Inspired Men Talk - Real conversations for men who feel stuck and want a way forward

At 13, Adam Cook stopped fitting in. By his mid-20s, depression and anxiety had taken over his life and the help on offer kept falling short.NLP helped a bit. Counselling didn't. His GP offered tablets he didn't want. Most people would have stopped there. Adam didn't.In this episode of Inspired Men Talk, Gary Johannes and Peter Ely sit down with Adam to hear how a quiet, introverted lad who couldn't hold a conversation became the man who now chats to everyone in an office of thousands – and why, 13 years after his last hypnotherapy session, the change has lasted.We talk about:• How depression and anxiety can start in your teens, and why you think you'll "grow out of it"• Self-medicating with alcohol, and why it always makes things worse• What to do when a therapy doesn't work (hint: it doesn't mean you can't be helped)• Why Adam turned to hypnotherapy, and what changed• Road cycling, solitude vs loneliness, and riding out the low days• Why mental health education needs to start in schoolsAdam's message is simple: you don't have to just live with it. Keep trying. There is always a way back.⏱ CHAPTERS00:00 Welcome to Inspired Men Talk01:15 Adam's story: depression and anxiety from age 1305:00 Where it started: Year 9 and not fitting in09:30 Overthinking, introversion and the snowball effect10:45 The moment he said "enough is enough"12:45 How he actually asked for help14:50 Why mental health support from GPs needs a rethink18:00 Losing people to suicide, and why men need to talk19:30 What kept him going when therapies didn't work22:00 Why he tried hypnotherapy24:30 Self-medicating with alcohol27:30 13 years on: from introvert to talking to everyone31:00 Road cycling, solitude and clearing your head34:15 Who is Adam in 2026?35:30 The big takeaway: keep trying36:00 Getting the message into schools40:00 Where to find Adam📲 FOLLOW ADAMInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/adamc2785/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1543078163🎧 ABOUT INSPIRED MEN TALKReal men. Real stories. Men's mental health, talked about the way real life actually sounds. Hosted by Gary Johannes and Peter Ely of Inspired To Change.Find a therapist near you: https://inspiredtochange.biz/If you're struggling, please talk to someone. In the UK, Samaritans are free and available 24/7 on 116 123. You can also contact your GP or call 111.#MensMentalHealth #Depression #Anxiety

When business is tight and you owe six people money you can't pay, it stops being a merry-go-round and becomes a spiral. Andrew Lindsay knows and in part two he tells us how he got off it.Andrew founded Mod Shoes and the 66 Clothing label, has served over 100,000 customers, DJs, plays in bands, and has been through the kind of business pressure most men never talk about. This is the part where it gets real.In this episode of Inspired Men Talk, hosts Gary Johannes and Peter Ely talk with Andrew about:Why moving house, changing your workspace, or simply getting dressed for work can shift your mental stateThe "race to the bottom" how to recognise a financial spiral before it takes you down with itPride, and why it stops men asking for help until it's too lateUsing AI as a sounding board when there's no one else to talk to at 2amThe family story of a grandad, a transistor, and why dismissing new technology is a mistakeMusic as mental health, why The Beatles, punk and a dancefloor full of strangers still matterAndrew's advice for anyone looking out the window and seeing clouds on a sunny dayIf you're a man running a business, carrying debt, or just carrying too much on your own, this one's for you. You're not broken. There is a way forward.Haven't heard part one? Start here: Find Andrew: 66clothing.com | modshoes.co.ukInspired Men Talk is brought to you by Inspired to Change. Gary Johannes is a solution-focused hypnotherapist, senior lecturer and founder of Inspired to Change. Peter Ely is an ITC associate practitioner specialising in men's mental health.Struggling and want to talk to someone?Timestamps 00:00 Welcome back 01:00 Moving house, changing scenery, and why physical movement matters 04:00 Live to work or work to live? 09:00 The grandad, the transistor, and AI 13:00 Every generation thinks the old days were better 18:30 Music, The Beatles and why it brings people together 22:45 Advice for men when business is hard: "get off the spiral" 26:30 Pride, friends, and talking it through 28:15 About 66 Clothing and Mod Shoes#MensMentalHealth #InspiredMenTalk #BusinessStress #SmallBusinessUK #ModShoes #66Clothing #MentalHealthPodcast #SolutionFocusedHypnotherapy #MenTalking

Andy Lindsay built Mod Shoes from a search term into a business turning over millions during lockdown. Then the sales fell off a cliff, the rent and rates didn't, and for six months he thought he was going to lose everything.In Part 1 of this episode of Inspired Men Talk, Gary Johannes and Peter Ely sit down with Andy, founder of Mod Shoes and 66 Clothing, to talk about what that time was really like behind the brave face. The duck paddling like mad under the water. The six weeks where, in his own words, he "wasn't in a good place." And the moment things started to shift.We get into:Why you can't see the wood for the trees when you're panicking, and what happens when you step back"Turnover is vanity, profit is sanity" and what running a smaller business actually feels likeAdapting to change instead of fighting it, from the internet to AIUsing AI as an 11pm thinking partner when you can't ring a mateHow physically moving cleared out the mental baggage tooWhy dogs, routine and getting out of the house matter more than you thinkThe one question Andy asks himself when everything feels like it's going southThis is a conversation about business, but really it's a conversation about men's mental health. Because whoever is holding it all together needs a clear head to do it, and nobody gets one of those by pretending everything's fine.Part 2 is out next week.Inspired Men Talk is a podcast about men's mental health that sounds like real life. Real people, real stories, and the one thing we've seen time and time again: there's always a way back.Gary Johannes is a solution-focused hypnotherapist and founder of Inspired to Change. Peter Ely is a clinical hypnotherapist based in London.Find Andy at 66 Clothing and Mod Shoes.#MensMentalHealth #InspiredMenTalk #Hypnotherapy #SmallBusiness #MentalHealthChapters 00:00 Intro 01:00 Meet Andy Lindsay 04:30 From web design to Mod Shoes 05:45 "There were some awful times" 08:00 The brave face and the paddling duck 09:30 Adapt or get left behind 13:30 Finding your magic 17:00 How Andy got through the six months 18:30 AI at 11 o'clock at night 19:30 Six weeks in a bad place 20:00 Moving house, clearing out 22:00 A little bit of shine

YouTube show notesPart two of our conversation with Nathan Hinckley.In part one we heard how Nathan got here. In part two we get to the harder question: why is he still doing it?At 21, Nathan ran 12 marathons in 12 days. It started as proving something to people who'd made him feel rejected. Then somewhere around day ten, running on empty, he worked out something most people take another thirty years to learn, they congratulate you for a week, then it goes quiet, and you're back where you started.So he stopped running for them.This episode is about what replaces external validation when it finally stops working. Nathan talks about day five: 106 laps of a 400-metre track, five hours' sleep, throwing up all morning, alone at a track with nobody watching. And what broke him open, a short video from the charity telling him to keep going.He also says the thing we didn't expect a fitness guy to say: he learned more from talking than from any of the runs. His advice to anyone still trying to prove themselves is to have the conversation first, not the extreme challenge.Gary and Peter add their own versions of doing it backwards, a £250 bet and a bike ride across Vietnam with no training, and an Ironman signed up for on Facebook before Peter had even looked up what one was.Bloody-mindedness gets you to the start line. It doesn't get you well.In this episode:00:00  What's actually driving you now?00:52  "They congratulate you, and then it all goes quiet"02:26  How to find out what you actually enjoy04:30  Talk first. Run later.05:06  Gary's Vietnam bike ride and a £250 bet06:00  Peter's Ironman: post first, Google second08:17  Young people, peer leaders and a dedicated mindset10:24  When the plan you built your life on disappears12:10  Day five: 106 laps and nobody watching13:28  Why being cheered on changes what your body can do14:15  The lonely chapter16:02  Run club: two people, every Saturday16:42  Where to find Nathan17:55  Paris to London - 100km a day, three days, for MovemberFind Nathan: Instagram: @nathanhinckley_ | @hinckleyfitness Hinckley Harriers run club  - Wednesdays 7pm, Saturdays 9am Personal training at inn Maidstone, Kent Next challenge: Paris to London with Louis O'Farrell, 100km a day for three days, raising awareness for Movember and men's mental health.Inspired Men Talk is hosted by Gary Johannes and Peter Ely,  two hypnotherapists having the conversations men usually avoid.If this one landed, subscribe and share it with someone who's still trying to prove something to people who aren't watching.#InspiredMenTalk #MensMentalHealth #Running #Movember #Hypnotherapy #MentalHealthAwareness

