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Different Hats Podcast

Different Hats Podcast

By: Sam Thomas
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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.


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

Sam Thomas 2021 Economics Hygiene & Healthy Living Leadership Management & Leadership Philosophy Psychology Psychology & Mental Health Social Sciences
Episodes
  • #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 hrs and 29 mins
  • #133 This Moment Changed Everything: Success, Struggle & Becoming Your Future Self

    #133 This Moment Changed Everything: Success, Struggle & Becoming Your Future Self
    Dec 9 2025

    In this powerful episode, entrepreneur and endurance athlete Bruce Bignell joins me to share an honest, inspiring and deeply reflective journey, from childhood trauma and blended family life, to building a tech business, redefining leadership, and becoming the kind of man his younger self needed.


    Bruce opens up about growing up between private school and state school, navigating complex family dynamics, searching for male role models, and the challenges young boys face today in a world of algorithms, screens and identity confusion. He explores how social media shapes validation, why kids are outsourcing self-worth to strangers online, and what parents must do to help them reconnect to real life, real people, and real values.


    He also shares how a 3-month period of radical change, running ultramarathons, rowing the Channel, and transforming his nutrition, completely shifted his mindset and taught him how to back himself when everything felt impossible.


    We dive into:


    • Success: health, wealth, wisdom
    • Masculinity: raising boys, male role models & blended families
    • Mental health: resilience, identity & future self thinking
    • Leadership: calm in crisis, inspiring change, seeing opportunity
    • Risk: starting Evolve during Covid, hitting £70 in the bank, rebuilding
    • Childhood: class, trauma, intuition, grounding and learning
    • Technology: AI, humanity & why people will always matter
    • Personal growth: redefining how you want your story to go


    Bruce’s story is emotional, practical, honest and incredibly useful for anyone navigating business, fatherhood, mental health or big life transitions.


    ⏱️ CHAPTERS


    00:00 – Introduction

    03:17 – “You alright mate?” Bruce checks in

    04:46 – Lessons from a tough year

    06:54 – Success = health, wealth & wisdom

    09:44 – Lifelong learning & curiosity

    10:44 – Teenage Bruce: success, football & business

    17:00 – Class, identity & bridging different worlds

    20:42 – Male role models & blended families

    24:32 – Masculinity & the Lost Boys

    25:41 – Teens, rebellion & identity

    31:31 – Social media & outsourcing validation

    36:30 – Intrinsic vs extrinsic self-worth

    41:04 – Early business exposure

    46:04 – Sales, rejection & resilience

    54:51 – Crisis, clarity & leadership

    57:54 – What makes a true leader?

    1:02:15 – Work Up & endurance challenges

    1:07:51 – Nutrition & trusting his body

    1:19:36 – Risk, money & resilience

    1:23:03 – “There’s always another way”

    1:31:03 – Building Evolve

    1:35:49 – How we respond to life

    1:47:00 – Future self vs current behaviour

    2:00:40 – Advice to 16-year-old Bruce



    🔗 CONNECT WITH BRUCE


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



    🎧 LISTEN TO MORE EPISODES:


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


    SPONSORED BY:


    Brown Bear Audio 👉 https://brownbearstudios.co.uk/

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

    Rivervale 👉 rivervale.co.uk


    Produced by: H2 Productions www.h2productions.co.uk

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    2 hrs and 5 mins
  • #132 Building RocketMill: Culture, Courage & What It Took to Win, with Sam Garrity

    #132 Building RocketMill: Culture, Courage & What It Took to Win, with Sam Garrity
    Dec 2 2025

    What does success really look like once you’ve “made it”?


    In this powerful conversation, I sit down with entrepreneur and former RocketMill CEO Sam Garrity for a deep and emotional exploration of ambition, success, fear, leadership, culture, mental health and reinvention.


    Sam shares how RocketMill grew from a Yellow Pages idea to a high-growth agency, built on people-first culture and relentless belief. He opens up about anxiety, panic attacks, childhood trauma and the fear of embarrassment that silently shaped his drive.


    He reveals the benefits and the cost of being “all in”: the emotional load, the mental space it consumed, the presence he lost at home, and why selling the company brought grief and joy.


    This episode dives into:


    • Panic attacks, anxiety and the roots of self-belief

    • The fierce drive behind RocketMill, and the application behind “All in” mentality

    • Culture, leadership and why behaviours matter more than values on a wall

    • The emotional reality of selling a company, the euphoria and the grief

    • Rebuilding identity, relationships and purpose after the exit

    • Breathwork, emotional release and healing old wounds

    • Why pride, integrity and community now matter more than ever


    It’s raw, human, inspiring and full of lessons for anyone chasing big goals, navigating change, or trying to understand what success really means.


    🕒 CHAPTERS


    0:00 – Introduction

    5:13 – “You alright mate?” — honest check-in

    7:28 – Redefining success through purpose

    9:04 – Success evolving through childhood → adulthood

    17:27 – Ambition vs purpose

    19:09 – What really drives Sam

    21:11 – Upbringing, instability & resilience

    27:05 – Fear of failure & self-belief

    31:12 – Embarrassment, failure & reframing it

    42:26 – Early career: Express, Daily Mail & culture

    55:36 – The birth of RocketMill

    1:00:00 – Betting the farm & starting from nothing

    1:02:07 – “Are we all in?” — the RocketMill mentality

    1:07:32 – Sacrifice: being there but not present

    1:12:32 – Advice to founders: be braver

    1:13:59 – Pushing the boulder uphill

    1:26:17 – COVID: guaranteeing 200 jobs

    1:28:50 – People-first culture in action

    1:30:17 – Selling the company — everyone wins

    1:39:31 – Euphoria & grief after the sale

    1:50:00 – Breathwork, emotion & healing

    1:51:26 – Community, Samaritans & purpose

    2:00:45 – Seek pride in everything you do

    2:02:34 – Storytelling card

    2:05:26 – Closing reflections


    A profound conversation for founders, leaders, parents, creators, anyone striving to succeed while staying grounded, healthy and human.


    🔗 SPONSORS


    Brown Bear Audio – Elite podcast studio. 👉 https://brownbearstudios.co.uk/

    Carpenter Box – Accountancy & advisory specialists. 👉 https://www.carpenterbox.com/

    Rivervale – Making motoring manageable. 👉 rivervale.co.uk


    Produced by: H2 Productions – h2productions.co.uk


    🎧 LISTEN TO MORE DIFFERENT HATS EPISODES


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

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
    Show More Show Less
    2 hrs and 7 mins
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