From Eating Disorders, Trauma & Addiction to High Performance | James Roffey

What does it take to rebuild yourself when life has completely broken you down?

In this powerful episode of The Talking Tradesman, I sit down with James Roffey, a high-performance mindset coach whose own journey through trauma, eating disorders, addiction, and mental health struggles has shaped the work he now does helping others transform their lives.

At just 17 years old, James developed an eating disorder that would consume more than a decade of his life. What started as anorexia eventually developed into bulimia, leading him down a path of self-destruction, poor mental health, and a battle to find his identity beyond the struggles he was facing. After years of recovery, self-development, and rebuilding his life from the ground up, James has gone on to coach business owners, leaders, and high-performing men to improve their mindset, health, and overall performance.  

This isn’t just a conversation about mental health.

It’s a conversation about what it means to be a man in today’s world.

We discuss the pressures men face, why so many suffer in silence, the impact of childhood experiences on adult behaviour, and why physical health, fitness, purpose, and accountability are often the foundations for improving mental wellbeing.

James shares his own lived experience of trauma, recovery, and resilience, whilst also drawing upon years of coaching experience working with men who are struggling with confidence, direction, stress, burnout, and self-worth. We explore the mindset shifts that create lasting change, why self-awareness is one of the most powerful skills you can develop, and how small daily habits can completely alter the trajectory of your life.

We also dive into practical strategies around performance, including fitness, nutrition, recovery, sleep optimisation, biohacking, and the use of technology to improve both physical and mental wellbeing. More importantly, we discuss how these principles can be applied in the real world, particularly within the construction industry, where long hours, physical demands, financial pressure, and poor mental health continue to affect thousands of tradespeople every day.

James explains how he has developed coaching programmes specifically designed for tradespeople, helping them improve their physical health, mindset, energy levels, productivity, and overall quality of life without unrealistic expectations or complicated routines.

This is an honest conversation about adversity, accountability, resilience, masculinity, personal growth, and what it really takes to become the best version of yourself.

In this episode we discuss:

• James’ battle with anorexia and bulimia

• Trauma, addiction, and mental health recovery

• The challenges facing men in modern society

• Why so many men struggle to ask for help

• Mindset, discipline, and personal responsibility

• Fitness and mental health

• High-performance coaching principles

• Self-awareness and emotional intelligence

• Biohacking, sleep, recovery, and productivity

• Building habits that create lasting change

• The unique challenges faced by tradespeople

• Improving physical and mental wellbeing in construction

Whether you’re a tradesperson, business owner, parent, or someone simply trying to improve their life, this episode is packed with practical insights, honest conversation, and valuable lessons from somebody who’s lived through the darkest moments and come out the other side.