hard Challenges of Starting a Business
• 32:50 — Managing Stress & Burnout Before It Manages You

If you're building a business and you're not sure whether your HR and people systems are keeping up with your growth, take the free HR Audit before you hire your next person — it will show you exactly what foundation you need first: saltandlightadvisors.com/hraudit

🔍 Ready to find out what's really going on inside your business? Take the free Salt & Light HR Audit at saltandlightadvisors.com/hraudit. In about 10 minutes, you'll get a clear picture of where your people operations stand — and exactly where to focus next. No fluff, no sales pitch. Just clarity.

Resources to keep building:

🎯 Take the free HR Audit — Score your HR systems in 5 minutes and see exactly where your gaps are. 👉 saltandlightadvisors.com/hraudit

🎙️ Listen to Don't Waste the Chaos — The podcast for small business owners building strong people operations. 👉 kerrimroberts.com/podcast

📖 Get The HR Easy Button — Kerri's book on building HR systems that actually work for small businesses. 👉 https://amzn.to/4cPyrFh

✉️ Subscribe to the newsletter — Weekly HR insights for founders, in your inbox every Monday. 👉 saltandlight.myflodesk.com/saltandlightadvisors

Need fractional HR support or want to talk through a specific challenge? 👉 saltandlightadvisors.com/contact

Ready to build foundational HR systems on your own? 👉 saltandlightadvisors.com/hrfoundations

Connect with Kerri: 📷 Instagram: instagram.com/kerrimroberts 💼 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kerrimroberts 🐎 Hippo Creek Farm on Instagram: instagram.com/hippocreekfarm

Episode-specific resources mentioned:

• Grit by Angela Duckworth
• Overcoming the Dark Side of Leadership by Gary McIntosh & Samuel Rima
• Flodesk email marketing — flodesk.com (Kerri's discount code in show notes)
• Hoot Design Company — hootdesignco.com (Columbia, Missouri)
• Riverside FM — riverside.fm (podcast recording)
• Episode 3: How to Build a Strategic Plan — kerrimroberts.com/dontwastethechaos/3

Full show notes + transcript: kerrimroberts.com/dontwastethechaos/6

Support the show