Different Hats Podcast

⚠️ Warning ⚠️ This episode contains content that may be alarming to some listeners. We do talk about suicide which we know can be distressing. In this powerful episode, I sit down with  Jon Kennett , agency director, family man, and someone who’s lived through the highs of ambition and the lows of loss. Jon opens up about how his  definition of success  has shifted over the years fr...

At just 21, Oly Newton’s world was turned upside down. After surviving a severe mental health crisis and living for years with the daily challenges of  Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) , he channelled his pain into purpose, becoming a speaker, advocate, and founder of  LightsOnXP , a human-centred workplace wellbeing platform shaped by lived experience. In this powerful conversation,...

⚠️ Warning ⚠️ This episode contains content that may be alarming to some listeners. We do talk about suicide which we know can be distressing. At 38, David Eakins was moments away from ending his life on a railway bridge. On the outside, everything looked perfect, a great career, loving family, and strong friendships. But inside, David was silently drowning. In this deeply moving and honest conver...

In this heartfelt episode, I sit down with  Abi Mellor , co-founder of award-winning creative agency  MOREVER , for a raw and powerful conversation about success, leadership, loss, and living a values-led life. Abi opens up about her journey through motherhood, miscarriage, burnout, and business, sharing how she navigates these deeply personal experiences while leading impactful storytel...

In this powerful and deeply human conversation, Sam sits down with Ashley Usiskin, coach, speaker, and founder of  The Gift of Help, to explore what true strength looks like in a world that often rewards silence and independence. Ashley opens up about losing his mum at age five and how that loss hardwired him to become emotionally self-sufficient. But when a life-threatening cancer diagnosis...

Howie McConnell has lived many lives: club promoter, DJ, designer, car salesman, creative founder, and a man who faced the darkest moment of his life and found the courage to rebuild. ⚠️ Warning ⚠️ This episode contains content that may be alarming to some listeners. We do talk about suicide which we know can be distressing. In this deeply honest and inspiring conversation, Howie opens up about hi...

“ Success is when you can take the mask off… and be Spider-Man and Peter Parker at the same time.” In one of the most vulnerable, profound, and creatively powerful episodes of Different Hats to date, Sam sits down with illustrator, storyteller, and creative genius Asis Patel. Asis opens up about his journey growing up without his biological father, the bold decision his mother made to leave an arr...

“You can’t breathe through what you’re not willing to feel.” ⚠️ Warning ⚠️ This episode contains content that may be alarming to some listeners. We do talk about suicide which we know can be distressing. In this powerful episode, I sit down with transformational life coach and breathwork practitioner  Sam Adams , whose remarkable journey from trauma to truth will leave you deeply moved and in...

⚠️ Warning ⚠️ This episode contains content that may be alarming to some listeners. We do talk about suicide which we know can be distressing. In this deeply moving episode of the Different Hats Podcast, I sit down with purpose-led mentor and scale-up strategist Simon Chuter for an unfiltered conversation about mental health, masculinity, and meaning. Simon shares his journey through the extremes,...

In this special  Unplugged  edition of the Different Hats Podcast, I dive into one of the most urgent questions facing UK business owners in 2025:  How do you retain great people without breaking the bank? Amid soaring employment costs and rising redundancies, smart business leaders are exploring creative solutions. One powerful tool?  Salary sacrifice car schemes.  But wh...

In this deeply honest and vulnerable conversation, I sit down with Joel Lawton, entrepreneur, coach, and founder of In Your Corner, to explore what it  really  means to redefine success and live in full alignment with your true self. Joel shares his powerful personal journey: building a multi-million-pound business, navigating burnout, and ultimately making the courageous decision to wal...

⚠️ Warning ⚠️ This episode contains content that may be alarming to some listeners. We do talk about suicide which we know can be distressing. 🎙️ Welcome to Series 8 of the Different Hats Podcast! In this deeply powerful and emotional conversation, Daniel Wilsher shares his mission to change the narrative around young men, masculinity, mental health, and the broken education system. Daniel opens u...

From CEOs and coaches to trauma survivors, storytellers, and change makers, Series 7 of the  Different Hats Podcast  was a powerful reminder that success isn’t always what it seems. Across 15 episodes, our guests didn’t just share their highlights, they shared their hearts. Series 7 also included the very special 100th milestone episode. Together, we explored themes of: 💬 Emotional hone...

