The Mental Health Advantage

In this episode of The Mental Health Advantage, Stephen Sokoler, Founder & CEO of Journey, sits down with Laura Butler, Chief People Officer at TTEC. TTEC operates at global scale - with thousands of employees working in dynamic, high-demand environments. To better understand what truly drives stress, burnout, and attrition, TTEC developed a proprietary Job Complexity & Stress Index: a structured way to evaluate how elements of work, from job security and scheduling stability to customer sentiment, KPIs, and compliance risk, combine to increase pressure and predict turnover. Rather than treating burnout as an individual resilience issue, the Index reframes stress as a system-level signal - one that can be measured, managed, and redesigned. Together, Stephen and Laura explore: What actually makes a job “high complexity” Why stress correlates so strongly with attrition How organizations can redesign roles before burnout escalates And how proactive mental health strategy must go beyond benefits to address the structure of work itself This conversation moves mental health upstream - from reactive care to operational design.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

In this episode of The Mental Health Advantage, Stephen Sokoler sits down with Kaleen Love, Chief People & Culture Officer for PMI U.S., to explore how culture can be engineered as rigorously as any transformation program. With experience at Oxford, McKinsey, and Capital One, Kaleen unpacks how data, empathy, and storytelling combine to build a workplace where joy, belonging, and performance are possible — even in times of change. Key Audience Takeaways: Culture change must be treated like transformation: with structure, ownership, and milestones Storytelling is essential to turn data into belief Empathy and analytics are not opposites — they’re partners HR must guide AI adoption with clarity and humanity Great workplaces are communities of choice, not just perks on a page 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 💻 Request a demo of Journey Proactive EAP

In this episode of The Mental Health Advantage, Stephen Sokoler sits down with Randy Martin, Ph.D., Clinical Director of the CopeNYP Employee Assistance Program at Weill Cornell Medicine, to explore how mental health has shifted from reactive crisis care to an essential part of organizational culture. A contributor to The Mental Health Advantage book and a pioneer in both corporate and community mental health, Martin shares how the pandemic lifted stigma, why family systems matter, and how proactive EAP models can drive real organizational ROI. If you're an HR or benefits leader rethinking your approach to workplace mental health — this episode is packed with strategy, empathy, and insight. Key Audience Takeaways: ✔ How the pandemic accelerated mental health openness — and what’s next ✔ Why inclusive care must support employees and their families ✔ The value of community-based mental health models in workplace settings ✔ How proactive care leads to measurable outcomes and ROI ✔ How to support culturally diverse and multigenerational workforces Enjoyed this episode? Subscribe, rate, and review The Mental Health Advantage to help more leaders discover how proactive mental health can transform today’s workforce. 📘 Grab your copy of The Mental Health Advantage 💻 Request a demo of Journey Proactive EAP

In this episode of The Mental Health Advantage, Journey's founder Stephen Sokoler sits down with Amy Reichanadter, Chief People Officer at Databricks, to explore what it takes to embed meaningful mental health strategies inside one of the fastest-growing tech companies in the world. With a background in clinical psychology and over 25 years of HR leadership experience, Amy shares how Databricks supports 8,000+ employees across dozens of global offices through intentional culture-building, psychological safety, and founder-driven leadership. If you’ve ever wondered how to sustain wellbeing while scaling fast — this one’s for you. Key Takeaways: // How psychological safety strengthens culture in high-growth companies // Why executive leadership sets the tone for mental health success // What proactive mental health strategy looks like at scale // How Databricks ties mental health to employee retention and ROI // The ripple effects of intentional leadership on engagement 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 💻 Request a demo of Journey Proactive EAP

