The Lonely Chapter

Sometimes real confidence is being secure enough to admit that you might be wrong.
In this solo episode of The Lonely Chapter, Sam Maclean reflects on three ideas that have repeatedly surfaced in the conversations since Episode 100:
Why confidence and certainty are not the same.
Why complex human problems rarely have quick fixes.
Why giving someone permission to talk doesn’t automatically make them feel safe enough to be honest.

Drawing on conversations with former FBI agent Eric Robinson, London Fire Commissioner Jonathan Smith, Dr Rob Stevens, Chris from Conversations for the End, Brandon Day, Dr Susie Bennett, Jason Kubiak and RAF veteran Liz McConaghy, Sam explores what genuine confidence looks like when we make mistakes, need help or encounter something we don’t fully understand.
The episode also examines our attraction to quick fixes for low testosterone, grief, chronic pain, burnout and mental health, and why advice isn’t always what a struggling person needs.
This is a reflection on confidence, accountability, leadership, self-awareness, men’s mental health, psychological safety, emotional vulnerability, active listening and learning to replace certainty with curiosity.
If this episode stays with you, share it with someone who might need the conversation.

War gave Liz purpose. Peace nearly took her life.
Liz McConaghy spent 17 years flying on the RAF Chinook Fleet, completing deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan and serving on the Medical Emergency Response Team. Surrounded by people, purpose and teamwork, she learned to function in some of the most dangerous environments imaginable.
But the chapter that nearly ended her life began after she left.
Following a medical discharge from the RAF, the loss of her military identity, the breakdown of her marriage, the death of a close friend and the isolation of lockdown, Liz began experiencing symptoms of PTSD without recognising what was happening.
In this deeply honest conversation, Liz shares the journey from war zones to loneliness, depression and a suicide attempt, and the long, non-linear process of finding purpose, identity and hope again.
We explore why unprocessed trauma can return years later, how grief can follow the loss of a career or relationship, why people in the military and emergency services learn to normalise danger, and what happens when the uniform that defined your life is suddenly taken away.
Liz also shares practical ways to support someone who is struggling: asking twice, giving your mental health a number out of ten, opening up about your own vulnerability, having difficult conversations while walking side by side and seeking help before reaching crisis point.
This is a conversation about PTSD, military life, loneliness, identity, suicide prevention, mental health recovery, grief, purpose and learning to believe that the light can come back on.
In this episode:
→ Why peace became harder for Liz to survive than war
→ Life as the longest-serving female RAF Chinook crewman
→ Iraq, Afghanistan and the Medical Emergency Response Team
→ The hidden grief of losing a career, relationship and identity
→ How PTSD appeared years after leaving the military
→ The phone call Liz does not remember making that saved her life
→ Why recovery is rarely a straight line
→ How to help someone open up without forcing them
→ Why asking “How are you?” twice can make a difference
→ Finding an identity beyond the uniform
→ Why nobody needs to reach rock bottom before deserving help

Follow Liz:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chinookcrewchick/
X: https://x.com/chinnychick
Website: https://www.chinookcrewchick.co.uk/
Read or listen to Chinook Crew ‘Chick’:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Chinook-Crew-Chick-Longest-Crewmember-ebook/dp/B0BNC5PW8Y

He looked fine, but he was falling apart.
In this episode of The Lonely Chapter Podcast, Sam speaks with Jason Kubiak, a firefighter, former professional MMA fighter, father and co-founder of Unified Against Violence CIC.
Jason opens up about the period of his life where everything started to collapse around him: divorce, operational trauma, not seeing his children, homelessness, self-medication, isolation and the painful realisation that he did not understand what was happening in his own mind. From the outside, he may have looked capable, disciplined and strong, but privately he was struggling to survive.
This conversation explores men’s mental health, firefighter trauma, suicide prevention, emotional isolation, the pressure to be strong, fatherhood, recovery, routine, discipline, asking for help, and the importance of having people who do more than simply say, “let me know if you need anything.”
Jason also shares how his experiences shaped the way he now supports others, including his work with Unified Against Violence CIC, a project focused on youth violence, knife crime prevention, public access bleed kits, defibrillators, community safety and giving young people access to belonging, mentorship, sport and support before pain becomes violence.
Find Jason on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/jaykube0067/
Find Unified Against Violence CIC on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/unified_against_violence/

Most of us are looking for answers, but maybe what we need is better questions.
In this solo episode of The Lonely Chapter, Sam Maclean reflects on the questions that have kept appearing across more than 100 honest conversations about identity, difficulty, purpose, personal growth and what it means to live well.
Through personal stories, including leaving veganism after eight and a half years, working in gyms, becoming a firefighter, volunteering with Samaritans and learning the power of silence, Sam explores how our experiences shape us and how the stories we tell ourselves can change the way we live.
This episode is for anyone who feels like they are doing okay on the surface, but quietly trying to understand themselves, their past, and what they want life to look like from here.
If one of these questions stays with you, sit with it. Write it down. Ask someone else. Sometimes one honest question can open a better conversation.
If you enjoy this episode, please follow or subscribe to The Lonely Chapter wherever you’re listening. It really helps the show reach more people who might need it.

What does real responsibility feel like?
In this episode of The Lonely Chapter, I sit down with Jonathan Smith, the London Fire Commissioner, to talk about what it really means to lead the London Fire Brigade.
Jonathan leads the largest fire and rescue service in England and Wales, but this conversation goes beyond the title. We talk about the pressure of responsibility, the loneliness of leadership, making difficult decisions when there is no obvious right answer, and how to stay grounded when your work becomes such a big part of who you are.
We also explore culture inside the fire service, psychological safety, learning from mistakes, imposter syndrome, the difference between being nice and being kind, and why good leadership depends on humility, communication and trust.
This is a conversation about leadership, identity, public service, emergency services, accountability, organisational culture, London Fire Brigade, the future of the fire service, and the trace we leave on the people around us.

Find Jonathan Smith on LinkedIn:
https://uk.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-smith-ba-msc-5974876a
London Fire Brigade:
https://www.london-fire.gov.uk/