You Are Not A Frog

You're working hard, doing excellent clinical work, and genuinely trying to make things better for your patients - so why does it feel like no one's listening? So many healthcare professionals hit a wall where their ideas get talked over, their proposals stall, and their careers plateau, even when their track record is strong.
In this episode, Rachel is joined by Sam Pearce and Sally Powell, co-founders of Impactful Women, to talk about political intelligence - what it actually is, why it feels uncomfortable at first, and how building the right relationships strategically (and with integrity) is the real skill that gets things done in the NHS and beyond.
Key Takeaways
Your career is your responsibility - waiting for someone to notice you or advocate for you is the most common career trap there is.
Influence is relational, not hierarchical. The person who has been in the department 15 years with no senior title can have more sway than the clinical director.
Decisions get made before the meeting. Building relationships and having conversations in advance isn't manipulation - it's how things actually work, and others are already doing it.

Resources Mentioned
Diary of a CEO podcast
Impactful Women website
Impactful Women on LinkedIn
Free resource: 10% Braver

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Mentioned in this episode:
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Discover the simple, step-by-step process you need to calm your mind, take control of your tasks, and get yourself out of overwhelm.
⭐️ Book Your FrogFest Ticket Now

Every day in healthcare, a meeting ends, and a problem that was never formally handed to anyone lands on the person who cares most - you.
If you've ever walked out of a room carrying something that somehow became yours without anyone asking, this Quick Dip Episode gives that experience a name, explains exactly why it keeps happening to people like you, and gives you the language to start pushing back on it.

Listen to other episodes in the Over-Responsibility Trap series:
Part 1: Why Responsibility Keeps Landing on You
Part 2: When ‘Can You Help?’ Doesn’t Feel Like a Question

Learn more about The Shapes Academy here.
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Mentioned in this episode:
[FREE Webinar] How to Lead Without Rescuing
Join Dr Rachel Morris and Dr Sarah Coope for a free 60-minute live webinar on Tuesday 21st April, 2026 at 19:30-20:30 BST OR Thursday 23rd April, 2026 at 13:00-14:00 BST
[FREE Webinar] How to Lead Without Rescuing

How many times this week have you thought, "I just don't have a choice"? About your rota, your inbox, the extra patient squeezed in at the end of clinic? That thought feels true, and it can feel like a fact... But what if it’s actually a story, and that story is costing you your peace of mind?
In this episode, Rachel sits down with Robbie Swale, coach, author of ‘The Power to Choose’, and creator of the 12 Minute Method, to dig into why reclaiming a sense of agency and choice matters so deeply for your wellbeing. Together, they explore how small shifts in language and perception can move you from feeling like life is happening to you to feeling like you are actually living it on purpose.
Key Takeaways
Switching "I have to" to "I choose to" is not just a mindset trick. It activates a different part of your nervous system and genuinely changes how you experience pressure.
You almost certainly have more options than you can currently see. Curiosity, not certainty, is what opens them up.
The 12 Minute Method proves that tiny, consistent actions compound. One lunchtime walk a week adds up to 50 walks over a year, and that matters.
Feeling stuck is usually a sign you have not yet had the conversation, asked the question, or taken the step you already know you need to take.

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Resources Mentioned:
🐸 FrogFest Virtual
🐸 The Power to Choose: Finding Calm and Connection in a Complex World by Robbie Swale
🐸 The 12-Minute Method Books
Mentioned in this episode:
[FREE Webinar] How to Lead Without Rescuing
Join Dr Rachel Morris and Dr Sarah Coope for a free 60-minute live webinar on Tuesday 21st April, 2026 at 19:30-20:30 BST OR Thursday 23rd April, 2026 at 13:00-14:00 BST
[FREE Webinar] How to Lead Without Rescuing
⭐️ Book Your FrogFest Ticket Now

Have you ever had someone ask for “a quick bit of help”… and somehow ended up owning the entire task?
In caring professions, requests for help can feel less like requests and more like responsibilities landing on us. We’re trained to notice problems, fix things and support colleagues - which means it can feel incredibly uncomfortable to say no.
In this Quick Dip episode, Rachel explores the moment when a simple request triggers our helping reflex, and why so many capable professionals end up carrying work that was never meant to be theirs.
Learning to pause before automatically saying yes can help you support colleagues without becoming the automatic carrier of responsibility for everyone and everything.
Key ideas discussed in this episode
Why requests for help often feel like obligations
The “helping reflex” in caring professions
How small requests can quietly become your responsibility
The difference between caring about something and carrying it
Why saying yes when you don’t have capacity can lead to resentment
How awareness helps you respond to requests more intentionally

Resources mentioned:
The Shapes Academy
Brené Brown — “Clear is kind”
Passing the Naughty Monkey Back with Dr Amit Sharma

Mentioned in this episode:
[FREE Webinar] How to Lead Without Rescuing
Join Dr Rachel Morris and Dr Sarah Coope for a free 60-minute live webinar on Tuesday 21st April, 2026 at 19:30-20:30 BST OR Thursday 23rd April, 2026 at 13:00-14:00 BST
[FREE Webinar] How to Lead Without Rescuing

The founder of the National Association of Sessional GPs on whether the grass is always greener, and the changes you can make in your career without feeling like a frog forced to jump out of the pan.
Get more episodes and resources by joining FrogXtra
Mentioned in this episode:
⭐️ Book Your FrogFest Ticket Now
[FREE Webinar] How to Lead Without Rescuing
Join Dr Rachel Morris and Dr Sarah Coope for a free 60-minute live webinar on Tuesday 21st April, 2026 at 19:30-20:30 BST OR Thursday 23rd April, 2026 at 13:00-14:00 BST
[FREE Webinar] How to Lead Without Rescuing