Lead on Purpose with James Laughlin

In this episode of Lead On Purpose, I sit down with Elise Balsillie from Thryv to unpack what small and medium businesses can do to keep up with the pace of AI, automation, and digital change, without losing their culture, their margins, or their sanity.What we cover:How Thryv runs a fully remote team of around 400 people across Australia and New Zealand, and the culture systems that make it workWhy remote can improve both productivity and customer service, including flexible hours that fit real small business lifeHow to get back to your zone of genius by automating admin, bookings, reminders, reviews, and overdue invoice follow upsThe new visibility game for small businesses: being found in AI search, why directories still matter, and how to write in natural languageWhy customer data wins, how to segment properly, and how a CRM helps you sell with less pressure and more relationship built inIf you’re a small business owner feeling stretched by marketing, emails, and endless admin, this conversation will help you simplify your systems, free up your time, and build a business that performs without costing you your wellbeing and relationships.Learn more about Thryv here: https://www.thryv.comConnect with Elise on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elise-balsillie-8aa1a892/?originalSubdomain=auIf you’re interested in having me deliver a keynote or workshop for your team contact Caroline at [email protected]: https://www.jjlaughlin.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6GETJbxpgulYcYc6QAKLHA Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JamesLaughlinOfficial Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jameslaughlinofficial/ Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/nz/podcast/life-on-purpose-with-james-laughlin/id1547874035 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3WBElxcvhCHtJWBac3nOlF?si=hotcGzHVRACeAx4GvybVOQ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jameslaughlincoaching/James Laughlin is a High Performance Leadership Coach, Former 7-Time World Champion, Host of the Lead On Purpose Podcast and an Executive Coach to high performers and leaders. James is based in Christchurch, New Zealand.Send me a personal text messageJoin me at the 2026 Goal-setting Workshop here - jjlaughlin.com/2026goals - If you're interested in booking me for a keynote or workshop, contact Caroline at [email protected] the show

Join me at the 2026 Goal-setting Workshop here - jjlaughlin.com/2026goalIn this episode of Lead On Purpose, I sit down with Dr Jack Groppel, co founder of the Human Performance Institute, to explore the hidden cost of achievement, and what it really takes to win in your career without losing yourself and the people you love.What we cover:The “watch me” drive, people pleasing, and how early approval seeking fuels ambitionWhy world class achievement can mask insecurity, and the personal cost of always saying yesBoundaries as a leadership skill, and the simple filter: what matters most right nowAdoption and fatherhood, and the two weeks in China that reshaped his definition of successMountains Within, and how to pursue meaning alongside achievement, not after itIf you’re driven, ambitious, and constantly chasing the next goal, this conversation will help you zoom out, reset your definition of high performance, and lead your life with more purpose, presence, and integrity..Connect with Jack on linkedin here - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackgroppel/Grab a copy of Jacks book here - https://www.amazon.com/Mountains-Within-Achievement-Mountain-Everything/dp/B0G4G8YG58If you’re interested in having me deliver a keynote or workshop for your team contact Caroline at [email protected]: https://www.jjlaughlin.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6GETJbxpgulYcYc6QAKLHA Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JamesLaughlinOfficial Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jameslaughlinofficial/ Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/nz/podcast/life-on-purpose-with-james-laughlin/id1547874035 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3WBElxcvhCHtJWBac3nOlF?si=hotcGzHVRACeAx4GvybVOQ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jameslaughlincoaching/James Laughlin is a High Performance Leadership Coach, Former 7-Time World Champion, Host of the Lead On Purpose Podcast and an Executive Coach to high performers and leaders. James is based in Christchurch, New Zealand.Send me a personal text messageJoin me at the 2026 Goal-setting Workshop here - jjlaughlin.com/2026goals - If you're interested in booking me for a keynote or workshop, contact Caroline at [email protected] the show

Join me at the 2026 Goal-setting Workshop here - jjlaughlin.com/2026goalsIn this episode of Lead On Purpose, I sit down with Chris Naugle to unpack why money feels awkward for so many people, and how to shift from scarcity and stress into clarity and control.What we cover:Why money feels scarce, and how wealth starts with creation and solving other people’s problemsRich vs wealthy, and why looking successful often means living on credit and giving it all backGiving as a practical money habit, including Chris’s “donation letters” exercise to rewire abundanceThe “be your own bank” concept, and how to recapture interest and recycle cash flow instead of feeding banksInvesting and big purchases through a new lens, only back what you understand, avoid chasing high returns, and treat cars like a system not an expenseIf you’ve ever earned well but still felt behind, anxious about money, or unsure why it never seems to stick, this episode will fundamentally change how you think about money and how you use it.Learn more about Chris here - https://www.chrisnaugle.comConnect with Chris on IG here - https://www.instagram.com/thechrisnaugle/Grab a copy of Chris’ book here - https://www.chrisnaugle.com/book/Watch Chris’ videos on YT here - https://www.youtube.com/@TheChrisNaugle/videosIf you’re interested in having me deliver a keynote or workshop for your team contact Caroline at [email protected]: https://www.jjlaughlin.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6GETJbxpgulYcYc6QAKLHA Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JamesLaughlinOfficial Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jameslaughlinofficial/ Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/nz/podcast/life-on-purpose-with-james-laughlin/id1547874035 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3WBElxcvhCHtJWBac3nOlF?si=hotcGzHVRACeAx4GvybVOQ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jameslaughlincoaching/James Laughlin is a High Performance Leadership Coach, Former 7-Time World Champion, Host of the Lead On Purpose Podcast and an Executive Coach to high performers and leaders. James is based in Christchurch, New Zealand.Send me a personal text messageJoin me at the 2026 Goal-setting Workshop here - jjlaughlin.com/2026goals - If you're interested in booking me for a keynote or workshop, contact Caroline at [email protected] the show

Join me at the 2026 Goal-setting Workshop here - jjlaughlin.com/2026goalsIn this episode of Lead On Purpose, I sit down with Cecilia Robinson, serial entrepreneur and Co chair of B416 (Before 16), to unpack what’s driving the youth mental health crisis and what parents can do about it. - Why is anxiety rising so fast in young people? - What happens when we over protect kids in the real world and under protect them online?- How do you raise independent, resilient kids in a smartphone first world?Cecilia shares the mission behind B416, the push to introduce a minimum age of 16 for social media, and the practical parenting principles she uses at home. We also get into her entrepreneurial journey across Au Pair Link, My Food Bag, and Tend, plus how she handles public criticism and stays grounded in the middle of high pressure seasons. What we cover:Why B416 exists, what the movement is trying to change, and why social norming matters for parents and kidsThe biggest compliance issue schools face with phone free rules, and the parental habits that accidentally undermine themCecilia’s approach to parenting for independence, including the TRICK framework and stretching kids with real responsibilityHow she thinks about building businesses, why execution beats ideas, and how problem spotting drives her ventures The emotional realities behind leadership, including navigating loss, staying steady under scrutiny, and choosing daily happinessIf you care about parenting, leadership, and protecting childhood in a digital world, this conversation will challenge how you think about screens, responsibility, and what kids actually need to thrive.Check out B416 here - https://b416.co.nzConnect with Cecilia on LinkedIn here - https://www.linkedin.com/in/cecilia-robinson-46722311/?originalSubdomain=nzHave a look at Cecilia's speaker profile here - https://www.celebrityspeakers.co.nz/speakers/cecilia-robinsonIf you’re interested in having me deliver a keynote or workshop for your team contact Caroline at [email protected]: https://www.jjlaughlin.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6GETJbxpgulYcYc6QAKLHA Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JamesLaughlinOfficial Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jameslaughlinofficial/ Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/nz/podcast/life-on-purpose-with-james-laughlin/id1547874035 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3WBElxcvhCHtJWBac3nOlF?si=hotcGzHVRACeAx4GvybVOQ LinkedIn: https://www.liSend me a personal text messageJoin me at the 2026 Goal-setting Workshop here - jjlaughlin.com/2026goals - If you're interested in booking me for a keynote or workshop, contact Caroline at [email protected] the show

Join me at the 2026 Goal-setting Workshop here - jjlaughlin.com/2026goalsI’m breaking down my exact goal-setting system and the annual planning method I use with my private clients to help them stop starting over and actually follow through.This episode is about clarity, alignment and action. Not hype. Not motivation. And not beating yourself up when things don’t go to plan.I walk you through the thinking behind my annual reset process and explain how to reflect on the past year without judgement, identify what truly matters, and build goals that are achievable and sustainable.In this episode, you will discover:Why most goal-setting fails before FebruaryHow to review the past year without shame or self-criticismA simple way to identify what gave you energy and what drained itHow to use WMI (What’s Most Important) to prioritise your life and workWhy belief systems quietly sabotage behaviour and resultsHow to narrow your focus to the one goal that matters most right nowWhat to do in the next 30 days so momentum actually sticksWhy high performance is hormonal and how the MEDS framework supports consistencyYou’ll also hear about a free goal-setting workbook you can download to work through this process step by step. It’s the same workbook my coaching clients use to reset, reflect and build a clear plan for the year ahead.If you’ve been setting goals with good intentions but struggling to follow through, this episode will help you slow down, see clearly and take meaningful action.Because hope isn’t a strategy.Habits beat hope every day of the week.Download the free workbook here - https://www.jjlaughlin.com/2026workbookJoin me at the 2026 Goal-setting workshop here - https://www.jjlaughlin.com/2026goalsGet the Growth Weekly Newsletter sent straight to your inbox and join 1000’s of other high-performers on the road to self-mastery  - https://www.jjlaughlin.com/newsletterOn my channel I aim to bring you world-class guests and create epic videos to help you level up your leadership and personal mastery.If you could take the time to subscribe, that would help my channel grow and it would mean you wouldn’t miss an episode. Subscribe here - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6GETJbxpgulYcYc6QAKLHA?sub_confirmation=1Send me a personal text messageJoin me at the 2026 Goal-setting Workshop here - jjlaughlin.com/2026goalsSupport the show