Great Conversations with Nicola O'Donoghue

What does it really take to move from self-doubt to self-respect? And how do you build a life and career rooted in purpose, power, and inner peace? In this inspiring episode, Nicola O’Donoghue sits with Neelu Agarwal, Head of Belonging, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at the Prudential Regulation Authority. Neelu opens up about her journey from growing up with feelings of inferiority to becoming a...

What if your biggest fear wasn’t failure, but regret? In this episode, Nicola O’Donoghue sits down with Caroline Brewin, the CEO of Brain Powered Coaching, who left a successful 18-year career in banking to follow a deeper purpose: transforming over 1 million lives through neuroscience and confidence coaching. Caroline opens up about: Her leap from corporate life to entrepreneurship. How to listen...

Trigger Warning: This episode contains a deeply emotional and explicit conversation around early pregnancy loss. Please listen with care. What does it take to lead with courage, challenge societal norms, and still stay grounded in compassion? In this raw and powerful episode, Sam Payne, Co-Founder of Pink Elephants, opens up about what it means to be a fearless leader, grief advocate, and change-m...

How do you build strong, loving relationships without losing yourself? In this insightful conversation, Nicola O’Donoghue sits down with PJ Livett, a Sex and Relationship Educator who works with teens to lay the foundation for healthy relationships early on. But her lessons are just as relevant for adults, especially high-achieving, emotionally intelligent women navigating modern love. PJ breaks d...

Becoming a mother changes everything, but for Lorna Lewis, the Founder of Funked Up Fitness, it also brought unexpected struggles with postpartum depression, identity loss, and the pressure to be the "perfect" mum. In this candid conversation, Lorna shares how fear, anxiety, and comparison shaped her early motherhood experience until she decided to take control of her happiness. Through...

In this inspiring episode of Great Conversations, Nicola O'Donoghue sits down with Peta Stewart to explore the powerful role of energy management in building a fulfilling life and thriving business. Peta opens up about the sacrifices she's made to become a successful entrepreneur, including her conscious decision not to have children — a choice rooted in her deep understanding of where her...

Why is women’s safety still seen as their responsibility? In this powerful episode, Nicola sits down with Amy Watson, founder of HASSL, to discuss the overlooked power of rest, resilience, and societal change. Amy is tackling one of society’s biggest blind spots: how misogyny is baked into our culture. Through HASSL, she’s not giving women “safety tools”—she’s working to change mindsets. From catc...

What if everything you’ve been told about happiness is wrong? For years, we’ve been sold the idea that more success, more money, and more achievements will bring us joy. But what if the real key to happiness is something much simpler? In this thought-provoking conversation, Nicola sits down with John Young, CEO & Co-Founder of Cognomie Coaching, to challenge the conventional wisdom around succ...

This week, Nicola is joined by the extraordinary Fiona Arrigo for a conversation about humanity’s collective awakening. As the Founder of the Arrigo Programme, she combines spirituality with grounded therapeutic wisdom, making her insights both profound and accessible. Fiona explains how feelings of unworthiness and disconnection are driving much of today’s unrest and why the path forward is to re...

In this season 5 opener of Great Conversations, Nicola is joined by social change maker Mick Cronin for a powerful discussion on resilience, authenticity, and living a life of purpose. Growing up in a small town outside Dublin, Mick shares how his challenging upbringing and decision to leave Ireland shaped his path toward working with addiction, youth detention, and marginalised communities in Aus...

In this empowering episode, I’m joined by Alison Blackler, CEO of Two Minds and a transformational coach, for what feels like a life coaching session packed with wisdom and practical advice. Alison shares her strategies for avoiding burnout, overcoming overwhelm and anxiety, and building a life of confidence and balance. We dive into setting healthy boundaries, saying no without guilt, and breakin...

In this episode, I sit down with Vanesse Machill, Head of Partnerships at Mido Academy, to explore the transformative power of curiosity and a growth mindset in building a life aligned with your authenticity and passions. Vanesse opens up about a deeply personal chapter of her life—how workplace bullying shook her to her core and forced her to question everything she thought she knew: her career t...