In this episode, Journey founder Stephen Sokoler sits down with Dominic Cole-Morgan, Group Reward Director at WPP, to explore how mental health and total rewards intersect on a global scale—and what companies can do to support employees across diverse cultures, systems, and needs. With a background in psychology and a career spanning multinationals like Goldman Sachs, Prudential, and Scotiabank, Dominic shares a compelling perspective on the evolution of workplace mental health, why line managers matter more than meditation apps, and how global organizations can drive meaningful, measurable change. Key Takeaways: // How mental health benefits vary across regions—and why one-size-fits-all doesn’t work // The role of line managers in creating psychologically safe, high-performing teams // Why mental health should be seen as a business imperative, not just a benefit // Common barriers to engagement—and what actually works in driving adoption // What the future of total rewards looks like at WPP and beyond// Journey’s take on proactive mental health—and how it drives 10x more engagement Enjoyed this episode? Subscribe, rate, and review The Mental Health Advantage to help more leaders discover the power of proactive mental health at work.

In this episode, Journey founder Stephen Sokoler sits down with Elisha Engelen, VP of Aon’s U.S. Health Transformation Team, to unpack how HR leaders can drive lasting change by prioritizing mental health — from the top down. With a unique blend of clinical mental health expertise and corporate well-being strategy, Elisha offers a thoughtful perspective on how leadership behavior shapes culture, why systemic support matters, and what it takes to truly engage employees in mental health initiatives that stick. Key Takeaways: // Why leadership behavior is the #1 driver of workplace mental health adoption // How to go beyond offering benefits to create systemic, culture-level change // Common barriers to mental health engagement—and how to overcome them // What it looks like when leaders promote and use digital tools themselves // Journey’s take on proactive support—and why it drives 10x more engagement // Elisha’s advice for any HR leader working to lead by example Enjoyed this episode? Subscribe, rate, and review The Mental Health Advantage to help more leaders discover the power of proactive mental health at work.

In this episode, Journey founder Stephen Sokoler sits down with Erin Young, Director of Health, Equity & Wellbeing at WTW, to explore what the future of workplace mental health looks like — and how companies can start building toward it today. With a background in clinical social work and years of experience guiding large employers on behavioral health strategy, Erin shares powerful insights on where current programs fall short and what’s needed to create inclusive, proactive mental health support that truly works. Key Takeaways: // The current state of mental health at work — and what’s changing // Why psychological safety is the foundation of any effective well-being strategy // One big misconception employers have about their existing programs // What proactive support looks like in real life // How to design benefits that blend digital tools with high-quality human care // Erin’s vision for a well-balanced, accessible mental health strategy Enjoyed this episode? Subscribe, rate, and review The Mental Health Advantage to help more leaders discover the power of proactive mental health at work. Follow Journey on LinkedIn Learn more about our Proactive EAP

This episode of "The Mental Health Advantage" explores how organizations can take a data-driven, proactive approach to mental health, embedding well-being into workplace culture beyond traditional reactive measures. Stephen Sokoler, founder and CEO of Journey, is joined by Dr. Wolfgang Seidi, Partner and Workplace Health Consulting Leader at Mercer. Wolfgang has been a global thought leader in mental health, shaping strategies that integrate well-being into business performance. With experience across clinical psychology, insurance, and HR consulting, he has a unique perspective on how organizations can move beyond awareness to measurable impact.

This episode highlights how US Foods has extended mental health support beyond employees to include their families and loved ones, creating a more inclusive and proactive mental health culture. Stephen Sokoler is joined by Joe Toniolo, Senior Director of Health and Welfare Plans at US Foods, to discuss their innovative approach, the impact on employees, and lessons for other organizations.

In this episode of The Mental Health Advantage, Stephen Sokoler, Founder & CEO of Journey, sits down with Claude Silver, Chief Heart Officer at VaynerMedia. As the first-ever Chief Heart Officer in the advertising industry, Claude has redefined what it means to build a people-first culture, focusing on empathy, inclusivity, and personal development. Together, they discuss how organizations can create safe and inclusive workplaces, particularly for LGBTQ+ employees, different generations in the workforce, and high-pressure industries like advertising.

This episode explores Google’s innovative gPause program, how it scales mindfulness to support mental health and resilience across a global workforce, and its lessons for organizations seeking sustainable success.