What Makes You Tick?

My guest on this episode is Sarah Cahill. Sarah is a mum of two amazing girls Lucy and Ellen and married to Brian a fantastic person who works in the Irish Army. Sarah epitomises the phrase entrepreneurial spirit. Having qualified as a special needs assistant, Sarah took time out to focus on her family and raise the two girls. IN doing so, Sarah found a love for play, for fun and this was made evi...

In part 2 Vanessa and I speak about her business vanessaree.com and why she created it. As Vanessa was struggling with what to do in her career, a friend of hers knew she dabbled in making jewelry and encouraged her to try and set up her own business. While Vanessa upskilled she faced a number of challenges along the way. Leaving her career and finding a new identity was particularly scary, howeve...

Eleanor Roosevelt said - You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, 'I have lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.' You must do the thing you think you cannot do." In this episode, I speak to the entrepreneur and creator of VanessaRee jewelry, Vanessa Murtagh. Van...

Here Riona describes her struggle with mortality and her fight to stay alive and much more. One thing shines through, Riona’s message is clear, ‘Lead with Love’ and the world will start responding in a more positive way to you. What I learned from our chat was no matter how hard life gets, or how deep into the rabbit hole of sadness you go, there is always someone who wants you to fight, there is...

My guest today is Riona Kelly. At the start of 2015, Riona was married to her then-husband of 14 years and had 4 wonderful children. However, in March Riona’s world would change in the blink of an eye. Riona suffered a spinal stroke and at that moment became paralysed. Riona’s pain didn’t end there. Shortly after her stroke, Riona’s then-husband left her to fend for herself and her 4 young childre...

In part two we talk about what real messages Tina would share with the world and she advises us on how to take on the challenges of 2021.TIna really hit home to me to embrace that level of madness we all have in our lives, and always continue to learn, no matter what. If you take on each day with the mindset of ‘what am I going to learn today’ it opens up so many possibilities that we may have clo...

My guest today is a remarkable lady. Tina Kothari. Born in India, Tina grew up in the UK, and, on completing a degree in Philosophy, entered the world of commerce and banking to become a company director by the age of 26.Following a period as a full-time mother, I then qualified as a counselor and as a trainer in Humanistic Neuro-Linguistic Programming and Psychotherapy. Over time Tina developed e...

In this part we delve into his battle with getting back to playing rugby. What his catalyst was to motivate him to make the most of what he has and the people he has around him. We talk about mental struggles, having a strong family unit and ultimately what drives him to be the best he can be. We speak about him pioneering the way for goggles to be worn while playing rugby, how he needed people in...

My guest today is an international rugby player, Ian McKinley. Ian’s journey is not straight forward. Like most of my guests, Ian has had to face a number of challenges throughout his life. He speaks openly and honestly to me about a life changing injury that shattered a boyhood dream to play for Ireland one day. He shares some of his darkest moments and how he managed to fight through them to tur...

In the second part of this episode, Will and I discuss how he manages his anxiety through his music and writing and he delves into what makes him tick, the reasons behind his love for music. Will also reminisces on a time when he was heartbroken and how music helped to soothe his soul in time of need. Will's journey is only beginning but his passion for music is unquestionable and his approach to...

My guest today is a singer-songwriter, Will Purdue. Will is a gentleman and a deep thinker. The music you’ve just heard is a recent single he wrote for Riona Kelly who suffered a horrendous accident and as a result, was paralysed. This single was released to help fund Riona’s rehabilitation as she and her partner Keith Mason aim to complete 100miles. Keith will pull Riona 99miles and Riona will th...

In part 2 of my conversation with the crew from Project Empower, Damian and Gussie talk about the greatest challenge on earth for two people, rowing across the Atlantic from New York to Galway Bay. One of the biggest challenges for them is making sure they have the courage to say exactly what they are thinking and not bottle it up. It takes courage to be honest and that is exactly what they will c...

Project Empower sees two Irish men attempt to break a 124-year-old world record, of rowing from New York to Galway. Damian Browne and Fergus Gussy Farrell will set off on the challenge of a lifetime. These men have faced many challenges already. Damian is an adventurer and explorer who began a lifetime of exploration which has seen him summit 5 of 7 peaks, complete the Race De Sables and he was a...

Jade Jordan is an Irish actress, born and bred in Dublin. Jade’s approach to life is one with empathy, honesty, and have fun along the way. Jade and I sat down to speak about her career, how she became an actress, but also, more importantly, what it was like for her growing up in Ireland when racism was alive and well and is to this day. Jade comes from a mixed-race Irish and she speaks to me abou...

This is episode 15 and my guests today are Greg and Sarah McWilliamsWe had was a lot of fun to record. Initially, over a video call, I sat down with Greg to speak to him about his career as a rugby coach, the challenges of moving abroad to a different country and the journey he and his wife Sarah embarked upon to bring their son Archie and daughter Lana Rose into this world. What sets this episode...

June is the month to build awareness about a debilitating disorder known as Scoliosis that causes an abnormal curve of the spine, or backbone. It leads me to my next guest, Elaine Sullivan who is an entrepreneur, running a successful salon business in Dublin called Aviary Lane. Elaine shares stories with me about her passion for hairdressing and why her approach goes far beyond styling someone's h...

This episode I speak to rugby international, board director, leader of people, all-round great human Sene Naoupu. We spoke about Sene's journey from New Zealand to Ireland, her roots in Samoan culture, and how her mum helped her understand the power of community in a person's life. Sene opens up to me about a challenging time in her life when she realised she had an eating disorder. We talk about...

Shane O’Donoghue is my next guest. Shane is an Olympian who has represented Ireland in field hockey at the Rio 2016 Olympic games. He has played nearly 200 games for Ireland and is Ireland’s top goalscorer with over 100 goals. In this episode we talk about the agony of failing to qualify for the Olympic Games in Tokyo and dealing with the fact that COVID means this heartache will linger until the...

In this episode, I talk to one of Ireland if not the world's most adventurous humans. This talk was so enjoyable. Damian Browne is a man like no other man I've spoken to. In 2018 he completed a solo row across the Atlantic, run an ultra marathon 251km in the Sahara Desert, on a mission to scale 7 of the highest and most treacherous mountains in the world. He has 5 in the bag already, and he is als...

Fantastic discussion with @ShaneMonahan. An entrepreneur trailblazing his way in business through his social audio platform Limor. Shane saw an opportunity in a market where traditional social media was becoming overrun and time for something new. After a conversation with his Dad, the penny dropped and Shane formed LIMOR. Shane and I discuss his rugby career and how the discipline and self-belief...

This episode is with a good friend Ben Armstrong. Ben is currently working with Leinster and helping to develop coaches and players within the province. We got a chance to talk about Ben's journey from Australia to Ireland and how he and his lovely wife Aimee forged their path for themselves and their family. Ben talks to me about his current coaching role with Leinster and his ambition for the fu...

“Peace is not only better than war but infinitely more arduous” George Bernard ShawThis is episode no. 8 with former Lt Colonel and Commanding Officer of the Irish Army Ranger Wing John Molloy. We have a fascinating episode for you today. John Molloy is a former Lt Colonel and Commanding Officer of the Army Ranger Wing in the Irish Defence Forces and most recently a retired Senior Political Affair...

Kim Skildum Reid is leading the way in sponsorship across the globe. She is a wonderful person who has changed the sponsorship landscape. Her passion for sponsorship is unquestionable and I got a chance to infiltrate Kim’s routine and talk to her about her passion and hear how she approaches different challenges. Kim has worked with some of the worlds biggest brands and has taken what she’s learne...

My friend Dr. Olivia Hurley who is a Sport Psychologist, lecturer and author is the next guest on my show. Olivia lectured me when I completed my Sport Psychology Certificate in 2016/17 and since then we've become good friends. I asked Olivia to join me to discuss what it's like being a Sport Psychologist and to talk through her journey which I believe is quite exciting. It includes a diverse rang...

Robin Copeland is a professional rugby player and has played with a number of teams in his journey to play at the top level, Rotheram, Cardiff, Munster and currently playing rugby for Connacht. He has been capped for Ireland and at that time he was on a fantastic trajectory but unfortunately got hit with an injury. We spoke about Robin’s journey in rugby and his initial introduction to the start o...