Straight up talk with Sharon & Peter

sharon & peter
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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...

  1. 1d ago

    AI isn’t the problem. Not knowing whether its answer is any good might be

    Send us Fan Mail AI can write for us, plan for us, and even “think” alongside us. The uncomfortable twist is that the more we lean on it, the easier it is to lose the very skills we are trying to enhance. We dig into that tension with a real-world, no-hype look at ChatGPT and artificial intelligence in everyday life and work. We talk about the moment AI becomes genuinely useful: not as a flashy toy, but as a tool that turns confusing information into something you can act on, like translating blood test results into plain English. From there, we get practical about AI at work, including using Zoom transcription so we can focus on a client conversation, then using AI to summarise, structure, and draft a proposal. The time savings are real, but only when we stay in control of quality. That leads to the core idea: AI output is only as good as your prompts, your sources, and your ability to judge what comes back. We unpack “garbage in, garbage out”, why you should ask for reputable references, and how mistakes can slip through when you do not have subject knowledge. We also look ahead to workplace AI policies, how managers might use AI without breaking trust, and why schools face a bigger challenge than detection: protecting learning and critical thinking while the tech races ahead. If this conversation made you pause, subscribe for more Straight Up Talk, share it with someone who uses AI daily, and leave a review with your answer: where should the line be between helpful assistance and lazy outsourcing? Have a question, a comment, or want to find out more? go to https://www.beabetteryou.ca/

    AI isn’t the problem. Not knowing whether its answer is any good might be

  2. Sep 29

    When does your pet start owning you?

    Send us Fan Mail How much of your life would you reorganise around an animal? We love dogs and cats, most of our friends have them, and we can absolutely see why people call pets “family”. But we’ve never had pets together, and it’s not an accident, it’s a choice. We like being able to travel, to pack up at short notice, and to disappear for weeks without turning life into a logistics puzzle of kennels, sitters, and guilt. We dig into the real trade-offs of pet ownership: the hit to spontaneity, the responsibility that never takes a day off, and the question of what’s fair to the animal when you’re away. We also talk about the difference between a pet and an animal partner, using our horse as the example, loved deeply but tied to sport, routine, and practical decisions in a way that feels different from a dog on the sofa. Then we get personal and a bit brutal. There are funny stories, sad stories, and the kind of honest money talk people often avoid: expensive emergencies, Sunday vet fees, and the thousands some owners will spend to keep a beloved animal going. It all builds to a simple, uncomfortable question: at what point does owning a pet become the pet owning you? If you’ve ever debated getting a dog, felt guilty about leaving your cat, or judged someone else’s choices, you’ll have thoughts. Subscribe for more Straight Up Talk, share this with a pet lover in your life, and leave us a review with your answer: where do you draw the line? Have a question, a comment, or want to find out more? go to https://www.beabetteryou.ca/

    When does your pet start owning you?

  3. Sep 22

    Getting Older: Buckle Up, Buttercup

    Send us Fan Mail Ageing sounds like a slow fade until you’re actually doing it. Sharon and Pete get brutally honest about what changes after 60: not just your body, but your tolerance, your priorities, and the way the world responds to you. We start with the uncomfortable truth that society is built around younger people, even though later life can bring hard-won skills, experience, and judgement that no course can teach.  Work is where it bites first. Pete talks about the anxiety of trying to find decent paid employment at 65, especially without formal qualifications, and how easily older workers get sidelined by quiet hiring bias. We dig into ageism, the fear employers have about “coasting”, and the awkward dynamic of being managed by someone younger who worries you might outshine them. If you’re thinking about a later-life career change, self-employment, or simply staying in work longer, you’ll hear your own concerns echoed back with clarity.  Then we turn to retirement. Sharon shares her mum’s move to Spain and the line that says it all: “There’s only so many times you can walk up and down the beach.” We talk about purpose after work, why boredom can creep in fast, and how longevity changes the whole idea of what retirement is for. Along the way we hit travel, flying fatigue, mortality, and the upside of ageing: stronger boundaries, fewer fake obligations, and more confidence in who you are.  If you enjoyed this frank conversation about getting older, retirement planning, ageism at work, and finding purpose in later life, subscribe, share it with a mate, and leave us a review. What’s been the biggest surprise of ageing for you? Have a question, a comment, or want to find out more? go to https://www.beabetteryou.ca/

    Getting Older: Buckle Up, Buttercup

  4. Sep 15

    Are You Moving Towards A Better Life Or Just Away From A Problem

    Send us Fan Mail A removals van has barely arrived, it is already dark, and the client asks a question nobody wants to hear: “Before you offload, how much would you charge me to move the stuff back?” That true story sets the tone for a candid chat about moving house in the UK and the thin line between a fresh start and instant regret. We talk honestly about how you decide it is time to move, how you judge whether a new place will suit you beyond the first impression, and why “holiday logic” can be a trap when real life kicks in during winter. Pete brings decades of removals experience and shares the patterns he keeps seeing. One of the biggest drivers is not jobs or bigger kitchens, it is neighbours. We dig into noise, conflict, and the slow grind of living next to someone you cannot reason with, plus the practical question of when it is worth trying to mend things and when it is smarter to cut your losses. Along the way, we swap a few personal stories about learning to keep the peace and why falling out with neighbours can haunt you for years. We also get into school catchment areas, property trade-offs, and the sacrifices families make to get children into better schools, including a day Pete’s team was filmed by ITN while helping a single mum move to a worse home purely for a school with a strong reputation. If you are weighing up a relocation, you will leave with sharper questions to ask, a clearer sense of “right reasons” versus “panic reasons”, and a reminder that temporary moves often last longer than you expect. If this resonated, subscribe, share it with someone planning a move, and leave a review. What is the best or worst reason you have seen someone move for? Have a question, a comment, or want to find out more? go to https://www.beabetteryou.ca/

    Are You Moving Towards A Better Life Or Just Away From A Problem

  5. Aug 25

    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/

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

  6. 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/

    Why every generation thinks theirs is the best!

  7. 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/

    The Higher You Climb, The Less Truth You Hear

  8. 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/

    From Norman Lords To Seaside Breaks In Wales And Somerset
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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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