What happens when you stop forcing life and start returning to who you really are?

In this episode of The Deru Way, John explores the first season: Return. He shares a recent experience that left him frustrated and explains how awareness helped him see the real issue behind it, let go of the story he had created, and return to a more grounded state.

John also explores how fear, pressure, scarcity, and the need to prove yourself can disconnect you from who you are. He explains how stepping back, becoming more aware, and reconnecting with nature can help you move from survival toward greater trust, clarity, and presence.

Want to check how present you are in your business and life? Book your Deru Presence Check here: https://calendly.com/johndouglas-coaching/deru-presence-check 

00:00:54 — The Season of Return

00:01:07 — In and Out

00:01:36 — Expectations vs. Reality

00:02:22 — What Was Really Bothering John

00:03:45 — The Power of Awareness

00:05:19 — Returning Your Energy

00:06:08 — Returning to Truth

00:06:19 — Leading From Survival

00:07:28 — Fear and Procrastination

00:08:59 — The First Season: Return

00:09:19 — Observing Yourself

00:10:55 — Scarcity and Ego

00:11:29 — Fear and Separation

00:12:03 — Reconnecting With Life

00:13:36 — From Force to Flow

00:15:24 — Everything Is Connected

00:17:20 — Putting Ego in Its Place

00:17:41 — Get Back Into Nature

00:18:24 — Going Outside to Go Within

00:19:25 — From Survival to Thriving 

Are you leading your business from presence, or are you leading from pressure?

In the first episode of The Deru Way, a special six-week series of The Grounded Man Podcast, John explores why there has never been more opportunity to grow a business, but also never been more noise and distraction competing for your attention. He explains why staying grounded and present is becoming increasingly important, and how being reactive, firefighting, and spending too much time on low-value work can take you away from the areas where your time matters most.

John also looks at the cost of losing presence both in business and at home. He explains why time itself isn’t the problem, but how present you are within those hours, and explores the difference between leading from pressure on the outside and leading from presence on the inside. John also shares the meaning behind Deru — to be solid, firm, and steadfast — and why returning to who you are behind the work, roles, successes, and failures creates greater trust in yourself and the process.

John then introduces the five seasons of The Deru Way: Return, Release, Rooting, Rise, and Restore. He explains how each season reflects a natural part of growth, from developing greater self-awareness and letting go of limitations to finding clarity, taking aligned action, and creating an environment that supports who you want to become. He closes with two reflections on what a lack of presence may be costing you in your business and in your life at home.

Want to check how present you are in your business and life? Book your Deru Presence Check here: https://calendly.com/johndouglas-coaching/deru-presence-check 

00:00:54 — Introducing The Deru Way

00:02:16 — Are You Present for the Opportunity?

00:03:26 — The Cost of Noise and Distraction

00:04:54 — How Distraction Shows Up in Business

00:05:26 — What Would 10 Hours of Presence Be Worth?

00:06:40 — The Cost of Distraction at Home

00:07:25 — Time Is Not the Problem

00:08:17 — What Deru Means

00:09:09 — Leading From Presence vs. Pressure

00:11:45 — Introducing the Five Seasons of Growth

00:12:41 — Return: Coming Back to Truth

00:13:19 — Release: Letting Go to Grow

00:14:33 — Rooting: Creating Clarity and Direction

00:15:04 — Rise: Becoming the Man You Want to Be

00:15:18 — Restore: Creating the Right Environment

00:16:08 — Growing Yourself and Your Business

00:17:21 — What Is Distraction Costing Your Business?

00:18:26 — The Grounding Question 

How do you grow a family business without losing the values that built it?

In this episode, John is joined by Michael O’Reilly, second-generation Managing Director of Pneumatics Group, for a walk-and-talk about his four decades in the family business. Michael reflects on its humble beginnings, why holding stock became a competitive advantage, and how learning every part of the company has been both a strength and a challenge.

Michael also shares the story of buying the business from his dad, navigating recessions and difficult family moments, and the important role his mam played in creating the heart and energy of the company. He explains why reputation, trust, and looking after people have remained central to how the family leads and grows the business.

John and Michael also explore the value of outside support, the impact of working with Deru, and how greater clarity and accountability have helped Michael focus on the areas where his time matters most. Michael discusses achieving the company’s most profitable years in decades, making decisions with greater confidence, and creating more space for his family and life outside the business.