What does it truly mean to be a man today? And how do we raise boys to grow into emotionally intelligent, resilient men? In this profoundly moving episode of the Different Hats Podcast, I sit down with  Andrew Jenkins, mental health advocate, speaker, and breakout voice from BBC’s The Traitors —for a conversation that cuts to the core of masculinity, trauma, and the power of vulnerability. An...

“Doing everything is hard. Doing nothing is hard. So choose your hard.” – Tom George At just 12 years old, Tom George launched his first business with a stack of flyers and a borrowed lawnmower. By 27, he had paid off his parents’ mortgage. In this raw, inspiring and deeply honest episode of the  Different Hats Podcast , Tom shares his journey from a turbulent childhood, through early entrepr...

In this deeply honest and empowering episode with the brilliant Marina Lazaris, we dive into how modern men (and women) can reconnect with authentic love, real confidence, and emotional success, beyond the fake measures of status, wealth, or appearance. This is a powerful conversation about redefining masculinity, rewriting success, and reconnecting with who we really are. Full of raw insights, pr...

What if everything you thought success looked like... wasn't the thing at all? In this emotional, wise, and deeply human episode, I sit down with Norman Mayhew, entrepreneur, mentor, and founder of The Sussex Sign Company, for a conversation that is as raw as it is inspiring. From growing up in poverty and dealing with childhood trauma, to building a million-pound business and learning how to defi...

In this powerful and deeply personal episode of the Different Hats Podcast, I sit down with Dr. Susanna Petche, a GP, trauma specialist, and CPTSD survivor, for one of the most open, vulnerable, and important conversations I’ve ever had on the show. Susanna shares her lived experience of sexual trauma, misdiagnosis, and the long road to healing. We talk honestly about what it means to be trauma-in...

In this profoundly moving episode of the  Different Hats Podcast , I sit down with my dear friend and storytelling collaborator,  Terry Bower , for a conversation that will stay with you long after the final word is spoken. Terry isn’t just a storyteller—he’s a soul who has lived through unimaginable loss, and yet radiates empathy, humour, and wisdom. In this raw and emotionally honest e...

What if the very definition of success you’ve been chasing isn’t really yours? In this raw, powerful episode, Sam sits down with Kevan Smith — storyteller, creative strategist, and co-founder of Brighton United — to explore how grit, resilience, and community can transform how we live, work, and lead. From growing up on a self-sufficient farm in rural Arkansas to building an award-winning creative...

What if redefining success starts with showing up for yourself first? In this powerful and deeply personal episode, I sit down with the incredible Sophie Bryan – workplace culture specialist, TEDx speaker, burlesque performer, sex conversationalist, and unfiltered truth-teller – to unpack a life shaped by trauma, resilience, and radical self-discovery. From surviving childhood illness and navigati...

What if you could live a life with no regrets? What if success wasn’t measured by money, fame, or external validation, but by how present you are in each moment? In this powerful and deeply personal conversation,  Yaron Engler  returns to the Different Hats Podcast for the first time as a  two-time guest , and it’s nothing short of transformational. 🔥 We dive deep into: ✅  De...

In this incredibly raw and uplifting conversation, our guest Michelle Barrett pulls back the curtain on her remarkable journey—from a turbulent childhood marked by trauma and uncertainty to forging a thriving career in TV costume design, and ultimately finding true fulfilment as a personal stylist and YouTube creator. Michelle shares candid details of growing up with an alcoholic parent, navigatin...

Ready to redefine success from the inside out? In this thought-provoking episode, we explore the transformative power of  self-love ,  intuition , and  leading with soul —all while navigating an ever-evolving, AI-driven world. Our special guest, author of  Balance  and  Leading with Soul , Marina Fernández Julian shares how losing a dear friend—and nearly losing herse...

Ready to discover what it really takes to bring a game-changing idea to life—especially one that transforms an entire community’s relationship with the sea? In this episode, I sit down with Ross Gilbert, the visionary behind Brighton’s iconic Sea Lanes. From wrestling with never-ending planning hurdles (hello, storm drains!) to managing the pressure of big builds and bigger budgets, Ross shares an...