The Just Checking In Podcast

In episode 327 of The Just Checking In Podcast we checked in with Tanyka Davson.Tanyka Davson is a Public Affairs professional and the Co-Founder of Cubbi, a platform built to support new and expecting parents with exclusive discounts from brands that truly understand the realities of family life.Tanyka founded the business alongside her sister Olivia in 2023, who became a mother herself that year. Olivia, like many new mums and dads quickly discovered how expensive parental leave could be. With finances stretched, even the smallest treats — a coffee or a pair of jeans to fit her new body — were tinged with guilt. Despite being a loyal customer for years, she felt unseen by the brands she loved most. So, she and Tanyka decided to take matters into their own hands and Cubbi was born. They officially launched the business in February 2024 and have signed up over 100 brands to date across a whole range of areas including healthcare, fashion, retail, food and drink, technology and experiences. In this episode we discuss Tanyka’s professional journey, where she's worked across public affairs, consultancy and the wider corporate environment.We then discuss the brave decision she took to leave her job in 2025 and work on Cubbi full-time, the transition to being self-employed, the joys and challenges of running a business with a family member and the support she hopes to extend to dads through Cubbi as the business hopefully grows.For Tanyka’s mental health journey, we discuss her experience of anxiety she’s lived with throughout her life. We talk about how it’s affected her mental health inside and outside the workplace and why it flared up particularly badly when her dad fell ill unexpectedly a few years ago.We finish by discussing the tools she used to get through those periods of anxiety and come out the other side a better and more well-rounded person. As always, #itsokaytoventFind out more about Cubbi here: https://www.cubbi.uk/You can follow Cubbi on social media below: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cubbi.uk/?hl=enTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@cubbi.ukSupport Us:Patreon: www.patreon.com/venthelpukPayPal: paypal.me/freddiec1994?country.x=GB&locale.x=en_GBMerchandise: www.redbubble.com/people/VentUK/shopMusic: @patawawa - Strange: www.youtube.com/watch?v=d70wfeJSEvk

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In episode 326 of The Just Checking In Podcast we checked back in with Nick Davis.Nick is a musician, actor and mental health advocate for addiction recovery. We first checked in with Nick all the way back in JCIP #51!In Nick’s Part 1, we discussed the work he did for Forward Leeds (FL), an addiction and recovery centre which provides support for adults, young people and families needing help with alcohol and drug use in Leeds. We also talked about ‘Music from the Attic’ (MFTA), a music collective and community club he founded in Leeds that brings people together to play and sing music. We then talked about his battle with alcohol addiction, his recovery and sobriety journey and his divorce from his ex-wife. In the last five years, a lot has happened in Nick’s professional and personal life. In Part 2, we have an update on MFTA and FL, his work with Kirkstall Festival, a volunteer-run festival performed, organised and staffed entirely by volunteers, which Nick has become chief booker for all of the music acts. Nick also put on a fundraising gig to raise money for operations costs for the festival in 2024 where he raised over £8,000 and over 800 people attended.As part of his recovery journey, he has created the ‘Nick Davis Recovery Roadshow’, a one-man band, touring project and 2-hour show where he tells his story of recovery through music, performing cover songs which have inspired him along the way, as well as his own original songs too. We also discuss some great minor roles he has held in TV dramas, including BBC’s Gentleman Jack and Netflix’s most recent show, House of Guinness, including how he managed working on a show directly related to his addiction. For Nick’s continued mental health journey, we talk about his prostate cancer diagnosis, which came two years ago. Nick was only diagnosed because he worked on a campaign around prostate cancer awareness and he got checked out as a precaution! We also discuss the death of his father, his relationship with him, reconciling with him shortly before his death and how he channelled those emotions and grief through a song he wrote called ‘Cold boiler man’.We finish by discussing him reconciling with his ex-wife as result of the publication of his first podcast, and the support of his current partner, who he has been with for over 3 years.As always, #itsokaytoventYou can follow Nick on social media below: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nickdavis1812/You can listen to Part 1 of Nick's journey here: https://soundcloud.com/venthelpuk/jcip-51-nick-davisSupport Us:Patreon: www.patreon.com/venthelpukPayPal: paypal.me/freddiec1994?country.x=GB&locale.x=en_GBMerchandise: www.redbubble.com/people/VentUK/shopMusic: @patawawa - Strange: www.youtube.com/watch?v=d70wfeJSEvk

