If you've had that little voice telling you that you should start a podcast — this episode is your sign, your permission slip, and your complete 12-step checklist all in one. Kerri Roberts is celebrating one full year and 52 episodes of Don't Waste the Chaos, and in this anniversary episode she pulls back the curtain on exactly how she built this podcast from scratch — the equipment she uses, the production team she found, the mistakes she made along the way, and the 12 steps she wishes she'd had when she hit record for the first time.

In this episode, you'll learn:

1. Why Kerri started Don't Waste the Chaos — the moment in a board meeting at a private insurance firm where she said "don't waste the chaos" and watched it take on a life of its own, why she decided a podcast was the best way to reach the business owners and leaders who needed 20 years of HR experience but would never think to ask for it, and the four lessons this first year of podcasting taught her — that consistency builds trust, vulnerability connects, you learn by doing, and your message does not have to be perfect to matter
2. The full 12-step podcast startup checklist — define your purpose and audience (content pillars: for Kerri it's HR, operations, mental health, and personal); choose your format (solo vs. interviews, episode length, frequency); develop your content plan (brainstorm 10 to 15 episodes and build an episode outline or script template); invest in equipment and software (Kerri uses a Blue Yeti mic, Audio Technica headphones, and Riverside FM for recording, plus Kajabi for hosting); design your branding including cover art and podcast description; set up hosting and distribution to Apple, Spotify, and YouTube; test your technology before your first real episode; create an intro and outro with royalty-free music; plan your marketing strategy including a website and email list; record and edit your first episode; launch with three to five episodes ready; and track and improve using platform analytics
3. Exactly what Kerri pays for and who handles what — the full behind-the-scenes breakdown of her production workflow including Amplify Boutique (her editing and production team), what she submits to them after recording (title, release date, guest photo, show notes, cleanup notes), how they post to Kajabi and distribute to Apple, Spotify, and YouTube, and why she runs two separate packages — one for podcast editing and one for YouTube — plus all of the tools she pays for monthly and what each one does
4. Why you should launch with three to five episodes ready and not just one — why your intro episode alone won't give a new listener enough to decide whether to come back, how to think about episode length (Kerri's sweet spot is 25 to 45 minutes based on listener completion data), and why an email marketing list is more important than social media reach because you own that relationship and social platforms can go down or shut you out
5. The mindset shifts that make the difference — why your first videos are going to be awkward and that's completely fine (Kerri's were too), why you should start with a script or detailed outline and evolve toward bullets as you build confidence, what it felt like to see Don't Waste the Chaos show up as someone's number one podcast on Spotify Wrapped, and why the right audience for a podcast is never about size — it's about reach

Chapter Markers:

• 00:00 — One Year of Don't Waste the Chaos: What the Numbers Look Like and Why Kerri's Not Stopping
• 01:05 — Why Kerri Started the Podcast and Where "Don't Waste the Chaos" Came From
• 04:07 — Four Lessons From Year One: Consistency, Vulnerability, Learning by Doing & Your Voice Matters
• 08:16 — Why Now Is the Perfect Time to Start Your Podcast
• 10:28 — Step 1: Define Your Podcast Purpose and Audience (Content Pillars)
• 11:56 — Step 2: Choose Your Format — Solo, Interviews, Length & Frequency
• 13:08 — Step 3: Develop Your Content Plan
• 14:14 — Step 4: Invest in Equipment and Software — Blue Yeti, Audio Technica & Riverside FM
• 22:27 — Step 5: Design Your Podcast Branding (Name, Cover Art & Description)
• 26:56 — Step 6: Hosting and Distribution — Kajabi, Apple, Spotify & YouTube
• 27:48 — Step 7: Test Your Technology
• 28:32 — Step 8: Create Your Intro and Outro
• 29:29 — Step 9: Plan Your Marketing Strategy — Website, Email & Social
• 31:27 — Step 10: Record and Edit Your First Episode
• 32:07 — Step 11: Launch with 3 to 5 Episodes and Announce Across All Channels
• 34:24 — Step 12: Track, Analyze & Improve Using Platform Analytics

This episode is a departure from our usual HR and people ops content — but if you're a business owner who's thinking about starting a podcast as part of your content strategy, the same foundation-first thinking applies to your people operations too. The free HR Audit will show you where your HR systems actually stand: saltandlightadvisors.com/hraudit

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:

• Amplify Boutique — podcast editing and production team (mention Kerri sent you or reach out to Kerri for a warm intro)
• Blue Yeti microphone — linked in show notes (Amazon)
• Audio Technica headphones — linked in show notes (Amazon)
• Riverside FM — podcast recording platform (riveride.fm)
• Kajabi — podcast hosting and course platform (kajabi.com)
• Buzzsprout, Libsyn, Podbean — alternative hosting platforms mentioned
• Canva — for designing podcast cover art
• Epidemic Sound / Free Music Archive — royalty-free music sources
• Adobe Audition, Descript — editing software alternatives mentioned
• dontwastethechaos.com — Kerri's podcast website
• Jenna Kutcher, Amy Porterfield, Donald Miller — podcast website references

Full show notes + transcript: kerrimroberts.com/dontwastethechaos/episode-55-12-steps-to-launch-your-podcast

Support the show

If you're a solopreneur getting ready to hire your first employee — or a small business owner who's hired a few people but never really built a system around it — this episode is going to save you from the mistakes that cost the most time, money, and frustration. Most small business owners either skip the HR foundation entirely or wing it one hire at a time, and then wonder why their people aren't performing the way they hoped. The answer almost always comes back to the foundation — and this episode gives you the eight-area framework to build it right from the start.

