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Different Hats Podcast

Different Hats Podcast

Di: Sam Thomas
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A proposito di questo titolo

I believe everyone has a story to tell, through seeking true, authentic insights about the entrepreneurial journey, I provide a platform for our peers to share their stories and inspire those that listen.


Welcome! I’m Sam Thomas, the host of the "Different Hats Podcast." In a world where entrepreneurs often feel pressured to wear countless hats, I believe in the power of authentic storytelling to redefine what success truly means. My mission is to help the 'World to See Success Differently' so you can achieve happiness, purpose, and fulfilment, by sharing real stories from those who’ve navigated the entrepreneurial landscape.


Through engaging conversations with peers and industry leaders like Chris Anderson of TED, I aim to provide you with the insights and inspiration needed to build the business you desire. Unlike other platforms, "Different Hats" focuses on the human side of entrepreneurship, moving beyond the performative aspects to foster genuine connections and meaningful growth.


Happy Listening 🎧

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

Sam Thomas 2021 Economia Filosofia Gestione e leadership Igiene e vita sana Leadership Psicologia Psicologia e salute mentale Scienze sociali
Episodi
  • #136 The Voice in My Head Nearly Killed Me | A Conversation About Self-Worth

    #136 The Voice in My Head Nearly Killed Me | A Conversation About Self-Worth
    Jan 20 2026

    What happens when you’ve done everything “right”… but still feel worthless, lost, and exhausted by your own mind?


    In this deeply honest and moving episode of the Different Hats Podcast, Sam sits down with Matt Cheney, creative producer, storyteller, and someone who has quietly fought one of the hardest battles of all: the one inside his own head.


    Matt opens up about late ADHD diagnosis, imposter syndrome, self-worth, burnout, grief, suicide attempts, and the masks many men wear just to survive. He shares how losing his father, his relationship, his career structure, his identity, and his sense of belonging brought him to rock bottom, and how a single moment, a run, and one unexpected email helped him choose to keep going.


    This is not a story about “fixing yourself.”

    It’s about learning how to live with yourself.


    If you’ve ever:

    • Felt like you weren’t enough

    • Lived with a relentless inner critic

    • Been successful on the outside but empty inside

    • Struggled to accept love, compliments, or rest

    • Wondered if it’s possible to keep going


    This conversation will stay with you.





    ⏱️ Episode Chapters


    00:00 – Introduction

    01:21 – “You Alright Mate?” check-in

    02:54 – Shiny objects vs investing in yourself

    07:35 – Redefining success beyond money

    12:30 – Loving your work… but hating yourself

    16:13 – Creativity, kids & permission to try

    22:14 – Childhood, belonging & emotional safety

    28:51 – Rugby, leadership & fear of failure

    32:58 – ADHD, masking & self-worth

    40:20 – Parents, caregiving & inherited patterns

    49:05 – Imposter syndrome & burnout

    56:00 – Relationships, vulnerability & being seen

    1:06:51 – Injury, grief & losing everything

    1:18:42 – Suicide attempts & the pain beneath them

    1:19:34 – The email that changed everything

    1:28:56 – “You are the sky, everything else is weather”

    1:35:50 – Learning to live with the inner critic

    1:46:29 – Giving without needing anything back

    1:53:29 – Silence, endurance & the meaning of “keep going”

    2:08:20 – Advice for anyone feeling lost

    2:12:27 – A life well lived


    💬 Key Themes Explored


    • ADHD & late diagnosis

    • Imposter syndrome

    • Masculinity & emotional literacy

    • Suicide, grief & recovery

    • Self-worth vs external success

    • Receiving love & compliments

    • Identity beyond achievement

    • Why “keeping going” matters


    🎧 LISTEN TO MORE DIFFERENT HATS EPISODES:


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


    🔗 Connect with Matt Cheney


    https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattcheney1/


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


    SPONSORED BY


    Rivervale – https://www.rivervale.co.uk

    Brown Bear Studios – https://www.brownbearstudio.co.uk

    Carpenter Box – https://www.carpenterbox.com


    🎙️ PRODUCED BY:


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

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    2 ore e 19 min
  • #135 What Terminal Cancer Taught Me About Life, Love and Legacy

    #135 What Terminal Cancer Taught Me About Life, Love and Legacy
    Jan 13 2026
    What happens when life forces you to face the one thing most of us avoid thinking about?In this deeply honest and moving episode, I sit down with Gavin O’Donoghue, who shares his journey living with stage 4 metastatic melanoma, the reality of a terminal diagnosis, and the mindset shifts that have helped him keep showing up with hope, humour and heart.This is a powerful conversation about presence, fatherhood, friendship, legacy, and what success really means when the “big stuff” is stripped away.If you or someone you love is navigating illness, grief, anxiety, or simply feeling overwhelmed by life, this episode is a reminder that connection, love, and meaning are the real measures of a life well lived.Chapters00:00:02 Introduction00:00:47 Gavin’s honest answer: “Life is pretty tough right now”00:08:12 Hope as a lifeline in dark moments00:08:47 The power of presence + “the greatest Christmas ever”00:09:58 Was Gavin always present, or did cancer change that?00:10:36 Work, busyness, and the struggle to switch off00:13:50 Society’s pressure, productivity, and the “success” trap00:15:03 Gavin’s old definition of success vs. what it became00:24:26 Leadership lessons: helping others win00:26:34 Giving, reciprocity, and building a “personal board of directors”00:36:07 Teaching kids success before crisis forces the lesson00:37:56 What really matters at the end of life00:44:35 Curiosity, learning, and taking control where you can00:45:13 Mindset tools: breathwork, gratitude, and community support00:54:38 Why vulnerability is strength (and isolation makes it harder)00:57:04 “That’s what makes you rich” — relationships as real wealth00:59:17 Men, friendship, banter, and why community matters01:01:02 Creating legacy: recording stories for his boys01:05:49 The balance between hope and realism01:07:33 Why we avoid talking about death (and what we miss)01:09:52 Gavin’s diagnosis story: from stage 2 to stage 401:25:16 How Gavin keeps going after setbacks01:25:39 Purpose, therapy, goals, and finding reasons to keep moving01:35:32 The Open qualifier: “my biggest f*** you to cancer”01:39:13 The example he’s setting for his children01:42:22 The “A-grade letter” exercise + “Go brave”01:55:19 Paying it forward: Wolo, awareness, and impact01:57:57 Biggest life lessons: love, honesty, vulnerability, meaning02:13:14 Closing words + “Go brave”🧠 Key themes in this episodeLiving with terminal cancer and staying human in itHope vs. realism: holding both at the same timePresence, gratitude, and the small moments that become everythingFriendship, banter, love, and why men need communityLegacy: creating memories for your children while you still canRedefining success beyond money, status and achievementGavin’s life tools: curiosity, journaling, breathwork, therapy, humour👤 About Gavin O’DonoghueGavin is an executive search consultant with 20 years’ experience in financial markets. Since 2019 he has been living with melanoma, and following a stage 4 diagnosis, he has endured multiple treatments while continuing to show up for his family, his friends, and his purpose with honesty, humour and heart.💬 Quote to sit with“Success now is hugging my boys… being present… love… connection… the simple stuff.”✅ If this episode resonated…Please like, subscribe, and share it with someone who needs a bit of hope today.And if you’re going through something right now send the text. Ask the question.Those three words can matter more than we realise.🎧 LISTEN TO MORE DIFFERENT HATS EPISODES:👉 https://www.different-hats.co.uk/podcast🔗 Connect with Gavin O’DonoghueInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/odonoghue.gavin/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gavin-o-donoghue-12ba5312/💡 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:RivervaleBrown Bear StudiosCarpenter BoxPRODUCED BY: H2 Productions: https://h2productions.co.uk/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    2 ore e 14 min
  • #134 The Future of Work: Autonomy, Culture Change & Human Leadership | Jon Barnes

