Fixers & Founders

Forrest Derr and Tony Lilja
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  • Entrepreneurship
  • Updated Biweekly

Fixers & Founders is a podcast about the partnership between visionary founders and the fractional executives who help them bring structure, clarity, and scale. Each episode features candid conversations with founders and the operators who steady the ship—highlighting how ideas get fueled, how systems get fixed, and how businesses move forward when vision and execution finally meet.

  1. 3d ago

    Talk to the Humans | Building Systems People Actually Use

    In this episode of Fixers & Founders, Tony and Forrest sit down with Katie Barnes, founder of Rise and Optimize and a fractional COO who works with Seed through Series B SaaS companies, to talk about what happens when a business is growing but its systems are not keeping up. Katie takes a human-first approach to operations. Rather than dropping in a generic framework or immediately layering on more tools, she starts by talking to the people actually doing the work, mapping the real workflow, and building systems around how the team operates. The goal is not just to document a process—it’s to create something the team understands, owns, and will actually use. The conversation explores why founders often misdiagnose operational problems as people problems, how broken handoffs can quietly turn into revenue leakage, and why AI should come after the workflow is clear—not before. Katie also explains why slowing down long enough to understand the process can ultimately help a company move much faster. In this conversation, we explore: • Talk to the Humans: Why the best operational improvements start with the people doing the work—not with a template, tool, or consultant’s favorite framework. • Build Systems People Will Use: How involving the team in process design creates ownership, accountability, and a much better chance the system survives after the consultant leaves. • Stop Automating the Chaos: Why adding AI or automation before understanding the workflow can simply make a broken process fail faster. • Where Revenue Gets Lost: How weak handoffs between sales, customer success, and finance can lead to missed billing, delayed onboarding, and ARR that never gets collected. If your team is busy, your systems are messy, and adding more tools or people hasn’t fixed the underlying friction, this episode will help you rethink how better operations actually get built. Connect with Katie Barnes Website: https://riseandoptimize.com Email: katie@riseandoptimize.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katie-barnes-operations-leader Substack: https://substack.com/@thekatiebarnes Intro & Outro Music "Which One Is the Jellyfish?" by Aunt Cynthia's Cabin Used with permission under a non-exclusive license. Bandcamp: https://auntcynthiascabin.bandcamp.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/auntcynthiascabin Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/auntcynthiascabin Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1jnj9sPepqZOcWFZ8XMwLU

    Talk to the Humans | Building Systems People Actually Use

  2. Sep 30

    Too Small to Get Hacked? | Rethinking Cybersecurity Risk

    In this episode of Fixers & Founders, Tony and Forrest sit down with Chris Farr, Vice President of Operations at Invision Technologies and author of Built in the Trenches, to talk about a risk many small and midsize businesses underestimate: cybersecurity. It’s easy to assume that if your company has never experienced a serious cyber incident, what you’re doing must be working. But as Chris puts it, small businesses aren’t too small for a cyberattack—they’re just too small to wind up on CNN. And when an attack does happen, the financial and reputational consequences can hit a smaller company especially hard. Chris explains why cybersecurity is ultimately a leadership responsibility, not simply an IT problem. From email hygiene and employee training to choosing trusted technology advisors, protecting the business requires ongoing discipline—not a burst of attention when an insurance renewal or compliance deadline rolls around. The conversation also explores what happens when strong technical performers become leaders and have to stop solving every problem themselves and start developing the people around them. In this conversation, we explore: • Too Small to Get Hacked?: Why small and midsize businesses are still attractive cyber targets—and why their size can make the consequences even more personal. • The Human Side of Cybersecurity: Why email remains a major vulnerability and employee training has to become an ongoing business discipline. • Cybersecurity as a Leadership Responsibility: Why security can't live exclusively inside the IT department or become something leadership thinks about only when there's a box to check. • From Technician to Leader: Why great problem-solvers have to learn to stop fixing everything themselves and instead develop people who can solve problems without them. If your business has been treating cybersecurity as something the IT department handles—or assuming that having avoided a major incident means you're adequately protected—this episode will help you rethink the risk and the leadership required to manage it. Connect with Chris Farr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-farr-409b3585 Website: https://invtech.com Book — Built in the Trenches: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GWFNXWGM Intro & Outro Music "Which One Is the Jellyfish?" by Aunt Cynthia's Cabin Used with permission under a non-exclusive license. Bandcamp: https://auntcynthiascabin.bandcamp.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/auntcynthiascabin Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/auntcynthiascabin Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1jnj9sPepqZOcWFZ8XMwLU

