In this episode, I will be speaking with Joseph Tan. Joseph is the author of Good Monday Consulting, an executive management consultant, and Malaysia’s first Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach. Joseph consults and coaches both blue chip and governmental organizations through to startup companies towards developing a strengths-based culture. He leads coaching and cultural change within organizations at both governmental and local levels. He also works with leadership teams on the alignment of key workforce principles of motivation, mission, and momentum. Joseph is also a senior leadership consultant and coaches CEOs and executive leadership teams on authentic, aligned, and articulate leadership principles. In this conversation we tackle the concept of workplace fatigue, ‘quiet quitting’, and the degradation of morale within large segments of organizations. Other topics we cover in the conversation include: 

· Defining the problem – ppl in vocational roles (roles that require moral decisions over financial ones) have lost the horizon of their calling.

· The reasons – varied and many (lay some of these out)

· The desired goal – alignment with passion

· Culture: restoration of balance – how to get there

· Concept of the three A’s of leadership

· Motivation

· How this is embodied in the staff and modeled

· Solutions Vs problems

· Final thoughts and take-home messages from Joseph

Good Monday Consulting can be found here: 

http://www.goodmonday.com/

You can also find Joseph on YouTube here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJM7Hy4Tgyc

My thanks to Joseph for an engaging and insightful interview. 

In this episode, I am speaking with Alice Chun about her innovative creation of light boxes that are powered by solar light and created out of sustainable foldable material akin to an origami design. Currently, 1.6 billion people live without access to electricity and rely on kerosene to light their night. The solar lights that Alice has designed have won several product innovation accolades, been awarded two US utility patents, and lauded by leaders in design including MoMA, the modern museum of art. The company name is Solight and part of the product's USP is that Alice has utilised recyclable, biodegradable, light fabric and material technology, for ease of travel and to be stronger and more durable to withstand the most extreme weather conditions. The leverage of smart material technology has allowed Alice to design a power-free spectrum of light for homes without electricity. She recently visited and gifted many lights to citizens of Ukraine without power and light due to the Russian invasion.

Alice Chun is the founder and CEO of Solight Design and the inventor of SolarPuff, the world's only self-inflatable, portable solar light. She's won numerous awards, including the U.S. Patent Award for Humanity. Her products have been exhibited at MoMA in New York City.  Alice is a former professor of architectural design and material technology at Columbia University and The Parsons School of design. and focusing her work on solar energy after learning her son had asthma.  She invented ways to bring solar energy into everyday living, beginning to prototype an inflatable solar light in 2008. In 2010, following the  Haiti earthquake, Alice shared her solar technology research with her class of design students to create a solar light solution that could be used immediately in disaster relief situations. This led to Alice designing the SolarPuff in 2011, based on origami techniques to create a cube that inflates on its own, without the requirement to be inflated by mouth, which can pass on germs. In 2015 she launched a company Solar Design and crowdfunded the SolarPuff, raising nearly half a million dollars. Her invention has been featured in Hillary Clinton's docuseries, "Gutsy," on Apple TV+ and is currently undergoing clinical trials. In 2022 she was voted Forbes impact 50/50 a list dedicated to spotlighting women over the age of 50 who are breaking age and gender norms across every sector of business, politics, the sciences, and society. And finally, in the same year, she was voted one of Marie Claire’s most influential women. 

In the conversation we examine: 

· Background on Alice and her history of architecture

· Inception story of Solight – The revelation and need Alice saw

· The challenges in setting Solight up as a business

· Spectrum of emotions Alice has been through

· Some of the media attention Solight has received

· Alice’s opportunity to visit Ukraine

· The current projects Alice has got on

· What Alice has learned through the process of scaling her business

· Final thoughts and take-home messages from Alice.

Solight can be found here: https://solight-design.com/products/solar-lantern-light-sensor-solarpuff

Alice Chun can be found here: https://www.forbes.com/profile/alice-min-soo-chun/?sh=52d764664255

My thanks to Alice for a fascinating and engaging interview. 

This is the second part of the lecture series on building effective teams and dealing with difficult people. The concepts taught here involve models of teamwork (Action centred Leadership, the five dysfunctions of a team), trust - both as a concept and a pre-requisite, culture, homeostatic teams, and finally tools and techniques for fostering good teamwork.

In the second half of the podcast, we examine dealing with difficult people from the perspective of understanding the triggers, root cause analysis, rapport building, the energy investment model, the ELCR framework, self-awareness, humility, and insight. Some of the resources and models can be found here:

Energy investment model: https://careerresilience.wordpress.com/2021/06/03/how-are-you-investing-your-energy-in-times-of-change/

Action Centred Leadership: https://www.businessballs.com/leadership-styles/action-centred-leadership-john-adair/

The Five Dysfunctions of a team: https://tomorrowsleadership.nl/how-to-overcome-the-5-dysfunctions-of-virtual-teams/

Empathic communication: https://hbr.org/2022/08/4-ways-to-communicate-with-more-empathy

I hope you get something from this episode that you can use either within clinical practice or within general work-based situations. I'm always keen for feedback on sessions, please feel free to reach out to me at [email protected] - please also rate, review and subscribe to the podcast. This episode will be aired across the Pre-hospital Care Podcast and Restore Podcast platforms.

Many thanks,

Eoin

In this episode, I am talking with Seth Gillihan on his new book 'Mindful Cognitive Behavioural Therapy'. Seth is a clinical psychologist, best-selling author, podcast host, and creator of the Think Act Be Online School. He specializes in mindful cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). Seth is no stranger to the podcast and joined me in an earlier episode speaking on ‘The CBT Deck: 101 Practices to Improve Thoughts, Be in the Moment & Take Action in Your Life'.

In this conversation we dig into the origins of his new book; Mindful Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, the new level of vulnerability that he displays through his work, the Think, Act, Be model of living, mindfulness-centred CBT, the anatomy of CBT, and much more. Subjects we explore in the episode include:

The book can be found here and is an excellent read: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mindful-Cognitive-Behavioural-Therapy-Healing/dp/1399805363

He also runs the 'Think, Act, Be' podcast that can be found here: https://sethgillihan.com/podcasts/

Please enjoy this episode with a friend and fellow podcaster. 

In this episode, I examine the art of active listening. It is a slightly different episode and one of a number to come where I give a series of lectures. In this episode I wanted to do two things:

1. Build awareness of the factors that affect our listening ability.

2. Build and create conditions that can produce good listening habits.

One of the main problems is caused by the fact that we think much faster than we talk. The average rate of speech for most of us is around 125 words per minute. In contrast, we process and think at about 800 words a minute. This is a fundamental mismatch that can cause a deficit in receiving information. The human brain is made up of more than 13 billion cells and operates in such a complicated but efficient manner that it makes any comparison to computers seem insignificant. It might seem logical to slow down our thinking when we listen so as to coincide with the 125-word-per-minute speech rate, but slowing down thought processes seems to be a very difficult thing to do. When we listen, therefore, we continue thinking at high speed while the spoken words arrive at low speed. In the act of listening, the differential between thinking and speaking rates means that our brain works with hundreds of words in addition to those that we hear, assembling thoughts other than those spoken to us. The latency of this mismatch is often taken up by internal dialogue rather than integration of the spoken, but more importantly, inferred meaning behind words. In this episode I examine:

The definition of active listening.  

The 'classic' example - one which we all fall prey to.  

The anatomy of the received message. 

The why and what of ‘Active Listening. 

Triple-A listening (what triple-A listening actually is).  

Kinesthetics of listening – what it feels like to be heard amongst other aspects.  

Models of active listening: Four ears of communication, the communication triangle.  

The power of silence 

The quality of listening - The hierarchy of active listening  

Chunking information as an adjunct to active listening  

Closed loop communication  

The power of agreement

Please let me know what you think of the content at [email protected] and also feel free to recommend future topics. Please also feel free to rate and review the podcast and I always welcome feedback.

In this episode, I will be speaking with Sarah on her reflections on growing up in Canada and is now based in Ohio in the US. Sarah suffered from abuse growing up as a child and what we wanted to do was to unpack her narrative, how it affected her, how she has coped and dealt with it, and indeed how she frames it now as an adult. I wanted to have this chat with Sarah as one of the primal mandates of this podcast is to have real and vulnerable discussions that can both help and reframe others’ perspectives of adversity and navigate through the adversity of abuse. 

**Trigger warning** In this episode we touch on Sarah's recollections of abuse as a child, please be mindful that it contains some memories and depictions that might be difficult to hear. In the conversation we touch on a number of themes:

· The challenges that Sarah experienced growing up and the abuse, and how it shaped her youth.

· The spectrum of emotions that it brought with it. 

· Navigating the stress physically and mentally retrospectively.

· The bleed-over into relationships and how it affected them, particularly her husband. 

· Some of the methods of organic coping mechanisms and whether they worked or not.

· Counselling/therapy sessions that Sarah had. 

· Forgiveness and the daily practice of forgiveness. 

· What Sarah has learned through the whole process. 

· Final thoughts and take-home messages from Sarah

If this episode resonated with you or a family member, there are a number of services that you can reach out to: 

https://www.samaritans.org/how-we-can-help/contact-samaritan/?gclid=CjwKCAjwtKmaBhBMEiwAyINuwGQKPfqOui9bRJZtlMsdp2clhr08aQ0hYA-Gr2xRIUY0nEoOAOTpDBoCFKkQAvD_BwE

https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/drugs-and-treatments/talking-therapy-and-counselling/how-to-find-a-therapist/

https://www.kooth.com/

My thanks to Sarah for opening up and being prepared to have a truly honest and vulnerable conversation. 

In this episode, I will be speaking with James Cornell on his recent venture and how the current climate of covid and the delayed fallout across the construction industry has left him with hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of debt. We will look at how he has coped through one of the most difficult times in his life, how he has navigated the real potential threat of liquidation, and how he has reframed his perspectives on opportunities and on business. We will discuss the construction material in question, new for Australia but old for Europe, and how the commercial industry in Australia has not quite adopted the transition to this material. I wanted to have this chat with James as one of the primal mandates of this podcast is to have real and vulnerable discussions that can both help and reframe others’ perspectives of adversity and navigate through adversity.

This material in question is a wood fiber-based insulation made from repurposed wood chips. Nearly 100 years old technology in Europe. It's a nontoxic and carbon-negative production cycle that keeps buildings cool in summer and warm in winter saves money on people's energy bills and can remove/reduce the risks of mold and condensation in buildings. A truly renewable and sustainable material.

If the episode resonates with you, please feel free to reach out to James at www.lifepanels.com or [email protected]

Please enjoy this honest reflection and conversation with a friend.  

In this episode, I speak with three cardiac arrest survivors about their experiences and how they re-evaluate life after their cardiac arrest. These perspectives are both unique glimpses into how precious life is and are valuable lessons around turning the mundane into memorable moments whenever you get the chance. They are accounts from cardiac arrest survivors that either I have been to as a paramedic or colleagues have been to in the wider ambulance service. They all have a semblance of gratefulness and how fragile life can be, they all carry a profound perspective change and echo how important CPR (Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation) and the chain of survival are in their journey and recovery.  

These unique stories are told by Noah, Zoe and Jerome - I hope their organic narratives both encourage you and help you to value life as we know it. please stay tuned for more content from the Restore Podcast coming soon. 

Eoin

In this episode, I will be talking with Deborah Grassman, the author and creator of the concept of ‘Soul Injury’. Deborah is a VA Nurse Practitioner who took care of 10,000 dying veterans during her 30-year career. She is a TEDx presenter, author of two books, Peace at Last and The Hero Within. She is a contributing author for four textbooks, has 25 published articles, and there are five documentary films featuring her work. Deborah directs the Opus Peace Institute where leaders are trained in how to provide programs that respond to Soul Injuries. She contends that 10,000 dying veterans may have lessons that can be unpacked for both the wider audience and for individual needs.

Soul injury can be defined as a wound to your sense of self; your real self beyond the façade. It’s a wound to your BE-ing that can separate you from your real self. If this occurs, you might end up with a COUNTERFEIT life that is not meant for you. A deeper dive into Soul Injury reveals 3 causes: un-mourned loss/hurt, unforgiven guilt/shame, and fear of helplessness/loss of control.  This might result in a person feeling defective, inadequate, or incomplete. We cover the following concepts within the conversation: 

· Origin story of soul injury & Opus peace from Deborah – key learning from nursing 10,000 dying veterans

· How ‘Soul Injury’ fits alongside moral injury and PTSD

· Spectrum of wounds – especially those that occur to individuals rather than intended mistakes or wounds.

· Causes of Soul Injury

· Symptomatology

· Identification of mental and emotional injuries – Self-awareness inventory

· Anchoring Heart technique

· Experiential Soul Connection

· Self-compassioning tools

· Integrative letter writing

· Final thoughts and take-home messages from Deborah

Deborah is the CEO of Opus Peace that can be found here: https://opuspeace.org/who-we-are/

For more on Soul Injury please see here: https://opuspeace.org/about-soul-injury/

If this episode resonates with you, you can contact Deborah and the team here: https://opuspeace.org/contact/

Please enjoy this episode with an insightful and inspirational guest. 

Scott is an ordained pastor and has supported people through mental health issues for close to 40 years. He has recently been on the podcast talking about reframing mental health. In this conversation, we chat about the concept of ‘re-homing the self’ and 'Soul injury' bringing all of our fractured and dislocated parts of our lives back together. We ask some of the deeper questions about self-perception of forgiveness, acceptance, the power of words, and self-care. 

We also look into our perspectives on the restoration of fractured relationships and how these can be restored through the process of time. We also examine whether forgiveness is ever limited and how encompassing it can be. We finish the conversation by looking at redefining and reframing the end of life and how we might have a different restorative perspective on the untying of the soul.

Further information on Soul Injury by Deborah Grassman can be found here: 

https://www.wehonorveterans.org/soul-injury-and-opus-peace-tools-with-deborah-grassman/

Please enjoy part two of this insightful and engaging guest's perspectives on mental health and soul injury.