Bad Boss Confessional

Speakeasy Podcast Network
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Bad Boss Confessional is the podcast where entrepreneurs, founders, and leaders fess up to their most cringeworthy management moments—the times they micromanaged, blew up in meetings, or simply got it dead wrong. With names changed (to protect the innocent...and guilty), guests walk us through their “bad boss” moment in all its messy glory. But this isn’t just a cringe-fest—it’s a redemption story.

  1. 37: When Growth Gets Ahead of Connection

    3D AGO

    37: When Growth Gets Ahead of Connection

    In this episode of Bad Boss Confessional, Beth sits down with Jule Salem, founder and managing director of Salem Solutions and host of the podcast Dialing In. Jule shares what happened during a season of overlapping transitions: a new leader joining the team, an office move, a family health challenge, and a business acquisition all arriving at once. On paper, it was shaping up to be the best year Salem Solutions had ever seen. But underneath the numbers, something was slipping. The conversation explores what disconnection actually looks like, why leaders who care deeply about people can still lose the thread, and why it's important to remember that a company's culture does not stay connected on its own; someone has to keep tending to it. Timestamps 00:00 Introduction to Bad Boss Confessional 03:06 Jule Salem’s Business 07:09 The Bad Boss Confession: Disconnection 14:14 Fostering Connection at Scale 21:18 Navigating Boundaries: Peer to Manager 28:54 The Importance of Sustaining Connection   About:  Beth Fahey is a leadership coach, Expert EOS Implementer, and co-creator of the How to Be a Great Boss Workshops. With nearly 40 years of hands-on leadership experience, Beth has worn many hats: from working in film and owning a bakery to leading a national trade association.   Now, as the host of The Bad Boss Confessional, she shares candid stories about the challenges of leadership, mistakes made, lessons learned, and the path to becoming the kind of boss your team actually wants to follow. Through humor, honesty, and heart, Beth is on a mission to help leaders grow, one confession at a time.   Show Links For more information about Beth Fahey follow the links below. Website: www.eosworldwide.com/beth-fahey  Facebook: www.facebook.com/BethFaheyEOS Instagram: www.instagram.com/bethfaheyeos/ TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@bethfaheyeos LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/bethfahey/ Bad Boss Confessional YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/@badbossconfessional  Beth's Youtube:  https://www.youtube.com/@bethfaheyeos  Website: https://implementer.eosworldwide.com/robert-hartline/ Jule Salem is the Founder and Managing Director of Salem Solutions, a business specializing in building high-performing, connection-driven contact center teams for government and commercial clients. She is also the host of Dialing In, where she helps leaders turn human connection into a measurable performance strategy. Sponsor Links Thanks to our Sponsors A big thank you to our amazing sponsors for making this episode possible: Titus Talent – Helping organizations make the best hiring decisions with performance-based talent strategies. Strety – Empowering teams through strategic planning and performance management tools built for modern workforces.