In this episode, you'll learn:

1. How to build a hiring and recruitment process that works — why using ChatGPT or Claude to generate your job description (with your business type, state, and role specifics included in the prompt) will produce something more professional than most small businesses have ever used, how to set up a structured three-stage interview process (written questionnaire, 60-second video clip, then live interview), why asking candidates to send a short video before you schedule an interview lets you evaluate communication skills before you've spent a minute of your time, and why structured interview questions eliminate bias and make sure you're not just hiring the most charming person in the room
2. What a real onboarding program looks like at a small business — how Kerri onboarded her marketing coordinator through a multi-week structured program with her EA, broken into specific segments covering technology setup, timesheet tracking, team meeting expectations, branding guidelines, social media vision, and 90-day goals — why you should set clear expectations for what success looks like in the first 30, 60, and 90 days before you ever let someone start changing things, and why a handwritten note sent to their home costs almost nothing and communicates everything
3. How to build an employee reward and recognition program on a small business budget — why remote work and flexible scheduling are compensation in their own right and should factor into how you think about pay, how the lifestyle spending account model works ($350 per year per employee gives them access to gym memberships, health care plans from the marketplace, therapy, teen coaching, and wellness tools), why documenting a $2,500 annual growth and development budget for your team will produce more results than leaving it undefined, and what consistent non-monetary recognition looks like in practice
4. Why employee satisfaction, engagement, and policies aren't optional even when you're small — how to run anonymous surveys through SurveyMonkey with a team of three, why sharing your monthly prospect list with your team in your regular meetings gives them business context that makes them better at their roles, why consistent handbook enforcement builds trust faster than almost anything else, and how to approach legal compliance without spending a fortune
5. Leadership development, talent management, and benefits administration for small business — why succession planning doesn't require a software or a spreadsheet (Kerri's approach was simply asking her first hire whether she wanted to go deep on EA work or marketing as the business grew), how to encourage a decision-making framework by modeling it in real time through how you respond to your team's research, and why wellness culture doesn't have to be expensive — it starts with modeling it yourself on your own team calls

Chapter Markers:

• 00:00 — Why Small Businesses Need an HR Foundation (And How This Episode Will Help You Build It)
• 00:54 — Area 1: Hiring and Recruitment — Job Descriptions, Strategic Sourcing & Structured Interviews
• 07:00 — Area 2: Onboarding — The Welcome Program, Role-Specific Training & 90-Day Goals
• 14:34 — Area 3: Employee Reward and Recognition — Fair Compensation, Lifestyle Spending Accounts & Non-Monetary Perks
• 21:42 — Area 4: Employee Satisfaction and Engagement — Feedback Loops, Transparency & Growth Opportunities
• 26:08 — Area 5: Policies and Procedures — Handbooks, Consistent Enforcement & Legal Compliance
• 29:51 — Area 6: Leadership Development — Training Programs, Mentorship & Decision-Making Frameworks
• 32:12 — Area 7: Talent Management and Development — Assessments, Succession Planning & Personalized Growth Plans
• 33:46 — Area 8: Benefits Administration and Employee Wellness — Comprehensive Benefits, Work-Life Balance & Wellness Programs
• 36:30 — Full Recap: All Eight Areas for Small Business HR Success

If you're ready to stop winging your HR and start building the foundation your business actually needs, the free HR Audit is the fastest way to see exactly where you stand across all eight of these areas: saltandlightadvisors.com/hraudit

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:

• Salt and Light Advisors structured hiring guides — saltandlightadvisors.com/contact
• ChatGPT / OpenAI / Claude — for generating job descriptions and structured interview questions
• LinkedIn — for strategic recruitment
• SurveyMonkey — for anonymous employee satisfaction surveys
• Flodesk — email marketing platform referenced
• Plan That — social media scheduling tool referenced
• Canva — graphic design tool referenced
• Buy Back Your Time by Dan Martell — recommended leadership development book
• Oura Ring — wellness tracking device referenced ($40 off — contact Kerri directly)
• Stride — individual health care marketplace referenced for lifestyle spending accounts
• BetterHelp — online counseling platform referenced for lifestyle spending accounts

Full show notes + transcript: kerrimroberts.com/dontwastethechaos/episode-54-hiring-your-first-employee

Support the show

The stereotypes about HR are real, persistent, and quietly doing damage to businesses that deserve better people operations than what the "policy police" version of HR can deliver. If you've ever wondered why your HR person isn't getting a seat at the strategic table, or why your organization keeps running into the same people problems year after year, this conversation is going to cut right to the root of it. Kerri is joined by Tara Parris, one of Salt and Light Advisors' fractional CHROs, and together they go through the HR myths that are holding businesses back — and what it actually looks like when HR is done right.

