Maeve is a highly experienced yoga practitioner and founder of Ebb & Flow where she offers a range of classes in Yoga, Pilates & Forest Bathing; she hosts many workshops and retreats and she has designed a wellbeing programme especially for women called Seasonal Soul which spans the seasons of the year. Maeve had a successful career in the corporate world before she decided to follow her heart and become a leading yoga professional. We are very grateful to Maeve for sharing her experience of being identified with ADHD as this was discovered very recently and Maeve is only just processing it herself, so we really appreciate her openness. Many girls with ADHD are missed at a young age and more women are discovering they have it later in life, so it's great to open up the conversation to understand more about ADHD and the strategies to manage it. We met at one of Maeve's favourite beaches called Banna and anyone who knows Banna is aware that it is spectacular but very windy, so please bear with a few sound glitches at times, you will feel like you were with us on the beach! Everything Maeve does is with the intention of making a difference to the world and everyone she meets and she will make a difference to all of you who are listening. Hearing her talk about yoga is almost as relaxing as doing it yourself, so sit back - or rather lie back on your yoga mat, or your own little island as Maeve calls is, breathe and enjoy!

We talk about:

- Why Maeve left the corporate world

- Discovering she has ADHD in her 40's

- Strategies she has developed to help manage her ADHD

- Advice for starting your own business

- The benefits of Yoga to the body and soul

Follow Maeve:

https://www.ebbflowyoga.ie/seasonalsoul

@ebbflow.yoga

Louize is a highly experienced Consultant Psychologist and a chartered member of the Psychological Society of Ireland with over fourteen years of experience in mental health in both in the private and not-for-profit sector. She is Co-Founder of Prism Therapy Online which was set up to help people in need of mental health support be matched with the right therapist, offering a platform of handpicked chartered psychologists to select from. She has commendably dedicated a large part of her career instigating much needed change to Ireland's mental health system for young people through her work with Jigsaw, The National Centre for Youth Mental Health. Louize is also a very talented musician and the Bassist for the well known Irish Rock Band we love, The Blizzards and she has composed music for film & television.

Now just to let you know, due to some unforeseen circumstances Louize had to bring her gorgeous Italian Mastiff puppy along to the podcast recording. Her puppy is called Stevie, named after Stevie Nicks which is extremely cool and you know, they say, never to work with children and animals but Stevie was very good considering, but you will hear a few whimpers along the way, though I noticed she seemed to whimper when we spoke about the pressures on women's image and menopause, so I felt she was agreeing with us, so Stevie is definitely a feminist!

During our chat we talk about:

- Why anxiety is such a problem

- Social media pressures and disengaging

- Building more confidence

- Dealing with pressures on self-image

- Can people ever really change

- How to stop repeating same mistakes

Follow Louize:

@louizecarroll

https://prismtherapyonline.com

Today we are joined by the fabulous Geraldine Walsh who is an Irish Author, Editor, Book Coach & Journalist contributing to Ireland's leading newspapers including the Irish Times & parenting magazines on topics including (but not limited to) Parenting, Mental Health & Lifestyle. Geraldine has been shortlisted for a number of Writer Awards and was in the Top 100 Inspiring Irish Women in 2019. After her own experience of becoming a mum of two and going through a period of postnatal depression and anxiety, Geraldine wrote her debut non-fiction book called 'Unravelling Motherhood: Understanding your experience through self-reflection, self-care and authenticity'. It is about untangling the expectations of motherhood compared to the reality, figuring out your identity after being a mum and talks about maternal mental health and how to be more self-compassionate, so we'd highly recommend it for anyone navigating motherhood. Geraldine is passionate about having conversations about the difficult stuff to help break down any stigma or taboo and we're really grateful to her being so honest with us today and encouraging us to be a bit braver and open about ourselves.

We talk about

- Our expectations of motherhood versus the reality

- Geraldine's experience of pregnancy and having her children

- The signs of postnatal depression

- Asking for help & the steps to recovery

- How to reconcile your identity before and after becoming a parent

- Learning to take care of yourself

Follow Geraldine @geraldinewalsh

https://geraldinewalsh.com

You can purchase 'Unraveling Motherhood' wherever you buy books!

Today we are joined by the amazing Laura Crowley to talk about Autism Spectrum Disorder with a particular focus on women and girls. Laura is an Author, Lecturer and Autism Consultant with over twenty-three years' experience in this area. Laura founded Laura Crowley Connect in 2014, an Autism Consultancy where she provides educational resources and training events for families and professionals, and mentoring of teenagers. Laura has also been a Lecturer on the Diploma in Autism Studies in UCC for nine years, a course which she was very involved in developing.

