No Small Talk

By Chris Melville

Honest talk. Unfiltered truths. Let's talk about it.... more

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FAQs about No Small Talk:

How many episodes does No Small Talk have?

The podcast currently has 15 episodes available.

No Small Talk episodes:

September 17, 2026How To Recognize Unhealthy Boundaries | No Small Talk with Chris Melville
Host Chris Melville explains what makes a healthy boundary and how it differs from requests, negotiated agreements, avoidance, and control.
She argues that boundaries can’t force another adult to change or prevent you from being upset, and they don’t remove your responsibility to examine why certain situations trigger you. Chris outlines why boundaries matter (clarity, honest relationships, the ability to say no), gives examples of boundaries framed around your own actions, and warns that “protect your peace” can become a way to avoid vulnerability or punish others.
She offers self-check questions to evaluate whether a boundary is proportionate, protective rather than punitive, and about your choices rather than managing someone else, while noting these prompts don’t apply the same way in abusive or coercive relationships.
Timestamps:
00:25 What Boundaries Really Do
01:08 Protecting Your Peace Myth
02:12 Why We Need Boundaries
03:50 Boundaries vs Requests
05:31 Signs of Healthy Boundaries
06:47 When Boundaries Become Control
08:58 Avoidance and Vulnerability
10:25 Triggers Aren't Proof
12:22 Boundaries Can't Heal Wounds
13:56 Self Check Questions
16:38 Prompts for Doing the Work
18:05 Safety Exception for Abuse
18:45 Final Takeaway
Connect with Chris
Email
Instagram
Producer’s credits:
Chris Melville - Podcast Host
Nicole George - Podcast Executive
Ariane Lim - Podcast Producer + Engineer
Sara Wagle - Audio Efficiency & Flow Manager
...more
21min
September 10, 2026Struggling Can Be Skipped | No Small Talk with Anna Carina Berkman
Host Chris Melville welcomes Anna Carina Berkman (Architect Anna), a qualified architect and former CMO turned AI strategist, trainer, and founder of Markitect, to discuss what it takes to come out of prolonged survival mode and why external stability doesn’t automatically create internal safety.
Anna recounts leaving architecture, moving into inconsistent film work, landing a demanding CMO role, then being fired 30 minutes before probation ended, which triggered financial collapse, universal credit, debt, and unsafe living conditions that harmed her health.
A pivotal September 2024 conference introduced the idea that “struggling can be skipped,” prompting non-negotiables like daily posting and an intense podcast schedule, alongside her AI-supported “Impossible Framework” for reverse-engineering goals. They explore resilience vs “flogging a dead horse,” the long aftermath of a harassing client, why the mind lags the bank account in leaving survival mode, and Anna’s ongoing focus on health, fulfilment, and joy.
Timestamps:
00:25 Survival Mode Story
02:02 Meet Architect Anna
03:45 From Architecture to Fired CMO
05:31 Universal Credit and Housing Crisis
09:21 Struggling Can Be Skipped
10:57 The Impossible Framework
13:37 Resilience Under Pressure
15:48 The Nightmare Client Fallout
17:28 Resilience vs Dead Horse
21:43 Thousand Doors Mindset
24:14 Energy Limits and Health OS
29:24 Achievement vs Fulfillment
32:18 Where to Find Anna
33:29 One Breath at a Time
Connect with Chris Melville
Email
Instagram
Connect with Anna Carina Berkman
Instagram
LinkedIn
Website
Producer’s credits:
Chris Melville - Podcast Host
Nicole George - Podcast Executive
Ariane Lim - Podcast Producer + Engineer
Sara Wagle - Audio Efficiency & Flow Manager
...more
37min
September 03, 2026The Difference Between Ego & Arrogance | No Small Talk with Richard Harrison
Host Chris Melville returns with September’s monthly check-in on No Small Talk with Entrepreneur and Mentor Richard Harrison, from Caldera Investments, to discuss personal and business wins, decision-making, and asking for help.
Richard shares how opening up with fellow entrepreneurs helped him reset after a rough week, celebrates taking a spontaneous Tuesday afternoon to race MX-5s at Brands Hatch as a lifestyle win, and confirms a venue for a long-delayed networking dinner he’s been planning.
Chris reflects on grief after her children’s father’s sudden death, the physical toll of stress (shingles and infection), and learning to slow down, alongside exploring a potential business pivot to better serve solopreneurs selling into corporates.
They unpack ego versus arrogance, how emotional weight and too much information can delay decisions, and how sharing problems reduces stress, before wrapping due to time.
01:26 September Check-In Begins
02:13 Richard’s Personal Wins
05:09 Lifestyle Wins Matter
08:03 Ego vs. Arrogance
10:58 Chris’s Wins and Grief
12:46 Pivoting the Business
14:52 Decision Making Under Pressure
21:17 Hardest Decisions and Alignment
26:57 Leaving Corporate Behind
30:16 Asking for Help and Advice
33:58 Wrap Up and Next Month
Connect with Chris Melville
Email
Instagram
Connect with Richard Harrison:
Website
Instagram
Producer’s credits:
Chris Melville - Podcast Host
Nicole George - Podcast Executive
Ariane Lim - Podcast Producer + Engineer
Sara Wagle - Audio Efficiency & Flow Manager
...more
36min
August 27, 2026The Masks We Forget To Take Off | No Small Talk with Camilla Collins
TRIGGER WARNING: This is a frank discussion of eating disorders, self-harm, alcohol and cocaine addiction, suicidal thoughts, and the impact addiction can have on families.
Host Chris Melville welcomes Camilla Collins to discuss the hidden cost of becoming who we think we need to be to survive, belong, or succeed.
Camilla shares her path into alcohol and cocaine addiction, earlier experiences with eating disorders and self-harm, and entering rehab shortly after her 21st birthday when life became unmanageable.
She explains how environment normalizes behaviour, how addiction and other compulsions develop gradually, and how similar patterns can resurface in socially acceptable forms like overachieving, constant reinvention, and chasing goals. They explore identity “masks” (performer, pleaser, achiever), burnout, and the key question of whether growth is driven by genuine desire or avoidance.
Camilla recommends support meetings and stream-of-consciousness journaling, and shares where to find her work, including #NoFilterNeeded and her “Unmask” scorecard.
00:00 TRIGGER WARNING
02:55 Camilla's Background
04:54 Hidden Cost of Success
06:55 Visibility and Environment
10:52 Addiction and Rehab Story
17:27 Awareness and Identity Shift
20:10 Masks and Reinvention Cycle
22:07 Overachieving and Burnout
28:26 Growth Drivers and Stillness
30:42 Gratitude for Recovery
32:51 Where to Find Camilla
34:18 Advice and Closing
Connect with Chris Melville
Email
Instagram
Connect with Camilla Collins
Instagram
Website
Threads
Producer’s credits:
Chris Melville - Podcast Host
Nicole George - Podcast Executive
Ariane Lim - Podcast Producer + Engineer
Sara Wagle - Audio Efficiency & Flow Manager
...more
38min
August 20, 2026How To Make Easier Decisions | No Small Talk with Chris Melville
Host Chris Melville explains why decisions get harder the longer you sit in them, the brain prefers familiar options because they feel safer, and too much research creates confusion that stalls action.
Using examples from business (pricing, launching, changing offers) and personal life (jobs, relationships, opportunities), she argues that more thinking often adds noise rather than clarity, and that research can become a form of avoidance.
Chris offers four questions to simplify decision-making:
1. whether you are truly unsure or just resisting the unfamiliar,
2. what specific information you actually need,
3. how to shrink the choice into a clear “this or that” container, and
4. what one small action you can take now to generate real information.
She emphasises that certainty comes after action, not before, and that most decisions are adjustable.
00:53 Overthinking the Big Choice
03:04 Your Brain Hates Unfamiliar
06:06 Too Much Information Trap
10:10 Make the Decision Smaller
12:52 Action Creates Clarity
15:54 Four Questions Recap
16:34 Trust Yourself After Choosing
Connect with Chris Melville
Email
Instagram
Producer’s credits:
Chris Melville - Podcast Host
