Balancing your career with bipolar

At university, James experienced mood swings that could go on for weeks. He’d go from avoiding everyone and everything, to organising copious parties. When he found himself stripping on the roof of his car on Oxford High Street, the police stepped in. He soon found himself in a mental hospital, diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

But the challenges haven’t held James back. He’s continued to build a successful career, and spending time in hospital every few years hasn’t stopped him from progressing—or supporting others as Founder and CEO of Sales Confidence.

You’ll hear how James manages bipolar disorder alongside his career, why we need to challenge misconceptions of the condition, and how his HR Lead knew just how to offer the right support when he was struggling.

As Founder and CEO of Sales Confidence, James Ski has built an open and honest community of salespeople—encouraging professional and personal development alike.

He previously held senior sales roles at LinkedIn, Opogo, and Drift.

Oliva is the UK & Europe's #1 rated employee mental wellbeing benefit.

We help companies respond to the pivotal moments that impact mental wellbeing at work and beyond—driving employee retention and exceptional effort.

We do this by:

• Empowering individuals to take control of their mental wellbeing
• Developing manager emotional intelligence
• Helping HR teams create org-wide psychological safety