In this episode of Better Business, Better Life, Debra Chantry-Taylor sits down with Darryl Dillon-Shallard, Chief Growth Officer at Butterfly, to explore how AI is making custom software affordable again.

Drawing on nearly two decades of experience in the digital industry, Darryl shares his journey from graphic designer to digital strategist, including the development of the My Stable app for horse trainers and his work helping organisations build custom digital solutions that solve real business problems.

The conversation explores how AI is fundamentally changing software development. Darryl explains that artificial intelligence is dramatically reducing the time and cost required to prototype new ideas, making custom-built applications more accessible than ever before. Rather than forcing businesses to adapt their processes to off-the-shelf software, organisations can increasingly develop solutions tailored to the way they already operate.

While AI presents exciting opportunities, Darryl cautions against rushing into development without proper planning. He explains why investing time in discovery, understanding user needs, creating a detailed project brief, and choosing the right development partner are all essential to delivering scalable, maintainable solutions that provide long-term value.

The episode also looks at the evolution of digital technology, from the early days of Flash websites and mobile apps to today's cloud-based web applications powered by artificial intelligence. Darryl shares why many organisations are shifting towards browser-based applications that streamline internal workflows, improve productivity, and solve operational challenges more effectively than traditional mobile apps.

Whether you're considering a custom application, exploring AI opportunities, or simply trying to understand where technology is heading, this conversation offers practical insights into how businesses can innovate with confidence while avoiding costly mistakes.

CONNECT WITH DEBRA:   
___________________________________________        
►Debra Chantry-Taylor is a Certified EOS Implementer | Entrepreneurial Leadership & Business Coach | Business Owner
►Connect with Debra: debra@businessaction.com.au
►See how she can help you: https://businessaction.co.nz/
►Claim Your Free E-Book: https://www.businessaction.co.nz/free-e-book/
___________________________________________      
GUEST’S DETAILS:
► Darryl Dillon-Shallard – LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/darryl-dillon-shallard/
► Website – Butterfly: https://www.butterfly.com.au/

Episode 278 Chapters:  
00:00 – Introduction
00:38 – Introduction and Overview of Digital Transformation
05:36 – Evolution of Web and App Development
09:51 – Challenges and Pitfalls in Digital Development
18:04 – Comparing Quotes and Making Informed Decisions
18:24 – Examples of Successful Projects
25:42 – Future Trends in Digital Development
26:29 – Final Thoughts and Tips for Listeners

Sara is on a quest to help owners get what they want from their family business and build lasting legacies. As the former director of the nationally recognized Family Business Center at the University of Saint Thomas, a Certified EOS Implementer™ and the founder of The Sage Pages she helps her clients get real, simple results.

In this podcast Sara shares many real-life stories & tips from working with hundreds of family businesses.

As her name suggests, Sara knows how to B Stern with her family clients to ensure that they get the next from their business & their life & she has had many successes in this area.

Sara's top 3 tips are based on the Harvard Business School's Three-Circle Model of the Family Business System.

She recommends getting clarity on the Vision for each the 3 points:

• Ownership
• Family
• Business

In this episode of Better Business, Better Life, Debra Chantry-Taylor sits down with Brendan Lee, founder of Conversions Today, to uncover one of the biggest marketing mistake business owners make: building marketing around what they like, instead of what their customers actually need.

Brendan shares his journey from corporate life to building a specialist marketing agency that helps businesses in complex industries such as law, accounting & medical technology generate measurable growth. Along the way, he discovered that successful marketing is not just about creativity. It is about understanding people, tracking the right data & making decisions based on evidence rather than assumptions.

A key theme throughout the conversation is the danger of vanity metrics. Brendan explains why likes, clicks & impressions can create a false sense of success when they are not connected to real business outcomes. Instead, he advocates for tracking the full customer journey, including offline activity such as phone calls, direct mail campaigns & letterbox drops.

Debra & Brendan also explore the growing role of AI in marketing, including how it can improve efficiency, speed up content creation & support smarter decision-making, while still needing a clear plan behind it.

Listeners will learn why effective marketing requires consistency, patience & a structured approach. Brendan also shares practical insights into ROI reverse engineering, helping businesses understand the true value of a customer before deciding how much to invest in acquisition.

