Difficult people are part of working life, but in food manufacturing and retail, poor behaviour can sometimes be tolerated for far too long, particularly when the person involved is seen as commercially valuable.

In this episode, I explore what happens when businesses quietly weigh up someone's results against the disruption they cause. Meetings get worked around them, colleagues learn to stay quiet and eventually good people can decide they've had enough.

When you're the person on the receiving end, it's also incredibly easy to start questioning yourself. If nobody else is challenging the behaviour, you might wonder whether you're being too sensitive or making too much of it.

I share some practical ways to approach these situations without trying to find the perfect comeback. Preparation matters. Think about your boundaries before the conversation, stay focused on the facts and use simple questions to understand what's actually driving the disagreement rather than getting pulled into an emotional exchange.

We also look at why you don't have to win every difficult conversation. Sometimes pausing, stepping away or deciding something isn't worth pursuing in that moment is the more useful response.

Importantly, there's a difference between somebody being difficult and somebody crossing a professional line. Shouting, belittling or inappropriate personal comments can become a conduct issue. When that happens, documenting what's taking place and knowing where you can go for support becomes important.

Ultimately, you might not be able to change the person or the culture around them. But you can decide what you're prepared to accept, how you respond and where your own line sits.

This episode isn't about learning how to win against difficult people. It's about protecting your confidence, staying grounded and finding a way to keep doing good work without absorbing somebody else's behaviour.

Timestamps

00:00 – Why disruptive behaviour gets tolerated in food businesses

02:15 – When commercial value outweighs behaviour

07:12 – Why so many people experience conflict but stay silent

08:36 – Preparing yourself before a difficult conversation

10:41 – Separating the problem from the pressure

11:54 – Staying with the facts and asking better questions

14:26 – Deciding your boundaries before the conversation

18:31 – Why you don't need to win every interaction

20:00 – When difficult behaviour becomes a conduct issue

22:45 – Calling out behaviour and documenting incidents

24:24 – What you can control and where you draw the line

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Useful Links & Support

Fearless Relationships Programme

Support for technical, product development and supply teams to prepare for difficult conversations, communicate with confidence and hold their ground.

https://fearlessfoodies.co.uk

ACAS Guidance

Advice and support around workplace bullying and conduct issues.

https://www.acas.org.uk/

Work with Fearless Foodie

Leadership development and team support tailored to food manufacturing and retail environments.

https://fearlessfoodies.co.uk

A Big Thank You to Our Sponsors

IFP Labs

Specialist laboratory services supporting food businesses with fast, reliable testing and technical expertise.

https://www.ifp-labs.com/

Redundancy, restructuring and uncertainty have become familiar conversations across food manufacturing and retail. Behind every organisational change are real people trying to navigate what comes next, often while questioning their confidence, identity and sense of purpose.

Timestamps

00:00 – Why confidence and identity matter during uncertain times

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Useful Links & Support

If this episode resonated, especially around confidence, resilience and navigating career change, here are a few places to continue the conversation.

LinkedIn:

Leadership development and team support tailored to food manufacturing and retail environments.

Welcome to Season 4 of The Fearless Foodie.

Timestamps

00:00 – Why "be more strategic" is such frustrating feedback

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Useful Links & Support

If this episode resonated, especially around leadership development and building strategic capability, here are a few places to continue the conversation.

Fearless Strategic Leadership

https://www.ifp-labs.com/

Welcome to Bethan’s Bite-Sized Bulletin - your quick-fire briefing on what’s happening across the food and drink industry. In under five minutes, journalist and Food Manufacture editor Bethan Grylls shares the latest headlines, trends and developments to keep you in the know.

Explore more industry news at foodmanufacture.co.uk

Links and Resources:

Website Link: https://fearlessfoodies.co.uk

FB Link: https://www.facebook.com/thefearlessfoodiepod

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/thefearlessfoodiepod

You can follow us here on Instagram: @thefearlessfoodiepod

Find Amy on Instagram or LinkedIn for further support with industry coaching and facilitation.

IFP Labs sponsors the Fearless Foodie Podcast https://www.ifp-labs.com/en/index.php

You would never run a production line without maintaining it. Yet many businesses are expecting people to operate at full capacity without the support, recovery, or development they need.

