Topics covered : Dancing with the Stars, life during lockdown, their relationship.

In this episode I speak to couple Jake Carter and Karen Byrne.

They live in Dublin with their dog Lenny and they started dating after they won series 2 of Dancing with the Stars in Ireland.

Jake is a singer songwriter whose brother Nathan is also in the business. He’s outgoing and optimistic and Karen is a professional dancer with her own dance studio who’s a straight shooter and naturally more introverted by nature.

In this conversation we talk about first impressions, what annoys them about each other and how friendship is the foundation of their relationship.

If you’re a fan of my pod, please follow, rate and review in all the usual places. And thanks, as always, for your support of Ready to be Real.

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Topics covered : self-worth, being authentic, imposter syndrome, grief, plant medicine, healing.

This week I speak to Pat Divilly.

Originally from Limerick, Pat moved to Galway with his family when he was about 7 years old and for the past 15 years, he has been working in the areas of physical, mental and emotional wellness as a coach, facilitator and educator.

Currently living in Bali, we caught up when he was home recently to promote new book ‘Shadow work – a practical guide to embracing your shadow side, tackling shame and transforming pain into power’.

And in this conversation he explains what our shadow is, he speaks about how he used to suffer from imposter syndrome, the importance of self-compassion, his love of teaching and lots more.

If you’re a fan of what I do, please follow, rate and review in all the usual places.

And thanks, as always, for your support of Ready to be Real.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Topics covered : Cancer, Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), control the controllables, shift in perspective, healthy body and mind, affirmations, positive self talk, appreciation. 

Alannah Sheehan lives in Tipperary with her husband Martin and their 3 children, Finn (9), Luca (7) and Phoebe (5).

And 5 years ago when Phoebe was only a few months old, Alannah was diagnosed with Glioblastoma multiforme, an aggressive type of brain cancer.

But today, 5 years on, she’s healthy and happy and even though she still has to go for regular scans and deal with the stress and anxiety that goes with that, ultimately, life is good.

We spoke 4 years ago but I wanted to chat to her again as she is so inspiring.

In this conversation she talks about the power of taking control over what you can control and nourishing your body and mind, every day.

Alannah was a chef before her diagnosis and food is her passion. Her go to juice is celery, cucumber and lemon and she drinks it every day.

You can subscribe to Alannah’s ‘Survive and Thrive’ membership to gain access to her delicious recipes, and you can also purchase her gorgeous wellness cards too.

Alannah Sheehan

Instagram

ALANNAH SHEEHAN (@worth_fighting4) • Instagram photos and videos

If you’re a fan of what I do, please follow, rate and review in all the usual places.

And thanks, as always, for your support of Ready to be Real.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Topics covered : Friendships, fun, rest, boundaries, loneliness, over-thinking.

Alana Kirk is a coach, speaker and author who helps women find more balance, direction and joy in their lives. 

She is a mother to 3 girls, is divorced and is in a certain phase in her life of juggling motherhood, along with her career and her social life, and she also helps to look after her Dad who is unwell at the moment.

In this episode she zones in on the importance of having a strong friend circle and having fun.

Her current book is 'Midlife, redefined: Better, Bolder, Brighter' a guide to help yourself through the magic and mayhem of life.

She can be found at www.themidlifecoach.org and on Instagram @midlifecoach.  

And her next workshop is in March: The Overwhelm Breakthrough Session - Reclaim your time, energy and sanity.

Click here for more

https://www.themidlifecoach.org/overwhelm-session 

I hope you enjoyed this conversation with Alana and if you haven’t heard our previous episodes I recommend you go back and listen to them!

Book mention : ‘Bird by Bird’ by Anne Lamott

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Topics covered : Overwhelm, ‘good girl’ conditioning, patriarchy, unlearning, importance of rest, empowerment.   

This week I speak to an author and coach who helps women find more balance, direction and joy in their lives.

The wonderful Alana Kirk is back on the pod!

In this conversation Alana talks about the practical, invisible and emotional burden that women often carry and more importantly, how to change it!

Her current book is 'Midlife, redefined: Better, Bolder, Brighter' a guide to help yourself through the magic and mayhem of life.

She can be found at www.themidlifecoach.org and on Instagram @midlifecoach. 

And her next workshop is in March: The Overwhelm Breakthrough Session - Reclaim your time, energy and sanity.

Click here for more

https://www.themidlifecoach.org/overwhelm-session 

If you haven’t heard our first conversation together yet, I strongly recommend you listen to it.

Questions to ask ourselves…

Who are we doing it for?

Who is telling us to keep going?

If you’re a fan of what I do, please follow, rate and review in all the usual places.

And thanks, as always, for your support of Ready to be Real.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Trigger warning : Disordered eating

A few years ago I spoke to Aoife O’Brien about life with and after an eating disorder. Aoife now lives in Co. Clare with her fiance Damian and their 2 little boys, Liam (5) and Samuel (2). She is a Nutritionist (MSc), Body Image and Wellbeing Coach with a specialist interest in disordered eating and through AOB Coaching, she helps women develop a healthy, balanced and peaceful relationship with food and their bodies. 

For years she was controlled by an eating disorder which went unnoticed for a long time. Now having fully recovered she is passionate about getting the message out that life after disordered eating, is very much possible.

In this conversation, we discuss diet culture, the signs of eating distress and how best to address it.

Helpful questions for journaling…

1. What did I do well today?

2. What did I learn?

3. What would I do differently?

To connect with Aoife...

Home

If you like this podcast, please show your support by leaving a rating or a little comment on Apple and by clicking follow on Spotify, thank you.

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Topics covered : Anorexia, grief, shame, perfectionism, recovery, gratitude, the inner critic, CBT, social media, filters, boxing, meditation, femininity, spirituality, letting go.

In this episode I speak to one of the most impressive people I’ve ever met, boxer Mary Kate Slattery.

Originally from Dublin, Mary Kate spent parts of her childhood in Lahinch in Co. Clare.

She’s the eldest of three girls, a law graduate from Trinity College Dublin and when she was only 9 she developed anorexia. She spent time in and out of Crumlin children’s hospital in Dublin and eventually had to go to London to receive treatment at Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children.

In this conversation we speak about her battle with anorexia, perfectionism, therapy, meditation, femininity, letting go and her love of boxing.

It’s such an inspiring yet challenging conversation in parts, so please be aware before you listen.

Also as you can hear in this episode, Mary Kate is very thankful to her psychiatrist Fiona McNicholas for helping her recover from anorexia and if you're worried about yourself or someone you love, you can reach out for help here...

Bodywhys | The Eating Disorders Association of Ireland

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Topics covered : Body acceptance, shedding shame, diet culture, disordered eating, body image, unlearning, motherhood, loss of identity, blended family, love, responding over reacting, self-talk, respect, bouncing forward, self-worth, stretch marks, regret, healing, empowerment. 

In this episode I speak to the truly wonderful Sarah Nicole Landry. She’s a body acceptance advocate, a speaker, a writer, an occasional model and podcaster and she’s better known online as ‘The Birds Papaya’.

Sarah Nicole is married to Shane and she’s the mother of 4 kids, she has 3 teenagers from her previous marriage and their daughter Lemmie is 2.

She’s one of the most important voices right now on diet culture and body acceptance and her Instagram page alone has 2.3 million followers!

In this conversation she covers a multitude on the topic, so if you want a feel-good episode that will potentially give you goosebumps (as it did for me!) this is the pod for you.

If you’re a fan of my pod, please follow, rate and review in all the usual places.

And thanks, as always, for your support of Ready to be Real.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Topics covered : Traumatic childhood, abandonment, disappointment, pain, breaking negative cycles, self-worth, sport, faith.

Last year I sat down to speak to my next guest and I’m finally releasing our conversation.

I spoke to Irish professional athlete and coach at Oberstown Children’s Detention Centre, Ger Redmond.

He’s married to Pauline, who he describes as his rock and they have 5 kids together, 4 girls and a boy.

A childhood of neglect and dysfunction led him on a destructive path in life which involved joining a gang for nearly 20 years.

He turned to a life of criminality when his dream of becoming a professional footballer came to a cruel end due to an event that had devastating consequences for his family and another.

He’s not comfortable talking through the details of it during our conversation, out of respect to all involved.

Many years later Ger himself spent a couple of years in prison but becoming a father to a son was the catalyst for change.

When his son Ross was born in 2016, he completely changed his life. He threw himself into sport and set about breaking the negative cycles of behaviour that had caused so much harm to him and his siblings and today, his life’s work is about helping and motivating others.

To connect with Ger, go to…

Ger Redmond

You can also scroll back and listen to my conversation with Ray Goggins (released 22nd of October 2021) who is mentioned during our chat.

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Topics covered : Feeling ignored and unheard, suffering, honouring how you feel, acceptance, expectation, disappointment, judgment, jealousy and envy, controlling what we can control, compassion.

This week I speak to chartered psychologist, Allison Keating.

We spoke on Monday and we wanted to record something that might help those who are in the thick of it right now, many are still without power around the country and suffering as a result of the damage caused by Storm Éowyn and this is also an episode for anyone who is experiencing difficulty in their lives at the moment.

During this conversation she covers the importance of truly honouring how we feel and how acceptance (as difficult as it can be) is so beneficial. She also talks about expectation and judgement, the difference between jealousy and envy and how important it is to have compassion for ourselves and others.

Find Allison on Instagram

Allison Keating | thepractical.psychologist (@thepractical.psychologist) • Instagram photos and videos

Book -

‘It’s all too much – practical ways to pause panic attacks, reduce anxiety and overwhelm and rediscover everyday joy’

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