The Just Checking In Podcast

In this episode of Behind The Decks we checked in with producer and DJ, Balthazard. Marco was born and raised in Switzerland but is based in London at time of recording, after moving to the city two years ago.Marco’s career debut started as a live drummer and he toured across the globe including countries like the USA, China and Dubai. After being behind the decks at main events in Switzerland and London, collaborations with brands like Michael Kors and Versace brought Balthazard to Paris and now London to play and record music. In this episode we discuss his journey in music and why he made the move to London two years ago with his best friend Jonathan. For issues in the industry, we discuss the isolation of studio time, as well as the pressure he feels to have to be a ‘jack of all trades’ in the music industry.For Marco’s mental health, we discuss the impact his parents separation had on him, self-development, growth and the influence his mother had on him in going on his journey of self-development from a young child. We also discuss the mental health impact of moving to London and the isolation that he has felt at times since living in the capital, homesickness for his home country of Switzerland, his Italian heritage and how he balances that with his Swiss roots.As always, #itsokaytoventListen to Balthazard on streaming platforms below: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6N0wyJ39CU85sWAGOsn7te?si=e881603f1f134778YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BalthazardMusicYou can follow Balthazard on social media below: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/isthatbalthazard/Support Us:Patreon: www.patreon.com/venthelpukGoFundMe: www.gofundme.com/f/help-vent-supp…ir-mental-healthMerchandise: www.redbubble.com/people/VentUK/shopMusic: @patawawa - Strange: www.youtube.com/watch?v=d70wfeJSEvk

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In episode 211 of The Just Checking In Podcast we checked in with Tara Ann Thieke. Tara is a writer, homemaker and the mother of five children. Tara worked with children for 15 years before she decided to have children of her own. In this episode we discuss motherhood, what women need from men to help them be good mothers and vice versa, the problems facing children today when it comes to their mental health and how we provide solutions, the concept of delayed adulthood and fatherlessness.As always, #itsokaytoventYou can follow Tara on social media below: Twitter: https://twitter.com/TaraAnnThiekeSupport Us:Patreon: www.patreon.com/venthelpukGoFundMe: www.gofundme.com/f/help-vent-supp…ir-mental-healthMerchandise: www.redbubble.com/people/VentUK/shopMusic: @patawawa - Strange: www.youtube.com/watch?v=d70wfeJSEvk

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In this episode of Behind The Mic we checked back in with artist Tobiah Frei.Tobiah Frei first came on BTM in September 2022 to discuss his music journey, overcoming stage anxiety, evolving as an artist and the impact that the death of a childhood friend had on him in 2014. This period of grief led to a mental health breakdown in 2017, which thankfully he has now overcome. In Part 2, we talk about the shows he has performed this year which have helped him overcome his stage anxiety, building an artist collective and how he has strengthened his faith alongside his relationship and communication skills.As always, #itsokaytoventListen to Tobiah Frei on streaming platforms below:Spotify: open.spotify.com/artist/1hqQ69Hma…e019cc4d139c4ac8Apple Music: music.apple.com/gb/artist/tobiah-frei/1099190702YouTube: www.youtube.com/channel/UCfJd3FlQOgWfoyKvR_WVPtwYou can follow Tobiah Frei on social media below:Instagram: www.instagram.com/tobiahfreimusic/?hl=enTwitter: twitter.com/tobiahfreimusicFacebook: www.facebook.com/tobiahfreimusicListen to part one of Tobi's journey here: https://soundcloud.com/venthelpuk/behind-the-mic-tobiah-freiSupport Us:Patreon: www.patreon.com/venthelpukGoFundMe: www.gofundme.com/f/help-vent-supp…ir-mental-healthMerchandise: www.redbubble.com/people/VentUK/shopBuy tickets for JCIL #4 on Saturday October 15th 2022 here: helmtickets.com/events/8002/just-…kett-leroy-selectMusic: @patawawa - Strange: www.youtube.com/watch?v=d70wfeJSEvkOutro: Tobiah Frei x Director Dzi - Hold On Me: https://open.spotify.com/track/5RDN3ETsrHBKnEX5JLwpQf?si=f0ec22c238ae42d0

