Dare to be Different with Craig White

Mike Bates grew up in chaos - violence, instability and the deep belief that he wasn’t enough. That belief followed him through the military, into high-stakes leadership, and even across a solo Atlantic row.

In this episode, Mike shares how childhood trauma shaped his mindset, relationships and sense of identity, and what it took to finally let go of performance and prove nothing to no one.

We talk about the rope climb that changed his life, the cost of people-pleasing, and how Brazilian jiu-jitsu helped him discover real emotional strength.

You’ll hear about:

• Growing up without his dad and how that created a fear of abandonment
• Using performance as a way to earn love and worth
• His transformation from elite leadership to emotional depth
• Why leadership without inner work eventually breaks down
• How jiu-jitsu reveals who you really are when everything else is stripped away

This is a story about limits, letting go, and learning to lead yourself first.

Season 3 is proudly sponsored by Lightside Financial Planning - a fiercely independent, Liverpool-based firm focused on clear, human conversations about money. 

Find out more at https://lightsidefp.co.uk/

Wigan Warriors rugby league star and former Leeds Rhinos captain Kruise Leeming joins me for an honest, powerful conversation about leadership, loss, identity, and emotional growth.

At just eight years old, Kruise lost his dad and was immediately told he was now “the man of the house.” That moment shaped everything: his drive, his discipline, and his approach to sport and leadership. But as he opens up here, it also left scars.

We explore:

• The pressure of early responsibility
• The cost of performance-first leadership
• Owning past mistakes and letting go of guilt
• Reconnecting with faith, vulnerability and inner peace
• Becoming a better man — for himself and the people around him

Kruise speaks openly about the things he got wrong, the people he wishes he’d said sorry to, and how he’s learning to show up differently on and off the pitch.

This episode goes beyond sport. It’s about identity, masculinity, grief, and the courage it takes to slow down and change.

Show Notes

Kruise’s Journey into Manhood

• Losing his father at age 8
• Taking on responsibility too young
• Being told: “You’re the man of the house now”
• His mum’s role in keeping him disciplined

Sport as an Escape and a Mirror

• Finding rugby by chance
• Why individual sports weren’t enough
• Realising rugby gave him belonging and identity
• Feeling seen for the first time

The Drive to Succeed and What It Cost

• His obsession with performance
• Leadership at Leeds and the emotional disconnect
• How “winning” became a way to avoid feeling
• The relationships and moments he regrets missing

The Turning Point

• Grace (his partner) giving him permission to be vulnerable
• Starting to question: “Why does that trigger me?”
• Stepping into real masculinity, not performative strength

Faith, Reflection and Slowing Down

• Losing belief in God – and slowly finding it again
• How faith helps him see beauty in difference
• Letting go of judgement and control

Mentors, Father Figures and Role Models

• The influence of his grandad and Gaz Greenwood
• Learning discipline, respect, and how to carry yourself
• The power of being held to a high standard

Leadership, Identity and the Work Ahead

• Learning to lead without anger
• Understanding himself through CliftonStrengths
• Starting to feel free to be himself again at Wigan
• Looking ahead to life after rugby: speaking, coaching, and helping others

Season 3 is proudly sponsored by Lightside Financial Planning - a fiercely independent, Liverpool-based firm focused on clear, human conversations about money. 

Find out more at https://lightsidefp.co.uk/

Daniel Granger looked like he had it all.

A successful hairdresser. A public figure. TV appearances. A big personality. But behind the scenes? He was exhausted. Addicted. Broken.

In this raw and honest episode, Dan sits down with me to share the truth behind the mask. From childhood trauma and addiction to homelessness, suicide attempts and deep-rooted mistrust of men, this is a story about surviving, and eventually healing.

Dan talks about:

• Growing up in chaos and losing his dad at 8
• Finding safety in feminine spaces after being abused by the men in his life
• How fatherhood gave him purpose—but didn’t fix the pain
• What it really took to feel safe in his own skin: retreats, rituals, boxing, plant medicine
• And why he now shows up for other men the way he always wished someone had shown up for him

This isn’t a story about fame or business. It’s a story about what it takes to become the man you never had.

