EP 41 – "Just Man Up" - The Truth About Mental Health In Recruitment & Construction w/Ben Gatt
"I was drowning… and no one knew."
In one of the most honest conversations we’ve ever had, Ben Gatt, co-founder of Kanvas Recruitment Group, opens up about the real mental health struggles recruiters and construction professionals face behind the scenes.
This episode pulls no punches. We talk anxiety, therapy, burnout, booze culture, and the toxic pressure to “man up” — and how to build something better.
We dive into:
✅ Mental health in recruitment & construction
✅ Burnout, breakdowns & building boundaries
✅ Booze culture, bad leadership & the reality of young recruiters
✅ Why therapy isn’t weak — and journaling actually works
✅ Masculinity, fatherhood, and how to raise emotionally strong kids
✅ Cold calls vs real connection — and the power of face-to-face
✅ How to build a brand people trust (and call first)
✅ Doing the work on yourself — so you can lead others⏱️ Timestamps
00:00 Ben’s intro and industry background
04:30 Mental health in construction and recruitment
12:00 Therapy, journaling and reframing your thoughts
18:40 Booze, burnout and toxic sales culture
28:00 Masculinity, fatherhood and raising resilient kids
35:20 Why recruiters still don’t get respect
45:00 The power of client meetings over cold calls
52:00 Instagram branding and personal connection
59:00 What Ben’s learned from coaching and starting again
1:08:00 How to get 1% better in recruitment🔗 Connect with Ben Gatt on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamin-gatt-fit-out/ 🔗 Connect with Charles Kyriakou on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charleskyriakou1/📰 Subscribe to the newsletter – https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7244346543967731712/?displayConfirmation=true🎙️ Follow on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/46LjJfw0Y4IVJwnigCdxJX🎧 Follow on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/1-better-recruitment-podcast/id1775201502📲 Follow Charles on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@charles.kyriakou?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc