Scratching The Surface

Simon Byrne, an engineer by trade, found a passion for good, quality coffee when living in Australia. He shares with me how a fun, personal challenge of ‘Something New for Fifty-Two’ became his current successful coffee business. We Scratch the Surface of starting a brand new business as a couple in lockdown, the ups and downs that cannot be predicted, and the power of community support. Simon will inspire you to try new things, to GO FOR IT if you have a passion, and maybe even to travel in Australia. Check him out on Instagram @oz.std.coffee or find him on the Drones Road for the best coffee on the North Coast.

A beautiful, raw, emotional, real-talk, informative, and sooo bubbly and warm conversation with the fabulous Grainne Ashe. What a woman for one woman!

Grainne talks about her life as a mum of three, two of which have Autism.

Somehow in her already super-busy life, Grainne started up a camp for kids with Autism here in Northern Ireland @adamscampni , seeing the AMAZING benefit and progress her beautiful wee Rose gained at @adamscampcolorado over in the States one summer.

I am sooo blessed to have had the opportunity to record this, we had such a lovely morning catching up- THANK YOU GRAINNE, you will never know how vital your ‘trail blazing’ might be for another struggling mum starting out on their journey. We Scratch the Surface of respite, multi-disciplinary therapy, being present, and how an autism diagnosis affects the family as a whole. Find amazing resources and videos on Adam’s Map NI Facebook page. Here is the link for the documentary as promised by Grainne: https://www.dropbox.com/s/utrp8hh65ms5x8f/NIGZ373W_01_INSIDE_AUTISM.mp4?dl=0

Samara is on a mission to empower people GLOBALLY to be their authentic, vibrant, confident self- which she instils in her clients as their ‘future self’. We Scratch the Surface of dressing intuitively; dressing for your mood; dressing for the season; colour psychology; and EVOLVING after even the hardest of times.

Samara has some tips for minimalising your wardrobe; she will inspire you to dress with intention for your current lifestyle: being functional, practical, yet never stagnant.

I hope that listening to Samara will help you gain consciousness that your image really can convey your personal identity to the world. Find her on Instagram @evolvebysamara

Yvonne Smyth @thisparentingadventure is a ray of refreshing sunshine

for all parents, caregivers, teachers and childcare workers.

You will hear our genuine joy to connect and share our vision for a different narrative for our children- the adults of tomorrow. Yvonne, a parent of two teenage boys, takes us on her very honest journey from "Motherhood as Martyrdom" to Conscious Parenting with mutual respect, open communication, and genuine love and fun at the heart of her relationships.

We Scratch the Surface of the shift away from discipline, anger, hierarchy, recycled trauma and bad habits as Yvonne shares great little tips and information for parents, teachers and anyone working with children and teens. Yvonne has been inspired by Dr Shefali and Dr Gabor Maté, who are at the forefront of relevant childhood psychology studies. Don't forget to check out Yvonne's page if you feel in a funk and need some inspiration to dance, move, or free the tension that our close relationships WILL bring up.

Ciara O’ Malley, author of ‘Miracles appear when Loved Ones are Near’; Qualified Reiki Healer and Spiritual Guide; and Host of Mind.Less.Full podcast, shares her heart-breaking experience of losing her love in a drowning accident while living abroad. Ciara outlines how she turned her pain and suffering into surrendering and trusting in something much bigger by going on a spiritual journey of wellness, healing, and discovering her Angel Guides. We Scratch the Surface of manifesting, releasing fears, triggers, and the importance of self-love. Listeners are sure to learn something for their own personal growth and journey in this life. So much Love and Light from Ciara and myself. “We are such powerful beings".

I chat with Sarah AKA @farmgirlgoesvegan about her journey from growing up on a dairy farm which goes back generations in the family, to actively advocating and educating on the topic of Veganism from watching the shocking Documentary 'Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret'. We Scratch the Surface of tasty alternatives; vegan-cooking essentials; doing a vegan Christmas dinner for the whole family, and the truth about protein, soy, and getting enough B12. Sarah firmly believes eating cows and pigs is the same as eating cats and dogs, explaining the cognitive dissonance that has culturally evolved in Western society. I really hope this conversation is educational for listeners and might encourage thought and curiosity about the food and agricultural industry in order to make informed decisions about health, animal welfare, and thus, our Planet. You can check out Sarah's Instagram for fun educational videos and links to her resources. Excitingly, she will be a guest at Vegan Life Live event in London on 11th June 2022. Shout out to Jacob @Pengveganmunch and @earthlinged for sharing relevant, inspiring content.

Caolán McCaughan, the brains in our family, is working as an ecologist and is as clued in about the climate crisis as he is about the local farming crisis. We Scratch the Surface of his relevant higher education, his Hedgehog project, his knowledge on making farms more wildlife friendly. Farmers are at a “crunch point”, having to make changes to lower their carbon footprint, so Caolán explains how his work with Nature Friendly Farming Network (NFFN) educates and supports positive change for all. He highlights the necessity for EVERYONE who owns land, not just our farmers, to be more mindful of wildlife, small ecosystems, biodiversity, and letting their little private patch of Earth go a bit wild sometimes to do their bit for the wider planet. You will learn what a ‘purple hatched areas’ is; why hedgerows are so important; and about some of the native species we could encourage into our own gardens. For any farmers listening, you can check out Nature Friendly Farming Network at nffn.org.uk, which is UK-wide. Books that I have read and recommend are: Nature in your Own Back Yard, Feral, Nature’s Best Hope, The Uninhabitable Earth.

Barrie, my old housemate, talks openly and honestly with me about his longterm battle with depression. Barrie is comfortable talking about mental health, as it was never a taboo topic in his family, instilled with the belief "being open about your emotions is actually a strength". Trigger warning: We Scratch the Surface of men's mental health, inter-generational stigma, and suicide. We discuss what we have learned from our experience of mental health, knowing that "life doesn't always pan out", but "there is always a glimmer of hope... that one day it could be better". I'm super proud to hear how well Barrie is doing right now, happiest he has been in years, in love, comfortable, feeling fulfilled. We both hope this episode reaches those who need it most... Love and Light to you all.

I have a chat with Monica Curran, my real-life angel, who I was blessed to have working on the ward when I went in for a cranionomy, removing a cancerous brain tumour the size of a golf ball from my brain in April 2020. We just Scratch the Surface of the reality of Monica's nine year career as a neuro-nurse in the biggest, busiest hospital in Northern Ireland. Monica shares with us how she had to separate her knowledge and experience of my life-threatening illness from our friendship, knowing that every patient is unique, and that I am a fighter. I hope we can shed some light on awareness of brain tumours and particularly Glioblastoma, which is still very much a terminal diagnosis. Together we hope to reinforce the importance of a positive mindset and allowing yourself to process, in the face of illness.

We hope to make you feel like you are sat in the room with us- a raw, impromptu, open, anything-goes, chat during one of my many visits down home for a dose of home comfort. My mum was diagnosed with Primary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis back in 2009 when I had just started University in England. We Scratch the Surface of life over the years: the many ups and downs; the degeneration that is certain with this horrible disease; and the impact that has on mental health. We mention the pivotal life-changing Overcoming MS program that we found years too late, but don't go too deep into the seven steps as they were already discussed in detail by OMS nutritionist Sam Joseph's in an earlier podcast episode (check it out for optimum lifestyle for ALL). Although having very limited mobility, being fulltime in a wheelchair for many years now, Mum is defying all odds and has an obvious fire in her belly for keeping going. She shares some of her hopes and dreams for future, gets nostalgic about fun in the past, and talks fondly of friends she has made through the local MS centre with others in the exact same situation. Bonus feature at the end of live footage from Mum and her home-carers (her "little angels") as they banter back and forth- an absolute blessing that we are so privileged to have in this country.