Your Truth Shared

Welcome to Your Truth Shared. Joining Finola on the show this week is biologist, educator, barefoot enthusiast and nature explorer Tasneem Khan. Tasneem is the proud founding partner of EARTH CoLab, which curates and broadens the learning experiences for diverse individuals and institutes through their immersive learning expeditions. 

Tasneem’s love for nature, curiosity, and experiential learning shine bright throughout this episode. Get ready to embark on a journey with Tasneem as she reveals how she helps individuals of all ages embrace a new lens for exploration and learning. Tasneem reveals her experience of working across different zones, the key to engaging your desired market, and unpacks how opportunities can arise during significant times of change. Key points throughout the discussion include:

- An introduction to Tasneem Khan. 

- Tuning into place-based education. 

- The value of experiential and active learning.

- The sense of disconnect in a hyper-connected environment.

- Building resilience through learning processes.

- Taking control of your learning and development.

- Venturing beyond postcard travel destinations and exploring through multiple lenses. 

- The possibilities that lie within a diverse target market. 

- The significance of curiosity and psychographics in marketing. 

- The challenges and opportunities of a business spread between the Indian and Atlantic Oceans. 

- A closing slice of advice from Tasneem. 

GUIDED BY GET STRATEGIC :

The link for the course advertised in this episode is: https://courses.howgreatmarketingworks.com/guided-by-get-strategic

Resources: 

A library of discussions by Sir Ken Robinson: 

https://www.sirkenrobinson.com/watch/ 

Get connected socially with Tasneem Khan:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/tasneem-khan-8a6092b9 

https://www.earthcolab.com/ 

https://www.instagram.com/earthcolab 

Get connected socially with host Finola Howard: 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/finolahoward/

https://howgreatmarketingworks.com/

https://www.facebook.com/HowGreatMarketingWorks

https://twitter.com/HowGMW

https://www.youtube.com/channel/HGMW

This podcast is proudly produced in partnership with podlad.com

Welcome to Your Truth Shared. Joining Finola on the show this week is successful entrepreneur, angel investor and connector Jan Van Leeuwen. Jan talks us through her entrepreneurial journey, from brainstorming business ideas over a glass of wine in her twenties to becoming co-founder and director of iQ Branding Solutions. 

Do you have an interest in start-ups and investment? If so, this episode is a must-listen as we venture upon the authentic route to success, learning how the powerful duo of Jan and her husband led their business to seven figures with double-digit profit growth in just four years. Jan also highlights the importance of networking, the value of connection and trusting your gut, and offers advice for those seeking investment and advice for people looking to start their investing journey. Key points throughout include:

- An introduction to Jan Van Leeuwen. 

- Travelling the unknown path to entrepreneurship. 

- The importance of networking and building customer relationships of confidence. 

- Characteristics of entrepreneurship: recognising opportunities. 

- Tapping into and trusting your instinct of risk. 

- The belief that you can do anything you put your mind to.

- Why clarity and kindness matter in business.

- The skill of avoiding misunderstandings in communication. 

- Seeking autonomy and exploring new business projects.

- Setting personal parameters in a business plan. 

- Getting started with the flow of investing. 

- Jan’s top tips for entrepreneurs. 

POSITION WITH PURPOSE: 

Finola Howard will be hosting a FREE LIVE WEBINAR on how to market so it feels like you AND pulls your customers to you. The final date available for the webinar is 8th September 2022. Reserve your seat today: https://courses.howgreatmarketingworks.com/position-with-purpose 

Resources: 

iQ Branding Solutions
https://www.iqbrandingsolutions.ie/ 

Get connected socially with Jan Van Leeuwen:  

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jannetje 

Get connected socially with host Finola Howard: 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/finolahoward/

https://howgreatmarketingworks.com/

https://www.facebook.com/HowGreatMarketingWorks

https://twitter.com/HowGMW

https://www.youtube.com/channel/HGMW

This podcast is proudly produced in partnership with podlad.com

Welcome to Your Truth Shared. Joining Finola on the show this week is the wonderful Michelle Bailly. Michelle is a mental health and change facilitator with over 20 years of experience in helping organisations, leaders and teams discover mental wellbeing and how to ignite their emotional resilience during unsettling times of upheaval. 

In this episode, Michelle guides us on aligning with the present moment and finding comfort in our space and shares valuable tools on how instead of resisting change, we can overcome it and adapt positively. As an experienced coach and pointer, Michelle has many fascinating insights and stories to share to help you forge a deeper self-connection and understand your superb senses. Listeners will also learn the key to our survival and will be treated to a powerful exercise to help you embrace being in a state of peace and stillness. Further points throughout the discussion include:

- An introduction to Michelle Bailly. 

- The aware mind VS the thinking mind.

- How there is more beyond the thinking window. 

- Becoming adaptive to change in the midst of chaos. 

- A reminder that it’s not personal; it’s just your conditioning! 