At just 21, Nathan Hinckley has already pushed himself further than most of us would ever contemplate, including running around 90 miles in 24 hours and completing 12 marathons in 12 days.But this episode of Inspired Men Talk is about much more than running.Nathan joins Gary Johannes and Peter to talk openly about being bullied over his weight, rejection from football, drinking and partying, and the moment that ultimately led him to discover running and change the direction of his life.Nathan explains how his motivation has changed from wanting to prove himself to other people to wanting to discover just how far he can go and how taking on extraordinary physical challenges has helped him build confidence, find purpose and raise awareness around men’s mental health.He also shares the story behind his 12 Marathons of Christmas, which raised almost £8,000 for the Young Lives Foundation, helping support young people in his local community.It’s a fascinating conversation about rejection, resilience, motivation, mental health, fitness and purpose  and a reminder that you don't need to run an ultramarathon to start making a positive change.How far could you go if you stopped trying to prove yourself to other people and started doing it for yourself?

In Part 2, we pick up Daryl Hine's story at the moment he sits his three children down  and discover that the hardest conversation of his life was met with something he didn't expect: acceptance.But knowing the truth and acting on it are two different things. What followed was years of going round in circles, wanting to be honest, terrified of the hurt it would cause, retreating, then starting again. A deep marriage to Paula, a new relationship with Ed, and no version of the future where nobody got hurt.This is the half of the story about how you actually move, when there's no clean answer and no one to blame.In this episode we talk about:Telling his grown-up children, and their remarkable responseThe trip to the Philippines that forced the decisionThe advice that finally landed: you may never know for certain, but doing nothing harms everyone you loveWhy he sees his life as two chapters — and wouldn't give up eitherFinding acceptance, Pride, and what living authentically really feels likeHis advice for any man sitting where he once satDaryl's three takeaways for anyone stuck: doing nothing isn't an option, don't wait for a perfect roadmap before you take the first step, and find someone to talk to. Living in fear is no way to live and it's never too late to live honestly.Daryl is a business consultant and founder of Abundant Solutions.🎧 This is Part 2 of a two-part conversation start with Part 1 if you haven't yet.Inspired Men Talk, honest conversations about the things men don't usually talk about. Hosted by Gary Johannes and Peter Ely.👉 Subscribe for new episodes, and share this with someone who needs to hear it.#InspiredMenTalk #MensMentalHealth #ComingOut #Authenticity #Resilience #MensWellbeing #LGBTQ #Pride #PersonalGrowth #DarylHine

In Part 1 of our conversation with Daryl Hine, we go back to the start of a story that, from the outside, looked close to perfect.Daryl met Paula at 16. Married at 21. Three children, a 30-year marriage, a successful corporate career and a thriving business they built together. By every visible measure, life was good, and everyone around them thought so too.But Daryl was carrying something he'd pushed down since the 1970s, a time when it simply wasn't safe to say it out loud: he knew he was attracted to men. For years he suppressed it. Until, approaching 50, it stopped staying quiet and the panic attacks started.In this episode we talk about:What it's like to live a life that looks right but doesn't feel like yoursWhy so many men of his generation learned to bury who they really wereThe slow, exhausting cost of not knowing and not being able to say itTrying to solve a deeply human question like a business problemThe night-time panic attacks, and what they were really telling himDaryl is a business consultant and founder of Abundant Solutions, but this isn't a business conversation. It's an honest, generous look at identity, suppression, and the courage it takes to face yourself.Part 1 ends at the hardest moment: sitting his three grown children down to tell them the truth. What happened next is in Part 2.🎧 Inspired Men Talk - honest conversations about the things men don't usually talk about. Hosted by Gary Johannes and Peter Ely.👉 Subscribe so you don't miss Part 2, and share this with someone who needs to hear it.#InspiredMenTalk #MensMentalHealth #ComingOut #Authenticity #Identity #MensWellbeing #LGBTQ #PersonalGrowth #DarylHine

