What happens when your inner critic takes over — even when you’re more than capable?

A new project lands. Something you haven’t done before.
You know you can handle it…
and yet your whole system goes into overdrive.

You prepare. And prepare. And prepare some more.
You lose a bit of sleep. The pressure rises.
The results are usually great — but they come at a cost.

Not because you’re incapable.
But because you don’t hear trust yourself — you hear your inner critic.

In this episode of Coach Me If You Can, I’m joined by leadership coach and author Julie Smith, who literally wrote the book on this: Coach Yourself Confident.

Together, we explore what’s really happening when confidence and capability don’t line up — and how the inner critic quietly pushes us past the sweet spot of enough preparation into stress and self-doubt.

Julie coaches me live through my own “everything depends on this” pattern and shows:

• how to recognise when the inner critic has taken over

• why over-preparing can erode self-trust

• how to find the sweet spot of just enough preparation

• and how confidence grows when you learn to trust yourself from there

This is a conversation about learning to coach yourself — especially when you’re capable, committed, and still doubting yourself.

That’s why speaking to Julie was such a gift.

About the guest
Julie Smith is a leadership coach and the author of Coach Yourself Confident: Ditch the self-doubt tax, unlock humble confidence.
🔗 Book & Julie’s work: https://www.talentsprout.co.uk/coach-yourself-confident

More from Coach Me If You Can
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Imagine two versions of you running in parallel.
One wakes up foggy, tired, slightly behind the day, the version of you shaped by evening drinks that “aren’t a problem… but aren’t helping.”
The other wakes up clear, energised, grounded, and fully alive, the version that’s possible when alcohol no longer calls the shots.

In this episode, Peter sits down with Rich Casement, founder of Clean Break, to explore the role alcohol quietly plays in our energy, identity, and ability to show up as the person we want to be.

Rich has spent years helping people rewire their relationship with alcohol, not from a place of shame or labels, but from clarity, awareness, and possibility. Together they unpack:

In this conversation:
• The “two lives” you can live — and how alcohol decides which one you wake up in
• The haze, lethargy, and “going through the motions” many people mistake for normal
• Why we still drink even when we know all the consequences
• Alcohol’s impact on mornings, motivation, and parental guilt
• The identity shift that happens when someone takes a “clean break”
• Why moderation often fails (and why that’s not your fault)
• What begins to happen after 7 days, 30 days, and 90 days alcohol-free
• How to decide if alcohol is truly serving you
• A powerful coaching exercise you can do at home to understand why you drink
• The first signs that clarity is returning and what to do next

Whether you drink occasionally, socially, daily, or are simply questioning your habits, this episode offers a compassionate, honest and deeply human look at the version of you waiting on the other side of alcohol.

Connect with Rich Casement / Clean Break:
Website: THIS IS CLEAN BREAK COACHING
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rich-casement-315a5611/

Connect with Peter & Coach Me If You Can:
Website: https://www.coachmeifyoucan.show👉 Subscribe to the newsletter for upcoming episodes, coaching insights & behind-the-scenes updates.
👉 If you enjoy the show, please follow/subscribe on Spotify — it helps the podcast grow.

Breathe Like You Mean It — A Live Breathwork Journey with Daniele Scuteri

Most of us go through entire days without noticing how we breathe — shallow, rushed, and disconnected.
But what if the key to focus, calm, and energy was sitting quietly in your chest all along?

In this episode of Coach Me If You Can, Peter Weller is joined by Italian breathwork and well-being coach Daniele Scuteri — founder of Breathing Wellness Coaching and a certified facilitator of integrative breathwork.

Together, they explore how the breath bridges body and mind — and why mastering it can change everything from stress to sleep to self-awareness.

Then, midway through the episode, something different happens:
Daniele leads Peter (and you) through a five-minute live grounding session — a rare, real-time experiment where the conversation slows, the breathing deepens, and calm becomes audible.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

• How your breath mirrors your mental state — and how to reset it in seconds

• The science behind the “fight or flight” breath and how to reverse it

• Why stillness isn’t the absence of movement, but awareness of it

• How breathwork can reduce anxiety and sharpen focus

• A simple 5-minute daily practice to reconnect with your body

Sponsored by InnerBuddies
Your mental clarity begins in your gut. InnerBuddies helps you understand your inner ecosystem with a personalized microbiome test that connects gut health to energy, focus, and mood.
💡 Get 15% off with code: WELLERGUTS
👉 www.innerbuddies.com

Discover more:
Daniele Scuteri – Breathing Wellness Coach

Daniele Scuteri | LinkedIn
Peter Weller – Host of Coach Me If You Can | www.coachmeifyoucan.show

Have a question for Peter?
Want to recommend a coach, request a topic, or volunteer to be coached live on the show?
✉️ Email: [email protected]

Subscribe & Share
If this episode helped you slow down, breathe, and reconnect — share it with one person who needs that reminder today.
That’s how we bring more calm into the chaos.