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In episode 325 of The Just Checking In Podcast we checked in with academic Immy Harrison. Immy is currently a PHD student and researcher into singlehood at the University of Swansea’s Evolutionary Psychology department, where she studies under the tutelage of friend of the podcast Dr Andrew George Thomas!Immy did her undergraduate degree completing a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology & Archaeology at the University of Durham, before completing a Masters in Cognitive and Evolutionary Anthropology at Oxford University.In this episode we talk about her academic journey, how she came across the subject of evolutionary psychology through another great friend of the pod William Costello, a deep dive into her academic work on singlehood and what her end goals are for her PHD. We also talk about how the subject of evo psych and how some academics within it can fall into very binary analyses of how men and women think and act, and how that impacts her mental health from time to time.We then finish by why the subject has also given her greater empathy for groups of men like incels.As always, #itsokaytoventYou can follow Immy on social media below: X: https://x.com/immyyharrisonSupport Us:Patreon: www.patreon.com/venthelpukPayPal: paypal.me/freddiec1994?country.x=GB&locale.x=en_GBMerchandise: www.redbubble.com/people/VentUK/shopMusic: @patawawa - Strange: www.youtube.com/watch?v=d70wfeJSEvk

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In episode 324 of The Just Checking In Podcast we checked in with Dan Ascough.Dan works a firefighter for the London Fire Brigade. As part of his role, he is also chair of the employee support group on Neurodiversity, and runs the London section of the fire brigades union forum for disabled and neurodivergent members. Dan originally wanted to go into music as a kid, playing in bands and having a desire to go into music production.He studied for a music production degree but walked away from that career path, dropping out with just six weeks to go. Dan cites burnout from his undiagnosed ADHD at the time, his fear of failure and little lesson structure for the reasons why.He then worked for a short time doing various jobs, including manual labour before taking stock of what he wanted his life to look like.His dad was in the fire brigade, so he set his sights on that goal as a natural aim. He loved helping people and the idea of public service, so he went through the application process and succeeded in it.Dan was also diagnosed with autism and ADHD around 5/6 years ago, first with ADHD and then autism afterwards. Initially, he fought against the ADHD diagnosis and was in denial but over time, Dan has accepted and owned it, as well as his autism too. In this episode we discuss his journey into firefighting and how his ADHD and autism diagnoses led him to doing the work he does within the London Fire Brigade in recent years for men and women like him.We also discuss the conversations he has with ‘normies’ about firefighting and why some of them are problematic, the build-up of repetitive traumatic incidents you have to deal with as a firefighter and how he dealt with them himself. For Dan’s mental health journey, we discuss the ADHD and autism diagnosis in-depth, fatherhood and the grief of losing his mother from cancer in 2019 after a 14-month illness from cancer.As always, #itsokaytoventSupport Us:Patreon: www.patreon.com/venthelpukPayPal: paypal.me/freddiec1994?country.x=GB&locale.x=en_GBMerchandise: www.redbubble.com/people/VentUK/shopMusic: @patawawa - Strange: www.youtube.com/watch?v=d70wfeJSEvk

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In episode 323 of The Just Checking In Podcast we checked in with Darren Lawrence.Darren is a qualified life coach and the Founder of Front Foot Coaching.In Darren’s words, 'Front Foot Coaching is about helping you to get onto the front foot’.Darren predominantly works with middle-aged men, a demographic which is often forgotten about in the mental health space.Darren’s journey didn’t start in life coaching. For 17 years, he worked in large sports organisations including Sport England and The FA at regional and national levels.Interspersed within that time he gained some experience in a local authority and smaller organisations in a variety of senior roles, including CEO.He began to realise his passion for helping people was of equal level to his passion in sport, so in 2016 he enrolled on The Coaching Academy's Diploma for Personal Performance Coaching, which he qualified in, in 2017.Since then, he has taken up life coaching full-time and become self-employed, with all the highs and lows that come with that working life too.In this episode, we discuss this professional journey, from sport to life coaching and everything in-between.We then discuss the work he does specifically for middle-aged men, the issues he supports them with and the reality of the life coaching sector more widely.For Darren’s mental health journey, we discuss the precarious nature of being self-employed and the importance of having a growth mindset.As always, #itsokaytoventYou can find out more about Darren's work here: www.frontfootcoaching.com/You can follow Darren on social media below:Instagram: www.instagram.com/frontfootlifecoaching/Support Us:Patreon: www.patreon.com/venthelpukPayPal: paypal.me/freddiec1994?country.x=GB&locale.x=en_GBMerchandise: www.redbubble.com/people/VentUK/shopMusic: @patawawa - Strange: www.youtube.com/watch?v=d70wfeJSEvk

