The Mental Health Advantage

Stephen Sokoler
  • 5.0 (3)
  • MENTAL HEALTH

Welcome to The Mental Health Advantage—the podcast dedicated to transforming workplace mental health from reactive to proactive! I’m Stephen Sokoler, founder of Journey and author of The Mental Health Advantage. Building on insights from my book, this podcast dives deeper into proactive mental health care in the workplace—something I know so many of you are passionate about. Each episode, I sit down with top HR leaders, mental health experts, and industry innovators to explore how organizations can move beyond crisis management and build cultures that truly support well-being, engagement, and performance. We’ll break down the most pressing challenges, share actionable strategies, and highlight real-world success stories from companies leading the way. Our conversations are designed to be engaging, insightful, and practical—so whether you’re a benefits leader, HR executive, or a business owner looking to drive meaningful change, you’ll find something valuable here. Episodes are about 30 minutes long and released bi-weekly, so be sure to subscribe and follow on your favorite podcast platform. Let’s redefine workplace mental health—together.

  1. 5D AGO

    Mental Health as a Performance Strategy: A Whole-Person Approach to Culture, Belonging, and Growth

    In this episode of The Mental Health Advantage, Stephen Sokoler, Founder & CEO of Journey, sits down with Marissa Andrada, Board Director and former Chief People Officer at some of the world’s most iconic and fast-growing brands - including Chipotle, Starbucks, Red Bull, Kate Spade, and GameStop. With three decades of experience scaling businesses by scaling people, Marissa brings a refreshingly human - and deeply practical - perspective on mental health at work. Rather than treating mental health as a standalone benefit, she reframes it as the outcome of how well organizations support people emotionally, financially, physically, and socially. Together, Stephen and Marissa explore why mental health is a performance strategy, how belonging and psychological safety act as preventative care, and what leaders can do to embed wellbeing into the everyday flow of work. They’ll also dive into a unique and often overlooked lever for resilience and joy: the human–animal bond and pet-friendly workplaces.

    27 min

  2. FEB 12

    Why Most Workplace Mental Health Support Fails — And What Actually Helps

    In this episode of The Mental Health Advantage, Stephen Sokoler, Founder & CEO of Journey, sits down with Dr. Sue Zbikowski, Chief Clinical Officer at Journey. With more than two decades of experience as a healthcare executive, behavioral scientist, and clinical strategist, Dr. Sue has worked across healthcare systems, digital health innovation, and workplace wellbeing to design mental health programs that are both evidence-based and deeply human. Her work focuses on closing the gap between when people begin struggling and when they finally receive support. Together, Stephen and Dr. Sue explore why so much workplace mental health support fails to reach people in time, what leaders often misunderstand about how mental health challenges actually show up, and why waiting for employees to “raise their hand” can leave too many without care. They also discuss what clinically effective prevention really looks like - and how small, consistent touchpoints can build trust, resilience, and meaningful impact long before crisis occurs.

    25 min

  3. 11/24/2025

    Embedding Wellbeing into Culture: Insights from WTW’s Wendy Poirier

    In this episode of The Mental Health Advantage, Stephen Sokoler, Founder & CEO of Journey, sits down with Wendy Poirier, Managing Director at Willis Towers Watson and leader of WTW’s Canadian Health Management Practice. For over 30 years, Wendy has been helping organizations reimagine health and wellbeing strategies, introducing Canada’s first pharmacy coalition, pioneering benefit marketplaces, and leading the shift toward inclusive and diverse practices. Her work highlights how employers can move beyond reactive benefits to embed wellbeing directly into culture. Together, Stephen and Wendy will explore how organizations can go beyond crisis management and compliance to build cultures that truly support wellbeing, engagement, and performance.

    31 min

  4. 10/25/2025

    The Interconnectedness of Wellbeing: Where Mental Health, Family Responsibilities, and Financial Stress Meet

    In this episode of The Mental Health Advantage, Stephen Sokoler, Founder & CEO of Journey, sits down with Nicole Stec, Vice President at Lockton and the firm’s Wellbeing Consulting Leader. Nicole brings over 15 years of experience helping employers design and implement holistic health strategies that put employees’ full lives , mental health, caregiving responsibilities, and financial pressures, at the center. Stephen and Nicole explore the critical and often underappreciated intersections between mental health, family demands, and financial wellbeing. Through real-world insights and proven strategies, they unpack how these domains compound stress, or alleviate it, and how organizations can respond with more intentional, human-centered solutions.

