The Sharon Francisco Show

What if getting older wasn’t something to fear… but something to design for? In this episode, Sharon sits down with Marcus Pearce — author, speaker, mentor, former journalist, and host of 100 Not Out — for a powerful conversation about longevity, purpose, courage, and creating an exceptional life at every age. Marcus shares why so many people quietly accept the belief that their best years are beh...

Why do humans care so much about what other people think? In this episode of The Human Experiment , Sharon unpacks one of the most human patterns of all: the way outside opinions can shape our confidence, choices, visibility, and self-expression. Even when we logically know we should back ourselves, something inside us still reacts to judgment, criticism, silence, or feeling left out. And there’s...

Why do humans hate the way they look on camera so much? In this episode of The Human Experiment , Sharon unpacks one of the strangest contradictions of modern life: we want growth, visibility, influence, and connection… but we often want all of it without the discomfort of being seen. This is not really about cameras. It is about identity, self-worth, fear of judgment, belonging, and the strange p...

Why Women Second Guess Themselves Even When They’re Brilliant Why do so many capable women still question themselves… even when they’re great at what they do? In this episode, Sharon unpacks something subtle but powerful: the way conditioning, culture, and long-held expectations shape how women show up in business. From meetings where a woman’s idea lands lightly until someone else repeats it, to...

What happens when life gives you a moment so powerful… you can’t go back to who you were before? In this deeply moving episode, Sharon sits down with Jessica Ritchie — award-winning brand strategist, keynote speaker, founder of the Transformational Brand Lab , seven-times internationally awarded author, and creator of the MARK methodology : Mindset, Authenticity, Resilience, and Kindness.  This co...

Let’s talk about fear. Not the big, obvious kind. The quiet kind. The kind that sounds like “I’ll do it later” “I just need to think about it a bit more” “Now’s probably not the right time” And it feels reasonable. In this episode, we unpack how fear doesn’t stop you in obvious ways. It shows up in small, everyday decisions and over time, those decisions shape your results more than anything else....

I read something recently that didn’t give me a big breakthrough… it made me uncomfortable. And sometimes that’s the stuff that actually changes things. In this episode, we unpack a powerful idea from Napoleon Hill’s Outwitting the Devil and how it shows up in business in a way most people don’t realise. Because the issue usually isn’t that you don’t know what to do. It’s that you’re not doing wha...

Let’s talk about video. Because the second someone says “you should be doing more video” something happens. You avoid it. You overthink it. Or you tell yourself you’ll get to it later… and don’t. In this episode, we unpack what’s actually going on underneath that resistance and why it has nothing to do with your ability and everything to do with how aware you suddenly become of yourself. Using rea...

Today Sharon is joined by Alex Alexandrou , General Manager of Reckon . Alex has been with Reckon for more than two decades, which means he’s seen the accounting and payroll software space evolve from desktop to cloud to AI — while staying close to the real-world challenges small business owners, bookkeepers, and accountants face every day. This conversation goes beyond software. It’s about leader...

Sales is happening all day, every day… whether you like it or not. Getting your partner on board. Getting your kids to listen. Asking for your money back on something you forgot to cancel. And then… you go to talk about your own services and suddenly it feels awkward. In this episode, we unpack why sales conversations can feel uncomfortable even when you know you’re good at what you do and how tha...

We spend so much of our lives trying to do things properly. Build the business. Stay organised. Be responsible. Keep everything moving. And somewhere in the middle of all of that… we forget to actually enjoy being alive. This episode was sparked by a book that stopped Sharon in her tracks and brought her back to something we don’t talk about enough: life is finite. Not in a heavy way. In a way tha...

There is something quietly shaping your business right now… and it’s not your pricing, your systems, or your team. It’s what you expect. Not what you say out loud. What you actually believe. In this episode, we unpack the 𝗣𝘆𝗴𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗘𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁… a powerful concept backed by decades of research that shows how people rise or fall to the level of expectation placed on them. Using two powerful studies — one...

What happens when a bookkeeper stops tolerating chaos… and starts backing herself? In this episode, Sharon sits down with Natasha Stadnikoff for a real conversation about growth, systems, confidence, client boundaries, and the mindset shift that changes everything. Natasha shares what was happening in her business before things started to shift, how reactive work was keeping her stuck, and what ch...

