No Small Talk

Host Chris Melville welcomes back Richard Harrison, founder of Caldera Capital, for their monthly check-in on No Small Talk. They share wins, including Richard switching off on a Kenya and Zanzibar holiday, following through on his long-planned event that raised about £1,290 for his partner’s charity, and managing stress around a delayed flat sale and deal. Chris counts prioritising health during a month of appointments, strong client work, and improved podcast performance and feedback. They reframe emotional intelligence as understanding your own repeating emotions - jealousy, self-criticism, and reactions to feedback - as signposts, separating what your brain says from what is true, and building the skill of sitting with uncomfortable feelings. Richard reflects on the serendipity created by diverse rooms and community. Richard aims to complete his flat sale, do a money day, and refine future event/community plans, while Chris will set a date and venue for her event and restructure a coaching offer into a six-week program.Timestamps:00:26 Monthly Check-In Setup02:14 Richard’s Wins and Switching Off03:49 Why Space Fuels Creativity04:38 Working Outside the House07:41 Chris’s Wins and Health Reset09:56 Podcast Momentum and Feedback11:24 Emotions as Signposts13:07 Jealousy and Self-Awareness15:36 Feedback and Mental Fitness19:28 Sitting With Emotions Like Reps21:20 Self-Criticism After the Event23:14 Training Your Brain for Wins23:53 Receiving Feedback Without Fear24:07 Embracing Tough Feedback25:59 Proof Over Self-Doubt28:43 Watching Yourself Speak30:53 Confidence Notes From Adam32:57 Event Wins And Niche34:30 Serendipity And Community39:31 Curated Rooms And Connection41:40 Monthly Accountability Goals45:27 Wrap Up And GoodbyeConnect with Chris MelvilleEmailInstagramConnect with Richard HarrisonWebsiteInstagramProducer’s credits:Chris Melville - Podcast Host Nicole George - Podcast ExecutiveAriane Lim - Podcast Producer + Engineer

Trigger Warning: Host Chris Melville welcomes branding specialist Katie Cope, founder of Manchester-based Keppel Leopard Creative, to discuss her late ADHD diagnosis and how it reshaped her work and family life. Katie explains noticing ADHD traits while her son began an ADHD/autism assessment, and how her studious “daydreaming” school experience and coping strategies meant her symptoms went unnoticed despite persistent struggles with time management, organisation, and workplace performance. She describes pursuing an ADHD diagnosis, including a QB attention test and subsequent clinical assessment, and the mix of validation, grief, and anger that followed. Katie shares how she now runs her business through energy management, uses intentional hyperfocus, and chose not to take medication to protect her creativity while keeping it as an option. They also discuss parenting in a neurodivergent household, building supportive routines, and her advice to seek assessment, give yourself grace, and permission to do things differently.Timestamps:00:43 Meet Katie Cope03:18 Noticing the Signs05:06 Why It Gets Missed08:24 Testing and Waiting10:51 Validation and Permission15:31 Work Patterns Reframed17:11 Hyperfocus Blind Spots17:56 Diagnosis Aftermath19:27 Energy Managed Business21:22 Choosing No Medication24:20 Creativity Versus Meds26:04 Parenting With ADHD29:22 Owning It Publicly30:32 Branding Offers Explained31:53 Advice For New Diagnoses34:34 Closing ThanksConnect with Katie Cope LinkedInInstagramWebsiteThreadsProducer’s credits:Chris Melville - Podcast Host Nicole George - Podcast ExecutiveAriane Lim - Podcast Producer + EngineerSara Wagle - Audio Efficiency & Flow Manager

Trigger Warning: Host Chris Melville welcomes leadership consultant Lindsay Wright to No Small Talk to discuss death, grief, and how society avoids preparing for loss. Lindsay shares meeting her husband Stuart online, their marriage and daughter Lily, and Stuart’s sudden death from a heart attack in their kitchen on 2 January during COVID, while nine-year-old Lily watched. They explore the trauma, the difficult period between death and the funeral, and the overwhelming “sadmin” of probate and account transfers, including insensitive bureaucratic hurdles. Lindsay describes supporting Lily’s fear of losing her too, returning to work after the funeral with employer-supported trauma counselling, and how support from others can abruptly disappear. She explains rebuilding as learning to live with permanent grief while adapting identity, solo parenting, and work, including returning to her business and embracing a “just say yes” mindset, and offers advice to seek support, accept non-linear grief, and do what feels right.Timestamps: 00:27 Meet Lindsay Wright01:26 How Lindsay Met Stuart03:22 Marriage and Family Beginnings05:28 The Day Stuart Died08:01 Sadmin and Probate Nightmares13:47 Parenting Through Early Grief15:00 Therapy and Processing Trauma17:25 When Support Disappears21:36 Living With Grief Triggers24:23 Rebuilding Life After Loss28:27 Identity and Saying Yes32:25 The Uncomfortable Truth35:23 Losses That Shaped Her37:06 Lindsay’s Work and Services38:30 Advice for the Grieving40:06 Closing Thanks and GoodbyeConnect with Lindsay WrightEmailInstagramWebsiteProducer’s credits:Chris Melville - Podcast Host Nicole George - Podcast ExecutiveAriane Lim - Podcast Producer + EngineerSara Wagle - Audio Efficiency & Flow Manager

Trigger Warning: Host Chris Melville explores emotional regulation through her history of catastrophising, rooted in being a parentified child who handled major family financial crises.She explains how hyper-capability and over planning can be forms of emotional avoidance driven by discomfort with uncertainty, and encourages getting curious about the feelings underneath the stories we create (such as assuming rejection when a friend cancels).Chris distinguishes repression from suppression, describes regulation as learning to sit with the energy of an emotion before acting, and compares building tolerance to doing “reps” in the gym. She discusses numbing behaviors that can look productive, emphasises returning to feelings when possible, and shares a key shift: trusting resilience, asking for help, and accepting uncertainty without doom scaping. She closes by inviting listeners to pause, name the feeling and story, and choose a healthier response.Timestamps:00:25 From Fight Mode to Catastrophising01:10 Parentified Child Origins02:42 When Planning Becomes Avoidance04:29 How We Learn Feeling Rules06:56 Friend Cancels Story Spiral08:20 Curiosity Before Reaction09:11 Repression vs Suppression13:54 Ninety Seconds to Name It15:10 Emotions Like Gym Reps16:30 Capacity and Timing in Healing18:12 Numbing That Looks Productive19:45 Trusting Your Resilience21:45 Personal Power Through Tolerance22:47 Practice the Pause24:19 Closing Reflection and GoodbyeConnect with Chris MelvilleEmailInstagramProducer’s credits:Chris Melville - Podcast HostNicole George - Podcast ExecutiveAriane Lim - Podcast Producer + EngineerSara Wagle - Audio Efficiency & Flow Manager

Trigger Warning: Host Chris Melville welcomes Julia Darlington to No Small Talk for a conversation about major life transitions after three decades in senior fashion and lifestyle leadership. Julia shares her route into fashion from a science-focused education, rising through Marks & Spencer and other roles, and moving her family to Australia for senior leadership positions before being made redundant and realising external change couldn’t fix internal dissatisfaction. They discuss the pressures and stories of being the sole breadwinner, choosing to step away and how circumstances shifted once she “moved first,” and the resilience required when raising a son born with a rare condition requiring major surgery. Julia also reflects on body image, fashion-industry pressures, years of bulimia, and explains her current work as a business leadership and life strategist helping ambitious midlife women navigate promotions, redundancy, career pivots, and purpose by changing unhelpful internal narratives.00:00 Trigger Warning01:04 Meet Julia Darlington03:06 From Fashion to Coaching05:30 Australia Turning Point08:22 Corporate Disillusionment10:33 No Choice Stories17:22 Sole Breadwinner Pressure19:09 Family Health Crisis25:50 Resilience and Reinvention29:28 Bulimia and Body Image38:12 How Julia Helps Clients40:49 Final Advice and WrapConnect with JuliaLinkedIn Website7 Essential Steps To Unlock Your PowerProducer’s credits:Chris Melville - Podcast Host Nicole George - Podcast ExecutiveAriane Lim - Podcast Producer + EngineerSara Wagle - Audio Efficiency & Flow Manager

Host Chris Melville returns with October’s monthly check-in on No Small Talk with Entrepreneur and Mentor Richard Harrison, from Caldera Investments. They focus on the wins for the month, getting out of your comfort zone, and next month’s accountability. Richard shares wins including starting with a new coach, preparing for an upcoming event, and handling key business admin despite a cancellation. Chris celebrates returning from Happy Startups Summer Camp where she gained ideas, reconnected with playfulness, clarified a passion project by learning it is ok to start small. Plus, in looking at the numbers she realized No Small Talk Podcast nearly doubled in downloads. They discuss how the brain resists change for survival, why repeated small steps matter, and how the right community makes vulnerability easier. Chris introduces a reframe from keynote speaker Tamu Thomas: ambition as “life force energy” guided by purpose rather than achievement. Accountability: Richard commits to going ahead with his event whilst noticing his real obstacle may be pride and embarrassment, not fear. Chris commits to organising a curated lunch/dinner in November. Timestamps:00:00 Trigger Warning01:20 Monthly Check In Begins01:44 Celebrating Wins Big and Small03:30 Richard’s Wins and Wobbles05:04 Chris’s Summer Camp Takeaways08:36 Time Feels Expansive10:28 Comfort Zone Science11:55 Richard’s Thrill of New Challenges16:52 Summer Camp Vulnerability21:46 Find People Who Push You25:41 Ambition as Life Force31:23 Accountability Commitments33:14 Pride Not Fear ClosingConnect with Chris MelvilleEmailInstagramConnect with Richard HarrisonWebsiteInstagramProducer’s credits:Chris Melville - Podcast Host Nicole George - Podcast ExecutiveAriane Lim - Podcast Producer + EngineerSara Wagle - Audio Efficiency & Flow Manager

Trigger Warning: Miscarriages, loss, and adoptionHost Chris Melville welcomes Lisa Baker-Murray, founder of BakerMurray Consulting, for a conversation about miscarriage, loss of self, and adoption.Lisa shares how she and her husband began trying for a baby in 2006, experienced seven miscarriages, and faced the physical and emotional toll. They experienced limited support after early losses, guilt and self-blame. Despite the strain on their desire to start a family , they remained committed to becoming parents while keeping their relationship intact. .After deciding not to pursue IVF and exploring adoption in the UK, they entered an assessment process that took about 18 months. It was briefly paused when her husband became unwell. They were matched with their daughter Amber, placed at 11 months, and later fostered-to-adopt their son at three months. Lisa reflects on identity, nature vs nurture, and that family can be created in many ways, advising listeners to take care of themselves and seek shared support.Timestamps:00:00 Trigger Warning03:22 First Miscarriage Reality05:22 Support and Silence After Loss09:24 Keeping Going Through Repeats10:31 Impact on Marriage and Self16:09 Choosing Adoption Over IVF18:14 Adoption Process and Setbacks22:51 Meeting Baby Amber26:35 Life as New Adoptive Parents28:24 What the Journey Took30:43 Welcoming Their Son33:47 Lessons and Final AdviceConnect with Chris MelvilleEmailInstagramConnect with Lisa Baker-MurrayInstagramWebsiteFacebookProducer’s credits:Chris Melville - Podcast HostNicole George - Podcast ExecutiveAriane Lim - Podcast Producer + EngineerSara Wagle - Audio Efficiency & Flow Manager

