Man Up / Man Down

In this episode of "Man Up, Man Down," Volker and David discuss with Anita, a mental health strategist, the challenges facing men in society, particularly focusing on the construction industry and the barriers to mental health support for men. Anita shares insights into the high suicide rates among men, especially in male-dominated industries like construction, where the risk is significantly high...

In this "Man Up / Man Down" podcast, hosts David Pawsey and Volker Ballueder are joined by James Marriott, who works in radio and media and edits the podcast. This episode dives into the experiences and insights from James's life, especially focusing on his journey around mindfulness, alcohol use, and personal growth. James shares his recent decision to buy a house and the financial commitments th...

In the latest episode of "Man Up / Man Down", we welcome Dr. Luke Pratsides, a prominent NHS GP from East London and head of medical at Numan, the UK's leading men's health brand. Dr. Pratsides is an expert in men's health, particularly in areas like sexual dysfunction, hormones, and weight management, and has a broad experience in hospital medicine, including trauma, orthopaedics, ophthalmology,...

In this episode of "Man Up/ Man Down," hosts David and Volker engage in a conversation with Yaron Engler, the founder of On Being Men. On Being Men is a programme designed for men who feel lost, lacking purpose, and struggle with negative self-talk, judgment, and a lack of intimacy and connection in their lives. Yaron's ninety-day program is not just about personal development in the traditional s...

In the latest episode of "Man Up / Man Down," hosts David Pawsey and Volker Ballueder interview Richard Crick, the head of Man V Fat Football, a programme that supports men in their weight loss and health goals through football. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the initiative, which combines the love of the sport with a structured weight loss program. Richard shares insights into the origin...

In this episode of Man Up / Man Down, hosts David and Volker interview Katie Maycock, the founder of Get Your Shit Together, which offers bespoke well-being strategies focusing on sustainable performance. Katie discusses the importance of addressing stress and burnout, particularly in middle-aged men, a group that often reaches a point of reflection on their well-being due to life pressures and th...

In this episode of "Man Up, Man Down," David and Volker talk to Berny Auton from A Band of Brothers. A Band of Brothers is an organisation that mentors young men involved with or at risk of involvement in the criminal justice system. We discuss the organisation's aim to support these young men in finding a purposeful and responsible life path. Founded in 2009, the organisation assists those who've...

In this episode of "Man Up/Man Down," hosts David and Volker interview Stuart Wallis, an associate director at Mace, a global construction and consultancy company. Stuart shares his involvement with the Lions Barber Collective (LBC), a charity aiming to reduce male suicide rates, particularly in the construction industry, where the suicide rate is alarmingly high. Stuart discusses the creation of...

In this episode of "Man Up Man Down," hosts David and Volker welcome Roderick Lambert, who specialises in helping midlifers lose weight and regain metabolic health. Roderick shares his personal journey of struggling with obesity for 15 years until a doctor's warning prompted him to delve into nutrition and fitness, leading him to not only lose over 20 kilograms in six months but maintain it. Roder...

In this episode of the "Man Up / Man Down” podcast, hosted by Volker Ballueder and David Pawsey, guest Jerry Colonna, a leading executive coach, and CEO of Reboot, shares profound insights into midlife, personal growth, and finding purpose. Jerry, known for his experience as a venture capitalist turned coach, discusses his journey through midlife, emphasising the importance of confronting inner tu...

This solo/duo episode of Man up / Man down starts with a light-hearted banter between David and Volker, touching on personal anecdotes about local egg deliveries, dietary preferences, and their affinity for supporting local businesses. The chat meanders through personal histories, including living arrangements in London, reflections on commuting experiences, and transitions to more rural living fo...

In this episode of "Man Up / Man Down," Tyler Slade shares his transformative journey from experiencing suicidal thoughts to becoming a mentor and guide in mental and physical health. He emphasises the importance of combining vulnerability with proactive action for mental well-being. Tyler's approach is grounded in the principles of community support, curiosity, courage, and consistent effort. He...

In this episode of Man Up Man Down, David and Volker host Glen Beamson, the Chief Technology Sponsor at Welldoing, a platform that matches individuals with the right therapist or coach. Welldoing, known for its support of mental health and self-improvement, has been a long-time supporter of the podcast. Glen, with a background in helping start-ups scale through technology and experience in big tec...

