Bad Boss Confessional is the podcast where entrepreneurs, founders, and leaders fess up to their most cringeworthy management moments—the times they micromanaged, blew up in meetings, or simply got it dead wrong. With names changed (to protect the innocent...and guilty), guests walk us through their “bad boss” moment in all its messy glory.
But this isn’t just a cringe-fest—it’s a redemption story.
In this episode of Bad Boss Confessional, Beth Fahey sits down with Michael Hennon, former CIA analyst, bank technology executive, and EOS implementer based in Durango, Colorado. Michael's confession comes not from the boardroom but from a sailing dock in Annapolis, where he was managing 18 instructors and hundreds of kids on the water when a storm rolled in fast.His instinct was to get loud, bark orders, and project control. It made everything worse. The conversation explores what happens when a leader performs intensity instead of actually leading, why calm is one of the most underrated skills in any organization, and how one honest after-action review changed the way Michael has shown up in every high-pressure situation since.His lesson is simple and transferable: the strongest response in the room is usually the quietest one.
Timestamps00:00 Welcome and Introductions02:22 A Diverse Career Path05:05 Coaching and Consulting Differences07:38 The Power of Calm Leadership12:13 Self-Correction and Professional Growth16:18 Reflecting on Career Highlights20:40 Distilling Complexity 27:35 Reflection and Future Plans
Subscribe to the Bad Boss Confessional podcast:🎙️ Podbean: https://www.badbossconfessional.podbean.com▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@badbossconfessional
The Bad Boss Confessional is where leaders come to tell the truth about the moments they rarely talk about out loud. The mistakes, the hard lessons, and what it actually takes to become a great boss.
Hosted by Beth Fahey, Expert EOS Implementer, co-author of ROLLOUT, and creator of the Great Boss Workshop.
Connect with Beth Fahey:🌐 https://www.bethfahey.com▶️ https://www.youtube.com/@bethfaheyWant to be a guest on the show? Visit https://www.bethfahey.com/podcast to inquire.
Pick up a copy of ROLLOUT: Get Your Entire Team Running on EOS to Achieve Your Vision at https://www.rolloutbook.com/orderDownload free Rollout resources at https://www.rolloutbook.com
Join Beth at the next Great Boss Workshop at https://www.bethfahey.com/events
19 Aug 2026
56: The Untouchable Employee Who Was Destroying the Culture
In this episode of Bad Boss Confessional, Beth Fahey sits down with Matt Dusa, former firefighter, paramedic, and CEO of a family-owned private fire department business that he helped grow to 140 employees before a successful exit. Matt's confession centers on a top salesperson who was generating most of the company's biggest contracts and making everyone around him miserable.The conversation explores what happens when a revenue generator becomes untouchable, why documentation matters more than most leaders realize, and what it actually costs a team to keep the wrong person in the building too long. Matt also shares what happened the day after the separation, when a line formed at his door of people finally willing to say what they had been holding back for months.His lesson is one every leader who has ever looked the other way on a top performer needs to hear: the uncomfortable conversation you keep avoiding is usually the one your team needs most.
Timestamps00:00 Welcome and Episode Introduction02:28 From Firefighting to Entrepreneurship06:47 Identifying a Toxic High-Performer11:53 The Breaking Point and Challenges17:02 Terminating and Managing Repercussions23:12 Lessons in Leadership and Documentation28:07 Better Team Dynamics and Growth33:20 Closing Thoughts and Tattoo Reflection
Subscribe to the Bad Boss Confessional podcast:🎙️ Podbean: https://www.badbossconfessional.podbean.com▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@badbossconfessional
The Bad Boss Confessional is where leaders come to tell the truth about the moments they rarely talk about out loud. The mistakes, the hard lessons, and what it actually takes to become a great boss.
Hosted by Beth Fahey, Expert EOS Implementer, co-author of ROLLOUT, and creator of the Great Boss Workshop.
Connect with Beth Fahey:🌐 https://www.bethfahey.com▶️ https://www.youtube.com/@bethfaheyWant to be a guest on the show? Visit https://www.bethfahey.com/podcast to inquire.
Pick up a copy of ROLLOUT: Get Your Entire Team Running on EOS to Achieve Your Vision at https://www.rolloutbook.com/orderDownload free Rollout resources at https://www.rolloutbook.com
Join Beth at the next Great Boss Workshop at https://www.bethfahey.com/events
12 Aug 2026
55: Conflict Avoidance Has a Price Tag
In this episode of Bad Boss Confessional, Beth Fahey sits down with Patrick Van Abel, lifelong entrepreneur and EOS implementer whose family has been welcoming guests in Hollandtown, Wisconsin since 1848. Patrick's confession isn't about one dramatic moment. It's about a pattern: watching the culture he built start to drift and saying nothing.The conversation explores what conflict avoidance actually costs a business over time and why the hard conversation you keep putting off is rarely as painful as you imagined. Patrick also shares the moment he finally spoke up about something small and discovered the whole thing resolved in thirty seconds.
Timestamps00:00 Welcome and Show Introduction03:07 Growing Up in a Family Business08:46 Building a Legacy of Entertainment12:37 The Struggle with Conflict Avoidance18:12 Navigating Difficult Leadership Conversations24:38 Reflecting on Leadership and Purpose
Subscribe to the Bad Boss Confessional podcast:🎙️ Podbean: https://www.badbossconfessional.podbean.com▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@badbossconfessional
The Bad Boss Confessional is where leaders come to tell the truth about the moments they rarely talk about out loud. The mistakes, the hard lessons, and what it actually takes to become a great boss.
Hosted by Beth Fahey, Expert EOS Implementer, co-author of ROLLOUT, and creator of the Great Boss Workshop.
Connect with Beth Fahey:🌐 https://www.bethfahey.com▶️ https://www.youtube.com/@bethfaheyWant to be a guest on the show? Visit https://www.bethfahey.com/podcast to inquire.
Pick up a copy of ROLLOUT: Get Your Entire Team Running on EOS to Achieve Your Vision at https://www.rolloutbook.com/orderDownload free Rollout resources at https://www.rolloutbook.com
Join Beth at the next Great Boss Workshop at https://www.bethfahey.com/events
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