I often read books where people push themselves to the extreme. Climbing Everest, crossing Antarctica, or kayaking across the Tasman are all examples of this.

One of the most impactful books I have read recently is Team Spirit by Brendan Hall, the skipper of the winning yacht in the 2009–10 Clipper Round the World Yacht Race.

While the book covers resilience and endurance, what stood out most were the leadership lessons that translate directly into business.

1 Skillset matters, but not how you think

Brendan learned that being a great skipper was only about 20 percent sailing skill and 80 percent people leadership.

The same applies in business. Technical expertise is important, but without strong people skills, growth quickly stalls. Great leaders build teams that complement their weaknesses rather than mirror their strengths.

2  Mindset drives outcomes

One of Brendan’s guiding questions was, “Does this make the boat go faster, safely?”

In business, the equivalent question is, “Does this help us reach our goals faster with less risk?”

Short term wins that create long term damage rarely pay off.

3  Consistency beats brilliance

Brendan often said, “You don’t win a race. Others lose it.”

Success came from persistence, discipline, and avoiding mistakes. The same is true in business. Those who learn quickly, recover fast, and keep moving forward tend to outlast their competitors.

4  Culture trumps talent

Some team members were technically brilliant but damaged morale. Over time, Brendan saw that one negative influence could hold everyone back.

We have all seen this in business. The high performer no one wants to work with. Removing that friction often unlocks performance across the entire team.

5  Leadership is a daily practice

Momentum, mindset, and consistency compound over time. Leadership is not about moments. It is about habits.

If you want to grow as a leader, I highly recommend the book.

And if you do not have time to read it, reflect on this question:

Where could improving your mindset or team dynamics create the biggest lift in your business right now?

I would love to hear your thoughts.

Contact Wayne on wayne@arealcfo.com.au or 0412 227 052.

Click on the below buttons to access other free Resources developed by Wayne Wanders, A Real CFO to help your business scale and grow profitably

Want a confidential discussion on your business situation, help with your grant application or to learn more about my Outsourced CFO Services, simply email me at wayne@aRealCFO.com.au or call me on 0412 227 052

For aspiring business owners, here’s advice worth sitting with.  Don’t ask if it can be built.  Ask, should it be built.

Too many ideas get validated on feasibility alone.  Yes, the tech works. Yes, the product can be built. Yes, the solution is clever.

But the better question is this:

• Is it solving a real pain point that someone will actually pay for; and
• at a level that covers the build cost; and
• delivers a return on your time, effort, and capital?

Businesses don’t fail because they can’t build.  They fail because they build things no one values enough.

Before you invest months or years, pressure test the demand.  Talk to customers. Test willingness to pay. Validate the problem, not just the solution.

Because building something is easy.

Building something worth paying for is the hard part.

If you’re working on a new idea and want to pressure test whether it’s commercially viable, not just technically possible, let’s talk.

Send me a message and we’ll have a practical conversation about whether it should be built.

Wayne Wanders is an experienced Business Advisor and Outsourced CFO who can help to scale and grow your business profitably. Wayne may also be able to assist you in preparing any grant application. 

Contact Wayne on wayne@arealcfo.com.au or 0412 227 052.

Click on the below buttons to access other free Resources developed by Wayne Wanders, A Real CFO to help your business scale and grow profitably

And Wayne is always posting about new grants, funding options and other resources on LinkedIn that can help your business scale and grow profitably.  Click on the below links and connect with Wayne or follow A Real CFO on LinkedIn.

Want a confidential discussion on your business situation, help with your grant application or to learn more about my Outsourced CFO Services, simply email me at wayne@aRealCFO.com.au or call me on 0412 227 052

At school, we were trained to chase the A+.  Perfect answers. No mistakes. Getting it right the first time.  Failure was something to avoid.

But once you step into the real world, whether that is business, entrepreneurship, or personal growth, that mindset quickly breaks down.

Because in the real world, failure is not a weakness. It is a requirement.

Why Failure Accelerates Learning

Research shows we learn best when we are stretched just beyond our current ability. Not when things are easy, and not when they are impossible.

A study published in Nature Communications found that optimal learning happens when we succeed about 85% of the time. That means failing roughly 15% of the time is ideal.

If you are never failing, you are probably not learning much.

This turns the school definition of success upside down. In classrooms, failure is penalised. In real life, it is often where the real progress happens.