In this episode, I share what I am hearing from leaders and teams across food manufacturing and retail. Regardless of company size, sector, or role, the same themes keep appearing. People are tired. Teams are stretched. Leaders are being asked to deliver more with less.

We explore the wider challenges facing the industry, from rising costs and restructuring programmes to ongoing talent shortages and declining business confidence.

One of the biggest concerns is the impact these pressures are having on people. Burnout is increasing. Development budgets are being reduced. Teams are losing experienced colleagues while remaining employees absorb additional responsibilities.

I also discuss the hidden costs of short-term decision-making. Overpaying people to stay while under-investing in their development may solve an immediate problem, but it does little to build long-term engagement or capability.

There is a particular focus on what happens when people become stuck in survival mode. Creativity drops. Innovation slows. Confidence decreases. The energy needed to improve and move forward gets replaced by the need to simply get through the day.

We also look at the challenges facing the next generation entering the industry. If new talent sees stressed teams, limited development opportunities, and constant pressure, it becomes harder to attract and retain the people the industry needs.

Most importantly, this episode focuses on what leaders can do, even when budgets are tight.

Supporting people does not always require expensive wellbeing programmes or large-scale initiatives. Honest conversations, regular check-ins, appreciation, development opportunities, and simply acknowledging the reality people are facing can make a significant difference.

The external pressures may not be going away any time soon. But how leaders show up for their teams remains one of the most important choices they can make.

Timestamps

00:00 – Why people need maintenance just like production lines

00:40 – What leaders and teams are really saying right now

02:14 – Falling business confidence and growing cost pressures

04:14 – Mergers, acquisitions, and the human impact of restructuring

06:29 – Overpaying, under-developing, and the trapped talent challenge

08:16 – Why younger talent is leaving the industry

09:27 – The reality of stress and burnout in food manufacturing

10:52 – When food jobs become spreadsheet jobs

13:01 – Frozen budgets, paused projects, and industry-wide impact

13:55 – Survivors’ guilt and life after restructuring

15:34 – The commercial cost of burnout and knowledge loss

17:07 – How survival mode damages innovation and growth

19:34 – Why honesty matters more than corporate wellbeing initiatives

21:15 – Preventative maintenance for people, not just equipment

22:11 – Practical ways to support teams without additional budget

23:48 – Final reflections on leading through difficult times

Connect with The Fearless Foodies

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Subscribe at:

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Connect with me here:

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Useful Links & Support

If this episode resonated, especially around resilience, leadership, and supporting people through change, here are a few places to continue the conversation.

Work with Fearless Foodie

Leadership development, resilience workshops, and team support tailored to food manufacturing and retail environments.

https://fearlessfoodies.co.uk

A Big Thank You to Our Sponsors

IFP Labs

Specialist laboratory services supporting food businesses with fast, reliable testing and technical expertise.

https://www.ifp-labs.com/

The phrase "talent shortage" gets used a lot in food manufacturing and retail. But is there really a shortage of talent, or are we simply overlooking people who do not fit traditional expectations?

In this conversation, I’m joined by Rich Howell, founder of Marvel FMCG, to explore some of the biggest challenges facing recruitment in the food industry today.

We discuss the biases that continue to influence hiring decisions. Age, career gaps, industry background, and assumptions about what a successful career should look like can all prevent businesses from accessing exceptional people.

A major theme throughout the episode is the idea of the squiggly career. Many of the most capable people have taken sideways moves, stepped back for personal reasons, changed industries, or followed paths that do not fit a neat progression.

Rather than seeing these experiences as weaknesses, we discuss why they often build resilience, adaptability, and broader perspectives that businesses desperately need.

The conversation also looks at flexibility and how expectations around work have changed. Candidates are increasingly looking for roles that fit around their lives, while businesses continue to wrestle with how to attract and retain talent in a competitive market.

We explore Marvel FMCG’s approach to recruitment, including anonymised CVs and focusing on skills and potential rather than assumptions or labels.

There is also a strong message for hiring managers. The candidate experience matters. Small acts of communication, respect, and transparency can make a significant difference to how people experience your business and whether they choose to join it.

Ultimately, this episode is a challenge to rethink what talent really looks like and to recognise that some of the best people may not have the most obvious CVs.

Timestamps

00:00 – Is there really a talent shortage in the food industry?