In this episode, you'll learn:

1. Why the "policy police" stereotype exists and what it actually reveals about HR — Tara's direct take: if you've spent a decade writing policies without understanding how the business makes money, what the competitive landscape looks like, or what keeps the CEO up at night, you have not earned a strategic role — and no amount of handbook expertise is going to change that; understanding the business is the prerequisite to being taken seriously, not a nice-to-have
2. Why HR being a female-dominated field has contributed to it being undervalued — how the societal norm of women as caretakers has kept HR in an administrative box, why male leaders often gravitate toward operations as the "power seat," and why HR professionals — especially women — who are unwilling to talk openly about money, P&L, and the financial implications of people decisions will never be seen as strategic partners regardless of how skilled they are in their own function
3. The tension HR lives in every single day — why HR's job is technically to protect the business from legal and operational risk while simultaneously advocating for employee wellbeing, how the best HR professionals navigate that as a translator role (helping employees understand the business and helping executives understand that the people are what make the money), and why Tara says the burnout is real, unavoidable, and requires genuine mental toughness to survive — not enthusiasm for pizza parties
4. Why HR avoids tough conversations — and what it actually costs — the definition of a tough conversation from an HR perspective (performance improvement plans, denials of time off, layoffs, terminations), why removing emotion from the delivery is necessary without removing empathy from the intent, and why Kerri frames withholding honest feedback not as kindness but as taking the choice away from the employee — which is actually the unkindest thing you can do
5. What makes fractional HR consulting different from being an in-house HR pro — why Tara describes making the shift as "freeing," the reality that consultants can name what they see without organizational politics getting in the way, why a good fractional HR engagement builds a foundation strong enough that the next internal HR hire comes in at a higher level and costs less, and what it looks like when a business owner is actually ready to let a strategic HR partner do the work

About the guest: Tara Parris is a fractional CHRO at Salt and Light Advisors with over a decade of experience driving business growth and optimizing organizational efficiency across healthcare, security, real estate, commercial transportation, logistics, and insurance. She holds a bachelor's degree in business management and HR from Park University and a master's in legal studies in business law and HR employment law from Arizona State University.

Chapter Markers:

• 00:00 — Introducing Tara Parris, Fractional CHRO at Salt and Light Advisors
• 04:23 — The Policy Police Stereotype: Why HR Gets Put in That Box
• 06:41 — The Seat at the Table Problem (And Why Kerri Hates That Phrase)
• 09:57 — HR Is a Female-Dominated Field: How That Stereotype Has Impacted the Profession
• 13:57 — Why HR Pros Need to Talk About Money to Be Taken Seriously
• 19:21 — HR Only Cares About the Company vs. HR Only Cares About the Employees
• 22:11 — HR as a Translator Role: Serving Both the Business and the People
• 27:32 — The Burnt-Out HR Pro Stereotype: Mental Toughness, Layoffs, and What the Job Really Is
• 30:29 — Real Stories From the Strategic HR Seat (And Eating the Pile of Crap When Things Go Sideways)
• 33:15 — What HR Mentees Say They Want vs. What the Job Actually Looks Like
• 35:59 — Kerri's Origin Story: Why She Went Into HR and What She Learned Fast
• 39:01 — HR Avoids Tough Conversations — Is That Actually True?
• 44:47 — Kindness Is Telling the Truth: Why Withholding Feedback Is the Unkindest Thing
• 46:47 — Transitioning From In-House HR to Consulting: What's Different
• 51:31 — Why Fractional HR Builds a Better Foundation Than a Green Internal Hire
• 57:09 — What Tara and Kerri Are Looking For in HR Pros Who Want to Join the Firm

If you're sitting in a business right now where HR is either nonexistent or functioning at the policy-police level, the free HR Audit will show you exactly what's in place, what's missing, and where to focus first: saltandlightadvisors.com/hraudit

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 a fractional HR leader to come in and build the foundation? 👉 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:

• Tara Parris on LinkedIn — search Tara Parris
• Salt and Light Advisors — saltandlightadvisors.com/contact
• Grit by Angela Duckworth — referenced for building mental toughness
• David Goggins — referenced for mental toughness and resilience
• Dan Martell — referenced for entrepreneurial grit content

Full show notes + transcript: kerrimroberts.com/dontwastethechaos/episode-53-the-hr-myths-holding-your-business-back

Support the show

Most business owners know metrics matter — but when you're juggling everything else, it's easy to either track too much and do nothing with it, or track nothing at all and fly blind into the new year. This episode cuts through the noise with five specific areas and fifteen metrics that give you a real, honest look at how your business performed and exactly where to focus your energy in 2025. If you've been avoiding this conversation, this is the one to listen to with a notebook in hand.

