Secrets From a Coach -  Debbie Green & Laura Thomson's Podcast - podcast cover

Secrets From a Coach - Debbie Green & Laura Thomson's Podcast

Laura Thomson-Staveley & Debbie Greenwww.buzzsprout.com
Ideal for your commute, lunch break or even a well-deserved moment of self-care and development, our 25 minute episodes focus on positive actions to help you thrive and maximise your potential in the ever-evolving workplace, and in life. Join Debs and Lau, your positive cheerleaders bursting with energy and insight to maximise your confidence and success in the changing workplace. Leave feeling motivated, supported and armed with the tools and practical skills you need to maximise success as we experience the biggest shift in how we work in our lifetimes. We lift the lid on the real foundations for success in this new world of work. Our weekly episodes remain current and up-to-date and we frequently welcome high-profile guests to keep things fresh and diverse and to tackle topics like:Leadership, mindset, success, confidence, motivation, mental health, self-care, time management, career development, work life balance, thriving in the workplace and the future of work, handling setbacks and obstacles, dealing with difficult work relationships, delegating, managing upwards, performance, teamwork, setting up teams, neurodiversity in the workplace, mid-life learning and healthy hybrid working habits, motivation, team morale, conflict, embracing diversity, personal branding, impact and influence. Creating an authentic and innovative culture, team harmony and aligned performance, boosting self-motivation, change leadership, engaging people in change and transformation programmes, reducing online stress, setting and maintaining boundaries, communication, great one-to-ones, personal resilience, emotional intelligence, GROW, focus and goal-setting, productivity, coaching, wellness, successful team meetings, learning and development, difficult conversations, sales presentations, storytelling, effective client meetings, inclusion and belonging, Insights Discovery profiling®, team coaching, mediation, team days, fox vs panda mindset, inspirational appraisals, employee engagement, compassionate existence, purpose and values and meaning, getting promoted, career coaching, 100 Year Life, succession planning, 21 packets of time, HR and Talent teams, new start-ups, entrepreneurs, working from home, balancing family and business, first 90 days, power of a network, assertiveness, creativity and passion, wisdom, breathing and mindfulness, neurobics, inner critic to inner coach, self-regulation and self-management, self-esteem, self-belief and self-worth, impact of AI on workplace, the robots are coming, happiness and fulfilment, work-related stress and pressure, unwritten rules of working, blurred lines, inspirational leadership, supportive workplaces, reducing anxiety, reflection and headspace, digital wellbeing, operational organisation, using Teams and Zoom, train the trainer, intention, project management, continuous improvement, decision making, critical thinking and problem-solving, sustainability, how you show up, integrity and trust, active listening, negotiation, selling, meeting etiquette, line manager skillset, giving feedback, new managers, personal growth and self-development, challenging times, teamwork makes the dreamwork, TNT Tiny Noticeable Things, less drama more calmer, team tethering time, technology habits, positive language, making a difference, self-sabotage, intuition and gut feel, embrace difference, tailoring to different styles, personalisation, gratitude, achievement, fun and great places to work, overcoming fear, recognition, reward, achievement and advancement motivators, pandemic disruption, self-awareness and empathy and our all-time favourite topic: smashing the Imposter Syndrome. If you’d like any more information or to work with us on any of these topics, reach out to us via secretsfromacoach@aol.com, connect via Insta or Facebook and please rate and review so we can reach out and support more people. #sharethesecret
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Episodes

244. Friendships Create Employee Engagement

Send us a text Do you have a work BFF? In this first episode of our 4-part Friendships at Work series, we dig into the surprisingly powerful impact of having friends on the job — and why it’s about more than just sharing a coffee or a lunchtime laugh. Think about any big life event — a wedding, a milestone birthday — and chances are, a current or former colleague is on the guest list. Rather than a nice to have , we explore why friendships are a need to have for sustaining engagement, well-being...

Jul 04, 202533 minSeason 20Ep. 244

243. Creating Inclusive Workplaces 2030: Pride, Progress & Practical Steps

Send us a text In our special bonus episode, we reflect on the powerful conversations shared throughout our Taking Pride series—bringing together the key themes, insights, and practical takeaways from our four incredible guests. From understanding the evolving language of gender identity to the importance of authentic allyship, cultural sensitivity, and courageous leadership, we revisit the moments that truly moved us—and the lessons we hope to carry forward in our work and lives. Whether it was...

Jun 30, 202542 minSeason 19Ep. 243

242. Pride and Cultural Identity: The Audacity to Thrive

Send us a text In the fourth episode of our Taking Pride series where we hear from different community perspectives, we’re joined by the inspiring Bhavna Raithatha—also known as the Mindset Ninja—for a powerful conversation about Pride, resilience, and the layered experiences of cultural identity. Bhavna shares her personal journey of overcoming trauma, navigating bullying, and embracing her 'tri-cultural' identity with grace and grit. With warmth and wisdom, she unpacks the emotional toll of so...

