On Episode 78, Sunny Bahuguna sits with Chris Burnett.

In 2020, Chris started a personal project to reconnect with people in his life. It started with weekly calls to catch up. Then, he began asking if he could interview them about their lives.

To date, Chris has recorded more than 75 conversations. After seeing the impact this project had on himself and his people, he decided to share the idea with a broader audience. His book, Conversations: Connecting with People in Our Lives, was released in November.

Funnily enough, I was introduced to Chris by a mutual friend, another Chris, whom we have had on the podcast. Having these deep conversations with people we care about is so important. It strengthens our relationships and allows us a better perspective of our people and ourselves.

In this episode you’ll hear about:

• Chris’s earlier years: Struggling with bullying, growing up Scottish and being vulnerable in a masculine environment, and his relationship with his father.
• Chris’s project: how it began (catching up with one person a week) and how that grew into him reaching out for recorded interviews, and then, a book
• Interview format – the wording Chris used during his initial contact, and how he structures the phone conversations
• How these deep conversations can help the person “interviewed” feel special, and how the interviews rekindled lots of relationships for Chris
• My personal story on my relationship with friends and family
• How the experience helped Chris learn about his friends and family and reflect on his own life and childhood

Chris has invited us all to reach out to someone to reconnect, invite them out or call them on the phone. Let them know you want to catch up and find out how they are, showing them that they are important to you. You get to remind them of their worth, and in that, you will feel yours.

Podcast is available wherever you get your episodes - Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and more. 💙

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There are some sensitive topics we touch on regarding mental health so if there are any triggers for you please know there is support and there will be plenty of links in access below.

LifeLine (Australia) - Ph: 13 11 14 https://www.lifeline.org.au/

Banksia Project - https://thebanksiaproject.org.au/

Mr. Perfect - https://mrperfect.org.au/

NHS (UK) - Urgent mental health support https://www.nhs.uk/service-search/mental-health/find-an-urgent-mental-health-helpline

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As always, Bottled Up is a passion project to help provide a voice to those many men who are going through the peaks and troughs of life. We are not trained professionals and if you're worried about someone close to you and their mental wellbeing, it's important to get professional advice.

Start a conversation with them and let them know that they're not alone and that there are many support resources out there - including friends, family, school chaplains and plenty more!

If you're feeling distressed or overwhelmed, Beyond Blue has a number of trained mental health professionals available 24/7 on 1800 512 348.

For immediate support, call Lifeline on 13 11 44 and in an emergency, always dial 000.

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Music: https://www.purple-planet.com

On Episode 77, Sunny Bahuguna sits with Terry Cornick.

In his early 20s, Terry was coming home from work every few months feeling “seriously depressed and suicidal”. He grew up in a “stoic” British environment where he was accustomed to burying his feelings. Feeling like he needed a change in his life, Terry followed his friend to Australia.

But even on Australian soil, he suffered the old combo of depression and anxiety for much of his life. Terry, now a father of 3, through a personal journey, decided to host a BBQ in the park for other men to have somewhere to go and chat about things like mental health issues. Little did he know, that would eventually turn into a very successful, helpful, nationwide grassroots charity called Mr. Perfect.

“I'm not religious in any way but I feel like someone has given me three boys and it’s my mission to raise them in a way that is loving and caring, knowing they have all the resources available when they feel upset.”

Hope you enjoy the listen as much as I enjoyed speaking with him. Available wherever you get your episodes. 💙

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LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anne-sophie-martin-b6ab8884/

Medium Article: https://medium.com/non-disclosure/the-20-that-may-make-you-lose-your-mind-2555cd43a8bd

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There are some sensitive topics we touch on regarding mental health so if there are any triggers for you please know there is support and there will be plenty of links in access below.

LifeLine (Australia) - Ph: 13 11 14 https://www.lifeline.org.au/

Banksia Project - https://thebanksiaproject.org.au/

Mr. Perfect - https://mrperfect.org.au/

NHS (UK) - Urgent mental health support https://www.nhs.uk/service-search/mental-health/find-an-urgent-mental-health-helpline

______________

As always, Bottled Up is a passion project to help provide a voice to those many men who are going through the peaks and troughs of life. We are not trained professionals and if you're worried about someone close to you and their mental wellbeing, it's important to get professional advice.

Start a conversation with them and let them know that they're not alone and that there are many support resources out there - including friends, family, school chaplains and plenty more!

If you're feeling distressed or overwhelmed, Beyond Blue has a number of trained mental health professionals available 24/7 on 1800 512 348.

For immediate support, call Lifeline on 13 11 44 and in an emergency, always dial 000.

______________

Music: https://www.purple-planet.com

In Episode 76, Sunny Bahuguna sits down with Anne-Sophie Martin.

From her roots in Montreal to her experience in New York at a top management consultancy and her time at Stanford, Anne-Sophie's story is one of resilience, introspection, and growth.

Anne-Sophie's upbringing was filled with family warmth and a love for dance and sports. Her transition to New York brought success but also challenges, navigating anxiety and mental health stigma. This often manifests differently for different people, but for her, it was characterised by hair loss, facial swelling, and fluctuations in her appetite. She eventually made the difficult decision to take medical leave—a choice met with curiosity and misunderstanding from her peers. But it was through this process that she found a growing interest in mental health.

Last year, she penned a piece on Medium titled "The 20% that may make you lose your mind." It recounted a moment at a wedding where she crossed paths with a Stanford alum who graduated over a decade ago. After sharing her well-rehearsed spiel about her own experience being "incredible" and filled with personal growth, the alum shared the contrary: "Stanford was the two hardest, most stressful years of my life."

This candid admission caught her off guard and prompted deep reflection. We delve deeper into the story and Anne-Sophie's experience at Stanford—the mixture of highs and lows—and her efforts to shed light on the often-overlooked struggles that challenge students' mental health, starting with her own story. This is the unspoken 20%.

Now, after graduating from Stanford, Anne-Sophie shares insights into the chapter ahead—what self-care looks like, how writing has become a meditative experience, and what lies ahead for her.

Hope you enjoy the listen as much as I enjoyed speaking with her. Available wherever you get your episodes. 💙

____

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anne-sophie-martin-b6ab8884/

Medium Article: https://medium.com/non-disclosure/the-20-that-may-make-you-lose-your-mind-2555cd43a8bd

______________

There are some sensitive topics we touch on regarding mental health so if there are any triggers for you please know there is support and there will be plenty of links in access below.

LifeLine (Australia) - Ph: 13 11 14 https://www.lifeline.org.au/

Banksia Project - https://thebanksiaproject.org.au/

Mr. Perfect - https://mrperfect.org.au/

NHS (UK) - Urgent mental health support https://www.nhs.uk/service-search/mental-health/find-an-urgent-mental-health-helpline

______________

As always, Bottled Up is a passion project to help provide a voice to those many men who are going through the peaks and troughs of life. We are not trained professionals and if you're worried about someone close to you and their mental wellbeing, it's important to get professional advice.

Start a conversation with them and let them know that they're not alone and that there are many support resources out there - including friends, family, school chaplains and plenty more!

If you're feeling distressed or overwhelmed, Beyond Blue has a number of trained mental health professionals available 24/7 on 1800 512 348.

For immediate support, call Lifeline on 13 11 44 and in an emergency, always dial 000.

______________

Music: https://www.purple-planet.com