Show Notes

The Masks We Wear

• Why performing success left Dan feeling more alone than ever
• The moment he hit rock bottom and called Craig for help

Childhood Trauma & Safety in Femininity

•  Abuse, abandonment, and the death of his father at 8
•  Why Dan gravitated towards women and struggled to trust men

Homeless at 13 – Finding Tribe in Unlikely Places

•  Building a hut in a park
•  Taken in by a Christian men’s community that changed his life

Healing Through Brotherhood

•  Learning to feel safe around men through retreats and boxing
•  Grieving his father for the first time during a San Pedro ceremony

Becoming a Man You Actually Like

•  Letting go of addiction and old identities
•  The power of fatherhood, purpose, and helping others heal

Dan’s Mission Today

•  Creating safe spaces for men
•  Why his legacy won’t be built behind a salon chair, but in the hearts of the men he reaches

Season 3 is proudly sponsored by Lightside Financial Planning - a fiercely independent, Liverpool-based firm focused on clear, human conversations about money. 

Find out more at https://lightsidefp.co.uk/

Diego Sanchez was one of the top male models in the world — fronting major campaigns and living a life of global travel, status, and success.

But at 29, something cracked.

In this episode, I sit down with Diego to talk about the quiet breakdown that happened behind the success… and the journey that followed. 

From the catwalks of the fashion world to the forests of Uruguay, Diego now works as a somatic therapist and retreat leader helping others reconnect with their bodies and nervous systems.

We explore:

• Letting go of ego and external validation
• What happens when the body says no
• The life-changing moment Diego first discovered shiatsu
• Touch, trauma, and the power of nervous system work
• Why so many high performers feel hollow

Show Notes:

Life on the Catwalk

• What modelling gave him
• How success masked deeper disconnection

The Moment Everything Changed

• Turning 29 and hearing a word that cracked something open
• Why shiatsu marked the start of a new life

The Power of Touch

• How our nervous system holds emotion, memory and truth
• Why talk therapy alone isn't enough for real transformation

Grounding, Presence, and Somatic Wisdom

• What Diego teaches today through his retreats and 1:1 work
• How leaders can move from the head back into the body

A New Definition of Masculinity

• Leading from softness, not force
• Reclaiming power without the armour

Season 3 is proudly sponsored by Lightside Financial Planning - a fiercely independent, Liverpool-based firm focused on clear, human conversations about money. 

Find out more at https://lightsidefp.co.uk/

The diagnosis that changed everything: Keith McGuinnes on cancer, masculinity, and the power of receiving

What happens when a fit, healthy yoga teacher steeped in Eastern practices, meditation and spiritual growth is suddenly diagnosed with cancer?

In this episode, I sit down with Keith McGuinnes, founder of Awaken Intimacy and co-founder of The Open Institute, to explore how a life-threatening illness forced him to stop pushing, start receiving, and finally open to the deeper lessons of intimacy, vulnerability and connection.

We talk about:

• The shock of receiving a cancer diagnosis at 40
• Why he chose chemotherapy (even as a holistic health practitioner)
• How the experience broke his lone wolf mentality
• The power of receiving love
• What men are missing when they stay stuck in hyper-masculinity
• His work today helping men and couples reclaim intimacy, polarity and presence

This is a raw, real and powerful conversation about grief, grace, and growing up.

Show Notes

Keith’s Cancer Diagnosis

• What happened at age 40 and the symptoms he ignored
• Why chemo was the right choice (even as a long-time yogi)
• How the experience forced him to slow down, reflect, and receive

The Emotional Journey

• Grieving the years he couldn’t receive love
• Learning to express emotion and let people in
• How it shifted his relationship to his own body and energy

Masculinity, Polarity and Intimacy

• The trap of hyper-masculine giving and the strength in receiving
• Letting go of lone wolf energy in favour of connection
• Why true intimacy requires openness — not just strength

Post-Cancer Purpose

• Moving from survival to service
• Keith’s work through Awaken Intimacy and The Open Institute
• Building community, relational depth, and sacred spaces in modern life

Season 3 is proudly sponsored by Lightside Financial Planning - a fiercely independent, Liverpool-based firm focused on clear, human conversations about money. 

