QFF: Kath McCann on Building Tasmania Football Club from Dining Table Startup to 30+ Staff & 215K Members – Scaling Fast, Winning Community Trust, and Sharing Key Business Lessons Every Small Business Owner Can Use to Succeed. (Episode 730 - Kath McCann)

QFF: Quick Fire Friday – Your 20-Minute Growth Powerhouse!

Welcome to Quick Fire Friday, the Grow A Small Business podcast series that is designed to deliver simple, focused and actionable insights and key takeaways in less than 20 minutes a week.

Every Friday, we bring you business owners and experts who share their top strategies for growing yourself, your team and your small business. Get ready for a dose of inspiration, one action you can implement and quotable quotes that will stick with you long after the episode ends!

In this episode of Quick Fire Friday, host Michael Denehey interviews Kathryn McCann, General Manager of Marketing, Public Affairs & Social Impact at the Tasmania Football Club, shares the inspiring journey of building the club from her dining table into a thriving startup with 30+ staff and 215,000 founding members. She reveals how balancing speed with structure, creating a clear plan, and engaging deeply with the community played a vital role in their rapid growth. Kath also highlights the importance of storytelling, building trust, and staying focused on purpose. Her experiences offer powerful lessons in leadership, planning, and customer engagement that every small business owner can apply to succeed.

Key Takeaways for Small Business Owners:

Start with Purpose & Principles – Define a clear purpose, simple goals, and operating principles early to guide growth and avoid overwhelm.

Build the Right Team – Surround yourself with skilled, high-quality people who can deliver and represent your business well.

Engage & Listen to Customers – Actively connect with your community, listen to feedback, and implement it to build trust and loyalty.

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Balance Speed & Structure – Move fast enough to grow but create governance and systems that keep the business sustainable.

Control the Controllables – Focus on what you can manage, execute with purpose, and let go of factors outside your control.

Leverage Storytelling – Share authentic stories about your vision and decisions to connect with people and inspire buy-in.

One action small business owners can take:

According to Kath McCann, one action small business owners can take is to actively engage with their customers – listen to their feedback, build trust through genuine conversations, and use those insights to guide business decisions.

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