Feeling Stuck in Your Career or Impact Journey? Ask Aunty Treacle…
Welcome to Aunty Treacle, the go-to resource for professionals looking to make an impact in their careers. Whether you’re facing a career crossroads, navigating workplace challenges, or striving to lead with purpose, Aunty Treacle is here to help you get unstuck. By crowdsourcing advice from a diverse network of impact-driven professionals, we aim to provide you with a wealth of perspectives and ideas to help you move forward in your career and create meaningful change.
We believe there’s no single right answer. Every individual and situation is unique, and by offering multiple insights, we encourage you to explore different approaches to unlock your potential and make a difference in your work.
You believe in the change. Leadership backs it. On the ground, nothing moves.
Dear Aunty Treacle, how do you deal with resistance without burning bridges or giving up?
Anna Keen and Stuart Hughes take this one on, no guest. Anna hears it in a coaching session about once a week, and the answer is always the same: we told them again.
In the can: why pushback and quiet ignoring are information, not a verdict, what people lose when you sell them the benefits, Stuart's test of handing your change to someone else to explain, coming out of broadcast mode and into journalistic mode, and why an informal conversation beats every comms plan you've ever written.
Curiosity first. Influence comes after.
Join our community: auntytreacle.substack.com (https://auntytreacle.substack.com)
Got a question? ask@auntytreacle.com (mailto:ask@auntytreacle.com)
Invest in your momentum. Help others build theirs.
1 Oct 2026
How do I develop beyond the Certificates
The certificates are done. So what now?
Dear Aunty Treacle, beyond the certificates, what should I be focusing on if I want to be more influential and effective in the business?
Anna Keen and Stuart Hughes take this one on, no guest. The technical foundation is critical. It's just not everything.
In the can: what progress actually means to you (and why sticky floors outnumber glass ceilings), why a certificate is gradable and influence isn't, the ladder from curiosity to impact, and how to run influence experiments at a scale you can afford to get wrong.
Development is infinite, not finite. The certificate gave you permission to operate. Everything after it is earned in the trying.
Share your story on this question:
https://auntytreacle.substack.com/p/season-two-question-01-learning-and (https://auntytreacle.substack.com/p/season-two-question-01-learning-and)
Full write-up and team practice guide: auntytreacle.substack.com (https://auntytreacle.substack.com/)
Got a question? ask@auntytreacle.com (mailto:ask@auntytreacle.com)
Invest in your momentum. Help others build theirs.
26 Nov 2025
Reflections from the Treacle Tin - Season 1
Hosts Anna and Stuart reflect on season one of Aunty Treacle, revisiting key insights around safety, leadership, and personal growth gleaned from conversations with guests like Zoe Hayes, David Filshie, and Ruth Denyer in this reflective episode.
5 Nov 2025
They Won’t Adopt My Idea
Hosts Anna and Stuart interview Crystal Danbury, who shares her experience on building influence and creating momentum to drive change in resistant organizations, offering practical ways to connect ideas to business needs.
14 Oct 2025
Is All This Paperwork Actually Keeping People Safe?
Safety experts Anna, Stuart, and Helen Rawlinson discuss the overwhelming nature of safety paperwork and explore whether it truly enhances workplace safety or merely creates a false sense of security in this interview episode.
24 Sept 2025
Getting Control Back When Feeling Overwhelmed
Aunty Treacle addresses feeling overwhelmed at work, exploring strategies like the Balcony vs Dance Floor approach and the art of saying no, in this interview episode.
13 Aug 2025
The Sticky Middle – Part 2
Host Anna, Stuart, and guest Oli Sanandres interview a listener on transitioning from peer to people leader, offering practical advice for managing relationships and expectations.
23 Jul 2025
The Sticky Middle – Part 1
Oli Sanandres discusses with hosts Anna and Stuart how new managers shift their mindset from peer to leader, maintaining authenticity while delivering for the organization in this interview.
2 Jul 2025
Is safety still for me?
Steph Camm shares her career journey with hosts Anna and Stuart, discussing disillusionment in the safety industry and offering advice on rediscovering purpose and navigating career uncertainty in this interview episode.
11 Jun 2025
Setting Up for Success
Gareth Evans advises Anna and Stuart on transitioning into a Health and Safety Director role, emphasizing connection and curiosity over immediate action, in this interview episode.
21 May 2025
Credit Without Arrogance
In this episode, Anna and Stuart are joined by special guest Ruth Denyer to unpack a listener’s powerful question:
"Dear Aunty Treacle, over the last 12 months I have been working on a project to bring efficiency to the way we do safety on my site. In an ideal world, I would now see this rolled out over all our projects, but I am struggling with getting the balance right between promoting it as my idea and not wanting to come across as arrogant or like I’m craving recognition. Ultimately, I think this work could make a difference, so I want to be successful – but as a woman in a male-dominated environment, I want to make sure I don’t undersell myself. Can you give me some advice please?" Together, they get into the messy middle of visibility and humility, and why promoting your work doesn’t have to mean promoting yourself in a way that feels uncomfortable. Expect reflections on confidence, ego, gender dynamics, and how to let your work speak for you, without letting it get lost. There’s also practical advice on handling trust dynamics in organisations, building allyship, and speaking about team efforts with honesty and clarity.
Key Topics Covered:
• Why the ick around self-promotion is real and common
• The difference between confidence and ego
• How to speak about your work with integrity
• Building visibility without losing humility
• The power of team language: using “we” over “I”
• Socialising your ideas through others
• How gender and environment can shape how we show up
• Creating a “success folder” to boost self-belief
• Why trust and intent are the foundations of influence
This episode also features crowdsourced advice from our community, because when it comes to sticky situations like this, there’s never just one right answer.
Special guest: Ruth Denyer – Safety and risk leader in the creative industries, with a long track record of speaking up, sharing insight, and helping others lead with purpose and perspective.
Want to get involved?
Got a sticky situation you'd love us to unpack?
Drop us a note at ask@auntytreacle.com – you might hear it featured in a future episode.
Next Episode Teaser:
Setting Up for Success – with Gareth Evans. What are the small things you can do early on to build confidence, credibility and momentum in a new role or challenge?
Aunty Treacle is proudly supported by HSE Global Series – a platform committed to advancing global conversations in health, safety and environment. Learn more at HSEGlobalSeries.com (https://www.hseglobalseries.com)
30 Apr 2025
Am i enough?
🎙️ Aunty Treacle - Episode 2: Am I Enough? Tackling Imposter Syndrome
In this heartfelt episode, Anna, Stuart, and guest David Filshie take on a listener’s powerful question:
"Even though I’ve been working in my profession for a while, I’m often crippled by imposter syndrome. How do I move forward?" Together they explore what imposter syndrome really is, why it's so common, and how it can actually signal that you care deeply about your work. They share practical tools to reflect, reframe, and take action, even when self-doubt creeps in. This conversation offers a supportive, practical path for anyone wrestling with the question: Am I enough? (Spoiler: You are.) Key Topics Covered:
What imposter syndrome really is and what it isn’t
Why feelings of "not enough" often arise when we’re visible, different, or doing something new
The myth of being "ready" and why confidence follows action
The power of reflection, feedback, and building self-awareness
How to find your people and create a supportive tribe
Strategies for navigating discomfort and reframing failure
How to bring your authentic self into every space, from shop floor to boardroom
🔗 Resources and Mentions:
Emma Reed Turrell - Best Friend Therapy podcast – Episodes on Imposters Syndrome and Transactional Analysis
Jessamy Hibbard - The Imposter Cure book
Simple self-reflection frameworks ("What went well, what didn’t, what next?")
Building confidence through feedback and small wins
💬 We'd Love Your Feedback!
Share what resonated, what you'd like more of, and how we can keep helping people get unstuck.
Got a story to share or a question for a future episode? Drop us a line at ask@auntytreacle.com!
Next Episode Teaser:
🌟 Credit Without Arrogance — how to own your achievements without losing your humility.
8 Apr 2025
How do I get heard?
Welcome to episode 1 of Aunty Treacle with our wonderful guest, Zoe Hayes.
Our first question:
Dear Aunty Treacle, As an introvert, I often feel overlooked, overspoken, and unengaged. As a result, I don’t get the opportunity to express my ideas or challenge others effectively, leaving my organisation stuck in the status quo and me feeling unmotivated and undervalued.
How to navigate the preference of introversion. Zoe introduces:
The value an introvert brings
How to contribute effectively
Get over the cringe factor
Personal Energy Management
What an introvert is
Labels and Preference
Engineering your Presence
Tips and tricks to practice
How to get Heard in a Non-defensive / Co-operative way
How to warm down and reflect well
Sharing alternative perspectives
Experiment with Assertiveness
In the Meeting v Observing the Meeting
Thanks for listening.
5 Apr 2025
How to own the room
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Who has been a guest on Aunty Treacle
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Zoe Hayes
David Filshie
Ruth Denyer
Crystal Danbury
Oli Sanandres
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Spotify
5.0 / 5
3 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 21 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
28
Social presence
0
YouTube
0
Engagement
32
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