RAW CHATTER! Unfiltered and honest conversations about how humans think, feel and behave.

Vicky Midwood - Human Performance Strategist
  • 4.5 (4)
  • Self-Improvement
  • Updated Biweekly

RAW CHATTER Information is everywhere. Understanding is rare. Straight-talking, unfiltered conversations about why we think, feel and behave the way we do. Whether we're talking about business, health, leadership, addiction, ADHD or relationships, every episode comes back to one thing: understanding yourself well enough to work with your brain and body instead of against them. Because lasting change doesn't come from more information. It comes from understanding.

  1. 2d ago

    You Don't Have a Motivation Problem. You're Solving the Wrong Problem!

    Ever promised yourself you'd stop doing something, only to find yourself doing it again? Reaching for wine after a stressful day. Opening the fridge when you're not hungry. Scrolling your phone when you desperately need sleep. What if the problem isn't your motivation, discipline or willpower? In this solo episode of RAW CHATTER, I explore why we keep repeating behaviours we know aren't helping us, and why trying harder to stop them can sometimes make things worse. Drawing on my own experiences with bulimia, alcohol dependence and the overworking that became part of my identity before my heart attack at 49, I share why understanding what a behaviour gives you is often far more useful than simply trying to eliminate it. We explore: Why unwanted behaviours can provide temporary relief, comfort or control. How restriction, shame and self-criticism can keep us stuck. Why overworking and people-pleasing can be coping strategies too. The difference between being busy and functioning well. Three simple questions to help you understand what's driving your behaviour. FREE PERFORMANCE & BEHAVIOUR ASSESSMENT Ready to understand yourself better? My free Performance & Behaviour Assessment isn't a quiz. It's a practical tool to help you recognise what's influencing your health, energy, performance and behaviour. 👉 https://tinyurl.com/9ny4tdef You can also find out more about my work at https://www.vickymidwood.com Information is everywhere. Understanding is rare. If this episode resonates, please like, subscribe and share it with someone who might benefit. #RawChatter #HumanBehaviour #Motivation #SelfAwareness #CopingStrategies #PersonalGrowth

    You Don't Have a Motivation Problem. You're Solving the Wrong Problem!

  2. Oct 13

    Little Hope of Surviving: A Remarkable Recovery from Brain Injury | Vincent Van Den Broeck

    What would you do if everything you'd worked for could disappear in a moment? On 11 October 2024, entrepreneur and hospitality founder Vincent Van Den Broeck was hit by a car while riding an e-scooter in Brussels. He suffered a severe traumatic brain injury (TBI), spent three weeks in a coma and faced an uncertain future. His wife was even told to prepare for the possibility that he wouldn't survive. But Vincent's story doesn't end there. 🎙️ In this episode of RAW CHATTER, Vincent shares his extraordinary journey through brain injury, rehabilitation and recovery, and the role that mindset, resilience, kindness, relationships and community have played in his life. We also explore what it really means to be successful, how to ask for help, and how a life-changing experience can transform your priorities. Vincent is now sharing his story through his book, Everything Feels Impossible Until It's Done, and his work helping others pursue their goals. And he leaves us with one wonderfully simple question: Why not me? 📖 Find out more about Vincent, his book and his work:https://duidclub.com 🔗 CONNECT WITH VINCENT VAN DEN BROECK 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vincent-van-den-broeck-b9b275103/ 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vincentinthekitchen/ ▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFcM2WNxs21aVcJNN21yGxQ Vicky xx 🌐 Find out more about me and the work I do:https://www.vickymidwood.com If you enjoy this conversation, please like, subscribe and share it with someone who needs to hear Vincent's story. Information is everywhere. Understanding is rare. #RAWCHATTER #TraumaticBrainInjury #BrainInjuryRecovery #Resilience #Mindset #Entrepreneurship

    Little Hope of Surviving: A Remarkable Recovery from Brain Injury | Vincent Van Den Broeck

  3. Oct 6

    Stop Living by ‘Should’: How to Break Old Patterns & Discover What You’re Capable Of

    Welcome to Season 7 of RAW CHATTER 🎙️ I've had plenty of advice recently about what I should do with this podcast. Niche down. Pick one subject. Keep episodes short. Make it more about my business. Some of it was excellent advice. And some of it I'm choosing not to follow. Because there's a big difference between ignoring good advice for the sake of being contrary and understanding yourself well enough to know when somebody else's “right way” isn't right for you. In this episode, I'm talking about human behaviour, self-awareness, identity, mindset, limiting beliefs, behaviour change and human potential, and why most of us have no idea what we're truly capable of until we're willing to question some of the rules we've simply accepted. I also share five questions (see below) to help you look at the shoulds, musts, have-tos and ought-tos influencing your own choices. 1. Where in your life are you currently following a “should” that you've never actually questioned? 2. Who decided that? 3. Do you genuinely agree with it, or have you simply accepted it? 4. If you were to choose differently, are you doing it because you genuinely believe it's right for you, or are you doing it to prove somebody wrong? And either way, if you get to what you want or who you want to be, does it matter what drove you there? 5. What might you discover about yourself if you were willing to find out what you're actually capable of? 🌐 Want to understand more about how you think, feel and function, and how I work? https://www.vickymidwood.com If you enjoyed the episode, please Like, Subscribe, Comment or Share it with somebody who might enjoy RAW CHATTER too. Information is everywhere. Understanding is rare.And remember...We only have one life, as far as we know, and one body. Please look after it, because it is looking after you. Vicky xx

  4. Aug 25

    When Being Capable Becomes a Coping Mechanism: The Hidden Cost of Hyper-Competence

    What if the thing everyone admires about you is actually something you learned to survive? In this episode of RAW CHATTER, I’m joined by psychotherapist, divorce coach and author Eve Stanway , for a fascinating conversation about hyper-competence, identity, difficult relationships and what happens when being "the capable one" becomes part of who you believe you are. Eve grew up in circumstances that required her to become extraordinarily responsible from a very young age. She learnt to make decisions. To cope. To perform. To be the person other people could rely on. And because she was good at it, she was valued for it. But decades later came a much harder realisation: Was she valued for who she was, or for the role she performed? We talk about how childhood experiences can quietly shape our adult identity, why survival behaviours don't always look like survival, and what can happen when the person who has always coped suddenly realises they don't want to live that way anymore. We also explore Eve's own divorce, her 25 years as a psychotherapist, the impact of family breakdown on children, why difficult conversations matter, and the extraordinary decision she made in her 50s to create the space to discover who she actually was. That decision opened the door to something she hadn't expected. Creativity. Writing. Pottery. Sailing. Joy. And growth that was no longer about proving how competent she could be. Eve also shares the story behind her writing and her forthcoming book exploring difficult conversations between parents and young adults, launching on 1 September. If you're the person everyone relies on...If you've spent years being described as strong, capable, independent or "the one who always sorts things out"... This conversation may make you question where that identity came from. Because sometimes the behaviours we think are our personality are behaviours we learnt because, at one point, we needed them. Information is everywhere. Understanding is rare. 🔗 CONNECT WITH EVE 📩 Email: eve@evestanway.co.uk🌐Website: www.evestanway.co.uk LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/evestanway/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/evestanway 📚 Conversations from the Shoreline: www.evestanway.co.uk 📚 Eve's new book, Dare to Listen: Navigating Difficult Conversations with Young Adults Aged 16 to 28 is launching 1 September available from all good bookstores. 🎧 Listen to her podcast: Dare to Speak – Difficult Conversations that Change Everything on Spotify or Apple. Vicky xx Stay Connected with Vicky 📩 Join my personal newsletter for weekly insights into human behaviour, health, performance and the psychology behind lasting change: https://tinyurl.com/2jbbmtuv 🌐 Website: https://www.vickymidwood.com Socials: 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vickymidwood/ 📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vickymidwood 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vickymidwood_gfc/ 🎙️ RAW CHATTER Podcast - If you enjoyed this episode, please Like, Subscribe and Share. It really helps more people discover these conversations.Information is everywhere. Understanding is rare. And remember...We only have one life, as far as we know, and one body. Please look after it, because it is looking after you.

