Hazel sits down with Leo and Jess Houlding and their eldest daughter, Freya. They start with Leo’s legendary adventures, expeditions and first ascents, exploring how his mindset and approach to risk have evolved over the years. Then the focus shifts to family life — from climbing El Cap together to powder skiing in Japan — and what it means to raise resilient, curious, and courageous kids in a world that often prioritises safety above all else.

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00:00:00 – Intro

• 00:05:51 – Why did Leo choose to move back to the UK?

• 00:08:56 – Reflecting on his bold climbing days: how does Leo feel about his past now?

• 00:24:23 – Balancing passion and profession: what motivates Leo today?

• 00:31:17 – What advice would Leo give to people who feel stuck in life?

• 00:35:21 – Leo’s biggest fear for his kids

• 00:38:33 – What have Leo’s kids taught him about fear?

• 00:41:40 – Getting the challenge level right for children

• 00:49:49 – Balancing psychological safety and resilience in parenting

• 00:57:01 – Kids and social media: where do they stand?

• 01:06:40 – What it’s really like having an adventurous family lifestyle

• 01:13:37 – Meet Jess Houlding

• 01:17:25 – Making decisions together as parents: how Leo and Jess navigate it

• 01:24:36 – How has this parenting approach shaped their kids?

• 01:26:48 – What motivated the Houldings’ year-long family trip?

• 01:31:22 – Meet Freya: Freya’s relationship with fear and her favourite part of the trip

Hazel and Angus sit down with a cup of tea to answer some of our listeners' questions around performance psychology. We discuss topics like flow, performance anxiety, stress and mindset. If you enjoyed this conversation, Strong Mind is about to re-launch the Performance Hacks course, where Hazel, Angus and their team will take you through a journey to learn more about performance psychology and how it can work for you.

If you want to secure yourself a place on Performance Hacks, then sign up here to our waiting list as our courses usually sell out fast.

If you’d like help working on your mindset check out our free mindset workbook and guided reflection. Click here

Sign-up to our “Thought of the week” here!

Blog post by Hazel about trying hard. Click here

00:01:51 - Can performance anxiety be completely removed from climbing?

00:05:35 - Is it beneficial to momentarily step away from climbing to better work on our mindset?

00:08:45 - How can we access flow state on demand?

00:19:52 - How often does Hazel climb in a Flow state?

00:21:36 - How can we set goals and simultaneously have no expectations?

00:28:26 - How can we try hard when allostatic load is high?

00:35:36 - How can mindset be organised and used like tools in a box?

00:40:17 - Are there quick ways to achieve flow?

00:41:34 - As a coach or instructor, how do you manage the social pressure of climbing in front of students or peers?

00:51:26 - Performance Hacks course

WARNING, this podcast mentions suicide and mental health.

What does it mean to be a man in 2025 — especially in the world of climbing, adventure, and risk? In this episode, we dive into masculinity, vulnerability, emotions, mental health and fatherhood with Aldo Kane and Matt Pycroft. Aldo is a former Royal Marine, adventurer, TV presenter and author. Matt is a climber, adventure filmmaker and podcast host. From redefining strength to raising kids, this is an honest look at what masculinity means today and what we’re striving for when it comes to men’s health.

If you are having a hard time, you can get help. findahelpline.com will direct you to your country's helpline.

If you’d like help working on your mindset check out our free mindset workbook and guided reflection. Link

Don't forget to sign up to our "Thought of the week". Link

Timestamps

00:00:00 – Intro: why this conversation matters

00:05:43 – Aldo & Matt on what masculinity means today

00:11:40 – Can we talk about masculinity without tearing it down?

00:22:19 – Men and mental health: what’s really going on?

00:36:39 – Male-dominated spaces: problem or part of the solution?

00:44:00 – What do healthy men’s spaces actually look like?

00:50:41 – How the media frames modern masculinity

00:57:47 – Struggling as a man? Here’s what might help

01:11:25 – The role of women: support, challenge, or both?

01:19:10 – Are all men bad? And is chivalry just polite misogyny?