    36 min
  2. 36: The Culture You Create When You're Not Looking

    APR 1

    36: The Culture You Create When You're Not Looking

    In this episode of Bad Boss Confessional, Beth Fahey sits down with Rocco Cozza, a business attorney, TEDx speaker, and founder of Cozza Law Group, a multi-seven-figure firm he built from the ground up in Pittsburgh. Rocco shares what happened when rapid growth pulled his focus inward and someone close to him began quietly reshaping the culture he had worked hard to build. The conversation explores what it costs a leader to keep their head down, why intuition matters even when the numbers look great, and how a single honest conversation from a trusted team member can crack everything open. Rocco reflects on the moment he looked up and barely recognized what his firm had become, and what it took to earn back not just trust, but confidence in his own judgment. His lesson is one every growing leader needs to hear: execution without presence is not leadership. The culture does not take care of itself. Timestamps 00:00 Introduction to Rocco Cozza 02:26 The Sabotage and Culture Crisis 06:16 Confronting the Problem 08:37 Ignoring Intuition and Blind Spots 11:48 Learning and Decision-Making 15:19 The Four Frames of Growth 17:10 The Power of Kindness TED Talk 21:07 Kindness as a Brand and Vulnerability 24:07 Relationship-Based Business and Adversarial Industries 27:42 Lessons Learned and Amor Fati   About:  Beth Fahey is a leadership coach, Expert EOS Implementer, and co-creator of the How to Be a Great Boss Workshops. With nearly 40 years of hands-on leadership experience, Beth has worn many hats: from working in film and owning a bakery to leading a national trade association.   Now, as the host of The Bad Boss Confessional, she shares candid stories about the challenges of leadership, mistakes made, lessons learned, and the path to becoming the kind of boss your team actually wants to follow. Through humor, honesty, and heart, Beth is on a mission to help leaders grow, one confession at a time.   Show Links For more information about Beth Fahey follow the links below. Website: www.eosworldwide.com/beth-fahey  Facebook: www.facebook.com/BethFaheyEOS Instagram: www.instagram.com/bethfaheyeos/ TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@bethfaheyeos LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/bethfahey/ Bad Boss Confessional YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/@badbossconfessional  Beth's Youtube:  https://www.youtube.com/@bethfaheyeos  Website: https://implementer.eosworldwide.com/robert-hartline/ Rocco Cozza is a business leader, advisor and community advocate committed to helping people and organizations grow with clarity, discipline and purpose. With years of experience building and leading businesses, he brings a practical, no-nonsense approach to leadership, problem-solving and execution. Rocco is deeply invested in his community and focused on creating lasting impact through service, accountability and principled leadership, both in business and public life. Sponsor Links Thanks to our Sponsors A big thank you to our amazing sponsors for making this episode possible: Titus Talent – Helping organizations make the best hiring decisions with performance-based talent strategies. Strety – Empowering teams through strategic planning and performance management tools built for modern workforces.

    31 min
  3. 35: When Your Team Tells You The Truth

    MAR 25

    35: When Your Team Tells You The Truth

    In this episode of Bad Boss Confessional, Beth Fahey sits down with Shea Peffly, a former CEO and integrator who now guides other leaders through EOS as a certified implementer. Shea shares the moment a Vistage exercise forced her to sit in silence while her own team told her the direct truth: that her constant questions and close involvement weren't landing as support; they were landing as distrust. The conversation explores what happens when a leader's intentions and their impact are completely out of sync, why asking how someone needs your help matters just as much as offering it, and how the gap between knowing good leadership practices and actually living them can quietly widen over time. Shea reflects on what it took to move from command-and-control instincts to a style of leadership built on genuine curiosity and relationship. Her lesson is both humbling and hopeful: the feedback that hurts the most is often the feedback that changes everything.   Timestamps 00:00 Unfiltered Feedback and Podcast Intro 04:03 Shea’s Background and Business 07:39 The Vistage Feedback Experience 14:03 Processing and Acting on Feedback 22:54 Redefining Leadership and Impact 28:30 Leading with Love and Final Thoughts   About:  Beth Fahey is a leadership coach, Expert EOS Implementer, and co-creator of the How to Be a Great Boss Workshops. With nearly 40 years of hands-on leadership experience, Beth has worn many hats: from working in film and owning a bakery to leading a national trade association.   Now, as the host of The Bad Boss Confessional, she shares candid stories about the challenges of leadership, mistakes made, lessons learned, and the path to becoming the kind of boss your team actually wants to follow. Through humor, honesty, and heart, Beth is on a mission to help leaders grow, one confession at a time.   Show Links For more information about Beth Fahey follow the links below. Website: www.eosworldwide.com/beth-fahey  Facebook: www.facebook.com/BethFaheyEOS Instagram: www.instagram.com/bethfaheyeos/ TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@bethfaheyeos LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/bethfahey/ Bad Boss Confessional YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/@badbossconfessional  Beth's Youtube:  https://www.youtube.com/@bethfaheyeos  Website: https://implementer.eosworldwide.com/robert-hartline/ Shea Peffly is a certified EOS implementer with over 25 years of executive leadership experience. As a former CEO and integrator, she built and scaled a veterans services organization from five employees to over a hundred, helping veterans secure the benefits they earned. She is a Small Business Monthly Top Business Advisor, Wonder Woman Award recipient, Kolbe Certified Consultant, and certified Outgrow Advisor. Today she helps leaders create meaningful impact by leading with clarity, building strong cultures, and living their best version of life and leadership. Sponsor Links Thanks to our Sponsors A big thank you to our amazing sponsors for making this episode possible: Titus Talent – Helping organizations make the best hiring decisions with performance-based talent strategies. Strety – Empowering teams through strategic planning and performance management tools built for modern workforces.

