On this episode Kat talks about mental health and positive habits with a variety of guests at Somerset Cricket Ground as part of World Mental Health Day which took place on the 10th October 2024. KEY TAKEAWAYS My best mate killed himself when we were 19. I never got over it and always wanted to try to help and support him. At my wedding recently I didn’t have a best man because Max was always supposed to be my best man, but we had a charity box for MIND set up for people to donate to.I was homeless for a while and had a drug addiction and struggled with my mental health. I wanted to give back and show people that there are people out there who do care and can help, so I started a company and got trained in biohazard cleaning and now we support hundreds of people who are struggling.On a daily basis, in my role, I lead people, so it’s really important to me that my staff are in the best place themselves, personally. But that isn’t always going to be the case everyday so I’m there to support them support when they need it and recognising when they need it because they might not always be brave enough to tell you.Exercising is a great positive habit. I tend to gym and run and have even got into boxing recently. I get the Monday blues after having a great weekend and it’s always a real struggle getting back into the routine. But I find, when I go for a run or to the gym, it gives me so much fun and joy and you feel good about yourself. It gets me right back on track. BEST MOMENTS “Seven of my mates have killed themselves in the past 15 years, the mental health of young people is something we really need to do something about.” “Helping other people makes me feel happier inside.” “Just be kind, that’s really important.” “We never know when we may need support and help and the other thing we must always remember is not to judge people because you never know what’s going on in someone’s life.” ABOUT THE GUESTS Harry Everett, Cricket commentator for Somerset CCC & live text for BBC Sport Sports reports for Dorset Echo, Devon Cricket, Sportsbeat, Genius Sports etcFreelance Badminton reporter & Yonex All England media centre manager for Badminton England L2 Cricket coach-private 1-1s etc & for Topsham SJCC, Wembdon CC, Devon youth & Chagford CC X InstagramBlog Laura Summers, Founder of The Sleek Easy Clean Ltd.Laura Summers is the founder of The Sleek Easy Clean Ltd., a cleaning company known for its commitment to supporting social causes and making a positive impact in the community. Laura shares her insights about her journey in building the company and its strong social values. The company recently sponsored a mental health walk for Mind Somerset, underscoring their dedication to supporting mental health awareness and well-being. Laura’s leadership is rooted in her personal experiences, having overcome significant challenges, which drives her passion for creating a business that not only excels in service but also fosters a supportive environment for those with lived experience of mental illness and disability. Julie, Michelle and Emma, Nationwide Nationwide Karina Parsons, Yeovil Hospital Charity Facebook Connie Freeman, Community Liaison Officer, Yeovil Town Community Sports Trust LinkedIn ABOUT THE HOST Kat started her career as a teacher, before moving into Tech where she worked in different executive roles within teaching and consulting working across the globe, both in the public and private sector. Despite appearing 'successful' on the outside, she paid a heavy ‘life’ price. In 2016, her whole world collapsed. The reason? The compound effect of years of unhealthy and toxic habits that destroyed her health, relationship and career. She suffered a severe breakdown and lost everything. In the middle of this she got headhunted for her first CEO role. She rebuilt herself by changing just one small habit, and built a series of positive habits which has transformed her professional and personal performance, resulting in becoming the healthiest and happiest version of herself. She is a positive habits international keynote speaker and teacher, giving talks and delivering high impact programmes to organisations across the globe. LinkedIn Instagram
