If you’ve got an interview in English for a senior role, you need answers that reflect your true experience, clearly, confidently, and with the right vocabulary. In just 12 minutes, I’ll walk you through the leadership verbs and phrases that instantly make your answers stronger and more accurate. All inspired by my clients who have gone through this process too. They are all straightforward upgrades you can try to incorporate in your next interview. I really hope you find it useful. Anna
 

TImestamps
01:15 – The problem: underselling your experience in English
03:05 – How to talk like a leader: essential verbs and phrases
03:20 – Verb 1
04:00 – Verb 2
04:40 – Verb 3
05:25 – Verb 4
06:00 – Verb 5
06:30 – Verb 6
07:10 – Verb 7
07:45 – Verb 8
09:20 – Practical tas
10:00 – Final reminders + where to get extra tips

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Read the Episode Transcripts
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Anna’s Little Confidence Boost Playlist
My favourite songs for when I need a little confidence boost. No guarantees, but you might like them too.

Anna, What Books Should I Read?
My tried-and-tested Confident Business English reading list.

Interested in Working Together?
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Learn one small but powerful word you can use in difficult conversations to sound more diplomatic and confident without hiding your message. Senior managers use this word to soften feedback, communicate concerns clearly, and handle sensitive moments better. Enjoy! Anna

Timestamps

00:00 Why this tiny word matters
01:05 What the word really means
02:40 When to use it (and when not to)
04:15 How to use it to to soften feedback
06:10 Using the word to express risks
08:00 Practice: Rephrase your sentences
09:45 Your action step for this week

LinkedIn
Questions, thoughts or just want to say hello? Come and find me on LinkedIn.

Join Just One Thing
One useful thing to help you communicate more confidently at work. Every Friday.

Read the Episode Transcripts
Go back over the language, examples and ideas from each episode.

Anna’s Little Confidence Boost Playlist
My favourite songs for when I need a little confidence boost. No guarantees, but you might like them too.

Anna, What Books Should I Read?
My tried-and-tested Confident Business English reading list.

Interested in Working Together?
I only work with a small number of 1:1 clients at a time so I can keep the coaching highly personalised. Places are limited and often fully booked, but you can join the interest list to be the first to hear when a space opens up.

Buy Me a Coffee
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The last Decode episode was really popular so I wanted to expand to a new mini series throughout this season. If you’ve ever been in a meeting and thought, “Wait… what does that phrase actually mean?” this episode is for you. Let me take you through a list of common business expressions you’ll hear across companies and industries. You’ll learn what they mean, how they’re used, and the origin of the phrase. That will mean that next time, you can follow the conversation and won't have to wonder what it means! Enjoy. Anna

• 01:30 Phrase 1
• 03:05 Phrase 2
• 04:40 Phrase 3
• 06:05 Phrase 4
• 07:40 Phrase 5
• 09:05 Phrase 6
• 10:45 Phrase 7
• 12:10 Phrase 8
• 13:20 Phrase 9
• 14:30 Wrap-up + what to do this week

LinkedIn
Questions, thoughts or just want to say hello? Come and find me on LinkedIn.

Join Just One Thing
One useful thing to help you communicate more confidently at work. Every Friday.

Read the Episode Transcripts
Go back over the language, examples and ideas from each episode.

Anna’s Little Confidence Boost Playlist
My favourite songs for when I need a little confidence boost. No guarantees, but you might like them too.

Anna, What Books Should I Read?
My tried-and-tested Confident Business English reading list.

Interested in Working Together?
I only work with a small number of 1:1 clients at a time so I can keep the coaching highly personalised. Places are limited and often fully booked, but you can join the interest list to be the first to hear when a space opens up.

Buy Me a Coffee
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CLICK HERE TO MY NEXT FREE LIVESTREAM 12TH NOVEMBER 2025 19.30 (Madrid time)
 

 Do you break the flow when you speak because you’re unsure if you’re using the right word? In this 15-minute episode, I’ll help you finally clarify the most common “what’s the difference” questions my clients ask.  You’ll stop second-guessing yourself in meetings and just go for it. Keep the flow going! Enjoy. Anna

00:00 – Why we hesitate when we speak
02:00 – My “SUMO” trick to deal with hesitation
04:00 – Double vs. Duplicate
05:30 – Each vs. Every
07:00 – In the End vs. At the End
08:30 – Happy vs. Glad
10:00 – Ad Hoc vs. One-Off
11:30 – Argue vs. Discuss
13:30 – How to use this in real conversations
14:30 – Wrap-up and live stream invitation

LinkedIn
Questions, thoughts or just want to say hello? Come and find me on LinkedIn.

Join Just One Thing
One useful thing to help you communicate more confidently at work. Every Friday.

