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 ADHD diagnosis, imposter syndrome, self-worth, burnout, grief, suicide attempts, and the masks many men wear just to survive. He shares how losing his father, his relationship, his career structure, his identity, and his sense of belonging brought him to rock bottom, and how a single moment, a run, and one unexpected email helped him choose to keep going.

This is not a story about “fixing yourself.”

It’s about learning how to live with yourself.

If you’ve ever:

• Felt like you weren’t enough

• Lived with a relentless inner critic

• Been successful on the outside but empty inside

• Struggled to accept love, compliments, or rest

• Wondered if it’s possible to keep going

This conversation will stay with you.

00:00 – Introduction

01:21 – “You Alright Mate?” check-in

02:54 – Shiny objects vs investing in yourself

07:35 – Redefining success beyond money

12:30 – Loving your work… but hating yourself

16:13 – Creativity, kids & permission to try

22:14 – Childhood, belonging & emotional safety

28:51 – Rugby, leadership & fear of failure

32:58 – ADHD, masking & self-worth

40:20 – Parents, caregiving & inherited patterns

49:05 – Imposter syndrome & burnout

56:00 – Relationships, vulnerability & being seen

1:06:51 – Injury, grief & losing everything

1:18:42 – Suicide attempts & the pain beneath them

1:19:34 – The email that changed everything

1:28:56 – “You are the sky, everything else is weather”

1:35:50 – Learning to live with the inner critic

1:46:29 – Giving without needing anything back

1:53:29 – Silence, endurance & the meaning of “keep going”

2:08:20 – Advice for anyone feeling lost

2:12:27 – A life well lived

• ADHD & late diagnosis

• Imposter syndrome

• Masculinity & emotional literacy

• Suicide, grief & recovery

• Self-worth vs external success

• Receiving love & compliments

• Identity beyond achievement

• Why “keeping going” matters

🎧 LISTEN TO MORE DIFFERENT HATS EPISODES:

👉 https://www.different-hats.co.uk/podcast

🔗 Connect with Matt Cheney

https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattcheney1/

💡 If this episode resonated with you, please like, share, and comment. Your support helps us change the narrative around success and mental health.

Rivervale – https://www.rivervale.co.uk

Brown Bear Studios – https://www.brownbearstudio.co.uk

Carpenter Box – https://www.carpenterbox.com

🎙️ PRODUCED BY:

H2 Productions – https://h2productions.co.uk

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 about presence, fatherhood, friendship, legacy, and what success really means when the “big stuff” is stripped away.

If you or someone you love is navigating illness, grief, anxiety, or simply feeling overwhelmed by life, this episode is a reminder that connection, love, and meaning are the real measures of a life well lived.

00:00:02 Introduction

00:00:47 Gavin’s honest answer: “Life is pretty tough right now”

00:08:12 Hope as a lifeline in dark moments

00:08:47 The power of presence + “the greatest Christmas ever”

00:09:58 Was Gavin always present, or did cancer change that?

00:10:36 Work, busyness, and the struggle to switch off

00:13:50 Society’s pressure, productivity, and the “success” trap

00:15:03 Gavin’s old definition of success vs. what it became

00:24:26 Leadership lessons: helping others win

00:26:34 Giving, reciprocity, and building a “personal board of directors”

00:36:07 Teaching kids success before crisis forces the lesson

00:37:56 What really matters at the end of life

00:44:35 Curiosity, learning, and taking control where you can

00:45:13 Mindset tools: breathwork, gratitude, and community support

00:54:38 Why vulnerability is strength (and isolation makes it harder)

00:57:04 “That’s what makes you rich” — relationships as real wealth

00:59:17 Men, friendship, banter, and why community matters

01:01:02 Creating legacy: recording stories for his boys

01:05:49 The balance between hope and realism

01:07:33 Why we avoid talking about death (and what we miss)

01:09:52 Gavin’s diagnosis story: from stage 2 to stage 4

01:25:16 How Gavin keeps going after setbacks

01:25:39 Purpose, therapy, goals, and finding reasons to keep moving

01:35:32 The Open qualifier: “my biggest f*** you to cancer”

01:39:13 The example he’s setting for his children

01:42:22 The “A-grade letter” exercise + “Go brave”

01:55:19 Paying it forward: Wolo, awareness, and impact

01:57:57 Biggest life lessons: love, honesty, vulnerability, meaning

02:13:14 Closing words + “Go brave”

• Living with terminal cancer and staying human in it
• Hope vs. realism: holding both at the same time
• Presence, gratitude, and the small moments that become everything
• Friendship, banter, love, and why men need community
• Legacy: creating memories for your children while you still can
• Redefining success beyond money, status and achievement
• Gavin’s life tools: curiosity, journaling, breathwork, therapy, humour

Gavin is an executive search consultant with 20 years’ experience in financial markets. Since 2019 he has been living with melanoma, and following a stage 4 diagnosis, he has endured multiple treatments while continuing to show up for his family, his friends, and his purpose with honesty, humour and heart.

“Success now is hugging my boys… being present… love… connection… the simple stuff.”

Please like, subscribe, and share it with someone who needs a bit of hope today.

And if you’re going through something right now send the text. Ask the question.

Those three words can matter more than we realise.

🎧 LISTEN TO MORE DIFFERENT HATS EPISODES:

👉 https://www.different-hats.co.uk/podcast

🔗 Connect with Gavin O’Donoghue

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/odonoghue.gavin/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gavin-o-donoghue-12ba5312/

💡 If this episode resonated with you, please like, share, and comment below. Your support helps us spread this important message and change the narrative around success and mental health.

SPONSORED BY:

Rivervale

Brown Bear Studios

Carpenter Box

PRODUCED BY: H2 Productions: https://h2productions.co.uk/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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.

We explore how to move from command-and-control to self-managing, autonomous teams, how tiny experiments can transform culture, and why CEOs often save two days a week when they stop making every decision.

Jon also shares openly about his dangerous depression, how a 10-day silent retreat changed his relationship with his thoughts, the difference between having anger vs being angry, and why he now calls himself “buddish”.

This episode weaves perfectly into the You Alright Mate? mission and my Five Pillars of Success, especially Presence, Balance, Authenticity and Relationships and asks how we can equip both adults and kids to sit with their emotions in a world designed to distract us.

• How Jon went from hierarchy to rewilding organisations and self-managed teams
• Why autonomy at work can save leaders days each week (and create happier teams)
• Simple culture shifts: meetings, decisions & information sharing as leverage points
• Parenting, failure and letting our kids do what lights them up
• Jon’s story of clinical depression, SSRIs and finding mindfulness
• What really happens on a 10-day silent meditation retreat
• Thoughts vs emotions – and learning to notice rather than be owned by them
• Phones, tech, attention & why boredom might be a superpower
• Being “buddish”: Buddhist psychology, compassion & reducing suffering
• “This too shall pass” as a life toolkit – for the highs and the lows

00:00 – “You alright mate?” check-in & intro to Jon Barnes

06:15 – From traditional schooling to autonomy & a Costa Rica jungle school

15:30 – Discovering self-managed teams & a new kind of leadership

26:40 – What autonomy really looks like at work (and why CEOs gain 2 days a week)

36:20 – Culture change as small experiments & the power of atomic habits

45:05 – Rewilding organisations: the Knepp Estate metaphor & letting go of control

55:40 – Parenting, autonomy for kids & reframing failure as learning

1:05:30 – Meetings, decisions & information sharing as the heart of culture

1:15:00 – Hitting the wall: depression, burnout and calling in sick to life

1:27:30 – Inside a 10-day silent retreat: thoughts, emotions & the noisy mind

1:40:10 – Tech Monopolies, smartphones & the attention economy

1:50:20 – Teaching presence & emotional literacy to children

2:00:00 – Peak experiences, the lake moment & “this too shall pass”

2:10:10 – Being “buddish”: compassion, suffering & altered traits

2:22:50 – Top Table card question on boundaries & closing reflections

Jon Barnes is a culture-change consultant, facilitator and co-founder of Pala, helping organisations move from rigid hierarchies to more autonomous, human-centred ways of working. His work draws on ideas from rewilding, permaculture, mindfulness and Buddhist psychology, and he’s the author of books including Tech Monopolies. Jon describes himself as “buddish” not religious, but deeply influenced by Buddhist thought and the practice of mindfulness.

