What The Fear?!

Grace Marshall
  • 5.0 (2)
  • Management

What The Fear?! is a podcast about the fears that drive us, the ones that derail us - and the ones that dare us to do things differently. Hosted by award-winning author, speaker and productivity expert Grace Marshall, the show explores how High Functioning Fear® hides in plain sight - showing up as busyness, overthinking, people-pleasing, perfectionism, or relentless productivity. It examines how fear shapes the way we work, lead, relate and make decisions - often without ever looking like fear. Each episode features deep, honest conversations with thinkers, researchers and practitioners about what fear looks like in real life - and how we can move through it with more courage, clarity and connection. Together, we explore the surprising ways fear shows up in leadership, conflict, communication, trust, innovation, uncertainty, silence, team dynamics and organisational change - and how to meet it with compassion, creativity and strength. Whether you're leading a team, navigating uncertainty, or figuring out how to be more human at work - this show invites you to rethink your relationship with fear.

  1. Sep 6

    How fear impacts health: your body’s warning signs and wisdom - with Jake Mahal

    How does fear show up in our bodies? In this episode I'm joined by Jake Mahal to explore the way the human body has evolved to respond to fear and what happens when we find ourselves in survival mode for too long. Jake Mahal is a metabolic health specialist and health coach who helps busy, capable people understand why they feel tired, foggy or unlike themselves and how to rebuild the energy, clarity and resilience they need to live fully again. Together we explore how modern life itself can put our bodies into fear mode - through what we eat, how we move, our sleep, our light exposure, our environment and our relationships - and what it actually takes to build energy, clarity and resilience once we understand what our bodies are responding to. We unpack: What our ancestors' relationship with fear can teach us about our own Why a spin class might be doing the opposite of what your body actually needs What keeps us on the dopamine roller coaster - and the other three happy hormones most of us are missing out on The difference between being stuck in fear and the occasional freak out that actually builds resilience How to curate our environments, at home and at work, to support real human health and high performance If you've ever normalised a low-level hum of tiredness or tension - this conversation will give you a whole new way of looking at it. Continue the conversation with Grace here: gracemarshall.com  LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/gracemarshall/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gracemarshallninja/ About Guest Jake Mahal is a metabolic health specialist, ancestral health coach and founder of Whole Life Health. He is a Primal Health Coach at Master Coach level and a MovNat certified trainer, registered with UKIHCA, with a background in sports science and over 20 years of coaching experience. Many of the people Jake works with are doing their best to eat well, stay active and keep everything moving, yet still find themselves running on caffeine, pushing through energy crashes or wondering whether feeling this way is simply part of getting older. Jake helps them see that these symptoms are not personal failings. They are often signs that the body is struggling with the demands and rhythms of modern life. Find out more at https://wholelifehealth.uk/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/health-coach-jake-mahal/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coachjakemahal/ The podcast was produced by pronkproductions.com

  2. Sep 6

    Fear and high stakes conversations: lessons from a hostage negotiator - Nigel Taberner

    How does fear show up in high-stakes conversations? In this episode I'm joined by former hostage negotiator Nigel Taberner to explore how to diffuse tension, build trust and communicate under pressure when the stakes are high. Nigel spent 10 years as a hostage negotiator with Greater Manchester Police, successfully resolving over 130 incidents. He now brings the same skills he honed in that world - and his unique perspective on communication, resilience and emotional intelligence - into boardrooms and conference stages, helping business leaders navigate the conversations that matter most. Together we explore how to manage fear when lives are at stake, what it takes to build trust from nothing and what a hostage negotiator's world can teach the rest of us about difficult conversations. We look at: Why giving your mind a job to do is one of the most effective ways to manage nerves What it means to know your own capacity before stepping into someone else's crisis Why listening might be the single most underrated skill in any high-stakes conversation Why the real issue is rarely the thing someone's actually arguing about What to do when someone rolls a grenade into the conversation If you’ve got a conversation ahead of you that you know you want to get right, this episode will help you walk into it with more clarity and confidence.  Continue the conversation with Grace here: gracemarshall.com  LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/gracemarshall/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gracemarshallninja/ About Guest Nigel Taberner has over 30 years of operational experience with Greater Manchester Police and Counter-Terrorism Policing North West, serving in a wide variety of front-line and investigative roles. At the height of his career, he was a Detective Inspector responsible for counter-terrorism policing operations. During his 10 years as a hostage negotiator, Nigel deployed to over 130 incidents, successfully resolving armed sieges, domestic and international kidnaps, and high-risk suicide interventions. He has delivered negotiation training to UK police officers, Special Forces personnel, and international colleagues from the FBI, Finland and Australian police forces. He now brings these transferable skills into business, helping leaders and teams communicate under pressure, build trust and negotiate effectively. Find out more at www.nigeltaberner.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nigel-taberner/  The podcast was produced by pronkproductions.com

  3. Sep 6

    Fear under pressure: from CIA to CEO - with Rupal Patel

    How does fear show up in high pressure situations - from war zones to board rooms? In this episode I’m joined by former CIA analyst Rupal Patel to explore how someone who has faced genuine danger, experiences fear in everyday work life.  Rupal Patel’s high-octane career has taken her from military briefing rooms in jungles and war zones to corporate boardrooms and international stages. As a sought-after international speaker, corporate consultant and board advisor she delivers leadership and executive development programmes for Fortune 500 companies, and serves as visiting faculty at business schools across the US and Europe. Together we discuss how fear, ego and adrenaline play out when the stakes are high, what actually holds a team together under pressure, and the surprising truth about which world - the CIA or civilian leadership - triggers more fear. We explore: The CIA tool for reading a room - and how to use it every day What actually makes a team feel safe enough to take real risks Why some people create their own crises when things go quiet What "confident humility" looks like under pressure How to be the grown up in the room If you've ever had to walk into a high-pressure room and hold your own - this one's for you. Continue the conversation with Grace here: gracemarshall.com  LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/gracemarshall/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gracemarshallninja/ About Guest Rupal Patel spent her career at the CIA advising Four-Star Generals, earning War Zone Service commendations, and being recognised by the CIA Director for "superior support to the President of the United States." After leaving the CIA, she earned her MBA and started her first business over a decade ago. She is now an international speaker, corporate consultant and board advisor, delivering leadership and executive development programmes for Fortune 500 companies, and serves as visiting faculty at business schools across the US and Europe. She has been featured in USA Today, Business Insider and CNBC, and her work includes pro bono support for Virgin Startup and Techstars, roles as Entrepreneur in Residence at London Business School and Alumni in Residence at the University of Chicago, and serving as a delegate to the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women. She is the author of the international bestseller From CIA to CEO: Unconventional Life Lessons for Thinking Bigger, Leading Better, and Being Bolder. Find out more at: www.rupalypatel.com  Substack: https://rupalypatel.substack.com/  The podcast was produced by pronkproductions.com

  4. Sep 6

    Fear and overwhelm: it’s not your workload, it’s your thoughtload - with Liane Davey

    When change is high, workload feels high. But what if it's not your workload - it's your thoughtload? In this episode I'm joined by Liane Davey to explore the real culprit behind the overwhelm, chaos and burnout experienced by so many teams.  For the past 25 years, Liane has researched and advised teams on how to achieve high performance. Known as the “Teamwork Doctor,” she helps teams replace workplace drama with accountability, empathy, and impact. Together we explore how fear hijacks our attention, our emotions and our energy - and why the very thing our brains have evolved to do best, is what’s making work so hard. We discuss: What vigilance costs you, even when it sounds like a virtue Why your brain treats a raised eyebrow like a threat How fear shows up in feedback conversations What a fire-breathing dragon can teach you in conflict How to develop emotional literacy as a leadership skill If your team's capacity feels maxed out, this conversation will give you practical ways to ease the load. Continue the conversation with Grace here: gracemarshall.com  LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/gracemarshall/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gracemarshallninja/ About Guest Known internationally as the "Teamwork Doctor," Liane Davey is a keynote speaker and New York Times bestselling author who helps teams replace workplace drama with accountability, empathy, and impact. Her high energy, research-backed keynotes tackle the burnout, overload, constant change, and conflict weighing people down at work - delivering candid humor and practical tools leaders can use immediately. Liane's book, Thoughtload: Manage the Madness and Free Your Team to Do Great Work, addresses the mental overload crushing today's teams. A frequent Harvard Business Review contributor, she has worked with hundreds of teams worldwide across 26 Fortune 500 companies and counting. Find out more at thoughtload.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lianedavey/ The podcast was produced by pronkproductions.com

  5. Sep 6

    Operating in uncertainty: fear and organisational design with Mack Fogelson

    How do you design an organisation with less fear? In this episode I’m joined by Mack Fogelson, an organisational designer who helps leaders and companies build braver cultures in complex systems. Organisations are rarely designed with fear in mind, but for Mack, it shows up in every layer of how work actually gets done.  Mack pioneers practical, human-centered approaches to change, helping organizations move from burnout and reactivity toward clarity, shared power, experimentation, and resilient ways of working. Her work weaves together systems thinking, organizational design, and Brené Brown’s research on courage, belonging, and vulnerability. Together we look at how fear shows up in an organisation - from strategy and process, to culture and leadership behaviours - and what it takes to build organisations that work with uncertainty, rather than against it. We explore: The difference between our "ways of being" and "ways of doing" at work Why so much of what looks like leadership failure is actually a systems failure in disguise What's really driving the urge in leaders to overplan, overcommit and stay relentlessly busy Why a leader's emotional Wi-Fi might travel further than any strategy document What happens when you start treating uncertainty as a teacher, rather than a problem to solve If your organisation feels stuck in the same patterns no matter how many plans or processes you put in place - this conversation is for you. Continue the conversation with Grace here: gracemarshall.com  LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/gracemarshall/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gracemarshallninja/ About Guest Mack Fogelson is an organizational designer, executive advisor, and cultural transformation strategist who helps leaders and companies build braver cultures in complex systems.  She partners with entrepreneurs, executives, and teams around the world - from high-growth companies to organizations like Apple - to redesign how work actually gets done and create systems that support both performance and humanity.  Mack is a Certified Dare to Lead™ Facilitator in Brené Brown’s community. Featured in The Economist. Mack writes about uncertainty, power, and how we work together in a fractured world Find out more at mackfogelson.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mackenziefogelson/ Substack: https://mackfogelson.substack.com/ The podcast was produced by pronkproductions.com

  6. Sep 6

    When fear divides us: polarisation at work with Alison Goldsworthy

    What brings people together? What drives them apart? And what's fear got to do with it? In this episode I'm joined by Alison (Ali) Goldsworthy to explore polarisation at work, and why it's rarely as simple as differing opinions. Co-author of the bestselling book Poles Apart, Ali has spent over 25 years working in politics and movement building. The recent focus of her work is to reduce political polarisation when it reaches excessive levels, supporting businesses, nonprofits and universities.  Together we unpack how fear breeds polarisation and vice versa - how it affects our thinking, judgement and decision making, and the implications on team work, organisations and society. We discuss: How the very tools we use to bring people together can turn belonging into division How uncertainty, unemployment and inflation can make polarisation more likely How fear distorts how we our brains process information What happens when fear of saying the wrong thing keeps us silent Why being the most open-minded person in the room might be harder than it sounds If you've ever found yourself dismissing someone before you've really heard them - or wondered what it takes to build a diverse team, rather than a divided one - this conversation will help. Continue the conversation with Grace here: gracemarshall.com  LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/gracemarshall/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gracemarshallninja/ About Guest Alison (Ali) Goldsworthy is the co-author of the bestselling book Poles Apart, founder of The Depolarization Project and host of the podcast Changed My Mind. Her work focuses on reducing political polarisation when it reaches excessive levels, supporting businesses, nonprofits and universities.  She previously led the team behind the UK's fastest-growing consumer movement at Which?, successfully introducing opt-out organ donation in Wales, and has worked in both Parliament and the Senedd. Poles Apart is now a course she lectures with The Intellectual Forum, Jesus College, Cambridge and she lectures at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business, overseeing work on their Leadership for Society program. Find out more: https://www.opendemocracy.net/author/the-depolarization-project/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aligoldsworthy/ Ali’s book, Poles Apart: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/8547/9781847942975 The podcast was produced by pronkproductions.com