In part one, a perfect storm pulled John Hirniak's life apart. In part two, he tells us how he found his way back and it started with admitting something was wrong.John takes us into the darkest place he's ever been: frozen by fear, crying alone in the back office, then putting on "the Johnny show" to sell a car an hour later. He's honest about the thoughts that crept in, and about the moment that stopped him, realising that suicide doesn't end the pain, it just passes it on to the people you love.But this episode is really about what came next. The turning point wasn't a lightning bolt. It was John deciding he'd had enough, that he didn't deserve to feel like this and neither did his family. The first counsellor didn't work for him. Neither did the next. So he kept asking the only question that matters: where do I go next? Until he found a coach who wouldn't tolerate any excuses, because it's good to talk, but talking doesn't cook the rice. Eventually, you have to take action.He shares the simple daily habits that turned things around, journaling, movement, even just drinking enough water and the belief that's carried him since: you can't think your way out of anxiety and depression. Action is the only answer.His message to any man who's struggling is simple. You're not weak. You're not a failure. Asking for help is the bravest thing you'll do. And you do not have to stay where you are.Because as John says: be the inspiration, not the warning.⚠️ This episode discusses suicide and suicidal thoughts. If any of it resonates, please don't sit with it alone, talk to someone you trust, your GP, or call the Samaritans free on 116 123, any time, day or night.👉 John is a coach and therapist. You'll find him on Facebook, Instagram (John Hirniak Coaching) and LinkedIn' search John Hirniak. 🎧 Missed part one? Watch that first. 💬 Inspired Men Talk,  because men do talk. Hosted by Gary Johannes and Peter Ely.#InspiredMenTalk #MensMentalHealth #SuicidePrevention #ItsOkayToTalk

From the outside, John Hirniak had built a great life. But it didn't start that way.Born half-Irish into real poverty, sleeping on a mattress on the floor, fetching water from the village pump because there was none in the house. John always knew he wanted his own business. Market stalls, watches, antiques, beds. Then, off the back of a £10 book called Four Wheels to a Fortune, he became a used car dealer and never looked back. Twenty-seven years in the trade. A house. A marriage people envied. Two daughters. And a beloved 1953 Buick called Clara that still turns heads everywhere it goes.Living the dream, as people say.In part one, John, Gary and Peter swap stories about graft, business, the cars that stay with you for life, and how a working-class lad from a poor start built something to be proud of. It's warm, funny and full of heart.But right at the end, John starts to tell us where it all began to unravel, what he now calls the perfect storm.You'll want to hear what happens next.🎧 Subscribe so you don't miss part two. 💬 Inspired Men Talk - because men do talk. Hosted by Gary Johannes and Peter Ely.#InspiredMenTalk #MensMentalHealth #Resilience #Peterborough

Paul Stainton has done it all - club DJ, TV sports correspondent, BBC breakfast show host, business owner. But in part two, we get the bit most people never see: losing almost everything in the 2008 crash, and finding the nerve to start again.He talks honestly about hitting rock bottom, walking away from the BBC on principle, losing his company overnight to COVID and how it all led him to Peterborough Cathedral, where he's now fighting to keep a thousand-year-old building alive and bring a city he loves back to life.One line stuck with us: don't be afraid of people saying no. Because what if they say yes?A funny, honest conversation about failure, resilience and backing yourself when the world gives you every reason not to.🎧 New episodes of Inspired Men Talk drop regularly - subscribe so you don't miss one. 💬 Want to talk to Paul? Find him on Facebook: Paul Stainton.#InspiredMenTalk #MensMentalHealth #Resilience #Peterborough