02:43 – Building Marvel FMCG and becoming a force for good in recruitment

05:39 – Giving back through purpose-led recruitment

07:19 – Why the talent pool may be bigger than we think

09:48 – Looking beyond category experience and taking chances on people

13:31 – The reality of bias in recruitment, including ageism

16:31 – Career gaps, overqualified candidates, and flexible roles

19:50 – Is workplace flexibility moving forwards or backwards?

22:14 – Managing a five-generation workforce

27:11 – The candidate experience and where businesses get it wrong

29:00 – Why treating candidates like humans matters

34:27 – The strength of squiggly careers

35:46 – Building a more human approach to recruitment

Connect with The Fearless Foodies

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Subscribe at:

https://foodies.fearlessfoodies.co.uk/podcast

Connect with me here:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/amywilkinsoncoach/

Useful Links & Support

If this episode resonated, especially around recruitment, career development, and attracting great people into the food industry, here are a few places to continue the conversation.

Connect with Rich Howell

Follow Rich for insights on recruitment, talent attraction, leadership, and building people-first cultures in the food and FMCG sectors.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/rich-howell-fmcg-recruiter/

Marvel FMCG

Learn more about Marvel FMCG and their people-first approach to recruitment in the food and FMCG sectors.

https://marvelfmcg.co.uk/

Work with Fearless Foodies

Leadership development and team support tailored to food manufacturing and retail environments.

https://fearlessfoodies.co.uk

A Big Thank You to Our Sponsors

IFP Labs

Specialist laboratory services supporting food businesses with fast, reliable testing and technical expertise.

https://www.ifp-labs.com/

Conflict often gets treated like something to avoid. But in reality, conflict is part of collaboration, decision-making, and working with other people.

In this episode, I start with a situation that will feel familiar to many people in food manufacturing and retail. You are sitting in a meeting, you have put time and effort into a project, and suddenly someone challenges your idea.

Your heart rate increases. Your mind starts racing. You feel defensive, frustrated, or tempted to shut down completely.

These reactions are not signs that you are bad at communication. They are human responses.

I explore the Thomas-Kilmann conflict model and the five conflict styles people naturally move towards under pressure: competing, avoiding, accommodating, compromising, and collaborating.

The important thing is that none of these styles are right or wrong. They all have strengths and risks. The challenge comes when we rely too heavily on one style and stop adapting to the situation in front of us.

I share examples of how each style can show up inside food businesses and the impact they can have on trust, credibility, and relationships.

We also explore practical shifts that can help in real-life situations. That might mean asking a question instead of withdrawing when you normally avoid conflict. It could mean holding your position a little longer if you usually accommodate everyone else. Or recognising when pushing harder is actually damaging the conversation.

The aim is not to become someone different. It is about becoming more aware of your own patterns and making small adjustments that strengthen relationships and improve outcomes.

I also introduce Fearless Influence as a practical way for teams to continue these conversations and better understand how conflict shapes communication and collaboration.

If you want stronger conversations, healthier challenge, and more confidence in meetings, this episode is a reminder that conflict does not have to damage relationships. Handled well, it can strengthen them.

Timestamps

00:00 – What happens physically when conflict shows up

Connect with The Fearless Foodies

The Fearless Foodie Newsletter straight to your inbox. No fluff, no spam.

Connect with me here:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/amywilkinsoncoach/

Useful Links & Support

If this episode resonated, especially around communication, confidence, and navigating difficult conversations, here are a few places to continue the conversation.

Fearless Influence

Recommended Reading

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Never-Split-Difference-Negotiating-Depended/dp/1847941494

A Big Thank You to Our Sponsors

IFP Labs

Leadership often gets reduced to targets, results, and performance. But in food manufacturing and retail, where pressure is constant and expectations are high, how people feel at work can have a huge impact on what they achieve.

In this conversation, James shares his journey from working in kitchens to leading product and innovation teams at Sainsbury’s. Along the way, he experienced very different leadership styles and learned important lessons about the type of leader he wanted to become.

One of the strongest themes in this episode is trust. James reflects on moving away from the traditional “shouty chef” approach and realising that fear might drive short-term compliance, but it rarely creates sustainable performance.

We discuss what happens when leaders create environments where people feel safe to contribute, ask questions, and make mistakes without worrying about punishment.