    Too Small to Get Hacked? | Rethinking Cybersecurity Risk

  3. Sep 23

    Busy Is a Form of Hiding | What Founders Should Stop Doing

    In this episode of Fixers & Founders, Tony and Forrest sit down with Becky Boland, founder of Practice Precision Partners, to talk about one of the biggest constraints facing growing business owners: their own capacity. As a business grows, the small things multiply. Calendars, inboxes, client follow-up, recurring tasks, and administrative work can quietly consume the founder’s week. And while “it’s faster if I just do it myself” may work for a while, eventually it becomes a bottleneck. Becky explains why repeatable work should be systemized, automated, or delegated—and why creating free time is only half the battle. Founders also have to protect that capacity instead of immediately filling it with more low-value work. Sometimes, being busy is simply an easier place to hide than doing the work that actually moves the business forward. In this conversation, we explore: • The Founder Capacity Trap: How to recognize when doing everything yourself has stopped being efficient and started holding the business back. • Systemize, Automate, Delegate: Why anything you repeatedly do the same way should become a system—and eventually leave the founder’s plate. • Busywork as a Hiding Place: How inboxes, calendars, and familiar tasks can become a comfortable way to avoid higher-value work. • Protecting the Time You Get Back: Why freeing up ten hours accomplishes very little if you immediately refill those hours with work you shouldn't be doing. If your calendar is packed, your inbox never ends, and too much of the business still depends on you personally keeping everything moving, this episode will help you rethink what deserves your time. Connect with Becky Boland Email: becky@practice-precision.com Website: https://practice-precision.com Intro & Outro Music "Which One Is the Jellyfish?" by Aunt Cynthia's Cabin Used with permission under a non-exclusive license. Bandcamp: https://auntcynthiascabin.bandcamp.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/auntcynthiascabin Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/auntcynthiascabin Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1jnj9sPepqZOcWFZ8XMwLU

    Busy Is a Form of Hiding | What Founders Should Stop Doing

  4. Sep 16

    You’ve Got All the Answers. That’s the Problem. | How to Outgrow Your Role

    In this episode of Fixers & Founders, Tony and Forrest sit down with Jay Strear, founder of the Strear Group and a certified EOS Implementer, to talk about what happens when a business grows faster than the leader’s role evolves. Jay brings a rare leadership background spanning three decades as a CEO, fundraiser, rabbi, educator, and advisor. His perspective is that systems matter, but they are only the vehicle. The real work is creating clarity around where the organization is going—and being honest about whether the people leading it still fit the roles required to get there. The conversation digs into a trap many founders know well: becoming the person everyone comes to for answers. It can feel productive and even validating, but over time it creates dependency, pulls the leader into the weeds, and keeps the business from developing the capacity to operate without them. Jay also explains why growth often forces leaders to confront their own limits, preferences, and highest-value contribution. In this conversation, we explore: • Becoming the Answer Guy: Why solving every problem can quietly turn the founder into the bottleneck. • Outgrowing Your Role: How the role that works at one stage of growth may not be the role the company needs next. • Limits Without Deficiency: Why acknowledging what you can no longer carry is a leadership strength, not a weakness. • Systems as a Vehicle: How EOS can create clarity and accountability without becoming the destination itself. If your business is growing but you still feel responsible for every decision, every answer, and every fire, this episode is for you. Connect with Jay Strear Website: https://streargroup.com Email: jay@streargroup.com Intro & Outro Music "Which One Is the Jellyfish?" by Aunt Cynthia's Cabin Used with permission under a non-exclusive license. Bandcamp: https://auntcynthiascabin.bandcamp.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/auntcynthiascabin Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/auntcynthiascabin Spotify: http://open.spotify.com/artist/5XoG0H2D0vY58n32W8xI2K

