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In this episode of Bad Boss Confessional, Beth Fahey welcomes Kathy Bresler, founder of Altar Community, a Chicago-based hub for connection, wellness, and growth. Kathy shares her journey from corporate strategist to reluctant boss and accidental entrepreneur. After years of envisioning a gathering space, she opened Altar in early 2020, just as the pandemic shut everything down. Forced to pivot, she and her community shifted online, building resilience through shared purpose.Kathy reflects on her struggles with leadership, from toggling between being too directive and too accommodating, to learning how to balance vision with execution. She candidly explores perfectionism, self-doubt, and the weight of wanting to be liked while leading. Through it all, Kathy found strength in purpose, community, and a commitment to growth, offering lessons in perseverance and authenticity for every leader who has wrestled with their own bad boss moments.
Chapters00:00 Introduction to Accidental Entrepreneurship01:36 The Vision of Altar Community03:28 Launching Altar Amidst COVID06:17 Pivoting to Online Community11:13 Kathy’s Corporate Background14:42 Turning Point: Breast Cancer Diagnosis17:23 Reluctant Boss: Challenges of Leadership23:05 The Conundrum of Coaching vs. Leading25:29 Influential Books and Self-Discovery30:59 Embracing the Entrepreneurial Journey34:01 Purpose Over Profitability
About: Beth Fahey is a leadership coach, Expert EOS Implementer, and co-creator of the How to Be a Great Boss Workshops. With nearly 40 years of hands-on leadership experience, Beth has worn many hats: from working in film and owning a bakery to leading a national trade association. Now, as the host of The Bad Boss Confessional, she shares candid stories about the challenges of leadership, mistakes made, lessons learned, and the path to becoming the kind of boss your team actually wants to follow. Through humor, honesty, and heart, Beth is on a mission to help leaders grow, one confession at a time. Show LinksFor more information about Beth Fahey follow the links below.Website: www.eosworldwide.com/beth-fahey Facebook: www.facebook.com/BethFaheyEOSInstagram: www.instagram.com/bethfaheyeos/TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@bethfaheyeosLinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/bethfahey/Bad Boss Confessional YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@badbossconfessional Beth's Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@bethfaheyeos
Guest LinksKathy Bresler is the founder of ALTAR Community, a hidden gem in Chicago that’s both a vibrant community and an inspiring event space. ALTAR hosts everything from curated corporate offsites for teams and leaders to speaker series and wellness programs — all designed to help people connect, recharge, and grow. A visionary entrepreneur, Kathy speaks candidly about the messy, humbling, and ultimately transformational journey of turning vision into leadership.
Altar Community: https://www.altarcommunity.com/kathy-bresler
Sponsor LinksThanks to our SponsorsA big thank you to our amazing sponsors for making this episode possible:
Titus Talent – Helping organizations make the best hiring decisions with performance-based talent strategies.
Strety – Empowering teams through strategic planning and performance management tools built for modern workforces.