The A+ Student’s Dilemma in Business

A+ Students can struggle in business for reasons that seem counterintuitive.

Fear of Failure

A+ students are not used to failing. They learn to prepare perfectly and deliver the correct answer. That works in exams, but business is full of missed targets, wrong calls, and imperfect outcomes. If failure feels threatening, it becomes easy to lose momentum.

Staying Inside Strengths

Top students often stick to what they already do well. This protects their success rate, but it limits growth. Business rewards experimentation, not certainty. Growth comes from doing things you are not yet good at.

Preparation Without Action

Preparation feels productive and safe. Action feels risky. Many high achievers over-prepare and delay taking the leap. But real learning only happens once you act. No amount of reading replaces real clients, real feedback, and real consequences.

Frustration at Being Average

When you are used to excelling, early mediocrity can feel like failure. That frustration often turns inward. But being temporarily average is part of mastering anything new. Learning to tolerate imperfection is a competitive advantage.

The Need for Approval

High achievers often grow up seeking approval from teachers, parents, and authority figures. Business removes that structure. Some people will not support your decisions. Some clients will not be happy. That is not failure. That is independence.

Why Failure Deserves an A+

Failure is not just acceptable. It is essential.

• It signals risk-taking. If you are not failing, you are probably playing it too safe.
• It provides feedback. Failure shows you what does not work and why.
• It builds resilience. Recovering from setbacks is a skill, and skills compound.
• It creates clarity. Failure helps you refine what matters and where to focus next.

Reframing Failure

Instead of asking, “What if I fail?” try asking:

• What will this teach me?
• How will this stretch me?
• What does this clarify about what I actually want?

Failure is not the opposite of success.  It is part of the process.

A New Report Card

In today’s world, success is not about perfection.  It is about adaptability, experimentation, and recovery.

Your report card no longer measures how often you are right.  It measures how often you are willing to try.

So, the next time something does not go to plan, do not beat yourself up.  Give yourself an A+ for effort, courage, and growth.

Because that is how success really works.

So what are you learning right now?

If this resonates, it might be a sign your business is ready for its next experiment, not more perfection.

I work with business owners to turn uncertainty, setbacks, and half-formed ideas into a simple, practical plan you can actually act on.
If you want a sounding board to work through what to try next (and what to stop doing), let’s have a conversation. 

👉 If you want a 30-minute founder session, reach out below

Contact Wayne on wayne@arealcfo.com.au or 0412 227 052.

Click on the below buttons to access other free Resources developed by Wayne Wanders, A Real CFO to help your business scale and grow profitably

And Wayne is always posting about new grants, funding options and other resources on LinkedIn that can help your business scale and grow profitably.  Click on the below links and connect with Wayne or follow A Real CFO on LinkedIn.

Want a confidential discussion on your business situation, help with your grant application or to learn more about my Outsourced CFO Services, simply email me at wayne@aRealCFO.com.au or call me on 0412 227 052

Many people, myself included have used the SMART goal framework to set both business and personal goals.  In the current uncertain environment, I feel it is time to switch to FAST goals instead.

Fast Goals are:

• Frequently Discussed,
• Ambitious,
• Specific, and
• Transparent

Frequently Discussed

In today’s current economic climate, there is a lot of uncertainty.  Your customer are uncertain.  Your staff are uncertain.  Your suppliers are uncertain.

And the only way to reduce this uncertainty is to make sure you are frequently talking to your customers, staff and suppliers.

By frequently talking to your:

• customers, both existing and potential, you can better understand how you can help them.
• suppliers, you can better understand how they can help you, help your customers.
• staff you can make sure everyone is engaged and aligned to deliver what your customers need now.

Ambitious

Ambitious goals help you to try a little harder.

Now right now, I am not talking about that Big Hairy Audacious Goal that is 3 to 5 years out.  Instead focus on the goals for the next 6 months.

And don’t forget, times of uncertainty bring about massive change.  And those who adapt will have the best chance of surviving and thriving in the future.

So, don’t just focus on a dollar goal.  Broaden your thinking to include:

• what you can do to innovate your existing business to improve performance.
• how you can pivot and transform your business to take advantage of new or different opportunities available to your business.

Specific

These are uncertain times and clarity of knowing what you are trying to achieve helps reduce that uncertainty for your customers, staff and suppliers.