Laura herself was identified as autistic at the age of forty after having her children, so she can speak from very personal experience about why autistic girls have been so overlooked and why so many women are realising they are autistic later in life. Laura says she spent a lifetime knowing she was different and after being identified as autistic she is, "so much happier and self-aware and self-compassionate".

We talk about:

- What is ASD (autism spectrum disorder)

- Different autistic traits in boys and girls

- Masking and its consequences

- Sensory challenges

- Laura's own identification of autism at forty

- Pregnancy and parenting with autism

Follow Laura's brilliant work:

@laura_crowley_connect

For more information about autism:

https://autism.ie

https://asdireland.ie

* Content advisory - this podcast includes discussion of miscarriage.

Today we are joined by a really amazing guest, Orla Kirby who very powerfully shares her fertility journey with us. Orla suffered with endometriosis from puberty but this was not diagnosed until her twenties and she was aware this could impact her fertility but like many of us, she wasn't aware quite how dramatically our fertility drops off in our mid 30's because she grew up in my generation when we were all trying not to get pregnant! She is very honest about the reality of the journey, the pressures of managing injections and how it can feel like it takes over your life, and the anxiety about what can go wrong.

We are so delighted for Orla that her journey was successful and she is mum to a beautiful two-and-a-half year-old daughter and we are very grateful she shared her story and we all hope it will help anyone listening going through something similar.

Just a bit about the lovely Orla - she is originally from Country Meath and is currently living in Dublin. She is a fundraiser for a national charity by profession but her passionate interest in maternal health led her become a Postpartum doula and Pregnancy Yoga Teacher and she really has found her calling so I would encourage you all to follow her @orlathedoula on Instagram.

We talk about:

- Suffering with Endometriosis since puberty

- The pressure of managing treatment around daily life

- Experiencing a pregnancy loss

- Having her daughter successfully through IVF

- Financial pressures of treatment

- How partners and family/friends can support loved ones going through treatment

Loretta Dignam is one of Ireland's leading women's health campaigners and is Founder and CEO of the Menopause Hub, Ireland's first dedicated menopause clinic. Loretta previously enjoyed a long and successful career at Marketing Director level for leading multinational global brands including Mars, Diageo, Kerry Group & Jacob Frutifield where she won marketer of the year. Loretta has also lectured in UCD Smurfit Business School on their executive MBA and MSc Programmes and she was a board member of the Abbey Theatre and chaired their Gender Equality Committee in 2016. Loretta is a true Menopause Champion, working with businesses to create menopause policies in the workplace and lobbying the government for much needed change. Although she she says she lost her 'va va voom' for a time, she certainly brings some 'va va voom' to our conversation.

During our chat we cover:

- Loretta's own menopause experience & why she created the hub

- How we know we're in perimenopause & the symptoms

- The facts around HRT & other treatments

- The three main health risks to women of menopausal age

- Menopause policies in the work place

- What the Menopause Hub offers

@themenopausehub

https://www.themenopausehub.ie

In this last episode of the second season of the podcast, our guest Joanne O'Riordan is the epitome of everything what a woman is about - a powerful, extraordinary woman whose attitude to life is inspiring for us all and who is breaking down barriers for women and the disabled community. Joanne is a broadcaster, sports journalist and activist who was born with a rare condition known as Total Amelia meaning she was born without all four limbs, one of only seven people worldwide with the condition. When was born, doctors felt her life would be limited but Joanne's family wanted her to grow up with the same opportunities as everyone else, instilling a philosophy in Joanne of no limbs, no limits, the title of an excellent documentary about her early life.

Joanne became known for her activism when she was just fifteen and she challenged the then Taoiseach Enda Kenny about cuts to the budget for disability payments and a year later she spoke at a UN summit in New York where she famously said 'I do not look at the word impossible and see impossible. I look at the word and my life and say I'm Possible'. Now twenty seven, Joanne's passion for sport has led to a flourishing career as a sports journalist for the Irish Times and she recently broadcast the documentary A Sporting Chance about equal opportunities for women in sport.

It was absolute delight to meet Joanne as her personality and infectious laugh filled the room and I did my best to keep up with her quick wit as we talk about everything from our shared personality traits as Taureans, life plans, splitting opinions in her journalism and why its important to just be yourself.

Instagram- @Joanneor

@rte sport - no limbs no limits

Content Advisory - this podcast episode covers eating disorders

Sene Naoupu is a former Irish Women's Rugby Union International who earned 48 caps for Ireland before her retirement in 2022. She was a member of the team that won the 2015 Women's Six Nations Championship, she represented Ireland at the 2017 Women's Rugby World Cup and she was also part of the Irish women's national rugby sevens team.

