At just 21, Oly Newton’s world was turned upside down. After surviving a severe mental health crisis and living for years with the daily challenges of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), he channelled his pain into purpose, becoming a speaker, advocate, and founder of LightsOnXP, a human-centred workplace wellbeing platform shaped by lived experience.

In this powerful conversation, Oly opens up about how OCD has shaped his life, how he learned to manage it, and why it doesn’t define him. We dive into his journey from rock bottom to leading meaningful change, the importance of being truly present, and why human connection remains the most powerful tool for wellbeing in the workplace.

This is an open, honest, and deeply human exploration of recovery, hope, resilience, and the courage to keep showing up, even when the lights feel off.

00:00 — Introduction

04:12 — Oly’s early years and the experiences that shaped him

10:05 — Hitting rock bottom: a turning point in his mental health journey

17:46 — The power of speaking out and breaking stigma

23:30 — Founding LightsOnXP: building a wellbeing platform shaped by lived experience

31:18 — Redefining success: from surviving to thriving

37:54 — Why human connection is the cornerstone of mental health in the workplace

45:22 — Navigating balance and avoiding burnout

52:16 — Authenticity and showing up as your whole self

58:04 — The role of presence in recovery and leadership

1:05:48 — Finding fulfilment in purpose-led work

1:12:09 — Relationships, trust, and creating a support network

1:19:33 — Practical steps for organisations to support mental health

1:27:15 — Living with OCD: challenges and coping strategies

1:35:42 — Lessons learned from lived experience

1:43:58 — Advice for anyone struggling with mental health right now

1:51:25 — Future plans for LightsOnXP and personal growth

1:59:50 — Closing reflections & Oly’s definition of success today

🎧 LISTEN TO MORE DIFFERENT HATS EPISODES:

👉 https://www.different-hats.co.uk/podcast

🔗 Connect with Oly Newton

Website: https://www.lightsonxp.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/olynewton/

💡 If this episode resonated with you, please like, share, and comment below. Your support helps us spread this important message and change the narrative around success and mental health.

SPONSORED BY:

Search Seven — www.searchseven.co.uk

Nostos Hove — www.nostos-hove.co.uk

Rivervale — www.rivervale.co.uk

Plus X — https://www.plusxinnovation.com/

PRODUCED BY: H2 Productions — https://h2productions.co.uk/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

⚠️ Warning ⚠️ This episode contains content that may be alarming to some listeners. We do talk about suicide which we know can be distressing.

At 38, David Eakins was moments away from ending his life on a railway bridge. On the outside, everything looked perfect, a great career, loving family, and strong friendships. But inside, David was silently drowning.

In this deeply moving and honest conversation, David opens up about suicidal ideation, masculinity, shame, and his journey to healing. He reveals how a single question, “How are you, out of 10?” became the turning point that led him to therapy, vulnerability, and a new life of presence and purpose.

Now leading Talk Club Brighton & Hove, David is helping other men open up and find hope through connection and conversation.

This episode is a must-listen for anyone struggling with trauma, grief or depression, or anyone supporting someone who is, or anyone ready to redefine what strength really means.

⏱️ CHAPTERS

00:00 – “I climbed the railings of a bridge…” – David’s darkest moment

03:05 – The weight of suicidal ideation: “I didn’t want to end my life… I wanted to end the pain”

07:42 – The silent battle at work and feeling lost in plain sight

13:18 – Early life, childhood masking, and belief systems about manhood

19:50 – Marriage, family dynamics, and fear of being ‘found out’

27:05 – The life-changing impact of being asked: “How are you out of 10?”

34:40 – First steps into therapy and confronting buried trauma

41:12 – Creating safe spaces: the birth of Talk Club Brighton & Hove

48:30 – The power of community and emotional accountability

56:50 – Shame, masks, and the myth of the 'strong man'

1:05:15 – Male friendship, trust, and the art of showing up

1:13:42 – Parenting, presence, and breaking generational cycles

1:22:18 – When laughter is medicine: humour, humanity and healing

1:31:40 – Business, burnout and redefining leadership through empathy

1:40:55 – Mental health at work: what employers get wrong

1:49:30 – Living with intention and building a new definition of success

1:56:50 – David answers the 5 Pillars: Balance, Authenticity, Presence, Fulfilment, Relationships

2:04:00 – Final reflections: “Be brave enough to speak before it's too late”

🔗 Connect with David Eakins

Instagram: @davideakins

LinkedIn: David Eakins

Website: https://happysapien.co.uk/

🎧 LISTEN TO MORE DIFFERENT HATS EPISODES:

👉 https://www.different-hats.co.uk/podcast

💬 If this episode resonated, please like, share, and leave a comment. Your support helps spread this vital message and change the narrative around success and mental health.

SPONSORED BY:

Search Seven – www.searchseven.co.uk

Nostos Hove – www.nostos-hove.co.uk

Rivervale – www.rivervale.co.uk

Plus X – https://www.plusxinnovation.com

🎥 PRODUCED BY:

H2 Productions – https://h2productions.co.uk

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this heartfelt episode, I sit down with Abi Mellor, co-founder of award-winning creative agency MOREVER, for a raw and powerful conversation about success, leadership, loss, and living a values-led life.

Abi opens up about her journey through motherhood, miscarriage, burnout, and business, sharing how she navigates these deeply personal experiences while leading impactful storytelling campaigns for global changemakers. We explore how her childhood shaped her, what she believes is broken in our education system, and how success for her is measured by love, presence, and purpose, not just performance.

We also talk about creating emotionally literate families, leadership with vulnerability, the importance of slowing down, and why honest storytelling matters more than ever in a distracted, digital world.

If you’ve ever felt like you’re failing at the impossible juggle, or wondered how to hold purpose and pressure at the same time, this one’s for you.

⏱️ CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS

00:00 – Intro

02:48 – What does success mean to Abi today?

05:51 – Childhood, co-parenting & shaping values

11:30 – Creating MOREVER & purpose-led storytelling

18:44 – Miscarriage, motherhood & the emotional cost of ambition

26:20 – Vulnerability in leadership & business burnout

35:10 – Reframing failure & making space for slowness

40:22 – Phone addiction, presence & parenting in a digital world

47:38 – Changing the education system & raising emotionally intelligent kids

53:52 – Honest storytelling, holding space & creative leadership

58:46 – Being a working mum: guilt, balance & emotional weight

1:05:18 – Abi’s partner dynamic & redistributing roles at home

1:09:14 – The cost of burnout: body signals & seeking help

1:16:10 – Finding strength in slowing down & saying no

1:19:42 – Letting go of perfection & embracing emotional truth

1:24:00 – Navigating phone addiction and presence in parenting

1:29:32 – On grief, miscarriage and language that heals

1:35:20 – Changing the story: why emotional literacy matters

1:40:48 – Final thoughts on success, love, and the legacy we leave

🎧 LISTEN TO MORE DIFFERENT HATS EPISODES:

👉 https://www.different-hats.co.uk/podcast

🔗 Connect with Abi Mellor

Website: https://www.morever.co.uk/

Instagram: @moreverfilms

LinkedIn: Abi Mellor

💡 If this episode resonated with you, please like, share, and comment below. Your support helps us spread this important message and change the narrative around success and mental health.

SPONSORED BY:

Search Seven – www.searchseven.co.uk

Nostos Hove – www.nostos-hove.co.uk

Rivervale – www.rivervale.co.uk

Plus X – https://www.plusxinnovation.com/

🎬 PRODUCED BY: H2 Productions – https://h2productions.co.uk/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.