A new podcast tackling the stigma around Mental Health in Business is launching today. Supported by Landmarc, the series is presented by Tom Fox, a former Infantry soldier, who served 15 years in the British Army before working in the Financial Services (for Lloyds and Barclays) and IT sectors. In 2015 he was diagnosed with Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (CPTSD) which had led to him suffering a mental breakdown.
His experiences and realisations gained through his own treatment, led to him creating Thoughtify Ltd, a company which provides Mental Health First Aid Training and Executive Coaching to some of the biggest businesses in the UK and internationally. Tom supported Landmarc earlier this year with the creation of our own private Facebook Group to help improve wellbeing – the Landmarc Lockdown Group.
The Podcast – entitled Mentally Healthy Leaders – focuses on the stories of successful executives, entrepreneurs and senior management from across the worlds of technology, banking, sport, forensic science and communications, who openly share their stories of breakdown, burnout, depression, bipolar, postnatal depression and anxiety. They also share their thoughts and advice for individuals and businesses on maintaining good mental health and supporting mental health in the workplace.
Tom Fox says, “If we’re really going to change the way we think about mental health in the workplace then we have to start at the top. An email from a CEO paying lip service to the importance of mental health isn’t enough. Our business leaders need to take a truly proactive approach to show employees that no matter who you are within a company, first and foremost you’re human, and being a superhuman is not an expectation.
“Just a few short years ago people spoke about cancer in hushed tones, look how far we’ve come to break that stigma. That’s why I wanted to create this podcast, to enable strong successful leaders to come forward and tell their story of being human, as I know it will encourage others to talk about their feelings and to seek help when they’re finding it hard to cope.
“I’ve no doubt that we could reduce the amount of people struggling at work, developing mental illness, and even losing their jobs if we just took the time to understand mental health better, and spent a little more time looking out for ourselves and others in the workplace.”
Landmarc’s Managing Director Mark Neill is the first guest. Mark is a former Bomb Disposal Officer who served in Northern Ireland and Macedonia and says, “Mental health is an aspect of the human condition that can be adversely impacted by the complexities of life. There are often leading indicators of poor mental health that if not apparent to oneself, can often be spotted by those around us. Conversations on this topic can be made easier if we engage positively and normalise the subject. Timely engagement can prevent suffering and maybe even save a life. Sharing our personal experiences not only raises awareness but it also makes it easier to engage in life changing conversations. This is why I am delighted that Landmarc is able to support these podcasts and that I have been given the opportunity to take part.”
The podcast is produced by Kaija Larke, of This Media Larke, who has worked with the Armed Forces for more than 15 years, including as a Defence Reporter for BFBS. She says, “We don’t talk about our mental health in the same way we speak about our physical health. If I have a broken leg or a bruised arm you might ask how I am. But when it comes to Mental Health we need to be much more openly engaged in really asking how we are, and listening to the answer. This has never been more true than now, during this pandemic. In the last decade the Armed Forces have improved their conversation around Mental Health, now it’s time for business to follow the lead and really engage in the conversation. We know it’ll save lives and money. Every business has a First Aider, why not a Mental Health First Aider too?”
Guests for the launch series include:
- Mark Neill, MD of Landmarc Support Services and former Bomb Disposal Officer
- Nicky Young, former Global MD of Strategic Communications company Mullenlowe Salt
- Dean Stott, Entrepreneur, Ex SBS, Ambassador for Heads Together and friend to Prince Harry
- Nigel Edginton-Amor, Creative Director at Sky Diagnosed with Bipolar in his 50s.
- Chris Averill, Entrepreneur, investor, and Business Mentor
- Paul Spanner, PwC Consultant and Ex Commando Officer who suffered Traumatic Brain Injury
- Mark Hodgson, CBO at Cervest and Former Global Director at Google and Microsoft
- Kerry Daynes, Forensic Psychologist and Author
The podcasts will be published weekly on a Wednesday at www.thoughtify.co.uk and all the usual platforms including Apple, Spotify, Google and Amazon Alexa. Listen to Mark’s interview here, the first guest for Thoughtify Ltd: https://lnkd.in/ecE3feV
