Different Hats Podcast

What if the stories you've been telling yourself for years... simply aren't true? In this deeply moving and thought-provoking episode of the Different Hats Podcast, I sit down with RTT Hypnotherapist, Coach and Suicide Prevention Advocate Hema Patel for one of the most important conversations we've had on the show.  Together, we explore childhood trauma, emotional literacy, self-worth, people...

This week’s conversation honestly feels like one of the most important episodes I’ve ever recorded. Being released during Mental Health Awareness Week, I recently sat down with the incredible Rose Rowkins for a raw, honest and deeply powerful conversation about suicide prevention, emotional literacy, masculinity, parenting, modern pressure, hope, and the importance of human connecti...

👉  How much of life is actually a performance… and what does it really mean to be yourself? In this episode, I sit down with my good friend Craig Whiteley, West End performer, drama teacher, and someone who has experienced both the highs of standing ovations and the deeper lessons that come after. We explore the masks we wear, the roles we play, and the question so many of us avoid… 👉 ...

What if success isn’t something you achieve… but something you become? In this powerful episode of the Different Hats Podcast, I sit down with Volker Ballueder, coach, therapist, author, and host of  Stories of Success, for a deep conversation about what success really means in today’s world. After interviewing high performers and building a successful corporate career, Volker realised t...

We’re losing 84 men a week in the UK… And we’re still telling men not to feel. Something isn’t working. And we need to talk about it. In this solo episode of The Different Hats Podcast, I reflect on watching the manosphere and the growing influence of voices like Andrew Tate. But this isn’t about calling anyone out. It’s about asking a deeper question: Are we helping men… or hurting them? Because...

What changes in someone’s life when they start reconnecting with themselves? In this powerful return conversation, Marc Convey joins me for part two of his Different Hats journey, and this one goes even deeper. After our first conversation explored Marc’s extraordinary story of surviving a life-changing accident at 14, this episode focuses on what came next: leaving business behind, travelling in...

What happens when grief, creativity, masculinity and mental health collide? In this powerful episode of the  Different Hats Podcast , I sit down with the brilliant  Simon David Eden  for a deeply moving conversation about childhood trauma, creativity, suicide, emotional expression, education, and the healing power of storytelling. Simon shares his extraordinary journey growing up in...

What if the education system is failing the very children it’s meant to help? In this powerful episode of the  Different Hats Podcast , I sit down with former headteacher, educator and English Channel swimmer  Dr Hildi Mitchell  to explore a big question: If we could redesign the education system from scratch, what would it look like? Drawing on decades of experience inside schools,...

“I'm okay… but I’m not all right.” What happens when strong men finally answer that question honestly? In this game-changing episode, I sit down with  Paul Jukes, leader of The Outta Puff Daddies, to explore masculinity, mental health, joy, community… and the power of simply asking: You Alright Mate? Paul shares his deeply personal story of living through a mental health crisis in 2018, despi...

What does success really look like when life forces you to slow down? In this episode of the Different Hats Podcast, I sit down with founder and HERstory creator  Stephanie Prior  at a pivotal moment in her life, 33 weeks pregnant, scaling her business, and learning to let go of control. But this isn’t just a conversation about pregnancy or entrepreneurship. It’s about identity. It’s abo...

In this deeply honest episode, I sit down with  Laura Beddoe  (Soul Speaks) to talk about what happens  behind  the “successful” exterior, the stories we run in our heads, the pain we hide, and the moment you decide:  enough . Laura shares her journey from a chaotic childhood, people-pleasing and toxic relationships, to homelessness and standing on the edge… and the ...

In this powerful and deeply human conversation, I sit down with  Charlotte Ricca, performance psychologist, former journalist, sea swimmer, horse rider, and passionate advocate for emotional literacy, to explore what  success really means  when life feels overwhelming. This episode goes far beyond high performance. Charlotte shares candidly about: navigating burnout, anxiety, and pe...

I thought my 100th podcast episode was the start of my journey. I didn’t realise it would change everything. Recorded the day after my 47th birthday, this 18-minute solo episode reflects on the most transformative year of my life, not the easiest, not the most “successful,” but the most honest. A year of silence. Sobriety. Relationships changing shape. Asking for help. And finally facing the quest...

