Top-1% global podcast* creator/producer/cohost. Award-winning journalist turned recovery advocate.
(*Giving Voice to Depression is one of the top 1% most popular shows of 3.6M+ podcasts globally, per Listen Score.)
What makes a story resonate within the context of recovery?
Here are some things I’ve learned about that over the years I've produced a mental health podcast:
1. You can tell someone about the value of treatment and the fact that recovery is possible, and they will hear it. Or you can share an intimate first-person story of lived experience, and they will feel it.
The impact is different.
2. It’s important to keep your audience in mind when editing.
I edit my Giving Voice to Depression podcast interviews to make them about 20 minutes because I don't think someone who's depressed has an hour's worth of attention. I know I sure didn't.
3. You don’t need to include every detail of someone’s story.
It’s often helpful to leave some out because too many details can separate us. It’s the themes that bring us together.
I’m still learning how to tell these stories, and am grateful every day I get to do so.
My remarkable guest, Martin Williams is a recently retired partner and employment tribunal advocate from Mayo Wynne Baxter. He was also a member of Ampa, the UK’s leading legal and professional services group and one of the largest professional services B-Corporations in the world.
In this deeply moving episode, we discuss the realities of mental health, leadership, and the power of vulnerability.
Martin bravely shares his personal journey, including the challenges he’s faced and the lessons he’s learned about being open, seeking help, and supporting others.
This conversation is full of insights for anyone seeking understanding, support, or inspiration on their mental health journey.
See below to listen or watch, or simply ask your smart speaker to ‘play the Optimising Your Brilliance Podcast’
If you’re affected, please reach out to a mental health professional or confidential helplines. UK: Samaritans 116 123; US: 988. If you’re in another region, please contact your local crisis line.
There is a reason why psychological safety must be part of the company culture. We need to understand that our industry has evolved significantly over the past two decades. We need allow everyone a voice on our teams.
Calm. Psychologically Safe. Collaboration. It’s that simple and you will see the difference on your projects.
Do what’s right ❣️ with Daniel Wilsher
In the final episode of our brand behaviours podcast series, we sat down with Daniel Wilsher, social value entrepreneur and founder of LivEdX Learning.
Drawing from his own lived experience with mental health challenges and childhood trauma, Daniel has built a platform that helps young people and businesses across the UK break down stigma and build meaningful human connections, personifying what it means to do the right thing.
The mental health crisis remains one of the most urgent challenges facing the construction industry. In this episode, we explore how to recognise when someone is struggling and the practical steps we can take to support those around us.
This is an essential listen for any colleague or manager who wants to lead with empathy and take ownership over creating environments where people feel safe to speak openly about their mental health.
*TRIGGER WARNING - this episode features sensitive discussions around suicide*
🎥 Watch the full episode: http://bit.ly/4mW2Gfu
🔊 Listen here: http://bit.ly/48YK7E7
💻 Visit the LivEdX website: https://lnkd.in/e2Hdqt7C#WorldMentalHealthDay 🧠
#DoWhatsRight#BrandBehaviours
Friday Ikon Podcast Spotlight: The Power of Neurodiversity | Professor Green x Jamie Laing
The golden cage was comfortable.
But comfort keeps ikons unseen.
This week’s Ikon Spotlight focuses on a conversation that redefines leadership, creativity, and self-awareness. Professor Green’s raw and brilliant interview with Jamie Laing on The Great Company Podcast.
A story of diagnosis, discovery, and unapologetic wiring.
Why this episode matters
At 40, Professor Green was diagnosed with autism and ADHD.
But instead of retreating, he reframed.
He turned a diagnosis into a dialect, a new language of self-acceptance, creativity, and connection.
“Diagnosis isn’t a label. It’s a language.”
It gave him permission, not to change, but to own his unique frequency.
The Ikonic Lesson
He didn’t just survive difference.
He turned it into signal.
A living example of what happens when vulnerability becomes visibility, and self-awareness becomes strategy.
This is the Ikonology frequency in action:
→ Turning camouflage into signal.
→ Turning story into structure.
→ Turning difference into distinction.
Micro-moment to notice
A quiet click, the camera catches Professor Green mid-thought on grief, fatherhood, and meaning.
In that instant, we see it:
→ Real icons don’t hide the hard parts.
→ They architect a new definition of strength, one built on honesty, not performance.
Why you should listen
This episode dismantles the myth that only the “neurotypical” fit the mould of leadership.
→It’s proof that diagnosis and self-awareness can be creative catalysts, the foundation of deeper empathy, sharper innovation, and authentic authority.
Perfect listening for anyone who’s ever felt “too much,” “too wired,” or “too different” for the system they’re meant to disrupt.
The Ripple in our Ikon Community
This week, our Ikons channelled that same energy, accepting new podcast invitations, landing dream clients, joining legacy boards.
→Not because they were perfect.
But because they were present, distinct, and emotionally awake.
Visibility isn’t vanity, it’s stewardship.
And when one Ikon steps forward, it gives permission for a hundred more to follow.
Your Ikon Challenge
Will you keep your wiring hidden behind comfort?
Or will you architect your story, and let your signal be seen?
🎧 Spotlight Action:
Tune into Professor Green on The Great Company Podcast.
If it resonates, share your signal below.