In this episode, you'll learn:

1. Revenue and profitability metrics — year over year revenue growth (subtract last year's revenue from this year's, divide by last year's, multiply by 100), net profit margin (net profit divided by total revenue multiplied by 100), and recurring revenue (what percentage of your total revenue is coming from reliable, repeat sources and which product or service lines are driving it) — because knowing where your money is coming from and what's eroding your profitability is the foundation of every other strategic decision you'll make
2. Customer acquisition and retention metrics — your customer acquisition cost or CAC (divide total marketing and sales spend by number of new customers, including every tool, platform, coordinator, and software you're paying for), customer retention rate (subtract new customers from the total at period end, divide by the number at the start, multiply by 100), and lifetime value or LTV (average purchase value multiplied by purchase frequency multiplied by customer lifespan) — plus how Kerri uses AI tools to benchmark her metrics against industry standards so she knows whether her numbers are a strength to tout or a gap to close
3. Operational efficiency metrics — revenue per employee (total revenue divided by number of employees, broken down by department when possible), cycle time for key processes (the stopwatch and Excel approach Kerri used in a distribution company that revealed just how much wasted time her team didn't know they had, and how she replicated this in her consulting firm by having her assistant analyze calendar time by client to reset her 2025 pricing), and utilization rates (billable hours divided by total hours worked, essential for any service-based business)
4. Marketing and sales performance metrics — lead conversion rate (number of leads converted divided by total leads multiplied by 100), return on marketing investment or ROMI (revenue minus marketing cost, divided by marketing cost, multiplied by 100), and sales cycle length (tracked from first conversation to signed contract, using a simple CRM, Google Doc, or spreadsheet — and why knowing this number is what tells you when to pour gas on the fire)
5. Employee engagement and productivity metrics — employee turnover rate (number of employees who left divided by average number of employees multiplied by 100, benchmarked against your specific industry), employee engagement scores (why conducting annual satisfaction or pulse surveys and then actually acting on the data is one of the highest ROI activities an HR-focused business can do, and what happens to your engagement scores the following year if you collect data and do nothing with it), and training completion rates (why 2025 is the year to bring back a structured focus on learning and development and how to track it easily with an LMS module inside your existing HR payroll system)

Chapter Markers:

• 00:00 — Why Metrics Are the Heartbeat of Your Business (And Which 5 Areas to Focus On)
• 01:11 — Area 1: Revenue and Profitability Metrics
• 03:08 — Area 2: Customer Acquisition and Retention Metrics
• 07:13 — Area 3: Operational Efficiency Metrics
• 12:30 — Area 4: Marketing and Sales Performance Metrics
• 16:59 — Area 5: Employee Engagement and Productivity Metrics
• 21:56 — Full Recap: All 15 Metrics Across the 5 Areas
• 22:18 — What to Do If You're Starting From Zero (And How Salt and Light Can Help)

Your employee engagement scores, turnover rate, and training completion data don't just tell you how your people feel — they're the HR metrics that tell you whether your people operations are actually working. The free HR Audit will show you which people systems are in place and which ones need attention before 2025 gets away from you: 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 a fractional leader to implement these systems for you? 👉 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:

• QuickBooks — for revenue and P&L reporting
• Flodesk — email marketing platform referenced
• Squarespace — website platform referenced
• Riverside — podcast hosting platform referenced
• Plan That — social media scheduling tool referenced
• ChatGPT / OpenAI / Claude — for benchmarking metrics against industry standards
• SurveyMonkey — for employee engagement surveys (free tier available)
• Learning Management System (LMS) — module available inside most HR payroll platforms

Full show notes + transcript: kerrimroberts.com/dontwastethechaos/episode-52-5-metrics

Support the show

What does it actually take to turn a small insurance agency into a top 20 U.S. acquirer — and then walk away and build something even bigger from scratch? Jeff Turner has done it twice, and the lessons he's learned along the way apply to any business owner thinking about growth, acquisition, or preparing to sell. This episode is one of the most strategically rich conversations I've had on this show, and it's not just for insurance people — it's for anyone building something they care about.

