The Critical Few Actions

By: John Downes
  • Summary

  • Overwhelmed by trying to do it all? Focus on the criticalfewactions™ that will have the biggest impact on your business's success. In this podcast, host John Downes, a seasoned business advisor with extensive experience in Big Consulting, successful entrepreneurship, and mentoring, helps you defeat the overwhelm. Through real stories from business leaders, experts insights, and John’s own experience, you’ll learn how to prioritize those criticalfewactions™ that, if you did nothing else, will drive your business forward to deliver your vision. We’ll cover everything from setting your vision and strategy to improving profitability and supporting your team’s performance so that you get more pleasure, fulfillment, and financial reward from your business.. Subscribe now and tune in every two weeks to take control of your business’s future—one focused step at a time.
    Copyright 2025 John Downes
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Episodes
  • Darren Heveren: Are you ready for intergenerational wealth transfer and growth?
    Mar 4 2025

    Click here for further information and the downloadable resources:

    https://criticalfewactionspodcast.com.au/DarrenHeverenInformation

    Are you ready for intergenerational wealth transfer and growth?: Insights from Darren Heveren


    In this episode, Darren Heveren, an expert in supporting High Net Worth Families with their intergenerational wealth transfer, shares his deep knowledge and experiences from an illustrious career. Initially a partner at Deloitte, Darren sheds light on the intricacies of family offices in his own practice, their objectives, how to establish and operate one, and the importance of trust. He also talks about the intergenerational transfer of wealth, how the ATO is targeting these families for good governance structures, and the value of having a trusted advisor. Learn how Family Offices can be tailored to individual needs and hear real-life examples of how they operate to preserve and grow family wealth over generations.


    00:00 Getting Started in Family Offices

    02:26 Understanding the Family Office

    03:43 Core Objectives and Services

    05:44 Intergenerational Wealth Transfer

    10:14 Case Study and Trusted Advisor Role

    12:13 Establishing a Family Office

    23:40 Challenges and Solutions

    31:26 The #CriticalFewActions™


    This episode is sponsored by the #CEOMasterclass in #StrategicPlanning and Implementation. Get together with a team of peer business owners and CEOs to develop and test your Strategic Plan, and then, Implement it. Get out of your business into a confidential space to work ON your business, learn from peers who share your lived experience, problem solve and get support from each other.


    #FamilyOffice

    #WealthManagement

    #IntergenerationalWealth

    #FinancialPlanning

    #TrustedAdvisor

    #NotAlone

    #BusinessGrowth

    #BusinessStrategy

    #VisionAndStraetgy #BuildRevenue #DeliverProfitability #SupportPeoplePerformance #DriveAssetReturns #DevelopOrganisationLearning

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    36 mins
  • Rich Hawker - The 4 steps to design spectacular customer experiences
    Feb 25 2025

    Download the Blog Summary & Contact Details:

    https://criticalfewactionspodcast.com.au/RichHawkerdownload1

    Unlocking Business Success: The Power of Customer Experience Design

    Join host John Downes as he delves into critical actions to improve your business with guest Rich Hawker, an expert in customer experience design. Learn how Rich's journey from Deloitte to Bain & Co. fueled his passion for solving human problems with design thinking and agile methodology. Discover what customer experience design entails, its benefits, and a rigorous approach to mastering it. Rich shares valuable insights and case studies, highlighting the importance of understanding customer needs, setting customer-led ambitions, and creating a collaborative, emotionally resonant environment that enhances profitability and employee fulfillment. Get ready to transform your business by focusing on what truly matters.

    00:00 Introduction to the Podcast

    00:26 Meet Rich Hawker: Customer Experience Expert

    00:59 Rich's Journey into Customer Experience Design

    03:09 Understanding Customer Experience Design

    04:11 Benefits of Customer Experience Design

    06:12 Approach to Customer Experience Design

    13:38 Client Examples and Success Stories

    20:03 Common Pitfalls in Customer Experience Design

    27:37 Preparing for Customer Experience Design

    30:57 The #CriticalFewActions™ to get started

    #Entrepreneurship #CustomerExperienceDesign #Leadership #BusinessGrowth #CEOMasterclass

    This episode is sponsored by the CEO Masterclass.

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    33 mins
  • Rob Olver: Forget evolution! When should you revolutionise your business model?
    Feb 18 2025
    Click here for further information and the downloadable resources
    Rob Olver: Forget evolution! When should you revolutionise your business model?

    Business Model Transformation: Insights from Rob Olver

    In this episode of the #Critical Few Actions to Improve Your Business podcast, host John Downes speaks with Rob Olver, a business leader who specializes in transforming established companies for sustainable growth. Rob shares his unique framework for business model transformation, adapted from startup methodologies, and provides insightful case studies and practical tips. They discuss the challenges and opportunities in transitioning a traditional business model to a more innovative and sustainable one. Learn how to prioritize actions, leverage digital technologies, and make data-driven decisions to stay ahead in your industry.

    00:00 Introduction to Business Transformation

    00:26 Meet Rob Olver: The 20-Year-Old Startups

    01:18 Origins of Business Model Transformation

    02:50 The Four Stages of Business Growth

    04:21 Challenges and Strategies in Business Innovation

    09:27 Case Study: Environmental Fuel Science Company

    10:48 Leveraging Government Incentives

    22:50 The Importance of Customer Feedback

    28:55 Developing a Successful Product Suite

    31:28 The Art of Predicting Sales

    31:45 Challenges in Data Science Adoption

    32:12 The Lean Startup Approach

    32:43 Achieving Product-Market Fit

    34:50 The Valley of Death for Startups

    36:42 Cultural Differences in Business Innovation

    38:56 Founder Passion and Business Transformation

    43:00 Leveraging Data for Business Growth

    46:04 The Role of Technology in Business Reinvention

    52:00 The #CriticalFewActions™ to start Business Model Transformation

    SUBSCRIBE & SHARE

    If you found this conversation valuable, don’t forget to Subscribe to the channel, leave a comment, and share this episode with your peer business leaders. Your support helps us reach more CEOs who want to improve their organisation performance and its value, and it keeps the conversation going.

    Sponsor: The CEO Masterclass in Strategic Planning and Implementation.

    Are you a business owner or CEO striving to elevate your business to new heights? But right now… you’re not hitting the targets or objectives your business needs to achieve.

    Or maybe you’ve hit a roadblock you can’t move past—a major challenge with no clear solution; and there’s no one in your world you can talk to about it.

    I get it. Running a business at the top level can feel like you’re isolated. You’re expected to have all the answers—but what if you don’t? The truth is, at our level, our role isn’t to have all the answers ourselves—it’s to find the right people who do. People who have faced these obstacles before and have the real-world experience to guide you and your team forward.

    That’s why I created the CEO Masterclass—a 12-month, Deakin University MBA-accredited program designed exclusively for business owners and CEOs who are serious about transforming their businesses.

    With 30+ years in business, working with hundreds of companies from $1 million to $100+ million turnover across three continents, I’ve seen firsthand the challenges leaders face—and I’ve helped them break through and achieve real results.

    This isn’t another generic leadership course. It’s a highly focused, small-group program where you’ll work alongside your peers, on your business, break through barriers, and implement real-world strategies—not just to solve the problems holding your business back, but to accelerate your growth faster than

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    56 mins

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