Build a Business That Serves Your Life (Not the Other Way Around) with John Nieuwenburg

Small business owners are great technicians—but often underpowered CEOs.

Coach John Nieuwenburg breaks down why most owners feel squeezed by time, team, and money—and how to fix it. We cover building a simple, real-time dashboard (so you stop driving by the rear-view mirror), the "three-legged stool" of systems-people-leadership, recruiting a bench before you're desperate, plus hiring for culture over skills. The goal: a business that funds—and fits—your life.

In This Episode, You'll Learn:

• Why most small business owners struggle with time, team, and money—and how to regain control.
• How to build a dashboard with 3–5 KPIs that actually predict success, instead of relying on lagging P&Ls.
• The three-legged stool of systems, people, and leadership—and why systems must run the business.
• The 85/15 rule: systematize the routine, humanize the exceptions.
• How to shift from avoidance to mastery in crucial conversations with your team.
• Why recruiting should be ongoing—build a bench before you need it.
• The truth about culture: you don't get the one you want, you get the one you deserve.
• Why you must hire for culture and train for skills, not the other way around.
• The real purpose of a small business: to fund the life of its owner.

Key Takeaways:

• Dashboards beat rear-view P&Ls: pick 3–5 KPIs owners can act on weekly.
• The 3-legged stool: systems run the business; people run systems; you lead people.
• Systematize 85% (routine), humanize 15% (exceptions). Seek system fixes, not people fixes.
• Recruit before you need it—build a bench so you can enforce standards without fear.
• Hire for culture, train for skill; most terminations are culture, not skill.
• Crucial conversations are a core leadership skill; avoidance is expensive.
• Purpose check: Your small business should serve your life. If not, change it.

Guest Bio:

John Nieuwenburg is a business coach (since 2004) who's helped 320+ small-business owners increase profits, remove chaos, and reclaim their lives. Formerly President of BC Liquor Stores (>$3B revenue; 4,000 employees), he was named MacKay CEO Forums' "Canada's CEO Trusted Advisor—Small Business" in 2019. He leads W5 Coaching, applying a Socratic approach to help owners think clearly and act decisively.

Links:

https://w5coaching.com/

https://www.facebook.com/john.nieuwenburg/

https://ca.linkedin.com/in/business-coach-canada

Conclusion:

At the end of the day, your business should exist to serve you—not consume you. As John Nieuwenburg reminds us, small businesses thrive when owners stop running by the "rear-view mirror," build dashboards that give them clarity, systematize their operations, and lead with courage in conversations and culture. The reward? A business that creates both profit and peace of mind. If your company isn't giving you the freedom and financial security you started it for, it's time to make the shifts that put your life back at the center.

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