Secrets From a Coach - Debbie Green & Laura Thomson's Podcast

Hosted by Laura Thomson-Staveley & Debbie Green

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Episodes

311

Latest episode

Oct 2026

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EN-US

About the show

Ideal for your commute, lunch break or even a well-deserved moment of self-care and development, our 25 minute episodes focus on positive actions to help you thrive and maximise your potential in the ever-evolving workplace, and in life. Join Debs and Lau, your positive cheerleaders bursting with energy and insight to maximise your confidence and success in the changing workplace. Each episode aims to leave you feeling motivated, supported and armed with the tools and practical skills you need to maximise success as we experience the biggest shift in how we work in our lifetimes. We lift the lid on the real foundations for success in this new world of work. Our weekly episodes remain current and up-to-date and we frequently welcome high-profile guests to keep things fresh and diverse and to tackle topics like leadership, mindset, success, confidence, motivation, team engagement, mental health, self-care, time management, career development, life-work balance and thriving in the newly AI-enabled workplace. Our monthly newsletter is packed full of tips and quality inspiration material for yourself and your colleagues. You can sign up via our site www.secretsfromacoach.com. If you’d like any more information or to work with us on any of these topics, reach out to us via secretsfromacoach@aol.com, connect via Insta or Facebook and please rate and review so we can reach out and support more people. #sharethesecret

Listen to episodes

60 recent

October 23, 2026Episode 31035 min

310. Courage to Contribute and Speak Up in Big Meetings

Send us Fan Mail In this fourth episode of our 5-part mini-series about Having Courage , we focus on finding your voice and having the confidence to contribute when it matters. What do you do when you know you have something valuable to say - but lose your nerve in the moment? This week’s letter from the SFAC Postbag comes from a listener who knows they have good ideas and is told they’re capable, but in meetings with senior people their confidence disappears. They rehearse what they’re going to say, someone more confident speaks first and suddenly their contribution doesn’t seem worth making. Then comes the frustration afterwards - especially when someone else says almost exactly what they were thinking! So how do you stop overthinking and actually find your voice in the room? In this episode, we explore the courage it takes to contribute when confidence, hierarchy or self-doubt gets in the way. From challenging the assumption that everyone else knows more than you do and resisting the urge to wait for the ‘perfect’ moment, to preparing your contribution and finding small ways to get your voice into the room early, we share practical ways to speak up with greater confidence and make sure your ideas are heard. Because having something valuable to contribute is only the first step - sometimes courage is making sure you actually say it. Our call to action: in your next meeting, challenge yourself to contribute once before you’ve had time to talk yourself out of it.

October 16, 2026Episode 30929 min

309. Courage to be Decisive and Know What is Right For You

Send us Fan Mail In this third episode of our 5-part mini-series about Having Courage , we focus on the ability to make a decision when, on paper, there might be every reason to stay exactly where you are. How do you know whether you’re just having a wobble - or whether something really does need to change? This week’s letter from the SFAC Postbag comes from a listener who has a good job, decent salary, lovely colleagues and has worked hard to get where they are. From the outside, there’s nothing to complain about. But something has changed. They don’t feel like themselves anymore, the thought of staying for another five years fills them with dread - yet walking away from everything they’ve built feels irresponsible. So how do you work out what’s genuinely right for you? In this episode, we explore the courage it takes to listen to yourself when there isn’t an obvious ‘right’ answer. From tuning into what your head, heart and gut are telling you and getting curious about what has changed, to challenging the fear of wasting what you’ve already invested, we share practical ways to create the clarity and confidence to make a decision that feels right for you. Because sometimes courage isn’t about immediately making the big leap – it’s about being brave enough to admit that something may need to change. Our call to action: give yourself permission to explore what you really want, without requiring yourself to make the decision just yet.

October 9, 2026Episode 30825 min

308. Courage to Be Straightforward and Have Difficult Conversations

Send us Fan Mail In this second episode of our 5-part mini-series about Having Courage , we focus on the ability to have a straightforward conversation. What do you do when you inherit a difficult relationship you didn’t create - but it’s now yours to rebuild? Our second letter from the SFAC Postbag comes from a listener who has taken responsibility for an area with some tricky stakeholder history. They weren’t responsible for what happened, but they’re worried they’ll be seen as part of the problem before they’ve even opened their mouth. So how do you acknowledge what’s gone before without taking responsibility for something that wasn’t yours? In this episode, we explore the courage it takes to be straightforward when a conversation feels uncomfortable. From addressing the elephant in the room and resisting the urge to over-explain or apologise, to starting with curiosity and focusing on what happens next, we share practical ways to approach difficult conversations with clarity, confidence and care. Because sometimes the most courageous thing you can do is simply say the thing that needs saying. Our call to action: acknowledge to yourself the risk of never having the conversation at all. In this episode you’ll learn: How to approach a difficult stakeholder relationship How to acknowledge previous problems without taking responsibility for them How to start a difficult conversation How to communicate directly without becoming confrontational How to begin rebuilding trust at work

October 2, 2026Episode 30731 min

307. Courage to be Assertive and Stop People-Pleasing

Send us Fan Mail In this first episode of our 5-part mini-series about Having Courage, we focus on the ability to be assertive without losing who you are. Can you become more assertive without becoming a completely different version of yourself? This week’s letter from the SFAC Postbag comes from a self-confessed people-pleaser who says yes when they want to say no, softens what they really think and spends far too much time wondering whether other people are annoyed with them. Now they’ve stepped into a more senior role, they know they need to be more decisive - but what if people think they’ve changed, or worse, that they’re suddenly difficult? In this episode, we explore the courage it takes to be assertive when you’re used to keeping everyone else happy. From recognising the difference between being assertive and being aggressive, to setting boundaries, saying no and resisting the urge to seek everybody else’s approval, we share practical ways to say what you mean and make confident decisions while still being warm, human and completely yourself. Because you can be kind without always saying yes – and being liked doesn’t have to be the price of speaking up. Our call to action: notice one moment when your instinct is to people-please, and practise choosing what you really think, need or want instead.

September 25, 2026Episode 30654 min

306. The Juggle Is Real – Balancing Work and Elder Care

Send us Fan Mail In this final episode in our 4-part Thriving Through Life’s Challenges mini-series, we explore a life stage that can creep up on us almost without us noticing: balancing work, life and increasing responsibility for an ageing parent or loved one. We are joined by the brilliant Liz Fairbank, Care and Lifestyle Director at McCarthy Stone, who brings 30 years of experience in the care sector alongside a real passion for helping older people retain choice, control and independence. Liz explains how caring responsibilities often begin with something small – picking up a prescription, doing some shopping or giving someone a lift to an appointment – but can gradually grow until, almost without realising it, you have become a carer as well as a daughter, son, partner or family member. We explore the practical juggle but also the less visible mental load: the worry when the phone rings, the guilt of feeling you should be doing more, the challenge of making decisions for someone you love and the pressure of trying to remain fully present and ambitious at work while carrying significant responsibilities outside it. Liz encourages us to have conversations about ageing and care before we reach crisis point, asking not simply “What care might you need?” but “How do you want to age, and what matters to you?” And there is an important message here for workplaces too. Caring responsibilities don’t disappear when someone walks through the office door. Liz challenges managers to notice the potentially ‘invisible carers’ within their teams, ask one more question, offer flexibility and make practical support easier to find. Because someone can still be a brilliant employee, an ambitious leader and a dependable colleague – while also being a worried daughter, an exhausted son or someone waiting for the phone to ring.

