Are We Talking About Mental Health Enough – Or Just Hoping It Goes Away?
Are We Talking About Mental Health Enough – Or Just Hoping It Goes Away?
Featuring Kieron Bailey | Founder, People On Purpose
🎧 As heard on Season 5, Episode 2 of Talking Hospitality
It’s not often that a conversation leaves you reflecting long after the microphones are off—but this one did.
In Episode 2 of Talking Hospitality Season 5, we welcomed Kieron Bailey—hospitality pro, leadership trainer, and founder of People On Purpose. What started as a discussion about getting older in hospitality became something deeper: an honest, vulnerable, and at times emotional exploration of mental health in the workplace—for young people, for leaders, and for all of us in between.
“She called herself stupid, lazy, and worthless—and she believed it.”
Kieron shared a powerful story from a simple lunch with two 18-year-olds. The language this young woman used about herself was brutal—“lazy, dumb, no purpose.” Just casual self-talk. Except it wasn’t casual.
“It caused me pain,” he admitted. “And the worst part? She said those things to herself so easily—but couldn’t bring herself to say them out loud to me.”
That moment hits hard. Because if we’re honest, how many of our colleagues, our team, maybe even ourselves, are using this same internal script? And how many of us are too distracted or undertrained to notice?
It’s Not Just Them—It’s Us
While much of the episode explored the realities of being 50+ in a younger industry, Kieron was quick to highlight a painful truth: mental health challenges are everywhere.
From Gen Z’s quiet despair to seasoned professionals feeling discarded or directionless—there’s a mental health crisis at both ends of the age spectrum.
Add in chronic fatigue, pandemic fallout, unrealistic expectations and the ever-present noise of “you should be doing better”… and you’ve got a perfect storm.
“We are crueler to ourselves than anyone else ever could be.”
It’s a sobering reminder: if we’re not actively checking in with our people, we might be missing the storm entirely.
Are We Training People to Receive Feedback?
Hospitality talks a lot about feedback—giving it well, delivering it in the moment, using it to improve performance. But here’s where Kieron flipped the script:
“We’re good at giving feedback. But we’re terrible at preparing people to receive it.”
This is especially true for younger or less experienced staff. As co-host Joe McDonnell pointed out, many Gen Z team members can’t separate performance from identity.
Critique a task, and they hear: “You’re a failure.”
It’s not just sensitivity—it’s developmental. If someone’s self-worth is fragile, even gentle correction feels personal.
So how do we fix it?
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Create safety before correction. Feedback must come from a place of trust.
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Acknowledge the human, not just the task.
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Train teams to hear feedback, not fear it.
Because if we don’t teach people how to receive feedback, we risk damaging the very people we’re trying to grow.
Why Are We Kinder to Others Than Ourselves?
One of the most moving stories in the episode came from that café conversation. Kieron asked the young woman to write down the words she used to describe herself.
Lazy. Useless. Stupid.
But when asked to say them to him, she couldn’t. “I don’t want to hurt you,” she said.
Yet she said them to herself all the time.
We talk a lot about kindness in hospitality—how we show it to our guests, our teams, our community. But maybe the real work is learning how to show it to ourselves.
Hibernation and Honesty
Kieron openly shared that he’s had a tough year. A period of what he called “hibernation” followed the high of speaking at the Service event in February.
He’d seen just 10 people in several months. He’d lost his sense of purpose.
But through conversations with trusted peers like Michael from Hospitality Mavericks, he found his way back. That conversation sparked People On Purpose—a platform dedicated to helping people reconnect with their values and share their stories.
It’s a reminder that even those who seem to have it together might be quietly crumbling. And that purpose isn’t always something you chase—it’s something you rediscover.
Final Thoughts: Start with Listening
Mental health isn’t solved by a LinkedIn post. It’s not fixed by a meditation app or a pizza party.
It starts with listening.
Listening to what people say—and what they don’t.
Listening to the language they use about themselves.
Listening, not to judge or solve, but to understand.
As Kieron so powerfully said:
“You don’t have to know everything. Just know someone who does. And be that person others feel safe talking to.”
Let’s build teams where that’s the norm—not the exception.
🎧 Listen to the Full Episode
▶️ Now streaming on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube
🔗 www.talkinghospitality.com/podcast
References & Further Reading
Timothy R Andrews
Host & Founder
(Host, 2020– ) Timothy R. Andrews has spent over two decades in hospitality, beginning by collecting glasses in bars and steadily working his way up. After founding and leading a successful recruitment and training business for luxury, 4-star, and 5-star markets for 16 years, Timothy now serves as Head of Talent for Jumeirah Hotels London.
Beyond Jumeirah, Timothy hosts Talking Hospitality, a podcast known for its direct approach to industry issues and practical advice. Each episode tackles real challenges in hospitality today, with guest experts who offer solutions that can be put into action. Through Educating Hospitality, he also provides carefully selected industry-specific training courses that align with podcast topics, helping listeners stay up-to-date and gain practical skills.
Timothy’s work extends into community initiatives as well, including his impactful efforts to support Ukrainian refugees. From guiding them through the complexities of life in the UK to securing jobs, accommodations, and essential services, Timothy’s dedication reflects a belief that hospitality extends beyond the workplace.
Whether listeners want to stay updated on industry trends or learn what’s working in hospitality leadership, Talking Hospitality offers a fresh, entertaining perspective—and is Timothy’s way of giving back to the sector he cares deeply about.
The views expressed in this podcast are solely those of Timothy Andrews and do not reflect the opinions or positions of Jumeirah or any associated brands. Timothy Andrews is speaking in his persona… Read More
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