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In episode 322 of The Just Checking In Podcast our Founder Freddie Cocker speaks about his diagnosis of ADHD in August 2025. Following on from his autism diagnosis in 2024, he now holds a dual diagnosis of AuDHD.In this episode he reflects on having this clarity at 31 years old, how he's used it to gain greater understanding and self-awareness about his mind, and moving forward alongside it in 2026 and beyond. This podcast is also available as an article, which you can read here: https://vent.org.uk/audhd-total-clarityAs always, #itsokaytoventSupport Us:Patreon: www.patreon.com/venthelpukPayPal: paypal.me/freddiec1994?country.x=GB&locale.x=en_GBMerchandise: www.redbubble.com/people/VentUK/shopMusic: @patawawa - Strange: www.youtube.com/watch?v=d70wfeJSEvk

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In episode 321 of The Just Checking In Podcast we checked in with Meg Skinner. Meg is a communications professional and currently works as Deputy Director of Communications at Barts Health NHS Trust, where our Founder Freddie worked in her team from December 2020 to August 2022. Barts manages five East London hospitals, including The Royal London, St Bartholomew’s, Newham University Hospital, Mile End Hospital and Whipps Cross Hospital.When it comes to Meg’s career, she started with a university degree in Psychology, and always had a desire to work with people in some way, shape or form.After meeting someone who worked in marketing, it piqued her interest and she then completed a Masters degree in marketing and communication. From there she embarked on her communications career. In this episode we chart that career, which includes working in a carer’s organisation, her NHS career, a period travelling, joining Barts Health and her drive and ambition which has got her to this point. We then discuss the Covid-19 pandemic and her experience of it, and we give you an insight into the things she saw, and how it changed her forever.Across Meg’s career and her personal life, we also discuss her use of coaches to support her career and shape that journey, which includes confidence issues she has always had to some degree.We finish by discussing how important her family, friends and colleagues have been in supporting her mental health.As always, #itsokaytoventYou can connect with Meg on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meganskinner/You can also follow Barts Health NHS Trust on social media below: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nhsbartshealth/Support Us:Patreon: www.patreon.com/venthelpukPayPal: paypal.me/freddiec1994?country.x=GB&locale.x=en_GBMerchandise: www.redbubble.com/people/VentUK/shopMusic: @patawawa - Strange: www.youtube.com/watch?v=d70wfeJSEvk

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In episode 320 of The Just Checking In Podcast we checked in with Jordain Dawkins.JD, as he is known to his friends, is the co-founder and co-host of the ‘You Good Bro?’ Podcast, which he started with his childhood friend and journalist, Jahmal.Their podcast is relatively young, with their first episode published in October 2024, but they have already covered a range of issues including mental health, relationships, racism, young people and current events. In this episode we discuss the genesis of the YGB podcast, JD and Jam’s friendship and relationship as it’s evolved through the podcast, the issues they cover and their plans for it going forward. For JD’s mental health journey, it centres around his diagnosis of dyspraxia, which he was diagnosed with at 13 years old. According to the NHS website, dyspraxia is also known as developmental co-ordination disorder (DCD), and affects movement and co-ordination.JD struggled with the traits of dyspraxia throughout his childhood and adolescence and was in denial about it for a long time. He desperately wanted to be ‘normal’ and fit in, and adopted a class clown persona to mask his own insecurities. We talk about this journey of self-awareness, denial, acceptance and ownership of his dyspraxia, how he wants to inspire others with the condition and provide a blueprint to follow.We also discuss why conditions like this are descriptors, and his views on labels across the wider conversation for similar and different neurological conditions.Since recording this in the summer of 2025, JD and Jam also hosted their first live show in Manchester in December 2025, featuring a panel of esteemed guests across the men's mental health space.As always, #itsokaytoventYou can listen to You Good Bro? on streaming platforms here: https://www.yougoodbro.co.uk/You can follow YGB on social media below: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yougoodbropodcast/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@yougoodbropodcastSupport Us:Patreon: www.patreon.com/venthelpukPayPal: paypal.me/freddiec1994?country.x=GB&locale.x=en_GBMerchandise: www.redbubble.com/people/VentUK/shopMusic: @patawawa - Strange: www.youtube.com/watch?v=d70wfeJSEvk

