The Lonely Chapter
Step into The Lonely Chapter, the podcast where host Sam Maclean sits down with remarkable guests to explore the stories that shape us. Each week, discover inspiring conversations on personal growth, mental health, resilience, and self-improvement.
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- Indexed episodes, last 90 days
- 11
- Latest publication
- Sep 28, 2026
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- Earliest in this view
- Jul 6, 2026
Latest episodes
17 Years of Talking to Strangers on the Radio | Iain Dale | #120 (opens the original)
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Some truths are hardest to tell the people we love. LBC presenter Iain Dale hears them on live radio. In this conversation with Sam on The Lonely Chapter, he reflects on the trust that leads callers to share things they have never told their partners, friends or families. We begin with Constance, a regular caller approaching her 102nd birthday, who wondered whether she would speak to him again. Her call opens a conversation about listening, empathy and the human connection between a radio presen
The Pain Behind “I’m Fine” | Suicide Awareness Compilation | #119 (opens the original)
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Someone can look as though they’re coping while carrying pain other people don’t see. For Suicide Awareness Month, I’ve brought together moments from seven previous episodes of The Lonely Chapter about struggling privately, feeling heard, and what helped people through. Dr Susie Bennett begins by exploring the pressure some men feel to appear fine. Brandon Day shares the gap between outward success and private distress. Martin Seager and Lisa Sugarman consider what it means to listen well. Jason
You Can Do Everything Right and Still Lose | Solo Episode | #118 (opens the original)
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Sometimes you can do everything right and still lose. You can prepare properly and still fail. Treat someone well and still be left. Work hard for an opportunity and receive no answer. So how do you live well when effort cannot guarantee the outcome? In this solo episode, Sam explores Stoicism as a practical philosophy for the moments when reality refuses to cooperate. Drawing on ideas from Epictetus, Seneca and Marcus Aurelius, he examines the difference between what we can control, what we can
TOPGUN Instructor: What It Really Takes to Lead Under Pressure | Dave Berke | #117 (opens the original)
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What does it really take to lead when you don’t know the right answer, and the consequences of getting it wrong are real? Dave Berke is a retired US Marine Corps fighter pilot, former TOPGUN instructor and ground combat leader who served in Ramadi alongside Jocko Willink and Leif Babin. Today, he is Chief Development Officer at Echelon Front and the author of The Need to Lead . In this conversation, Dave takes us inside what TOPGUN actually teaches about decision-making, humility and remaining c
Belonging in an Age of Isolation: From Attention to Action | Christian d’Ippolito | #116 (opens the original)
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Why can someone appear to be doing fine, stay busy and remain constantly connected—yet still feel that they belong nowhere? Christian d’Ippolito is the founder of The Spartan Project and former leader of Steel Warriors, an anti-knife-crime charity that transforms confiscated knives into outdoor community gyms. After almost two decades in media and marketing, Christian began applying what he knew about storytelling and influence to community building, youth empowerment and social impact. Christia
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