    31 min
  4. 34: When a Star Player Stops Being a Teammate

    MAR 18

    34: When a Star Player Stops Being a Teammate

    In this episode of Bad Boss Confessional, Beth Fahey talks with David Kolbe, CEO of Kolbe Corp and co-developer of the Kolbe A™ Index, about the complicated decisions leaders face when values, performance, and people collide. David shares lessons from running a values-driven company and the leadership mistakes that taught him the most along the way. The conversation explores what happens when high performers fall out of alignment with company culture, why leadership communication matters just as much as the decisions themselves, and how easily trust can erode when the narrative isn’t clear. David also explains the idea of conative strengths and why understanding how people naturally take action can dramatically improve teamwork and leadership. Timestamps 00:00 Introduction to Bad Boss Confessional 02:46 Understanding Conative Strengths 07:09 Kolbe Impact on EOS and Personal Life 11:39 Firing a Top Performer: A Confession 18:24 Lessons Learned from Terminations 27:03 Navigating Leadership Challenges & Kolbe Scores 30:51 Understanding and Leveraging Kolbe Scores 38:19 Diversity in Teams 43:23 Kolbe in Personal Relationships 46:56 Kolbe & Gender Differences 49:56 The Genesis of Kolbe Strengths 53:18 Kolbe Tattoo & Final Thoughts   About:  Beth Fahey is a leadership coach, Expert EOS Implementer, and co-creator of the How to Be a Great Boss Workshops. With nearly 40 years of hands-on leadership experience, Beth has worn many hats: from working in film and owning a bakery to leading a national trade association.   Now, as the host of The Bad Boss Confessional, she shares candid stories about the challenges of leadership, mistakes made, lessons learned, and the path to becoming the kind of boss your team actually wants to follow. Through humor, honesty, and heart, Beth is on a mission to help leaders grow, one confession at a time.   Show Links For more information about Beth Fahey follow the links below. Website: www.eosworldwide.com/beth-fahey  Facebook: www.facebook.com/BethFaheyEOS Instagram: www.instagram.com/bethfaheyeos/ TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@bethfaheyeos LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/bethfahey/ Bad Boss Confessional YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/@badbossconfessional  Beth's Youtube:  https://www.youtube.com/@bethfaheyeos  Website: https://implementer.eosworldwide.com/robert-hartline/ David Kolbe is transforming how the world understands human performance. He comes from a lineage of psychometric pioneers and is the CEO of Kolbe Corp, the leader in helping people leverage their instinctive strengths to achieve what they care about most. David helped develop the original algorithm for the Kolbe A™ Index — the only proven tool to unlock conative strengths. Sponsor Links Thanks to our Sponsors A big thank you to our amazing sponsors for making this episode possible: Titus Talent – Helping organizations make the best hiring decisions with performance-based talent strategies. Strety – Empowering teams through strategic planning and performance management tools built for modern workforces.

