Sarah Turner BNI® 💥

White Associates Ltd

Business Manager

A Buyer's Choice Home Inspections

A local West Auckland pre-purchase building inspection franchised business. 

Responsibilities 
•	Support with business strategy and financial planning. 
•	Two monthly GST returns. 
•	Preparing the books for our accountant.
•	Support with any issues that might arise. 

Achievements
•	Helped my husband to build a successful pre-purchase building inspection business.
•	Designed and implemented a prospecting system utilising open home buyers.  
•	Successfully marketed our business online and in person to become established. 
•	Networked with businesspeople to establish our brand and credibility locally.  
•	Implemented new software to streamline the booking process.

Business Owner / Director

BNI (Business Network International) New Zealand

A national franchise, part of a global franchise which helps businesspeople gain more revenue through business networking and qualified referrals. 

Responsibilities 
•	Actively contribute to the strategic planning of the organisation by contributing to the targets and goals for the team each year.  This year we hit our growth target early. 
•	Prepare and distribute our national communications including branding updates, campaign releases and training opportunities. 
•	Provide EA support to our two directors, each with their own unique style.  
•	Support the wider team of local directors with advice on policies and procedures. 
•	Assist the directors to recruit, prepare contracts for, train and onboard new team members.
•	Direct the operations assistant, my full-time direct report, with a focus on:
-	Providing supervision and necessary information to facilitate her role.
-	Offering guidance and training to enhance her skill set.
-	Mentoring her for increased responsibilities within the organisation.
•	Manage and maintain our national membership database for over 2800 members. 
•	Update and manage the national blog site through WordPress. 
•	Update and manage the national website and continuously work to improve our SEO ranking.  
•	Provide technical support for our global software system at all levels of the organisation.   
•	Facilitate and MC our national bi-annual leadership team training and monthly team meetings. 
•	Ensure all documentation and materials are up to date and correctly branded. 
•	Schedule, post and update our teams on training registrations, completions, and targets. 
•	Celebrate events, milestones, and achievements actively across our social media channels.  
•	Prepare and distribute weekly education moments for presentation.
•	Prepare and maintain training manuals.
•	Manage stock and organise internal and external suppliers.  
•	Coordinate and oversee nationwide events for our leaders and members.

Operations Manager 

A national franchise for building inspection or pre-purchase inspection and reports in New Zealand. 

Responsibilities 
•	Created franchise advertisements to help sell our first franchises in New Zealand. 
•	Prepared and delivered franchise presentations to potential franchise owners. 
•	Assisted in the sale of franchises to establish the New Zealand national franchise. 
•	Implemented the purchasing systems for all franchise equipment, software, and systems. 
•	Mapped out all the statistical boundaries for each of the New Zealand franchises. 
•	Provided technical inspection training and support to franchisees in house and out in the field. 
•	Trained and supported new franchise owners to prospect efficiently for inspection opportunities. 
•	Assisted new franchise owners to create professional networks within their franchised territories. 

Achievements 
•	Qualified as a building inspector through both AHIT and InterNACHI. 
•	Designed and built the New Zealand specific software template to aligning our inspection protocols to the New Zealand Standard 4306:2005 for Residential Property Inspection.

Operations Manager

Ray White

John Goodrum was one of Ray Whites Elite Salespeople selling in the top 5% of agents internationally. 

Responsibilities 
•	Absolute discretion, loyalty, and dependability as John’s trusted Executive Assistant. 
•	A strategic partner for new initiatives and strategies, someone to bounce ideas off. 
•	Schedule and supervise work for John Goodrum’s part time, casual staff, and contractors. 
•	Recruit and train new staff and contractors.  
•	Write marketing text and organise photographs for all new to market properties.
•	Plan, prepare and book promotional materials, weekly display, and open home advertising.   
•	Prepare contracts and take offers for the sale of residential property. 
•	Process contracts to completion of settlement facilitating a smooth transaction. 
•	Regular correspondence with solicitors, vendors, valuers, and purchasers.  
•	Schedule John’s busy open home schedule (often 8 per day) every week. 
•	Call and organise follow up correspondence to all open home attendees. 
•	Developed a call calling system for the team to help John Goodrum prospect for new listings. 
•	Daily database management using Top Producer 8i and the Ray White CRM system.  
•	Attend property viewings or building inspections as needed.