Interested in joining our next Grounded Man Hike? Click here for more: https://www.derunation.com/TGM-Hike

00:01:48 — Introducing Pneumatics

00:04:31 — The Early Days

00:05:43 — Why Holding Stock Pays

00:06:44 — Taking More Responsibility

00:08:08 — Knowing Everything: A Strength or Weakness?

00:11:43 — Reputation Is Our Goal

00:12:09 — Reputation Pays

00:14:11 — Being the Conscience of the Company

00:17:31 — Building a Brand

00:18:20 — Buying the Business Off Dad

00:21:42 — Overcoming Challenges as a Family

00:25:57 — The Role Our Mam Played

00:30:56 — Getting Support to Lead and Grow

00:33:23 — Working with Deru

00:41:16 — The Most Profitable Years in Decades

00:43:34 — Growing with Confidence

00:45:36 — How Michael Leads Outside the Business

00:49:05 — The Deru Mechanism

00:50:13 — What Surprised Michael About Deru

00:52:13 — What Michael Is Most Excited About 

How much of your week is intentionally designed to protect and raise your energy?

In this episode, John explores why making time for yourself isn’t selfish — it’s essential to how you lead. He shares a simple exercise around work, family, and yourself, and explains why where you actually spend your time and energy is a better reflection of your priorities than what you say matters most.

John also introduces the idea of grounding yourself each morning, starting with just 10–15 minutes to reset, recharge, and sharpen your thinking. He looks at gratitude as a powerful way to move out of frustration, protect your energy, and create more space to lead your business, family, and life with greater clarity and presence.

Interested in joining our next Grounded Man Hike? Click here for more: https://www.derunation.com/TGM-Hike

00:01:23 — Making Time for You

00:02:29 — Where Your Priorities Really Are

00:03:32 — Invest in Yourself First

00:06:31 — Protecting Your Energy

00:07:11 — Energy, Time & Freedom

00:09:39 — The 15-Minute Reset

00:10:37 — The Grounding Ritual

00:12:23 — Practicing Gratitude

00:13:19 — Gratitude Over Frustration

00:15:07 — Being Grateful for What’s Ahead 

What are you carrying that you no longer need to hold onto?

In this episode, John reflects on the first Grounded Man Hike and the conversations that came from stepping away from business, pressure, and everyday noise. He shares the idea behind carrying a stone up the mountain, what it represented, and why letting go can sometimes be just as important as pushing forward.

John also looks ahead to the next Grounded Man Hike in Glendalough and explains why community, clarity, challenge, and celebration are at the heart of the experience.

Interested in joining our next Grounded Man Hike? Click here for more: https://www.derunation.com/TGM-Hike

00:01:04 — The Grounded Man Hike

00:03:06 — What Are You Carrying?

00:04:20 — Letting Go at the Summit

00:05:19 — The Next Hike

00:06:45 — Who It’s For

00:08:23 — Community, Clarity & Challenge

00:11:03 — What to Expect

00:14:13 — Join the Next Hike 

Can you grow a successful business without sacrificing your energy, your family, or the life you actually want to live?

In this episode, John is joined by Sam Harte, director of Harte Outdoor Lighting, for a walk through Wicklow as they explore what it means to work on yourself while growing a business. Sam shares how purpose, presence, the Leadership Hour, and focusing on his daily energy have helped him step away from the constant grind, think more strategically, and create more space for the things that matter most. They also discuss trust versus control, why we tend to push harder when things get difficult, building a stronger culture within a business, and how coaching and accountability can help you become a better leader.

Want to connect with Sam Harte and learn more about Harte Outdoor Lighting?

Connect with Sam on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sam-harte/

Explore Harte Outdoor Lighting: https://www.harteoutdoorlighting.ie/

Interested in joining our next Grounded Man Hike? Click here for more: https://www.derunation.com/TGM-Hike

00:01:12 — Meet Sam Harte

00:05:22 — Finding Purpose Beyond the Daily Grind

00:08:17 — Finding Growth in Hard Times

00:10:41 — Control vs Trust

00:14:24 — You Are Not Your Thoughts

00:16:41 — Finding Presence in Everyday Life

00:21:14 — The Leadership Hour

00:26:28 — Energy and Better Results

00:27:53 — Working On the Business, Not In It

00:31:50 — Building a High-Performance Culture

00:35:16 — Building a Life Around Family

00:36:17 — Redefining Success

00:40:20 — Why We Double Down Under Pressure

00:45:18 — Coaching and Accountability

00:50:31 — The Grounded Man Hike 

There's a version of success where you build something real — a team, a reputation, clients who trust you — and somehow end up more trapped than when you started.

