The Latest from Kristy-Lee

Hello and welcome to Episode 305 of The People Powered Business Podcast.

Happy 2026 and welcome back. After a short break, I’m diving straight into a question I’m hearing more and more from business owners as hiring ramps up again.

Are cover letters redundant?

In this episode, I reflect on what season many of us are in right now, growing teams, reviewing recruitment processes, and trying to hire well without wasting time or creating unnecessary complexity.

I unpack why so many businesses still rely heavily on cover letters and why, in the traditional sense, they’re no longer giving us the insights we think they are. With the rise of AI, most cover letters now sound the same, polished, impressive, and often disconnected from how someone will actually perform in your business. I share my own approach, the common bias business owners have towards strong writing and compliments, and the so called ‘trick’ application strategies that don’t always tell you what you need to know. Ultimatel...

As the year draws to an end, you may feel like you’re crawling to the finish line, and desperate for some rest, but you also know those social, family and festive commitments are only ramping up.

Rest is often overlooked or undervalued, I know I used to see it as a ‘weakness’ to need to rest. So as entrepreneurs and business owners we don’t place enough focus on it, often.

However, rest is not just about getting enough sleep; it encompasses various dimensions that contribute to our overall well-being and productivity. In this article, we will explore the concept of rest and delve into the seven types of rest identified by Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith. We will also provide practical strategies for incorporating different types of rest into your life, helping you unlock your full potential as an entrepreneur.

Understanding the Importance of Rest

Rest is more than just a luxury; it is a necessity for entrepreneurs and business owners. Research has shown that adequate rest is cruc...

Hello and welcome to Episode 304 of the People Powered Business Podcast!

Many rural and regional businesses work with seasonal workers, volunteers and ’88 dayers” - those young international travellers with holiday visa who need to work for 88 days in a rural or regional area in order to have their visa extended. Christmas, school holidays and other occasions mean we are often taking on staff ‘for the season’ wherever we are. In this episode Juliet and Kristy-Lee are talking about some of the challenges and opportunities in leading these people whilst keeping your core team motivated.

Anytime someone joins or leaves our team it has an impact on the culture of the team and seasonal or transient team members can bring strengths and energy or can dislocate a team and throw everything off balance.

We discuss how to bring these people into the team in ways that get the best from them and integrate them into the team as effectively as possible.

Have you had seasonal or transient workers ...

Well hasn’t it been a season of change? What once felt like a gradual evolution now feels like a tidal wave of twists and turns when it comes to our teams. I know many business owners are feeling out of control, and uncertain of what’s coming next.

As we head into 2026, the pace of this change isn't slowing down, and if you lead a team, you need to be ready.

From the rise of AI to generational changes in the workforce, it’s clear we’re entering a new chapter. But not everything is changing. Some foundational truths remain as important as ever. Here's what I believe is coming, and how you can get ahead.

Prediction 1: AI Will Become Business-as-Usual (and Bring Growing Pains With It)

Whether you’ve dabbled in ChatGPT or are knee-deep in tech tools, there’s no denying that AI is here, and here to stay. But how we use it, and how our teams respond to it, is where the real challenge lies.

AI is being integrated into every tool we already use, from Microsoft Office to Canva ...

Hello and welcome to Episode 303 of the People Powered Business Podcast!

In this episode we’re continuing with our special three-part series to help you plan for a powerful 2026, and looking at what to start doing when it comes to managing your team.

This episode focuses on three key things to start doing for your team as you head into the new year. We’re talking about the importance of building leadership skills within your team and investing in leadership skill development, I’m also encouraging you to start having braver conversations sooner, and to start measuring what really matters.

Bonus AI Tip: Start putting AI guides in place for your team.

Links & Resources:

• DM Kristy-Lee on Instagram @kristy.lee.billett and let me know if you have questions or email me at [email protected]  
• 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 Communi
...

