Mental Mate

28/08/2026

Safety starts with each other.

I had the opportunity to deliver a workplace mental health and psychosocial safety workshop with the team at the Stone & Wood brewery in Murwillumbah, part of Lion.

We explored what helps people feel respected, included, supported and heard, and what can cause them to stay silent when something does not feel right.

One message sat at the centre of the session:

People remember what happened the last time someone spoke up.

Creating a safer workplace is not about lowering standards or avoiding accountability. It is about responding in a way that keeps concerns visible, questions welcome and mistakes open to learning.

Notice. Ask. Listen. Support.

A practical framework, but one that can make a genuine difference when someone is struggling or a safety concern needs to be raised.

Thanks to the Stone & Wood and Lion teams for the openness, participation and honest conversations. And the take-home carton was a pretty good way to finish the day too.

What is one behaviour that helps people feel safer speaking up in your workplace?

29/07/2026

Today I had the privilege of speaking to the Year 12 students at Varsity College on behalf of LIVIN.

As these students prepare to finish school and step into the next chapter of their lives, it’s easy to focus on ATARs, apprenticeships, university offers and career choices.

But today wasn’t about any of that.

It was about something that will matter long after they leave the classroom.

Knowing that it’s okay not to have it all together.
Knowing how to recognise when a mate might be struggling.
And having the confidence to start the conversation that could change, or even save, a life.

One thing I always remind young people is this:

Strength isn’t pretending you’re okay. Strength is having the courage to be honest when you’re not.

The conversations in the room today gave me hope.

This generation is more willing to talk than many generations before them. Our job is to make sure they have the skills, confidence and support to keep those conversations going.

A huge thank you to LIVIN and Varsity College for creating the space to have these important conversations.

You never know which student needed to hear one sentence today.

Sometimes that’s all it takes.

17/07/2026

One of my favourite parts of speaking isn’t the presentation.

It’s the moment the room changes.

This morning I had the privilege of speaking to around 30 local business owners at the Mudgeeraba Chamber of Commerce about mental health at work.

We talked about psychosocial hazards, leadership, and what creating a mentally healthy workplace actually looks like beyond the posters and awareness days.

What stood out wasn’t the slides.

It was watching people lean in.

Business owners started sharing their own experiences. They opened up about the challenges they’re seeing in their teams, the conversations they’ve struggled to have, and the responsibility they feel for the people who work alongside them.

That’s when I know we’re talking about the right things.

The reality is this:

Most business owners don’t need another awareness session.

They need practical skills.

How to notice when someone is struggling.
How to have the conversation.
How to create workplaces where people feel safe to speak up before they reach crisis point.

That’s how we move from simply talking about mental health to building safer workplaces.

A big thank you to the Mudgeeraba Chamber of Commerce for the opportunity, and to everyone in the room who contributed so openly. Your willingness to share made the conversation far more powerful than anything I could have delivered on my own.

What was one workplace conversation you’ve had that changed the way you lead?

07/07/2026

People often ask me why I run marathons.

It’s not because I love running for hours.

It’s not for the medal.

And it’s definitely not because I enjoy the pain.

I run because it’s one of the few things in life where I deliberately choose to do something hard.

Somewhere around the 30km mark, every part of me wants to stop. My legs hurt. My mind starts negotiating. Every excuse feels reasonable.

But then I keep going.

Every step after that reminds me that I’m capable of more than I think.

That resilience isn’t something you read about. It’s something you build.

One difficult step at a time.

Crossing the finish line is an incredible feeling. Not because the race is over, but because of what it proves to me.

It also gives me a huge appreciation for the simple things.

A hot shower.

My own bed.

A quiet afternoon with my family.

Things we often take for granted until we’ve pushed ourselves.

Life will always throw challenges our way.

We don’t always get to choose those.

But we can choose to regularly do hard things that strengthen us before life demands it.

For me, that’s running.

What’s your version of doing hard things?

13/06/2026

Recently I had the privilege of delivering a LIVN session with the crew at the Ampol refinery.

And this is why I love getting into real workplaces.

Not boardrooms talking about “wellbeing strategy”.

Not posters on a wall.

Real conversations with people doing real work, in environments where pressure, fatigue, risk and responsibility are part of the job.

The message was simple:

You don’t need to be a counsellor to check in on a mate.
You don’t need the perfect words.
You just need to notice when someone has changed, have the courage to ask, and know how to walk them toward the right support.

That’s where workplace mental health becomes practical.

Not soft.
Not fluffy.

Practical.

Because in high-risk industries, looking after each other can’t just mean physical safety.

It has to include the conversations we’re willing to have before someone reaches breaking point.

