How Leatherback Travel Achieved 100% Engagement and a Thriving Culture
A global travel company uses Talked to show their team they truly care about mental health.
About Leatherback Travel
Leatherback Travel's mission is around fun, their goal is to jampack the world with as many magical feelings as possible. With a globally distributed team of 45, they're scaling at a super high growth rate while maintaining excellent team culture.
If you want your team to think you actually care about them, investing into Talked is a major positive step you can take.
Matthew Newton, CEO
Leatherback Travel
The Priority: Show Your Team You Care
Unlike companies facing a crisis, Leatherback Travel took a proactive approach to mental health from day one. As an experienced CEO leading a high-growth company, the founder knew the reality:
- Employee turnover kills company performance and morale
- Basic mental health processes are critical to preventing turnover
- The team needed to know the company takes their mental health seriously
- With a globally distributed team, accessibility was essential
- The solution needed to be truly private and hands-off
Why Leatherback Travel Chose Talked
Leatherback Travel needed a mental health solution that was hands-off for leadership but highly accessible for the team. These were the non-negotiable criteria:
Truly Private & Confidential
Strong privacy guarantees so employees feel safe accessing support without fear of workplace judgment
High Availability of Professionals
Access to qualified mental health support professionals when team members need them
Self-Service Booking
Completely hands-off system where employees can book and manage their own appointments without HR involvement
Automated Payments
Seamless payment processing that requires no manual intervention from the company
Global Accessibility
A solution that works well for their team members spread around the world
User-Friendly Platform
An intuitive interface that never causes headaches for employees or leadership
The Strategic Decision
Talked was hands down the easiest solution to sign up with. The Talked platform is just so user friendly and has never caused us any headaches. Our team is spread around the world and we needed something that would work well for them.Matthew Newton, CEO
Leatherback Travel
Implementation and Rollout
Leatherback Travel took a unique and highly effective approach to rolling out Talked—one that removed barriers and normalized mental health support from day one.
Whole Team Sign-Up Session
Not everyone treats mental health with the same seriousness, which is why the entire team signed up to the Talked platform together—even those who didn't need support that day. This created low-friction access for everyone.
Built Into Onboarding
Creating a Talked account became a standard part of the team onboarding process, ensuring every new team member has immediate access to support from their first day.
Leadership Role Modeling
The CEO openly shared their own positive experience using Talked, demonstrating that accessing mental health support is normal, valuable, and nothing to be ashamed of.
The Impact
Leatherback Travel has successfully maintained their low turnover rate and excellent company morale while scaling at a high growth rate.
Beyond the Numbers: Cultural Transformation
We've seen many of our 'mental health skeptics' take on a whole new attitude. Our managers also love it, as they can very easily say to a team member who's having issues that they should be using Talked and making use of that. I celebrate our Talked numbers with the company.
Matthew Newton, CEO
Leatherback Travel
The Difference Talked Made
Changed Attitudes
Mental health skeptics transformed their perspective on the value of mental health support
Manager Empowerment
Leaders can confidently direct team members to support without hesitation
CEO Role Modeling
Leadership openly shares their own positive experiences using the platform
Normalized Support
Mental health support seen as a practical resource, not something shameful
Real Impact: Employee Success Story
Breaking Through Cultural Barriers
A team member from a region that doesn't value mental health was clearly suffering from what appeared to be an undiagnosed mental health issue. In their culture, mental health support was viewed as something only for people who have "gone crazy."
The CEO had a direct conversation with this person and, while normally keeping Talked private, said: "I'm going to talk to you next week and between now and then, you need to send me proof that you've booked a session on Talked's platform."
This person is now incredibly grateful for that conversation and is thriving in their role. They've seen firsthand how mental health support can make a real difference, regardless of cultural background.
Leadership Perspective: Removing Shame from the Conversation
People think mental health support is 'not something to be ashamed of' and I tell the team that shame has literally nothing to do with it. It's NOT 'something we should be unashamed of'; shame should just never be part of the conversation in my opinion. If you have a free resource to help you get through your week and make your life better, you're silly not to use it.Matthew Newton, CEO
Leatherback Travel
Key Takeaways for Leaders
1. Make Sign-Up Easy
Have the whole team create accounts together, even if they don't need support immediately. This removes barriers when they do need help.
2. Build It Into Onboarding
Make creating a Talked account part of your standard onboarding process for all new team members.
3. Lead by Example
When leaders share their own positive experiences with mental health support, it normalizes it for everyone.
4. Invest but Don't Manage
Mental health is something a company should invest in, but not manage. Talked provides the solution without requiring your time.
Final Recommendation
Mental health is something a company should be investing in, but not managing. Talked gives you a way to get it done but without wasting time.Matthew Newton, CEO
Leatherback Travel
Ready to Support Your Team Like Leatherback Travel?
Discover how Talked can help you maintain low turnover, boost morale, and show your team you truly care about their wellbeing.
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