Executive Assistant to John Goodrum (Elite Member)

Avondale College  Auckland

At Avondale College from January 2003 to June 2005, I worked as a Science and Chemistry teacher. My responsibilities included delivering engaging instruction to students of varying proficiency levels, active participation in extracurricular activities, meticulous lesson planning, and providing pastoral care to foster a supportive learning environment. I excelled in teaching low-ability and ESOL students, consistently achieving high pass rates. Additionally, my contributions to the pastoral care of young adults led to an early appointment as Associate Dean with an associated salary increase.

Science and Chemistry Teacher, Third Form Associate Dean

Responsibilities 
•	Teacher of Science, year 9 to year 11. 
•	Teacher of Chemistry year 12 and 13. 
•	Pastoral care and management of year 9 students. 
•	Teacher in charge of girl’s chess. 
•	Ran the Australian National Chemistry Quiz. 

Achievements 
•	Excelled in the teaching of low ability and ESOL students as represented by average pass results over cross section of students within the departments. 
•	Active participant in the pastoral care of young adults in the college environment. Invited early on in career to pursue a role as an associate dean resulting in higher salary level.

Weekend and relief administrator/receptionist while at university

I am an outgoing, self-motivated, and bubbly individual who likes to take initiative. I am both strategic and analytic in my approach with an added passion for people and the ability to work alongside others injecting enthusiasm and bringing both positive energy and leadership to the team.  

I thrive in a busy environment where I can adapt quickly and be flexible as needed. I love to be the go-to person assisting the team with operational and technical details in a calm, professional and supportive way, enjoying the satisfaction gained from achieving our shared targets and goals.

I am highly organised, know how to prioritise, delegate, make decisions and problem solve. My high level of attention to detail allows me to carry out tasks thoroughly with accuracy whilst still being flexible to changing circumstances and demonstrating absolute trustworthiness and discretion.

Franchise Owner 🔍

Sales & Marketing, 
Prospecting for Inspections for Duane Turner - Inspector, Waitakere & Surrounding areas.

Published Author - Strategy Leader - Veteran Advocate - Writer- Career Coach - Mentor - Public Speaker - Trainer - Advisor  - Former Logistics Retail Final Mile Executive

As the Founder of Doolen Strategy Partners, I specialize in transforming logistics and final-mile delivery operations for major retailers and 3PLs. With over two decades of experience, I've cultivated a deep understanding of optimizing efficiency and enhancing customer satisfaction in the home furnishings and luxury products sectors.

At GetDoolen Training, our mission is to empower professionals through comprehensive leadership development and operational excellence training. Our platform offers tailored solutions from driver safety to executive leadership, fostering growth and success at every level of your organization.

As a Certified Member of the Maxwell Leadership Team, I integrate John Maxwell's principles into our coaching and training programs, emphasizing servant leadership, integrity, and continuous improvement. I'm passionate about equipping individuals and teams with the tools they need to thrive in dynamic business environments.

Let's connect and explore how we can elevate your leadership journey and drive sustainable growth together.

Jon Doolen

We’ve all done it, one quick interaction and we decide, “Nope, not my person.” Tone, vibe, a look, whatever it is, we file them away fast.

Then Lincoln hits us with the leadership gut-check:
“I don’t like that man. I must get to know him better.”

That’s the upgrade right there, trading judgment for curiosity.

Because first impressions aren’t always truth, they’re often a mix of assumptions, past experiences, and whatever kind of day we’re having. And the person you wrote off might actually be the problem-solver, the steady teammate, or the voice you need to grow.

Curiosity does something bias never can, it creates space. It keeps the door open long enough for understanding to show up.

Challenge: Think of the person you’ve been avoiding. Start one real conversation. Ask one honest question. Listen like you might learn something.

If you want the full breakdown (and the practical ways to do this without feeling fake), read the full article on Substack.

WE Build leaders, clean up culture, accelerate careers - Coaching that sticks, speaking that moves, training that performs -Real talk, real tools, real outcomes, coaching, speaking, training!

No alternative text description for this image

Bad leaders are teachers too.

Most people study leadership by copying what looks great.

But some of the best lessons come from watching what breaks a team, ego, fear, inconsistency, favoritism, avoiding hard conversations, blame-shifting, and “loud equals right.”

Bad leadership is loud in its impact.

You can see morale drop, effort fade, and creativity turn into caution.

And that’s exactly why it’s worth studying, it shows you, in real time, what people truly need: clarity, fairness, direction, safety, and trust.

The danger is bad leadership can “work” short term.

Fear creates compliance.

Pressure creates output.

But the bill always comes due, turnover, errors, hidden problems, customer frustration, and a team that stops caring.

I learned early by watching bad leaders and building a blueprint for what I refused to become.

For 30 years I’ve done the opposite on purpose, clarity over confusion, accountability over blame, standards over shortcuts, humility over ego.

Bad leadership isn’t just something to judge, it’s something to learn from, so you don’t drift into it yourself.

Need help being the leader for your people that you needed?

I’m not hard to find.

Most leaders don’t have an effort problem, they have an outcomes problem.

We’re busy, meetings, emails, coaching moments, problem-solving, and it all matters.

But if we can’t clearly define what “success” looks like on the other side, we can work hard and still stay stuck.

That’s why outcomes are so powerful.

Outcomes are the scoreboard.

They’re the changed condition you can point to and say, “This is different now because we led well.”

I learned this the hard way when a coaching client asked how they’d measure the outcome of my work.

Back then, I answered with something like, “You’ll feel it.”

Today, I’d never leave it there.

Feelings matter, culture matters, momentum matters, but leadership that can’t be defined can’t be managed, and leadership that can’t be managed turns into hope.

Hope is encouraging, but it’s not a plan.

In the full article I break down how to define outcomes that actually work, including the difference between leading outcomes and lagging outcomes, how to describe the “from-to” shift, how to pick evidence that’s fair and observable, and why time windows and ownership are where most leaders either win or drift.

If you’ve ever said, “We’re doing a lot, but are we actually getting better?” this one’s for you.

Read the full article on Substack or facebook and tell me what outcome you’re chasing in the next 30–90 days.

I’m not hard to find.

Leadership isn’t about raging at “the system”, it’s about becoming the upgrade.

Yeah, bad policies happen.

Greed happens.

Ego happens.

Real harm happens.

But when we label whole institutions as “evil,” we fall into three traps: we stop thinking clearly, we dehumanize the people we need to influence, and we hand away our responsibility by blaming a faceless villain.

Here’s the truth, organizations don’t run on magic.

They run on people, incentives, and habits.

What gets rewarded gets repeated.

What gets tolerated becomes the standard.

That’s why strong leaders don’t just complain about outcomes, they ask better questions:

What does this place reward?

What does it tolerate?

And here’s the empowering part, you have options.

If you don’t like your boss, find one you do.

If you don’t like your pastor, find one you do.

If you don’t like your political leadership, show up, vote, recruit, and support better.

And if you can’t leave yet?

Get specific about the problems, build allies, lead your corner with integrity, escalate wisely, and prepare your next move.

Staying doesn’t mean surrendering, it means playing the long game on purpose.

If you want better leadership in the world, don’t just demand it.

Model it.

Full article is on Substack, go check it out, link in the first comment.

Don’t stumble over something behind you.

Some of the biggest setbacks aren’t in front of us, they’re the things we keep replaying in our head, a mistake, a bad moment, a season we wish we handled differently.

Stumbling isn’t always dramatic, it’s quiet, hesitation, procrastination, short patience, and that courtroom self-talk where you’re both the defendant and the prosecutor.

The past has one job, teach you. It does not get to trip you.

Try this today:
“I learned ____, and now I’m choosing ____.”

If you’re ready to stop replaying and start moving, read the full article on Substack.

I’m not hard to find.

The Perils of Misplaced Confidence

Confidence is powerful, it helps you lead, decide, and steady the room.

But when confidence shows up without competence, it turns into a wrecking ball.

That “confidently incompetent” zone is when someone sounds sure, moves fast, and speaks with authority, but the results don’t match the certainty.

They ignore expertise, take big risks without understanding the impact, and sometimes don’t even realize they’re out of their depth.

The scary part, they can still sound convincing.

Confidence is great at dressing up guesses as facts.

Quick self-check:

Are you dismissing feedback?

Underestimating complexity?

Avoiding learning because you “already know”?

Creating rework or preventable issues?

Real confidence is built on reps, feedback, and results, not volume.

The goal isn’t to be timid, it’s to be the kind of leader who stays curious, knows their limits, and learns fast.

If you want the full breakdown (including how to spot it, fix it, and coach others through it), check out the full article on my Substack.

Words aren’t neutral, they’re either building your team or quietly breaking it.

Most teams don’t fall apart because they lack talent, they fall apart because communication gets sloppy when pressure shows up.

Sarcasm becomes “normal,” frustration turns into a daily attitude, and people start talking past each other instead of to each other.

Before long, everyone is working, but nobody feels safe, seen, or valued.

Strong leaders treat words like tools.

You don’t swing a hammer just to feel powerful, you swing it to build something.

Same with feedback, there’s a difference between honest and harmful, direct and careless.

If your words leave dents instead of direction, you may be venting, not leading.

