Every business owner we've ever met has said it: it's probably fine. It's usually not fine.

This episode, Lucy and Jemma sit down with Stuart Barker, a former military intelligence and law enforcement operator turned keynote speaker and corporate director — for a masterclass in decision-making under real pressure. Stuart takes us inside a 2010 raid on a Taliban compound in Helmand province that should have been a clean win, until a corrupt government official tried to walk off with the evidence in front of his team. What happens in the sixty seconds between a celebration and a crisis?

Stuart breaks down the models he leaned on in that moment - and the ones he now uses to run a logistics company through Brexit and COVID, including his own "3 Rs" (regulate, reflect, respond), why "clarity beats certainty" when the pressure's on, and the worst decision he's ever made, and why. Along the way: the sociology of trust, why "weak ties" matter more than hierarchy in a crisis, and what most organisations get wrong about who's really making their decisions.

A conversation about leadership, ethics, and what actually happens when the plan meets reality.

Stuart Barker is represented by Professional Guest Speakers. https://www.professionalguestspeakers.co.uk/stuart-barker

It's Probably Fine is a podcast from Decidr Live, hosted by Lucy and Jemma. https://inclusivechange.co.uk/probably-fine-podcast-page

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

Lucy and Jemma (founders of Decider Live) record an episode without their guest, who is pulled into a crisis, and discuss how they prepare differently for speaking and decision-making. They share real-life “probably fine” moments: Lucy recalls teaching the wrong module to students due to last-minute prep, while Jemma describes a London trip disrupted by Pride closures, a desperate search for toilets, and arriving at a Booking.com-linked scam listing where the hotel’s website appeared compromised; she eventually finds alternate accommodation via a hotel chain membership. They also compare approaches to note-taking, travel safety, deposits, and passports in hotels. The episode ends with Lucy explaining how she ran a Decid:R crisis simulation for a Gloucestershire VCSE Alliance Future Leaders program using the CLEAR decision-making model, with participants tackling a sensitive data breach scenario in a hybrid session.

00:00 Probably Fine Intro

00:53 Guest Crisis Setup

01:45 Prep vs Wing It

04:35 Wrong Lesson Story

07:42 Panel Chaos Tales

13:42 Notes and Evidence

16:33 Jemma Crisis Begins

18:41 Pride Travel Detours

25:33 Hotel Booking Scam

29:26 Hotel Booking Chaos

30:54 Soho Pride Night Out

35:53 Sketchy Past Stays

39:46 Deposits and Passport Safety

44:08 Lost at the Zoo

46:21 Doors Lifts and Takeaway Rules

49:10 DecidR Crisis Simulation

58:43 Wrap Up and Sign Off

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

What began as a conversation about heatwaves, swollen train lines and school closures quickly became something much bigger.

In this episode of It’s Probably Fine, Lucy and Jemma explore how seemingly simple decisions often have unexpected consequences. From the proposed UK social media ban and digital wellbeing to safeguarding, domestic abuse, digital identity and the responsibilities of employers, this is an honest conversation about the complexity of risk in today’s world.

Along the way we discuss:

• Why schools really close during extreme weather
• The proposed UK social media ban for under-16s
• Whether banning social media tackles the real problem
• Digital wellbeing, digital literacy and parenting in an online world
• Digital identity, privacy and trust
• The hidden decisions leaders make every day
• The links between major sporting events and domestic abuse
• Safeguarding responsibilities for organisations and employers
• Why good decision-making is about people, not just policies

Content warning: This episode contains discussion of suicide, self-harm, eating disorders, domestic abuse, child safeguarding and mental health. Please listen with care.

If you or someone you know has been affected by any of the issues discussed, support is available:

• Samaritans – Free, confidential support 24 hours a day for anyone struggling or in emotional distress. Call 116 123 or visit https://www.samaritans.org

• Refuge – Support for women experiencing domestic abuse, including the National Domestic Abuse Helpline. Call 0808 2000 247 or visit https://www.refuge.org.uk

• Papyrus HOPELINE247 – Suicide prevention support for children, young people under 35 and those worried about them. Call 0800 068 4141, text 88247, or visit https://www.papyrus-uk.org

• Childline – Free, confidential support for anyone under 19. Call 0800 1111 or visit https://www.childline.org.uk

• YoungMinds – Information and support for young people’s mental health and advice for parents and carers. Visit https://www.youngminds.org.uk

• NSPCC – Advice on online safety, safeguarding and protecting children. Visit https://www.nspcc.org.uk

• The Mix – Free support for under-25s covering mental health, relationships, work, housing and more. Visit https://www.themix.org.uk

If someone is in immediate danger or you believe a child or vulnerable adult is at immediate risk of serious harm, call 999.

It’s Probably Fine is the podcast where business leaders, experts and consultants share what really happens when things go wrong - and what we can all learn from the decisions made under pressure.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who enjoys thoughtful conversations about leadership, resilience and navigating an increasingly complex world.

visit https://inclusivechange.co.uk/probably-fine-podcast-page to apply to be a guest

visit decidr.live to find out more about Decid:R

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

Lucy and Jemma, founders of Decider Live, introduce their new podcast “It’s Probably Fine,” where business leaders and consultants share what happened when crises hit and decisions mattered. They discuss their backgrounds—Jemma’s work running Culture Gem in cybersecurity and her experience during the 2017 WannaCry outbreak, and Lucy’s change-management focus through Inclusive Change with expertise in neurodiversity plus many years in law enforcement, including customs and the National Crime Agency. They explain how Decid:R, a crisis resilience and decision-making simulation platform, grew from their early conversations and a first meeting marked by de-escalating an incident involving a homeless man and trainee hairdressers. They explore decision-making under uncertainty and reflect on fight/flight/freeze responses, and invite listeners to get in touch to share crisis stories, directing them to Decid:R Live for more information.

To apply to be a guest visit:  https://inclusivechange.co.uk/probably-fine-podcast-page

00:00 It’s Probably Fine Intro

00:50 Meet The Hosts

01:43 Lucy Loves Podcasting

03:14 Back To Episode One

04:27 Who Are You Really

06:11 Jemma Cybersecurity Journey

09:33 Lucy Change And Law

16:25 Why Start This Podcast

18:10 DecidR Origin Story

19:46 Harborside Haircut Crisis

24:01 Nicknames And Sausage Lady

27:40 Sausage Lady Nickname

28:29 Why Its Probably Fine

29:49 2020 Shop Opens Fast

32:58 Pandemic Decisions Evidence

35:33 Early Remote Work Prep

37:09 Toilet Roll Therapy Detour

38:48 Sales Pitch Or Stories

42:11 Fears Fight Flight Freeze

44:18 Personal Crisis Reactions

49:17 DecidR Team Dynamics

52:51 Wrap Up And Get In Touch

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

Every business owner has said it. "It'll probably be fine."

It's usually not fine.

Probably Fine is a podcast about real crisis stories from business owners and leaders. What actually went wrong. How decisions got made under pressure with incomplete information and no time to think. And what they'd tell their past self.

No frameworks. No polished hindsight. Just honest conversation about what leadership and decision-making actually look like when the unexpected happens.

Hosted by Lucy and Jemma, co-founders of Decidr Live - a decision-making and crisis resilience platform built for exactly these moments.

Find out more about DecidR at decidr.live

Apply to join us as a guest - https://inclusivechange.co.uk/probably-fine-podcast-page

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