NUGGETS: Bite-Sized Lessons to Help You Live, Lead, and Think Better

Grief: When Is It Okay to Laugh Again?

How soon is too soon to feel happy after losing someone you love? Is it okay to laugh while you're still grieving? And why do we sometimes feel guilty when we start enjoying life again?

In this follow-up to Grief Is the Price We Pay for Love, François opens up about life after losing his beloved dog, César. He's still grieving, still missing him terribly, but something unexpected has started happening. He's laughing again. And sometimes, he even forgets to think about César. So why does that make him feel guilty?

Pellegrino and François explore the unwritten rules of grief, the pressure to mourn for an acceptable amount of time, and why moving forward doesn't mean leaving someone behind.

Along the way, there are stories about funerals, laughter, friendship, and a beautiful scene from Pixar's Up that captures what it means to give yourself permission to enjoy life again.

And, because this is NUGGETS, we finish with three practical things you can do to help yourself move forward, at your own pace, without feeling guilty about feeling good.

Because laughing again doesn't mean you've stopped loving.

🎙️ NUGGETS – Bite-sized conversations for a bigger life.

#Grief #CopingWithGrief #GriefAndLoss #FindingJoyAgain #NuggetsPodcast

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Should Erling Haaland Leave Man City Over the 115 Charges?

Erling Haaland is one of the biggest names in world football. He's also committed his future to Manchester City, a club at the centre of one of football's biggest financial controversies.

So here's the question: If the club you love is accused of breaking the rules, where does your loyalty end and your integrity begin?

In this episode of NUGGETS, Pellegrino and François start with football, but quickly get into something much bigger: money, reputation, loyalty, personal values and the difficult choices we face when doing what we believe is right might actually cost us something.

We talk about Haaland's extraordinary position, the Manchester City controversy, what businesses can teach us about standing by our principles, and whether it's fair to expect someone else to make a sacrifice we'd struggle to make ourselves.

And there's a question for you, too: What are your values actually worth if you're never prepared to pay a price for them?

Whether you're a football fan or couldn't care less about the Premier League, this one's about choices we all face.

What Can You Do? Think about a value you say matters to you. Would you still stand by it if doing so cost you money, opportunity or popularity?

Watch the conversation on YouTube: https://youtu.be/oAfROVP5jxo

Follow us: @NuggetsPod

#ErlingHaaland #ManchesterCity #NuggetsPodcast

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After 108 days away from the studio, François is back. But he comes back having said goodbye to Caesar, his dog and companion of 13 years.

So this episode became a conversation about grief. Not how to fix it. Not how to “move on”. But what grief actually is, what exactly we’re grieving when someone we love is gone, and why the strangest, smallest things can suddenly become the things we miss most.

François talks openly about the empty house, the routines that have disappeared, and even missing the things that used to drive him mad.

And eventually we arrive at a question that sits at the heart of this episode: **If we knew how much losing someone would hurt, would we take the deal again?**

Because perhaps the pain now really is part of the happiness then.

A very personal NUGGETS about dogs, parents, friendship, memories, love, loss — and why going through grief may simply be part of the price we pay for having loved in the first place.

Watch it on YouTube too - look for @NuggetsPpod and the orange thumbnail.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last time, I asked my daughter Emily how she felt about leaving home and moving to another country. This time, she turns the tables on me and asks “Pappa, are you afraid to let me go?”

We talk about what it feels like when the child you’ve spent 20 years protecting suddenly doesn’t need you in quite the same way. About trust, worry, giving up control, letting them make their own mistakes, and that strange mixture of sadness, pride and excitement when they’re ready to leave.

As I tell Emily, being a parent is a bit like holding your breath and hoping it goes OK. And then there’s the question every parent eventually has to face: when do you stop protecting them and start trusting that you’ve prepared them well enough to protect themselves?

A very personal father-daughter conversation about growing up, letting go... and why apparently Emily needs to take a piece of meat with her when she leaves.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Watch on YouTube too:

Can you give too much? And do we ever really give without expecting something back?

In this episode of NUGGETS, Pellegrino sits down with his son Christian, a physiotherapist and football coach who spends an extraordinary amount of his life helping other people.

Christian rarely says no. He gives his time, energy and attention freely. But why? And what does he get back?

Their father-son conversation explores giving, purpose, altruism, generosity and the sometimes hidden cost of always saying yes.

