Behind the viral videos, the humour and the success on social media, there’s a side of life that rarely makes it onto our screens.This week on The Talking Tradesman Podcast, Russell Payne sits down with Harrison, better known as The Benchin Bricky, for an incredibly open conversation about men’s mental health, depression, divorce, fatherhood and the pressures of modern life.Find Harrison herehttps://www.instagram.com/benchin_bricky?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&srtk=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==From growing up in an environment where men rarely spoke about their feelings to navigating relationship breakdowns, personal struggles and rebuilding his life, Harrison shares the experiences that have shaped the man he is today.We explore the darker side of social media, the damaging culture of comparison, and why so many men feel pressured to appear successful even when they’re struggling behind closed doors.But this conversation goes much further.We challenge the stigma surrounding careers in construction, question an education system that overlooks practical life skills, and discuss why working harder doesn’t always mean living better.Harrison also opens up about therapy, becoming a father, finding purpose after rugby and learning to let go of the emotional weight he’d carried for years.Because sometimes the strongest thing a man can do is admit he’s struggling.This episode is about understanding yourself, taking responsibility for your future and recognising that everyone is fighting battles we might never see.An honest, thought-provoking conversation about life, masculinity and the importance of looking beyond what we see on social media.🎙️ The Talking Tradesman Podcast. Real people. Real stories. Real conversations.Chapters00:00 Meet Harrison, the Plymouth bricklayer and creator05:03 Growing up in masculine spaces with no mental-health language17:28 The rewards and mental cost of going viral19:44 Keeping content, partnership, family, and work in balance24:53 Why Harrison keeps bricklaying alongside content creation27:22 The craft behind a distinctive construction video31:30 Burnout, hustle culture, and working more sustainably34:00 From coasting at school to applying himself36:16 Why trades should be presented as a real career choice41:37 Financial literacy and practical education for young people45:36 Trades, critical thinking, and respect within the industry48:20 Psychology as a foundation for better coping49:19 Therapy expands the mental-health toolbox50:10 How old-school ideas about masculinity silence men51:24 Depression after rugby and the loss of structure53:11 Opening up, rejection, and a marriage in crisis55:34 Isolation, COVID, and masking grief57:55 Reconciliation, relocation, and feeling alone again01:00:28 Friends can support you, but you must take the next step01:02:23 Ending the marriage and rebuilding from home01:04:24 Divorce, fatherhood, and the pain of an empty house01:08:20 Keeping children out of the conflict01:10:15 The challenges and responsibilities of step-parenting01:14:31 A new father's emotions don't follow one script01:18:34 Fatherhood, unconditional love, and leading by example01:23:17 Impossible standards and learning to enjoy progress01:28:51 Why Harrison finally chose therapy01:32:38 Mental fitness takes practice, just like physical strength01:35:07 Showing the hard parts behind social-media success01:37:18 The brick metaphor: don't carry problems indefinitely01:40:34 The hope of helping one family avoid suicide loss01:42:40 Comparison, control, and getting through today#TheTalkingTradesman #TheBenchinBricky #MensMentalHealth #MentalHealthAwareness #ConstructionIndustry