Join the newsletter waitlist:Coach Me If You Can

Your Mind vs. Your Screen — Coaching with Dr. Yannick Van Hierden

What happens when your phone quietly steals four hours of your day?

In this episode of Coach Me If You Can, I sit down with Dr. Yannick Van Hierden, a behavioral scientist and high-performance coach who turned his life around—from bottom of his class and stuck in self-destructive habits, to top of his PhD program and thriving in Australia.

Together we dive into:

• Screen time reality check: Yannick walks me through my own data—63 pickups a day, nearly 60% on social & entertainment—and asks the only question that matters: is this how you want to spend your time?

• Fact or Fiction game: from “Thinking is addictive” to “Stillness is the absence of resistance,” Yannick challenges common beliefs about performance and clarity.

• Coaching session: we map out my vision for health and performance—from running habits and better sleep to re-framing what “peak performance” means beyond work.

• The digital reset challenge: why deleting just one app can reclaim 1–2 hours every single day.

🎙️ Billboard message: “Don’t believe everything you think.”

💡 Sponsor Note
This episode is supported by InnerBuddies — helping you take charge of your gut health through simple at-home microbiome testing and personalized recommendations. Your gut health shapes everything from immunity to mood to energy levels.

👉 Use the code WellerGUTS at checkout on www.innerbuddies.com for an exclusive discount.

For more, visit www.coachmeifyoucan.show or connect with me directly on LinkedIn.

Parenting isn’t about producing happy, perfect children - it’s about building a strong relationship with the child in front of you.

In this episode of Coach Me If You Can, Peter Weller is joined by parenting expert Anita Cleare (postgraduate degree in Child Development, author, and founder of the Thinking Parenting blog).

Together, they step into six real parenting case studies — two from the Weller household and four submitted anonymously by listeners through our survey:

• Toothbrushing Revolt (3, host household) — a nightly standoff with sealed lips and piercing screams.

• Lentil Soup Standoff (3, host household) — mozzarella wins, lentils lose, ice cream demands follow.

• Holiday Meltdown (6, listener household) — “I want to go home” on repeat during a dream trip to France.

• The Phone Glow (pre-teen, listener household) — when screens start to matter more than family.

• Mealtime Chaos (1.5 + 6, listener household) — siblings derail dinner until the TV saves the day.

• The Not Hearing Zone (7, listener household) — a child who only responds once parents yell.

From tantrums to tech, Anita brings psychology, empathy, and strategy to the moments parents struggle with most. Along the way, she busts myths and reframes parenting’s toughest paradox:

Parenting isn’t about controlling kids. It’s about managing ourselves in the storm.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

• How to stay calm in the supermarket storm instead of panicking

• Why toddlers and teens both turn routines into power struggles

• How to set limits on phones without losing connection

• Why giving in to a tantrum once won’t ruin your authority

• The real goal of parenting — not happiness, but relationship

Sponsored by InnerBuddies
Your parenting energy starts with your health. Did you know your gut microbiome influences not just digestion, but also mood, focus, and resilience? InnerBuddies helps you understand your inner ecosystem with a personalized microbiome test.
💡 Get 15% off with code: WELLERGUTS
👉 www.innerbuddies.com

Discover more:

• Anita Cleare – Thinking Parenting Blog | Author of The Work/Parent Switch and The Working Parent’s Survival Guide

• Peter Weller – LinkedIn | Coach Me If You Can

Have a question for Peter?
Want to recommend a coach, request a topic, or volunteer to be coached on the show?
✉️ Email: [email protected]

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If this episode helped you, please subscribe — and share it with one parent who needs to hear this today. That’s how we grow this community and bring more calm into the chaos.

Episode Description

What if success didn’t feel like success? What if the life you’ve worked so hard to build still left you empty?

In this episode of Coach Me If You Can, Ruta Stasiunaite — founder of Redefining Success, transformational coach, and modern mystic — joins Peter for a raw, live coaching session that flips achievement on its head.

Ruta’s story is one of bold reinvention: she’s lived in 8 countries, spent 14 months in the Brazilian jungle exploring the depths of her soul, and walked away from a decade-long corporate career to build a purpose-driven business on her own terms. Today she helps leaders and visionaries redefine success from the inside out.

Together, Ruta and Peter dive into:

• Why “if success doesn’t feel like success, it isn’t.”

• How childhood conditional love can turn you into your own harshest parent

• The gap between your perfect day and your real day — and how to close it

• The three jars method to balance past, present, and future self

• Why clarity doesn’t come before action — it comes because of it

• The small choices (running, cooking, joy) that rewire your definition of success

This isn’t theory — it’s live coaching. At times uncomfortable, at times liberating, but always real. If you’ve ever wondered whether your definition of success is truly yours, this episode will make you stop, question, and redefine.

👉 Find Ruta here: linkedin.com/in/ruta-stasiunaite
📧 Contact Ruta: [email protected]

This episode is sponsored by InnerBuddies — specialists in microbiome analysis who translate your results into personalized nutrition advice. Every microbiome is unique, so why not treat everyone uniquely? What’s healthy for you may not be healthy for your neighbour.