James Wilson AKA The Sleep Geek is the host of the podcast taking the stress out of sleep. He founded his company kipmate, to help people understand their sleep better, and understand which tips and tools to try to get the best kip possible. He work with organisations, sports teams and individuals delivering seminars, drop in sessions and kipmate has sort your kip, its digital tool. He has worked...

In this podcast episode, host Volker and David, welcomed guest Ralph Montague. Ralph is a longevity coach and founder of the Longevity Clinic. Ralph discussed his work in the anti-ageing industry, a near-death experience, and his evolution into writing self-help books, which gives advice on how we can live longer, with better health. Ralph recounts a traumatic incident where he was attacked i...

In this podcast episode, David and Volker engage in a candid and wide-ranging discussion about personal habits, productivity, and the challenges of maintaining New Year's resolutions. The conversation starts with the struggle to maintain New Year's resolutions and the importance of setting realistic goals. David shares insights into his approach of setting goals rather than resolutions, emphasisin...

In this podcast episode of "Man Up / Man Down," Charlie Hoare, an executive coach and author, discusses his personal journey dealing with anxiety and depression, which inspired his book on male mental health. Charlie talks about how our parents’ generation had a very different upbringing, with the mantra of “a stiff upper lip” and not really expressing their emotions. Despite having a close, lovin...

This podcast episode of "Man Up / Man Down" features Chris Stein, the interim CEO of Father's Development Foundation and Director of Marketing, Fundraising, and Communications at Future Men. Chris has nearly two decades of experience working with at-risk youth, young offenders, expectant fathers, and in the field of men's mental health. The conversation delves into the changing landscape of men's...

Ian Sanders runs his storytelling, coaching and creativity/ work life design business. He’s the author of five books on working life including his latest, 365 Ways To Have a Good Day . Ian is resolutely independent, curious, open-minded, and rebel-spirited, and that’s led to a pretty unconventional career. It’s also given him a unique perspective on what makes people and organisations tick. His cu...

Caroline Williams is a medical journalist, who has written for a range of mainstream publications and medical journals, including The Atlantic, the BBC, The Boston Globe, The Guardian, New Scientist and The New York Times. She is also author of Move!: The New Science of Body Over Mind . However, David discovered Caroline after reading her article for the New Scientist, What’s behind the recent exp...

This is the second part of our live recording, which took place in Brighton at the end of November. Our panel included Louise Chunn, CEO of our sponsor Welldoing, Stewart Cumming, head of operations at Dad La Soul and Mick Rigby, CEO of Yodel Mobile (who recorded a great episode with us in the first season, discussing his dyslexia and ADHD diagnosis in his 50s). We weren’t expecting so much engage...

Christmas special: LIVE recording part one – a roundtable discussion on what it means to be a man in 2023/24 This special episode is the first part of our live recording, which took place in Brighton at the end of November. Our panel included Louise Chunn, CEO of our sponsor Welldoing, Stewart Cumming, head of operations at Dad La Soul and Mick Rigby, CEO of Yodel Mobile (who recorded a great epis...

Another first for Man Up / Man Down. Our first returning guest. Andy Delderfield runs the Alcohol Free Runners Facebook community and also coaches those interested in the alcohol-free lifestyle, but need one-to-one support . Andy came on the podcast last year to tell is about his amazing transformation from booze-guzzling rugby fanatic to alcohol-free (4 years and counting), vegan, ultra runner. S...

After 20 years in advertising agencies working with lots of well known, and highly demanding, brands, Andrew suffered severe burnout. Andrew re-found his direction and purpose in life through therapy and coaching. This resulted in him leaving the corporate world, taking a Masters in Organisational Psychology and qualifying as an Associate Certified Coach with the ICF. From there he set up The...

Stuart is someone that David has known for more than a decade. They met when David joined East Grinstead Triathlon and Stuart was membership secretary. At the start of the training season, the club offers a series of talks on how to improve performances. During David’s first season Stuart delivered a talk on how your mindset can impact your performance. For example, Stuart described a situation wh...