When Heywood Similon first picked up his dad’s camera as a child, little did he realise he was at the very beginning of a career that would one day lead him back behind the lens.
Heywood, from Whitley Bay and now a podcast producer, says his early fascination is what led him into a career in media.
“I started recording myself with my dad’s camera when I was a child,” he said.
“I was doing impressions of family members and making my own little magic shows, but all on camera.”
That early fascination eventually developed into a career in photography, with Heywood opening his own small studio in his mid-20s.
Then came a move to Barcelona at the age of 28, where a search for work led him into radio at Radio Barcelona City FM.
It was there that he discovered something that would ultimately shape his future – a love of conversation.
“I really, really enjoyed the conversations,” he said.
“You could have these intentional, long conversations with someone, and then other parts of radio could be really fast-paced. I loved that.”
His next move into social media video production came almost by accident when he approached a tattoo shop, selling himself on his photography and radio experience.
“They started asking me to do video,” he said. “I was like, ‘I don’t know how to do video.’ But you kind of fake it until you make it.”
Around four years ago, he launched his own YouTube channel to talk openly about his experiences with mental health, anxiety and ADHD.
Initially, the focus was on his own story. But after a year, Heywood decided he had said enough about himself and began interviewing other people about their experiences.
“That’s when my love for conversation really grew,” he explained. “People are nervous at first, but then you get into it and magic happens.”
About two years ago, Heywood decided to turn his experience into his business Stuff Podcast, offering podcast production to other people.
Now he provides a professional four-person podcast set-up featuring microphones, cameras and 4K recording, alongside lighting and production facilities, in the heart of Whitley Bay.
“I’ve created the space very intentionally so it feels relaxing,” he said. “You come in and it feels a bit like a chilled living room.”
Heywood’s own journey has also influenced the way he works.
Diagnosed with ADHD as a child, he says it was only much later in life that he began to understand the impact it was having on his work, relationships and everyday life.
He believes the creative freedom of running his own business suits the way his brain works.
“I think I was always destined to be self-employed because of the nature of ADHD,” he said. “Working for other people was always going to be really difficult.
“But working for myself, the urgency is always there, and that urgency helps me stay motivated.”
His openness about his own experiences has also become an important part of his approach to podcasting.
Heywood believes long-form conversations provide something that can sometimes be missing from the fast-moving world of social media.
“Everything is 30 seconds or a minute,” he said. “You can get a lot of valuable stuff, but you don’t really get to chew on it.
“If you’re in a room with one or two people and you have these conversations, people start opening up. That’s when magic happens.”
And while mental health remains an important part of his story, Heywood is keen that his work should not be defined by it.
His podcasts now cover a wide range of subjects, allowing him to step away from constantly talking about mental health while still creating a space where people feel comfortable being honest and themselves.
Covered almost head-to-toe in tattoos, Heywood admits people can occasionally make assumptions about him before they get to know him.
“I’ve definitely had some people where it’s taken months for them to warm up to me,” he said.
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“I get it. But I appreciate art. Tattoos are art.”
Now a father, Heywood says all of his experiences have led him to where he is today.
“I wouldn’t have been able to do what I’m doing now ten years ago. I wasn’t equipped. But now I’m in a place where I’m really grateful that I get to speak to so many people and watch the conversations unfold.”