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In episode 210 of The Just Checking In Podcast we checked in with academic Dr Emily Setty.Emily is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Surrey and focuses on research around young people and their relationships, harmful sexual behaviour and online harms.In this episode we tackle the issue of consent education and wider sex education for young people today, especially young men. We discuss why so many young men are scared of having false allegations of sexual abuse made against them, how this has happened and the implications of it on their ability to develop meaningful relationships as men as adults. We break down the myth of 'oppressor vs oppressed' label that some parts of society are seeking to paint boys and girls with and how we educate both sexes properly about this issue without alienating one over the other.We also discuss how we educate boys how to spot the signs of coercive control and domestic abuse in their relationships and the importance of building trust in boys in order for them to discuss their mental health issues or others openly in group settings without resorting to comedy, self-deprecation or bravado.We finish this topic by discussing the biological differences between men and women when it comes to mental health and the importance of avoiding a once-size-fits-all approach to young men’s mental health.For Emily’s mental health, Emily’s father died suddenly when she was 21 years old after suffering with mental health difficulties for most of her life and addiction. We discuss how the grief affected her and why she took on a support role for the rest of her family, unfortunately to the detriment of her own mental health. After starting her job as a university lecturer, a combination of factors led to her developing an Eating Disorder, specifically Anorexia. We discuss how and why it developed, how the medical system treated it and how she overcame it. We finish by discussing how that grief for her father manifested in people-pleasing in her adult life, how she put positive mechanisms in place to manage it and the reaction people-pleasers in recovery receive from other people when they finally set positive boundaries.As always, #itsokaytoventYou can follow Emily on social media below: Twitter: https://twitter.com/emilysettySupport Us:Patreon: www.patreon.com/venthelpukGoFundMe: www.gofundme.com/f/help-vent-supp…ir-mental-healthMerchandise: www.redbubble.com/people/VentUK/shopMusic: @patawawa - Strange: www.youtube.com/watch?v=d70wfeJSEvk

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In this episode of Behind The Decks we checked in with producer and DJ, Ryan Doyle.In this episode we discuss his music journey, from initially pursuing a career in Marine Biology to changing course to pursue a career in music and then obtaining a Masters in music production in 2022.For industry issues, we discuss the relentless nature of being an independent artist, work-life balance, burnout and the indecisiveness of people in the music industry. For Ryan’s mental health, we discuss self-determination and focus, his mum and dad’s separation, people-pleasing and some issues he’s had within his family where some were not supportive of his music ambitions whilst others were very much all in. As always, #itsokaytoventListen to Ryan Doyle on streaming platforms below: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6FoDewhwAtI1s4KbXkawkG?si=b94edf0993b84de2YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ryyandoyleSupport Us:Patreon: www.patreon.com/venthelpukGoFundMe: www.gofundme.com/f/help-vent-supp…ir-mental-healthMerchandise: www.redbubble.com/people/VentUK/shopMusic: @patawawa - Strange: www.youtube.com/watch?v=d70wfeJSEvkOutro: Ryan Doyle - Like That: https://open.spotify.com/track/49YOwqyS5zZ4t1waJYCGi7?si=1131df92482d4873

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In this episode of Behind The Mic we checked in with lead singer of Scottish band, La Mantra, Ryan Connor. In this episode we discuss his music journey and how to avoid being exploited as a young artist in the music industry.For Ryan’s mental health, we discuss his diagnosis of Autism and ADHD. We explore how it impacted his childhood and adolescence, how its influenced his creativity and how taking medication allows him to regulate his emotions alongside his Autism. We finish by exploring how music has been an outlet for him to express himself, channel his emotions and improve his mental health in a way that medication and other tools have not. As always, #itsokaytoventListen to La Mantra on streaming platforms below: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6UjKvtXEWoIwtWn2qNFcxb?si=AJyYFpTwRyml7tgPczuVkQYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@lamantra5946You can follow La Mantra on social media below: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lamantraofficial/Support Us:Patreon: www.patreon.com/venthelpukGoFundMe: www.gofundme.com/f/help-vent-supp…ir-mental-healthMerchandise: www.redbubble.com/people/VentUK/shopMusic: @patawawa - Strange: www.youtube.com/watch?v=d70wfeJSEvkOutro: La Mantra - THE GLASS: https://open.spotify.com/track/6O18Ab7sx5VifZk9CHE4pi?si=be8531cf05c9487c

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In this episode of Behind The Decks we checked in with Norwegian producer, FRO$TY. We came across FRO$TY through his brilliant sophomore EP ‘STARTED // OVER’, which he released in October 2023.In this episode we discuss his music journey in Norway, from picking up the drums when he was three years old, the guitar at 6/7 and starting to produce his own beats when he was 17. Philip then went to production school in Oslo where he connected with a lot of his peers and began learning off them, before carving out his own path as a professional producer in 2022. For industry issues, we discuss work-life balance and maintaining a 9-5 whilst pursuing music.For Philip’s mental health, we discuss his early exposure to mental illness when he was 15 years old, how that impacted him and some reckless choices he made after spiralling because of this exposure. He then changed his perspective on life, focused on what he wanted to achieve with his life, set himself goals and made a successful recovery with his mental health.As always, #itsokaytoventListen to FRO$TY on streaming platforms below: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/33si045R7D42RTzJbT2qbh?si=85a005b17c0642a0You can follow FRO$TY on social media below: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frostymsc/Support Us:Patreon: www.patreon.com/venthelpukGoFundMe: www.gofundme.com/f/help-vent-supp…ir-mental-healthMerchandise: www.redbubble.com/people/VentUK/shopMusic: @patawawa - Strange: www.youtube.com/watch?v=d70wfeJSEvkOutro: FRO$TY - Sneaky Link: https://open.spotify.com/track/3JAosgPKn119gxEmLVmpM1?si=eb9f6b07a5fc4a24

