If you're a small or medium-sized business owner, this episode could save you from costly legal missteps that threaten your business's growth—or even its survival. Legal expert Matthew Fornaro joins the podcast to highlight the essential contracts and legal strategies that many entrepreneurs overlook in their rush to launch or scale. Whether you're just starting out or already running a business, you’ll learn how to lay the legal foundation to protect your operations, reputation, and revenue.

What You'll Learn:

• Why your business plan is a legally powerful document—not just a planning tool
• The 10 contracts every small business should have in place
• How missing legal steps early on can hurt your chances of getting a loan or surviving an audit
• What to know about doing business across state or national borders
• The difference between minimum compliance and real protection
• How to set up a business structure the right way from the beginning

Matthew also shares personal stories from his own transition from big law firms to running his own legal practice, plus practical insights from mentoring business owners like you. If you've ever wondered whether your contracts, agreements, and structures are truly protecting your business—you can’t afford to miss this episode.

Matthew Fornaro is a seasoned business law attorney and founder of Matthew Fornaro P.A., serving South Florida since 2003. He specializes in contract disputes, with expertise in intellectual property. Additionally, he mentors entrepreneurs, teaching programs like FastTrac NewVenture and the Jim Moran Institute.

www.fornarolegal.com

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If you think pay is just about numbers, think again. In today’s talent-short market, the way you compensate your people could be the reason they leave—or why they stay and thrive. In this episode, Trudy MacDonald, award-winning business leader and Managing Director of TalentCode HR, pulls back the curtain on remuneration. She explains why most businesses are getting it wrong and what you can do to build a pay strategy that actually works.

Whether you're struggling with attracting top talent, keeping your best people, or motivating your team to hit new levels of performance, this conversation is your wake-up call. Trudy shares real-world insights and practical steps that will help you stop the guesswork and start building a smarter, fairer, and more effective approach to pay.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why traditional pay models are failing in today’s workforce—and what’s replacing them
• The biggest mistakes leaders make when designing salary and bonus structures
• How to create a pay framework that motivates performance without damaging culture
• What it means to move from “paying for presence” to “paying for value”
• Why market benchmarking might be misleading—and how to use it the right way
• How to talk about money openly with employees and build trust in your remuneration process
• Trudy’s go-to framework for strategic remuneration design in small and medium businesses

Pay isn’t just a cost—it’s one of your most powerful business levers. Done right, it drives retention, performance, and loyalty. Done wrong, it quietly erodes your culture and profitability. Trudy MacDonald offers a fresh, human-centric take on how business owners and leaders can rethink pay to fuel growth and keep their top talent engaged. If you want your team to work like they own the place—start by paying them like it matters.

For another great conversation, check out Trudy's previous episode here Ep 152 - From Burnout to Brilliance: Transforming Workplace Culture

Trudy MacDonald has worked extensively with Boards, leaders and leadership teams over the past 20 years and is a sought-after coach to leaders across industries.

She is an experienced CEO, an established business leader and thought leader in the areas of strategy, people, and culture. She specialises in empowering organisations to become great by maximising the performance and productivity of their people.

She is a multi-award-winning speaker having been honoured as “Speaker of the Year” by the world’s largest CEO network – The Executive Connection (TEC). Trudy is a regular speaker to Leaders and Boards and regularly presents on the topics of strategy, high performance organisations and leadership at Industry Associations, Conferences and Corporate Events. Her career is founded on an education in Organisational Psychology and spans Australia, New Zealand, the USA and parts of Asia.

www.talentcodehr.com.au
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In today’s fast-changing business landscape, survival isn’t just about cutting costs—it’s about adapting, innovating, and thinking long-term. In this episode, we sit down with Rick Yvanovich, an experienced entrepreneur and business strategist, to explore what it takes to thrive in an era of constant transformation. Whether you're a start-up founder or an established business leader, this conversation will help you rethink traditional business practices and embrace a more resilient approach to leadership and decision-making.

Rick shares valuable insights on why there’s no such thing as "business as usual" anymore, emphasizing the need for agility in response to changing legislation, economic conditions, and technology. He also delves into the importance of resilience, sustainability, and continuous improvement, drawing inspiration from Japanese business longevity models. Additionally, he highlights the critical role of mindset and leadership, explaining why business owners should take action instead of waiting for external solutions.

A major takeaway from this episode is the value of external accountability and support. Rick discusses how independent advisors, non-executive directors, or external mentors can provide objective feedback, reduce stress, and help business owners make better strategic decisions. He also shares his perspective on personal branding and succession planning, encouraging leaders to separate themselves from their business to ensure long-term success.

Key Takeaways:

✅ Why "business as usual" no longer exists—and how to adapt
✅ The secret to business longevity: resilience and sustainability
✅ How to develop a proactive leadership mindset in times of uncertainty
✅ The power of external support and accountability in decision-making
✅ Why curiosity and continuous improvement are critical for business success
✅ How personal branding plays a role in ensuring long-term business survival

Get Rick's book: Business As Unusual - How to Thrive in the New Renaissance

Rick Yvanovich is a true master of the business coaching craft. His proven track record of helping companies and individuals achieve unprecedented levels of success is a testament to his unparalleled ability to combine business experience with coaching interventions. Through systematic processes and unwavering commitment to employee empowerment, Rick translates vision into actionable steps that propel his clients forward towards their goals and milestones.

www.rickyvanovich.com

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