This episode is packed with practical advice for business owners who want to stop guessing, avoid costly marketing mistakes & build a marketing system that consistently supports long-term business growth

CONNECT WITH DEBRA:   
___________________________________________        
►Debra Chantry-Taylor is a Certified EOS Implementer | Entrepreneurial Leadership & Business Coach | Business Owner
►Connect with Debra: debra@businessaction.com.au
►See how she can help you: https://businessaction.co.nz/
►Claim Your Free E-Book: https://www.businessaction.co.nz/free-e-book/
___________________________________________      
GUEST’S DETAILS:
► Brendan Lee – LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bdanlee/
► Website – Conversion Today: https://conversions.today/

Episode 277 Chapters:  

00:00 – Introduction
00:35 – Marketing Strategy and Introduction to Brendan Lee
27:26 – Brendan’s Agency and Marketing Approach
27:53 – Effective Marketing Strategies and Mistakes to Avoid
29:11 – The Role of Data and AI in Marketing
41:50 – Practical Tips for Improving Marketing Effectiveness

Ryan Goodwin is the founder of Mode Group, an award winning renovation and new home custom builders in Melbourne, Australia.

Ryan has been an entrepreneur since the age of 14 years old, mowing lawns and all the usual stuff that teenagers do.

He started his business, Mode Group, about 13 years, but he only really stepped back into it about five years ago with no guarantees that it was going to work out but his most important driving factor was about creating something that was right for his family.

He blended coaching, performance management and consulting with his current skills and decided to take on some larger roles.

Five years later, they're now a multi-award-winning builder in Melbourne, they have a fantastic showroom and interior designers on staff.

He has the mantra of doing what you are passionate about & doing what you love with people you love - the EOS Life!

In this episode, Ryan discusses the balance he created between work and family. How he enjoys life, delegating and trusting his staff with all the responsibilities assigned to them and also the challenges they faced.

In this episode of Better Business, Better Life, Debra Chantry-Taylor & Adam Harris explore why Visionaries can become bottlenecks, and what leaders can do to break free from the behaviours that hold their businesses back.

Drawing on their experience as EOS® Implementers, Debra & Adam unpack the powerful relationship between Visionary & Integrator leadership styles, including why clarity, trust, self-awareness & healthy conflict are essential for long-term business growth.

They discuss one of the most common challenges entrepreneurs face: letting go. Many Visionaries know they need to step back from day-to-day operations, but fear, control, past experiences or a love of chaos can keep them involved in areas where they no longer add the most value.

The conversation explores why Visionaries need a strong sounding board, how the “golden penny” problem pulls leaders away from priorities, and why a clear vision is very different from simply having lots of ideas.

Listeners will also gain practical insights into strengthening Visionary & Integrator partnerships, improving leadership alignment, and creating a business that can grow without being dependent on one person.

CONNECT WITH DEBRA:   

___________________________________________        

►Debra Chantry-Taylor is a Certified EOS Implementer | Entrepreneurial Leadership & Business Coach | Business Owner

►Connect with Debra: debra@businessaction.com.au

►See how she can help you: https://businessaction.co.nz/

___________________________________________      

GUEST’S DETAILS:

► Adam Harris – LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/adam-harris-eos/

► Website – EOS Worldwide: https://www.eosworldwide.com/adam-harris

Episode 276 Chapters:  

00:00 – Introduction

00:34 – Understanding the Visionary and Integrator Roles

05:30 – Defining the Visionary and Integrator Roles

11:18 – Challenges of Being a Visionary

27:15 – Balancing Visionary and Integrator Roles

30:07 – Identifying Great Ideas vs Distractions

41:40 – Overcoming Common Pitfalls

41:58 – Building a Strong Visionary–Integrator Relationship

51:24 – Addressing Relationship Issues

53:55 – Tools and Resources for Visionaries

Shelley Woodrow is a certified EOS Implementer who walks the EOS life - doing what she loves, with people she loves, making a huge difference while having time to pursue other passions.

Born and raised in an entrepreneurial family, she learnt how to run & own your own business and lead people effectively. Working extensively in media then following her passion for coaching, she discovered EOS and fell in love.

