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The People Powered Business PodcastThe weekly podcast for Australian small business owners who want to avoid people drama, manage well, and master the mental game of being the boss Author: Kristy-Lee Billett
Managing people shouldn't be the hardest part of running your business. But for most small business owners, it is. Each week, Australian small business HR expert Kristy-Lee Billett tackles the real challenges business owners face with their teams. From hiring the right people the first time, to handling difficult conversations, staying compliant, and mastering the mental game of being the boss. With 300 episodes, this is one of Australia's longest-running small business HR podcasts. Practical, real worlds advice for business owners with teams of 3 to 40 people. If you're dealing with a people problem right now, or want to avoid the next one, this is the podcast for you. Language: en Genres: Business, Entrepreneurship, Management Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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The Bigger The Team, The Lonelier The Job
Episode 334
Tuesday, 28 July, 2026
Hello and welcome to Episode 334 of The People Powered Business Podcast.You built a team so you'd have back-up. So why does it feel like the bigger that team gets, the fewer people you've actually got to talk to?I keep hearing versions of this from the business owners I work with: they've grown a team, they're doing well by every outside measure, and yet somewhere along the way they started feeling more isolated, not less. Nobody warned them this would happen, and most of them assumed it was just them.After 20 years of watching business owners build teams, I can tell you it isn't. It's part of the job.In this episode I unpack why growing a team and feeling lonelier as the boss happen at exactly the same rate, and why that's actually a sign you're doing something right, not wrong. I talk about why your team, no matter how great they are, can't be the ones you offload your hardest decisions onto, and why the same self-reliance that got your business off the ground might now be the thing keeping you isolated. Then I get into what genuinely helps, because staying lonely isn't the only option.In this episode we cover:Why growing your team and feeling more isolated happen at the same rate, and why that's normalWhy nobody warns you about this (hint: it looks like success from the outside)Why your team can't be your sounding board for the big decisions, even the ones you trust mostHow the instinct that built your business might be the same one keeping you isolated as it growsWhat actually helps when you're feeling like you've got no one to talk toLinks & Resources:💬 DM Kristy-Lee on Instagram @kristy.lee.billettConnect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristyleebillett/Email me at hello@peoplepoweredbusiness.com.auBook a 15-minute clarity call: https://calendly.com/kristyleebillett/chatWhat this episode coversThis episode explains why business owners tend to feel more isolated as their team grows, even as the business becomes more successful. It's for anyone managing a team who has started to feel like there's no one left to talk to about the harder calls, and it breaks down why that isolation happens and what to do about it.Key insight from this episodeGrowing a team and feeling lonelier as the boss happen at the same rate, and that isn't a personal failing. It's a normal, predictable part of running a business, largely because it looks like success from the outside, so nobody thinks to warn you about it.What you'll take awayUnderstanding why more staff means more decisions and more responsibility, not lessRecognising why team members, even trusted ones, can't be a confidant for business decisions that affect their own employmentIdentifying whether self-reliance, the instinct that built the business, is now driving isolation instead of solving itKnowing the difference between a normal part of leadership and a problem that needs outside supportClarity on what kind of external support actually closes the gap, rather than adding another task to the list
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