In this deep, thoughtful conversation, I am joined by entrepreneur, technologist and systems-thinker  Neil Witten  to explore what success  really  means, and why so many of us feel disconnected from the lives we’re building. Neil has spent years questioning the systems we’re told to follow in  education, work, entrepreneurship and culture, and asking a more human question...

What happens when you’ve done everything “right”… but still feel  worthless, lost, and exhausted by your own mind ? In this deeply honest and moving episode of the  Different Hats Podcast , I sit down with  Matt Cheney, creative producer, storyteller, and someone who has quietly fought one of the hardest battles of all:  the one inside his own head . Matt opens up about late AD...

What happens when life forces you to face the one thing most of us avoid thinking about? In this deeply honest and moving episode, I sit down with  Gavin O’Donoghue , who shares his journey living with  stage 4 metastatic melanoma , the reality of a terminal diagnosis, and the mindset shifts that have helped him keep showing up with hope, humour and heart. This is a powerful conversation...

What if the secret to better business, better parenting and better mental health was… letting go of control? In this powerful, reflective conversation, I sit down with culture-change consultant and “buddish” thinker  Jon Barnes (Pala) to talk about  rewilding organisations, autonomy, depression, silent retreats, parenting, Buddhism, phones, presence and what it really means to be human ....

In this powerful episode, entrepreneur and endurance athlete  Bruce Bignell  joins me to share an honest, inspiring and deeply reflective journey, from childhood trauma and blended family life, to building a tech business, redefining leadership, and becoming the kind of man his younger self needed. Bruce opens up about growing up between private school and state school, navigating comple...

What does success really look like once you’ve “made it”? In this powerful conversation, I sit down with entrepreneur and former RocketMill CEO  Sam Garrity  for a deep and emotional exploration of ambition, success, fear, leadership, culture, mental health and reinvention. Sam shares how RocketMill grew from a Yellow Pages idea to a high-growth agency, built on people-first culture and...

⚠️ Warning ⚠️ This episode contains content that may be alarming to some listeners. We do talk about suicide which we know can be distressing. What happens when the “good guy” from Big Brother – the man who seemed confident, calm, and collected – finally removes the mask? In the opening episode of  Series 9 , filmed at our incredible new home  Brown Bear Studios , Jason Burrill sits down...

Series 8 has been one of the most powerful yet, a season of raw honesty, deep reflection, and inspiring resilience. Across sixteen extraordinary conversations, we’ve explored what it truly means to live, love, and lead with authenticity. From suicidal ideation to self-acceptance, childhood loss to creative rebirth, OCD to bipolar, miscarriage to motherhood, each story redefined success not as weal...

At 39, Matthew White’s world changed overnight. A seizure on the football pitch led to a devastating diagnosis, an extensive, incurable brain tumour. In this deeply emotional  Different Hats  Series 8 finale, Matthew shares his journey of survival, hope, and redefining success in the face of uncertainty. He opens up about the physical and emotional battles of brain surgery, radiotherapy,...

What does true success really mean? In this inspiring conversation, I sit down with  Sarah Willingham, entrepreneur, investor, former Dragon on BBC’s  Dragons’ Den , and co-owner of the Brighton i360. Sarah opens up about: ✨ Why she believes  success is freedom, the ability to meander through life on your own terms. ✨ The heartbreaking loss of her soulmate during Covid and what he...

What does it really mean to live a successful life? Is success about achievements, wealth, or status or is it something much deeper? In this powerful episode of the  Different Hats Podcast , I sit down with my good friend  Dr. Carlos Saba , co-founder of The Happy Startup School. Carlos shares his journey from chasing external markers of success to redefining it as a feeling of  ali...

What if schools prepared young people not just to  pass exams , but to  live fulfilled, resilient, and happy lives ? In this inspiring conversation, I sit down with  Max Marshall , a former teacher who left the classroom after 10 years to disrupt an outdated education system. Max now champions a vision for schools that prioritise  emotional intelligence, resilience, and self-co...