The Latest from Kristy-Lee

If you're leading a team, whether it's a group of employees, a few contractors, or even just a virtual assistant, you're a leader.

It doesn’t matter if your title doesn’t include "manager" or "CEO". Leadership is baked into the role of anyone guiding others within a business. And the truth is, your team wants to be led. They crave it.

But here’s the kicker: many business owners still hesitate to call themselves leaders. Maybe it feels too formal, too big, or just not quite right. But if you’re not steering the ship, who is?

Let’s unpack why owning your role as a leader is so critical, and the three key traits that great people-focused leaders all seem to share.

Why You Need to Embrace the Leadership Hat

Many people fall into business ownership because they’re skilled at what they do, not necessarily because they wanted to become a leader. But once you have others supporting your work, even if they’re part-time, offshore or casual, leadership becomes non-negotiable.

Hello and welcome to Episode 288 of the People Powered Business Podcast.

Running a business with a team is hard enough - and when it comes to HR, most small business owners admit they’re just “winging it.” A contract here, a policy there, figuring it out when problems pop up.

The trouble is, winging it only works for so long. Eventually, it costs you time, money, and stress, and leaves you stuck chasing your staff instead of leading them.

In this episode, I’ll share:

• Why winging it feels fine at first, but always backfires in the long run.
• The hidden costs you’re already paying (even if you don’t realise it).
• How “making it up as you go” keeps you stuck in the day-to-day.
• What to focus on instead if you want your team to step up.

If you’ve ever felt like HR in your business is messy, ad hoc, or just one more thing on your plate, this episode will show you why winging it isn’t the answer. Feeling stuck from winging it? Email me at [email protected] and let’s...

If you're running a business and managing a team, chances are you've come across the term HRIS. You might have even found yourself asking, “Do I really need one of those?” With more options entering the market and your existing systems constantly evolving, it’s a question worth exploring.

Before you start shopping around or get swayed by flashy features, let’s break down what an HRIS actually is, what it can do, and whether it’s the right fit for your business right now.

What Even Is an HRIS?

HRIS stands for Human Resources Information System. It's a fancy way of saying a piece of software that helps you manage all the admin that comes with employing people.

Think of it as a digital filing cabinet combined with automation tools that can remind you when staff anniversaries are coming up, store documents like contracts or licences, and track performance reviews or training requirements.

It’s not the same as payroll software, time sheeting tools or workflow systems, thoug...

Hello and welcome to Episode 287 of the People Powered Business Podcast.

We’ve spoken about our employees rights a lot lately, specifically most recently about our employees right to disconnect from work.

Posting in our People Powered HR members community about these changes and a member asked ‘does that apply to us too’? And it’s a good question.

Because often as business owners we are bad at disconnecting, at setting and upholding boundaries and at protecting our self care when things are busy.

So today we will discuss the real technical answer to the question as to whether these new rules apply to us.

But more importantly this is a conversation about the need to set or re establish boundaries with our teams, our customers and ourselves, and to protect our energy and look after ourselves to show up as the best leaders we can be.

An Invitation:

If you’d like to connect with other businesses who are also juggling the challenges of teams, I’d love you to join us inside our free F...

In running a small to medium sized business, and leading a multi-generational team, the ability to lead effectively across generations is not just an asset but a necessity.

Today's workforce is more diverse than ever, with a great variety of experiences, values, and expectations that span multiple generations. From Baby Boomers to Generation Z, each group brings its own unique perspective, influenced by the socio-economic and technological landscapes of their formative years. This diversity, while a source of strength, presents a complex challenge for leaders: how to understand, engage, and motivate across generational lines.

Embracing Generational Diversity: A Path to Success

The key to harnessing the power of generational diversity lies in understanding. It's about recognising that differences in approach and perspective are not just inevitable but valuable. These differences provide a broader range of ideas, approaches, and solutions to challenges, driving innovation and fo...

Welcome to Episode 286 of the People Powered Business Podcast

I’ve been having some great conversations  about leadership – team leadership, business leadership, self leadership, thought leadership and I wanted to explore common threads that I've been seeing.

We are all leaders, CEO of our business - You are a leader if you listen to this podcast - so let's talk leadership.

Firstly I want to start with why it’s important to consider yourself a leader (even if you only have contractors, VAs or casual staff).

Then I'll share 3 common traits of people powered leaders.

Finally I discuss why this is a skill anyone can (and should learn), and why you don’t need to go it alone.

Want to work with me on this? Just email [email protected]

If you’ve ever found yourself wondering whether your team is truly being productive or just looking busy, you’re not alone. It’s a common problem. But with the right mindset and measurement strategies, it’s a problem you can solve.

Productivity Isn’t About Being Busy - It’s About What Gets Done
We throw the word "productivity" around a lot. Businesses want more of it. Governments are worried we’ve lost it. And teams are often confused about what it actually means.

Here’s the truth: productivity isn’t about how busy someone looks or how many hours they spend in front of a screen. It’s about what gets done—and how efficiently it's done.

Productivity vs. Busyness: Know the Difference

Somewhere along the way, we started equating long hours and full calendars with output. But the two are not the same.

Being busy means filling time. Being productive means achieving results.

This confusion became particularly apparent during the pandemic when businesses transitioned to remo...

Hello and welcome to Episode 285 of the People Powered Business Podcast.

Today we’re bringing you a tech tip episode – but I’m not recommending a system – in fact the opposite. I’m sharing how you can use what you’ve already got to solve your HR admin headaches and why you don’t need a HR system or expensive software subscription to do that for you.

To start with I encourage you to do an audit of what you already have, what those systems can do for you, and then really looking at where you do have gaps, and what specifically you need to solve them.

We then look at using your existing workspaces, whether it’s MS Office, Google Suite or something else and leverage and that more effectively. Are you using the integrated AI in those programs to shortcut things and create tools such as spreadsheets to support you?

And of course we touch on AI and I share how I’m using Chat GPT and Chrome Extensions to help with HR tasks in my business and to support members of our People Powered HR Comm...

Offshore Workers and Australian Employment Law: A Wake-Up Call for Business Owners

In an increasingly global business environment, hiring offshore virtual assistants (VAs) and contractors is common practice.

The appeal is obvious - cost savings, round-the-clock productivity, and access to a broad talent pool.

But a recent case involving an offshore worker from the Philippines and an Australian company has thrown a serious spanner in the works for those assuming that overseas workers are automatically exempt from Australian employment law.

This case has been labelled a watershed moment. And if you're an Australian business owner engaging offshore contractors directly, it's time to sit up and take notice.

The Case That Changed the Conversation

The focal point of this legal storm is a worker in Manila, Philippines, hired by a Brisbane-based business to provide paralegal services. Though engaged as a ‘contractor’, or as the employer thought that was the arrangement, the w...

Hello and welcome to Episode 284 of the People Powered Business Podcast.

I have a bit of a theme going at the moment which I’m calling ‘Compliance Quarter’ and today we’re taking a look at the looming deadline for small business to comply with the new right to disconnect laws.

In this episode we unpack what the right to disconnect is and what it actually means, we discuss the implementation, pathway and why this matters for small business now and we take a look at what will it actually mean for your businesses in practical terms.

I also share some real life examples of what I am seeing play out with the clients I am working with and how they are implementing the right to disconnect.

An Invitation:

If you’d like to connect with other businesses who are also juggling the challenges of teams, I’d love you to join us inside our free Facebook Group, The People Powered Community, so I can learn more about what’s working for you and any challenges you might be having.

Join Here - https:...