    You’ve Got All the Answers. That’s the Problem. | How to Outgrow Your Role

  5. Sep 9

    The Million-Dollar Savings Businesses Ignore | Rethinking Employee Benefits

    In this episode of Fixers & Founders, Tony and Forrest sit down with Butch Zemar, CEO of Elite Benefits of America, to rethink one of the largest and least understood expenses in business: employee benefits. For more than 20 years, Butch has helped business owners, CFOs, and HR leaders simplify healthcare, control costs, and make smarter benefits decisions. His core message is simple: benefits should not be something you scramble to deal with at renewal. With more time, better questions, and a stronger strategy, they can become a real business advantage. Butch also makes a compelling financial case for paying closer attention. Saving $1 million in health insurance premiums can have a much greater impact on the bottom line than generating the same amount in new revenue, especially once operating costs and margins are taken into account. In this conversation, we explore: • The hidden cost of reactive renewals: Why waiting until the last minute limits your options and creates unnecessary pressure. • Benefits as a bottom-line strategy: How reducing benefits costs can sometimes create more value than chasing additional revenue. • Retention and morale: Why weak benefits can quietly contribute to turnover, frustration, and lost productivity. • Better questions, better decisions: Why founders, CFOs, and HR leaders need to look beyond price and understand the broader strategy behind their plans. If employee benefits feel like an expensive annual headache instead of a strategic advantage, this episode is for you. Connect with Butch Zemar LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/butchzemar Intro & Outro Music "Which One Is the Jellyfish?" by Aunt Cynthia's Cabin Used with permission under a non-exclusive license. Bandcamp: https://auntcynthiascabin.bandcamp.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/auntcynthiascabin Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/auntcynthiascabin Spotify: http://open.spotify.com/artist/5XoG0H2D0vY58n32W8xI2K

    The Million-Dollar Savings Businesses Ignore | Rethinking Employee Benefits

  6. Sep 2

    Before You Go Fractional | Stop Thinking Like an Employee

    In this episode of Fixers & Founders, Tony and Forrest sit down with Natalie Hoop to unpack what it really takes to build a sustainable fractional career. After more than 15 years in operations, Natalie made the leap from corporate leadership into fractional work. That transition taught her something a lot of experienced operators miss: going fractional does not mean starting over. Your experience still has value, but the way you package, price, and deliver that value has to change. Natalie also shares the founder side of the equation—what fractional leaders actually do, why they are not just consultants or employees on trial, and how operational bottlenecks often show up as missed revenue targets, shrinking margins, overloaded teams, and founders who still sit in the middle of every decision. In this conversation, we explore: • The shift from employee to business owner: Why experienced operators struggle when they carry corporate habits into fractional work. • Valuing your experience: Why going fractional does not erase the 20 or 30 years of expertise you already earned. • What fractional leadership really looks like: The difference between consulting, contracting, and truly owning strategy plus execution. • Building work around the life you want: How boundaries, pricing, client fit, and intentionality shape a sustainable fractional business. If you are an experienced operator considering the fractional path—or already doing fractional work and wondering why it still feels like a job—this episode is for you. Connect with Natalie Hoop Website: https://nataliehoop.com Email: nataliehoop@gmail.com Intro & Outro Music "Which One Is the Jellyfish?" by Aunt Cynthia's Cabin Used with permission under a non-exclusive license. Bandcamp: https://auntcynthiascabin.bandcamp.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/auntcynthiascabin Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/auntcynthiascabin Spotify: http://open.spotify.com/artist/5XoG0H2D0vY58n32W8xI2K