To mark the year anniversary of Intogreat, we turn the tables on Nicola O'Donoghue, Founder and CEO of Intogreat and host of Great Conversations, as she becomes the guest! Interviewed by Denise McGrouther, Nicola opens up about the journey that led her to Intogreat, exploring how challenges—including past abusive relationships—have shaped her perspective and commitment to personal growth. We dive...

This week, my guest is Belinda Jones, a teacher and head of PSHE. Belinda opens up about the ongoing challenge of balancing work and life—especially when you’re deeply fulfilled by what you do. She shares her journey of transitioning careers, being a single mum, and the complexities of living out multiple identities in different stages of life. We delve into the importance of authenticity and how...

This week my guest is Julie Ann Gautier, who made the bold move from a corporate career in Calgary to becoming a commercial lobster fisherwoman and tourism operator on Prince Edward Island. Julie Ann opens up about the life-changing decision to leave behind the pressures and expectations of city life and the corporate world, choosing instead to reconnect with her values and authenticity and take o...

CAUTION: In this episode, Vaishali talks openly about losing a child, and how she dealt with this grief. I would encourage anyone who may find this topic triggering, to give this episode a miss. In this deeply moving episode, I sit down with Vaishali Joshi, the CEO and Founder of Anvaya, to uncover the transformative power of mindfulness. Vaishali shares her journey, beginning with how the practic...

This week my guest is the incredibly inspiring, serial entrepreneur and founder of the Young Entrepreneurs Club, Katie Bowater. At just 18 years old, Katie faced a life-altering challenge. As a professional water polo player for Great Britain, her intense training led to stress fractures that ultimately ended her sports career. Despite such a significant setback, Katie refused to let the end of he...

This week's guest is Denise McGrouther, VP of e-commerce at an international logistics company. Denise shares her remarkable journey of moving from the UK to Australia over 42 years ago, and how her hard work, unwavering positivity, and adaptability helped her succeed in the logistics industry. Denise opens up about the challenges of being a working mum, including the tough decision to step aw...

In this week's episode, we sit down with Ashwini Anburajan to explore her remarkable journey in redefining what it means to be an entrepreneur. Ashwini's path is characterized by breaking down barriers, embracing diversity, and championing innovation in the entrepreneurial landscape. She shares her experiences of navigating the complex world of entrepreneurship, highlighting the importance...

In this week's episode, we explore the transformative power of love and patience with Saeed Olayiwola. Saeed takes us on his journey of redefining masculinity, identifying his core values, and ultimately finding peace through his authenticity. Saeed passionately addresses the current definition of masculinity. Emphasizing the need to highlight examples of kind, compassionate, and gentle mascul...

My guest this week is therapeutic coach Martine Gibson. In this episode, we explore the transformative power of purpose and self-understanding. Martine shares her inspiring journey, likening it to a phoenix rising from the ashes, detailing how she overcame immense adversity and tough times to discover her purpose and turn her life around. Martine passionately discusses the importance of self-compa...

In this week's episode, I'm delighted to talk to Abhilash Menon, a Senior Sales Executive from UL Solutions. Abilash shares his inspiring journey of leaving India for the UK and embracing a new life abroad. Curiosity emerges as Abhilash's superpower, enabling him to navigate cultural differences and form meaningful relationships as he connects with people from all walks of life. Abhila...

I'm thrilled to welcome Intogreat coaches Leeanne Heald and Micheline Ntiru to this week's episode of Great Conversations. We delve into the often challenging but crucial topic of navigating difficult work relationships, which many of us have faced or will face in our professional lives. In our conversation, we explore the importance of self-reflection and understanding the root cause of w...

I'm delighted to welcome Phil Clothier, the Co-Founder of Amcara, an initiative bringing the UN's sustainability goals to life, to Great Conversations. In this episode, we explore a fascinating range of topics, from the potential of our compassion in shaping a more empathetic and values-driven AI to Phil's quest for inner peace. I love Phil's insights and perspectives, particularly...

My Guest this week is Carla Crivaro, who is a sex, love and relationships expert as well as the co-creator of The Sex Lectures. In this episode Carla shares real insights on the challenges facing modern relationships. After some amazing statistics on the difference between the male and female sexual experience Carla also shares real advice on addressing dissatisfaction with one's partner in an...