    56 min
  5. 33: The Cost of Skipping the Details

    MAR 11

    33: The Cost of Skipping the Details

    In this episode of Bad Boss Confessional, Beth Fahey sits down with Chris Beer, founder of Wizard of Ops and a fractional Integrator. Chris shares a leadership mistake that shows up in many growing companies: assuming communication has happened when it hasn’t. After years of working in the fast-paced trading pits of Chicago, she developed a shorthand style of thinking and speaking that often skipped the context others needed. The result was confusion, missed expectations, and conversations that should have happened sooner. Chris reflects on how leaders unintentionally create chaos when they avoid difficult conversations or assume their teams can read their minds. Her lesson is simple but powerful: clarity, repetition, and humility are the real foundations of strong leadership communication. Timestamps 00:00 Introduction to Bad Boss Confessional 02:57 From Floor Trader to Integrator 06:12 The Bad Boss Confession: Communication 10:45 Avoiding Difficult Conversations 13:05 The Importance of Clarity in Roles 16:06 Communication in Change Management 22:22 The Role of a Fractional Integrator 26:30 Intentional Communication Strategies 33:42 Empathy and Utilizing EOS Tools 39:41 The Stoplight Tattoo and Conclusion   About:  Beth Fahey is a leadership coach, Expert EOS Implementer, and co-creator of the How to Be a Great Boss Workshops. With nearly 40 years of hands-on leadership experience, Beth has worn many hats: from working in film and owning a bakery to leading a national trade association.   Now, as the host of The Bad Boss Confessional, she shares candid stories about the challenges of leadership, mistakes made, lessons learned, and the path to becoming the kind of boss your team actually wants to follow. Through humor, honesty, and heart, Beth is on a mission to help leaders grow, one confession at a time.   Show Links For more information about Beth Fahey follow the links below. Website: www.eosworldwide.com/beth-fahey  Facebook: www.facebook.com/BethFaheyEOS Instagram: www.instagram.com/bethfaheyeos/ TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@bethfaheyeos LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/bethfahey/ Bad Boss Confessional YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/@badbossconfessional  Beth's Youtube:  https://www.youtube.com/@bethfaheyeos  Website: https://implementer.eosworldwide.com/robert-hartline/ Chris Beer is the founder of Wizard of Ops and a fractional Integrator who works inside EOS-run companies to close the gap between knowing the tools and actually using them under pressure. She’s known as the “Integrator’s Integrator,” helping leadership teams build real operating rhythm so EOS shows up on ordinary days, not just in the session room. Sponsor Links Thanks to our Sponsors A big thank you to our amazing sponsors for making this episode possible: Titus Talent – Helping organizations make the best hiring decisions with performance-based talent strategies. Strety – Empowering teams through strategic planning and performance management tools built for modern workforces.