Find out more at https://lightsidefp.co.uk/

Why are so many men exhausted, disconnected, and running on empty — even when they look like they’ve got it all together?

In this episode, I sit down with Dr Emmet Byrne - a former Ireland rugby international turned men’s health doctor - to unpack what’s really going wrong with modern masculinity, medicine, and mental health.

We explore:

• Why the medical system is failing men
• The truth about testosterone decline (and why TRT isn’t a quick fix)
• The link between movement, strength, and emotional health
• Why we’ve normalised feeling average — and how to break out of it
• How to spot the signs you’re treating symptoms, not solving the root

From elite sport to holistic medicine, Emmet’s journey is proof that reinvention is possible, and necessary.

A must-listen for any man who wants to feel strong again. On the inside, and out.

Or watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qu96RkgMYq0

Show Notes

From Pro Rugby to Medicine

• How Emmet went from the Ireland jersey to medical school
• What rugby taught him about pressure, pain, and purpose
• Why performance delays but doesn’t erase inner struggles

The Medical System Isn’t Working

• Why most men are treated only when they’re broken
• The failure of the symptom-focused model
• How GPs are unequipped to deal with whole-person health

The Testosterone Crisis

• Why so many men are seeing their energy, drive, and mood collapse
• What’s causing low T and what isn’t
• When testosterone replacement can help… and when it can’t

Movement Is Medicine

• Why sedentary living is quietly wrecking men’s wellbeing
• The link between physical strength and emotional resilience
• What Emmet recommends for men over 35

A New Model for Men’s Health

• From functional medicine to full-spectrum care
• What men really need to thrive
• How OptiMan is trying to change the story

Season 3 is proudly sponsored by Lightside Financial Planning - a fiercely independent, Liverpool-based firm focused on clear, human conversations about money. 

Find out more at https://lightsidefp.co.uk/

Fresh off France’s Six Nations win, I sat down with my old mate Shaun Edwards for a rare, wide-ranging conversation.

This isn’t just an interview — it’s two lads from Wigan catching up after decades walking very different, but strangely parallel paths. Both of us came up through rugby, through hard graft and old-school values. But over time, we’ve both had to evolve. As coaches. As leaders. As men.

We talked about it all, from the early days and the systems that changed the game, to fear, fatherhood, grief, and what it means to lead with heart, not just tactics.

Shaun opened up in a way I don’t think many have heard before. And for me, this episode felt special.

We get into:
Why Shaun hates losing more than he loves winning
What fear can teach you and where it can fuck you
How he sees leadership and masculinity now
The shift from hardness to softness
Coaching at the highest level, and what really drives performance

If you’re interested in what makes a great coach, a great team, or just a good man, this one’s worth a listen.

The Making of a Competitor

• Growing up in Wigan, and early life lessons from his dad
• Why grief became a driving force
• The difference between rugby league and union — and what it taught him

Coaching with Fire

• The early years at Wasps and Wales
• Lessons from working with Gatland, Farrell and co
• What still motivates him after all these years

A Brother Beyond Rugby

• The early days of my friendship with Shaun
• What we’ve learned from each other and where our paths crossed again
• The moment he started embracing softness

Leadership that Lasts

• What players really need from a coach today
• The evolution of Shaun’s leadership style
• Why presence, empathy and intuition matter more than ever

Season 3 is proudly sponsored by Lightside Financial Planning - a fiercely independent, Liverpool-based firm focused on clear, human conversations about money. 

Find out more at https://lightsidefp.co.uk/

From the outside, Jeremy Bettle had it all — a high-profile career in elite sport, working with some of the world’s most successful athletes and organisations. But behind the scenes, he was running on empty.

In this episode, Jeremy shares the quiet crisis that brought him to a breaking point, and the path he took to rebuild a life rooted in presence, truth, and vitality.

We talk about:

• The cost of performing and pushing for too long
• Why success without meaning leads to burnout
• Letting go of identity and walking into the unknown
• The medicine in movement, men’s work, and Peru
• What it means to build a life from the inside out

This is a conversation about what happens when men stop chasing and start feeling — and the freedom that follows.

