The Just Checking In Podcast

In this episode of Behind The Decks we checked in with Jack McNeilage who forms one half of Scottish dance music production duo, Able Faces. Jack formed the group with his brother Mark and in this episode we discuss the two brothers' music journey, from starting a band to meeting their now manager and becoming a songwriting duo before moving into music production and recently DJing too. We also discuss the importance of self-awareness in the music industry, trust and how and why the duo hold themselves to high standards for their work.For Jack’s mental health we discuss his experience of anxiety and how that’s caused by triggers related to touring and travelling as well as factors like lack of sleep. When these factors go unchecked, they have led to him experiencing burnout.As always, #itsokaytoventYou can listen to Able Faces on streaming platforms below: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCS-9Bt1uHpDIgC4EUNeHgWgSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/7nL523vzwv24ad0oFf2VZ2?si=dc4470305f0a4136Support 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: Able Faces - Don't Let Me Down feat. Nate VanDeusen: https://open.spotify.com/track/6gsJ39IWABJqIJcorcX7jU?si=5ec3052457f843e1

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In episode 198 of The Just Checking In Podcast we checked in with Kat May Romero. Kat is a freelance journalist and is involved in a campaign called 'Formula for Change' which is being led by The Metro, in partnership with charity Feed UK. They are all calling on the UK Government to urgently review their infant formula legislation and give retailers the green light to accept loyalty points, grocery vouchers provided by foodbanks and local authorities and store gift cards as payment for infant formula.This is an issue which doesn’t just affect mothers but also fathers too in how they support their partners and feed their babies themselves, especially if those fathers are the primary carer.In this episode we discuss Kat’s wider journalism journey, from working in celebrity journalism to now working freelance after she finished her maternity leave, work-life balance, class and the competitive nature of celebrity journalism.We then do a deep dive into the Formula for Change campaign and all of the issues it includes through a mental health lens. For Kat’s mental health, we discuss how the campaign was driven by her own mental health difficulties in trying to breastfeed her baby when he was born, post-natal depression and all of the stigmas associated with that for women in disclosing it publicly and even to friends and family. We also discuss how medication helped her depression as well as her experience of anxiety throughout her life. As always, #itsokaytoventYou can sign the Formula for Change petition here: https://www.change.org/p/allow-uk-families-to-buy-infant-formula-using-store-points-grocery-vouchers-gift-cards-formulaforchangeYou can follow Kat on social media below: Twitter: https://twitter.com/KatMayRomeroSupport 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 Reel Stories we checked in with actor and producer Danny Kirrane.Danny is best known for his roles in the TV adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman, Pirates of the Carribbean: Salazar’s Revenge, The Serpent Queen and TV show Wasted where he starred alongside Sean Bean. He also has credits in shows like Skins, Casualty, Trollied and Poldark.In this episode of Reel Stories we talk about how Danny got into acting whilst at Leeds University, performing as part of the National Youth Theatre before pursuing it full-time and how he broke into TV and film. For Danny’s mental health, we discuss the positives that therapy has given his mental health and how he dealt with having mental health issues in his family and supporting those people as a teenager and adult. We finish by discussing fatherhood having become a father in the last two years. As always, #itsokaytoventYou can follow Danny on social media below: Twitter: https://twitter.com/DannyKirraneSupport Us:Patreon: www.patreon.com/venthelpukGoFundMe: www.gofundme.com/f/help-vent-supp…ir-mental-healthMerchandise: www.redbubble.com/people/VentUK/shopMusic: @ekkah - Backseat Driver: www.youtube.com/watch?v=EFhgxYuoP8U

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In episode 197 of The Just Checking In Podcast we checked in with Dr Karleen Gribble. Karleen is an Adjunct Association Professor at Western Sydney University, where she specialises in Infant feeding, child trauma, foster care and adoption.In this episode we discuss her academic journey and a case study she did on a woman who had detransitioned and experienced deep regret and trauma over a double mastectomy operation she had done during her transition. After detransitioning, she became pregnant and gave birth but was unable to breastfeed her baby.For Karleen’s mental health, we discuss the grief of losing her father when she was seven years old and how his death impacted her mental health and childhood. We also discuss her decision to have children at a relatively young age compared to today’s society and her and her husband's adoption of two children. We chart the journey she went on with them as a mother and how she developed these new relationships.We also discuss a hugely difficult period when Karleen was asked to adopt her second child by child protection services, being told to give her back to the family who initially put her up and how that caused Karleen to have an ‘incomplete grief’ for her at that moment in time. As always, #itsokaytovent You can follow Karleen on social media below: Twitter: https://twitter.com/DrKarleenGSupport 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 196 of The Just Checking In Podcast we checked in with Gar Lock.Gar is an Irish farmer who helps ex-prisoners reintegrate into society, learn social skills and life skills and improve their physical and mental health.Gar had this desire from being in prison himself where he spent 3.5 years of his life. Whilst in prison, he realised he needed to change himself and his life in order to reintegrate into society and find happiness.Gar grew up in a difficult household and a family environment which was steeped in criminality already so he was a product of his environment. However, he has not let that environment define him now as a man. In this episode we discuss Gar’s upbringing, his relationship with his father and why he reconnected with his father in later life in spite of the abuse he had inflicted upon him as a child and his experience of jail and why he saw it as a 'coming of age moment'. We also discuss personal development, taking responsibility for his mental health and life and fatherhood. We finish by discussing his work with ex-prisoners, what these men need in order to reintegrate back into society and the methods he employs to do that, counselling training he has done and the power of taking control of your life and finding the path to redemption. As always, #itsokaytoventSupport 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 in with Norwegian R&B and pop artist, Severin.Severin got into music through discovering UK rock band Royal Blood. After being in bands and performing in English for a few years, he realised it wasn’t authentic to him as an artist and he began singing, writing and producing in his native Norwegian and carved out his own path as a solo artist. In this episode we chart his music journey from singing in English to Norwegian and evolving from a Rock sound into the R&B and pop sound he makes today and his ambitions for the future.For industry issues, we discuss how his artist streaming numbers affect his mental health as well as comparison culture.For Severin’s mental health we discuss a shyness he had as a child and how it impacted his mental health and how music was the vehicle to help him overcome it.As always, #itsokaytoventListen to Severin on streaming platforms below: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6ulhSTqJ3VMkZuLYCs6dkk?si=vyiUBQTrS8GGEk5KfTrtiQYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@gossegutYou can follow Severin on social media below: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gossegut/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: Severin - Riv Me I Bitæ: https://open.spotify.com/track/2CKu7KXfC3BHy6WGN22UXK?si=462034fd22a34724

