Different Hats Podcast

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 forced him to accept support, he had to completely reframe what it meant to ask for help, and more importantly, receive it.

This episode is an invitation to rewrite outdated scripts around masculinity, vulnerability, and success. Ashley speaks openly about childhood grief, emotional suppression, the school system, and the profound impact of mentorship. Together, he and Sam reflect on the resilience of children, the need for emotional intelligence in education, and why helping others starts with giving them the chance to help you.

This isn’t just about healing. It’s about legacy. It’s about rewriting the rules so that future generations don’t have to unlearn them.

🎧 CHAPTERS & TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 | What Is Success?

00:39 | Childhood Trauma & Early Loss

01:16 | Cancer Diagnosis & The Gift of Help

04:33 | Redefining Success Through Connection

10:29 | Challenging Cultural Narratives

17:12 | Emotional Intelligence in Education

33:22 | Vulnerability and Masculinity

47:42 | Learning to Ask for Help

54:03 | Receiving Support with Gratitude

58:17 | Brotherhood and Shared Grief

1:05:03 | Facing Mortality: What Truly Matters

1:15:03 | Final Reflection: What Would You Tell Little You?

🎧 LISTEN TO MORE DIFFERENT HATS EPISODES:

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

🔗 Connect with Ashley Usiskin

Website: https://thegiftofhelp.org/

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

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

💡 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:

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.

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 his late ADHD diagnosis, his journey through a divorce, redundancy during COVID, and the moment he nearly took his life. But it's also a story of resilience, reinvention, and creativity. From running iconic Brighton clubs to founding 28th Street Media, Howie shares how creativity saved his life, how fatherhood fuels his purpose, and what it means to live authentically, with “peace in the chaos.”

Together we explore themes of masculinity, neurodiversity, emotional intelligence, and the power of being seen. This one’s not just for creatives or entrepreneurs, it’s for anyone navigating change, looking to heal, or wondering how to turn pain into purpose.

00:00 – From Darkness to Light: Howie’s rock bottom moment

03:04 – Defining Success: A triple-header view on peace, presence & parenthood

06:34 – Early Hustles, Millionaire Dreams & Fur-Covered Lighters

07:31 – School, Dyslexia & Creativity Suppressed

10:00 – What’s Broken in the Education System?

14:18 – Work Ethic, Essex Roots & Family Influence

16:20 – DJing, Honey Club & The Creative Scene

24:12 – The Origin of 28th Street Media

25:34 – Juggling Jobs, Redundancy & Survival

27:39 – COVID: The Worst and Best Time

31:24 – Health Wake-Up Call: From 20 Stone to Ultra-Marathons

33:05 – Midlife Awakening or ADHD Clarity?

39:46 – The Gift of Listening (Not Fixing)

43:52 – Late ADHD Diagnosis at 45

50:00 – Advice for Newly Diagnosed Adults

56:43 – Mental Health, Food Banks & The Knife Moment

58:48 – The Camera That Saved My Life

1:10:21 – Goal-Setting, Self-Motivation & Creative Grit

1:17:17 – Launching a Neurodivergent Clothing Line

1:21:15 – Being at Peace: Redefining Success through Contentment

Website: https://www.28thstreetmedia.co.uk

Instagram: @28thstreetmedia

LinkedIn: Howie McConnell

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

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

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

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

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 arranged marriage, and how that shaped his identity, masculinity, and artistic expression.

In a raw and heartfelt conversation, Asis shares the first time publicly about standing on the edge, literally and emotionally, contemplating suicide, and how that moment became a portal to transformation. We dive into themes of presence, purpose, emotional honesty, creativity, and how self-awareness, community, and storytelling saved his life.

This episode is a reminder that creativity isn’t just about art, it’s about survival, identity, and expression. Asis is living proof that our stories can be our salvation.

00:00 – The Spider-Man Within: A powerful definition of success

03:06 – Introducing Asis: Creative genius and storyteller

05:29 – Taking the Mask Off: Living in alignment with your truth

10:04 – Fulfilment through curiosity, creativity, and sensory living

13:28 – Childhood, creativity & searching for alternatives

17:36 – Asis opens up: Growing up without his biological father

25:17 – Shame, identity & the language we lack as children

28:46 – What Does It Mean to Be a Man?

30:04 – Dancing with the Feminine: Redefining masculinity

41:34 – The masculine and feminine in harmony

45:49 – Asis' stammer, bullying, and finding his voice

53:47 – From Stammering to Stand-up Comedy

1:03:40 – Finding peace with his biological father’s absence

1:17:34 – Creating a life beyond pain: Turning adversity into purpose

1:24:44 – Asis’ Mental Health Struggles: The moment everything changed

1:37:55 – Suicide did happen that day… but so did rebirth

1:47:32 – The Inner Child & Walt Disney dreams

1:48:52 – Final reflections & the gift of storytelling

🎧 LISTEN TO MORE DIFFERENT HATS EPISODES:

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

🔗 Connect with Asis Patel

Website: https://www.asispatel.com

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

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

💡 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:

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.

⚠️ 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 inspired.

Sam shares her raw, unfiltered story, growing up in a white, working-class area where being Black, gay, and female meant hiding her truth. From surviving childhood abuse, to the heartbreak of family rejection, a brain tumour diagnosis, and mental health struggles. Sam hit rock bottom and had planned to take her own life.

From a place of darkness, Sam turned to breathwork, discovering not just a tool for healing, but a lifeline. She now helps others shift from performance to presence, guiding them through deep emotional work that reconnects them with their truth.

This episode dives into the heart of what it means to redefine success, beyond status, wealth, or validation, and instead measure it through authenticity, emotional intelligence, and connection.

Whether you’ve felt lost, out of place, or like you’ve had to wear a mask just to survive, this conversation is for you.

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

Website: https://sam-adams.com

Instagram: @sam_adams_coach

LinkedIn: Sam Adams

💡 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

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

*If you have been affected by any of the content during this interview you can reach out to any of the below:

Samaritans - https://www.samaritans.org

My Black Dog - https://www.myblackdog.co/mental-health-charity

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.

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, what he describes as his personal Mariana Trench and Everest moments. From being diagnosed with bipolar disorder and surviving a suicide attempt, to mentoring startups and parenting with emotional presence, this is a conversation that doesn’t just inspire, it transforms.

This episode is a masterclass in emotional intelligence, the power of giving, and why redefining success is vital for our personal and collective wellbeing. Whether you're a founder, parent, educator, or simply a human navigating life's highs and lows, this one will stay with you.

🎧 Listen in for insights on:

• The danger of emotional suppression in boys
• Why autonomy, mastery & purpose matter more than money
• Healing fractured relationships
• Mentorship as a mental health lifeline
• How cricket, cuddles, and conversations keep us grounded

🎧 LISTEN TO MORE DIFFERENT HATS EPISODES:

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

🔗 Connect with Simon Chuter

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

💡 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:

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/

*If you have been affected by any of the content during this interview you can reach out to any of the below:

Samaritans - https://www.samaritans.org

My Black Dog - https://www.myblackdog.co/mental-health-charity

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

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 what are they really, and how can they help both your people and your bottom line?

Joined by three expert guests, Sarah May (HR strategist), Chris Barnard (finance guru), and Warren Keech (salary sacrifice specialist at RiverVale), this episode breaks down how salary sacrifice works, who it benefits, and how it can help build a purpose-driven culture that attracts and keeps top talent.

Packed with practical insights, real-world examples, and financial clarity, this conversation is a must-listen for business owners, HR leaders, and anyone navigating recruitment and retention in today’s challenging climate.

✅ Reduce payroll costs

✅ Support employee wellbeing

✅ Retain talent

✅ Promote sustainability

✅ Save money for your business

📌 KEY CHAPTERS

00:00 - Introduction

02:20 - Why Employees Feel Undervalued Today

04:00 - Wellbeing Beyond Wages: Gen Z Expectations

06:45 - Creating a Competitive Benefits Package

09:30 - The Hidden Cost of Losing a Team Member

11:00 - Culture, Trust & Retention

15:35 - What is Salary Sacrifice?

17:00 - Employer & Employee Tax Savings Explained

21:10 - Who Can Benefit from Salary Exchange?

23:00 - Pitfalls & Credit Considerations for Employers

25:20 - Electric vs Hybrid Cars: Tax & Sustainability

29:40 - Why Offering an EV Scheme Increases Retention

32:45 - The ESG & CSR Advantage

36:00 - Hire Purchase vs Business Lease Explained

41:00 - How to Introduce a Salary Exchange Scheme

44:20 - Answering Employee Concerns with Clarity

48:15 - Benefits Beyond Cars: Pensions, Health, and More

51:30 - Solo Directors & Tax-Efficient EV Strategies

53:05 - Final Takeaways: Pick n’ Mix Benefits That Work

🎧 LISTEN IF YOU WANT TO LEARN:

• How to save money through smart employee benefits
• The power of values-led retention strategies
• What salary sacrifice schemes actually mean
• How to offer EV car benefits without the risk
• The importance of wellbeing, trust & financial literacy in today’s job market

🔗 Brought to you in partnership with RiverVale

Find out more: https://www.rivervale.co.uk/

Connect with out experts:

Sarah May - https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-maydayhr/

https://www.maydayhr.com/

Chris Barnard - https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-barnard-b4642968/

https://www.collectiveconceptsaccounting.com/

🎬 Produced by H2 Productions

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

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 walk away and rebuild life and work on his own terms. Together, we dive into the emotional narratives men carry, the importance of self-worth beyond doing and providing, and how true presence can be one of the most underrated measures of success.

This conversation also touches on fatherhood, mental health, the challenges of hustle culture, emotional intelligence, men's groups, workplace culture, the education system, and how we can better equip younger generations to process emotions.

Expect raw honesty, actionable insights, and an inspiring message for anyone questioning their own version of success.

KEY CHAPTERS

00:00 — The Illusion of Success

03:00 — Joel’s Definition of Success

06:30 — Presence & Busyness

11:50 — Hustle Culture Pressure

17:40 — What Is Enough?

21:20 — Joel’s Early Life & Upbringing

25:00 — Self-Worth & Identity

32:00 — Emotional Intelligence & Holding Space

39:00 — Safe Spaces for Men

43:40 — Supporting the Next Generation

53:40 — Rethinking Education & Life Skills

58:30 — The Power of Human Connection

1:10:00 — Business Burnout & Transition

1:25:00 — Full-Body Yes Decisions

1:30:00 — Taking Responsibility for Change

1:33:00 — Living in Alignment

1:46:30 — Final Invitation: You Can Change It

🎧 LISTEN TO MORE DIFFERENT HATS EPISODES:

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

🔗 Connect with Joel Lawton

Website: https://www.inyourcorner.co/

Instagram: @_in_your_corner

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joel-lawton-3194aa9/

💡 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:

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.

⚠️ 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 up about his personal journey of childhood trauma after losing his father to suicide, his own mental health struggles, and the path that led him to dedicate his life to helping young people unlock their true potential.

From vulnerability, role models, emotional intelligence, to redefining success for young men, this episode is packed with raw honesty, profound insights, and real solutions that can change lives.

Whether you're a parent, teacher, leader, or someone struggling with your own mental health, this conversation is for you. It's about hope, healing, human connection, and taking action.

🌍 About This Episode:

In a world that’s telling young men to be stronger, richer, more dominant, Daniel offers a different path. His work through LivedX is equipping schools, parents, and communities to have brave conversations that empower boys to define their own version of success, rooted in emotional intelligence, connection, service, and self-awareness.

This is a masterclass in empathy, leadership, and the simple yet powerful truth: *sometimes all a young person needs is one adult to believe in them.

🎧 LISTEN TO MORE DIFFERENT HATS EPISODES:

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

🔗 Connect with Daniel Wilsher & LivedX

Website: https://livedxlearning.com 

Instagram: @danieljameswilsher 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-wilsher-448996168/

💡 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:

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/

*If you have been affected by any of the content during this interview you can reach out to any of the below:

Samaritans - https://www.samaritans.org

My Black Dog - https://www.myblackdog.co/mental-health-charity

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

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 honesty & vulnerability
• 🧠 Mental health, masculinity & identity
• 👣 Healing from trauma & rewriting your story
• 🧍‍♂️ Presence, purpose & soulful leadership
• ❤️ Redefining success beyond money or titles

What we learned?

Success isn’t what you have. It’s how you feel. It’s showing up fully, healing out loud, and choosing presence over performance.

If you missed an episode, or just want to revisit some of the most inspiring voices we’ve hosted, now’s the time.

👉 Catch up on Series 7 here 👉 https://youtu.be/D83ByTEq8vc

Thank you to every guest for your courage. And to every listener for helping us shape a better story.

Together, we’re helping the world see success differently.

🔔 Subscribe, comment, and join the journey to redefine success through real, human stories.

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: https://h2productions.co.uk/

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

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.

Andrew shares his harrowing experience of surviving a car accident that changed his life forever, and how he stayed silent about the emotional aftermath for over two decades. Now, he’s using his voice to help others find theirs.

Together, we explore:

💬 The silent crisis facing young men. and why suicide rates are still rising

🏉 The role of sport and father figures in shaping emotional awareness

💔 Andrew’s emotional journey from silence to telling his son "I love you" for the first time at age 22

👂 Why men don’t need fixing, they just need someone to listen

📣 How schools, sports clubs, and parents can create emotionally safe spaces

This is more than a conversation. It’s a call to action, to change how we talk to our boys, how we show up for one another, and how we redefine what strength really means.

If you're a parent, coach, teacher, leader, or someone on your own healing journey, this episode might just change the way you see the world.

00:00 – Introductions

04:10 – The Crisis in Men’s Mental Health: Where Do We Start?

08:25 – The Pressure of Modern Life and Climbing the Wrong Ladder

11:30 – Redefining Positive Masculinity in Schools and Sports

17:30 – The Power of Vulnerable Role Models

22:50 – Parental Pressure, Generational Trauma & Starting Conversations at Home

29:10 – The Moment Andrew Told His Son “I Love You”

35:20 – Academy Dropouts & Mental Health in Young Athletes

42:00 – How Parents Can Be Better Equipped Emotionally

47:15 – Creating a Culture That Celebrates Emotional Intelligence

55:00 – Breaking the Cycle: Speaking to His Own Parents for the First Time

1:02:30 – The Fear of Regret and Taking Your Own Advice

1:07:20 – Men’s Support Networks & Listening Without Judgement

1:13:50 – The Power of Hope, Safe Spaces & Prevention Over Cure

1:20:00 – Why Andrew Said Yes to The Traitors

1:26:30 – Behind the Fame: Finding Purpose Through Platform

1:38:50 – A Message to Young Andrew: Don’t Be So Hard on Yourself

1:45:00 – Redefining Success and Happiness: Final Reflection

🔔 Subscribe, comment, and join the journey to redefine success through real, human stories.

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: https://h2productions.co.uk/

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