    28 min

  5. 10/09/2025

    Designing Wellbeing That Works: A Global Strategy for Every Stage

    In this episode of The Mental Health Advantage, Stephen Sokoler, Founder & CEO of Journey, is joined by Abinue Fortingo, MPH — a globally experienced strategist in employee wellbeing and population health management. Abinue brings a rare cross-industry perspective to the conversation, having advised Fortune-listed companies, multi-nationals, and emerging organizations on how to create sustainable, high-impact strategies that tie employee wellbeing to business performance. From benefits redesign to global strategy, his data-informed and human-centered approach has helped organizations navigate complexity, cut through noise, and prioritize care in a way that resonates locally and scales globally.

    41 min

  6. 10/08/2025

    Empowerment & Boundaries: Reimagining Wellness at Work with Kathy-Jo Payette

    In this episode of “The Mental Health Advantage,“ Stephen Sokoler, Founder & CEO of Journey, sits down with KJ Payette, Partner at Revelares and former Chief People Officer at Panera Bread, CHRO at Cumberland Farms, and HR executive at CVS. With decades of experience leading people teams at household-name brands, KJ now devotes her work to helping individuals and organizations embrace healthier, more human-centered ways of working. From burnout and boundary-setting to cultural change and leadership accountability, she shares powerful insights into how companies can stop treating people like cogs in a machine and start designing workplaces where wellbeing is truly part of the business strategy. 📅 Recording Date: 8/12/25 Request a demo to learn more about Journey.

    31 min

  7. 09/08/2025

    Learning as a Lever for Wellbeing: A Conversation with Deloitte Canada’s Chief Learning Officer

    In this episode of The Mental Health Advantage, Stephen Sokoler is joined by Neil Hunter, Partner and Chief Learning Officer at Deloitte Canada. With a rich background in strategic leadership, human capital development, and operational oversight across sectors, Neil brings a uniquely people-centered perspective to the power of continuous learning in the workplace. Together, they explore how development and education programs can go beyond skill-building to promote employee wellbeing, reduce absenteeism, and foster a culture of psychological safety, growth, and support.   📅 Recording Date: July 15, 2025   Request a demo to learn more about Journey.

    34 min

  8. 08/14/2025

    Engagement by Design: A Conversation with Nathan Counts

    In this episode of The Mental Health Advantage, Journey's founder Stephen Sokoler sits down with Nathan Counts, a nationally recognized Total Rewards executive with experience at AT&T and Amtrak. Nathan reveals how to build benefits programs that not only look good on paper but get used — by everyone, including frontline and deskless employees. He explains how simplicity, trust, and transparency are the foundations of engagement, and how leaders can track ROI through increased usage and reduced medical costs. If you’ve ever wondered how to reach underserved employee populations and turn benefits into a true driver of culture and performance — this episode is for you. Key Takeaways: // What actually drives engagement with Total Rewards programs // How to reach deskless, global, and underserved employee populations // The link between mental health strategy and medical cost savings // Why transparency builds trust — and trust drives usage // Engagement isn’t a buzzword — it’s a design decision Enjoyed this episode? Subscribe, rate, and review The Mental Health Advantage to help more leaders discover the power of proactive mental health at work. 📘 Grab your copy of The Mental Health Advantage: https://www.amazon.com/Mental-Health-Advantage-Companies-Performance/dp/B0DTC2BJ1Y 💻 Request a demo of Journey Proactive EAP: https://get.journey.live/demo/?utm_source=podbean&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=q3_25_podbean_podcast

    35 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

Welcome to The Mental Health Advantage—the podcast dedicated to transforming workplace mental health from reactive to proactive! I’m Stephen Sokoler, founder of Journey and author of The Mental Health Advantage. Building on insights from my book, this podcast dives deeper into proactive mental health care in the workplace—something I know so many of you are passionate about. Each episode, I sit down with top HR leaders, mental health experts, and industry innovators to explore how organizations can move beyond crisis management and build cultures that truly support well-being, engagement, and performance. We’ll break down the most pressing challenges, share actionable strategies, and highlight real-world success stories from companies leading the way. Our conversations are designed to be engaging, insightful, and practical—so whether you’re a benefits leader, HR executive, or a business owner looking to drive meaningful change, you’ll find something valuable here. Episodes are about 30 minutes long and released bi-weekly, so be sure to subscribe and follow on your favorite podcast platform. Let’s redefine workplace mental health—together.

Information

  • Creator
    Stephen Sokoler
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    18
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2025 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    The Mental Health Advantage