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

Got a question? ask@auntytreacle.com

Invest in your momentum. Help others build theirs.

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

Full write-up and team practice guide: auntytreacle.substack.com

Got a question? ask@auntytreacle.com

Invest in your momentum. Help others build theirs.

• Why Aunty Treacle exists
  The original idea: an agony aunt for safety and work, crowdsourcing wisdom so people don’t feel alone with sticky problems.
• The power of community
  How listener questions and shared advice have fuelled the series – and given Anna and Stuart the energy to keep going through very busy years.
• Owning the room (Episode 1 – Zoe Hayes)
  Introversion as a superpower, preparation, positioning yourself in the room, and building allies in the “back channel.”
• Living with your inner critic (Episode 2 – David Filshie)
  Imposter feelings, naming your inner voice (“Brenda”), and seeing confidence as the outcome of action, not a prerequisite.
• Credit without arrogance (Episode 3 – Ruth Denyer)
  Talking about your work with humility, using “we” not “I,” and why real visibility comes from doing the work with people, not above them.
• Setting up for success (Episode 4 – Gareth Evans)
  “Assume good intent,” connect before you direct, listen first, and shift from doing to thinking and orchestrating.
• Is safety still for me? (Episode 5 – Steph Camm)
  Knowing your worth, realising sometimes it’s the environment not the profession, and treating job moves a bit more like dating.
• The Sticky Middle of leadership (Episode 6 – Oli Sanandres)
  Moving from peer to leader, letting go of being the hero, redefining success through others, and making time to think as part of the job.
• Overwhelm & capacity (Episode 8 – Helen Davitt)
  Normalising overwhelm without accepting it as “forever,” having honest conversations about capacity, and remembering “you can’t fix a secret.”
• “I feel like a filing cabinet” (Episode 9 – Helen Rawlinson)
  Challenging paperwork that doesn’t keep people safe, starting small with micro-experiments, and designing safety around real work, not just systems.
• Change, resistance & self-worth (Episode 10 – Crystal Danbury)
  Conscious vs unconscious change, changing your approach not your purpose, intentional language and metrics, and the big one:
  “Go where you’re celebrated, not where you’re tolerated.”
• Personal growth behind the mic
  How hosting has stretched both Anna and Stuart, in holding space, listening, and trusting themselves – and why they’re proud simply to have finished a thing.

• Themes & tools revisited from across the season:
  • Confidence as action, not personality
  • “Connect before you direct” & assume good intent
  • Balcony vs dance floor perspectives on work
  • Micro-experiments and “start small, prove it works”
  • Language shifts: from accidents & compliance to harm, care & impact
  • “Go where you’re celebrated, not tolerated”

• Guests from Season 1:
  • Zoe Hayes – being heard as an introvert
  • David Filshie – imposter syndrome & self-belief
  • Ruth Denyer – visibility with humility
  • Gareth Evans – stepping into big leadership roles
  • Steph Camm – purpose and staying (or leaving) safety
  • Oli Sanandres – the sticky middle of people leadership
  • Helen Davitt – overwhelm and prioritisation
  • Helen Rawlinson – paperwork, bureaucracy & real safety
  • Crystal Danbury – influence, change & knowing your worth