Sene is a Samoan New Zealander whose mother taught her to embrace the different cultures she was part of growing up and after emigrating to Ireland in 2009, she felt a strong connection with the people of Ireland and was proud to be accepted as one of their own when she became eligible to play for Ireland and made her debut in 2015.

This was something of a second chance for Sene who developed an eating disorder in her twenties which might have ended her dreams of a sporting career but she has bravely spoken about her recovery and is now a member of the board of Bodywhys, a nationwide Irish charity supporting people with eating disorders.

Sene has always felt a keen sense of service to others and giving back and along with her dedication to rugby on the pitch, she has worked just as hard off the pitch to promote equal opportunities in sport and she is frustrated to see the situation for the current Women's International Irish rugby team. Sene hopes that changes in leadership strategies and attitudes will allow the winning potential of the Irish Women's team to shine through.

We talk about:

- Why girls should give rugby a try (no pun intended!)

- Growing up embracing different cultures

- Experience and advice about eating disorders

- Proudest moments on the pitch

- The issues facing Irish Women's rugby and solutions

For further information and advise on eating disorders, please visit:

www.bodywhys.ie

@senenaoupu

Helen Murphy is a Munster fashion influencer and model who became an overnight sensation when she went to her very first ladies day in Galway in 2014 and won best dressed lady with her Christian Dior 1950's silhouette look and a strong resemblance to the sophisticated and elegant Audrey Hepburn. Her blog Daily Diva Diary has followed her journey as she has reinvented her style since having her four children and as well as her part time career as a teacher, Helen now models for well known brands and is in demand as a judge for fashion competitions.

Helen talks about being very tall as a teenager and not always comfortable in her own skin and how she lost her sense of her own style for a time but a radical haircut into a pixie style began a process of redefining her look which she describes as classic with a twist and she says we must dress to please ourselves and not anybody else.

Helen also shares her advice about why we shouldn't impulse buy, her top three staples for our wardrobes and tips for adding a few gorgeous pastels to our look this season. We also talk about how confidence does grow with age but so too do the pressures to stay looking young. We also touch on juggling life's demands, where Helen talks about imagining those things most precious to us as glass balls that we can't afford to drop and this advice has really stayed with me at those times when I've been struggling to prioritise. We had a real spring in our step after this chat and we hope you will too.

We talk about:

- Growing into confidence

- Why you shouldn't impulse buy

- Reinventing yourself

- Pressures of social media and ageing

- Botox

- What to wear for summer

Follow Helen:

@daily_divadiary

Facebook: Daily Diva Diary

Annmarie O' Connor is an award winning stylist, a fashion editor and a columnist for the Irish Examiner. She is also a bestselling author of books including The Happy Closet and The Happy Medium and she has her own self-styled brand of 'wardrobe wellness' to promote a more mindful relationship with fashion. Annmarie has been featured in the Irish Examiner as one of 100 Women in Ireland Blazing a Trail and was also named one of Ireland’s 100 Most Inspiring Women in Image magazine. Annmarie is also a Parkinson’s advocate having been diagnosed with early-onset Parkinsons in 2021 when she was in her forties. Parkinsons disease is an incurable neurodegenerative condition affecting movement, coordination and speech and although it's usually a condition associated with older people, around one in twenty of those diagnosed will be under the age of fifty.

Annemarie first noticed a pain in her shoulder which developed into a fine shake in her right hand and she suspected a trapped nerve but by the time she was diagnosed with Parkinsons, Annemarie was finding it challenging to write or put on mascara. As a condition more commonly associated with older men and their familiar stoop and shake, the diagnosis was a huge shock to Annmarie being a young and seemingly healthy woman but from the outset, she has had taken the attitude that while the condition is part of her life, she does not want it to dominate her life.

By opening up about her condition and raising awareness, Annmarie hopes to show this is not a diagnosis anyone should feel they have to hide or experience alone and she would encourage anyone concerned about symptoms to seek medical advice because it is a lot to carry on your own and she says you will be surprised how those around you will step up and want to help.

We talk about:

- The stigma around Parkinson's Disease

- Coping with symptoms and medication

- Why it's not a condition to hide or experience alone

- The mutual benefit of accepting and receiving help

- The importance of perspective

For Further Information:

Parkinson's Association of Ireland: www.parkinsons.ie

Early Onset Parkinson's Disease in Ireland: eopd.ie.

Follow Annmarie:

Website: https://annmarieoconnor.me