Podcast
I Need To F***ing Talk To You
Hosted by Ken Cameron & Russell Stratton · EN
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.
26episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
142 - Systems Without Selling Your Soul, with Stacey Bailey
1w ago00:44:44Tap to summarizeIn 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.
Transcribe →141 - Stop F-ing Shrinking. Start Showing Up. With Joanna Lovering
3w ago00:46:09Tap to summarizeIn 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.
Transcribe →140 - Authentic Leadership, Power Dynamics & When the F-ing Harasser Is in the Clique
Apr 2100:49:53Tap to summarizeIn 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.
Transcribe →139 - Transforming Leaders from the F-ing Inside Out with Rashmir Balasubramaniam
Apr 700:54:05Tap to summarizeIn 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.
Transcribe →138 - If We’re Not F-ing Talking About Equity, We’re Not Talking About Care with Dr. Eugene Manley
Mar 2400:51:38Tap to summarizeCancer 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.
Transcribe →137 - People First, Profits Follow: Why Humans F-ing Drive Performance
Mar 1000:38:09Tap to summarizeIn 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.
Transcribe →136 - Don Weber is The Spy Who Came in from the Cold… and Into the Boardroom
Feb 2400:43:36Tap to summarizeIn 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.
Transcribe →135 - Preventing Workplace Suicide Without A F-ing Psychology Degree with Jessi Beyer
Feb 1000:46:11Tap to summarizeIn 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.
Transcribe →134 - Great F-ing Habits, Great F-ing Leaders: Darren Padgett’s Blueprint for Business Growth
Jan 2700:57:09Tap to summarizeIn this episode, Russell sits down with Darren Padgett—Founder & CEO of DNA Business Consulting LLC and a leader with more than 20 years of experience helping organizations scale, grow, and win in a competitive world. Darren shares how his obsession with business began in an 18-year-old’s classroom seat and evolved into a career built on relentless learning, disciplined habits, and a passion for elevating others. He unpacks the difference between raw talent and the right mindset, why habits determine whether you stay an employee or become an extraordinary entrepreneur, and what it really takes to build a business that thrives against the odds. Tune in for practical wisdom, candid insights, and Darren’s powerful belief that great habits—not luck—create exceptional leaders.Links:https://dnabusinessco.com/Twitter/X: DNABIZIG: DNABIZTikTok: DNABIZSubscribe & 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.
Transcribe →133 - When Bullying, Culture, and HR F-ing Collide: A Conversation with Andrea Adams of The HR Hub
Jan 1300:48:33Tap to summarizeThis week, Ken and Russell sit down with Andrea Adams — HR consultant to small and medium businesses and host of The HR Hub, Canada’s largest HR YouTube channel. With more than 150 interviews behind her, Andrea brings a rare combination of strategic insight, practical HR wisdom, and lived experience navigating some of the toughest conversations imaginable.Andrea shares a particularly challenging moment in her career: a difficult, emotionally charged conversation with an Indigenous woman after discovering she had engaged in bullying and harassment toward an employee. Andrea discusses how she approached the situation with empathy, humility, and deep listening — while acknowledging the complexity of cultural context, her own limitations, and the need to balance compassion with accountability.Guest BioAndrea Adams is an HR consultant specializing in small and medium businesses and the creator/host of The HR Hub, Canada’s largest HR YouTube channel. Through her platform, she has interviewed 150+ HR leaders, practitioners, and experts, exploring how professionals can balance long-term strategy with the urgent demands of day-to-day HR work.Key TopicsWhy HR roles are more complex — and more misunderstood — than everThe emotional labour behind HR decision-makingSupporting mid-level HR professionals so they can support everyone elseEmerging HR trends across Canadian workplacesLessons from interviewing 150+ HR expertsPractical approaches to conflict, policy design, and culture stewardship Episode LinksAndrea’s YouTube channel, The HR Hub:https://www.youtube.com/@TheHRHubFeatured episode mentioned in our conversation — Decolonizing HR:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VEc85yzZZI&t=90s Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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