Have you ever hit that moment where you think, why isn’t this working? You’ve done the work. You’ve followed the process. You’ve put in the effort. And still… nothing. In this episode, Sharon unpacks why silence is not failure, why quiet results don’t mean you’re not good enough, and why business often asks for more refinement, more consistency, and more courage before momentum kicks in. Using a r...

This one might hit a little deeper. Because when things tighten… when clients slow down… when pressure builds… It’s easy to point to the economy. But what if the economy isn’t the problem? What if it’s simply showing you what was already there? In this episode, Sharon unpacks a powerful insight from The Road Less Stupid — and why pressure doesn’t break your business… it exposes it. Structure.  Mon...

Change rarely arrives suddenly. It usually starts quietly — a whisper, a nudge, a small signal that something isn’t quite right. Most of us ignore it. In this episode, Sharon shares the powerful idea of “The Road of Life” — how every warning shows up in stages: first the tap , then the four-by-two , and eventually the MACK truck if we keep ignoring what life is trying to tell us. Whether it’s in b...

Nearly 30 years ago I read a book that I still think about today:   Too Soon Old, Too Late Smart by Dr Gordon Livingston. One truth from that book has stayed with me ever since: “The person who cares least in a relationship holds the power.” At first that can sound cold… but it isn’t about not caring. It’s about needing . Because the moment you need an outcome too badly — in sales, business, or re...

What if success didn’t require you to be “on” all the time? In this episode, Sharon sits down with solicitor, author, and leadership mentor Midja Fisher for a big conversation about boundaries, energy, and building a life that actually feels good — while still doing exceptional work. Midja is the founder of the Legal Leadership Project , author of Unshakeable Confidence , Great Lawyer to Great Lea...

Have you ever noticed that as your business grows… things can start to feel lonelier? Not because you’re doing it wrong.  But because you’re wired a certain way. In this episode, Sharon explores Dunbar’s Number — the research by British anthropologist Robin Dunbar showing that humans can comfortably maintain around 150 meaningful relationships. Within that are layers: • 5 deeply bonded relationshi...

Your workspace isn’t neutral. It’s quietly influencing how you think, how you feel, and the version of yourself that shows up to make decisions every day. In this episode, Sharon unpacks why your environment — your office, home, and the spaces you spend time in — has a powerful impact on your nervous system, focus, confidence, and leadership. This isn’t mindset talk. It’s neuroscience and environm...

So many smart, capable, hardworking people build businesses…  and still feel exhausted, trapped, and way too dependent on themselves. In this episode, Sharon revisits one of the most influential business books of all time — The E-Myth Revisited by Michael E. Gerber — and unpacks why being good at your craft does not automatically mean you’ll build a business that supports your life. This conversat...

Most people aren’t stuck because they lack intelligence, motivation, or capability.  They’re stuck because their thinking is noisy, emotional, and circular. In this episode, Sharon breaks down one of the most widely used coaching frameworks in the world — the GROW Model — and shows why clarity is often the missing piece between good intentions and real follow-through. Introduced by Sir John Whitmo...

𝗪𝗲’𝘃𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗮𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘄𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝘃𝗼𝗶𝗱 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘁. To see it as a warning sign. A signal something’s wrong. But the truth is… 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗼𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄. In this episode, Sharon unpacks the difference between discomfort and trauma, why your brain clings to the familiar, and how small, deliberate discomforts build confidence, resilience, and momentum — without bur...

Belonging is a basic human need, yet so many women quietly armour up when they feel out of place. In this episode, Sharon shares personal experiences of not fitting in, what that taught her about self protection, and why the need to belong follows us everywhere, no matter our age, confidence, or success. In this episode we cover: • What really happens when women feel like they do not belong • Why...

Most people dread birthdays or quietly tolerate them. In this episode, we flip ageing on its head and talk about why getting older is a privilege, how perspective changes with age, and why staying engaged with life is a choice you get to make every year. In this episode we cover: Why birthdays are worth celebrating properly, every single year The best part of ageing: caring less what people think...