If you can’t simply and accurately describe your goals, how can you communicate these to others.

Transparent

Transparency is key right now.

Be open and honest with your customers, staff and suppliers.

Secrecy, the opposite of transparency will create uncertainty, mixed engagement and misalignment.

Transparency will ensure everyone knows what is happening and where you are trying to get to.

Summary

If you want to survive and thrive in today’s business world you need to start operating under the framework of FAST Goals.

And don’t just think FAST.  Act FAST and increase the amount of communication you are doing with your customers, your staff and your suppliers.

Wayne Wanders is an experienced Business Advisor and Outsourced CFO who can help to scale and grow your business profitably. Wayne may also be able to assist you in preparing any grant application. 

Contact Wayne on wayne@arealcfo.com.au or 0412 227 052.

Click on the below buttons to access free Resources developed by Wayne Wanders, A Real CFO to help your business scale and grow profitably

And Wayne is always posting about new grants, funding options and other resources on LinkedIn that can help your business scale and grow profitably.  Click on the below links and connect with Wayne or follow A Real CFO on LinkedIn.

Want a confidential discussion on your business situation, help with your grant application or to learn more about my Outsourced CFO Services, simply email me at wayne@aRealCFO.com.au or call me on 0412 227 052

I have been on a road trip from Sydney to Birdsville about 1,900 kms.  One of the albums I played whilst driving was Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon.  First time in ages.  I was reminded of the powerful message in the song “Time”.

The words of this song are as relevant today as it was when the song was released over 50 years ago.

For example as a business owner, stop waiting for someone or something to show you the way and make sure you don’t miss the starting gun.

If you don’t have the “time” to listen to this the lyrics are below

Which bit resonates with you?

Time

Ticking away the moments that make up a dull day

Fritter and waste the hours in an offhand way

Kicking around on a piece of ground in your home town

Waiting for someone or something to show you the way

Tired of lying in the sunshine staying home to watch the rain

And you are young and life is long and there is time to kill today

And then one day you find ten years have got behind you

No one told you when to run, you missed the starting gun

And you run and you run to catch up with the sun, but it’s sinking

Racing around to come up behind you again

The sun is the same in a relative way, but you’re older

Shorter of breath and one day closer to death

Every year is getting shorter, never seem to find the time

Plans that either come to naught or half a page of scribbled lines

Hanging on quiet desperation is the English way

The time is gone, the song is over, thought I’d something more to say

Wayne Wanders is an experienced Business Advisor and Outsourced CFO who can help to scale and grow your business profitably. Wayne may also be able to assist you in preparing any grant application. 

Contact Wayne on wayne@arealcfo.com.au or 0412 227 052.

Click on the below buttons to access other free Resources developed by Wayne Wanders, A Real CFO to help your business scale and grow profitably

And Wayne is always posting about new grants, funding options and other resources on LinkedIn that can help your business scale and grow profitably.  Click on the below links and connect with Wayne or follow A Real CFO on LinkedIn.

Want a confidential discussion on your business situation, help with your grant application or to learn more about my Outsourced CFO Services, simply email me at wayne@aRealCFO.com.au or call me on 0412 227 052

I am a net zero emissions sceptic.

Whilst I believe we can successfully do things to reduce emissions, I also believe that continued consumerism will mean that we create more emissions.

So if we want to aim for net zero, stop looking at the government and business.  Instead look in the mirror to the person who can make the changes.  Don’t expect others to change if you won’t.

Have a look at your own consumerism.  Stop buying all the latest gadgets and throwing out the old.  Stop buying stuff with all the useless packaging.  Stop worrying about what your friends and neighbours think.

And here is another benefit.  By reducing your consumerism, you can start to reduce the cost of living pressures you may be experiencing.

Win win for you and the climate.

If you want some help, contact me below.

Contact Wayne Wanders for your FREE Business Survival Session

At the end of this session, you will have multiple ideas on how your business can survive and thrive in these uncertain times.

Simply fill in the contact form below or email me at wayne@aRealCFO.com.au or call me on 0412 227 052 to organise one of these obligation free sessions.

Wayne Wanders, A Real CFO

wayne@aRealCFO.com.au

You’re not after the best strategy.  You’re after the best strategy for you – Peter Shaw Scary and Exciting

If you want help finding the best strategy for you, contact me below

Contact Wayne Wanders for your FREE Business Survival Session

To ensure I help your business specifically, the best approach I have found is to have an obligation free session with you.  In this session we will review your current business in a factual and objective manner, to better understand the challenges that you face.  And this session does not need to be face to face.