    When Being Capable Becomes a Coping Mechanism: The Hidden Cost of Hyper-Competence

  5. Aug 18

    S6 EP50: Bad Bosses, Toxic Workplaces & Leadership: How to Reclaim Your Power with Natalie Renee Parker

    What happens when the company that constantly tells you how valuable you are suddenly stops treating you like a human being?For Natalie Renee Parker, that question became very real.After a frightening health crisis led to hospitalisation, a blood transfusion and ultimately major surgery, Natalie was preparing to take medical leave when her employer attempted to lay her off just days before the operation.Instead of quietly accepting what was happening, she advocated for herself.That experience became part of a much bigger turning point, leading Natalie to leave corporate America, start her own business and dedicate her work to changing the way organisations think about leadership, accountability and the people behind the job titles.In this episode Natalie and I talk about:• Why bad leadership can affect far more than your working day• The difference between managing people and actually leading them• Why accountability has to work both ways• What employees should reasonably expect from their leaders• Why people often tolerate poor behaviour when they don't know what good leadership looks like• How to advocate for yourself without abandoning your values• Why workplace problems can feel deeply personal when they often aren't• The importance of dignity, compassion and humanity at work• Why leaders need feedback and accountability too• How a health crisis forced Natalie to question whether she was living the life she actually wantedNatalie makes a brilliant point during our conversation:"Leadership is a product, and the employee is the consumer of that product."And perhaps one of the biggest reminders from this episode is that the people we remember from our careers aren't necessarily the ones who achieved the biggest numbers.We remember how they made us feel and who they were to us.If you've ever worked for a difficult boss, questioned whether something happening at work was acceptable, struggled to speak up, or you're responsible for leading other people, this conversation is well worth listening to.Because your job title doesn't stop you being human.And neither does theirs.Information is everywhere. Understanding is rare.Vicky xxConnect with Natalie Here:Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natalie-renee-parker/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/natalieparkerenterprises/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thenatalieparker/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@UCXmh2Q4n6sNneJ23nxiGidw Natalie's TEDx talk: Listen HereCheck out her podcast "So Your Boss Sucks":Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/so-your-boss-sucks-now-what/id1788316078 Amazon: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/98c5fa73-8fd8-4c15-98b6-9b20bb6d5792/so-your-boss-sucks-now-what Stay Connected with Vicky 📩 Join my personal newsletter for weekly insights into human behaviour, health, performance and the psychology behind lasting change:https://tinyurl.com/2jbbmtuv🌐 Website: https://www.vickymidwood.com Socials: 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vickymidwood/ 📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vickymidwood 📸 Instagram:️ https://www.instagram.com/vickymidwood_gfc/ RAW CHATTER Podcast - If you enjoyed this episode, please Like, Subscribe and Share. It really helps more people discover these conversations.Information is everywhere. Understanding is rare.And remember...We only have one life, as far as we know, and one body. Please look after it, because it is looking after you.

    S6 EP50: Bad Bosses, Toxic Workplaces & Leadership: How to Reclaim Your Power with Natalie Renee Parker

  6. Aug 11

    S6 EP49: Working Hard or Proving Your Worth?

    Do you work hard because you genuinely care about what you do... Or because somewhere underneath it all, you're still trying to prove that you're worthy of what you receive? Because unworthiness doesn't always look like low self-esteem. It can look like being incredibly hardworking. Being the reliable one. Over-delivering. Undercharging. Working through lunch. Struggling to accept help. Feeling guilty when you rest. Brushing off compliments. Or believing you need to give more before you've earned the right to receive. In this solo episode of RAW CHATTER, I'm exploring the much sneakier ways worthiness shows up in successful business owners and high-performing professionals. Because there's an important distinction between working hard from integrity and working hard to prove something about yourself. I talk about: 👉 Why high standards, independence and generosity can sometimes disguise a worthiness issue👉Why some of us find receiving far harder than giving👉The link between worthiness, pricing and over-delivering👉Why you may feel you have to earn rest👉How being "the reliable one" can become part of your identity👉Why knowing you need better boundaries doesn't necessarily change your behaviour👉The real cost of constantly trying to prove yourself👉How to recognise when enough really IS enough And there's a question in this episode that I really want you to sit with: At what point did being excellent at what you do become needing to exhaust yourself to prove that you are excellent at it? Look back over the last seven days and ask yourself: Where did I give more than I actually needed to? Where did I refuse help? Where did I make something harder than it needed to be? Where did I say yes when I wanted to say no? Where did I feel guilty for resting? Where did I do something because I didn't want somebody to think badly of me? Where did I feel I had to earn something I was already entitled to receive? Then choose ONE and ask: What did I believe it would say about me if I didn't do that? Don't judge the answer. Get curious about it. Because working hard isn't the problem. Caring isn't the problem. Being generous isn't the problem. Ambition isn't the problem. But needing those things to prove that you deserve your success, money, rest, relationships or place in the room is something very different. Information is everywhere. Understanding is rare. Vicky xx 📩 Join my personal newsletter for weekly insights into human behaviour, health, performance and the psychology behind lasting change:https://tinyurl.com/2jbbmtuv 🌐 Website: https://www.vickymidwood.com 🎙️ RAW CHATTER PodcastAvailable on YouTube, Spotify and Apple Podcasts. If you enjoyed this episode, please Like, Subscribe and Share. It really helps more people discover these conversations. Information is everywhere. Understanding is rare. And remember... We only have one life, as far as we know, and one body. Please look after it, because it is looking after you. ✍️ Try this exerciseStay Connected