Big thanks to LIVIN and the Ampol team for having me in the room.
It ain’t weak to speak.

10/05/2026

Caring about your team’s mental health doesn’t make you skilled at supporting it.

Two different things.

A lot of good leaders genuinely care.

They’ll check in.
They’ll say their door is always open.
They’ll tell people to reach out if they need anything.

That matters.

But care without capability can still leave a manager frozen when the real conversation shows up.

Because when someone says:

“I’m not coping.”
“I can’t keep doing this.”
“I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”
“I’m scared I’m going to fall apart.”

Most leaders don’t need more empathy in that moment.

They need a skillset.

The three areas I think every people leader needs training in:

Notice
What has changed about this person recently?

Name
How do I start the conversation without diagnosing, rescuing or making it weird?

Navigate
What do I do in the next 60 seconds, 24 hours and 7 days?

Empathy is the entry ticket.

Capability is the work.

If your manager training stops at “be supportive”, it stops too early.
Which one do you think most leaders find hardest?

Notice, name or navigate?

01/05/2026

Hard hats. High vis. Respirators.

We take physical hazards seriously.

We identify them.
We assess the risk.
We put controls in place.
We wear PPE.

No debate.

But when it comes to psychosocial hazards?

High job demands.
Poor support.
Toxic culture.
Burnout.
Bullying.

We still treat them like they’re optional.

Here’s the reality:

Psychosocial hazards can cause both psychological and physical harm.
They are not “soft issues” they are WHS risks.

⸻

So where does PPE fit into psychological safety?

We don’t have a helmet for stress.
We don’t have a mask for burnout.

But we do have protective factors:

🧠 Clear role expectations
🧠 Supportive leadership
🧠 Safe conversations
🧠 Workload control
🧠 Psychological safety

That’s your PPE for the mind.

⸻

Here’s the shift leaders need to make:

👉 Stop relying on individuals to “cope better”
👉 Start designing work that is safer by default

Because just like physical safety…

You don’t hand someone PPE and hope for the best.
You eliminate and minimise the risk first.

⸻

A mentally healthy workplace is not built on perks.

It’s built on:

✔ Identifying psychosocial hazards
✔ Assessing and managing risk
✔ Equipping leaders with the skills to act
✔ Creating environments where people can actually speak up

That’s not wellbeing.

That’s safety.

15/03/2026

🎙️ New Podcast Episode – Talking Workplace Mental Health

I recently had the opportunity to join the team at Gold Coast Speakers for a podcast where we talked about the work I do through Mental Mate and the types of training and workshops I deliver for workplaces.

In the conversation we explore:
✔ Why mental health training needs to go beyond awareness
✔ The practical tools leaders and teams need to support mental health at work
✔ How organisations can build safer workplaces while managing psychosocial risks

If you’re a leader, business owner, or HR professional wanting practical ways to support your team’s mental health, this conversation might give you a few ideas.

🎧 Listen to the episode here:
https://open.spotify.com/episode/3XXFUCmFVt9tCRY9kjCnDv?si=mqdplndpSBWnhOOTdbz0aw&t=767

At Mental Mate, our goal is simple: help organisations build confident leaders, resilient teams, and mentally healthy workplaces through practical training and workshops.

Gold Coast Speakers: In Conversation · Episode

10/03/2026

Stoked to be presenting at the upcoming Queensland Quarry & Mining Conference on the critical topic of psychosocial hazards and mental health in the workplace.

With Australia’s new WHS psychosocial regulations now in place, organisations have a clear duty to identify and manage risks that impact psychological safety. This session will explore practical ways leaders can recognise psychosocial hazards, support their teams, and build mentally healthy workplaces.

If you’re attending the conference, I’d love to connect.

Event details:
https://www.quarry.com.au/site/Shared_Content/Events/Event-Display.aspx?EventKey=QLD_260604

15/12/2025

Last week we held a Mental Health Awareness and Su***de Prevention workshop, and the level of openness, honesty and care in the room was incredibly powerful.

In just two hours, participants built practical skills to recognise early warning signs, start supportive conversations, understand where to get help, and create a personal self care plan they can use through the Christmas period.

These conversations matter. Mental health does not take a break over the holidays, and neither should our willingness to check in, listen and support one another.

A big thank you to everyone who attended and to Tracey Leak from Gold Coast Business Coaching for her generosity and hospitality in opening her training room. Creating safe spaces like this is how real change starts.

If you are a business owner or leader who wants to build a mentally healthy workplace, reduce risk and support your people in a meaningful way, Mental Mate delivers practical workshops that make a real difference.

Let’s keep the conversation going and keep checking in on our people.