    44 min
  6. 32: Letting Go of the Vine

    MAR 4

    32: Letting Go of the Vine

    In this special group episode of Bad Boss Confessional, Beth Fahey sits down with fellow EOS Implementers Erik Dodier, Megan Piper, and Patrick Metzger fresh off a Great Boss workshop. Together, they unpack the leadership missteps that still linger in memory, from surprise firings and unclear feedback to micromanaging and holding too tightly to the vine. The conversation explores the weight of responsibility that comes with leading others and the humility required to admit when the problem is not the team, but the leader. Through stories of sleepless nights, hard lessons, and eventual breakthroughs, the group highlights what great bosses eventually learn: clarity is kindness, delegation requires intention, and growth demands courage. Timestamps 00:00 Introduction & Sponsors 02:24 Meet Patrick Metzger 04:04 Meet Megan Piper 05:53 Meet Erik Dodier 07:59 Reflecting on Leadership Mistakes 12:12 The Impact of Unclear Communication 15:46 Personal Firing Stories 21:13 Delegation and Hiring ‘Whos’ 25:10 The ‘Genius with 1000 Helpers’ Archetype 27:58 Delegation Challenges & Training 35:45 Final Reflections & Tattoos   About:  Beth Fahey is a leadership coach, Expert EOS Implementer, and co-creator of the How to Be a Great Boss Workshops. With nearly 40 years of hands-on leadership experience, Beth has worn many hats: from working in film and owning a bakery to leading a national trade association.   Now, as the host of The Bad Boss Confessional, she shares candid stories about the challenges of leadership, mistakes made, lessons learned, and the path to becoming the kind of boss your team actually wants to follow. Through humor, honesty, and heart, Beth is on a mission to help leaders grow, one confession at a time.   Show Links For more information about Beth Fahey follow the links below. Website: www.eosworldwide.com/beth-fahey  Facebook: www.facebook.com/BethFaheyEOS Instagram: www.instagram.com/bethfaheyeos/ TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@bethfaheyeos LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/bethfahey/ Bad Boss Confessional YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/@badbossconfessional  Beth's Youtube:  https://www.youtube.com/@bethfaheyeos  Website: https://implementer.eosworldwide.com/robert-hartline/ Erik Dodier, Megan Piper, and Patrick Metzger are professional EOS Implementers who bring decades of entrepreneurial and leadership experience to the session room. Erik founded and scaled a technology company over 30 years before successfully exiting and now helps entrepreneurs build scalable, sale-ready businesses. Megan transitioned from education into entrepreneurship, spending 17 years helping grow a globally distributed IT company from $3 million to $52 million before dedicating her work to teaching EOS and guiding leadership teams. Patrick began his career in education and coaching before moving into business advisory work, where he now helps owners build long-term value, scalability, and intentional exit plans. Together, they combine operational rigor, real-world scars, and a passion for developing leaders who want to get better. Sponsor Links Thanks to our Sponsors A big thank you to our amazing sponsors for making this episode possible: Titus Talent – Helping organizations make the best hiring decisions with performance-based talent strategies. Strety – Empowering teams through strategic planning and performance management tools built for modern workforces.

    41 min
  7. 31: Building a Business Without Burning Out

    FEB 25

    31: Building a Business Without Burning Out

    In this episode of Bad Boss Confessional, Beth sits down with EOS Implementer Robert Hartline to explore the difference between being the firefighter and becoming the fire chief. After years of scaling businesses and chasing growth, Robert shares the moment he realized he was addicted to chaos and operating from scarcity rather than structure. From exponential growth to sobriety to launching Scaling Sober, Robert reflects on how awareness, breathwork, and EOS helped him move from reaction to intention. The conversation dives into why sober leadership matters and how entrepreneurs can build businesses that are driven by purpose rather than pressure. Timestamps 00:00 Introduction to Bad Boss Confessional 02:50 Robert’s Entrepreneurial Journey 07:38 The Firefighter Realization 12:51 From Firefighting to Purpose 17:10 Discovering the ‘Why’ 21:29 Learning from a ‘Bad Boss’ Moment 26:54 Scaling Sober: Entrepreneurial Wellness 33:11 Redefining Sobriety and Leadership 39:07 The QR Code Tattoo 43:04 The Importance of EOS Rollouts   About:  Beth Fahey is a leadership coach, Expert EOS Implementer, and co-creator of the How to Be a Great Boss Workshops. With nearly 40 years of hands-on leadership experience, Beth has worn many hats: from working in film and owning a bakery to leading a national trade association.   Now, as the host of The Bad Boss Confessional, she shares candid stories about the challenges of leadership, mistakes made, lessons learned, and the path to becoming the kind of boss your team actually wants to follow. Through humor, honesty, and heart, Beth is on a mission to help leaders grow, one confession at a time.   Show Links For more information about Beth Fahey follow the links below. Website: www.eosworldwide.com/beth-fahey  Facebook: www.facebook.com/BethFaheyEOS Instagram: www.instagram.com/bethfaheyeos/ TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@bethfaheyeos LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/bethfahey/ Bad Boss Confessional YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/@badbossconfessional  Beth's Youtube:  https://www.youtube.com/@bethfaheyeos  Website: https://implementer.eosworldwide.com/robert-hartline/ Robert Hartline is an EOS Implementer, serial entrepreneur, and founder of Scaling Sober, a wellness community for growth-minded entrepreneurs. After scaling Absolute Wireless to over $100 million in sales, he shifted his focus to helping leaders build businesses that operate without chaos, burnout, or dependence on the owner. Today, he blends structure, purpose, and personal growth to help entrepreneurs lead with clarity and design lives that feel as good as they perform. Sponsor Links Thanks to our Sponsors A big thank you to our amazing sponsors for making this episode possible: Titus Talent – Helping organizations make the best hiring decisions with performance-based talent strategies. Strety – Empowering teams through strategic planning and performance management tools built for modern workforces.