In this episode, you'll learn:

1. The three factors Jeff uses to evaluate any acquisition target — leadership (because leadership drives culture, and culture drives everything else), historic organic growth (healthy businesses grow), and strong client retention (effective businesses keep their clients) — and why these three filters then spin off every other area of diligence, and what each of them actually looks like when you dig below the surface
2. What makes an &A firm fundamentally different from a brokerage that uses &A as a growth strategy — why Jeff spent a year after Keystone specifically choosing a PE sponsor who understood this distinction before launching Crestfield Risk, and why if you're an agency owner choosing an acquirer, understanding which one you're dealing with should be one of your first questions because the driving factors behind every decision are completely different
3. The three things to get right before working with a private equity firm — strategic alignment (more important than financial alignment and harder to get right), financial alignment, and understanding the PE firm's actual management style (ask to speak with three CEOs of businesses they currently back and at least one they've already exited before you sign anything)
4. Why culture fit beats deal economics in M&A every single time — the Thanksgiving test framework for evaluating whether a person (or an agency) truly belongs in your organization, why sellers often get enamored by the transaction economics and marginalize what life looks like at year five and year ten, and why if the people aren't right the financial results will always be muted
5. What makes a business attractive to buyers right now — having a crisp clear vision of who you are and why you're different (your elevator pitch has to be clean), setting explicit measurable sales goals and tracking them publicly, building an execution strategy with clearly defined team responsibilities, demonstrating historic profitable growth, and having genuinely sticky revenue — plus why Kerri says every business owner should run their operations as if someone is about to peek over their shoulder, even if they never plan to sell

About the guest: Jeff Turner is the co-founder and CEO of Crestfield Risk (crestfield.com), an insurance brokerage platform that uses M&A as its primary growth strategy. With 29 years of experience spanning independent agency ownership in Texas, eight years leading North American growth across four business segments at Willis Towers Watson, and his tenure as CEO of Keystone Agency Partners — where he scaled the company from a startup to a top 20 U.S. acquirer with over $200M in revenue, 1,000+ employees, and 53 acquisitions in three years — Jeff is one of the most experienced voices in insurance brokerage M&A in the country.

Chapter Markers:

• 00:00 — Jeff Turner's 29-Year Career: From Independent Agent to Global Brokerage to PE-Backed M&A
• 04:49 — Why the Distinction Between an M&A Firm and a Brokerage That Uses M&A Actually Matters
• 08:07 — The Three Factors Jeff Uses to Evaluate Every Acquisition Target
• 10:15 — What It Means to Run Your Business as If It's Always for Sale (Even If You'll Never Sell)
• 11:54 — Advice for Sellers: Culture Fit Before Deal Economics, the Thanksgiving Test Framework
• 15:55 — Critical Drivers That Maximize Business Valuation
• 17:19 — Post-Acquisition Growth Strategies: Finding What Agencies Do Well and Doubling Down
• 21:37 — Why We Get What We Focus On — and Why Most Businesses Wander Through the Year
• 22:36 — Key Practices That Make a Business Attractive to Buyers
• 27:03 — Private Equity: What to Know Before You Get Involved
• 31:16 — Cultural Integration in M&A: Discipline, Patience, and Transparency
• 33:36 — Kerri's Personal M&A Story: Culture Fit, Quick Lefts, and Who Falls Off the Boat
• 36:01 — Current M&A Trends in Insurance Brokerage and What Sellers Need to Watch For
• 38:57 — Crestfield Risk: The Vision, Two Agencies Under LOI, and What's Next

If you're building a business with the intention of selling one day — or just want to make sure your people operations are actually in the shape a serious buyer would expect — the free HR Audit will show you exactly where you 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 prepare your people operations for a potential sale? 👉 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:

• Crestfield Risk — crestfield.com
• Jeff Turner on LinkedIn — searchable at linkedin.com/in
• Jeff Turner direct email — [email protected]
• Crestfield Risk on LinkedIn — search Crestfield Risk

Full show notes + transcript: kerrimroberts.com/dontwastethechaos/episode-51-what-it-takes-to-turn-a-small-agency-into-a-major-player

Support the show

Sustainability in business is no longer a buzzword or a nice-to-have — it's becoming a critical business strategy, and 2025 is shaping up to be the year that separates businesses who've been thinking about it from businesses who've been doing it. And here's the part most people miss: sustainable business practices aren't just good for the planet — they drive real cost savings, build customer loyalty, and give you a genuine competitive edge. This episode breaks it down into practical steps any business can take, no matter your industry or your size.

In this episode, you'll learn:

1. Why sustainability matters as a business strategy right now — three core reasons to prioritize it in 2025: customer demand (consumers increasingly prefer and stay loyal to businesses that align with their values, and the clearer you get about who you are, the more aligned customers find you), cost savings (energy efficiency, waste reduction, and smarter resource use can save thousands annually), and competitive advantage (businesses that commit to sustainability stand out in a way that's hard to replicate)
2. Five practical steps to build sustainability into your operations — conducting a sustainability audit to find your biggest sources of waste and inefficiency, setting specific measurable goals (reducing energy use by 20%, switching to 100% recyclable packaging), engaging your team at every level so they own the change rather than resist it, partnering with suppliers who share your sustainability values, and tracking and communicating your progress publicly to build accountability and trust
3. How to navigate the three most common challenges — initial cost (upfront investments in things like solar or energy-efficient systems often have long-term ROI, and government grants and rebates are available), resistance to change (start with small visible wins, explain the why, communicate throughout), and time constraints (sustainability is a journey, not an overhaul — progress beats perfection)
4. Real small business success stories with measurable results — a Portland cafe that reduced garbage collection costs by 40% ($5,000 annually) through composting and received free soil for their herb garden, an Austin boutique retail store that saw a 25% increase in repeat customers year over year after switching to 100% recycled packaging and educating customers about their commitment, and a Denver cleaning company that reduced product costs by 30% annually by switching to eco-friendly concentrated solutions and microfiber cloths while also improving operational efficiency
5. Why sustainability is also a people strategy — how remote work options, local sourcing, and volunteer initiatives are sustainability practices that connect directly to employee satisfaction and retention, why the businesses building legacies beyond profits are the ones thinking about people and planet together, and what one step you can realistically take this week to get started