Culture changes one conversation at a time.

What you tolerate becomes the tone, and the tone becomes the team.

The good news is this is one of the fastest leadership upgrades you can make, no new title, no new budget, just a new standard for what you release into the room.

If this hits home, check out the full version on Substack.

It goes deeper on how to tighten up your communication, lead hard conversations without making them heavier, and build trust, one moment at a time.

We might be world class. 

We might be one of the best. 

And that’s exactly when you’re at the highest risk of getting comfortable.

I was talking with my friend Tony yesterday, a guy who came up in one of the biggest logistics operations in the world, the company many people know today as Brown. 

He told me something that stopped me in my tracks. 

When we first met more than a decade ago, I was working for one of the most well run companies he’d ever seen. 

Not because we had perfect people or perfect tech, but because we lived by one question, 

“But can we do it better?”

That question is a safeguard. 

It keeps great teams from falling in love with their own reputation. 

It turns “we’re doing fine” into “what’s the next refinement?” 

It spots the little “good enough” decisions that quietly turn into bigger problems later.

If you’ve ever wondered why some teams stay elite while others slowly slip, this is the difference. 

The full article breaks down what “better” actually looks like, how to find it without launching a massive initiative, and the simplest next step if you’re curious but not sure where to start.

But first, answer this honestly: can you do it better today than you did it yesterday?

We might be world class. We might be one of the best. That’s a great position to be in, but it’s also one of the most dangerous places to get comforta

Open article: But Can We Do It Better? by Jon Doolen • 5 min read

Why Smart Isn’t Always Enough

Kiyosaki has a spicy take, school can train you to run inside systems, while entrepreneurship trains you to build systems.

“A” types often master rules, performance, and execution, great employee skills, but sometimes they wait for approval and avoid risk.

“C” types often build creativity, resourcefulness, and sales grit, they figure things out, take swings, and learn fast.

“B” types often choose stability, which can be smart, but it can also lower your risk tolerance over time.

Here’s the point, this isn’t anti-education.

Degrees matter.

Credentials open doors.

But education alone isn’t the whole game if you don’t also build real-world skills like financial literacy, communication, negotiation, selling your ideas, and recovering from failure.

Think of it like this, education is your engine, grit is your traction.

If you want to grow an entrepreneurial mindset without disrespecting school:

Pick one practical skill to build this month, solve a real problem with it, and take one small measurable risk on purpose.

If you want help mapping that out, career growth, side business, or owner thinking right where you are, I’m not hard to find.

Check out the full article in the first comment...

Half of January is already gone, and a lot of “New Year, New Me” has turned into “New Year, Same Excuses.”

Here’s the truth, indecision isn’t neutral.

It’s not “I’m still figuring it out.” It’s not “I’m waiting for the right time.”

It’s a choice.

Indecision is a decision.

When you don’t act, you decide to stay the same.

When you don’t start, you vote for the old version of you.

If you’re behind, don’t spiral, just decide again today.

One workout.

One application.

One paragraph.

One hard conversation.

One move that proves you’re back in charge.

And if you’re on track or ahead, drop a comment and tell us what’s working, what habit did you lock in, what system are you using?

Full article on Substack, go read it, and if you need help, I’m not hard to find.

No one is perfect, acting like you are costs you more credibility than you think you're gaining by acting better than you are.

See what Don says about developing talent through mistakes...

Most of us start out thinking a mentor is basically a walking encyclopedia, flawless, all-knowing, never wrong.

But real mentorship is way better (and way more useful) than that.

A mentor isn’t there to hand you perfect answers, they’re there to help you grow.

They listen, challenge your thinking, share lessons from their wins and mistakes, and help you find your own path.

The best mentors don’t teach you what to think, they teach you how to think.

And here’s the underrated superpower in a mentorship relationship: being able to say, “I don’t know, but let’s figure it out together.”

That kind of humility builds trust, curiosity, and confidence, for both people.

If you’re choosing a mentor, look for alignment over perfection.

Get clear on your goals, find someone with shared values, pay attention to whether they truly listen, and make sure they actually have time to show up.

Mentorship isn’t about finding a hero, it’s about finding a guide.

If this hit home, the full article goes deeper on what great mentorship looks like, and how to find the right fit.

Check it out on Substack.

taplio

The Battle

Sarah Turner BNI® 💥

Jon Doolen

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance ScoreJon Doolen's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

taplio

The Battle

Sarah Turner BNI® 💥

Jon Doolen

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Jon Doolen's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

Performance ScoreJon Doolen's LinkedIn Performance