    46 min
  8. 30: The High Price of Saying Yes

    FEB 18

    30: The High Price of Saying Yes

    In this episode of Bad Boss Confessional, Beth talks with serial entrepreneur and coach Jill Salzman about the early mistakes that shape stronger leaders. From quick-start decisions to client-pleasing habits, Jill reflects on how saying yes too fast and avoiding boundaries can quietly erode confidence and clarity. The conversation expands into coaching, asking better questions, and resisting the urge to solve everything for others. The real lesson is not about one bad decision. It is about learning to trust experience over ego, service over approval, and patience over speed.  Timestamps 00:00 Introduction to Bad Boss Confessional 02:16 Meet Jill Salzman 05:05 Music and Personal Outlets 06:51 The Black Crows Concert Fiasco 12:15 Lessons from the Cancellation Fee 17:29 Influences and Coaching Philosophy 21:09 The Quick Start Challenge in Coaching 24:45 Human Connection vs. AI in Coaching 28:30 Detox from Social Media 32:57 The Big But Book 35:35 Tattoos and Final Thoughts About:  Beth Fahey is a leadership coach, Expert EOS Implementer, and co-creator of the How to Be a Great Boss Workshops. With nearly 40 years of hands-on leadership experience, Beth has worn many hats: from working in film and owning a bakery to leading a national trade association.   Now, as the host of The Bad Boss Confessional, she shares candid stories about the challenges of leadership, mistakes made, lessons learned, and the path to becoming the kind of boss your team actually wants to follow. Through humor, honesty, and heart, Beth is on a mission to help leaders grow, one confession at a time.   Show Links For more information about Beth Fahey follow the links below. Website: www.eosworldwide.com/beth-fahey  Facebook: www.facebook.com/BethFaheyEOS Instagram: www.instagram.com/bethfaheyeos/ TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@bethfaheyeos LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/bethfahey/ Bad Boss Confessional YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/@badbossconfessional  Beth's Youtube:  https://www.youtube.com/@bethfaheyeos  Jill Salzman isn’t your ordinary business coach. She’s a serial entrepreneur, a thinking partner, and a musician who rarely misses a beat. Jill brings humor, heart, and strategic clarity to every conversation. She thrives on collaboration, sparks creativity, and makes the hard parts of entrepreneurship feel a little lighter. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jillll Sponsor Links Thanks to our Sponsors A big thank you to our amazing sponsors for making this episode possible: Titus Talent – Helping organizations make the best hiring decisions with performance-based talent strategies. Strety – Empowering teams through strategic planning and performance management tools built for modern workforces.

    39 min
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About

Bad Boss Confessional is the podcast where entrepreneurs, founders, and leaders fess up to their most cringeworthy management moments—the times they micromanaged, blew up in meetings, or simply got it dead wrong. With names changed (to protect the innocent...and guilty), guests walk us through their “bad boss” moment in all its messy glory. But this isn’t just a cringe-fest—it’s a redemption story.

Information

  • Creator
    Speakeasy Podcast Network
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    37
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright Speakeasy Podcast Network
  • Show Website
    Bad Boss Confessional

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