    #134 The Future of Work: Autonomy, Culture Change & Human Leadership | Jon Barnes
    Dec 16 2025
    What if the secret to better business, better parenting and better mental health was… letting go of control?In this powerful, reflective conversation, I sit down with culture-change consultant and “buddish” thinker Jon Barnes (Pala) to talk about rewilding organisations, autonomy, depression, silent retreats, parenting, Buddhism, phones, presence and what it really means to be human.We explore how to move from command-and-control to self-managing, autonomous teams, how tiny experiments can transform culture, and why CEOs often save two days a week when they stop making every decision.Jon also shares openly about his dangerous depression, how a 10-day silent retreat changed his relationship with his thoughts, the difference between having anger vs being angry, and why he now calls himself “buddish”.This episode weaves perfectly into the You Alright Mate? mission and my Five Pillars of Success, especially Presence, Balance, Authenticity and Relationships and asks how we can equip both adults and kids to sit with their emotions in a world designed to distract us.🔍 In this episode we explore:How Jon went from hierarchy to rewilding organisations and self-managed teamsWhy autonomy at work can save leaders days each week (and create happier teams)Simple culture shifts: meetings, decisions & information sharing as leverage pointsParenting, failure and letting our kids do what lights them upJon’s story of clinical depression, SSRIs and finding mindfulnessWhat really happens on a 10-day silent meditation retreatThoughts vs emotions – and learning to notice rather than be owned by themPhones, tech, attention & why boredom might be a superpowerBeing “buddish”: Buddhist psychology, compassion & reducing suffering“This too shall pass” as a life toolkit – for the highs and the lows⏱️ CHAPTERS / TIMESTAMPS00:00 – “You alright mate?” check-in & intro to Jon Barnes06:15 – From traditional schooling to autonomy & a Costa Rica jungle school15:30 – Discovering self-managed teams & a new kind of leadership26:40 – What autonomy really looks like at work (and why CEOs gain 2 days a week)36:20 – Culture change as small experiments & the power of atomic habits45:05 – Rewilding organisations: the Knepp Estate metaphor & letting go of control55:40 – Parenting, autonomy for kids & reframing failure as learning1:05:30 – Meetings, decisions & information sharing as the heart of culture1:15:00 – Hitting the wall: depression, burnout and calling in sick to life1:27:30 – Inside a 10-day silent retreat: thoughts, emotions & the noisy mind1:40:10 – Tech Monopolies, smartphones & the attention economy1:50:20 – Teaching presence & emotional literacy to children2:00:00 – Peak experiences, the lake moment & “this too shall pass”2:10:10 – Being “buddish”: compassion, suffering & altered traits2:22:50 – Top Table card question on boundaries & closing reflections🎙️ ABOUT JON BARNESJon Barnes is a culture-change consultant, facilitator and co-founder of Pala, helping organisations move from rigid hierarchies to more autonomous, human-centred ways of working. His work draws on ideas from rewilding, permaculture, mindfulness and Buddhist psychology, and he’s the author of books including Tech Monopolies. Jon describes himself as “buddish” not religious, but deeply influenced by Buddhist thought and the practice of mindfulness.🎧 LISTEN TO MORE DIFFERENT HATS EPISODES:👉 https://www.different-hats.co.uk/podcast🔗 Connect with Jon BarnesWebsite: https://teampala.co.uk/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jonbarnesdotme/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonbarnesdotme/💡 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:Rivervale – www.rivervale.co.ukBrown Bear Studios – https://brownbearstudios.co.uk/Carpenter Box – https://www.carpenterbox.com/PRODUCED BY: H2 Productions – https://h2productions.co.uk/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    2 ore e 29 min
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