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In episode 209 of The Just Checking In Podcast, we checked back in with mental health advocate Danny Bowman. Danny is currently a PHD student and researcher at the University of Liverpool, Research Lead and Head of Communications at The Conservative Mental Health Group and a Fellow at The Royal Society of Arts.We first checked in with Danny in JCIP #70 where we discussed his Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD), the distress and eventual suicidality that brought him and how he managed to recover from it. In this episode we check back in about his mental health journey, including: a discussion around his Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) which he was diagnosed with prior to developing the BDD, his recovery journey and how he tries to manage advocacy work, his PHD studies and general life alongside his mental health.We also discuss the recent LadBible roundtable on Body Dysmorphia which he took part in, the issues he discussed and taking part in the Great North Run to raise money for mental health charity 'Rethink Mental Illness'.As always, #itsokaytoventYou can follow Danny on social media below: Twitter: https://twitter.com/DannyBowman10You can listen to Part 1 of Danny's journey here: https://soundcloud.com/venthelpuk/jcip-70-danny-bowmanYou can watch the LadBible roundtable on Body Dysmorphia that Danny took part in here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ICvNgeANUW4&pp=ygUYbGFkYmlibGUgYm9keSBkeXNtb3JwaGlhSupport Us:Patreon: www.patreon.com/venthelpukGoFundMe: www.gofundme.com/f/help-vent-supp…ir-mental-healthMerchandise: www.redbubble.com/people/VentUK/shopMusic: @patawawa - Strange: www.youtube.com/watch?v=d70wfeJSEvk

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In episode 208 of The Just Checking In Podcast we checked in with content creator and designer Teddy Lange.Teddy spent 10 years figuring out his life path and veering from things he enjoyed because of what he believed he ‘should’ be pursuing due to societal expectations before arriving at the place he is now.In this episode we discuss his professional journey, from theatre to studying life sciences, business, public policy and through to the work he is doing now.We also discuss why he tries very hard to avoid falling into the category of ‘internet guru’, why he doesn’t know ‘the answer’ to living a happy and healthy life but explore how he wants to empower people to make their own decisions to find out for themselves. For Teddy’s mental health, we discuss his parents’ separation and the death of his father when he was eight years old, his issues with self-confidence and self-esteem, his disdain for identity politics and being pigeonholed when he was studying at Harvard University.We finish by discussing a year of travelling he did by himself last year for his own self-development and to work on his attachment style.As always, #itsokaytoventYou can find out more about Teddy's work here: https://www.teddylange.com/You can follow him on social media below: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theteddylange/Support Us:Patreon: www.patreon.com/venthelpukGoFundMe: www.gofundme.com/f/help-vent-supp…ir-mental-healthMerchandise: www.redbubble.com/people/VentUK/shopMusic: @patawawa - Strange: www.youtube.com/watch?v=d70wfeJSEvk

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In episode 207 of The Just Checking In Podcast we checked in with entrepreneur Sunil Jindal. Sunil is also an old school friend of our Founder Freddie Cocker.Sunil is the Founder of The Ping Pong Society, a company which offers businesses and their staff bespoke one-hour long events to give them a taste of table tennis in a fun and accessible way.He is also the Co-Founder of MAGIC, a fitness-technology company which sells unique Mirrors, powered by AI that serve as your own personal fitness trainer. The products have been endorsed by a range of celebrities in sport and fitness including former England Men's Cricket captain Alistair Cook. He’s also done feature interviews with media outlets including The Evening Standard and The Financial Times to promote the company alongside his co-founder Varun.In this episode we discuss Sunil’s business journey, from his origins as a school ‘hustler’, founding and co-founding two successful businesses and the challenges of going on those journeys, from setting them up, to work-life balance and taking risks. For Sunil’s mental health, we discuss the anxiety of running a business and how that can seep into his own personal mental health. We also discuss how he was quite shy and introverted as a child, navigating that in secondary school and sixth-form and how the businesses forced him to come out of his shell and flex those social muscles in order to get the word out there about his brands. As always, #itsokaytoventFind out more about MAGIC here: https://magic.fit/You can follow Sunil on social media below: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/5un1l/Support Us:Patreon: www.patreon.com/venthelpukGoFundMe: www.gofundme.com/f/help-vent-supp…ir-mental-healthMerchandise: www.redbubble.com/people/VentUK/shopMusic: @patawawa - Strange: www.youtube.com/watch?v=d70wfeJSEvk

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