This week, I sit down with Paul Sutton, host of the Digital Download Podcast, a show about digital communications strategy, social media marketing, and the internet.

Each week, Paul discusses a specific area of digital media with an expert in their field.

Paul is also a vocal advocate of mental health awareness in the communications industry, and uses his own personal battle with mental illness to continue the discussion around this important topic.

I don't get people on; I address topics.

Paul talks about how he came to start his podcast, and why he didn't have any expectations of the show lasting beyond a season. He shares why some of his favourite episodes are the ones where his guests have a very contrary view of the communications industry.

Is Clubhouse a Replacement for Podcasting?

We also talk about why he wouldn't want to launch a podcast today. However, this isn't because he feels podcasting is being superseded by the likes of Clubhouse and Twitter Spaces - far from it.

Despite the millions of users making Clubhouse the latest darling of the tech world, Paul sees it as a short-term snack in the content ecosystem.

We are in an on-demand world. I can't imagine using that format once the novelty had worn off.

He cites the example of his friend in the UK who set an alarm for 3.00am in the morning, so she could hop on a Clubhouse chat in the US, and questions whether users will have that kind of dedication regularly.

Raising Awareness of Mental Health Issues in the Communications Industry

One thing Paul has been very vocal about in recent years is his own battles with mental health, and how much of a problem this is in the communications industry.

With so many communications professionals spending so much time on social media for their jobs, Paul discusses if that has an impact on mental wellness, including:

• whether social media impacts our mental health, or our mental health dictates our use of social media
• why he really left Facebook
• how scared he was about raising the topic of his own mental health battles
• what needs to be done to reduce mental health issues in high stress industries

Paul's own experience on this topic makes for some very open and personal insights into why there's still a problem, and what can be done to improve things.

That was a bad time, but I have grown as a person and in my life and I think that's a valuable thing to do.

Join us for a lively and insightful chat about the changing landscape of work, how it impacts our personal lives, and why even the darkest times can be a springboard for the lives we lead today.

Connect with Paul:

• The Digital Download Podcast
• Paul on Twitter

Contact me: [email protected]

My equipment:

• Electro-Voice RE320
• Focusrite Scarlett Solo 3rd Gen Audio Interface
• Denon DJ HP-1100 Over Ear Headphones
• Podcast Pro Boom Arm by Accu-Lite and O.C. White

Recommended resources:

• Captivate.fm
• Aweber email marketing
• SquadCast remote interviewing
• My Podcast Reviews

This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:

Podtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrp