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.
31episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
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.
Transcribe →132 - Goal Setting Without the Bullsh*t: Avoiding the F-ing New Year Corporate Madness
Dec 3000:32:39Tap to summarizeWelcome to our annual New Year’s special of I Need To F_*_ing Talk To You! Ken Cameron and Russell Stratton are back to tackle the time of year when leaders lose their minds: January, the month of 47 new goals before anyone’s recovered from holiday carb fog.In this episode, we break down why most corporate goal-setting sessions flop, from KPI inflation and “stretch goals” that break your team, to the illusion that people magically change just because the calendar flipped. Ken and Russell share brutally honest examples, including:The “We Want Innovation, But Don’t Change Anything” Goal – expecting creativity without adjusting processes or approvals.The “Engagement by Force” Goal – forcing employee surveys that kill authenticity.The “Do More With Nothing” Fantasy Goal – asking for impossible results without resources or support.More importantly, we provide practical, no-bullsh*t solutions: redesign constraints, reward attempts, normalize honesty, face operational realities, and create collaborative, measurable, and sustainable goals.If you’re a leader ready to set real goals that actually work—and avoid the typical corporate theatre—this episode is for you.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 →131 - Holiday Parties, Boundaries, and the Morning-After Conversation: The Uncensored Festive F***-Up Survival Guide
Dec 1600:49:23Tap to summarizeIn this irreverent, painfully relatable, and wildly useful holiday special, Ken and Russell dive into the chaos, charm, and catastrophic potential of workplace holiday parties. From prevention to cleanup (emotional, reputational, and sometimes literal), this episode is your go-to guide for surviving the Silly Season without torching your culture—or your career.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 →130 - Save Yourself from Your F-ing Fear-Based Boss with Kate Lowry
Dec 200:38:36Tap to summarizeOn this episode of I Need To F**ing Talk To You*, Ken and Russell sit down with Kate Lowry—founding CEO coach and advisor at Scaleheart Co., and author of Unbreakable: How to Thrive Under Fear-Based Leaders and talk about her tactical guide for anyone who’s ever worked under a fear-based, top-down, or downright toxic leader. It’s not just theory—it’s a roadmap for protecting what matters most without losing yourself to an a-hole in the process. Kate opens up about her own most difficult conversations in the world of high-growth companies and what it’s really like to work in Silicon Valley.Links from this Episode:Instagram: @kateunbreakablelowryMeaning in Motion: A Purpose-Driven Leadership Playbook for an Uncertain World on SubstackFacebook: Kate LowryKateLowry.comLinkedIn: Kate LowryUnbreakable: How to Thrive Under Fear-Based Leaders by Kate Lowry, on AmazonSubscribe & 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 →129 - Growth Isn't Always F-ing Comfortable With Amy Lenius
Nov 1800:42:27Tap to summarizeIn this episode, Ken and Russell sit down with Amy Lenius, a coach, speaker, and Director of Group Coaching at Next Level University. Amy’s path into coaching began with her own story of resilience—rebuilding her health and identity after years of chronic illness. That journey taught her that true growth isn’t always comfortable, but it’s always worth it.Today, Amy helps people define success on their own terms and create lives that feel genuinely fulfilling. Her powerful perspective and practical insights remind us that leadership, growth, and coaching are not about ticking boxes—they’re about becoming who you truly want to be.Amy has also taken the stage at TEDx, where she shares her message of courage, transformation, and redefining what it means to live a full life.Contact Amy Lenius:FacebookInstagramSubscribe & 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 →128 - Mining for the f-ing diamonds within with Pradeepa Narayanaswamy
Nov 400:50:36Tap to summarizeThis week, Ken and Russell sit down with Pradeepa Narayanaswamy — Leadership Coach, TEDx Speaker, Author, and self-described diamond miner for leaders.Pradeepa’s journey is anything but ordinary. From being one of only 12 women selected out of 55,000 applicants to join tech giant Infosys in India, to becoming known as a “team whisperer” who could shift energy and unlock hidden potential, she’s built a career around helping leaders discover the brilliance within themselves.Today, as the founder of Pradeepa Leadership Coaching, she works with executives, first-time leaders, and teams around the world to uncover authentic leadership that goes far beyond frameworks. Her philosophy? The diamonds are already inside you — we just need to mine them.In this conversation, you’ll hear about:How Pradeepa shifted from tech to transformational leadership workThe lessons behind her latest book Practical Leadership – Simplifying ComplexityHer experiences of navigating difficult workplace conversationsIf you’re ready for unapologetic honesty, deep leadership insights, and a perspective that blends intellect with soul, this is an episode you don’t want to miss.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.
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