I Need To F***ing Talk To You

Hosted by Ken Cameron & Russell Stratton

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146

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Jun 2026

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About the show

Do you want to f***ing improve individual and team performance in your workplace? Do you think mediocrity f***ing sucks and you shouldn't have to put up with it? Do you aim to be more than a good boss and aspire to be a great leader? Then join Ken and Russell for thoughtful and at times f***ing irreverent conversation on the topics of leadership and organizational culture. Sometimes difficult conversations suck, but you need to have them. Sometimes you may even need to have them with yourself. On this podcast we have thought provoking conversations with business leaders from across North America and discuss ideas that can help you be an even better leader and not simply a ‘boss’. Co-hosts Ken Cameron and Russell Stratton literally wrote the book on navigating difficult workplace conversations. We are authors of the 5 star Amazon book ‘I Need To F***ing Talk To You’, the result of more than three decades of in-the-field consulting This groundbreaking book is the basis for our training programs and podcast and continues to f***ing positively shape how managers in organizations address performance, behavioural and attendance issues in the workplace.

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60 recent

June 16, 202648 min

144 - Building a F-ing Human-Centered Social Media Agency and Leading Through Change with Beth Trejo

In this episode, we talk with Beth Trejo, CEO and Co-Founder of Chatterkick, a social media operations agency focused on building systems that actually work — while keeping people at the center of the process. Beth has been featured in USA Today, Business Insider, and Yahoo, and has delivered more than 100 keynotes on leadership, culture, and the realities of modern social media. Beth shares her approach to building a strong team culture grounded in trust, communication, and real understanding of people — not just performance metrics. She explains why leaders need to genuinely talk to their employees, not just manage them, and how family-friendly policies can create sustainable workplaces. We also explore Beth’s perspective on a powerful but often misunderstood idea: your family is your family — your employer is not your family. Beth explains how clear boundaries can actually strengthen workplace relationships and build healthier cultures. One of the most compelling parts of the conversation focuses on the difficult leadership moment of telling employees she was selling the company. Beth discusses the emotional weight of the conversation, how she prepared for it, and what she learned about transparency, trust, and leadership during times of uncertainty. This episode is a practical and honest look at leadership conversations, organizational change, and building a culture that respects both work and life. Links Book a free strategy consultation: https://chatterkick.com/contact/ Get free stuff! https://chatterkick.com/free-stuff/ For a free copy of “Making the Invisible Sale, Visible.” This ebook gives leaders a practical roadmap for communicating their full suite of B2B services in a way customers actually understand. And also 30 DIY Content Ideas, 30 Lead Generation Tips, Tricks & Ideas, Social Media Tips and more. Subscribe & Share: If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to subscribe and leave us a review. Share it with your colleagues who might need a fresh perspective on thriving in challenging work environments! — Ready to take your difficult conversations to the next level? Get our book: I Need To F***ing Talk To You! | The Art of Navigating Difficult Workplace Conversations Available on: Amazon Owl's Nest Books Shelf Life Books Visit our website: ineedtof-ingtalktoyou.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

June 2, 202640 min

143 - When an Advocate Puts Her Foot in Her F-ing Mouth with Jenna Udenberg

In this episode, Jenna Udenberg — author, disability advocate, accessibility educator, and 2020 Bush Fellow — hares a deeply honest difficult conversation — a moment when, despite more than a decade of experience as a social advocate and educator, she made an off-hand comment that landed wrong. We unpack what happened next: owning the misstep, repairing trust, and why accountability doesn’t disappear just because you're one of the goods guys. Diagnosed with Juvenile Arthritis at just seven years old, Jenna has spent her life navigating systems that weren’t built with her in mind. Through her book, Within My Spokes, and her nonprofit, Above & Beyond With U, she works to break down barriers and create more accessible, human-centered spaces. Links Above & Beyond With U Within My Spokes: A Tapestry of Pain, Growth & Freedom: Amazon | Barnes and Noble Subscribe & Share: If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to subscribe and leave us a review. Share it with your colleagues who might need a fresh perspective on thriving in challenging work environments! — Ready to take your difficult conversations to the next level? Get our book: I Need To F***ing Talk To You! | The Art of Navigating Difficult Workplace Conversations Available on: Amazon Owl's Nest Books Shelf Life Books Visit our website: ineedtof-ingtalktoyou.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

May 19, 202644 min

142 - Systems Without Selling Your Soul, with Stacey Bailey

In this episode, Ken sits down with Stacey Bailey — leadership coach, strategist, former COO, and a fierce advocate for the System & Soul approach to leadership. Stacey works with leaders who are done choosing between structure orhumanity, performance or culture, clarity or care. Stacey shares one of the most difficult conversations of her career: a moment that unfolded mid-session with four founding partners, when it became clear that two of them needed to leave. It’s a conversation about accountability, courage, and what it means to lead with both backbone and soul. Links Stacey-bailey.com Intentioncollective.co Stacey Bailey on LinkedIn Subscribe & Share: If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to subscribe and leave us a review. Share it with your colleagues who might need a fresh perspective on thriving in challenging work environments! — Ready to take your difficult conversations to the next level? Get our book: I Need To F***ing Talk To You! | The Art of Navigating Difficult Workplace Conversations Available on: Amazon Owl's Nest Books Shelf Life Books Visit our website: ineedtof-ingtalktoyou.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

May 5, 202646 min

141 - Stop F-ing Shrinking. Start Showing Up. With Joanna Lovering

In this episode of I Need To F_*_ing Talk To You, we sit down with Joanna Lovering, a leadership and presence consultant and the founder of Copper + Rise. Joanna partners with organizations to engage, develop, and retain their pipeline of women leaders—helping them step fully into their authority, visibility, and impact. Through Copper + Rise, she has designed and facilitated programs for companies like Google, Deloitte, and Lululemon, blending psychology, communication strategy, and professional image to support women at every stage of their leadership growth. This conversation is practical, direct, and packed with actionable insight—especially for leaders who may not even realize how often they unintentionally shrink themselves in professional spaces. In this episode, we explore: Why presence is more than confidence—it’s about congruence and clarity How diminishing language quietly undermines credibility The role of silence in executive presence Why visibility in virtual meetings still matters Joanna’s 3 Pieces of Advice: Stop the f-ing diminishing language. Drop the “just,” “sorry,” and “I think.” Speak in statements, not apologies. Stop f-ing talking—and allow silence. Silence signals authority. It gives weight to your words and invites others to lean in. Put your fing camera on. In virtual meetings, presence isn’t optional. Visibility is leadership. If you’ve ever softened your message, filled space out of discomfort, or hidden behind a blank screen—this episode is your reminder to take up space. Joanna is also offering a free 5-day email series to help you strengthen your leadership presence. Learn more at: www.copperandrise.com This is a conversation about ownership, visibility, and the subtle ways we either claim—or surrender—our power. Listen in. Subscribe & Share: If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to subscribe and leave us a review. Share it with your colleagues who might need a fresh perspective on thriving in challenging work environments! — Ready to take your difficult conversations to the next level? Get our book: I Need To F***ing Talk To You! | The Art of Navigating Difficult Workplace Conversations Available on: Amazon Owl's Nest Books Shelf Life Books Visit our website: ineedtof-ingtalktoyou.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

April 21, 202649 min

140 - Authentic Leadership, Power Dynamics & When the F-ing Harasser Is in the Clique

