The Petra Show

Petra Velzeboer
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Petra Velzeboer is a psychotherapist, author, keynote speaker and Entrepreneur. Her clients include global organisations across law, finance, tech and healthcare. She created The Petra Show to share the unfiltered conversations, ideas and insights that have shaped how she thinks about high performance, resilience, business and mental health - challenging listeners to take radical accountability for their lives and impact.

Episodes

  1. Sep 30

    Why You're Always Exhausted (And How to Change It)

    Exhausted doesn't always mean you need to stop.Sometimes it's a sign that something in your life needs to change.In this video, I share 3 practical ways to move beyond exhaustion, reclaim your energy, and start building a life that gives more than it takes. Because you don't need a complete life overhaul, you just need one small step in the right direction.What's one thing that gives you energy? Let me know in the comments. 💛

  2. Sep 14

    When High-Performance is Weaponised: What Military and Sports can teach your Team at Work

    We've turned "high performance" into a stick to beat people with but the people who've lived at the edge have a whole different view on potential and making work better. In this episode, Petra Velzeboer (mental health expert, author, cult survivor) sits down with four guests who've defined high performance in radically different worlds. From Military, elite Sport and the corporate world, they unpack the inefficiencies plaguing workplaces and give tips on what to do instead. If you really want a high performing team, you don't want to miss this. They get into:- Why focus, balance and team connection matter more than intensity- How "high performance" becomes a weapon - The link between clarity of direction and performance under pressure- Why EQ is about to become more valuable than IQ in an AI-driven workplace- Giving yourself grace: why operating at 100% all the time isn't sustainable or a useful goal- Vulnerability, trust, and empowerment as leadership skills, not flaws Featuring:🎙️ William Rigby is Head of Cyber Threat Intelligence, Lloyd’s Insurance. 🎙️ Michelle Westwood: Chief People Officer, Osborne Clarke law firm. 🎙️ Max Brown Psychologist, Olympic-level high performance coach. 🎙️ Caroline Turner-Inskip, Partner at Simmons and Simmons and Global Head of Wellbeing. If you've ever felt like "high performance" is code for "burn yourself out faster," this conversation will change how you think about it.👉 Subscribe for more conversations on mental health, leadership, and the future of work.#HighPerformance #WorkplaceWellbeing #Leadership #MentalHealthAtWork #Burnout

  3. Aug 24

    3 Ways to Find Your People and Feel Less Alone

    If you've ever felt lonely, disconnected, or like you don't quite fit anywhere, you are not alone. In a world of globalisation, tech addiction and reduced opportunities for community, many of us are floating in a disconnected state wondering if this is really how we're meant to be! In this video, I share 3 practical ways to find your people, build meaningful relationships, and create genuine connection. From putting yourself out there to listening to your instincts and making the first move, these small shifts can completely change how connected you feel Real belonging doesn't happen by accident. It starts with one brave step. 💛

  4. Aug 7

    When to Ignore Your Mentors

    Mentors can change your life...BUT they can also drown out your intuition if you’re not careful. In this video, Petra Velzeboer shares three key reasons you should sometimes ignore your mentors (yes, really), and how to know when it’s time to shift from relying on someone else’s wisdom to trusting your own.Drawing from her first book launch, years of leadership lessons, and her journey from depending on expert advice to becoming an expert herself, Petra breaks down why guidance is powerful… but over time needs to evolve. You’ll learn:✨ Why experience matters but your inner vision matters more✨ How to sift through conflicting advice without doubting yourself✨ How fast the world is changing and why old strategies don’t always work✨ Why intuition is your most important strategic tool✨ How to create reflection time to separate your voice from everyone else’s✨ When to evolve past your mentors and stand fully in your own expertiseIf you’re in a season of growth, transition, or building something new, this video will help you navigate advice with confidence, without losing your own North Star in the process.If this resonates, hit like and subscribe and share your experience: Have you ever had to outgrow your mentors?