In this episode she shares her favourite tools and case studies of how EOS has transformed the businesses & leadership teams she's worked with.

People, especially entrepreneurs, tend to over-complicate things, making it harder than it needs to be. Find out how you can simplify to optimise, isolate & delegate what you don't love to do and have the right people in the right seat - including yourself!

"Get great energy that's derived from the things that you like and love to do. You're focused on your strengths & talents, and you're able to focus in the business where you want to add the most value. And so you get to live the EOS life. Part of the joy for me is helping you see beyond the business results. What kind of life do you want to live?"

Looking to figure out what your definition of EOS life is or how you can live it? Don't miss the full episode!

In this episode of Better Business, Better Life, Debra Chantry-Taylor explores how EOS and AI can give your team 10 hours back every week with AI strategist, author, and CEO of Bizukka, John Munsell.

As AI continues to reshape the way organisations operate, many businesses are rushing to implement new tools without the governance, training, or strategy needed to use them effectively. John explains why this approach creates significant risks and often prevents companies from achieving the productivity gains they expect.

Drawing on his experience as CEO of Bizukka and creator of the AI Strategy Canvas, John introduces the concept of the 10 Levels of AI Mastery, a framework designed to help organisations build AI capability in a structured and responsible way. Rather than jumping straight into advanced automation, he argues that businesses must first develop collective expertise, clear processes, and strong AI governance.

Throughout the conversation, John shares practical examples of how AI can dramatically improve efficiency when implemented correctly. One standout case study reveals how a CEO used AI to streamline complex RFP responses, reducing a three-week process to just three days and saving more than $70,000 in the process.

Debra and John also discuss the growing security concerns surrounding AI, including phishing attacks, autonomous agents, and the risks of employees using AI tools without proper oversight. John warns that poor AI adoption is not simply a technology problem. It is a leadership problem that requires education, accountability, and clear policies across the organisation.

The discussion covers how businesses can integrate AI into every department, the importance of upskilling employees, and why organisations that invest in training can unlock 10 to 12 hours of productive time per employee every week.

John also shares insights into advanced AI tools, practical implementation strategies, and the importance of balancing innovation with governance. He introduces his AI Impact Analysis tool and explains how businesses can assess their readiness for AI before making significant investments.

This episode is essential listening for business owners and leadership teams who want to harness the power of AI while avoiding the costly consequences of poor AI adoption, ensuring technology becomes a competitive advantage rather than a business risk.

CONNECT WITH DEBRA:   

___________________________________________        

►Debra Chantry-Taylor is a Certified EOS Implementer | Entrepreneurial Leadership & Business Coach | Business Owner

►Connect with Debra: debra@businessaction.com.au

►See how she can help you: https://businessaction.co.nz/

►Claim Your Free E-Book: https://www.businessaction.co.nz/free-e-book/

___________________________________________      

GUEST’S DETAILS:

► John Munsell – LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jwmunsell/

► Website: Bizzuka: www.bizzuka.com

Episode 275 Chapters:  

00:00 – Introduction

00:40 – Impact of AI on Businesses

04:23 – Levels of AI Mastery

12:54 – AI in Business Operations

17:50 – Common Mistakes in AI Implementation

26:11 – AI Governance and Security

34:41 – Tools and Resources for AI Implementation

35:00 – Practical Tips for AI Adoption

35:16 – Community and Support for AI Implementation

37:17 – Final Thoughts and Next Steps

Danny Mishek is President and Visionary of VistaTek, a family owned full-service manufacturing company in the US. One of his proudest achievements is recently publishing a children's Christmas book that gets everyone talking about their fondest, warmest memories.

In business, he puts innovation at the heart of VistaTek. They strive to be world-class innovators, not just competing in the Midwest, or the US.

He shares how EOS has helped him delegate and elevate, freeing him up to do what he's best at & loves doing - connecting with people and discovering growth opportunities.

In life, he consistently pushes himself outside his comfort zone, like riding a real bull or writing and self-publishing a book. He discusses the importance of sharing your personality and true character, which in turn opens you up to interesting conversations and deeper relationships.

Find out why he wrote a Christmas book seemingly out of the blue, his experience in a family business that went through a merger & EOS implementation and what it actually felt like to ride a bull!