Chapter Markers:

• 00:00 — Why Sustainability Is Now a Critical Business Strategy (Not a Buzzword)
• 00:54 — Three Reasons Sustainability Matters: Customer Demand, Cost Savings & Competitive Edge
• 02:24 — Step 1: Conduct a Sustainability Audit
• 02:53 — Step 2: Set Clear Sustainability Goals
• 03:13 — Step 3: Engage Your Team (And Why Buy-In Changes Everything)
• 03:46 — Step 4: Partner With Sustainable Suppliers
• 04:15 — Step 5: Measure and Communicate Your Progress
• 04:42 — Three Challenges to Expect (And How to Handle Them)
• 05:48 — What Sustainability Looks Like at Salt and Light Advisors
• 07:57 — Why 2025 Is a Turning Point for Sustainable Business Practices
• 08:30 — Success Story 1: Portland Cafe — 40% Reduction in Garbage Costs
• 9:33 — Success Story 2: Austin Boutique — 25% Increase in Repeat Customers
• 10:26 — Success Story 3: Denver Cleaning Company — 30% Reduction in Product Costs
• 11:45 — Sustainability Is Also a People Strategy (Remote Work, Local Sourcing, Volunteers)
• 12:31 — What One Step Can You Take Today?

Sustainability starts with knowing where your operations actually stand — the same way your HR systems do. If you want to see exactly where your people operations have gaps before you head into 2025, the free HR Audit is a great place to start: 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 your people operations for 2025? 👉 saltandlightadvisors.com/contact

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

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

Episode-specific resources mentioned:

• U.S. government grants and rebates for sustainable business investments — energy.gov and sba.gov are good starting points
• LinkedIn Learning — for employee education on sustainability topics
• Don't Waste the Chaos on Instagram and Facebook — referenced for continuing the conversation

Full show notes + transcript: kerrimroberts.com/dontwastethechaos/episode-50-why-sustainability-in-business-is-the-ultimate-business-strategy-for-2025

Support the show

If you're a manager frustrated by young employees who seem to be missing the basics — or a young professional who genuinely wants to level up but isn't sure where to start — this episode is going to give you a real, practical roadmap. The soft skills gap that so many organizations are dealing with right now isn't a potential problem, it's an exposure problem. And in this solo episode, Kerri Roberts breaks down exactly what to do about it from both sides of the desk.

In this episode, you'll learn:

1. The four core areas where young professionals most often fall short — soft skills, communication, professionalism, and business acumen — and the specific behaviors to develop in each one
2. How the "ink pen" active listening exercise works in practice and why it forces the brain to stop preparing a rebuttal and actually hear what someone is saying
3. What "half-baked" emails are costing you in credibility and trust — and the simple framework for giving a manager the context they actually need in a status update
4. Five practical strategies managers can use to develop young employees right now: teaching through coaching, setting clear expectations, providing growth opportunities, building emotional intelligence, and celebrating progress
5. Why over 90% of employees in one survey said they wanted a mentor — and how to build a peer-to-peer mentorship program that doesn't require a big budget or a formal HR department

CHAPTERS:

00:00 The Skills Gap Is Real — and It Goes Both Ways
 03:10 Soft Skills: Active Listening and Building Empathy
 09:05 Communication: Improving Verbal Skills in Meetings
 11:45 Writing Skills — What "Half-Baked" Emails Are Costing You
 16:55 Professionalism: Punctuality, Dress, and Showing Up Right
 21:05 Business Acumen: Learn the Industry and Bring Solutions, Not Just Problems
 26:10 Manager Tip 1: Teach Through Coaching
 28:10 Manager Tip 2: Set Clear Expectations
 32:00 Manager Tip 3: Provide Growth Opportunities and Mentorship
 34:55 Manager Tip 4: Focus on Emotional Intelligence
 37:00 Manager Tip 5: Celebrate Progress and Give Honest Feedback

If your onboarding process isn't setting new employees up with clear expectations from day one, that's a people systems gap — and the free HR Audit will show you exactly where to start: saltandlightadvisors.com/hraudit

