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All Things Conflict

All Things Conflict

By: Maria Arpa MBE
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Who doesn't have conflict in their lives? Whether at work, at home or somewhere out in the world we are all affected by conflict even when it is indirect. The impact of poorly managed conflict can devastate lives. With 30 years’ experience mediating conflict and training peacemakers, Maria has held people’s hearts through everything from workplace hostility, board room battles, belligerent teenagers, separated parents at loggerheads to neighbours at war, street gang rivalries, threats to life and business deals gone wrong. In this podcast Maria lifts the lid on why we fight and how we can resolve conflict and design it out of our lives. Maria’s mission is to reduce unnecessary human suffering through conscious awareness, facilitated dialogue and trauma healing, using her communications tool, the Dialogue Road Map. Economics Management Management & Leadership Parenting & Families Relationships Social Sciences
Episodes
  • Where Is the Line? Freedom of Speech, Offence, and Comedy with Marc Cohen

    Where Is the Line? Freedom of Speech, Offence, and Comedy with Marc Cohen
    20 Oct 2026
    Where does freedom of speech truly begin and end? In this episode of All Things Conflict, host Maria Arpa is joined by stand-up comedian and tech entrepreneur Marc Cohen to explore the complex boundaries of free expression, offence, and social responsibility. Together, they dive into the evolving world of stand-up comedy—from venue censorship and non-disclosure guidelines to the ethical responsibility performers carry on stage. Marc and Maria examine how personal maturity and changing social norms redefine what is acceptable over time, addressing the anxiety surrounding past statements being resurfaced out of context. The conversation touches on the nuances of political satire, the gap between intention and impact, and why bridging ideological divides requires stepping outside echo chambers to engage with differing perspectives rather than demonizing them. Key Takeaways Venue Accountability & Freedom of Expression: While free speech permits broad expression, venue owners and event organizers maintain a right to protect their brand association and set boundaries for their audiences. Evolution of Social Norms: As individuals mature and society evolves, language and humor that were once acceptable are often recognized as harmful and discarded—not due to social pressure, but through personal growth. Intention vs. Impact: Honorable intentions do not negate real-world harm; jokes targeting marginalized groups can reinforce existing inequality regardless of comedic intent. Satire and Ideological Bubbles: Preaching to aligned audiences creates echo chambers and animosity, whereas skillful satire can bridge divides by exposing absurdities across the political spectrum. Developing an Inner Compass: Navigating comedy, dialogue, and free speech ultimately comes down to personal reflection, self-awareness, and seeking understanding rather than immediate outrage. Timestamps 00:00 – Introduction 02:01 – Introducing Marc Cohen: Finance, Tech, and Stand-Up Comedy 04:45 – Boundaries in Stand-Up: Venue Guidelines and Brand Protection 07:20 – Free Speech vs. Changing Standards: Have We Gone Backwards? 09:23 – Social Pressure, Context, and Resurfacing Historical Content 12:08 – Inner Compass & Navigating Cultural Norms Across Eras 15:13 – Intention, Bullying, and Smart Joke Formation 16:14 – Message Sent vs. Message Received 18:28 – Stepping Outside Echo Chambers & Exposing Yourself to Different Views 23:10 – Can Humor Influence Ideological Opponents? 29:45 – The Problem with Labeling: Avoiding Defensive Reactions 33:14 – The Difficulty of "Edgy" Comedy & Master Craftsmen 38:47 – The Gap Between Intention and Action 40:10 – Satire and Character Caricatures (e.g., Al Murray) 45:30 – Final Thoughts: Why You Should Try Stand-Up Once in Your Life Marc Cohen Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marcdoesgigs/ Social Links ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.centreforpeacefulsolutions.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.peacefulsolutions.org.uk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.workplacehuddle.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://mariaarpa.com/⁠⁠
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    48 min
  • From "The Steam Roller" to Self-Trust: Yo! Sushi Founder Simon Woodruff on Leadership and Conflict