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In episode 319 of The Just Checking In Podcast we checked in with Caroline Roodhouse. Caroline is an Internal Communications professional, mother, mental health advocate and Founder of Daddy Blackbird Communications.Caroline was brought into the world of mental health advocacy when her husband Steve and the father of her two children, tragically took his own life on Monday 12 November 2018.Steve had no history of prior mental illness and the suicide and the violent method of it turned Caroline and her children’s world upside down. Broken by grief, Caroline started the journey of putting her life back together, navigate her journey of suicide loss and become a single mother to her two daughters. She also began her education on suicide and suicidality, which culminated in the publication of her incredible book ‘Daddy Blackbird: The True Story of A Family Surviving and Thriving After Loss by Suicide’ in 2024. In this episode we talk about the story of how she and Steve met, how they fell in love, and starting a family together. We talk about the man Steve was, the factors which may have led to his suicide and the day he took his own life. We explore how this suicide grief affected her mental health, all of the emotions she felt towards Steve, including some natural but stigmatised ones and how she moved forward following his death. With her two children, Caroline talks about the ‘strength of a triangle’ in representing their family unit now. We then discuss how she took this grief and channelled it into starting Daddy Blackbird Communications, writing the book and the advocacy work she does now. We finish by discussing the work she is doing to remove outdated language like ‘committed suicide’ from the Oxford Dictionary and her work with the charity Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide (SOBS). As always, #itsokaytoventYou can purchase a copy of Daddy Blackbird here: https://shorturl.at/jC0y7You can follow Caroline on social media below: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caroline-roodhouse-mcipr-a5948622/Support Us:Patreon: www.patreon.com/venthelpukPayPal: paypal.me/freddiec1994?country.x=GB&locale.x=en_GBMerchandise: 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 Drum & Bass DJ and producer, DJ Flame Jade. Flame got into D&B when she was going to squat parties underage because she was too young to go to club nights and raves. From there, she began to listen to artists in the scene like Optical, Brocky, Mampi Swift, DJ Hype, Hive, Cause for Concern and Dillinger.In Flame’s music journey, we chart this journey through D&B, DJing, producing and getting her career to where it is now. For industry issues, we also discuss dark elements of the industry which persists to this day. This includes female DJs and producers like Flame being asked for sexual favours in return for collaborations from male DJs which continues to this day, even post-#MeToo.We also talk about the challenges she’s had from her female peers, for example some female DJs have deliberately broken her headphones before she’s due to start her set.We finish by discussing the general flakiness of the industry which is a story across the board and the broken promises and let downs which permeate it and why.For Flame’s mental health journey, she experienced a lot of childhood trauma which has shaped her mental health from childhood, through to adolescence and adulthood. Her mum was domestically abused multiple times by Flame’s dad and other male partners after she separated from him. Flame and her sister witnessed this abuse, which was extremely violent. Flame’s mum became addicted to alcohol as a coping mechanism to deal with the abuse, which was projected onto Flame, and she ran away from home at just 10 years old and many times afterwards to escape that home environment.Her father died when she was 13 years old, and her mum died when she was 20 years old, and we explore the grief she felt from both their deaths and how she navigated life beyond that point. Flame is diagnosed with multiple diagnoses, including ADHD, CPTSD and Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder, which is another name for borderline personality disorder. We finish by her journey to becoming a qualified Reiki yoga practitioner, and her use of something she calls ‘sound healing’, which combines music and yoga together.As always, #itsokaytoventYou can find out more about Flame or book her for your event here: https://djflamejade.com/You can listen to and purchase Flame's music here: https://djflamej.bandcamp.com/track/shotsYou can follow her on social media below: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/djflame.j/Support Us:Patreon: www.patreon.com/venthelpukPayPal: paypal.me/freddiec1994?country.x=GB&locale.x=en_GBMerchandise: www.redbubble.com/people/VentUK/shopMusic: @patawawa - Strange: www.youtube.com/watch?v=d70wfeJSEvk

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