Nicole George - Podcast Executive
Ariane Lim - Podcast Producer + Engineer
Sara Wagle - Audio Efficiency & Flow Manager
...more
19min
August 13, 2026High-Performing Anxiety, Mom Guilt & Self-Compassion| No Small Talk with Amanda O’Rourke
TRIGGER WARNING: Anxiety, loss of a loved one, mental health, motherhood
Host Chris Melville welcomes Amanda O’Rourke, a multi-award-winning business owner, coach, and founder of the Manifest Like Magic Retreat. Amanda describes years of high-performing anxiety-masking emotions, overthinking, and waking at 3 a.m. with racing thoughts rooted in fears of loss, family bereavements, and losing her mother soon after having children.
Anxiety intensified when she bought a cleaning franchise during the recession, especially around staff sickness and control, leading to sleep deprivation and reactive, compassionless leadership and a victim mindset that affected employees.
She discusses mom guilt, external validation, and not being fully present at home, then shares tools that helped her find peace: challenging thoughts, pattern interrupts like saying “bogus,” insights-based understanding of team personality differences, and ideas from The Chimp Paradox about nighttime fear responses.
01:05 Meet Amanda O'Rourke
02:25 What High-Performing Anxiety Is
04:03 Roots in Loss and Grief
09:11 Starting a Business in Recession
12:27 Working Mom Guilt
16:23 Reactive Leadership and Victim Mode
23:27 Unmasking High Functioning Anxiety
27:44 Tools to Break the Anxiety Cycle
31:12 Finding Peace and Final Advice
Connect with Chris Melville
Email
Instagram
Connect with Amanda O’Rourke
Instagram
Website
LinkedIn
Producer’s credits:
Chris Melville - Podcast Host
Nicole George - Podcast Executive
Ariane Lim - Podcast Producer + Engineer
Sara Wagle - Audio Efficiency & Flow Manager
...more
35min
August 06, 2026Accountability Check-In: Celebrating Wins, Grief, and the “Difficult Middle”| No Small Talk with Richard Harrison
TRIGGER WARNING: Difficult subject matters within this episode including death and mental health
Host Chris Melville introduces a new monthly accountability check-in with returning guest Richard Harrison, founder of Caldera Capital. They discuss why entrepreneurs must train their brains to notice wins and progress, and share July highlights: Richard’s second talk (on ADHD), new connections, a house sale to fund his business, increased gym time, and being asked to mentor.
Chris describes client progress, restructuring her business after her ex-husband’s death, preparing an August/September launch, and creating an accountability community outside Facebook, plus a supportive week including events and seeing Snow Patrol. In struggles, Chris reflects on grief, nervous system responses, being the only parent left for her adult children, and feeling time pass; Richard shares feeling stuck between old and new identities, imposter syndrome, and balancing accountability with grace, likening the transition to a messy construction site.
00:00 Trigger Warning
00:38 Meet Richard Harrison
02:47 July Wins Check-In
06:17 Why Wins Feel Hard
08:46 Chris Wins After Loss
12:31 From Wins to Struggles
13:09 Grief and Nervous System
18:15 Death Talk and Resilience
23:38 Richard’s Difficult Middle
32:09 Imposter Syndrome and Confidence
35:42 Wrap Up and Next Month
Connect with Chris Melville
Email
Instagram
Connect with Richard Harrison:
Website
Instagram
Producer’s credits:
Chris Melville - Podcast Host
Nicole George - Podcast Executive
Ariane Lim - Podcast Producer + Engineer
Sara Wagle - Audio Efficiency & Flow Manager
...more
37min
July 30, 2026The Imposter Syndrome Myth | No Small Talk with Chris Melville
TRIGGER WARNING: This episode contains information about imposter syndrome.
Host Chris Melville shares a bonus episode challenging how “imposter syndrome” is used as a catch-all for professional self-doubt.
She defines true imposter phenomenon as the inability to internalize clear evidence of competence and success, often linked to perfectionism and early family expectations, and contrasts it with discomfort from inexperience, skill gaps, or overstated expertise.
Using client and personal examples, she argues that confidence is not the same as competence and that many situations require training, feedback, practice, clearer offers, or more honest assessment rather than affirmations. She offers reflective questions about what one fears being discovered, what evidence exists, and where one is competent versus still learning.
02:17 Imposter Syndrome Mislabel
03:44 What It Really Means
05:51 Roots and Patterns
09:14 Confidence vs Competence
10:23 Client Case Study
12:44 Build Confidence Through Evidence
14:48 When You’ve Overstated Skills
16:52 Questions for Clarity
19:53 Wrap Up and Next Steps
Connect with Chris Melville
Email
Instagram
Producer’s credits:
Chris Melville - Podcast Host
Nicole George - Podcast Executive
Ariane Lim - Podcast Producer + Engineer
Sara Wagle - Audio Efficiency & Flow Manager
...more
23min
July 16, 2026What Are You Chasing? | No Small Talk with Nicole George
TRIGGER WARNING:
Host Chris Melville speaks with Nicole George, founder and editor of SOVEREIGN Magazine® LLC, an online magazine and community with podcasts, YouTube programming, and multiple shows. Nicole shares her shift from 18 years as a NICU nurse and nurse manager to building a global platform centered on “sovereignty,” defined as chasing what’s true to yourself rather than inherited expectations. They discuss how intuition can show up through guides, downloads, nature, and energy sensitivity, plus practices for protecting energy and discerning yes/no decisions. Nicole describes leaving a nearly $200,000 nursing role, draining savings to start her business, and also walking away from family inheritance due to unhealthy dynamics. She outlines Sovereign’s people-first workplace model with flexible hours and extensive paid time off, and advises listeners considering a leap to journal fears, plan for worst cases, and seek mentorship.
00:00 Trigger Warning
01:03 Meet Nicole George
02:51 Defining Sovereignty
05:00 Nursing Career and Calling
06:57 What Intuition Means
12:35 Protecting Your Energy
15:49 Chasing Identity and Money
18:26 Signs and Spirit Support
20:19 Walking Away from Inheritance
23:30 Building a People First Company
30:22 Where to Find Sovereign
31:50 Advice for Big Leaps
Connect with Chris Melville
Email
Instagram
Connect with Nicole George
Instagram
Email
Website
Youtube
Community
Podcast
Producer’s credits:
Chris Melville - Podcast Host
Nicole George - Podcast Executive
Ariane Lim - Podcast Producer + Engineer
Sara Wagle - Audio Efficiency & Flow Manager
...more
35min
July 02, 2026Neurodivergence & Family Burnout | No Small Talk with Sandrine Olmi
TRIGGER WARNING:
Host Chris Melville welcomes nutritionist Sandrine Olmi of Savoir Faire Nutrition, who works with families of neurodivergent children experiencing big emotions and sensory food issues. Sandrine shares her personal journey after adopting her daughter at four months old; intense meltdowns, sleep disruption, and food refusal emerged around age three, leading to parental burnout and limited support from a GP beyond referral for autism/ADHD assessment.
She describes using DNA-based nutrigenomics testing (saliva swab) to identify nutrient needs—especially for sleep and nervous system pathways, seeing rapid improvements in sleep and reduced meltdowns, helping her daughter attend mainstream school despite diagnoses including autism and ADHD.
The conversation covers maternal emotional load, partnership dynamics, PDA strategies, supporting parents’ confidence, and how to find Sandrine’s groups, coaching, and calming snack recipes at www.savoirfayre.co.uk.
00:00 Trigger Warning
01:03 Meet Sandrine Olmi
01:57 Adoption and Early Signs
03:54 Burnout and Seeking Help
06:44 Nutrigenomics Breakthrough
07:34 DNA Reports Explained
10:55 Rebuilding Mom Energy
15:40 Family Dynamics and PDA
22:18 How She Helps Clients
Connect with Chris Melville
Email
Instagram
Connect with Sandrine Olmi
Email
Website
Youtube
Producer’s credits:
Chris Melville - Podcast Host
Nicole George - Podcast Executive
Ariane Lim - Podcast Producer + Engineer
Sara Wagle - Audio Efficiency & Flow Manager
...more
32min

FAQs about No Small Talk:

How many episodes does No Small Talk have?

The podcast currently has 15 episodes available.