🎧 LISTEN TO MORE DIFFERENT HATS EPISODES:

👉 https://www.different-hats.co.uk/podcast

🔗 Connect with Jon Barnes

Website: https://teampala.co.uk/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jonbarnesdotme/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonbarnesdotme/

💡 If this episode resonated with you, please like, share, and comment below. Your support helps us spread this important message and change the narrative around success and mental health.

Rivervale – www.rivervale.co.uk

Brown Bear Studios – https://brownbearstudios.co.uk/

Carpenter Box – https://www.carpenterbox.com/

PRODUCED BY: H2 Productions – https://h2productions.co.uk/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 complex family dynamics, searching for male role models, and the challenges young boys face today in a world of algorithms, screens and identity confusion. He explores how social media shapes validation, why kids are outsourcing self-worth to strangers online, and what parents must do to help them reconnect to real life, real people, and real values.

He also shares how a 3-month period of radical change, running ultramarathons, rowing the Channel, and transforming his nutrition, completely shifted his mindset and taught him how to back himself when everything felt impossible.

We dive into:

• Success: health, wealth, wisdom
• Masculinity: raising boys, male role models & blended families
• Mental health: resilience, identity & future self thinking
• Leadership: calm in crisis, inspiring change, seeing opportunity
• Risk: starting Evolve during Covid, hitting £70 in the bank, rebuilding
• Childhood: class, trauma, intuition, grounding and learning
• Technology: AI, humanity & why people will always matter
• Personal growth: redefining how you want your story to go

Bruce’s story is emotional, practical, honest and incredibly useful for anyone navigating business, fatherhood, mental health or big life transitions.

00:00 – Introduction

03:17 – “You alright mate?” Bruce checks in

04:46 – Lessons from a tough year

06:54 – Success = health, wealth & wisdom

09:44 – Lifelong learning & curiosity

10:44 – Teenage Bruce: success, football & business

17:00 – Class, identity & bridging different worlds

20:42 – Male role models & blended families

24:32 – Masculinity & the Lost Boys

25:41 – Teens, rebellion & identity

31:31 – Social media & outsourcing validation

36:30 – Intrinsic vs extrinsic self-worth

41:04 – Early business exposure

46:04 – Sales, rejection & resilience

54:51 – Crisis, clarity & leadership

57:54 – What makes a true leader?

1:02:15 – Work Up & endurance challenges

1:07:51 – Nutrition & trusting his body

1:19:36 – Risk, money & resilience

1:23:03 – “There’s always another way”

1:31:03 – Building Evolve

1:35:49 – How we respond to life

1:47:00 – Future self vs current behaviour

2:00:40 – Advice to 16-year-old Bruce

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brucebignell

👉 https://www.different-hats.co.uk/podcast

Brown Bear Audio 👉 https://brownbearstudios.co.uk/

Carpenter Box 👉 https://www.carpenterbox.com/

Rivervale 👉 rivervale.co.uk

Produced by: H2 Productions  www.h2productions.co.uk

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 relentless belief. He opens up about anxiety, panic attacks, childhood trauma and the fear of embarrassment that silently shaped his drive.

He reveals the benefits and the cost of being “all in”: the emotional load, the mental space it consumed, the presence he lost at home, and why selling the company brought grief and joy.

