In this episode of the Leading Boldly podcast, Matt Clutterham and Jenny Jarvis welcome Neil Smith, founder and CEO of Mettle, the groundbreaking mental fitness app specifically designed for men. Join us as Neil shares his remarkable journey from a thriving career in TV production, where he helmed top UK shows like The Apprentice and Grand Designs, to tackling one of society's most pressing issues: male mental health. With a deep commitment to making mental health support more accessible and relatable for men, Neil brings a fresh, unapologetically male-focused approach to mental fitness, crafted with tools like meditation, breathwork, and self-hypnosis.

Neil opens up about his experiences growing up with ADHD, his early entrepreneurial spirit selling mixtapes, and how these influences, combined with a passion for meditation, fuelled his transition from media mogul to mental health advocate. We delve into the founding of Mettle in 2022, a venture inspired by Neil’s personal journey and developed alongside notable co-founder Bear Grylls and mental health experts like Paul McKenna and Dr Alex George. Despite launching in a challenging funding climate, Mettle has already raised £2.5 million in pre-seed funding, attracting around 50,000 users within just eight months.

Highlights of the episode include:

• Neil’s Transition from TV to Tech
• From producing award-winning TV shows to creating a men’s mental health app, Neil reflects on his career shift and the insights he’s carried over from media to mental health tech.
• The Development and Unique Approach of Mettle
• We explore how Mettle is crafted to address specific needs for men through brief, daily content – from calming breathwork and meditation “boosts” to one-minute motivational “mind fuel” clips – designed to fit seamlessly into a man’s day.
• Strategies for Business Success
• Neil discusses the importance of building a strong, diverse team and the value of "finding the others" – making key connections in the industry. His approach to balancing social impact with commercial growth has been vital in Mettle’s early success and user growth.
• Tackling the Male Mental Health Crisis
• With suicide as a leading cause of death for men under 50 in the UK, Mettle is part of a broader mission to bring mental fitness alongside physical fitness into everyday life. Neil shares his vision for how normalising mental health practices among men can lead to positive societal changes.

Tune in to hear Neil’s insights on entrepreneurship, leadership, and the transformative power of mental fitness tailored for men. Mettle is not only a business; it’s a mission-driven effort to reshape the conversation around men’s mental health.

#Leadership #MentalFitness #bemettle

SHOW LINKS:

CONNECT WITH NEIL ON LINKEDIN

https://www.linkedin.com/in/neil-smith-2a5ab64/

DOWNLOAD THE METTLE APP

https://bemettle.com/

FIND NEIL’S BOOK RECOMMENDATION ON AMAZON

Greenlights by Matthew McConoughey

GREEN LIGHTS BOOK:

https://amzn.to/3Yyo2Wf

GREENLIGHTS AUDIBLE:

https://amzn.to/48xFyi3

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