In episode 317 of The Just Checking In Podcast we checked back in with Russell Payne.
Russ is the Founder of The Talking Tradesman (TTT) podcast and also a qualified painter and decorator. Since he started the podcast in November 2023, TTT aims to entertain, connect and raise mental health awareness for tradespeople throughout the UK.
Since we first checked in, in JCIP #241, the podcast has gone from strength to strength.
In November 2024, he took a huge risk and bought a plot on his local high street with the aim of refurbishing it and turning it into a brand-new studio for the podcast.
In January 2025, the studio was finished and he sat down to record with his first guest in it.
The podcast is now in the top 250 podcasts in the world, and has over 12,000 followers on Instagram and over 10,000 on TikTok, with brands across the trades sector approaching him for sponsorship opportunities now.
In Part 1 of Russ’s journey, we discussed the genesis of the podcast, the origins of his journey of self-development and mental health education, the stigma that exists in the trades sector and how Russ is tackling it.
We also discussed his own mental health journey, which included his parents’ divorce, his own divorce from his first wife, fatherhood, his relationship with his father and his goal to become a therapist in the future.
In Part 2, we discuss: the explosion in growth TTT has had and what’s been key to it, how he’s developed as a presenter and editor, adjusting to the role of gamekeeper on the podcast, and the weight of responsibility he now feels as the pod has grown to where it has.
For Russ’s continued mental health journey, we discuss how he’s become hyper self-aware of his own mental health, how he sometimes struggles to switch off, and navigating the reality when people now come up to him and disclose their mental health history, often unprovoked.
In June/July 2024, his wife also went through severe mental health difficulties after she had to close her business, and we discuss how Russ and his wife navigated it, the guilt he felt when he didn’t spot the red flags in his wife straight away, and how they both came out the back of it and moved forward.
We finish by discussing the ‘Climb from Darkness’ he did with 20 men and women in May 2025 when they climbed Snowdon Mountain in Wales. They set off at midnight and summitted the mountain at sunrise, as an analogy for overcoming a mental health crisis by climbing out of the darkness. The group raised over £7,000 for the charity The Lost City, who help provide funding for therapy sessions for construction workers.
As always, #itsokaytovent
You can listen to The Talking Tradesman on streaming platforms below:
You can follow The Talking Tradesman on social media below:
You can listen to Part 1 of Russ’s journey here.
Support Us:
