Special: Crying at Work

Fred Destin, venture capitalist and Founder of Stride.VC, shares how startup culture has glamorised grind, why he’s aiming to be more present in every interaction, and why empathy and communication aren’t just soft skills for managers—they’re essential.

Mel Murphy, People Lead at birdie, shares her experience of PTSD & postnatal depression, why lockdown was one of the best things that happened to her, and how companies can properly support people taking parental leave.

Ryan Bonnici, CMO at Gympass, shares how innovative psychedelic treatments have transformed his mental health, and how his openness has encouraged a proactive approach to wellbeing among his team.

Tamara Quintela, People & Experience Specialist at Toqio, shares how therapy helped her unpick the traumatic memories of her childhood, and how she now encourages her team to be open about their experiences and seek support.

Claudia Ceke, Head of People & Culture at Tailify, shares her experience of escaping workaholism and why you don’t always need an answer for someone who’s struggling—you just need to make space for them.

James Ski, Founder and CEO of Sales Confidence, shares his experience of managing bipolar disorder alongside his career, challenges misconceptions of the condition, and explains how his HR Lead knew just how to offer the right support when he was struggling.

Laura Holcombe, Senior Talent Partner at Faculty, shares how recruiters can create a psychologically safe interview process, how she’s managed her own experiences of imposter syndrome, and why The Wolf of Wall Street should never be used as a template for workplace culture.

Garry Senff, Head of HR at FirstGroup, shares his experience of how a bold career change helped him realise that he was gay—and how coming out at 40 impacted his relationships with his family, his kids, and his job.

Jeff Riseley, Founder of Sales Health Alliance, shares his experiences of dopamine addiction, why working in Sales is an extremely vulnerable experience, and why ‘mental health’ doesn’t equal mental illness.

Hannah Gibson, People Operations Lead at Flatfair, shares how a career change revived her from burnout, how therapy has helped look after others as well as herself, and why anxiety could even be her greatest strength.

Matt Daley, Co-founder and CME at Circulate, shares how childhood trauma and difficult parental relationships shaped his thoughts on mental wellbeing, how he’s learned from his own mistakes when it comes to supporting employees, and why company culture is about more than an office pool table.