This episode dives into:

• Panic attacks, anxiety and the roots of self-belief

• The fierce drive behind RocketMill, and the application behind “All in” mentality

• Culture, leadership and why behaviours matter more than values on a wall

• The emotional reality of selling a company, the euphoria and the grief

• Rebuilding identity, relationships and purpose after the exit

• Breathwork, emotional release and healing old wounds

• Why pride, integrity and community now matter more than ever

It’s raw, human, inspiring and full of lessons for anyone chasing big goals, navigating change, or trying to understand what success really means.

0:00 – Introduction

5:13 – “You alright mate?” — honest check-in

7:28 – Redefining success through purpose

9:04 – Success evolving through childhood → adulthood

17:27 – Ambition vs purpose

19:09 – What really drives Sam

21:11 – Upbringing, instability & resilience

27:05 – Fear of failure & self-belief

31:12 – Embarrassment, failure & reframing it

42:26 – Early career: Express, Daily Mail & culture

55:36 – The birth of RocketMill

1:00:00 – Betting the farm & starting from nothing

1:02:07 – “Are we all in?” — the RocketMill mentality

1:07:32 – Sacrifice: being there but not present

1:12:32 – Advice to founders: be braver

1:13:59 – Pushing the boulder uphill

1:26:17 – COVID: guaranteeing 200 jobs

1:28:50 – People-first culture in action

1:30:17 – Selling the company — everyone wins

1:39:31 – Euphoria & grief after the sale

1:50:00 – Breathwork, emotion & healing

1:51:26 – Community, Samaritans & purpose

2:00:45 – Seek pride in everything you do

2:02:34 – Storytelling card

2:05:26 – Closing reflections

A profound conversation for founders, leaders, parents, creators, anyone striving to succeed while staying grounded, healthy and human.

Brown Bear Audio – Elite podcast studio. 👉 https://brownbearstudios.co.uk/

Carpenter Box – Accountancy & advisory specialists. 👉 https://www.carpenterbox.com/

Rivervale – Making motoring manageable. 👉 rivervale.co.uk

Produced by: H2 Productions – h2productions.co.uk

👉 https://www.different-hats.co.uk/podcast

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

⚠️ 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 for his first ever deep mental-health interview, and it’s one of the most powerful conversations we’ve ever had.

Jason reveals the truth behind the success, the fame, the acting career, the public persona… and the hidden mental health battles he’s carried since childhood bullying at age 11.

For decades he lived behind an act, Batman on stage, Bond on film sets, Big Brother winner on TV, while secretly battling anxiety, PTSD, emotional shutdown, fear, avoidance, and a near-fatal mental health crash that left him planning to end his life.

In this raw, vulnerable conversation, Jason shares:

• How bullying shaped every part of his adult life
• Why he couldn’t walk into Tesco, but could walk into the Big Brother house
• How success became a mask, not a feeling
• His darkest moment… and the phone call that saved him
• Why men struggle to open up
• How we can change the narrative for our sons, friends, fathers and future generations

This episode is a must-watch for anyone interested in men’s mental health, resilience, trauma, identity, and redefining success beyond money, fame or status.

👉 https://www.different-hats.co.uk/podcast

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jasonburrill/

Brown Bear Studios - https://brownbearstudios.co.uk/

Carpenter Box - https://www.carpenterbox.com/

Rivervale – www.rivervale.co.uk

H2 Productions – https://h2productions.co.uk/

*If you’ve been affected by any of the topics in today’s episode, please reach out to local support services or find resources via Samaritans (UK) or equivalent helplines in your country.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 wealth or status, but as presence, purpose, and the courage to ask for help.

This finale brings together the highlights and trailers from Series 8 (Episodes 115–130).

