What if the secret to turning around a failing business wasn't a complex strategy, but simply asking the right questions? In this episode of The Fix, host Derrick Mains sits down with his longtime friend and fellow entrepreneur, Paul Sim, for a masterclass in practical leadership and operational wisdom.

Paul shares the incredible story of how, with no operations experience, he saved a firetruck manufacturing plant from closure just by going to the shop floor and asking the workers, "How do we make this better?" This conversation is a goldmine for any leader feeling disconnected from their team or trapped by corporate bureaucracy.

You'll Discover:

The "Lead-duship" Principle: Why the best ideas often come from the people doing the work, not the C-suite.

Paul's 3 Core Business Sciences: A simple framework (Revenue, System, and Guidance Science) to diagnose any company's health.

How to Justify Major Investments: The art of presenting ROI to get critical projects approved, even when you have to ask for forgiveness later.

The Future of Work & AI: A provocative discussion on whether "Human Resources" is becoming "System Resources" and how to use AI without driving your business toward the "average."

Real-World Lessons: Candid stories from 30 years of entrepreneurship on learning from failure and the value of a trusted peer who asks the tough questions.

If you're a CEO, founder, or operations leader looking for no-nonsense strategies to improve communication, unlock hidden capacity, and future-proof your business, this episode is for you.

Keywords: business turnaround, operational efficiency, leadership, entrepreneurship, process improvement, corporate culture, AI in business, future of work, CEO advice, business strategy, team management, employee engagement, operational leadership, Derrick Mains, Paul Sim, The Fix, GapView, business consulting, ROI, investment, systems thinking.

Is your ERP a liability or your greatest asset? In this episode of The Fix, host Derrick Mains sits down with Teddie Reyes, NetSuite expert and founder of TFR Solutions, to expose the shocking reasons why up to 90% of ERP implementations fail—and how to ensure yours is a success.

They dive deep into the critical connection between clean process design, ERP configuration, and your company's ultimate sale value. Discover why "customization" can be a dirty word and how speaking the "common language" of systems like NetSuite can dramatically increase your business's transferability and multiple.

In this episode, you'll learn:

-The #1 reason ERP implementations fail (it's not the software).

-How to perform "Process Triage" before an implementation to identify and fix workflow bottlenecks.

-Why "tribal knowledge" is your biggest risk and how to systemize it for scalability and a successful exit.

-The "Shipping Container" analogy for building a business that is easy to understand, operate, and sell.

-The future of work in the age of AI and why "Human Resources" is shifting to "System Resources."

If you are a CEO, CFO, or operations leader considering NetSuite, struggling with a current implementation, or planning a future business exit, this conversation is a must-listen.

Keywords: NetSuite, ERP Implementation, Business Process, Operational Due Diligence, Business Exit Strategy, Scaling a Business, Process Triage, NetSuite Consulting, Teddie Reyes, TFR Solutions, Derrick Mains, The Fix, Oracle NetSuite, SaaS, Workflow Automation, System Integration, Tribal Knowledge, Business Valuation, AI in Business.

Struggling to bridge the gap between your business strategy and your team's daily execution? In this episode of The Fix, host Derrick Mains sits down with Layla Pomper from Process Driven for a masterclass in operational efficiency.

They break down the critical difference between high-level process mapping and the daily "playbook" that makes a team actually work. If you've ever been frustrated by disorganization, missed deadlines, or employees who seem to have "no common sense," this conversation reveals the root cause and provides a clear path forward.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• The "MapQuest" vs. "State Map" analogy for understanding Process Mapping (strategic) vs. Process Execution (tactical).
• Why the first 90 days of an employee's journey often kills their creativity and how to fix it.
• How to move from chaotic email chains to a structured work management system that everyone follows.
• The real reason managers are incentivized to create busywork and how to flip the script to reward efficiency.
• Practical steps to implement "habit optimization" for your team, moving from theory to daily practice.

If you're a business owner, COO, operations manager, or team leader tired of the friction between departments and the chaos of daily tasks, this episode is your guide to creating a cohesive, productive, and accountable organization.

Keywords: business process, operations management, team productivity, workflow optimization, SOPs, task management, business execution, process mapping, Derrick Mains, Layla Pomper, Process Driven, The Fix, operational efficiency, team collaboration, project management, leadership, business systems, habit optimization, common sense in business.