Read the Episode Transcripts
Go back over the language, examples and ideas from each episode.

Anna’s Little Confidence Boost Playlist
My favourite songs for when I need a little confidence boost. No guarantees, but you might like them too.

Anna, What Books Should I Read?
My tried-and-tested Confident Business English reading list.

Interested in Working Together?
I only work with a small number of 1:1 clients at a time so I can keep the coaching highly personalised. Places are limited and often fully booked, but you can join the interest list to be the first to hear when a space opens up.

Buy Me a Coffee
If Confident Business English is helping you communicate more confidently at work, you can buy me a coffee and support the time, work and caffeine that go into keeping the podcast going.

Do you have a a great question but there's a big audience and it's intimidating? this short, practical session I give you a clear 5-step framework, real examples, and delivery tips so you can speak up, ask a question confidently and feel like you are contributing to the conversation. Enjoy! Anna

00:35 – Why speaking up matters for senior managers (visibility & impact)
02:10 – The 5-step question framework 
04:20 – Example 1: 
05:20 – Example 2: 
06:05 – Example 3: 
06:55 – Delivery tips:
08:10 – Sound more advanced
08:55 – Action task
09:35 – Start small
 

LinkedIn
Questions, thoughts or just want to say hello? Come and find me on LinkedIn.

Join Just One Thing
One useful thing to help you communicate more confidently at work. Every Friday.

Read the Episode Transcripts
Go back over the language, examples and ideas from each episode.

Anna’s Little Confidence Boost Playlist
My favourite songs for when I need a little confidence boost. No guarantees, but you might like them too.

Anna, What Books Should I Read?
My tried-and-tested Confident Business English reading list.

Interested in Working Together?
I only work with a small number of 1:1 clients at a time so I can keep the coaching highly personalised. Places are limited and often fully booked, but you can join the interest list to be the first to hear when a space opens up.

Buy Me a Coffee
If Confident Business English is helping you communicate more confidently at work, you can buy me a coffee and support the time, work and caffeine that go into keeping the podcast going.

If you already speak English every day but still doubt yourself, this one’s for you. In 15 minutes, I want to help you shift your perspective so you can focus on more on what actually matters. This is a coaching episode which is part of the content on Confident Business English. It's not just about the technical stuff, you also need to put in the work to move forward in the way you think. I hope you find it useful. Anna. 

Timings

00:00 – Why your English confidence might be the real problem, not your skills
02:00 – The mismatch between how you think you sound and how others hear you
05:00 – Why “bad English” isn’t an accurate description for most professionals
08:00 – Universal experiences: nerves, difficult people, and speaking on the spot
11:00 – What “fluency” really means (and why you’re probably fine)
13:00 – How to get useful feedback and build long-term confidence
14:30 – Final takeaway: Stop fixing what isn’t broken

LinkedIn
Questions, thoughts or just want to say hello? Come and find me on LinkedIn.

Join Just One Thing
One useful thing to help you communicate more confidently at work. Every Friday.

Read the Episode Transcripts
Go back over the language, examples and ideas from each episode.

Anna’s Little Confidence Boost Playlist
My favourite songs for when I need a little confidence boost. No guarantees, but you might like them too.

Anna, What Books Should I Read?
My tried-and-tested Confident Business English reading list.

Interested in Working Together?
I only work with a small number of 1:1 clients at a time so I can keep the coaching highly personalised. Places are limited and often fully booked, but you can join the interest list to be the first to hear when a space opens up.

Buy Me a Coffee
If Confident Business English is helping you communicate more confidently at work, you can buy me a coffee and support the time, work and caffeine that go into keeping the podcast going.

In this episode, I talk with Lindsay McMahon, CEO and co-host of All Ears English, about how senior managers can disagree more effectively and sensitively in global business settings. We explore cultural differences in communication, key concepts like context and power distance, and practical English phrases you can use to disagree without damaging relationships. Enjoy!
 

Here are the timings:
00:00 – Introduction & why disagreeing well matters for leaders
01:00 – Meet Lindsay McMahon and her global communication insights
02:30 – A real-life story about missing cultural cues
04:30 – Key ideas: high vs. low context cultures and power distance
07:00 – How culture and personality shape disagreement styles
08:00 – Three approaches to disagree in English
08:30 – Style 1: Direct disagreement
10:00 – Style 2: Disagreeing while maintaining relationships
12:00 – Style 3: Delaying or avoiding disagreement
13:30 – Final takeaways: focus on connection, not perfection
14:30 – Where to find All Ears English

LinkedIn
Questions, thoughts or just want to say hello? Come and find me on LinkedIn.

Join Just One Thing
One useful thing to help you communicate more confidently at work. Every Friday.

Read the Episode Transcripts
Go back over the language, examples and ideas from each episode.

