Straight up talk with Sharon & Peter

sharon & peter
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  • Self-Improvement

We are both proud Brits and Canadians – this is a no-nonsense weekly podcast about behaviour, people, life, leadership, managing and all sorts of stuff, from a corporate and non-corporate perspective.  We don’t always agree...

  1. 1d ago

    You Think You’re Fine. Everyone Else Has Notes.

    Send us Fan Mail You can fall off a chair without being drunk, flip out of a camping seat while protecting your drink, and still be convinced you’re basically fine. That’s the trap, isn’t it? The habits we live with every day feel normal from the inside, while everyone around us is watching the same pattern repeat. Sharon and Pete start with a very real “cack-handed” moment, then use it to get to something much bigger: how self-awareness works, and how easily we miss the impact we have on other people. We talk about the behaviours that show up in relationships and in the workplace: the constant interrupter who swears they’re just engaged, the person who never gets to the point, the one who corrects tiny details, the devil’s advocate on autopilot, the always-late colleague, and the “last minute” hero who leaves everyone else stressed. Some quirks are harmless, but when you’re a manager or leader, the same habits can cost trust, damage psychological safety, and even lose business in a meeting. We also dig into a practical distinction that changes everything: intent versus impact. Good intentions don’t guarantee good outcomes, and assuming you know why someone did something is a fast route to conflict. To bring it home, Sharon shares an emotional intelligence exercise that reveals who defaults to collaboration and who defaults to combat, plus why senior leaders can be the most likely to compete when feedback dries up. We finish with clear takeaways on communication skills: focus on behaviour, check your assumptions, watch body language, and be kind while being direct. If you like thoughtful conversations about leadership development, self-awareness, and better workplace behaviour, hit subscribe, share this with a friend, and leave us a review. What’s one habit you’ve had to unlearn? Have a question, a comment, or want to find out more? go to https://www.beabetteryou.ca/ Podcast thoughtfully produced by https://www.isleofsound.ca/

    You Think You’re Fine. Everyone Else Has Notes.

  2. Aug 18

    Why every generation thinks theirs is the best!

    Send us Fan Mail “Kids these days don’t know they’re born” gets thrown around like it’s a modern truth, but we dug into it and realised something unsettling: people have been saying the same thing for thousands of years. Sharon and Pete pull apart why older generations so often see decline in the young, and why the stereotypes barely change from era to era. If the script is ancient, what are we actually reacting to when we complain about teenagers, phones, manners, or motivation? We start with a very current trigger: a UK mum who’s built a following by making light of everyday life with three kids, from moaning about behaviour to showing how “simple” errands have become needlessly complicated. Buying train tickets, proving children’s ages, navigating rules and admin, all of it adds friction that can make modern parenting feel harder than it used to. That doesn’t mean children are worse, it may mean the systems around families have changed, and not always for the better. From there we talk generational cohorts, including why some of us feel like we sit between labels, and how much your childhood environment matters more than your birth year. We compare the freedom many of us had as kids with today’s heightened awareness of risk, then get into screens, scheduled activities, and whether constant entertainment steals the space where creativity grows. We also touch on big forces that shape a generation, from COVID lockdowns to housing pressure and even extreme heat disrupting children’s sport. If you’ve ever wondered whether we’re becoming “old fogies” or just noticing real change, listen along and decide for yourself. Subscribe, share the episode with someone from a different generation, and leave us a review with your take: what has genuinely improved, and what have we lost? Have a question, a comment, or want to find out more? go to https://www.beabetteryou.ca/ Podcast thoughtfully produced by https://www.isleofsound.ca/

    Why every generation thinks theirs is the best!

  3. Aug 11

    The Higher You Climb, The Less Truth You Hear

    Send us Fan Mail We dig into why people ask for honest feedback yet still want their ego protected, and how that tension makes “be honest with me” a risky request. We share practical ways to give and receive feedback so it stays useful, specific, and grounded in behaviour rather than personal judgement.  • why feedback-seeking depends on perceived value versus psychological cost  • what 360 degree feedback is, how anonymity works, and why themes matter  • the danger of witch-hunting individual comments instead of learning  • separating feedback about actions from feedback about identity  • using facts and observable behaviour to reduce defensiveness  • why senior leaders often get the least candid feedback  • how to respond to hard feedback with curiosity, questions, and thanks  • confidence, intimidation, and the gap between intent and impact  • gendered patterns in workplace evaluations and the competence likeability tension  • why trust and relationship quality shape whether feedback is accepted  • how people deflect positive feedback and what to do instead  Have a question, a comment, or want to find out more? go to https://www.beabetteryou.ca/ Podcast thoughtfully produced by https://www.isleofsound.ca/