    Before You Go Fractional | Stop Thinking Like an Employee

  7. Aug 26

    Network Forever | Build a Growth Engine That Compounds

    In this episode of Fixers & Founders, Tony and Forrest sit down with Brian Petro to explore what happens when marketing, sales, networking, and brand all start working together instead of operating as separate efforts. Brian describes himself as a marketing guy who loves sales, and that perspective gives him a unique view of the friction that often exists between the two. From finger-pointing over bad leads to inconsistent business development and neglected referral habits, Brian explains why growth becomes more reliable when companies build systems around the relationships and activities that already work. Drawing from more than 30 years in marketing, his work as a fractional CMO and CRO, and experience helping brands from startups to Fortune 500 companies grow, Brian shares how small businesses and solopreneurs can create outsized results without massive budgets. He also explains why networking should be treated as a permanent business habit and how strong brand equity can increase the value of a company well beyond immediate lead generation. In this conversation, we explore: • Sales + Marketing Alignment: Why the classic “bad leads vs. bad follow-up” fight happens and how both sides can work together. • Networking as a System: Why relationship-building needs process and consistency if it is going to produce long-term results. • Scrappy Growth: How smaller businesses can create traction without relying on big ad budgets. • Brand Equity: Why marketing should increase the value of the company, not just produce this month’s leads. If your growth still depends too much on random outreach, inconsistent follow-up, or hoping the right opportunity shows up, this conversation is for you. Connect with Brian Petro Email: brian@brightproductions.comWebsite: https://brightproductions.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bpetro/ Intro & Outro Music "Which One Is the Jellyfish?" by Aunt Cynthia's CabinUsed with permission under a non-exclusive license. Bandcamp: https://auntcynthiascabin.bandcamp.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/auntcynthiascabinInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/auntcynthiascabinSpotify: http://open.spotify.com/artist/5XoG0H2D0vY58n32W8xI2K

    Network Forever | Build a Growth Engine That Compounds

  8. Aug 19

    Marketing From Zero to One | Stop Guessing. Start Growing.

    In this episode of Fixers & Founders, Tony and Forrest sit down with Evelyn Cools to explore what it really takes to build marketing from zero to one. For many early-stage companies, marketing starts as a collection of disconnected tactics—running ads, posting on social media, or chasing the latest growth hack. Evelyn explains why sustainable growth starts somewhere much less exciting but far more important: building the right foundation first. Drawing from her experience as a three-time founding marketer, fractional Head of Marketing, growth advisor, and host of the Growing Startups podcast, Evelyn shares how founders can stop guessing, focus on the right experiments, and build marketing systems that are ready to scale. In this conversation, we explore: • Marketing Foundations: Why defining your ICP, messaging, and core marketing operations comes before scaling channels. • Growth Without Guesswork: How to avoid random acts of marketing by testing intentionally and learning from every experiment. • Beyond Paid Ads: Why founders often spend on ads too early—and where that budget can create far greater returns. • The First 90 Days: A practical roadmap for building marketing that supports long-term growth instead of chasing short-term wins. If your marketing feels reactive, scattered, or like a collection of disconnected experiments, this conversation is for you. Connect with Evelyn Cools LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/evelyncools Growing Startups Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/growing-startups-with-evelyn-cools/id1773028291 Intro & Outro Music "Which One Is the Jellyfish?" by Aunt Cynthia's CabinUsed with permission under a non-exclusive license. Bandcamp: https://auntcynthiascabin.bandcamp.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/auntcynthiascabin Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/auntcynthiascabin Spotify: http://open.spotify.com/artist/5XoG0H2D0vY58n32W8xI2K

    Marketing From Zero to One | Stop Guessing. Start Growing.
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About

Fixers & Founders is a podcast about the partnership between visionary founders and the fractional executives who help them bring structure, clarity, and scale. Each episode features candid conversations with founders and the operators who steady the ship—highlighting how ideas get fueled, how systems get fixed, and how businesses move forward when vision and execution finally meet.

Information

  • Creator
    Forrest Derr and Tony Lilja
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    33
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Forrest Derr and Tony Lilja
  • Show Website
    Fixers & Founders

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