They talk about finding work you would happily do for free, whether helping others ultimately makes us happier, why people may be willing to suffer for complete strangers, and what happens when generosity starts costing too much.

Along the way, Christian reminds Pellegrino of a piece of advice his father once gave him:

“Do something you would do for free. And then the money is just extra.”

So perhaps the real question isn't simply whether giving is good. It's knowing when to give, why we give, and when enough is enough.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What does it really mean to be strong?

Our guest this week knows something about strength. Lene Alexandra Øien – LA – is a coach, author, former recording artist and, quite literally, a world champion bench presser.

But this conversation isn't really about lifting weights.

We explore the different faces of strength: pushing through versus knowing when to stop, human doing versus human being, vulnerability, burnout, boundaries and sustainable performance. LA also takes us inside her work with high-performing leaders – people who can appear incredibly strong and in control on the outside, while showing a very different side of themselves behind closed doors.

And we ask a bigger question: if you strip away the achievements, the titles, the body and the recognition… are you still strong?

Perhaps real strength isn't about being strong all the time. Perhaps it's about being strong enough.

Also available on YouTube: https://youtu.be/WQ1oP-jNpdk?si=EYF4ogF4nnFy82XY

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

My daughter Emily is about to leave home, move to Leeds and study songwriting and artist development. She’s choosing a notoriously uncertain career in music — and, in her own words, she’s terrified.

So why do it?

In this episode, we talk about courage, comfort, fear and the risks we take when we decide to pursue something we genuinely care about. Emily reflects on The Voice, releasing her own music, stepping outside her comfort zone, and why she doesn’t want to reach 90 wondering: “What would have happened if it actually worked?”

We also hear part of her first single, Big Talk, and explore Susan Jeffers’ idea that fear doesn’t disappear before we act — the doing comes first.

A father-daughter conversation about choosing uncertainty, facing fear and having a go anyway.

Also available on YouTube - search @NuggetsPod and look for the distinctive ORANGE Nuggets graphics.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What do teenagers really want from family holidays?

In this special episode of NUGGETS, François is still on holiday, so Pellegrino is joined by a very different co-host—his 15-year-old daughter, Olivia.

It begins with a simple question ... What's the biggest mistake parents make when they go on holiday with teenagers?

The answers start with photos, sleeping in and wanting a little more freedom. But the conversation quickly becomes something much deeper.

Olivia shares what it's really like to be a teenager today, why adults often underestimate what young people are going through, why some feelings are difficult to explain, and why sometimes the best thing parents can do is simply listen.

Whether you're raising teenagers, remember what it was like to be one, or simply want to understand the next generation a little better, this honest father-and-daughter conversation offers valuable insights into communication, empathy and growing up.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fresh from completing the 850 km Camino de Santiago across Spain, Ken Lowe joins Pellegrino for an honest conversation about what the pilgrimage really teaches you.

Most people think the hardest part of the Camino is the walking. It isn't.

Ken has been one of Pellegrino's closest friends for more than forty years. They studied together, cycled together and shared countless adventures before life took Ken to Australia. Passing through Oslo after completing the Camino, he stepped into the NUGGETS studio for a completely unplanned conversation.

Together they explore why getting to the start line is often the biggest challenge, how saying "yes" opens unexpected doors, why discomfort can lead to growth, and how strangers can become some of life's most memorable companions.

Whether you're planning to walk the Camino yourself or simply navigating a new chapter in your own life, this episode offers practical insights into commitment, connection, and what happens when you choose to take the first step.

Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/1dDGF-TniCA?si=N_4yfCNx07EGV122

Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/65q6dBw5ehYYmqBxq1e6Bu?si=e5026a6fb2dd44fc

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Most people think improvisation is something comedians, actors and jazz musicians do. We think it's one of the most valuable life skills you can develop.

In this episode of NUGGETS, we explore why improvisation isn't about being reckless or making things up on the spot—it's about adapting, thinking creatively and having the confidence to deal with whatever life throws at you.

Along the way, we tackle an intriguing question: Why do women often find funny men attractive? The answer has surprisingly little to do with jokes and much more to do with creativity, problem-solving and our evolutionary past.

From speaking without notes and embracing mistakes to taking risks and thinking on your feet, this conversation is a reminder that life rarely follows a script—and perhaps that's exactly the point.

So, if you've ever hesitated because you were afraid of getting it wrong, this episode might just persuade you to take the difficult path... and dare to improvise.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.