Host Chris Melville explains what makes a healthy boundary and how it differs from requests, negotiated agreements, avoidance, and control. She argues that boundaries can’t force another adult to change or prevent you from being upset, and they don’t remove your responsibility to examine why certain situations trigger you. Chris outlines why boundaries matter (clarity, honest relationships, the ability to say no), gives examples of boundaries framed around your own actions, and warns that “protect your peace” can become a way to avoid vulnerability or punish others. She offers self-check questions to evaluate whether a boundary is proportionate, protective rather than punitive, and about your choices rather than managing someone else, while noting these prompts don’t apply the same way in abusive or coercive relationships.Timestamps:00:25 What Boundaries Really Do01:08 Protecting Your Peace Myth02:12 Why We Need Boundaries03:50 Boundaries vs Requests05:31 Signs of Healthy Boundaries06:47 When Boundaries Become Control08:58 Avoidance and Vulnerability10:25 Triggers Aren't Proof12:22 Boundaries Can't Heal Wounds13:56 Self Check Questions16:38 Prompts for Doing the Work18:05 Safety Exception for Abuse18:45 Final TakeawayConnect with Chris EmailInstagramProducer’s credits:Chris Melville - Podcast Host Nicole George - Podcast ExecutiveAriane Lim - Podcast Producer + EngineerSara Wagle - Audio Efficiency & Flow Manager

Host Chris Melville welcomes Anna Carina Berkman (Architect Anna), a qualified architect and former CMO turned AI strategist, trainer, and founder of Markitect, to discuss what it takes to come out of prolonged survival mode and why external stability doesn’t automatically create internal safety. Anna recounts leaving architecture, moving into inconsistent film work, landing a demanding CMO role, then being fired 30 minutes before probation ended, which triggered financial collapse, universal credit, debt, and unsafe living conditions that harmed her health. A pivotal September 2024 conference introduced the idea that “struggling can be skipped,” prompting non-negotiables like daily posting and an intense podcast schedule, alongside her AI-supported “Impossible Framework” for reverse-engineering goals. They explore resilience vs “flogging a dead horse,” the long aftermath of a harassing client, why the mind lags the bank account in leaving survival mode, and Anna’s ongoing focus on health, fulfilment, and joy.Timestamps:00:25 Survival Mode Story02:02 Meet Architect Anna03:45 From Architecture to Fired CMO05:31 Universal Credit and Housing Crisis09:21 Struggling Can Be Skipped10:57 The Impossible Framework13:37 Resilience Under Pressure15:48 The Nightmare Client Fallout17:28 Resilience vs Dead Horse21:43 Thousand Doors Mindset24:14 Energy Limits and Health OS29:24 Achievement vs Fulfillment32:18 Where to Find Anna33:29 One Breath at a TimeConnect with Chris MelvilleEmailInstagramConnect with Anna Carina BerkmanInstagramLinkedInWebsiteProducer’s credits:Chris Melville - Podcast Host Nicole George - Podcast ExecutiveAriane Lim - Podcast Producer + EngineerSara Wagle - Audio Efficiency & Flow Manager

Host Chris Melville returns with September’s monthly check-in on No Small Talk with Entrepreneur and Mentor Richard Harrison, from Caldera Investments, to discuss personal and business wins, decision-making, and asking for help. Richard shares how opening up with fellow entrepreneurs helped him reset after a rough week, celebrates taking a spontaneous Tuesday afternoon to race MX-5s at Brands Hatch as a lifestyle win, and confirms a venue for a long-delayed networking dinner he’s been planning.Chris reflects on grief after her children’s father’s sudden death, the physical toll of stress (shingles and infection), and learning to slow down, alongside exploring a potential business pivot to better serve solopreneurs selling into corporates. They unpack ego versus arrogance, how emotional weight and too much information can delay decisions, and how sharing problems reduces stress, before wrapping due to time.01:26 September Check-In Begins02:13 Richard’s Personal Wins05:09 Lifestyle Wins Matter08:03 Ego vs. Arrogance10:58 Chris’s Wins and Grief12:46 Pivoting the Business14:52 Decision Making Under Pressure21:17 Hardest Decisions and Alignment26:57 Leaving Corporate Behind30:16 Asking for Help and Advice33:58 Wrap Up and Next MonthConnect with Chris MelvilleEmailInstagramConnect with Richard Harrison:WebsiteInstagramProducer’s credits:Chris Melville - Podcast Host Nicole George - Podcast ExecutiveAriane Lim - Podcast Producer + EngineerSara Wagle - Audio Efficiency & Flow Manager