• Success is a feeling of alignment, not a finish line
• Asking for help is a gift, to yourself and others
• Autonomy, Mastery, and Purpose are the real drivers of fulfilment
• Emotional education matters as much as academic achievement
• From darkness can come light, connection, and meaning
• The real measure of success? Presence over perfection

00:00 — Daniel Wilsher (E115) 

01:24 — Joel Lawton (E116) 

02:43 — Simon Chuter (E117) 

04:27 — Sam Adams  (E118)

05:55 — Asis Patel (E119) 

07:13 — Howie McConnell (E120) 

09:04 — Ashley Usiskin (E121) 

11:14 — Abi Mellor (E122) 

12:36 — David Eakins (E123) 

14:25 — Oly Newton (E124)

15:07 — Jon Kennett (E125) 

16:53 — Max Marshall (E126) 

19:17 — Dr Carlos Saba (E127) 

21:59 — Sarah Willingham (E128) 

23:21 — Jonathan Lea (E129) 

25:03 — Matthew White (E130) 

From the depths of despair to the light of discovery, Series 8 reminded us that success isn’t measured by wealth or fame, but by how deeply we live and love. Every story, every voice, every moment shared helps shift the narrative, one honest conversation at a time.

If this series moved you, share this episode with someone who needs it.

And if you’re struggling, remember: asking for help is strength, not weakness.

🎧 LISTEN TO MORE DIFFERENT HATS EPISODES:

👉 www.different-hats.co.uk/podcast

🔗 SPONSORED BY:

Search Seven — www.searchseven.co.uk

Nostos Hove — www.nostos-hove.co.uk

Rivervale — www.rivervale.co.uk

Plus X — https://www.plusxinnovation.com/

🎬 PRODUCED BY: H2 Productions

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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, and chemotherapy, and the profound lessons he’s learned along the way, about time, presence, gratitude, love, vulnerability, and what it really means to live.

Through his writing and advocacy, Matthew has become a voice for resilience and change, challenging stereotypes about masculinity, illness, and success. His words are raw, real, and profoundly moving.

Join Matthew and I was we explore themes of identity, perspective, vulnerability, fatherhood, curiosity, emotional literacy, and the courage to keep learning, no matter what life brings.

00:00 – Introduction

05:30 – Redefining success and identity after illness

10:00 – Living authentically vs. living society’s narrative

15:00 – The importance of curiosity, learning, and participation

20:00 – Finding joy in the small things

25:30 – The seizure, the scan, and hearing the words “It’s cancer”

33:00 – Family resilience and being home for Christmas

39:00 – Controlling the controllables

42:30 – Balancing hope and realism

45:00 – Documenting his journey to help others

49:00 – Processing trauma and finding control through learning

56:00 – “Don’t give up — it will get better”

1:03:00 – Building emotional intelligence through psychotherapy

1:10:00 – Finding his voice again

1:17:00 – The power of asking for help

1:23:00 – Creating a cocoon of support and redefining vulnerability

1:30:00 – Lessons from his children

1:38:00 – Rethinking time and what really matters

1:45:00 – The evolved version of Matthew White

1:48:00 – Perspective: what really matters each day

1:50:00 – The biggest lesson of all: never stop learning

1:52:00 – Messages for his wife and children

1:55:00 – Living in hope and staying one step ahead

👉 https://www.different-hats.co.uk/podcast

🔗 Connect with Matthew White

Instagram: @livingwithabraintumour

💡 If this episode resonated with you, please like, share, and comment below.

Your support helps us spread this important message and change the narrative around success and mental health.

Search Seven – www.searchseven.co.uk

Nostos Hove – www.nostos-hove.co.uk

Rivervale – www.rivervale.co.uk

Plus X – https://www.plusxinnovation.com/

🎥 PRODUCED BY: H2 Productions – https://h2productions.co.uk/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What does it really mean to speak your truth in a divided world?

In this powerful episode, I sit down with Jonathan Lea solicitor, entrepreneur, and founder of The Jonathan Lea Network, for an honest conversation about courage, conviction, and authenticity.

Jonathan opens up about growing his law firm, navigating controversy, and standing firm on his beliefs during one of the most polarising times in modern history. We talk about free speech, the fear of speaking out, and why honest debate, even when uncomfortable, is essential for personal and societal growth.

From lessons in leadership and fatherhood to the rise of AI in law, this episode is a masterclass in integrity, presence, and redefining success.