At the end of this session, you will have multiple ideas on how your business can survive and thrive in these uncertain times.

Simply fill in the contact form below or email me at wayne@aRealCFO.com.au or call me on 0412 227 052 to organise one of these obligation free sessions.

To get help you successfully navigate your way through your financial challenges so your business can survive and thrive in these uncertain times, simply use the contact form on the left to email Wayne or call him on 0412 227 052.

Let Wayne Wanders, a fully qualified and experienced CFO, help you successfully navigate your way through your financial challenges so your business can survive and thrive in these uncertain times.

Wayne Wanders, A Real CFO

wayne@aRealCFO.com.au

Yesterday was National Sorry Day.  Today starts National Reconciliation week.

National Reconciliation Week is a time for all Australians to learn about our shared histories, cultures, and achievements, and to explore how each of us can contribute to achieving reconciliation in Australia.

And this year the theme for National Reconciliation week is More than a word. Reconciliation takes action.

And one action you can take is to take the time to learn the true history of how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples were treated. 

Most Australian’s are aghast at what happened in Port Arthur in 1996 where 35 people we killed.   But do you know that this was repeated time and time again in the colonial history of Australia. 

For example, learn the history of Myall Creek where at least 28 indigenous men, women and children were massacred in 1838.   Or learn the horrors in Tasmania under their extirpation policy.  BTW extirpation means “the act of removing or destroying something completely”.

We can’t change what happened but we can make sure we learn from this so we all can build relationships and communities that value Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, histories, cultures, and futures.

#MoreThanAWord #sorryday #reconciliationweek #NRW2021

If you want a confidential discussion on your business situation, contact me below

Contact Wayne Wanders for your FREE Business Survival Session

At the end of this session, you will have multiple ideas on how your business can survive and thrive in these uncertain times.

Simply fill in the contact form below or email me at wayne@aRealCFO.com.au or call me on 0412 227 052 to organise one of these obligation free sessions.

Wayne Wanders, A Real CFO

wayne@aRealCFO.com.au

Yesterday was National Sorry Day.  Today starts National Reconciliation week.

National Reconciliation Week is a time for all Australians to learn about our shared histories, cultures, and achievements, and to explore how each of us can contribute to achieving reconciliation in Australia.

And this year the theme for National Reconciliation week is More than a word. Reconciliation takes action.

And one action you can take is to take the time to learn the true history of how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples were treated. 

Most Australian’s are aghast at what happened in Port Arthur in 1996 where 35 people we killed.   But do you know that this was repeated time and time again in the colonial history of Australia. 

For example, learn the history of Myall Creek where at least 28 indigenous men, women and children were massacred in 1838.   Or learn the horrors in Tasmania under their extirpation policy.  BTW extirpation means “the act of removing or destroying something completely”.

We can’t change what happened but we can make sure we learn from this so we all can build relationships and communities that value Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, histories, cultures, and futures.

#MoreThanAWord #sorryday #reconciliationweek #NRW2021

If you want a confidential discussion on your business situation, contact me below

Contact Wayne Wanders for your FREE Business Survival Session

At the end of this session, you will have multiple ideas on how your business can survive and thrive in these uncertain times.

Simply fill in the contact form below or email me at wayne@aRealCFO.com.au or call me on 0412 227 052 to organise one of these obligation free sessions.

Wayne Wanders, A Real CFO

wayne@aRealCFO.com.au

Contact Wayne Wanders for your FREE Business Survival Session

At the end of this session, you will have multiple ideas on how your business can survive and thrive in these uncertain times.

Simply fill in the contact form below or email me at wayne@aRealCFO.com.au or call me on 0412 227 052 to organise one of these obligation free sessions.

Wayne Wanders, A Real CFO

wayne@aRealCFO.com.au

​If the Going is Really easy, beware, you may be going downhill!

Contact Wayne Wanders for your FREE Business Survival Session

At the end of this session, you will have multiple ideas on how your business can survive and thrive in these uncertain times.

Simply fill in the contact form below or email me at wayne@aRealCFO.com.au or call me on 0412 227 052 to organise one of these obligation free sessions.

Wayne Wanders, A Real CFO

wayne@aRealCFO.com.au