What does good work actually feel like and what should it never feel like?

In Episode 72 of the mentl space podcast, Scott Armstrong is joined by Mark Rix, Group Managing Director of Sonus Group and the driving force behind the global Wellbeing at Work World Summits, for a deeply personal and wide-ranging conversation about leadership, psychological safety, and why wellbeing must be embedded into how organisations truly operate.

Mark shares the formative experience that shaped his entire leadership philosophy, from working underground in a South African gold mine at just 18 years old, to leading global conversations on mental health and workplace culture today.

Together, Scott and Mark explore:

Why wellbeing is often talked about but poorly implemented

The real impact of untrained managers on employee mental health

Why younger generations are struggling more at work than ever before

How leadership, listening, and psychological safety affect performance

Why wellbeing is not “soft”, but foundational to long-term success

Across the region, leaders are being asked to deliver higher performance while building more human organisations. As the finalists and winners of the mentl awards 2025 demonstrated, workplace wellbeing is no longer a side programme. It is now a core part of business strategy, performance, and culture.

That is why Scott is proud to be chairing the Wellbeing at Work World Summits again in January 2026, marking his third year chairing in Dubai and Riyadh, and a return to Muscat as the summit travels to the Sultanate.

As a mentl follower, you can access an exclusive summit discount:

50% off tickets using code MARK50

An even larger discount is available by joining the mentl community at mentlcommunity.com

Riyadh: Thursday 22 January 2026, Alfaisal University, Riyadh - Click here for more information and tickets https://wellbeingatwork.world/summit/wellbeing-at-work-summit-middle-east-2026-riyadh/#Tickets

Muscat: Tuesday 27 January 2026, Omantel, Muscat - Click here for more information and tickets https://wellbeingatwork.world/summit/wellbeing-at-work-summit-middle-east-2026-muscat-2/#Tickets

Dubai: Thursday 29 January 2026, Standard Chartered, DIFC - Click here for more information and tickets https://wellbeingatwork.world/summit/wellbeing-at-work-summit-middle-east-2026-dubai/

🎧 Also available on Spotify, and Apple Podcasts

🔔 Subscribe to the mentl space for conversations that change how we think about work, leadership, and mental health.

Chapter List:

00:00 – Welcome to the mentl space podcast
01:20 – How Mark Rix personally defines mental health
02:43 – The gold mine story: “This is not how work should feel”
04:45 – Psychological safety, belonging, and being human at work
07:02 – Leadership lessons learned underground
10:18 – Why dangerous work exposes bad leadership faster
11:44 – How attitudes to wellbeing at work are changing globally
18:24 – Performative wellbeing and untrained managers
22:23 – Loneliness, younger workers, and psychological safety
27:59 – Leading across generations and the future of work
40:48 – What judging the mentl Awards revealed about real progress

How well are women really doing in the workplace today?

In this powerful episode of the mentl space, host Scott Armstrong sits down with Maya Rafii, Managing Director and Purpose, Culture & Inclusion Leader at Deloitte Middle East, to explore the findings of the new Women @ Work 2025: A Global Outlook - Deloitte’s fifth annual deep dive into the lived experiences of 7,500 women across 15 countries.

Together, they unpack a picture that is both hopeful and deeply concerning:

🔹 51% of women say their mental health is good, yet
🔹 43% say they’re very concerned about it, and
🔹 Almost 90% believe their manager would think negatively if they disclosed a mental-health challenge.

We also dig into the “always-on” culture where 29% feel unable to switch off, and those regularly working beyond contracted hours report drastically poorer well-being - only 15% rate their mental health as good, compared to 58% among those who can disconnect.

Maya shares her 20-year journey building Deloitte’s inclusion culture, the hard truths about psychological safety, and what leaders must do next — not as a box-ticking exercise, but as a business imperative.

We also explore:

✨ The mental load and why it’s silently draining women’s productivity
✨ The confidence-shaking impact of menopause and menstrual health at work
✨ Why flexible work boosts mothers’ mental wellbeing, productivity, and retention
✨ Why only 5% of women see themselves staying with their employer long-term

This conversation is essential listening for leaders, HR professionals, DEI champions - and anyone who believes a better workplace is possible.

Chapter List:

00:00 Welcome & Why This Conversation Matters
02:30 What the Women @ Work 2025 Report Reveals
05:00 Maya’s Journey & Deloitte’s Inclusion Evolution
07:00 A Mixed Picture: Progress vs Rising Pressure
09:00 The “Always On” Culture & Mental Load
11:00 The Hidden Cost of Stress & Overwork
13:00 Psychological Safety: The 90% Challenge
15:00 What Leaders Must Do Differently
17:00 Building a Wellbeing-First Culture
19:00 Women’s Health Challenges at Work
21:30 The Care Burden & Its Economic Impact
24:00 Flexibility as a Catalyst for Retention
26:30 Neurodiversity & Disclosure in the Workplace
29:00 The Retention Crisis: Only 5% Plan to Stay Long-Term
31:00 Microaggressions & Non-Inclusive Behaviours
34:00 Closing Insights & Call to Action

In this special episode of the mentl space, host Scott Armstrong, founder of mentl, sits down with Sinead O’Connor and LuAnne D’Souza from Current Global MENAT - joint winners of the mentl awards 2024 in the PR category and finalists again for 2025.

Fresh from a powerful team workshop led by Scott from mentl, and organizational psychologist Sarah Christensen, the trio unpack the realities of agency life - constant connectivity, blurred boundaries, burnout, and the drive to create belonging in a 24-hour news culture.

They explore the central theme: why there really is an ‘I’ in team - and how embracing individuality, vulnerability, and trust can transform wellbeing, creativity, and business performance.

🎥 Recorded at Current Global MENAT, Dubai, following a mentl × Christensen Consultancy joint workshop on resilience and team connection.

Chapters

0:00 – Welcome from Scott Armstrong: “There is an ‘I’ in Team”
1:29 – Sinead O’Connor on global pressures and lived experiences at work
2:36 – LuAnne D’Souza on being “always on” and struggling to switch off
3:18 – The WhatsApp culture and blurred client boundaries in PR
4:31 – Sarah Christensen on rapid change, burnout, and lost human connection
6:22 – PRCA data and worsening mental-health trends in the communications industry
7:09 – Inside the 24-hour news cycle: constant deadlines and client demands
9:08 – WhatsApp anxiety and learning to set boundaries
10:15 – Tone from the top: creating safety and respect in agency culture
12:00 – “PR not ER”: leadership philosophy and wellbeing at work
13:52 – The business case for wellbeing and performance
14:58 – Why individuality drives innovation: “There is an ‘I’ in Team”
17:10 – Celebrating differences and learning across disciplines
18:27 – Inclusion vs fitting in: vulnerability and authentic leadership
22:00 – Psychological safety and unleashing creativity
24:25 – Turning conflict into constructive challenge
26:25 – The power of reflection and team sharing exercises
27:46 – Seeing colleagues in a new light: human connection in action
28:36 – Why conversations and “water-cooler” moments fuel belonging
30:33 – Turning pressure into opportunity: culture change from within
31:39 – Reflection rituals and red-orange-green check-ins
33:45 – How to measure success: belonging you can feel
35:16 – Culture as reputation: when people want to work with you
36:10 – Sinead’s takeaway: kindness and role-modelling from the top
36:47 – Sarah’s takeaway: authenticity and heart in leadership
38:06 – LuAnne’s takeaway: individuality and accountability
38:39 – Scott’s close: individuality + collective = healthy team