The Inner Entrepreneur

This bite-size conversation challenges one of the most deeply held assumptions in modern life: that we work hard now so we can finally start living later. Derek Coburn argues that the traditional idea of retirement—grinding for decades and then stopping abruptly at a fixed age—is not only outdated, but often damaging. Many people sacrifice time with family, health, and meaning in pursuit of a futu...

In this episode, Alan Gregerman challenges one of the most deeply held assumptions in business and leadership: that more knowledge always leads to better outcomes. Drawing on decades of experience working with organisations around the world, Alan explains why expertise can sometimes trap leaders inside old assumptions—and why real breakthroughs often come from not knowing. Rather than glorifying f...

In this conversation, Seamus Fox reframes the idea of values in a deeply practical way. Rather than treating values as something to be intellectually defined or chosen from a list, he explains that your values are already visible — they’re revealed by what your life consistently demonstrates. Where you spend your time, energy, and focus shows what truly matters to you, regardless of what you belie...

In this deeply reflective conversation, Paul sits down with inner wellness mentor Gosia Wojciulewicz to explore what real inner wellness looks like beneath the surface. Gosia shares her powerful personal journey—from leaving Poland at 21 with no money, no English, and deep childhood trauma, to building a life and business rooted in holistic wellbeing. Together, they unpack how environment shapes i...

Bite-Size Episode Show Notes In this bite-size episode of The Inner Entrepreneur, Paul sits down with wealth strategist and author Garrett Gunderson to explore the idea of “sacred cows” in money — the widely accepted financial beliefs that rarely get questioned, yet quietly shape how people save, invest, and think about wealth. Garrett shares the unlikely origin of his work: a grassroots study gro...

Why Success Breaks Entrepreneurs and What to Do About It – Sherry Walling #151   Episode Summary In this episode, Paul sits down with clinical psychologist and entrepreneur Dr. Sherry Walling to explore what really happens after the big business exit. They discuss why a financial windfall often triggers an identity crisis, how over-identifying with your company fuels loneliness and burnout, and wh...

In this bite-size episode, Damion Lupo dismantles one of the most dangerous myths in entrepreneurship: that failure is something to be avoided. Drawing on decades of experience across more than 70 businesses — including losing everything and starting again — Damion reframes failure as the tuition fee for wisdom. He explains why most businesses don’t survive, not because of bad ideas, but because o...

In this episode, Paul explores the real truth about procrastination with Professor Fuschia Sirois — one of the world’s leading researchers in the field. Far from being a time-management issue or a character flaw, procrastination is revealed as a behavior rooted in emotional regulation. Professor Sirois explains how delaying tasks may offer temporary relief, yet creates long-term stress, undermines...

In this bite-sized episode I chat with Laura Tynan –The Witch of Wall Street – to explore the powerful intersection of wealth creation and personal transformation. We dive into: Why financial empowerment requires both strategy and mindset. The “ostrich effect” – why most people avoid looking at their finances. Simple steps to take control of your money (even if you’ve been ignoring it). How fear,...

About Jerry Colona: Jerry is a coach, writer, and speaker who focuses on leadership, business, and the practice of radical self-inquiry. He is the Co-founder and CEO of Reboot.io, a company born from the rallying cry that work does not have to destroy us. Work can be the way in which we achieve our fullest self. In this deeply reflective conversation, Jerry Colonna — former VC, author of Reboot an...

In this Bite-Size episode, Paul explores the powerful turning point in Seamus Fox’s life — growing up in Derry during the conflict, navigating poverty, and drifting into destructive paths before a near-fatal car crash forced him to confront who he was becoming. Waking in a blood-stained flat after a night in a cell became the moment that pushed him back toward what had always grounded him: sport....

In this conversation, I sit down with high-performance coach Enda McNulty to explore what it really means to perform under pressure – not just on the pitch in front of 80,000 people, but in the boardroom, in a hospital corridor, or at your kitchen table having a hard conversation with someone you love. Enda shares the story of walking into the 2002 All-Ireland semi-final with his confidence “in hi...

In this bite-size episode, we revisit my conversation with Pat Falvey: adventurer, entrepreneur, expedition leader, and the first Irish man to summit Everest not once, but twice. Pat’s story reaches far beyond the mountains. He speaks to growing up in poverty, building and losing fortunes, standing at the edge of suicide, and finding purpose through contribution, courage and self-belief. This conv...

In this episode, Paul sits down with author and coach Karolina Rzadkowolska to explore our everyday relationship with alcohol—not from the perspective of addiction, but from the socially accepted drinking habits most adults consider “normal.” Karolina shares how a simple Dry January experiment transformed her confidence, creativity, sleep, mood, and sense of purpose, ultimately leading her to buil...

Bite-size: AI, Reshaping Society & The Future of Being Human with Dr. Lollie Mancey In this bite-size episode, I chat with Dr Lollie Mancey to explore how AI is changing society at every level: how we work, how we connect, how we find meaning, and who gets included or left behind. Dr. Mancey shares a compelling example from a Dutch supermarket — where customers can choose between fast self-che...

Many leaders today are surrounded by data, tools, and metrics, yet feel increasingly disconnected from themselves. In this conversation, Dr. Diana Dimitrova and I explore why high performers often suppress intuition, how emotional disconnection shows up in leadership, and the real cost of building companies while losing connection to our inner compass. We discuss why intuition is not “soft” or irr...

  In this bite-size episode, Paul speaks with Marc O’Dwyer, former CEO of Big Red Cloud, about the emotional reality of selling a business after more than three decades of ownership. Marc shares why he was determined to avoid an earn-out, how he held firm for a clean exit with 100% payment upfront, and the role that clarity, focus, and daily mental rehearsal played in making that outcome possible....

In this episode of The Inner Entrepreneur,  Paul sits down with Niall O'Murchu , one of Ireland’s leading wellness and breathwork experts. With over 23 years’ experience in mental, emotional, and physical wellbeing, Niall is a Level 3 Wim Hof Method Instructor and the first Irish person to teach at the Wim Hof Academy. We explore how modern life keeps our nervous systems stuck in stress mode — and...

  Welcome to The Inner Entrepreneur Bite Size, where we pull the most powerful clips from some of our best conversations. You’ll find links to the full episodes below — and if you’re enjoying the show, please hit subscribe and join nearly 20,000 entrepreneurs on a journey to grow, lead, and live with purpose. If this episode resonates, please share it. It really helps us continue to grow and bring...

Dr. Chris Winter is a neurologist and sleep medicine specialist with decades of Tools & References Mentioned • The Sleep Solution (book) • The Rested Child (book) • Sleep Unplugged (podcast) Connect with Dr. Chris Winter • Instagram: @instaDRChrisWinter • www.wchriswinters.com • Podcast: Sleep Unplugged • Books: The Sleep Solution; The Rested Child About the host: Paul Ryan is an entrepreneur,...

Episode Summary: In this weeks episode, Paul sits down with Dr. Michael Keane to explore how emotions arise before we are even aware of them, why our “gut feelings” often know more than our conscious minds, and how gratitude, meditation, and attention reshape our physiology. We explore whether free will truly exists, how cultural conditioning shapes who we become, and why emotional control is less...

In this bite sized episode of The Inner Entrepreneur, Paul sits down with Brendan McGurgan, co-founder of Simple Scaling, creator of the ScaleX Accelerator, and former CEO who scaled a small engineering firm from 15 people to nearly 700, and from £3M to over £100M+ in global revenue — long before “scaling” became a buzzword. Brendan believes that if you have a great product or service, you don’t j...

Guest: Adie McGuiness — Co-Founder of Sigmar Recruitment Episode Summary In this  bite-size episode, Adie McGuiness shares the story of how his team came together during one of the toughest periods in business. Facing financial uncertainty, his staff personally contributed €200,000 to help save the company—an extraordinary act of loyalty that revealed the power of trust and genuine leadership. Adi...

The Intelligence Trap: Why Smart People Make Bad Decisions: David Robson #133 Episode Summary Award-winning science journalist David Robson joins Paul to explore the big ideas behind his three books — The Intelligence Trap, The Expectation Effect, and The Laws of Connection. We get practical about intellectual humility, how beliefs shape physiology and performance, and why most of us underestimate...

  Most people think “trauma” means war, abuse, or catastrophe. In this Inner Entrepreneur Bite-Size clip, Laurel Wiers (trauma therapist and creator of the MINT Method) explains why that’s incomplete — and how little-t experiences can quietly shape your personality, decisions, and success until you learn to reset back to your truest self. This isn’t just theory. We dig into Gabor Maté’s definition...