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In episode 195 of The Just Checking In Podcast we checked in with writer Alina Clough.Alina has a regular column for Evie Magazine and in this episode we discuss how she got into professional writing, from initially writing about conservation issues to how she landed her regular column at Evie today.We came across Alina through one of her articles in Evie entitled 'Dance Moms Are Using Social Media To Digitally Pimp Out Their Daughters’ which exposes a hugely disturbing sexual abuse scandal of a group of mothers using social media to digitally pimp out their daughters. These children range from babies to pre-teen dancers and the mothers deliberately target sexual predators online to view this content which the algorithms amplify. In this episode we take a deep, dark dive into this world and how these mothers are getting away with the sexual abuse of their children whilst hiding in completely plain sight.We also discuss why Alina became disillusioned with a lot of mainstream female-targeted media outlets, dating apps and how employers are now offering free egg freezing for women in the USA and the implications of this on fertility.For Alina’s mental health, we discuss her diagnosis of ADHD when she was studying her post-graduate degree, her experience of taking medication for it and how her faith has benefited her mental health in recent months.As always, #itsokaytoventYou can follow Alina on social media below: Twitter: https://twitter.com/CluffaloYou can read the article we discussed about dance mums and sexual abuse in full here: https://www.eviemagazine.com/post/dance-moms-are-using-social-media-to-digitally-pimp-out-their-daughtersSupport 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 in with UK artist Jade Morgan Kelly.We came across Jade through a covers medley video she did for BBC Introducing, as well as her smash hit ‘Reason To Stay ft. Jarkii Monno’.In this episode we discuss how Jade got into the music industry, from her diploma at the British and Irish Modern Music Institute (BIMM) in London, to her undergraduate degree in popular music performance vocals and now starting her music career as an artist at 22 years old. We also discuss the pressure of TikTok and the need for artists to be constantly posting on it to build their profile.For Jade’s mental health, we discuss her diagnosis of ADHD and how its affected her mental health in her adolescence, adulthood and her artistry. We also discuss a people-pleasing trait she has had throughout her early life and adolescence, where it originates from and how she’s trying to get control of and overcome it.We finish by discussing her experience of therapy which she’s done since university and growth. As always, #itsokaytoventYou can listen to Jade Morgan Kelly on streaming platforms below: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0XQAPEzanOVfbyV4LZBDIs?si=fa1cb9d0e5804593YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@jademorgankelly3247You can follow Jade on social media below: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jademorgankelly/Twitter: https://twitter.com/jademorgankellyTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jademorgankellySupport 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: Jade Morgan Kelly - Reason to Stay ft. Jarkii Monno: https://open.spotify.com/track/0Ezp5TNypo6UzZT0KVqyug?si=fa2c97f05bad492d

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In episode 194 of The Just Checking In Podcast we checked in with Elliott Wheat-Bowen.Elliott was the Founder of Huddersfield Town fan platform, Talk of The Town (TOTT). Our Founder Freddie Cocker was the co-founder of this platform and wrote for it extensively before he started Vent in 2017.Elliott then made the decision to close the platform down and in this episode we discuss the journey of TOTT from beginning to end, what he’s doing with his life now and starting his own cooking blog. For Elliott’s mental health, he has suffered from undiagnosed Body Dysmorphia (BD) and anxiety which he struggled with in his early-20s. At its worst, he would avoid being photographed and go swimming with a t-shirt on.Thankfully, through healthy, regular exercise, mindfulness and other positive tools, he has overcome his BD and can enjoy life much more. He is still getting to grips with his anxiety but hopefully after this pod, he can go on a similar journey with this too.As always, #itsokaytoventYou can follow Elliott's cooking blog 'Cooking With Elliott' on social media here: https://www.instagram.com/cookingwithelliott/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 this episode of Mind On The Game we checked back in with Charlie Roebuck. Charlie previously came on the podcast in JCIP #42 in June 2020 to discuss his cricketing journey, the mental health impact of long-term injuries, suicidality and self-harm.Three years later, Charlie has taken up a new sport in running and has used it to channel his emotions, including the grief of his grandfather and ran the inaugural Rob Burrow Marathon in May 2023. He ran the marathon to raise money for the charity Myeloma UK which is the cancer his grandfather died from.We also have a fatherhood update as he has had two more children since we last checked in and his experience of Eye Movement Desensitisation Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy. As always, #itsokaytoventYou can listen to Part 1 of Charlie's journey here: https://soundcloud.com/venthelpuk/jcip-42-charlie-roebuckSupport 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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