There is also honesty around the reality of career changes and reinvention. Moving from kitchens into head office environments meant learning new skills, adapting to uncertainty, and becoming comfortable with being uncomfortable.

We also explore the relationship between resilience and support. Resilience should not mean expecting people to absorb endless pressure. Strong teams are built through trust, development, and helping people succeed rather than simply expecting more from them.

Another important discussion is around standards. Maintaining high expectations matters, but there is a difference between driving performance and creating anxiety.

James shares practical advice on helping people learn from mistakes rather than fear them, building intrinsic motivation within teams, and understanding the responsibility leaders have to shape someone’s experience of work.

The episode closes with a powerful reminder that treating people like humans is not a soft leadership approach. It is often the thing that creates the strongest teams.

Timestamps

00:00 – Why helping people feel valued and trusted matters

Connect with The Fearless Foodies

The Fearless Foodie Newsletter straight to your inbox. No fluff, no spam.

Connect with me here:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/amywilkinsoncoach/

Useful Links & Support

If this episode resonated, especially around leadership, resilience, and building stronger team cultures, here are a few places to continue the conversation.

Connect with James Campbell

https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-campbell-87b58023/

Work with Fearless Foodie

A Big Thank You to Our Sponsors

IFP Labs

Welcome to Bethan’s Bite-Sized Bulletin - your quick-fire briefing on what’s happening across the food and drink industry. In under five minutes, journalist and Food Manufacture editor Bethan Grylls shares the latest headlines, trends and developments to keep you in the know.

Explore more industry news at foodmanufacture.co.uk

Website Link: https://fearlessfoodies.co.uk

FB Link:  https://www.facebook.com/thefearlessfoodiepod

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/thefearlessfoodiepod

You can follow us here on Instagram: @thefearlessfoodiepod

Find Amy on Instagram or LinkedIn for further support with industry coaching and facilitation.

IFP Labs sponsors the Fearless Foodie Podcast https://www.ifp-labs.com/en/index.php

Supporting women in the food industry should not be seen as a nice to have. It is a commercial, cultural, and leadership priority.

In this live conversation, I’m joined by Tracy Southwell and Ross Dennison to talk honestly about what inclusion actually looks like in food manufacturing and retail.

We start with a reality many businesses are facing. Experienced people are retiring, skills shortages are growing, and attracting the next generation of talent is becoming harder. Keeping great people matters more than ever.

Tracy shares practical examples from March Foods of what supporting women looks like in real life. Not policies written in boardrooms, but meaningful changes on the factory floor. Flexible shifts. Wellness spaces. Job redesign. Cross-training. Conversations that happen before someone feels forced to leave.

One of the strongest parts of this discussion is what Tracy calls the “four M’s”. Maternity, menopause, miscarriage, and menstruation. Topics that have historically been uncomfortable in workplaces, but that affect retention, wellbeing, and performance every single day.

Ross brings a valuable perspective on allyship, sponsorship, and what it means for men to actively support women, not just agree with the idea of fairness. We discuss why influence matters, why calling out poor behaviour matters, and why creating opportunities for others should be seen as leadership, not activism.

We also go beyond gender. Diversity of thought, life experience, and background all shape stronger teams, better decision-making, and healthier cultures.

There is honesty throughout this episode about the realities of factory life, targets, shift patterns, and commercial pressure. But there is also optimism. Because small, practical changes can have a huge impact.

Whether it is creating more flexibility, supporting someone returning from maternity leave, or simply making it easier for people to speak openly about what they need, the message is clear.

Human workplaces build stronger businesses.

Timestamps

00:00 – Why retaining talented women matters for business growth

Connect with The Fearless Foodies

The Fearless Foodie Newsletter straight to your inbox. No fluff, no spam.

Connect with me here:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/amywilkinsoncoach/

Useful Links & Support

If this episode resonated, especially around leadership, inclusion, and building workplaces where people can thrive, here are a few places to continue the conversation.

Connect with Tracy Southwell

Connect with Ross Dennison

Fearless Women Connect

Work with Fearless Foodies

Don’t Fix Women by Joy Burnford

A practical and thought-provoking read for leaders who want to create fairer workplaces and better opportunities. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dont-Fix-Women-practical-equality/dp/1788603109