A Circle of Men

CIRCLE OF MEN | EPISODE 1: OVERWHELM

Starting again. Losing your identity. Finding your purpose. And learning to talk.

What happens when the career you've built your identity around suddenly disappears?

In the first episode of Circle of Men, Arun opens up about the overwhelming reality of leaving the BBC after seven years. No regular paycheck, a new puppy, five businesses to build and one big question: will people still like me without the BBC brand behind me?

What follows is an honest, wide-ranging conversation about mental health, identity, resilience, ambition and the challenges of starting again.

We discuss:

• Leaving the BBC: Dealing with uncertainty, overwhelm and losing a professional identity.

• AI and human thinking: Is artificial intelligence making us smarter or simply making us lazier?

• Identity and grief: Why leaving a career can feel like losing part of yourself.

• Resilience: Is it about bouncing back or coming back stronger?

• Change vs transition: Why making a change isn't the same as mentally moving forward.

• Hustle culture: How much sacrifice does it really take to build a successful business?

• Burnout and recovery: Knowing when to push and when to slow down.

• Regrets: The things we would do differently if we had the chance again.

Joe shares his experiences of building a business through sacrifice, Dan explores the psychology of identity and resilience, while Arun reflects on what it means to start again and find a new direction.

We finish by asking a question many men will recognise: are we spending so much time building our lives that we're forgetting to actually live them?

This is what Circle of Men is all about. Real conversations, different perspectives and giving men the space to talk openly about the things that matter.

Sometimes the best therapy is three men, a microphone and an honest conversation.

IT'S GOOD TO TALK.

00:10 – Overwhelm & Leaving the BBC
00:48 – Dan's Podcast Journey
04:19 – The AI Debate
08:01 – Back to Overwhelm
17:27 – Identity & Grieving
19:00 – Resilience & Self-Care
27:05 – Transition vs Change
32:34 – Love the Journey
33:11 – Hustle Culture
39:57 – Distractions & Technology
51:44 – Reflections & Regrets

ABOUT CIRCLE OF MEN

Circle of Men is a men's mental health podcast built around one simple belief: it's good to talk.

Following its success on BBC radio, we're taking the conversation further, creating a space where men can speak honestly about mental health, relationships, work, fatherhood, identity, pressure and everything in between.

No lectures. No judgement. Just real men having real conversations.

Featuring: Arun, Dan and Joe.

Episode 2: Coming Friday 13th November.

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