👉 Order your first microbiome assessment at www.innerbuddies.com and use code WELLERGUTS at checkout for a discount.
🎧 Listen to our full conversation with the CEO of InnerBuddies here: Spotify link.

• With Peter: [email protected]

• Nominate a coach for Peter: Mention them in the comments or email us — we’d love to hear from you.

• Feedback or ideas? Connect here:

  • Listener Feedback Survey: Share your thoughts

  • Apple Podcasts: Coach Me If You Can

  • YouTube: CMIYC Show

  • LinkedIn: Peter Charles Weller

What’s really holding you back — a lack of clarity, or the story you’re telling yourself about what’s possible?

In this episode of Coach Me If You Can, Peter sits down with confidence and manifestation coach Kira Matthews for a coaching session that explores the fears, patterns, and beliefs that quietly limit our potential.

From money mindset and self-worth, to building confidence through small, brave actions, Kira challenges Peter to spot the moments where fear is disguised as confusion — and to reframe them into decisions that move life forward.

It’s a conversation about more than confidence — it’s about seeing yourself clearly enough to start.

🎧 “Sometimes clarity isn’t missing — it’s just the clarity we’re scared to accept.”

Find Kira here: https://www.kiramatthews.com/
Find Peter here: www.coachmeifyoucan.show
Complete the listener survey and help the show grow:
https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=DQSIkWdsW0yxEjajBLZtrQAAAAAAAAAAAAMAAN3aeadUQ0EwRDBFOEhZSlFMNVgzODhUQVhSUTNSRC4u
Submit a question for next week’s guest Parenting expert Anita Cleare:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anita-cleare-b8a15465/
Question form: https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=DQSIkWdsW0yxEjajBLZtrQAAAAAAAAAAAAMAAN3aeadUN0MwV1dYU1dQSlY4N1VEM1dCVjVQT0cxOC4u

What if the thing giving you confidence, connection, and status… is also slowly dismantling your identity?

In this episode, I sit down with Rich Casement ex-sales leader and someone who quite literally drank for a living—to unpack what happens when the thing you’re known for becomes the thing you have to walk away from.

Rich built his world around alcohol.

Then, one day at his kitchen table, he hit rock bottom with a thought that changed everything: “They’d be better off without me.”
That moment led to his clean break and to running

But here’s what we explore together:
Running can be therapeutic… but it’s not therapy.

We dig into:

• How identity gets wrapped up in addiction and achievement

• The quiet danger of being “the fun one” in the room

• Why healing isn’t found in swapping vices—but facing yourself

• Coaching tools to build momentum when motivation is gone

• What Rich believes every runner—and every non-drinker—needs to hear

BIG NEWS: Rich is coming back for 3 sessions to coach me through a real 12-week transformation. This episode? It’s the start line.

Whether you're questioning your relationship with alcohol, trying to build a habit that sticks, or just running from an old version of yourself… this one’s for you.

I HAVE A FAVOR TO ASK YOU:

We’ve made 10 episodes. And truthfully, I’m still figuring this thing out.

Are the intros too long?
Should they live in a separate episode?
Are you here for the backstory, the coaching, the challenge… or something else entirely?

I want this podcast to serve you.
Its meant to be "COME WITH ME" not "LOOK AT ME "
I want You to be coached by the show.

So I’ve created a short, anonymous survey.
It’s your space to tell me what’s working, what’s not, and what you need more of.

SURVEY LINK HERE

👉https://forms.office.com/r/d3ZYXyEbSS

This show is evolving.
Coach Me If You Can is just the training ground.

Take a Deep Breath

with Elissa Davies

What do you do when your system is in overdrive — when you’re halfway up a cliff, on a high-stakes mission, or lying awake at 3am with your thoughts on a loop?

In this first-ever recorded episode of Coach Me If You Can, I sat down with Elissa Davies — a special mission pilot turned breathwork coach — to explore how we can access calm when life pushes us into the panic zone. We talk about the difference between stretch and overwhelm, how resilience is built through repetition, and why breath is your most underused superpower.

Since our conversation, I’ve been experimenting. Box breathing at night? Surprisingly effective (still not a habit). Allocating “worry time”? A game-changer. The physiological sigh? Feels weird… but it works. This episode left me with tools — and questions — that I’m still sitting with. And yes, I need to invite her back.

We also cover:

• Burnout and recovery in high-pressure careers

• How to notice your breathing and what it’s telling you

• Triage for your thoughts: control, influence, or accept

• The science behind breathing and heart rate

• How to build small breathwork moments into busy days

Whether you're a parent, a high-performer, or just trying to sleep better — this one’s for you.

🎧 If you enjoy the episode, hit follow on Spotify and leave us a comment or rating. It really helps others find the show.

This episode is sponsored by Innerbuddies.
Get 10% off your personalized gut health program with the code WELLERGUTS at checkout.
Because transformation doesn’t just start in your mind — it starts in your gut.
→ Learn more at innerbuddies.com