Jun 27, 20251 hr 5 minSeason 19Ep. 242

241. Celebration of Difference and Allyship

Send us a text In the third episode of our Taking Pride series, we explore the vital role of allyship in creating safe, respectful spaces for LGBTQIA+ colleagues—especially those who may be vulnerable or marginalised. We’re joined by the courageous and articulate Sophie, who shares deeply personal stories of moments where a lack of allyship turned already challenging experiences into something far more painful. Her reflections highlight why recognising, respecting, and celebrating differences is...

Jun 20, 202551 minSeason 19Ep. 241

240. An Everyday Guide to Navigating Gender Complexities

Send us a text In the second episode of our Taking Pride series, we explore the evolving language around gender identity and how greater understanding can lead to everyday moments of inclusion. We’re joined by the thoughtful and engaging Olly Cooper, who shares his lived experience of identifying as a Demi-Boy and what that means in practice—offering a personal perspective that brings clarity and depth to a term many are still learning about. This episode invites listeners to reflect on their ow...

Jun 13, 202558 minSeason 19Ep. 240

239. Pride Month - Am I Safe to Be Me?

Send us a text In the first episode of our special 5-part Secrets From a Coach series for Pride Month, we’re joined by the insightful Steph Constantinides to explore how inclusion can become part of everyday workplace experiences. Steph shares personal reflections on what it means to navigate work environments where even the simplest introductions can involve careful risk assessments about self-disclosure. She invites us to consider how small actions—like welcoming a new colleague with warm curi...

Jun 06, 202536 minSeason 20Ep. 239

238. Combatting Death Star Workplace Dynamics

Send us a text In this energising episode, we shine a light on the darker corners of workplace culture—the ones that feel more like the Death Star than a thriving Rebel base. Whether it's low morale, reactive behaviours, silent tension, or full-blown conflict, these dynamics can quietly sabotage performance, collaboration, and wellbeing. We share practical ways to swap out Storm Trooper compliance for Super Trouper energy. We explore how to recognise the early warning signs that a culture needs ...

May 30, 202535 minSeason 19Ep. 238

237. A Rebel Alliance Approach to Performance Appraisal Systems

Send us a text In our latest episode where we take the wisdom from Star Wars and apply to our world of work - and in this one we’re joining the Rebel Alliance to rethink how we approach performance appraisal systems. Joined by HR leader Kerri Fionda-Brookes, she inspires us to channel the Rebels: united with a shared purpose—despite different skills, styles, and backgrounds. We explore how performance reviews can become more human, empowering, and fit for the modern workplace. We dive into: Why ...

May 23, 202534 minSeason 19Ep. 237

236: The Force Is In You – Keeping Self-Belief During Workplace Lows

Send us a text As we continue our series taking lessons from the world of Star Wars this one is all about mindset and belief, and the impact self-belief has on our worklife and sense of self. In this powerful episode, we’re joined by the inspirational Nigel Snowball as he shares his lived experience of navigating tough times at work. From setbacks to self-doubt, Nigel explores how to stay grounded, connected, and empowered—especially when things feel heavy. He reminds us that it’s completely hum...

May 16, 202538 minSeason 19Ep. 236

235. The Droids Keep us Moving – Engaging Teams With New Ways of Working

Send us a text In this second of our 5-part mini-series, where we celebrate Star Wars month by bringing lessons from that galaxy far, far away, we explore ideas for engaging teams to open their hearts and minds to new and emerging tech. For as every avid Star Wars fan knows: rather than the 'extras' the Droids are the constant in the storyline - and give the humans the consistency, benchmark and mirror to their own drama. We take inspiration from the unsung heroes of Star Wars—the droids! From R...

May 09, 202532 minSeason 19Ep. 235

234. Accessing Your Inner Yoda for Powerful Presence

Send us a text Welcome to our new 5-part mini-series, where we celebrate Star Wars month by bringing lessons from that galaxy far, far away into our everyday work lives. We’re not travelling too far to discover what the Jedi can teach us about thriving at work. And this first episode is where we share powerful lessons in handling pressure. Whether you're leading a team, managing conflict, or facing a high-stakes decision, our guest Karl Green (aka The Performance Coach) shares his masterclass in...

May 02, 202539 minSeason 19Ep. 234

233 Confidence vs Ego as a Leader

Send us a text In this final of our 4-part focus on inspirational leadership, we take a look at the difference between confidence and egotism when you are a leader. As Lau is working overseas for the week, Debs is joined by our colleague and team dynamics expert Lindsey Thompson who shares real life examples. She takes us through 4 real world examples of ego ruining the vibe: The Micromanager in Chief, The Feedback Dodger, The Spotlight Stealer and The Meeting Monopoliser. Useful refresher for b...

Apr 25, 202539 minSeason 19Ep. 233

232 Leading People Well Through Change

Send us a text In this third episode of our 4-part focus on Inspirational Leadership we explore what it means to lead people well through change. Lau takes the helm on this episode and takes us through leading change rather than just managing change and how to communicate well to keep a calm and focused environment. She shares practical tips for holding steady along the rollercoaster ups and downs and the impact even just the smallest conversations can have on team morale, engagement and belongi...

Apr 18, 202530 minSeason 19Ep. 232

231. Making the Move to First Time Leadership

Send us a text In this second episode of our 4-part focus on Inspirational Leadership we focus on making the move into your first leadership role. It’s exciting… and if we were to be honest, a little daunting too - so lets not forget that leaders are humans too. In this episode, we break down five essential tips to help you step into leadership with confidence and clarity. From shifting your mindset from “doer” to “enabler,” to leading with consistency (not perfection), we’ll guide you through w...

Apr 11, 202536 minSeason 19Ep. 231

230. Timeless Leadership Skills - The Stoic Approach

Send us a text Welcome to our new 4-part mini-series all about Inspirational Leadership. It can be so easy to judge leaders in an organisation as its easy to forget that leaders are humans too. As anyone who has recently moved into leadership, its not for the faint-hearted as we head towards 2030 - but this is the reason to lean in, not shy away from - taking the leadership reins. In this first one we dive into ancient Stoic wisdom and modern insight (from Dolly Parton) to help leaders thrive du...

Apr 04, 202529 minSeason 19Ep. 230

229. Book Club - Compassionate Leadership - Balancing People With Profits

Send us a text In this final in our 4-part series where we review 4 of the recent books that have made an impact on us, we explore Steven Hargreave's brilliant 'The Compassionate Leader's Playbook' from 2021. His book demonstrates how leading with compassion is great for business, culture, and the bottom line, and how when we lead with compassion everyone benefits. We love this book because of the core belief that runs through it, that a successful modern workplace is one where relationships, co...

Mar 28, 202533 min

228. Book Club - Livewired Brain - Increase Your Adaptability Via Everyday Learning

Send us a text In this third in our 4-part series where we review 4 of the recent books that have made an impact on us, we explore David Eagleman's inspirational 'Livewired' book from 2021. From new ways of looking at why we dream, to how we can maintain our problem-solving and decision-making skills, this brings a fresh and empowering way to view intelligence and what it means to be smart. Rather than intelligence being 'hard-wired' in as being something you have or haven't got, this focuses on...

Mar 21, 202533 minSeason 18Ep. 228

227. Book Club - Trauma Informed Coaching - Flags for Everyday Conversations

Send us a text In this second in our 4-part series the books that have made an impact on us, we explore The Trauma Informed Coach written by Joanna Harper. What happens when someone shares their trauma with you at work? Do you freeze, try to fix it, or change the subject? We unpack the delicate art of navigating difficult conversations with compassion and boundaries. Trauma doesn't always look like what we expect. From poorly delivered feedback to public embarrassment, even seemingly small workp...

Mar 14, 202529 minSeason 18Ep. 227

226. Book Club - Scary Smart - Using AI Intelligently

Send us a text Welcome to the first in our new 4-part series where we review 4 of the recent books that have made an impact on us. Ideal for those who find it tricky to get the time to read but want the benefits of learning in an easy-listen way with tangible takeaways weaved in. Mo Gawdat's Scary Smart book is as much a call to action as it is a good read for those interested in all thing Artificial Intelligence. Mo takes a creative look at AI and rather than us humans as unknowing consumers, w...

Mar 07, 202531 minSeason 18Ep. 226

225. Time to Talk About Coercive Control in the Workplace

Send us a text In the final of our 4-part 'time to think' mini-series, we shine a light on one of the darker aspects of working relationships: coercive control. Whether this is an unhealthy manager/team member dynamic or between colleagues we explore what it means, what to watch out for and how to break the cycle. Many face the silent struggle of feeling manipulated or undervalued by their bosses or colleagues—a dilemma that is not often openly discussed but profoundly impacts workplace morale. ...

Feb 28, 202533 minSeason 18Ep. 225

224. Time to Plan and Prioritise You

Send us a text In the third of our 4-part 'time to think' mini-series, we focus on the importance of not just prioritising yourself, but to hold it as a core value to ensure a healthy balance in how you interact with people and the world at large. If you stand for nothing, you'll fall for anything (Katy Perry, song ROAR) so it boosts our confidence, purpose and energy. We focus on the body/mind link and what a realistic approach to a good life/work balance looks like in practice. We refresh the ...

Feb 21, 202533 minSeason 18Ep. 224

132. Book Club - Surrounded By Idiots? How to Work Well With People

Send us a text Handling tricky people continues to be a hot topic, particularly if you are working in a hybrid setting where misunderstandings can arise due to judgements and perceptions. So this week we dip into the brilliant bestseller 'Surrounded By Idiots' written Thomas Erikson in 2014. It offers a simple method for assessing the personalities of people we communicate with - in and out of the office - based on four personality types (Red, Blue, Green and Yellow), and provides insights into ...

Feb 14, 202534 minSeason 11Ep. 132

223. Time to Work Well With Your Boss

Send us a text In the second of our 4-part 'time to think' mini-series, we focus on the element that has a huge impact on our performance wellbeing at work: the relationship with our boss. According to Gallup, managers (more than any other factor) influence team engagement and performance. 70% of the variance in team engagement is determined solely by the manager (Gallup, 2021) but not all managers are easy to engage with! We are thrilled to be joined by Jill Walker, author of the 2007 book Is Y...

Feb 14, 202544 minSeason 18Ep. 223

222. Time to Think About Your Mind Health

Send us a text Welcome to our latest 4-part mini-series where we invite you to 'take time' to think about 4 important topics that underpin a thriving work-life in the 2020s. In this episode we explore the essential need for us to prioritise our mind health - for our own personal wellness as well as collectively as part of a thriving workplace culture. (PLEASE NOTE: This episode has references to suicide) We are honoured to be joined by Professor Tim Marsh (author of ‘Talking Safety’, ‘Handbook o...

Feb 07, 202551 minSeason 18Ep. 222

221. Working Well With Your Opposite - Yin/Yang

Send us a text In the final episode of our 4-part series exploring how to reduce drama in our work lives, we explore the how to work well with people who have an opposite approach to how they work to yourself. Those who prefer detail vs big picture, who needs facts vs stories, who appreciate advanced thinking time vs enjoy brainstorming in the moment. As nature reminds us, there are huge advantages by balancing the yin to the yang, and as sure as day becomes night, being able to work across thes...

Jan 31, 202533 minSeason 18Ep. 221

220. Reducing Negative Team Friction

Send us a text In the third of our 4-part series exploring how to reduce drama in our work lives, we explore the difference between negative and positive team friction and the skills to address friction in a positive way. Using practical examples from the world of workplace mediation we highlight the language, tone and intent that can help shift friction from a negative (leaving a mark) to a positive (creating a spark). It can be tempting to use 'battle' language to describe frictions between pe...

Jan 24, 202537 minSeason 18Ep. 220

219. Spotting Organisational Saboteurs

Send us a text In the second of our 4-part series exploring how to reduce drama in our work lives, we focus on identifying and handling saboteurs around us. We are joined once again by the inspirational Lindsey Thompson who simplifies the complicated world of organisational ‘scripts’. From the moment someone joins an organisation they can’t help but be subconsciously influenced by the script (eg ‘it’s hard to sell around here’ or ‘we are busy’) which underpins the culture (deflated, pressured). ...

Jan 17, 202545 minSeason 18Ep. 219

218. Reduce Workplace Drama - Less Snakes, More Ladders

Send us a text As January 29th marks the new Chinese Year of The Snake, this new 4-part series explores how to reduce drama in our work lives. The Snake is celebrated for being the spirit of transformation and charm - with the gift for shedding old habits to make way for new ones. Is it time to step up and away from the drama or games in your work? In this first episode we take a big picture look at drama at work - how to spot it, how to avoid playing a role in it and most importantly: practical...

Jan 10, 202534 minSeason 18Ep. 218

217. Essence of Successful Leadership: Relationships

Send us a text In this fourth and final episode in our latest mini-series looking at the essence of success in 4 specific areas, this one is all about leadership. Whether with a 'big L' ie you have leadership in your job title, or 'little l' -the million small acts of leadership that happen every day in both work and personal lives. People ask you for advice, help, support or guidance? You're a leader my friend! Having been in-room with over 1,700 leaders in 2024, we can summarise what sets the ...

Dec 30, 202429 minSeason 17Ep. 217

216. Essence of Successful Collaboration: Respect

Send us a text In this third episode in our latest mini-series looking at the essence of success in 4 specific areas, this one is all about collaboration. A hot topic of our time, we see around us the one aspect that makes the difference: respect. Originating from the Latin word ‘respectus’ meaning ‘to hold in regard’ could the magic spell of ‘respectus collaboratus’ be the levels of mutual respect in and between teams? We explore the principles for respect at work and how to role model this to ...

Dec 20, 202431 minSeason 17Ep. 216
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