• Redefining success through courage and authenticity
• Free speech, emotional intelligence & healthy debate
• The impact of COVID, censorship & social media
• Leadership, balance & presence in fatherhood
• The future of law and AI’s role in human creativity

00:00 Introduction

03:21 “How do you define success?” – career, family, campaigning

10:16 Success as a feeling vs. milestones; surviving a tough market

25:50 Should debate be taught in schools?

27:00 Pandemic years: campaigning, reputation, and staying civil online

33:48 Values vs. opinions: can relationships survive big differences?

38:13 “Freedom movement,” Tommy Robinson, and division

41:38 Immigration, patriotism, compassion & policy

50:41 Who benefits? Foreign policy, media narratives, and nuance

1:07:31 Why Jonathan spoke out during COVID

1:10:05 Censorship, protests, platform bans & media framing

1:20:36 Did speaking out hurt business? (what actually happened)

1:26:38 Leadership vs. being anodyne; standing for something

1:28:35 Lockdowns, collateral harms & vaccine passports

1:31:41 Can opposing truths coexist?

1:36:02 How to speak up safely (regulators, sources, IHRA, AI checks)

1:43:35 How his firm uses AI (ChatGPT & Gemini) across legal work

1:55:23 Will AI replace lawyers? Where humans still add value

1:59:48 The next 5 years: tech, team, and growth mindset

2:06:02 New fatherhood, balance & presence

🎧 LISTEN TO MORE DIFFERENT HATS EPISODES:

👉 https://www.different-hats.co.uk/podcast

🔗 CONNECT WITH JONATHAN LEA:

Website: https://www.jonathanlea.net

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanlea/

Search Seven – www.searchseven.co.uk

Nostos Hove – www.nostos-hove.co.uk

Rivervale – www.rivervale.co.uk

Plus X – https://www.plusxinnovation.com

🎥 PRODUCED BY: H2 Productions

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 taught her about presence, happiness, and living fully.

✨ Her bold decision to take her four children out of school for three years to travel the world and why she calls it the best decision of her life.

✨ The challenges of entrepreneurship in hospitality, surviving Covid, and leading through tough times.

✨ Why she doesn’t believe in a career path but instead a life path building businesses and choices around lifestyle, values, and family.

✨ The lessons she’d tell her 20-year-old self (and why polishing basil leaves became her metaphor for life).

This raw and honest conversation shines a light on redefining success away from money, fame, or status, and instead towards balance, freedom, and presence.

If you’ve ever felt trapped by society’s blueprint for life, Sarah’s story will inspire you to carve your own path and embrace the beauty of just being.

⏱️ Chapters:

00:00 Defining success: freedom & presence

06:00 Curiosity, chaos & why Sarah loves variety

13:30 The flawed dictionary definition of success

17:00 Walking, nature & recalibrating from adrenaline

26:00 Diarising “nothing” & finding presence

28:30 Taking kids out of school to travel the world

39:00 Challenging the education system

53:00 Finding her “thing” in business

1:01:00 Entrepreneurship, resilience & the WHY

1:07:30 Surviving hospitality during Covid

1:10:30 Balance, chaos & polishing basil leaves

1:14:20 Advice to her 20-year-old self

1:17:00 What does a life well lived look like?

🎧 LISTEN TO MORE DIFFERENT HATS EPISODES:

👉 https://www.different-hats.co.uk/podcast

🔗 Connect with Sarah Willingham

Website: https://sarahwilligham.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahwillingham/

💡 If this episode resonated with you, please like, share, and comment below. Your support helps us spread this important message and change the narrative around success and mental health.

SPONSORED BY:

Preston Insurance: https://prestoninsurancebrokers.co.uk/ - Episode Sponsor

Search Seven www.searchseven.co.uk

Nostos Hove  www.nostos-hove.co.uk

Rivervale  www.rivervale.co.uk

Plus X https://www.plusxinnovation.com/

PRODUCED BY: H2 Productions: https://h2productions.co.uk/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.