This week on The Grounded Man, we get into why that happens — and why the fix isn't a better system, it's learning to grow people instead of managing tasks. We talk about the real cost of downsizing to avoid people problems, why not trusting your team is really about not trusting yourself, and who you are when you're not the hardest worker in the room.

Growing your business — and freedom — by growing your people.

If you'd like to connect with likeminded business owners to see how they are leading others better and with more freedom, attend the next Grounded Man Hike. Click here for more: https://www.derunation.com/TGM-Hike

Timestamps:

00:00 — Intro: welcome to The Grounded Man
00:54 — Why delegation keeps landing back on your desk, half-done
03:36 — It eats at your ambition — the cost of downsizing to escape people problems
06:58 — Business is 90% people — so growth means growing people
08:50 — From manager of tasks to leader of people
11:21 — Not trusting others is really not trusting yourself
14:45 — Treating your business like a forest, not a machine
21:04 — This week's question: where do you need to develop people more?

Are you spending too much time working in the business instead of on it?

In this episode, John explores why strategy execution is not just about knowing what needs to be done, but creating the space, structure, and leadership rhythm to actually do it. He explains why business owners can get trapped in doing, fixing, and firefighting, and how shifting into clearer thinking, better decisions, and leadership alignment can help the business start running without everything revolving around you.

Interested in joining our next Grounded Man Hike? Click here for more: https://www.derunation.com/TGM-Hike

00:01:05 — Working On the Business

00:02:30 — The Knowing-Doing Gap

00:04:20 — When the Old Way Stops Working

00:08:15 — Stop Being the Fixer

00:10:15 — Creating Space to Think

00:12:10 — Letting Go of Control

00:14:20 — Choosing What Is Important

00:15:40 — Building Your Leadership Team

00:18:20 — Working on the Bigger Picture

00:21:30 — The Grounded Man Hike 

Do you feel like your team still does not fully understand the vision, even after you have explained it?

In this episode, John explores why communication is one of the biggest challenges for business owners and why real alignment comes from clarity, consistency, and repeating the vision often. He also looks at what can get in the way, including ego, people-pleasing, and waiting until everything feels perfect before you lead the conversation.

Interested in joining our next Grounded Man Hike? Click here for more: https://www.derunation.com/TGM-Hike

00:01:00 — Why Communication Matters

00:03:05 — Clarity, Conciseness, and Consistency

00:04:05 — Why They Still Do Not Get It

00:06:05 — Bringing Vision Into the Conversation

00:09:40 — The Cost of Misalignment

00:11:05 — Seeing Yourself as the Visionary

00:14:00 — Sharing the Vision Means Sharing Yourself

00:15:35 — Letting Go of People-Pleasing

00:18:10 — The Leadership Alignment Workshop

What happens when the pressure of business starts affecting your health?

In this episode, John walks with Barry Finnegan, founder of a technology business based in County Meath, to explore what it really means to carry responsibility without letting it consume you. Barry shares how a mild heart attack became a wake-up call to rethink stress, personal responsibility, health, and the way he was holding on to outcomes in business.

Together, they talk about letting go of what you cannot control, staying grounded in gratitude, building a business without losing yourself, and learning to define success from the inside out.

Interested in joining our next Grounded Man Hike? Click here for more: https://www.derunation.com/TGM-Hike 

00:00:42 — Welcome to The Grounded Man Podcast

00:01:20 — Meet Barry Finnegan

00:05:35 — Walking at Lough Crew

00:09:30 — Barry’s Health Wake-Up Call

00:15:30 — Letting Go of the Outcome

00:17:30 — Gratitude and Control

00:20:20 — Talking Through Problems

00:24:00 — Taking Personal Responsibility

00:27:20 — Finding Balance Again

00:30:55 — Defining Success from Within

00:34:10 — Inner Pride and Daily Action

00:40:15 — Advice for Men Under Pressure

00:42:45 — The Grounded Man Hike