— 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

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• Episode with John Thomas on middle management and leadership development — linked in show notes
• Episode on HR trends 2025 (upskilling and reskilling segment) — linked in show notes
• Grammarly — grammarly.com (mentioned for writing and tone checks)
• ChatGPT / OpenAI — openai.com (mentioned for writing and development help)
• Netflix Chief People Officer story on sugarcoated feedback — referenced in episode

📝 Full show notes + transcript: https://kerrimroberts.com/dontwastethechaos/young-professionals

Support the show

What if the thing holding back your business performance isn't your strategy, your team, or your marketing — but an emotional response your nervous system learned before you were ten years old? EFT, or Emotional Freedom Technique, is a science-backed practice with over 100 peer-reviewed studies behind it, and in this episode, Kerri Roberts sits down with her own personal EFT coach to pull back the curtain on what this tool actually does and how it directly impacts performance, income, and leadership. This is not a woo-woo episode — it's a practical conversation about nervous system science and what happens when you finally process the emotional weight you've been carrying into your business.

In this episode, you'll learn:

1. What EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) is, how it works at a nervous system level, and why over 100 peer-reviewed studies support it as more than a mindset tool
2. The two types of high-achieving entrepreneurs — the ones stuck in the "on" position and the ones who freeze — and how EFT addresses both patterns differently
3. How procrastination is actually a mini trauma response, and how tapping can break the freeze and get you moving on the projects you keep putting off
4. The step-by-step EFT tapping sequence — eight points, what each one does, and exactly how to use it before a big presentation, a vendor negotiation, or any high-stakes moment
5. How one entrepreneur broke through a years-long income ceiling by tracing a subconscious money belief back to a childhood memory of her parents fighting over finances — and what shifted within a week

About the Guest:
Kelly Howe is a leadership coach, intuitive mentor, and EFT tapping expert who works with soul-driven entrepreneurs to help them break through emotional blocks, overcome imposter syndrome, and lead with authenticity. A former registered nurse with eight years in labor and delivery, Kelly brings a unique clinical understanding of the mind-body connection to her coaching practice and her podcast, The Manifestation Lab.

Kelly Howe is a leadership coach, intuitive mentor, and certified EFT tapping practitioner whose work sits at the intersection of nervous system science and entrepreneurial performance. Drawing on her background as a registered nurse and years of advanced EFT training, Kelly specializes in helping high-achieving entrepreneurs identify and dismantle the subconscious emotional patterns that create income ceilings, imposter syndrome, and burnout.

CHAPTERS:

00:00 Why Kerri's Own Coach Is on the Pod Today
 01:50 Kelly's Journey from Labor & Delivery RN to EFT Expert
 06:35 What Is EFT and How Does It Work? The Science Behind Tapping
 11:20 How EFT Shows Up Differently for the "On" vs. "Freeze" Entrepreneur
 16:00 Imposter Syndrome, Stress & Burnout — What's Actually Happening in the Body
 20:00 EFT Before a Presentation or Negotiation — A Practical Walk-Through
 25:40 The 8 EFT Tapping Points, Step by Step (Tap Along)
 32:00 What Happens When the Number Goes Up Instead of Down
 37:55 The Shadow Work No One Talks About — and Why It Matters in Business
 42:00 Breaking an Income Ceiling: A Real Client Story
 49:00 Trust Issues on Your Team Might Be About Something Much Older
 53:50 How to Work with Kelly and Where to Find Her

The inner work is real, and so are the people systems underneath your business — find out where your HR foundation actually stands with the free Salt & Light HR Audit: saltandlightadvisors.com/hraudit

— 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

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• Kelly Howe — website: kellyhowe.co | Instagram: @kellyhowe coaching | Email: [email protected]
• Kelly's podcast: The Manifestation Lab — available on all major platforms
• Dr. Gabor Maté — research on emotional suppression and health outcomes (referenced in episode)
• EMDR — mentioned as a related somatic technique
• Somatic breathwork — mentioned as a related approach

📝 Full show notes + transcript: https://kerrimroberts.com/dontwastethechaos/emotional-freedom-technique

Support the show

What are the HR trends that are actually going to matter for your small business in 2025 — and more importantly, what can you do about them right now without blowing your budget? After 20 years in HR and a year of 30% business growth, Kerri Roberts is pulling out her HR crystal ball and walking through the 10 trends she's watching most closely heading into the new year. This is a solo episode packed with practical, DIY-friendly action steps you can start implementing today.

In this episode, you'll learn:

1. How AI and automation are reshaping HR from recruitment to performance management — and the specific tools worth investing in right now, including ChatGPT, applicant tracking systems, Gusto, and automated onboarding
2. Why employee well-being programs have evolved well beyond health insurance — and how small businesses under 50 employees can access an EAP for as little as $350 per employee per year
3. The shift happening in DEI toward neurodivergence and unconscious bias in hiring — plus two simple practices (blind resumes and standardized interview questions) that reduce bias immediately
4. Why pay transparency is coming whether you're ready or not — and how Salt & Light Advisors conducts compensation data studies that show you exactly who's underpaid, overpaid, and how to fix it
5. Why surveying your employees is the single most important thing you can do above and beyond any trend — and the eight specific outcomes a well-run engagement survey produces for your business

CHAPTERS:

00:00 Kerri's 2024 Year in Review — 30% Growth and What's Next
 01:00 Trend 1: AI and Automation in HR
 06:00 Trend 2: Employee Well-Being and Mental Health Programs
 09:14 Trend 3: DEI — What's Changing and What Still Matters
 11:42 Trend 4: Upskilling and Reskilling Your Team
 14:08 Trend 5: Hybrid and Flexible Work Models
 16:13 Trend 6: People Analytics and Data-Driven HR
 18:02 Trend 7: Leadership Development Is Back
 21:37 Trend 8: Pay Transparency and Compensation Audits
 24:20 Trend 9: VR and AR in Training
 25:39 Trend 10: Strengthening Organizational Culture
 29:10 Why Surveying Your Employees Matters More Than Any Trend

Before you start chasing 2025 trends, you need to know where your HR systems stand today — take the free Salt & Light HR Audit and find your gaps in five minutes: saltandlightadvisors.com/hraudit

— 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

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• ChatGPT / OpenAI — openai.com
• Gusto (payroll & HR platform, Kerri has a discount code — reach her at saltandlightadvisors.com/contact)
• EAP partner for businesses under 50 employees ($350/employee/year) — contact Kerri for details
• Helium (VR/AR training platform, founded by Sarah Hill, Columbia, MO) — contact via episode on Lydia Melton linked in show notes
• Episode on AI in HR — linked in show notes
• Episode on upskilling — linked in show notes
• Episode on emotional intelligence with John Thomas (Ep. 45) — linked in show notes
• Episode featuring Lydia Melton (Helium/VR) — linked in show notes
• Salt & Light Advisors compensation data studies — saltandlightadvisors.com/contact

📝 Full show notes + transcript: https://kerrimroberts.com/dontwastethechaos/tophrtrendsfor2025

Support the show

Are behavioral assessments actually worth the investment for a small business — or are they just another HR tool that sounds great in theory and collects dust in practice? If you've ever wondered which assessment is right for your team, whether you can use them in hiring without landing in legal hot water, or how to get real ROI from the tools you're already paying for, this episode breaks it all down. Kerri Roberts walks through 11 of the most commonly used behavioral and cognitive assessments on the market today — with honest takes, real use cases, and a clear recommendation on where to start.

In this episode, you'll learn:

1. The difference between behavioral and cognitive assessments — what each one measures, when to use both, and when one is enough
2. The legal risks of using assessments in pre-employment screening and the documentation practices that protect you
3. A plain-English breakdown of 11 assessments including DISC, Myers-Briggs, CliftonStrengths, Hogan, Enneagram, and the Predictive Index — with use cases and honest opinions on each
4. Why Kerri recommends the Predictive Index above all others right now, and how its five modules (Hire, Inspire, Design, Diagnose, and Perform) map directly to the most common people problems small businesses face
5. How a mid-sized construction firm reduced turnover by 30% in one year by fixing a behavioral mismatch in their hiring criteria — and what that could mean for your bottom line

CHAPTERS:

00:00 Why Behavioral Assessments Matter for Small Business
 06:25 Legal Risks of Using Assessments in Pre-Employment Screening
 09:15 DISC, Myers-Briggs & CliftonStrengths — What They're Good For
 13:50 Hogan, 16 Personalities & the TKI Conflict Tool
 15:55 Big Five (OCEAN), EQ 2.0 & Belbin Team Roles
 18:55 Culture Index, Enneagram & Kerri's Recommendation
 20:30 Why Predictive Index Is Kerri's #1 Pick Right Now
 22:00 The 5 PI Modules and Which One Solves Your Problem
 26:00 How Salt & Light Advisors Implements These Tools
 28:30 Books & Bonus Tools Worth Knowing

If you want to know whether your current hiring process has the structure to actually use assessments well, the free HR Audit is the fastest way to find out: saltandlightadvisors.com/hraudit

— 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

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• Predictive Index — predictiveindex.com (Kerri is a certified PI partner — reach her at saltandlightadvisors.com/contact)
• Episode 45: Emotional Intelligence & Transformational Leadership with John Thomas — linked in show notes
• StandOut by Marcus Buckingham — link in show notes
• How the World Sees You (Fascination Advantage) by Sally Hogshead — link in show notes
• Who by Geoff Smart & Randy Street — link in show notes
• The Science of Dream Teams by Mike Zani (confirm author before publishing) — link in show notes
• The Gene Keys by Richard Rudd — link in show notes
• Enneagram book recommendation — link in show notes

📝 Full show notes + transcript: https://kerrimroberts.com/dontwastethechaos/behavioralassessments

Support the show