Tag a leader who needs to hear this conversation.
Let’s make visibility safe, celebrated, and powerful, together.
This is what we architect at Ikonology.
Founder of Candy Kittens, Jampot Productions & Tuckshop - Forbes 30 Under 30 - BBC Radio 1 Host
The legendary Stephen Manderson - aka Professor Green - came into Great Company and we talked about something he doesn't often discuss: his dad and two uncles all taking their own lives.
Stephen's been a mental health campaigner for years, but this conversation was different.
He talked about the grief that never goes away, just changes shape. About wishing his dad could meet his son. About his boy looking at him and saying "Dad, I really don't want you to die."
Becoming a father changed everything for him - it was the biggest kick up the backside he's ever had. But it also made the absence of his own dad feel even more painful.
Aside from that, we covered a lot….
- Losing his dad and two uncles to suicide
- The times he genuinely felt he wouldn't be here
- How his son keeps him grounded
- Living with grief that constantly shifts but never leaves
- The question he'd ask his dad if he could
This is an incredibly honest conversation about loss, fatherhood, and survival.
Listen by searching "Professor Green Great Company" wherever you get your podcasts.
2nd episode of our podcast airing now! With special guest Nicholaus Bond, LMFT
In this conversation, Nicholas Bond and I discuss the evolving landscape of behavioral healthcare, particularly in the wake of COVID-19. They explore the shift towards remote work, the impact of social media on mental health, and the future of digital mental health platforms. Bond shares insights on the role of AI in therapy, the importance of faith and structure in mental health, and the challenges of addiction. The discussion highlights the need for human connection in therapy and the potential future of mental health care.
Link below in comments or search for Ready Set Exec the podcast, on your platform of choice!
🧠 Mental health at work still carries too much stigma.
Even throwaway phrases like “I’m so OCD” can make it harder for people to open up.
Zack Tucker, creator of @ocdestigmatize, and Zoe Mallett, Happiness Consultant, join Jordan on this week's #PeopleFirst Podcast episode to discuss mental health at work.
As Zack shares, changing the way we talk about mental health is a small step that makes a big difference. Because nobody should feel silenced by stigma at work.
🎧 Watch the full episode: https://lnkd.in/gN6j6Jfm#WorkplaceWellbeing#MentalHealth#WorldMentalHealthDay#BrookStreet
Talent Solutions Architect -
Empowering organizations to realize their full potential by crafting and delivering customized staffing solutions to accelerate growth.
🧠 Mental health at work still carries too much stigma.
Even throwaway phrases like “I’m so OCD” can make it harder for people to open up.
Zack Tucker, creator of @ocdestigmatize, and Zoe Mallett, Happiness Consultant, join Jordan on this week's #PeopleFirst Podcast episode to discuss mental health at work.
As Zack shares, changing the way we talk about mental health is a small step that makes a big difference. Because nobody should feel silenced by stigma at work.
🎧 Watch the full episode: https://lnkd.in/emincmiA#WorkplaceWellbeing#MentalHealth#WorldMentalHealthDay#BrookStreet
🧠 Mental health at work still carries too much stigma.
Even throwaway phrases like “I’m so OCD” can make it harder for people to open up.
Zack Tucker, creator of @ocdestigmatize, and Zoe Mallett, Happiness Consultant, join Jordan on this week's #PeopleFirst Podcast episode to discuss mental health at work.
As Zack shares, changing the way we talk about mental health is a small step that makes a big difference. Because nobody should feel silenced by stigma at work.
🎧 Watch the full episode: https://lnkd.in/desKkvpw#WorkplaceWellbeing#MentalHealth#WorldMentalHealthDay#BrookStreet
OCD is one of the most misunderstood mental health disorders and it’s often minimized, misdiagnosed, or mistaken for simple anxiety.
In this week’s episode of Insights from the Couch, Dr. Brady Bradshaw (psychiatrist) and Dr. Robyn Cohen (neuropsychologist) join us to unpack the real science, stigma, and path to recovery.
We cover everything from mental compulsions to ERP therapy and how effective treatment can literally rewire the brain.
🎧 Ep.73: Understanding OCD is available now wherever you get your podcasts.
What impact can alcohol and peer pressure have on mental health?
Alcohol Mindset Coach, author and podcaster Anna Donaghey joined the IPA On... podcast with Antonia Stearn to explore the advertising industry's relationship with alcohol and how it relates to addiction and agency culture: https://lnkd.in/eyz8tc_W
📣 In April we launched our Mental Health and Recovery Toolkit, a brand new resource made for athletes. You can find the entire toolkit on our website: https://zurl.co/APgwf
What does it consist of?
🎧 Four short podcasts — available now in audio and video form — featuring:
Dealing with emotions
Managing negative thoughts
Guided progressive muscle relaxation
Coping with poor performance
🆓 Also, free and accessible on our YouTube channel — ready when you need it, wherever you are https://zurl.co/ZodLU
💡 Created by mental health OT Mark McGuigan, these clips are practical tools you can use proactively or in high-pressure moments.
If you coach or support athletes, share the toolkit. If you’re an athlete, use it. If it helps, let us know.
Want to know why breathing helps manage emotions and why Mark wanted to pull this resource together? Listen to our special edition podcast here:
🔗 https://zurl.co/LrEBz
