World's Greatest Boss

238. Why Your Assistant Isn’t Working (And How to Fix It)

Everyone loves to tell busy founders, “You need an assistant!” But here’s the problem not all assistants are created equal. And if you hire the wrong one, you’ll waste money, get frustrated as hell, and end up thinking assistants don’t work.In this episode of World’s Greatest Boss, I break down the three main types of assistants: Virtual Assistant (VA), Personal Assistant (PA), and Executive Assistant (EA). You’ll learn exactly what each one does, the benefits and drawbacks, signals that it’s time to hire, and how to actually find the right one. By the end, you’ll know which assistant can buy back your time without making a costly hiring mistake.What You’ll Learn in This Episode:The core differences between a VA, PA, and EAThe biggest mistake founders make when hiring an assistantSigns that you’re ready for each type of assistantThe real costs (and hidden costs) of these rolesWhere to find the right assistant for your needsWhy This Matters:Hiring the wrong kind of assistant is one of the most expensive mistakes you can make as a founder. Whether you’re drowning in repetitive admin tasks, losing weekends to errands, or stuck in the weeds of business operations, the right assistant can give you back your time — and your sanity.Resources and Links:Connect with Jackie on LinkedInLearn more at People PrinciplesDan Martell’s book: Buy Back Your TimeIf you enjoyed today’s episode:Subscribe to World’s Greatest Boss wherever you listen to podcastsLeave a review to help more business owners find the showShare this episode with a founder friend who’s overwhelmed and needs help

237. Managing Workloads and Preventing Burnout with Borja Cuan

In this episode of World’s Greatest Boss, we dig into one of the biggest challenges service-based business owners face: balancing client growth with team health. My guest, Borja Cuan, co-founder of 415 Digital, manages over $280 million in ad spend every year—and he’s built a thriving business by doing something most agencies won’t: keeping workloads small so his team can go deeper, deliver better results, and stay engaged.Together, we explore:Why hiring ahead of need can transform client experiences.The real reason employee retention is harder than ever—and how to handle it.How to spot overwhelm before it becomes burnout (and what to do about it).Why investing in personal well-being outside of work is just as important as managing workload inside of work.The overlooked power of relationship building and spending non-work time with your team.Borja’s approach flips the typical agency model on its head—and his insights on retention, loyalty, and workload management will challenge how you think about leading your own team.By the end of this episode, you’ll have fresh ideas for keeping your people motivated, building loyalty, and leading a team that doesn’t just survive—but thrives.Connect with me on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackiemkoch/Find more information on my website: https://peopleprinciples.coConnect with Borja Cuan on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/borjacuanFind more information about Four15 Digital: https://four15digital.com/

236. 6 Reasons You Need to Address Performance Issues Early

What happens when you know someone on your team isn’t performing but you keep putting off the conversation? In this episode of World’s Greatest Boss, I break down exactly why avoiding performance conversations is one of the costliest mistakes you can make as a leader.We’ll cover six powerful reasons to address performance issues early, from keeping your top performers engaged to protecting your business from legal risk. I’ll also walk you through the most common excuses leaders give for delaying these convos (and why they don’t hold up), plus my simple, no-drama framework for having these conversations without making them confrontational.By the end of this episode, you’ll have the tools to give feedback faster, protect your culture, and actually help your team members improve without losing sleep over it.Quick-hit framework for performance conversations:Be specific. Point to exact behaviors or results that are off track.Connect to impact. Show how the issue affects the team, clients, or business.Collaborate on next steps, Agree on a clear plan for improvement.Document it. Keep a record, even if it’s just a quick note.Resources & Links:Connect with me on LinkedInFind more leadership and HR resources at peopleprinciples.co

235. People Strategy Is Business Strategy: The Essentials You Need

People Strategy Is Business Strategy: The Essentials You NeedThink HR should handle all the “people stuff”? Think again.In this episode, I’m calling out one of the most common mistakes founders make when trying to scale—treating people strategy like an admin function or annoyance instead of core business strategy. I break down exactly what people systems you need and why this is all a part of your overall business operations strategy, not something else you need to do. We’ll talk through the key systems every small business needs to grow a high-performing team, how to divide ownership between HR, managers, and leadership, and what happens when you avoid the hard conversations and hope someone else will handle them for you.If you’ve ever said, “I just need to hire a strong HR person to manage the team,” this episode is for you.What you’ll hear in this episode:[1:45] Why outsourcing leadership doesn’t work[4:00] The parts of people strategy founders must own[7:20] HR’s real role—and where their responsibility ends[9:40] The essential systems every growing team needs[13:10] The “Owner Map” for hiring, management, and culture[16:25] What happens when you pass off uncomfortable conversations[18:00] Practical steps to lead your team (with HR as a co-pilot)[20:15] Wrap-up: Scaling people is the jobResources + LinksConnect with me on LinkedInGet our HR & Hiring EssentialsNeed help building your people systems? Reach out for a free discovery call

234. Andrew Horn on Using Relational Leadership to Strengthen Your Culture

High-performing cultures aren’t built by rules—they’re built by leaders who take full responsibility.In this episode of World’s Greatest Boss, I’m joined by Andrew Horn, executive coach to CEOs at companies like TOMS and Hinge, and the founder of Tribute.co. After scaling his startup to 120 employees and overseeing a successful exit, Andrew now dedicates his work to helping founders, CEOs, and leadership teams master relational leadership—a framework that fosters trust, accountability, and real cultural change.We dive deep into Andrew’s 5-step framework for moving from reactivity to conscious leadership. You’ll learn how to identify your own unmet needs, how to respond to conflict without judgment, and how to create small rituals that lead to big cultural impact.Whether you lead a small team or a growing company, this conversation will challenge you to lead with intention—and give you tangible tools to help your team thrive.What You’ll Learn in This Episode:[04:00] Why Andrew chose to focus on people after exiting his company[08:00] What is relational leadership?[09:45] The 5 core skills of relational leadership[13:00] Why unmet needs create most workplace tension[14:00] The “5 A’s” framework for resolving tension and unmet needs[17:00] Using nonviolent communication to provide feedback[25:30] Rituals and tools for building a culture of growthResources Mentioned:Book: The 15 Commitments of Conscious LeadershipBook: Nonviolent Communication by Marshall RosenbergTool: Bonusly – peer recognition platformConnect with Andrew Horn:Website: andrewhorn.comInstagram: @itsandrewhornBlog: Relational Leadership Substack – new articles every WednesdayRetreats: The Junto – men’s leadership retreatsConnect with Jackie:LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jackiemkochLearn more: peopleprinciples.co