    From "The Steam Roller" to Self-Trust: Yo! Sushi Founder Simon Woodruff on Leadership and Conflict
    13 Oct 2026
    In this episode of All Things Conflict, host Maria Arpa is joined by entrepreneur, author, and original Dragons' Den investor Simon Woodruff (founder of Yo! Sushi and YoOTel). Simon shares his candid journey from leaving school at 16 with two O-levels to becoming a rock-and-roll roadie, launching a lighting business, and eventually founding one of the UK’s most recognizable hospitality brands. The discussion dives deep into the realities of leadership, handling conflict, and the personal evolution required to scale a business. Simon reflects on his early reputation as "The Steam Roller," explaining how hard-driving startup energy must eventually give way to team delegation, emotional connection, and trust. He shares key leadership frameworks, including why leaders must build a "bank of goodwill," why overdelivering creates "desert island people," and how a pivotal 5-mile run in Hyde Park transformed him from a transactional manager into an authentic leader who trusts himself. Key Takeaways The Startup Mindset vs. Scaling: Startup founders often need a "my way or the highway" drive to turn vision into reality, but scaling a business requires stepping back and letting others lead. People vs. Business: Technical and operational tasks in business are straightforward; managing human relationships, expectations, and conflict is where true leadership is tested. The Bank of Goodwill: Leading effectively means building up consistent positive goodwill with your team so difficult conversations and feedback come from a place of trust. Emotional Connection Over Rational Argument: Persuading and engaging others relies far more on emotional resonance and atmosphere than on rigid logical arguments. Self-Trust as the Foundation of Leadership: You cannot expect others to trust your consistency until you learn to trust yourself. The "Desert Island" Work Ethic: Consistently overdelivering builds long-term reputation and attracts high-value collaborators. Link to Simon Woodroffe's New Book - https://www.amazon.co.uk/YO-MAN-Robots-Reinventing-British-ebook/dp/B0H3VGLP7V/ https://www.waterstones.com/book/yo-man/simon-woodroffe/9781918191301 Social Links ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.centreforpeacefulsolutions.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.peacefulsolutions.org.uk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.workplacehuddle.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://mariaarpa.com/⁠⁠ Timestamps 00:00 – Introduction 01:50 – Transitioning from Rock Roadie to Lighting Entrepreneur 05:40 – Earning the Nickname "The Steam Roller" 07:06 – "Business Is Easy, People Are Difficult" 08:38 – Vision and Imagination in Entrepreneurship 10:43 – Knowing When to Hand Over Operational Control 14:04 – Building the "Bank of Goodwill" 15:19 – The Value of Overdelivering & "Desert Island People" 16:07 – Emotional Connection vs. Rational Argument in Leadership 18:18 – Moving Beyond Transactional Leadership to Human Values 19:29 – The Hyde Park Breakthrough: Learning to Trust Yourself 22:46 – Simon's Golden Rule: Why He Always Responds to Inquiries
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    25 min
  • What Does It Feel Like to Be Led by You? Unlocking the Dialogue Road Map with Maria Arpa MBE

    What Does It Feel Like to Be Led by You? Unlocking the Dialogue Road Map with Maria Arpa MBE
    6 Oct 2026
    What do people say about your leadership when you are not in the room? In this reflective episode of All Things Conflict, host Maria Arpa explores the core question that sparked her 30-year career in communication and conflict resolution: What is it like to be led by you? Maria synthesizes three decades of frontline work across social housing, high-security prisons, troubled schools, and corporate environments. She explains how unaddressed tensions naturally turn into disputes when systems lose touch with empathy, compassion, and active listening. Highlighting real-world stories of former prisoners becoming master facilitators and former students becoming workplace mediators, Maria demonstrates the long-term impact of working from a paradigm of care and intimacy. She also invites listeners to register for her upcoming webinar and outlines how leaders, entrepreneurs, and changemakers can join the 2027 Dialogue Roadmap cohort to bring authentic, de-escalating communication skills into their organizations. Key Takeaways Self-Reflective Leadership: True leadership requires precision of language and deep awareness of how your words and instructions are received by others. The Escalation Spectrum: Small daily tensions naturally arise when people work together; when left unaddressed, they escalate into full-blown disputes. Trust & Attitude: People can instinctively read your underlying attitude toward them—trust, safety, and tone dictate whether a situation escalates or heals. Systemic Failure vs. Human Connection: Many societal and workplace disputes are caused by systems that have lost their capacity for empathy and active listening. Leading Out of the Shadow of Greed: High-performing businesses and leaders can drive profit and progress without exploiting people or causing harm. Register for the webinar here https://beacons.ai/mariaarpambe Timestamps 00:00 – Introduction 00:39 – Invitation to the Dialogue Roadmap Webinar 02:11 – Why Communication Is the Baseline of All Human Activity 03:51 – How Tensions Turn into Conflict (Workplaces, Prisons, & Housing) 04:45 – The Foundations of Healing: Trust, Safety, and Language 05:19 – Stories of Lasting Impact: Prisons, Schools, and Cafe Reunions 07:15 – 20 Years of the Center for Peaceful Solutions 08:03 – Inviting the 2027 Cohort: 20 Days of Intensive Training 10:12 – Conscious Business: Profit Without Misery or Exploitation 11:40 – How to Get in Touch with Maria & Speak with Alumni
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    14 min
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