Unlock hidden capacity and skyrocket your business efficiency. In this episode of The Fix, host Derrick Mains sits down with Jenn Gray from Bright Path Strategies to reveal why "working harder" is the wrong approach to growth. They break down a powerful framework for visualizing your workflow, eliminating pointless tasks, and focusing on what truly moves the needle.

Discover:

How to use Process Mapping & Notion to create a visual "inbox and outbox" for your digital work, exposing bottlenecks you never knew existed.

The "Action vs. Results" mindset shift that prevents wasted effort and ensures every task contributes to a clear goal.

Real-world examples of insane inefficiencies (like the $19/month software that could replace a full-time job) and how to find them in your company.

Why "Working ON your business" is a myth until you first systematize the work IN your business.

Strategic Prioritization: A simple method to rank projects by revenue potential, enthusiasm, and time commitment to stop spinning your wheels on low-impact work.

If you're a business owner, CEO, or operations leader struggling with team productivity, scaling challenges, or feeling like your team is constantly busy but not making progress, this episode is your wake-up call.

Keywords: Business Process Optimization, Workflow Automation, Notion Tutorial, Productivity for Business, Scaling a Business, Operational Efficiency, Process Mapping, Systems Thinking, Leadership, Entrepreneurship, Business Strategy, How to Scale, CEO Advice, Work Smarter Not Harder, Digital Transformation, Task Management.

How do you make critical decisions under extreme pressure? In this unique episode of The Fix, host Derek Maines is joined by Derrek Hofrichter, a former Krav Maga instructor and NTSB investigator, to explore the powerful parallels between self-defense tactics and executive leadership. Discover a proven framework for high-stakes decision-making that applies to both personal safety and business crises.

Learn how to move from analysis paralysis to decisive action, build resilience under stress, and create reliable mental models for when your business is under threat. This conversation dismantles the myth that effective leadership is only about strategy, revealing the critical importance of mindset, awareness, and process under fire.

Key Topics Discussed:

-Applying Krav Maga's decision-making process to business leadership and crisis management.

-Moving beyond fight, flight, or freeze responses to achieve clarity under pressure.

-Lessons from NTSB accident investigations on executive decision-making failures.

-The role of stress, fatigue, and cognitive load in reducing effective IQ.

-Building a "self-defense" mindset for business to anticipate and neutralize threats.

-Contrasting sport fighting with real-world self-defense for strategic advantage.

-Implementing black box thinking and creating a culture of psychological safety.

Learn how to:

-Develop a reliable framework for making high-consequence decisions quickly.

-Train yourself and your team to perform under duress and in chaotic situations.

-Apply principles of leverage and anatomy to overcome larger competitive threats.

-Foster an environment where challenges and contrarian ideas strengthen strategy.

-Improve organizational resilience by rehearsing responses to potential crises.

Featured Expert:

Derrek Hofrichter is a speaker and expert who integrates his experience from Krav Maga instruction and federal accident investigation with the NTSB to teach leaders how to thrive under pressure.

Relevant Keywords:

leadership under pressure, high-stakes decision making, executive resilience, crisis management, business strategy, risk mitigation, cognitive load, stress management, contrarian thinking, psychological safety, performance under duress, operational strategy, leadership development, CEO mindset, business continuity, threat assessment, strategic planning, decision fatigue, Vistage speaker, business coaching.

Subscribe to The Fix for more unconventional strategies to optimize your business and leadership.

Is your company's energy being sapped by chaos and unpredictability? This episode of The Fix features Bill Green, a expert in aligning business strategy with organizational culture. We explore how intentional system design directly impacts company vibe, employee retention, and ultimately, your bottom line.

Discover why optimizing for employee experience is the most powerful lever for customer satisfaction and business yield. Learn practical frameworks for building trust, reducing operational friction, and creating a destination workplace that attracts and retains top talent.

Key Topics Discussed:

- The direct correlation between predictable systems, employee energy, and productivity.

-Moving beyond profit-first ideology to a people-first and customer-second model.

-How to diagnose and repair broken trust between leadership and frontline employees.

-Designing operational clarity to reduce variability and create a high-trust culture.

-Preparing your business for due diligence, investment, or acquisition by systematizing operations.

-The critical role of leadership in creating psychological safety and fostering honest feedback.

-Applying the "What do you want to optimize?" framework to drive meaningful change.

Learn how to:

-Transform company vibe by intentionally designing people-centric systems.

-Unlock hidden capacity by eliminating non-value-added work and busywork.

-Build a resilient organization that can withstand market variability and stress.

-Create a compelling due diligence package that increases business valuation.

-Foster an environment where employees feel safe to report problems and innovate.

Featured Expert:

Bill Green of VibeOptimizer.com specializes in integrating strategic execution with cultural health to help leadership teams build scalable, high-performing organizations.

Relevant Keywords:

company culture, organizational health, business vibe, employee experience, leadership development, operational efficiency, due diligence preparation, business valuation, scaling a business, trust building, psychological safety, change management, strategic planning, process optimization, people operations, talent retention, destination employer, leadership team alignment, business systems, operational excellence.

Subscribe to The Fix for more insights on building businesses that people love.

Why do 95% of AI initiatives fail? This episode of The Fix features AI expert Lucas Petty. We move beyond the hype to deliver a practical framework for integrating artificial intelligence into your business operations, unlocking scalable growth and significant ROI.

Discover why most leaders chase the wrong AI tools and how to instead align technology with your people and processes. Learn how to identify automation opportunities, overcome implementation barriers, and build a culture ready for technological transformation.

Key Topics Discussed:

- The pilot, co-pilot, autopilot framework for effective AI task delegation.

- Overcoming the nine-month average delay in AI project launches for SMBs.

- Shifting from productivity tools to fully automated workflow systems.

- The critical role of change management and addressing employee fears about AI.

- Identifying high-ROI AI opportunities within existing business processes.

- The "one-minute rule" for building AI habits and driving adoption.

- Future implications of AI on business valuation, taxation, and the nature of work.

Learn how to:

- Apply a proven framework to integrate AI into your daily operations.

- Identify and automate repetitive tasks and workflows for maximum efficiency.

- Build a strategic AI roadmap that prioritizes people and processes over tools.

- Calculate the true ROI of AI implementation beyond simple productivity gains.

- Prepare your organization for the seismic shifts in the future of work.

Featured Expert:

Lucas Petty, known as The AI Daddy, helps businesses discover and implement over six figures in AI ROI opportunities. Connect with him at AIDaddy.com.

Relevant Keywords:

AI integration, artificial intelligence, business automation, AI ROI, workflow automation, change management, digital transformation, process optimization, scaling a business, future of work, AI strategy, small business AI, mid market AI, operational efficiency, technology adoption, AI implementation, business processes, entrepreneurial leadership, profit margins, competitive advantage.

Subscribe to The Fix for more content on leveraging technology and strategy for business growth.

How much hidden capacity is trapped in your operational inefficiencies? This episode of The Fix features manufacturing and operational turnaround expert Luigi Cusano. We explore systemic business improvement, moving beyond vanity metrics to focus on true yield and sustainable growth.

Discover why frontline employees hold the key to unlocking productivity and how to create a culture where process improvement thrives. We break down practical methodologies for leaders to identify and eliminate friction, reduce costly variation, and empower their teams to drive meaningful change.

Key Topics Discussed:

- Shifting from revenue focus to yield optimization for real profitability.

- The critical importance of Gemba walks and frontline employee engagement.

- Implementing action result mapping for unparalleled operational clarity.

- Integrating Deming's System of Profound Knowledge into modern management.

- Strategies for error proofing and creating a culture of psychological safety.

- Unlocking latent capacity without increasing headcount or capital expenditure.

The real world application of lean manufacturing principles in office and service environments.

Learn how to:

- Identify and eliminate hidden bottlenecks in your process.

- Translate small, fractional gains into significant financial results.

- Build a recursive cycle of continuous improvement within your organization.

- Apply systems thinking to manufacturing, healthcare, and professional services.

Featured Expert:

Luigi Cusano of Agilitas LLC brings over 25 years of experience in chemical manufacturing, plant management, and business turnaround. Connect with Luigi on LinkedIn.

Relevant Keywords:

business process improvement, operational efficiency, systems thinking, continuous improvement, lean manufacturing, scaling a business, entrepreneurial leadership, yield optimization, process mapping, value stream, frontline empowerment, W Edwards Deming, operational turnaround, capacity planning, productivity tips, business consulting, leadership development, management strategy, operational excellence, fractional gains, error proofing, psychological safety, Gemba, action result mapping.

Subscribe to The Fix for more content on mastering business operations and leadership strategy.

n this episode of The Process Fixer, host Derrick Mains sits down with Teddie Reyes, an ERP implementation expert and certified process fixer, to dissect why so many ERP systems fail—and how to turn them around.

From post-implementation nightmares to AI-driven efficiencies, Teddie reveals:

🔹 Why 70% of ERP projects underdeliver (and how to avoid common pitfalls)

🔹 The "Stanford Duck" of business processes—why teams hide inefficiencies

🔹 How AI is reshaping workflows (e.g., replacing manual data entry with real-time insights)

🔹 Process triage techniques to align executives, frontline staff, and tech for smoother rollouts

Plus: Real-world examples of cutting 27-step processes down to 3 and why "those who write the plan don’t fight the plan."

👉 For more on fixing broken systems, visit https://theprocessfixer.com .

👉 Coming soon: A new podcast with Aaron Baer—stay tuned!

#ERP #ProcessImprovement #AI #ChangeManagement #BusinessTransformation

In this lecture, we critically examine the flawed notion that businesses can consistently hire the "best" talent in an increasingly competitive market. The speaker begins by challenging the common belief that a company can attract the top 5% or 10% of workforce candidates without adequately paying what others are investing. They reference statistical studies, including Gallup's research, which reveals that a mere 15% of employees truly excel in their roles. This sets the stage for a discussion on the financial implications of hiring practices, highlighting the reality that organizations often engage in a cyclical pattern of hiring and firing rather than effectively managing talent.

The speaker elucidates on the costs associated with high turnover rates, suggesting that while organizations funnel resources into sophisticated psychological assessments and repeated interviews, they often fail to yield the desired outcomes. By illustrating the common experience where hired employees do not meet performance expectations, the lecture prompts listeners to question who truly benefits from this cycle—mainly recruiters and profiling firms, not the companies themselves. This exploration of wasteful practices leads to a call for introspection regarding hiring trends and the need for a fundamental shift in strategy within organizations.

Further on, the discussion shifts to the underlying motives that drive employee behavior at work: fear, money, or genuine desire to contribute. The speaker emphasizes the importance of attracting individuals who are motivated by passion for the work rather than mere financial gain. This consideration leads to an exploration of the systemic issues companies face, especially regarding the inefficiencies that cause employees to experience frustration in their roles. By using the analogy of a person limping from pain while seeking a quick fix instead of addressing the root problem, the lecturer advocates for focusing on improving processes rather than simply increasing headcount.

The concept of identifying and relieving systemic pain is essential to enhancing organizational effectiveness. The speaker argues that when employees work in an environment that eliminates obstacles and empowers them, they perform at a higher cognitive capacity. Drawing parallels to historical practices in management, the lecture advocates for a shift towards a focus on refining systems within the workplace. The speaker recalls significant past management practices, such as the Quality Circles used during World War II, and contrasts these with contemporary approaches that merely enforce compliance without fostering creativity or efficiency.

Additionally, the speaker challenges conventional training methodologies that simply prepare employees for processes rather than adapting processes to support employee needs. They highlight the importance of understanding and mapping processes, noting how disjointed systems lead to confusion and decreased productivity within organizations. By sharing anecdotes from workshop experiences, the speaker demonstrates the revelations employees can have when they finally see their organization’s processes mapped out visually, revealing inefficiencies they were not previously aware of.

The lecture culminates in a call to action for businesses to rethink their focus on growth in favor of enhancing efficiency and improving work processes. The speaker argues that a focus on efficiency can yield greater profit margins than an unrelenting pursuit of growth statistics. By encouraging organizations to invest in training that empowers employees to analyze and improve their respective processes, the speaker challenges traditional notions of accountability in the workplace, advocating for a more inclusive model that engages all levels of employees in continuous improvement.