What if the education system is failing the very children it’s meant to help?

In this powerful episode of the Different Hats Podcast, I sit down with former headteacher, educator and English Channel swimmer Dr Hildi Mitchell to explore a big question:

If we could redesign the education system from scratch, what would it look like?

Drawing on decades of experience inside schools, Hildi shares why emotional literacy, safety, belonging and play are just as important as academic achievement, and why many children are currently being asked to fit into a system that wasn’t built for them.

We talk about SATs, neurodiversity, mental health, leadership in schools, and why true success should be measured by the impact we have on others, not just grades or results.

Hildi also shares the deeply personal story of supporting her daughter through school anxiety, and what swimming the English Channel taught her about resilience, humility and asking for help.

This is an important conversation for parents, teachers, school leaders and anyone who believes education needs to evolve.

00:00 Introduction

02:15 What does success mean in education?

10:57 Are we starting formal education too early?

19:33 The mental health cost of the current school system

39:24 Supporting children who struggle with school

56:15 If we redesigned education from scratch

1:09:22 Teaching children they are enough

1:25:04 Advice for parents

1:36:02 Lessons from swimming the English Channel

🎧 LISTEN TO MORE DIFFERENT HATS EPISODES:

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

🔗 Connect with Dr Hildi Mitchell

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drmitchellswimsthechannel/

💡 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.

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.

“I'm okay… but I’m not all right.”

What happens when strong men finally answer that question honestly?

In this game-changing episode, I sit down with Paul Jukes, leader of The Outta Puff Daddies, to explore masculinity, mental health, joy, community… and the power of simply asking:

You Alright Mate?

Paul shares his deeply personal story of living through a mental health crisis in 2018, despite a loving upbringing, strong friendships, and a seemingly “successful” life on the outside.

Daily physical pain.

Emotional isolation.

Breaking point on a family holiday.

And the moment that changed everything.

From that darkness came something extraordinary:

A brotherhood of men.

A dance crew that went viral.

A movement built on joy, humour, and emotional honesty.

And lives being saved through community.

We explore the big question:

This is a conversation about redefining masculinity, not replacing strength, but widening it.

Not revolution.

Evolution.

And if you care about men’s mental health, fatherhood, purpose, identity or redefining success, this episode will stay with you.

00:00 – Introduction

03:00 – Financial pressure, identity & letting go

07:30 – Modern masculinity: Evolution, not revolution

12:20 – Teaching emotional literacy to the next generation

15:10 – What is success (and does it change over time?)

21:30 – Identity, purpose & empty nest transitions

29:45 – Who was Paul before Outta Puff Daddies?

36:00 – The shoulder injury & silent mental decline

42:50 – Breaking point on holiday

45:50 – The power of finally talking

50:30 – The “glass of water” analogy (powerful moment)

55:00 – Why community is the real toolkit

1:02:00 – The man who said, “You saved my life.”

1:07:30 – Why joy is essential in men’s mental health

1:11:00 – The Outta Puff Daddies story & viral growth

1:20:00 – 40 million views… but what really matters

1:27:00 – Self-care, glimmers & finding joy

1:41:30 – If Paul were Prime Minister tomorrow…

1:45:30 – Final reflection: Can joy unlock the conversation?

• Masculinity redefined
• Vulnerability as strength
• Community as protection
• Emotional literacy in boys
• The danger of silent suffering
• Why “just talk” isn’t enough without safe spaces
• Movement as medicine
• Joy as a gateway to healing
• Purpose beyond performance

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

Website: https://www.outtapuffdaddys.co.uk/

Instagram: @outtapuffdaddies

TikTok: @outtapuffdaddies

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pauljukes/

💡 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.

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.

What does success really look like when life forces you to slow down?

In this episode of the Different Hats Podcast, I sit down with founder and HERstory creator Stephanie Prior at a pivotal moment in her life, 33 weeks pregnant, scaling her business, and learning to let go of control.

But this isn’t just a conversation about pregnancy or entrepreneurship.

It’s about identity.

It’s about leadership.

It’s about redefining success beyond performance, perfection and proving yourself.

Stephanie opens up about:

• Growing up navigating identity, belonging and racism
• The turning point at 16 that reshaped her path
• From pageantry to public life, and what representation really means
• Building HERstory into one of Sussex’s leading women-in-business platforms
• The fear of losing control as a founder
• Delegation, leadership and commercialising her business
• Why success isn’t just money, it’s self-belief, gratitude and legacy

As Stephanie prepares for motherhood, she reflects on ambition, vulnerability and what it means to build something that doesn’t depend entirely on you.

This is a powerful case study in redefining success in real time.

00:00 – Introduction

02:24 – Delegation, leadership and commercialising the business

07:41 – Early career, mentorship and full-circle moments

14:09 – What does success really mean?

18:34 – Identity, school, and finding perspective

21:10 – The Gambia trip that changed everything

29:00 – Belonging, racism and confidence

36:45 – Pageantry and representation

44:22 – The origin of HERstory

49:48 – Creating space in business

1:03:29 – Entrepreneurship wasn’t the plan

1:13:19 – Pregnancy, control and fear

1:25:22 – Ambition, motherhood and the next chapter

1:30:36 – What she’d tell her younger self

🎧 LISTEN TO MORE DIFFERENT HATS EPISODES:

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

🔗 Connect with Stephanie Prior

Website: https://prior-media.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/missstephanieprior/

LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/stephanie-prior-67903b84

💡 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.

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.