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PODCAST

People Soup

Grounded in behavioural science, with practical ideas you can actually use. The name People Soup comes from a quote by Abraham Maslow: "A first-rate soup is more creative than a second-rate painting." I"ve always loved that idea because creativity isn"t confined to art. It shows up in how we live, work, lead and relate to one another. Work often feels like a soup: a rich, sometimes bewildering mix of people, personalities, decisions, pressures, relationships and unexpected challenges. Every day

business management

All Episodes

01:15

Quick Spoon: What if seeking relief gets in the way...

People Soup ·

2026/10/04

Sometimes the things we reach for to make ourselves feel better can also stop us from finding out what's really going on.In this Quick Spoon, I reflect on an observation from Dr Ryan Kemp about our culture's focus on the immediate — "now, do it, enjoy it, live for the moment."That got me thinking about what we do when we've had a difficult experience.We feel stressed, so we distract ourselves.We feel frustrated, so we vent.We feel uncomfortable, so we do something that takes the edge off.And

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01:44

Quick Spoon: What else might be true?

People Soup ·

2026/10/01

We all tell stories to make sense of our experiences.Your boss says something you don't like.Someone challenges you in a meeting.A colleague doesn't do what you expected.And almost immediately, we can have a story about what's going on:"They're being difficult.""They don't appreciate me.""They've got it in for me."In this Quick Spoon, Dr Ryan Kemp talks about how we can construct stories about other people when we've had a negative experience — and how it can sometimes take a little longer to

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01:54

Quick Spoon: What are you trying not to feel?

People Soup ·

2026/09/29

Sometimes, when something feels difficult, uncomfortable or overwhelming, our instinct is to make the feeling go away.We distract ourselves.We work.We scroll.We reach for something that changes how we feel.In this Quick Spoon, Dr Ryan Kemp talks about this in the context of addiction — and about what happens when we aren't willing to stay with an uncomfortable experience for long enough to understand it.I'm not suggesting that these everyday behaviours are necessarily addictions.But Ryan's

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01:51

Quick Spoon: The path of least resistance

People Soup ·

2026/09/27

What's driving the choices we make at work?In my conversation with Dr Ryan Kemp, we were talking about addiction and how a person's experience of time can become compressed around the immediate.Ryan described part of his therapeutic role as helping people with addictions to expand that time horizon — to consider not just the immediate consequences of their actions, but the medium- and longer-term implications.That got me thinking about something I see quite often in my own work: the path of least

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01:52

Quick Spoon: The pull of the immediate

People Soup ·

2026/09/24

How often do we get pulled towards what's going to give us relief or reward right now?In this Quick Spoon, Dr Ryan Kemp describes how addiction can change someone's experience of time, so that the immediate becomes much more important than what might happen in the future.I'm not suggesting that ordinary human behaviour is the same as addiction. But Ryan's insight got me thinking about something we can all recognise: the difficult conversation we put off, the easier option we choose, or the

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26:42

When the future gets smaller: Dr Ryan Kemp on addiction

People Soup ·

2026/09/22

What can addiction teach us about being human?In this episode, I'm joined by Dr Ryan Kemp, a clinical psychologist and Director of Therapies at a large NHS Trust. Ryan is also an author and Honorary Professor of Clinical Practice at Brunel, University of London.Ryan has worked in the field of addiction for more than 20 years. When he was last on People Soup, we talked about his journey into psychology and some of the pivotal moments in his career. This time, I wanted to understand something I'd

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01:55

Quick Spoon: Recovery isn't the opposite of performance

People Soup ·

2026/09/17

We often think about recovery as something we do after the productive work is finished.But when is the work ever really finished?In this People Soup Quick Spoon, Dr Amanda Super challenges that assumption:“Recovery is productive.”Amanda suggests that self-compassion isn't just something we think about — we need to act on it. And that can include taking care of some of the basics of our physical wellbeing and building opportunities for recovery into the working day.Ross explores what that might look

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01:56

Quick Spoon: You can be kind to yourself AND ambitious

People Soup ·

2026/09/15

Being kind to yourself doesn't mean lowering your standards.In this People Soup Quick Spoon, Dr Amanda Super challenges the idea that self-compassion and ambition are somehow incompatible.Amanda shares what she learned from comparing her experience of her Master's degree with her doctorate ten years later, after developing self-compassion.She was still ambitious. Still driven. Still wanting to achieve.But she wasn't doing it at the cost of herself.So perhaps the question isn't whether we should be

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01:41

Quick Spoon: What do I need right now?

People Soup ·

2026/09/13

When something difficult happens, we can move very quickly from what's happened to what we're going to do about it.An email we don't like.Something someone says that gets under our skin.A difficult or overwhelming situation.And suddenly we're going from 0 to 100 in nanoseconds.In this People Soup Quick Spoon, Dr Amanda Super offers a remarkably simple question:“What do I need right now?”Ross explores what might happen if we create a little space before we react.The answer might be:taking a

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01:45

Quick Spoon: What would you say no to if you cared...

People Soup ·

2026/09/11

We often think of boundaries as something we put in place to manage other people's demands.But what if a boundary is actually an act of compassion towards ourselves?In this People Soup Quick Spoon, Dr Amanda Super describes boundary setting as a “radical act of self-compassion”.She talks about including ourselves in our own circle of compassion, rather than trying to be all things to all people and paying the price ourselves.Ross also brings in the idea of fierce self-compassion: sometimes

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01:42

Quick Spoon - What if you spoke to yourself like a...

People Soup ·

2026/09/08

When something goes wrong, it's easy to add another layer of difficulty by being hard on ourselves.What's wrong with me?I should be able to handle this.Why can't I cope?In this People Soup Quick Spoon, Dr Amanda Super recalls a nurse telling her:“You're being very hard on yourself.”That comment helped Amanda discover self-compassion — and it got me thinking about how differently we sometimes speak to ourselves compared with the way we'd speak to someone we care about.So here's something to

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38:26

Can you be ambitious and self-compassionate? Dr...

People Soup ·

2026/09/06

What if being kinder to yourself doesn't make you less ambitious — but helps you work, recover and live more sustainably?In this episode of People Soup, I talk to Dr Amanda Super, an occupational and coaching psychologist, author and founder of Creating Compassion. Amanda specialises in self-compassion and compassionate leadership, working with organisations across the public, private and not-for-profit sectors.Amanda's own journey into this work is fascinating.At 19, she had flunked her A-levels

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01:31

Quick Spoon: Give yourself permission to stop

People Soup ·

2026/07/31

I'm taking a short break from People Soup during August.Before I do, I'd like to leave you with one final invitation.Give yourself permission to stop.Not forever.Perhaps for ten minutes.An afternoon.Or even a few weeks.In this final People Soup Quick Spoon before the summer break, Ross McIntosh reflects on what happens when we pause—and what we might notice if we resist the urge to keep going.Here's something to tryGive yourself permission to stop something. Then simply notice what shows up.Perhaps

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01:01

Quick Spoon: If your holiday had a soundtrack?

People Soup ·

2026/07/26

If your holiday had a soundtrack, what would it be?Music has an extraordinary ability to transport us back to particular moments in our lives.In this People Soup Quick Spoon, Ross invites you to use that deliberately: choose one song that represents not simply where you're going, but how you'd like to be while you're there.Curious? Present? Connected?Here's something to tryChoose one song and play it each morning during your holiday.Then, months later, when you hear it by chance, pause for a

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01:04

Quick Spoon: The holiday that changed nothing

People Soup ·

2026/07/23

Have you ever unpacked your suitcase and, within three days, felt as though you'd never been away?Recovery isn't simply about taking time away from work. What we do with that time matters too.In this People Soup Quick Spoon, Ross invites you to think about what you might bring home from your holiday—other than souvenirs and dirty washing.Perhaps it's reading for ten minutes.Walking after dinner.Leaving your phone in another room.Here's something to tryBefore your holiday ends, ask yourself:What's

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01:09

Quick Spoon: Who do you want people to experience?

People Soup ·

2026/07/21

We can spend ages planning a holiday.Where we'll go. What we'll eat. What we'll see.But perhaps there's another question worth asking:Who do I want people to experience on this holiday?In this People Soup Quick Spoon, Ross McIntosh invites you to shift the focus from what you want to do to how you want to show up.Patient? Curious? Playful? Present?Here's something to tryBefore your next break, choose three words that describe how you'd really like to show up.Then, each evening, simply notice:How did

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01:08

Quick Spoon: What will your photographs say about you?

People Soup ·

2026/07/19

This holiday, don't just photograph where you went.Photograph what you noticed.In this People Soup Quick Spoon, Ross McIntosh explores how taking one intentional photograph each day can become an exercise in awareness rather than documentation.Instead of collecting pictures of famous landmarks, collect moments of attention—those small details you would probably have walked past if you'd stayed on autopilot.Here's something to tryEach day, take one photograph of something you only noticed because you

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01:45

Quick Spoon: Why I love supermarkets on holiday

People Soup ·

2026/07/17

One of Ross's favourite places to visit on holiday isn't a famous landmark...It's the local supermarket.Why?Because holidays have a wonderful way of awakening our curiosity.In this Quick Spoon, Ross explores the idea of beginner's mind - approaching ordinary places as if you're seeing them for the very first time—and why curiosity helps us become more present.Here's something to tryOn your next holiday, visit somewhere completely ordinary—a supermarket, a café or simply a street you've never walked

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01:47

Quick Spoon: My body's on holiday, my mind missed the...

People Soup ·

2026/07/15

Have you ever arrived on holiday, only to find your mind is still back at work?In this Quick Spoon, Ross explores psychological detachment - one of the key ingredients of effective recovery. It's not just about leaving work physically; it's about leaving it mentally too.Ross shares one simple ritual to help you make the transition into your holiday with a little more intention.Here's something to tryBefore you finish work:Write down what's still outstanding.Leave yourself a note for your first day

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12:20

Recover on purpose: the holiday matrix

People Soup ·

2026/07/13

What if your next holiday wasn't simply time away from work — but an opportunity to reconnect with what matters?In this solo episode, Ross explores why recovery is much more than rest. Drawing on behavioural science, the Job Demands-Resources Model and research into leisure time recovery, he shares a fresh perspective on why holidays can help us rebuild one of our most important leadership capacities: our psychological flexibility.Ross introduces the holiday matrix—a simple coaching tool to help you

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