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.

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.

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

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

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

What happens when the “good guy” from Big Brother – the man who seemed confident, calm, and collected – finally removes the mask?

In the opening episode of Series 9, filmed at our incredible new home Brown Bear Studios, Jason Burrill sits down for his first ever deep mental-health interview, and it’s one of the most powerful conversations we’ve ever had.

Jason reveals the truth behind the success, the fame, the acting career, the public persona… and the hidden mental health battles he’s carried since childhood bullying at age 11.

For decades he lived behind an act, Batman on stage, Bond on film sets, Big Brother winner on TV, while secretly battling anxiety, PTSD, emotional shutdown, fear, avoidance, and a near-fatal mental health crash that left him planning to end his life.

In this raw, vulnerable conversation, Jason shares:

• How bullying shaped every part of his adult life
• Why he couldn’t walk into Tesco, but could walk into the Big Brother house
• How success became a mask, not a feeling
• His darkest moment… and the phone call that saved him
• Why men struggle to open up
• How we can change the narrative for our sons, friends, fathers and future generations

This episode is a must-watch for anyone interested in men’s mental health, resilience, trauma, identity, and redefining success beyond money, fame or status.

00:00 — Introduction

01:53 — What does happiness even look like?

04:30 — The “You Alright Mate?” check-in

07:59 — Bullying, masks, barriers & pushing people away

10:25 — Is pain the fuel behind success?

11:21 — Jason’s definition of success

14:45 — Money, happiness & the crash that changed everything

18:28 — Childhood, family, identity & early trauma

24:19 — Why relationships felt impossible

25:07 — Starting again after losing everything

27:38 — The truth about school bullying & survival

37:57 — Acting vs. everyday life: the paradox

44:56 — Authenticity, masks & telling friends the truth

46:45 — ADHD, anxiety, PTSD – making sense of it all

52:06 — The broken mental health system: Jason’s emergency call

58:22 — Boundaries, saying no & understanding yourself

1:01:01 — Why Jason wants to help kids in schools

1:06:41 — Reframing success & reframing failure

1:12:19 — How schools and parents can better support kids

1:19:34 — Social media, comparison & identity

1:27:00 — How Jason survived Big Brother

1:40:28 — Jason’s impact through charity & service

1:47:25 — A message to men who are struggling

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

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jason.burrill

Brown Bear Studios -

Carpenter Box -

Rivervale – www.rivervale.co.uk

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

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

Series 8 has been one of the most powerful yet, a season of raw honesty, deep reflection, and inspiring resilience. Across sixteen extraordinary conversations, we’ve explored what it truly means to live, love, and lead with authenticity.

From suicidal ideation to self-acceptance, childhood loss to creative rebirth, OCD to bipolar, miscarriage to motherhood, each story redefined success not as wealth or status, but as presence, purpose, and the courage to ask for help.

This finale brings together the highlights and trailers from Series 8 (Episodes 115–130).

• Success is a feeling of alignment, not a finish line
• Asking for help is a gift, to yourself and others
• Autonomy, Mastery, and Purpose are the real drivers of fulfilment
• Emotional education matters as much as academic achievement
• From darkness can come light, connection, and meaning
• The real measure of success? Presence over perfection

00:00 — Daniel Wilsher (E115)

01:24 — Joel Lawton (E116)

02:43 — Simon Chuter (E117)

04:27 — Sam Adams (E118)

05:55 — Asis Patel (E119)

07:13 — Howie McConnell (E120)

09:04 — Ashley Usiskin (E121)

11:14 — Abi Mellor (E122)

12:36 — David Eakins (E123)

14:25 — Oly Newton (E124)

15:07 — Jon Kennett (E125)

16:53 — Max Marshall (E126)

19:17 — Dr Carlos Saba (E127)

21:59 — Sarah Willingham (E128)

23:21 — Jonathan Lea (E129)

25:03 — Matthew White (E130)

From the depths of despair to the light of discovery, Series 8 reminded us that success isn’t measured by wealth or fame, but by how deeply we live and love. Every story, every voice, every moment shared helps shift the narrative, one honest conversation at a time.

If this series moved you, share this episode with someone who needs it.

And if you’re struggling, remember: asking for help is strength, not weakness.

🎧 LISTEN TO MORE DIFFERENT HATS EPISODES:

👉 www.different-hats.co.uk/podcast

🔗 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

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