You’ve got a team member who’s just... not themselves. They’re missing deadlines, showing up late, snapping at colleagues or zoning out in meetings. You start wondering whether they’ve checked out. Are they no longer motivated? Have they stopped caring?

It’s tempting to slap a label on the behaviour and call it disengagement. But what if it’s not that at all? What if the real issue is something deeper, and more dangerous to ignore?

Burnout and disengagement often show up in the same way. What’s happening behind the scenes, though, couldn’t be more different. And if you respond the wrong way, you risk making things worse.

Let’s unpack the difference and look at how you can figure out what’s really going on, and what to do next.

Same Symptoms, Different Causes

It’s easy to see how these two issues get confused. Both can show up as low energy, a lack of initiative, reduced performance or a sense of detachment. From the outside, they can look almost identical.

But the ...

Hello and welcome to Episode 302 of the People Powered Business Podcast!

In this episode we’re continuing with our special three-part series to help you plan for a powerful 2026, and looking at what to keep doing when it comes to managing your team.

This episode focuses on three key things to keep doing for your team as you head into the new year. We’re talking about the importance of continuing with regular meetings, consistency with curious conversations and of course the key to continued clarity.

💡 Bonus AI Tip: Keep exploring AI and looking for opportunities to integrate it in your work.

Links & Resources:

💬 DM Kristy-Lee on Instagram @kristy.lee.billett and let me know if you have questions about work from home entitlements or email me at [email protected] 

The 12 Days of a People Powered Christmas Specials: https://www.peoplepoweredbusiness.com.au/12-days-christmas

An Invitation:

If you’d like to connect with other businesses who are also juggling the cha...

Hiring great people can feel like a win. Keeping them? That’s where the real challenge lies.

Just when you think you’ve finally found the right fit, their resignation lands in your inbox, and the sinking feeling kicks in.

Sound familiar?

While losing any team member hurts, losing a good one hits harder. The costs stretch far beyond recruitment fees and replacement ads. The real price is in the disruption, the lost momentum, and the morale damage. Most business owners dramatically underestimate just how much turnover is costing them, and more importantly, why it's happening in the first place.

Let’s dig into the real reasons great people walk away and what it’s actually costing your business.

The Hidden Costs of Staff Turnover

Replacing an employee isn’t just about hiring someone new. It's a process that quietly drains time, energy and money in ways many don’t fully appreciate.

Here’s what turnover really looks like behind the scenes:

• Productivity takes a hit...

Hello and welcome to Episode 301 of the People Powered Business Podcast!

As we head toward a brand new year, it’s the perfect time to take stock of what’s not working, and let it go.

In this episode of the People Powered Business Podcast, we’re kicking off a special three-part series to help you plan for a powerful 2026, starting with what to stop doing when it comes to managing your team.

If you’ve felt like you’ve been micromanaging, cleaning up after your team, or spending too much time on reactive people issues, this conversation will speak directly to you. We’ll cover the habits, leadership patterns, and outdated processes that are quietly draining your time, energy, and team morale, and why clinging to them might be holding your business back more than you realise.

You’ll walk away with permission to stop being the default problem-solver, the reminder that you don’t need to keep tolerating average performance, and a reality check about what it really costs to ignore toxic beh...

Ever walked into your workplace and felt like your team was calling the shots, not you?

Maybe it started subtly. A staff member made a call on something you’d normally decide. Someone else began setting their own schedule. Now it feels like every day you’re reacting, not leading — and you’re not quite sure how it got to this point.

It happens more often than you’d think, especially in growing businesses. Leaders start with the best intentions, but somewhere along the way, the balance shifts. You end up juggling the leftovers, avoiding conflict, and wondering when exactly you became the passenger instead of the driver.

The good news? You can take back control. Here’s how to spot the warning signs, why this happens, and what to do if your team feels like they’ve taken over.

How Control Slips Away

It usually starts with trying to do the right thing. You want to give your team autonomy, show them you trust them, and avoid being a micromanager. Maybe you don’t love conflict...