  5. Jul 20

    5 Signs You’re Pretending to Be Okay

    Being functional isn’t the same as being well.Many leaders don’t “break down”, they simply power through. If this is you, you might get the job done, show up for others and keep moving… all the while feeling flat, wired, irritable, or disconnected from feeling joy or fully being in the present moment.In this video, I walk through 5 signs you may be pretending to be okay, especially if you’re in a leadership role. You'll know this is you if: - You’re performing, but emotionally flat- Your nervous system is always “on" even during rest- You struggle to name how you actually feel- You’re less proud of your leadership style than you used to be- You keep postponing your health for another day These are early warning signs that would make sense to listen to. I also talk through:- Why burnout often hides behind competence- How “always-on” culture disconnects us from ourselves- The importance of pausing before a crash forces you to- Simple ways to reflect and catch your blind spots earlyYou don’t need a breakdown to justify a pause.You don’t need to be falling apart to take yourself seriously.If any of this resonates, consider this your invitation to stop performing and start listening.

  6. Jun 30

    Turn Your Pain into Power

    The lesson usually shows up late! In this video, I share what a recent difficult experience taught me about healing, intrusive thoughts, emotional processing and why trying to “figure it all out” too quickly can actually make things harder.If you’re in a confusing season right now, this is for you.I'll talk through... How to trust the process when nothing makes senseWhy feeling your emotions matters more than “fixing” themHow to eventually connect the dots and grow through hard seasonsLife will challenge all of us. The goal isn’t perfection, it’s learning how to move through the uncertainty with a little more peace.Let me know in the comments: how do YOU find meaning during difficult times?

  7. Jun 16

    How to Get Your First Book Deal — A Published Author Explains

    If you’ve always dreamed of writing a book but don’t know where to start, this is for you.In this video, I share the 5 biggest lessons I learned writing and traditionally publishing 2 books, from finding your message and audience to pitching publishers, handling vulnerability, and actually getting the words onto the page.Inside:- Why writers MUST write before they feel ready- How to match your message to the market- What publishers actually want- Why “kill your darlings” might save your book- How to find your own writing processWhether you want to write memoir, nonfiction, thought leadership, or finally share your story with the world, here's everything I learned about how to get started. The world doesn’t need your perfect book. It needs the one you actually wrote. Want to find out more, here's a link to my podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/6cE7Xhhk0O2TFcX8HcyfPb?si=c54a0938befa49f5

  8. May 28

    3 Signs You’re Wasting Your Potential - Even If Your Life Looks “Successful”

    What if the biggest risk isn’t messing up, but instead never finding out what you’re capable of?In this video, we explore 3 signs you may be wasting your potential, even if your life looks successful on the outside. This isn’t about hustle culture, external success, or doing what society tells you to do. It’s about mental health, meaning, and soul alignment.Many people reach later stages of life carrying the same regrets:“I wish I took more risks.”“I wish I’d been more honest about what I wanted.”“I wish I lived MY life, not the one I was expected to live.”This conversation unpacks:Why a “good on paper” life can still feel deeply offHow constant busyness can disconnect you from what you wantHow choosing safety over risk impacts you in the long-termWhy potential has nothing to do with money or statusHow small, intentional risks can radically improve your mental healthWe also explore a powerful reframe most of us never ask:What if it went right? instead spiralling into worst case thinking...This video is for anyone feeling restless, numb, or quietly uneasy: especially if you’ve done “everything right” and still feel like something’s missing.Your potential isn’t about becoming someone else.It’s about becoming more of you.If this is you, take a moment to reflect on these key questions: What do I really want?What would bring my life meaning? What brings me joy?

  9. May 2

    10 Hard Truths I Wish I Knew Before Starting a Business

    Starting a business feels equal parts thrilling and terrifying, especially when you didn’t grow up around entrepreneurs, strategy chats or dinner table lessons on failure and innovation. In this video, Petra Velzeboer shares the 10 things she wishes she knew when she first took the leap into building a business from scratch.From her unconventional upbringing in a religious cult to years of therapy, rebuilding her life, and ultimately becoming a CEO, Petra breaks down the mindset shifts, lessons, and hard-earned truths that every founder needs — whether you’re just starting or already in the thick of it.You’ll learn:✨ Why everyone (yes, everyone) is making it up as they go✨ How long it really takes to get traction✨ Why you'll outgrow your mentors ✨ How to develop intuition as your most trusted business partner✨ What it means to train for endurance, not sprints✨ The mindset that will make or break your growth✨ Why “no” is a full sentence and a leadership skill✨ How to navigate outgrowing people, tools, and seasons✨ And why building a business is, ultimately, deeply healing workIf you’ve ever felt like you’re behind, confused, or doubting whether you’ve got what it takes this video will help you breathe again. You’re not alone. And you’re more capable than you think.