In this episode, we sit down with Oksana Lukash, a trailblazing People & Culture executive who has built high-performing organizations across multiple sectors. Known for combining sharp strategic vision with deep empathy, Oksana shares what it really takes to scale people operations in high-growth companies—without losing the human side of leadership. We explore how authentic leadership and data-driven decision-making can coexist, and why cross-functional relationship building is essential when organizations are growing fast and complexity increases. But we also go where many leaders hesitate to go. Oksana opens up about navigating one of the most challenging workplace situations imaginable: addressing sexual harassment when the accused is part of the management clique. We unpack power dynamics, fear, loyalty conflicts, reputational risk, and the emotional toll on those who speak up. This conversation is an honest look at what courage, integrity, and accountability truly require when the stakes are high. This episode is for leaders, HR professionals, founders, and anyone who believes culture isn’t what you say—it’s what you tolerate. Resources in This Episode: Be Yourself at Work Subscribe & Share: If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to subscribe and leave us a review. Share it with your colleagues who might need a fresh perspective on thriving in challenging work environments! — Ready to take your difficult conversations to the next level? Get our book: I Need To F***ing Talk To You! | The Art of Navigating Difficult Workplace Conversations Available on: Amazon Owl's Nest Books Shelf Life Books Visit our website: ineedtof-ingtalktoyou.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

April 7, 202654 min

139 - Transforming Leaders from the F-ing Inside Out with Rashmir Balasubramaniam

In this episode, we’re joined by Rashmir Balasubramaniam, a transformational leadership coach and thought partner to current and emerging leaders who are committed to creating a better world for all. With an MBA from Yale and more than 30 years of experience working across countries and sectors, Rashmir has lived at the intersection of purpose and performance. Her career spans investment banking, management consulting, philanthropy, and international development, including work with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. That depth shows up in how she helps leaders slow down, listen inward, and lead with greater clarity and impact. Our conversation explores Tim Kelley’s Parts Work and what becomes possible when leaders learn to connect with their higher guidance rather than pushing harder or doing more. We talk about how helping clients access their inner wisdom can unlock life purpose, reduce effort, and dramatically expand their impact. This episode is a powerful reminder that real transformation doesn’t start with strategy decks or KPIs — it starts within. When leaders transform themselves, the ripples extend outward to teams, organizations, communities, and ultimately, the world. Resources in This Episode: Authentic Leadership Lab Beyond The Gift Philanthropy Newsletter Rashmir Balasubramaniam on LinkedIn Subscribe & Share: If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to subscribe and leave us a review. Share it with your colleagues who might need a fresh perspective on thriving in challenging work environments! — Ready to take your difficult conversations to the next level? Get our book: I Need To F***ing Talk To You! | The Art of Navigating Difficult Workplace Conversations Available on: Amazon Owl's Nest Books Shelf Life Books Visit our website: ineedtof-ingtalktoyou.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

March 24, 202651 min

138 - If We’re Not F-ing Talking About Equity, We’re Not Talking About Care with Dr. Eugene Manley

Cancer care isn’t neutral—and pretending it is swerves no one. And might cost lives. In this episode of I Need to F-ing Talk To You, Dr. Eugene Manley cuts through the politeness to talk about what health equity really demands from leaders, systems, and science. A cancer scientist and longtime patient advocate, Dr. Manley works at the collision point of biomedical research, cancer care, AI ethics, and racial equity. As founder of SCHWQ Stemm and Cancer Health Equity, and an advisor with Project RADICAL and the Public Health Clinic for Black Canadians, he names the biases baked into our systems—and what it actually takes to dismantle them. This is a blunt, necessary conversation about leadership, accountability, and why care without equity isn’t care at all. Subscribe & Share: If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to subscribe and leave us a review. Share it with your colleagues who might need a fresh perspective on thriving in challenging work environments! — Ready to take your difficult conversations to the next level? Get our book: I Need To F***ing Talk To You! | The Art of Navigating Difficult Workplace Conversations Available on: Amazon Owl's Nest Books Shelf Life Books Visit our website: ineedtof-ingtalktoyou.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