The Build-up to Burnout

• Jeremy’s rise through elite sport and performance coaching
• The moment he realised success wasn’t enough
• How professional ambition can become emotional suppression

Breaking the Pattern

• The physical and emotional signals he could no longer ignore
• Walking away from what looked like a dream job
• The fear and freedom of not knowing what’s next

Reconnection and Recovery

• Why movement, breathwork and brotherhood became vital
• Insights from ICONIC and the Peru men’s retreat
• Letting go of roles, pressure, and performance

A New Way of Living

• Learning to listen to the body
• Rebuilding from purpose, not pressure
• What high performers need to hear — and unlearn

Season 3 is proudly sponsored by Lightside Financial Planning - a fiercely independent, Liverpool-based firm focused on clear, human conversations about money. 

Find out more at https://lightsidefp.co.uk/

Movement is more than just physical. It’s emotional. Energetic. Transformational.

In this episode, I’m joined by my good friend and co-facilitator of the ICONIC program, Martin Bone. We explore the deeper meaning of movement and dance, not as performance, but as a powerful doorway back into the body.

For many men, especially those raised in the UK and Ireland, movement became linear - lifting weights, pushing harder, always doing. But in that, freedom, expression, and spontaneity got lost.

We talk about how reclaiming movement helped us both heal old wounds, reconnect with our emotions, and become better leaders, fathers, partners, and men.

This conversation is about breaking the stigma, getting over yourself, and remembering the body knows what to do... if you let it!

Show Notes

The Stigma Around Dance and Expression

• Why so many men freeze at the idea of dancing
• How childhood and culture taught us to suppress movement
• Craig and Martin’s early experiences with dance, shame and identity

Dance as a Doorway Back to the Body

• Movement as medicine for emotion, stress, and stuckness
• Why the body holds wisdom that the mind can’t access
• The link between dance, emotional release, and inner freedom

From Raves to Retreats

• The role of club culture and music in helping men reconnect with their bodies
• How early experiences with dance music created space for self-expression
• The transition from unconscious release to conscious embodiment

Why Movement Belongs in Men’s Work

• How the ICONIC retreat in Peru uses movement to create real transformation
• Why most men’s breakthroughs come through the body, not the mind
• Creating safe spaces where men can move, feel, express without being judged

How to Start

• Simple ways men can reconnect with movement and shake off years of stiffness
• The importance of containers, consistency, and community
• Letting go of the need to ‘know how’ and learning to trust the body again.

Season 3 is proudly sponsored by Lightside Financial Planning - a fiercely independent, Liverpool-based firm focused on clear, human conversations about money. 

Find out more at https://lightsidefp.co.uk/

Athletes talk about it like it’s magic. That moment when everything slows down, the game feels effortless, and they’re completely in the zone.

But what if flow state wasn’t random? What if you could access it on demand?

I sit down with Scott Ford—author, coach, and a pioneer in non-dual awareness in sport. He’s spent over 40 years teaching athletes how to enter and sustain flow states intentionally, rather than just hoping it happens.

What is Flow State in Sport?

• Why athletes describe being in the zone as effortless, timeless, and automatic
• The difference between flow happening by accident vs. accessing it on demand
• The key shift in focus and awareness that changes everything

How to Train for Flow

• Why “watching the ball” might actually be limiting your reactions
• The soft focus technique that allows you to see and react faster
• How to stop overthinking and let your body’s intelligence take over

Beyond Competition: The Non-Dual Approach

• Why traditional competition is dualistic (me vs. you) and how that affects performance
• How non-dual awareness allows athletes to co-create the game with their opponents
• Why playing in flow isn’t just about winning—it’s about playing at your highest level

Practical Applications for Coaches and Athletes

• How tennis, rugby, and even Navy SEALs have applied Scott’s work
• Simple drills to train focus, presence, and reaction time
• Why flow training is the next evolution in coaching and performance

Season 3 is proudly sponsored by Lightside Financial Planning - a fiercely independent, Liverpool-based firm focused on clear, human conversations about money. 

Find out more at https://lightsidefp.co.uk/