September 18, 2026Episode 30553 min

305. Don’t Put Yourself on Hold – The Courage to Choose Your Life

Send us Fan Mail In this third episode in our 4-part Thriving Through Life’s Challenges mini-series, we explore what happens when you realise that the life you’re living might no longer be the life you want. How do you find the courage to listen to yourself, make conscious choices and move towards what feels right - even when you don’t quite know what comes next? We are joined by the wonderful Gillian McMichael, transformational coach, author and wellbeing practitioner, who shares her own very personal experience of rather than losing some of herself and simply go through the motions – taking the courage to ask: what do I actually want from the rest of my life? We explore the difference between surviving and thriving, letting go of some of the ‘shoulds’ we accumulate through life, and learning to notice where we might be shrinking ourselves or putting our own needs on hold. And importantly, choosing your life doesn’t have to mean ending a relationship or moving to another country. It can start much smaller: listening to yourself, making more conscious choices and finding your voice again. Gillian leaves us with three beautifully simple foundations for thriving: accept yourself, love yourself and know your worth. Or, as she would tell her younger self: don’t put yourself on hold. Follow your heart and trust every ounce of your whole being.

September 11, 2026Episode 30449 min

304. Becoming a Young Manager - Never Too Young to Lead

Send us Fan Mail In this second episode in our 4-part Thriving Through Life Changes mini-series, we explore one of those career moments that can look like a promotion on paper, but feel like a complete identity shift in practice: becoming a manager for the first time. We are thrilled to be joined again by the inspirational Dave McCabe, who first stepped into management at just 21. Dave shares his advice on how to build credibility when you’re young and lead people who may be older or more experienced than you. He explores how to show vulnerability without undermining confidence, navigate difficult conversations and, importantly, stay yourself as your responsibility grows. Dave also shares a brilliant reminder for more established leaders: questions from younger people aren't necessarily a sign of disrespect, ambition isn't necessarily impatience, and being outside your comfort zone doesn't mean you're not ready. Sometimes it simply means you're growing. And perhaps that works both ways. One of the gifts of leadership is being able to spot potential in others and give somebody else their shot. It’s a reminder that leadership isn’t about having all the answers – or reaching a certain age. It’s about helping people realise what they’re capable of.

September 4, 2026Episode 30337 min

303. Maintaining a Growth Mindset As We Age – Every Day’s a School Day

Send us Fan Mail In this first episode in our 4-part Thriving Through Life Changes mini-series, we explore what it means to keep a growth mindset as we acquire more experience and wisdom - alongside potentially more bias and baggage! Growth doesn’t have an age limit; age and maturity don't necessarily arrive together. It can be reassuring to remember that there is no point at which we become the finished version of ourselves. Every day is a school day. And that's good for us – it keeps us looking forward rather than settling in. In this episode, we are delighted to be joined by Andreea Batrinu, who shares her experiences of what happens when we intentionally stay curious, keep learning and remain open to possibility throughout our lives and careers. Drawing on her own journey from Romania to building a career in UK aviation, Andreea shares why she chooses ‘yes, and…’ over ‘yes, but…’, and the value of stepping beyond what feels comfortable. As many people are feeling overwhelmed by life and work at the moment, she reminds us why sometimes we simply need to start before we have everything figured out. From simply taking a different route to Tesco... to making life-changing career moves, it’s a brilliant reminder that every day really can be a school day.

August 28, 2026Episode 30215 min

302. How To Unwind: Wear Sunglasses to Reduce Workload Glare

Send us Fan Mail Aloha and welcome to our Summer Relax and Unwind Series! In this final episode we hear from Linz (Lindsey Thompson) who shares her top tips for reframing the return to work so we can enjoy every last moment of a well-earned break. Silencing our inner critic and treating ourselves like we would a friend, Linz shares how to flick off the switch of workload worry and practice a healthier thinking pattern. Surely a holiday is the moment to give ourselves a break, focus on the here and now and release our inner child state! Ideal listen for anyone who knows they have a tendency to let work creep back in as their holidays comes to an end. Set that Out Of Office in your head as well as your diary and enjoy yourself.

August 21, 2026Episode 30115 min

301. How to Unwind: Sandals On, Shoulders Down

Send us Fan Mail Aloha and welcome to our Summer Relax and Unwind Series! In this third episode we hear from Karl (Green) who shares his top tips for relaxing our bodies to step into pure chill zone. Ideal listen for anyone who knows their body could do with an unwind to enable full enjoyment of their break. Set that Out Of Office in your shoulders and enjoy yourself.

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