AOK Events has agreed a partnership deal with the ‘Don’t Ignore the Elephant’
podcast hosted by Dr Liz O’Riordan as part of a drive around wellbeing, sustainability and giving back.
O'Riordan, a breast surgeon who’s had breast
cancer, launched the podcast as another way to help people and is known for talking about the
‘elephants’ that no one else talks about with gentleness, integrity, and good
humour.
Series 2 of the podcast launches in
September, with Alex Hewitt, the founder and CEO of AOK Events as a guest
speaker.
Hewitt spoke to O'Riordan about his own mental
health ‘wobble’ as he was forced to make some of the toughest decisions of his
life during the global pandemic, when he saw what he’d built up over 20 years disappear before his eyes as the events industry and sporting sector shut
down.
“It’s not often I get the chance to
talk about Tyson Fury and the menopause in one sentence - but if this podcast
helps any other man to speak up and say to a friend or loved one that they’re
not feeling ok that’s got to be a good thing,” said Hewitt.
“I went through the hardest
experience of my life during the early months of Covid. I’m a dad to three
teenage boys, I want them to be able to talk about masculinity and mental
health and loads of other things. And those who know me will know how delighted
I am to say that business is now booming - we’ve just had our busiest month in
our 22 year history - and I’m living proof that if we have the right support,
we can get through things and come out the other side. I’ve changed but I’m now
stronger.”
Dr O’Riordan added: “We all have our own ‘elephants’ and mine is
cancer. I’d spent my life breaking women with bad news but this time I was left
broken after my own cancer diagnosis as it took so much away from me - and no
one was talking about the things that impacted my life and career forever. I
was put in an instant early menopause, I was made infertile, my body was
changed as I have one breast, I lost my sex life overnight and couldn’t take
HRT, I was in physical pain - and my marriage wasn’t going to survive. My
mental health was on the floor.
“Everyday someone will experience the
death of a loved one, work with a disability, have a relationship breakdown, be
bullied, struggle with an addiction, be in an unhealthy relationship - or just
be overwhelmed - it’s so important we get people to talk and know they’re not
alone.
“I was amazed at the comments that
started coming in after the first episode last year and the impact it was
having – the things people share with me shows I’m helping and as a surgeon I’m
used to helping people, but this is so personal. The first series was entirely
self-funded and so when Alex offered to help it meant we can cover our
production costs and I was overjoyed as work’s somewhere where we spend so much
of our time - and if good employers can genuinely help encourage that
conversation with their staff, clients and suppliers - to recognise that life
events do happen, I know it will help.
“It’s
fabulous that AOK do so much with sport, as exercise is such an important part
of my life, and it may help reduce the risk of my cancer coming back a third
time - so it would be great if through this partnership we could inspire more
people to get active or experience some nice things!”
To listen to the podcast, visit your usual podcast platforms.
