Nick Orchard on how a tough childhood, mental health issues, couch surfing and hip hop have helped him learn how to help others recover from burnout and impostor syndrome.

When Nick was growing up, his mum struggled with her mental health and when he was on a date as a teenager he got the worst call of his life, and went to be with his mum when she needed him most.

Nick turned to the Melbourne hip hop scene for a sense of community and purpose.

It’s also where Nick would go looking for a place to stay after he found himself with no home to go to.

Just when things hit rock bottom, a call from a stranger helped turn his life around.

Nick eventually landed a very big job in government, but that imploded in burnout and he found himself in a different, despondent place - driving 130km down a deserted road, with no memory of how he got there.

That experience flicked a switch in him, and today he uses what he has learned to help others as a burnout coach.

This episode of Conversations was produced by Alice Moldovan. Executive Producer is Nicola Harrison.

It explores mental wellbeing, executive burnout, bouncing back, mental health, mental illness, childhood trauma, boxing, purpose, meaning, life, counselling, boxing, professional coach, senior management, anxiety, impostor syndrome, leadership.

To binge even more great episodes of the Conversations podcast with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

Burnout and the 'Bureaucrapper' — how Nick went from homelessness to helping others

Conversations

Burnout and the 'Bureaucrapper' — how Nick went from homelessness to helping others