  7. Mar 1

    Fear and Chronic Overperformance – with Pippa Grange

    What if the way you’ve learned to succeed is the very thing that’s exhausting you? In this episode I’m joined by Dr Pippa Grange - performance psychologist and coach with more than 25 years’ experience working with elite performers across sport and industry. Formerly Head of People and Team Development at The Football Association, she worked closely with Gareth Southgate and the England men’s football team during their journey to the 2018 World Cup semi-finals. Today, her work draws on performance psychology and ecological thinking to help individuals and teams sustain excellence without burning out. Together we explore how overperformance becomes a way of being - and why it so often leaves us depleted rather than fulfilled. Pippa invites us to rethink what it really means to perform well, offering a radically healthier vision of success - one that is regenerative rather than extractive, and feels as good as it looks. We discuss: The difference between “winning deep” and “winning shallow” How fear becomes our behavioural GPS Why success can be fleeting when we’re running on the wrong fuel Why overperformance isn’t random - but shaped by the rules of the game What it means to perform in a way that feels whole, not hollow If you want to perform well - without losing yourself in the process - this conversation is for you. Continue the conversation with Grace here: gracemarshall.com  LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/gracemarshall/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gracemarshallninja/ About Guest Dr Pippa Grange is a performance psychologist and coach with more than 25 years in the field, working with some of the world’s top performers across sport and industry.  Formerly Head of People and Team Development at The Football Association, she worked closely with Gareth Southgate’s England men’s football team and is widely credited for her pivotal role in their success reaching the 2018 World Cup semi-finals.  Her transformative work was portrayed in the smash-hit national play ‘Dear England’, which is currently being adapted into a four-part TV drama for BBC One. Her practice today draws on ecopsychology and performance principles to help individuals and groups sustain and thrive in all their performance adventures. Find out more at www.pippagrange.com Pippa’s book Life. Reclaimed: https://dk.com/products/9780241761908-life-reclaimed The podcast was produced by pronkproductions.com

  8. Mar 1

    Fear, Silence and Speak-Up Culture - with Stephen Shedletzky

    What does it really take to create a culture where people speak up - consistently and constructively? In this episode I’m joined by Stephen “Shed” Shedletzky to explore what makes it both safe and worth it for people to use their voice. Shed is a leadership speaker, coach and author of Speak-Up Culture: When Leaders Truly Listen, People Step Up. As a thought leader on psychological safety in the workplace he helps leaders create environments where people feel able - and motivated - to contribute.  Together we explore how fear shows up not only in the hesitation to speak, but in the resistance to hear, the ingredients that make a culture healthy or toxic, and why leadership is ultimately about care. We discuss: Why safety alone isn’t enough if it doesn’t feel worth it The difference between healthy fear and corrosive fear What happens when silence becomes self-protection The anatomy of a hard conversation How culture shapes behaviour more than character If you’ve ever held back from speaking up - or wondered why others aren’t telling you what you need to hear - this conversation offers a thoughtful and practical place to start. Continue the conversation with Grace here: gracemarshall.com  LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/gracemarshall/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gracemarshallninja/ About Guest Stephen Shedletzky - or “Shed” to his friends - helps leaders make it safe and worth it for people to speak up. He supports humble leaders - those who know they are both part of the problems they experience and the solutions they can create - as they put people and purpose first. A thought leader on psychological safety in the workplace, Shed is the author of Speak-Up Culture: When Leaders Truly Listen, People Step Up. He is a sought-after speaker, coach and advisor who has led hundreds of keynotes and leadership programs around the world. For more than a decade, Shed worked at Simon Sinek, Inc., serving as Chief of Staff and Head of Brand Experience, Training & Development, where he led a global team of speakers and facilitators. He is a graduate of the Richard Ivey School of Business and received his coaching certification from The Co-Active Training Institute. Find out more at shedinspires.com Shed’s book Speak-Up Culture: shedinspires.com/book Shed’s leadership podcast: shedinspires.com/podcast The podcast was produced by pronkproductions.com

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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

What The Fear?! is a podcast about the fears that drive us, the ones that derail us - and the ones that dare us to do things differently. Hosted by award-winning author, speaker and productivity expert Grace Marshall, the show explores how High Functioning Fear® hides in plain sight - showing up as busyness, overthinking, people-pleasing, perfectionism, or relentless productivity. It examines how fear shapes the way we work, lead, relate and make decisions - often without ever looking like fear. Each episode features deep, honest conversations with thinkers, researchers and practitioners about what fear looks like in real life - and how we can move through it with more courage, clarity and connection. Together, we explore the surprising ways fear shows up in leadership, conflict, communication, trust, innovation, uncertainty, silence, team dynamics and organisational change - and how to meet it with compassion, creativity and strength. Whether you're leading a team, navigating uncertainty, or figuring out how to be more human at work - this show invites you to rethink your relationship with fear.

Information

  • Creator
    Grace Marshall
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    19
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2025 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    What The Fear?!

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