I see you, fellow business owners. I see you because I was you.

Building my consultancy was like riding a roller coaster – exhilarating and terrifying all at once. Growing the team, landing bigger clients, living what seemed like the entrepreneurial dream. But beneath the surface, something was crumbling.

The weight of responsibility became crushing.

With my 'business therapist' hat on, I see this pattern emerge time and time again. A business owner comes to me frustrated that their marketing isn't working, or their team member isn't performing, or they can't seem to delegate effectively.

I'm not your typical HR consultant who shows up with a clipboard and a rulebook. Instead, I'm more like your strategic partner who rolls up their sleeves and dives in to find real, practical solutions. As one client put it: "Emily was brilliant not just as a service but a solutions provider".

Are you tired of constantly putting out HR fires in your small business?

December isn't just about Christmas prep – it's the perfect time to transform your approach to people management for 2025.

Ever notice how employee issues hit different when you're a business owner?

That pit in your stomach when conflict arises isn't just about the immediate problem – it's often tied to deeper emotional threads woven through our entrepreneurial journey.

I've been working with a recruitment business owner recently who was at breaking point. He'd been paying for a generic HR helpline (you know the type - insurance-backed, call centre approach, tick-box solutions). But they just weren't getting it.

The challenge? An underperforming consultant with ongoing sickness issues. Months of frustration, zero progress, and a helpline that didn't understand the unique dynamics of recruitment businesses.

In today's video, I'm going to share how successful businesses are flipping the script on performance management. We'll explore how focusing on coaching and development first can transform your business culture, boost your billers' confidence, and actually make those tougher conversations more constructive when they're needed.

Are you leaving performance to chance in your business? Are you just hoping to get the results you want without clarity?

I see this all the time - usually resulting in a stressed, frustrated business owner, taking it all on themselves.

There is another way.

Here's a radical thought for recruitment & small business owners - what if performance conversations actually energised your team?

Somewhere along the way, the very mention of "performance" became associated with blame, fear and that dreaded march to HR. It's no wonder we all tense up at the phrase "we need to talk about your performance."

What if we changed this narrative in our businesses?

One of the things I see all the time that totally hinders performance in recruitment businesses is a lack of clarity around expectations.

This is often coming from a really good place. Business owners not wanting to recreate the restrictive KPI, fear driven cultures of recruitment past. Not wanting to bog down the business in rules, policies and complex contracts. I totally get it.

However, an all or nothing approach is really damaging your business and your culture.