  10. May 2

    How to Break Procrastination (Even If You’ve Tried Everything)

    Most productivity advice tells you to download another app, build a color-coded calendar, or switch off your notifications. Helpful? Sure. But tactics alone won’t save you; not when it comes to procrastination, digital wellbeing, or staying focused on the life you actually want.In this video, Petra Velzeboer breaks down why productivity tips fail unless you address what sits beneath them: Getting clear and honest! Speaking from her own experiences navigating depression, addiction recovery, and the long climb toward a purposeful life, Petra offers a deeper, more human approach to staying on track.You’ll learn:✨ Why tactics crumble without a clear sense of direction✨ How to gather clues about what you want when you feel lost or foggy✨ Why procrastination is often fear disguised as “I’ll do it later”✨ How fear of success, rejection, or imperfection keeps you stuck✨ Why joy and creativity matter just as much as discipline✨ How to design an environment where tactics actually work✨ Why change feels slow and why that’s normalThis is productivity for real life: imperfect, evolving, and deeply personal.If this resonated, hit like and subscribe and tell us in the comments: What’s really beneath your procrastination, and what small shift could you make this week?

  11. May 2

    How to Move Your Life Forward No Matter What’s in Your Past

    8 Powerful Principles to rebuild your life no matter what’s in your past. In this video, Petra Velzeboer dives into the honest, unfiltered steps that helped her move from rock bottom to resilience, drawing from her experiences growing up in a cult, navigating addiction, and rebuilding a life grounded in responsibility, meaning, and purpose.You’ll learn how to:✨ Get radically honest with yourself✨ Take responsibility for the life you’re creating✨ Shift your story and rewrite the narrative of your past✨ Experiment with new habits, communities, and ways of being✨ Shorten the shame cycle and build emotional resilience✨ Practice joy, gratitude, and connection even when it feels impossibleThese are the small, practical, messy-middle actions that help you move forward when life feels overwhelming. If you’re ready to build a future that isn’t defined by your past, this video is your starting point.

  12. May 2

    3 Reasons to Stay in a Toxic Job

    “Toxic workplace” has become a catch-all phrase but the reality is more complicated. Not every challenging environment is fully toxic and not everyone wants to quit their job to start a business. That's ok! In this video, Petra Velzeboer shares three valid reasons you might choose to stay in your corporate job, even if certain parts of the culture feel difficult or draining.As a mental health professional, Petra knows the reflex is often: If it’s toxic, leave. But for many people, staying can be the right decision — for now, for a season, or even for the long haul.You’ll learn:✨ Why not all “toxic” environments are created equal✨ How self-awareness and boundaries can buffer workplace stress✨ Why your ability to resource yourself (inside and outside work) matters✨ When staying is part of the vision for your life✨ How culture change starts with you ✨ The role of community, wellbeing practices, and support systems✨ The signs that staying is no longer healthy and it's time to leave Petra brings nuance, compassion, and realism to a topic that’s usually treated as black and white. This video is for anyone navigating workplace stress, considering a big change, or simply asking: Is staying okay?

  • 12 Episodes

About

Petra Velzeboer is a psychotherapist, author, keynote speaker and Entrepreneur. Her clients include global organisations across law, finance, tech and healthcare. She created The Petra Show to share the unfiltered conversations, ideas and insights that have shaped how she thinks about high performance, resilience, business and mental health - challenging listeners to take radical accountability for their lives and impact.

Information

  • Creator
    Petra Velzeboer
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    12
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Petra Velzeboer
  • Show Website
    The Petra Show

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