More than a business:

Personal battles. Professional mission.

Why mental wellbeing matters to us

How burnout sparked my mission

Life First Then Work wasn’t born in a boardroom — it grew from my own experiences. I’m Andy, the founder, and in 2024, I completely burned out. I had to leave my job. I couldn’t function. Even basic tasks felt overwhelming. I knew I had to do something different this time. It was time to turn years of lived and professional experience into something positive.

This journey isn’t corporate — it’s personal. I’ve spent over 25 years navigating mental health, not just for myself but also as a manager and colleague watching the silent struggles play out in workplaces. Burnout wasn’t just emotional, physical and mental exhaustion — it was a wake-up call. Something had to change.

In every job I’ve had, I saw employers who genuinely wanted to support people — and often got parts of it right. But without weaving mental health into the business strategy, even the best efforts only went so far. Every business has a mission and a strategy to get there. But if mental health isn’t woven into that strategy, how do you keep your people strong enough to reach it?

That’s the gap I kept seeing everywhere.

Every conversation I had with friends or family about work and mental health sounded the same: stress, pressure, unmanageable workloads… and the company’s response? A free gym membership or a fruit bowl in the kitchen. Well-meaning, but nowhere near the root cause.

That’s the problem I set out to solve.

Life First Then Work is about bridging that gap with real conversations, practical tools and a culture-first approach that actually works.

My mission is simple: to help create workplaces where people feel safe to speak up, where leaders genuinely lead with care, and where mental health support isn’t just a poster in the lunchroom — it’s part of how people work, every day.

Because when mental health comes first, people show up. They engage. They stay. And that’s good for everyone — including the bottom line.

Through powerful conversational, lived-experience workshops, I help teams connect, break stigma and build resilient workplaces where everyone feels seen, heard and valued.

📝 Feet on pavement with sunlight and the words “Passion led us here” in red lettering

Explore Support Circle

That’s why we created Support Circle. A peer support programme that makes everyday support part of workplace culture.

Our unique approach

Where real conversations create real change

📝 Checkbox list with the words "Balance" and "Burnout" — hand ticking "Balance"

📝 Scrabble tiles spelling “Mental Health Matters” on black background

Founders' vision

This isn’t about being perfect. It’s about showing up.

After years of watching mental health get brushed aside or “managed” without the right tools, I knew it was time for a real change.

Some employers genuinely want to help but don’t know where to start. Others just tick the compliance box. Too many aren’t doing nearly enough.

So, I founded Life First Then Work. People first, culture second, results third - in that order. Because when you support people as humans, not just employees, they don’t just survive, they thrive. And your business does too. Everyone wins.
- Andy Maclean

Andy is also certified in Mental Health First Aid & Advocacy in the Workplace (NCFE CACHE Level 2), reinforcing a commitment to safe, informed support that actually sticks.

What we stand for

Lived experience first
We lead with real stories and real people. Because trust is built when someone says, “I've been there too.”

Connection over perfection
We don’t need experts in suits. We need people who show up, listen, and make others feel seen.

Courageous conversations
Silence fuels stigma. We help teams speak up, check in, and lean in - even when it’s uncomfortable.

Practical > performative
If it’s not useful on a job site or in a team meeting, it doesn’t make the cut. We focus on tools that work in the real world.

Culture is everyone’s job
Mental Health isn’t an HR initiative - it’s a whole-of-business mindset shift. We help workplaces build it in, not bolt it on.

Andy Maclean - My story, my why

After 25 years in IT — balancing work pressures, deadlines, stress and a growing sense that I was broken — life forced me to stop.

A serious head injury at 20, a stroke at 25 and ongoing post-stroke complications have made life challenging. The chronic pain, the trauma, the depression — all of it gave me a front-row seat to what it feels like when systems aren’t built to support real people.

There’s also my eldest son, who’s faced multiple challenges in his 13 years navigating his own neurodiverse journey. That brought its own stress and taught me even more about what real support looks like — and how vital it is.

These experiences didn’t break me. Almost, but not quite. Instead, they fuel everything I do now — helping businesses rethink mental health from the inside out and create spaces where people feel safe, supported and heard.

Life First Then Work isn’t a slogan. It’s a survival strategy — and I’m here to help others build cultures that actually live it.

📝 Photo of Life First Then Work founder Andy standing by the sea at sunset

Explore our services

Need urgent support or everyday mental health resources?

Life First Then Work isn’t a crisis service — but you’re not alone. These trusted services offer 24/7 emergency support and everyday mental health tools.

Get support now