    The Higher You Climb, The Less Truth You Hear

  4. Aug 4

    From Norman Lords To Seaside Breaks In Wales And Somerset

    Send us Fan Mail We chase a family request from Tenerife into the history of Montgomery in Mid Wales, from Norman roots to a churchyard legend that refuses to die. Then we head to Minehead in Somerset, where our own story begins amid seaside change, Butlins life, and surprising links to the Beatles.  • Roger de Montgomery, William the Conqueror, and how Montgomery gets its name  • the Robber’s Grave story, accusations of theft, and why folklore sticks  • the jagged Welsh English border and what it says about place and identity  • the surname Jones and how language and power can shape names  • Minehead’s seaside character, Victorian rail links, and tourism  • Butlins Minehead, Billy Butlin’s motto, and working-class holiday culture  • Severn Estuary tides, Minehead harbour views, and favourite pubs  • the Beatles in 1964 and the local excitement around filming  And if you have any location that you would like us to look into, please let us know because we enjoy looking into these things. Go to beabetteryou.ca/podcast and send us a message! Have a question, a comment, or want to find out more? go to https://www.beabetteryou.ca/ Podcast thoughtfully produced by https://www.isleofsound.ca/

    From Norman Lords To Seaside Breaks In Wales And Somerset

  5. Jul 28

    Your Brain Decides Before You Do

    Send us Fan Mail We explore why you can trust someone or doubt them within seconds, and what that “gut feeling” is really made of. We test intuition against real life examples, hiring decisions, and the limits of snap judgements when your brain fills in the gaps.  • intuition as rapid unconscious pattern recognition  • the hidden signals we read fast, from microexpressions to voice tone  • Pete’s pub and train test for instant social judgement  • observation of people versus noticing physical details  • why interviews can mislead, including confirmation bias  • similarity bias and the comfort of people like us  • evolutionary reasons humans make quick calls  • body language cues, including where feet point  • experience as the engine of intuitive accuracy  • when gut instinct turns negative and needs ignoring  • the closing question, is intuition about the present or the past  Have a question, a comment, or want to find out more? go to https://www.beabetteryou.ca/ Podcast thoughtfully produced by https://www.isleofsound.ca/

    Your Brain Decides Before You Do

  6. Jul 21

    Why High Performers Feel Like Frauds

    Send us Fan Mail We unpack imposter syndrome and why capable people can feel like they are one mistake away from being exposed. We share real stories from leadership coaching and sport to show how self-belief, confidence, and pressure shape performance. • where the term imposter syndrome comes from and why it often hits high achievers  • why women may report it more often and what that might really mean  • how promotions and new environments can trigger the “found out” feeling  • a football manager story about expectations, spotlight, and fit  • the mismatch between external evidence and internal narrative  • attribution patterns that fuel low self-belief  • confidence versus competence and the Dunning-Kruger effect  • why trust is built through consistently good behaviour  • a practical reframe: doubt as a sign of growth Have a question, a comment, or want to find out more? go to https://www.beabetteryou.ca/ Podcast thoughtfully produced by https://www.isleofsound.ca/

    Why High Performers Feel Like Frauds

  7. Jul 7

    Attitude Controls Everything

    Send us Fan Mail Attitude turns the same moment into either a problem or a lesson, and we explore how to train that choice on purpose. With our friends from Grand River CrossFit, we connect gym mindset, coachability, business resilience, and a few surprisingly effective tricks for shifting your mood fast.  • choosing “I get to do this” over dread and drag  • noticing how one negative person can pull a team down  • fixed mindset versus open mindset and what coachability looks like  • trusting coaches and using failure as part of progress  • using vivid cues to make technique finally click  • understanding confirmation bias and how beliefs shape what you notice  • learning from COVID pivots through systems, mentoring, and better decisions  • changing state with posture, body language, and a deliberate grin  • feeding your attitude through community, coaching, and competing with yourself  And if you have any suggestions, go to the website beabetteryou.ca/podcast  Let us know what you you want us to talk about and who else you want us to talk with  Have a question, a comment, or want to find out more? go to https://www.beabetteryou.ca/ Podcast thoughtfully produced by https://www.isleofsound.ca/

    Attitude Controls Everything

  8. Jun 30

    From Dunville’s Canal Roots To London Courtrooms

    Send us Fan Mail We dig into the surprising history behind everyday places, from a canal-linked Ontario town name to a Manchester neighbourhood shaped by railways and pop culture. We also trace how a South London court case left a lasting mark on British legal history and public memory.  • why local geography makes history feel real  • Dunville, Ontario and John Henry Dunn’s link to canals and trade  • feeder canals and the labour that built them by hand  • Chorlton-cum-Hardy’s Anglo-Saxon roots and its Victorian railway boom  • the Bee Gees connection and how cultural history lives on ordinary streets  • Norbury, Derek Bentley and the controversy behind “let him have it”  • how public pressure helped shift attitudes to capital punishment in the UK  Go to beabetteryou.ca/podcast and send us a message -  tell us where you live and we'll have a look to see what's interesting or unknown! Have a question, a comment, or want to find out more? go to https://www.beabetteryou.ca/ Podcast thoughtfully produced by https://www.isleofsound.ca/

    From Dunville’s Canal Roots To London Courtrooms
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We are both proud Brits and Canadians – this is a no-nonsense weekly podcast about behaviour, people, life, leadership, managing and all sorts of stuff, from a corporate and non-corporate perspective.  We don’t always agree...

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