    S6 EP49: Working Hard or Proving Your Worth?

  7. Aug 4

    S6 EP48: Why Your Story Matters More Than Your Logo

    Whether you're leaving corporate, growing a business or simply struggling to explain what makes you different, this conversation will completely change the way you think about your brand.🎧 Listen now and discover why your greatest competitive advantage isn't your logo...It's you.Vicky xxConnect with Sally Inkster🌐 Website: https://www.sallyinkster.com/💼 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/sallyinksterStay Connected📩 Join my personal newsletter for weekly insights into human behaviour, health, performance and the psychology behind lasting change:https://tinyurl.com/2jbbmtuv🌐 Website: https://www.vickymidwood.com🎙️ RAW CHATTER PodcastAvailable on YouTube, Spotify and Apple Podcasts.If you enjoyed this episode, please Like, Subscribe and Share. It really helps more people discover these conversations.Remember...We only have one life, as far as we know, and one body. Please look after it... because it is looking after you.Socials: 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vickymidwood/📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vickymidwood📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vickymidwood

    S6 EP48: Why Your Story Matters More Than Your Logo

  8. Jul 28

    S6 EP47: Why "Try Harder" Never Works: ADHD, Autism & the Brain War Nobody Talks About

    How many times have you been told..."You just need to try harder." For many people, that advice doesn't motivate them, it creates shame. In this powerful episode of Raw Chatter, I sit down with Karen, founder of "Try Harder Is BS", to explore what it's really like living with ADHD, autism and AuDHD, and why so many intelligent, capable people spend years believing they're simply not trying hard enough. We talk about: ✅ Why "try harder" is often the worst advice you can give ✅ ADHD, autism and the internal "brain war" so many people experience ✅ Why girls and women are still so frequently missed or diagnosed late ✅ The hidden cost of masking ✅ Meltdowns, burnout and nervous system overload ✅ How to stop fighting your brain and start working with it instead ✅ Why success comes from understanding your strengths, not forcing yourself to fit someone else's rules One line from Karen sums up the whole conversation:"A life that works for you doesn't have to make sense to anyone else." Whether you're neurodivergent yourself, suspect you might be, support someone who is, or simply want to understand human behaviour better, this episode is packed with practical insight and refreshing honesty. 👇 Connect with Karen: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tryharderisbs/ Email: karyn@tryharderisbs.com You can join Karyn 'live' on August 6th at 12 noon talking about Understanding Neurodivergence at Leah Wren’s "Lunchbreak that Changes Everything" Use this link to register: https://api.leadconnectorhq.com/widget/form/p9rQq371T1ZIpvLao1KD If this episode resonates with you, I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments. 👍 Like | Subscribe | Share Vicky xx 🎥 WATCH MY FREE MASTERCLASS: Why Awareness Alone Keeps People Stuck: The Hidden Patterns Shaping Your Energy, Health & PerformanceDetails here: go-figure-coaching-mlg3hl.subscribepage.io 🌐 Website:https://www.vickymidwood.com 📩 Email:vicky@vickymidwood.com 🔗 Connect with me: LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/vickymidwood/ Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/vicky.midwood Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/vickymidwood_gfc/ #ADHD #Autism #AuDHD #Neurodiversity #Burnout #HumanBehaviour #Leadership #SelfAwareness #RawChatterPodcast

    S6 EP47: Why "Try Harder" Never Works: ADHD, Autism & the Brain War Nobody Talks About
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RAW CHATTER Information is everywhere. Understanding is rare. Straight-talking, unfiltered conversations about why we think, feel and behave the way we do. Whether we're talking about business, health, leadership, addiction, ADHD or relationships, every episode comes back to one thing: understanding yourself well enough to work with your brain and body instead of against them. Because lasting change doesn't come from more information. It comes from understanding.

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