March 10, 202638 min

137 - People First, Profits Follow: Why Humans F-ing Drive Performance

In this episode, Ken and Russell sit down with Sandra Coker—author, CEO, and people-first powerhouse—to talk about what really drives performance at work: humans.Sandra is the author of People Profit: How to Improve Your Bottom Line by Investing in Those Above It, host of the People Profit Podcast, and Founder & CEO of Human Power Solutions. With over two decades of experience, Sandra has helped organizations transform toxic or transactional workplaces into thriving ecosystems by putting people at the centre of everything they do.This conversation dives into the uncomfortable (but necessary) leadership conversations we avoid, why employee experience is customer experience, and how shifting your mindset from managing to developing people can radically change your results.What We Get IntoWhy “training dogs” isn’t the same as developing peopleThe mental cost of avoiding difficult conversations—and how to finally evict themTreating employees as internal customers (and why it changes everything)How investing in people above the bottom line drives sustainable profitWhat leaders get wrong about customer service trainingLinks & ResourcesBook:People Profit: How to Improve Your Bottom Line by Investing in Those Above Ithttps://www.hpowersolutions.comEmpowerHer Retreat:https://events.hpowersolutions.comIf you care about culture, leadership, and having the conversations that actually move the needle—this one’s for you.Listen. Reflect. Then have the conversation you’ve been avoiding. Subscribe & Share:If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to subscribe and leave us a review. Share it with your colleagues who might need a fresh perspective on thriving in challenging work environments!— Ready to take your difficult conversations to the next level?Get our book: I Need To F***ing Talk To You! | The Art of Navigating Difficult Workplace ConversationsAvailable on:AmazonOwl's Nest BooksShelf Life BooksVisit our website: ineedtof-ingtalktoyou.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

February 24, 202643 min

136 - Don Weber is The Spy Who Came in from the Cold… and Into the Boardroom

In this episode, Ken sits down with Don Weber — a former international intelligence officer who spent 15 years operating under multiple identities across more than 90 countries, where a single misread conversation could cost him his life. Today, Don is one of Europe’s most respected executive communication coaches, advising royalty, EU diplomats, senior politicians, and Fortune 500 leaders on how to communicate with clarity, credibility, and calm under pressure.We explore Don’s remarkable transition from intelligence work to leadership coaching, and what high-stakes intelligence taught him about authenticity, listening, and influence. Don shares why real leadership communication isn’t about manipulation, why strategic silence is often more powerful than speaking, and how genuine curiosity builds trust faster than any technique. In the second half, Don walks us through one of the most difficult workplace conversations of his career — a false accusation that revealed the anatomy of toxic leadership, emotional triggers, and the importance of managing your own energy before confronting others.Links:https://www.linkedin.com/in/don-weber/Subscribe & Share:If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to subscribe and leave us a review. Share it with your colleagues who might need a fresh perspective on thriving in challenging work environments!— Ready to take your difficult conversations to the next level?Get our book: I Need To F***ing Talk To You! | The Art of Navigating Difficult Workplace ConversationsAvailable on:AmazonOwl's Nest BooksShelf Life BooksVisit our website: ineedtof-ingtalktoyou.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

February 10, 202646 min

135 - Preventing Workplace Suicide Without A F-ing Psychology Degree with Jessi Beyer

In this episode, we sit down with mental health professional and former SWAT crisis negotiator Jessi Beyer, creator of the L.I.F.E. suicide prevention model that’s helping workplaces save lives without requiring anyone to be a psychologist. Jessi breaks down simple, trauma-aware strategies that managers, teammates, and everyday humans can use to confidently respond in moments of crisis, build safer cultures, and reduce organizational risk — because preventing suicide shouldn’t require a f-ing degree.Subscribe & Share:If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to subscribe and leave us a review. Share it with your colleagues who might need a fresh perspective on thriving in challenging work environments!— Ready to take your difficult conversations to the next level?Get our book: I Need To F***ing Talk To You! | The Art of Navigating Difficult Workplace ConversationsAvailable on:AmazonOwl's Nest BooksShelf Life BooksVisit our website: ineedtof-ingtalktoyou.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.