Anna’s Little Confidence Boost Playlist
My favourite songs for when I need a little confidence boost. No guarantees, but you might like them too.

Anna, What Books Should I Read?
My tried-and-tested Confident Business English reading list.

Interested in Working Together?
I only work with a small number of 1:1 clients at a time so I can keep the coaching highly personalised. Places are limited and often fully booked, but you can join the interest list to be the first to hear when a space opens up.

Buy Me a Coffee
If Confident Business English is helping you communicate more confidently at work, you can buy me a coffee and support the time, work and caffeine that go into keeping the podcast going.

In this episode, I break down common everyday British workplace expressions that you have told me often confuse you. From casual phrases to more formal ones. You’ll learn their real meanings and when to expect them so you can respond confidently and follow work conversations with second guessing. Enjoy! Anna

Time Notes:
00:00 – Why understanding boosts confidence
02:00 – Informal phrases at work
04:30 – Formal email language
06:00 – Tricky linking words
08:00 – Subtle agreement expressions
09:45 – Casual workplace slang
10:30 – Ways to say “get in touch”
12:00 – Describing problems informally
13:00 – Signalling agreement
14:00 – Scheduling phrases
15:00 – Recap and listening tips

LinkedIn
Questions, thoughts or just want to say hello? Come and find me on LinkedIn.

Join Just One Thing
One useful thing to help you communicate more confidently at work. Every Friday.

Read the Episode Transcripts
Go back over the language, examples and ideas from each episode.

Anna’s Little Confidence Boost Playlist
My favourite songs for when I need a little confidence boost. No guarantees, but you might like them too.

Anna, What Books Should I Read?
My tried-and-tested Confident Business English reading list.

Interested in Working Together?
I only work with a small number of 1:1 clients at a time so I can keep the coaching highly personalised. Places are limited and often fully booked, but you can join the interest list to be the first to hear when a space opens up.

Buy Me a Coffee
If Confident Business English is helping you communicate more confidently at work, you can buy me a coffee and support the time, work and caffeine that go into keeping the podcast going.

In this episode of Confident Business English, I provide you with strategies to help you feel more confident when unexpectedly asked to speak in English during meetings. I share 3 practical frameworks to effectively structure responses. I also emphasize the importance of buying time, using simple structures, and shifting your mindset to handle being put on the spot. This forms part of a new Help! series on the podcast. Episodes focused the actual challenges senior managers like you face every day. 

• 00:42 Understanding the Challenge of Being Put on the Spot
• 01:50 Reframing Your Mindset
• 03:37 Practical Tips to Buy Time
• 05:15 The Importance of Structure
• 06:54 Framework 1: 
• 08:46 Framework 2: 
• 11:37 Framework 3: 
• 13:43 Putting It All Together
• 14:53 Conclusion and Final Tips

LinkedIn
Questions, thoughts or just want to say hello? Come and find me on LinkedIn.

Join Just One Thing
One useful thing to help you communicate more confidently at work. Every Friday.

Read the Episode Transcripts
Go back over the language, examples and ideas from each episode.

Anna’s Little Confidence Boost Playlist
My favourite songs for when I need a little confidence boost. No guarantees, but you might like them too.

Anna, What Books Should I Read?
My tried-and-tested Confident Business English reading list.

Interested in Working Together?
I only work with a small number of 1:1 clients at a time so I can keep the coaching highly personalised. Places are limited and often fully booked, but you can join the interest list to be the first to hear when a space opens up.

Buy Me a Coffee
If Confident Business English is helping you communicate more confidently at work, you can buy me a coffee and support the time, work and caffeine that go into keeping the podcast going.

Do you ever feel it's hard to convince people of your ideas in English? You feel you are not as persuasive and your sentences are flat. I actually come across this problem frequently with clients. That's why I'd like to help you explain why things matter. I will show you 3 effective English structures you can use to hopefully sound more convincing and help your colleagues understand the importance behind your ideas. Enjoy! Anna

LinkedIn
Questions, thoughts or just want to say hello? Come and find me on LinkedIn.

Join Just One Thing
One useful thing to help you communicate more confidently at work. Every Friday.

Read the Episode Transcripts
Go back over the language, examples and ideas from each episode.

Anna’s Little Confidence Boost Playlist
My favourite songs for when I need a little confidence boost. No guarantees, but you might like them too.

Anna, What Books Should I Read?
My tried-and-tested Confident Business English reading list.

Interested in Working Together?
I only work with a small number of 1:1 clients at a time so I can keep the coaching highly personalised. Places are limited and often fully booked, but you can join the interest list to be the first to hear when a space opens up.

Buy Me a Coffee
If Confident Business English is helping you communicate more confidently at work, you can buy me a coffee and support the time, work and caffeine that go into keeping the podcast going.