- Understanding the mind’s complexity. 

- The witness posture: It’s okay to embrace a sense of being and not knowing.

- A guided practice of entering a peaceful space of being. 

- How to overcome limiting beliefs of productivity.  

- The importance of nurturing your creativity.  

- The benefits of living values and radiating care and love in business.

- Michelle’s challenge: Can you gift yourself 5 minutes in the morning? 

‘’The intuitive mind is a sacred gift, and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honours the servant and has forgotten the gift.’’ – Albert Einstein. 

POSITION WITH PURPOSE: 

Finola Howard will be hosting a FREE LIVE WEBINAR on how to market, so it feels like you AND pulls your customers to you. There are only TWO available dates for the webinar: 31st August 2022 and 8th September 2022. Reserve your seat today: https://courses.howgreatmarketingworks.com/position-with-purpose 

Get connected socially with Michelle Bailly: 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-bailly-b117413/ 

Get connected socially with host Finola Howard: 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/finolahoward/

https://howgreatmarketingworks.com/

https://www.facebook.com/HowGreatMarketingWorks

https://twitter.com/HowGMW

https://www.youtube.com/channel/HGMW

This podcast is proudly produced in partnership with podlad.com

Joining Finola on the show this week is business consultant, trainer, communications strategist and captivating storyteller Sally Murphy. Sally works with clients from all corners of the globe, including giants such as Microsoft, Google, Paddy Power and many more. Strategic communication and storytelling can spark tremendous change, and Sally’s mission is to help people share better stories to transform their business. 

This episode is packed to the brim with valuable nuggets and takeaways as Sally shares her communications 101 and reveals how to illuminate your life and business through storytelling. We learn about Sally’s grafting road to becoming a successful entrepreneur, how valuable life experiences and lessons can help shape your entrepreneurial journey, the importance of inclusivity and belonging, how we can recall memories from welcoming waves of recollection, and we also hear of Sally’s newfound love for Elvis. Key points throughout include:

- An introduction to Sally Murphy and her origin story.

- Climbing through chapters: laddering up and down through life. 

- Tapping into core skills and learnings from running your own business.

- The customer experience: the power in telling the truth and sharing stories. 

- Tackling false self-beliefs and overcoming low self-esteem. 

- Why we should pay attention to the people around you and carry kindness. 

- Lodging stories into your story bank: casting your mind back to map your pathway forward.

- Creating movement through emotion. 

- The importance of storytelling in business and the impact of storytelling on company culture. 

- Becoming a better leader through self-reflection.

Resources: 

TEDx: Homework for Life by Matthew Dicks 

http://matthew-dicks-j47u.squarespace.com/matthewdicksblog/2015/12/13/tedx-berkshires-homework-for-life

Finding and telling your leadership story with Brené Brown and Doug Conant 

https://brenebrown.com/podcast/brene-with-doug-conant-on-finding-telling-your-leadership-story/ 

Get connected socially with Sally Murphy:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/welltoldsally 

https://www.welltold.ie/ 

Get connected socially with host Finola Howard: 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/finolahoward/

https://howgreatmarketingworks.com/

https://www.facebook.com/HowGreatMarketingWorks

https://twitter.com/HowGMW

https://www.youtube.com/channel/HGMW

Joining Finola on the show this week is inspirational health activist, pain and fatigue specialist and founder of the First Aid For Feelings social enterprise, Thor A Rain. Thor has been on a remarkable journey to coping with ME/CFS, Fibromyalgia and PTSD, and even against all odds, Thor embarked on a seven-year journey to a full recovery. For over a decade, Thor has been smashing goals and helping thousands of people deal with chronic pain, stress and anxiety through their social enterprise First Aid For Feelings and the meditation tool, Insight Timer.

In this episode, Thor candidly opens up about their journey of surviving to thriving: how their crippling overnight illness shook their world upside down and the road to recovery. This episode glitters with so many wonderful nuggets and tools as Thor takes us along the bumpy road of their entrepreneurial journey and reminds us that we all have a choice. Thor also shares excellent tips when seeking medical care and reveals their effective rule of three. 

- An introduction to Thor A Rain.

- Understanding the world through words.

- The common issue of health illiteracy and vulnerability to health matters. 

- An insight into non-binary identities. 

- Creating an emotional first aid kit and why self-awareness matters.

- Curiosity is key: the power in asking is it helpful. 

- Gaps in the medical care system and how to take charge of your wellbeing. 

- The empowering model of social enterprise.

- The high and low points of Thor’s entrepreneurial journey. 

- The definition of ISOP and Sherlocking.

- The relationship with Me, Myself and I.

- The impact of Covid-19 and embracing new opportunities. 

- Why self-care and checking in with yourself are essential. 

POSITION WITH PURPOSE: 

Finola Howard will be hosting a FREE LIVE WEBINAR on how to market so it feels like you AND pulls your customers to you. There are only TWO available dates for the webinar: 31st August 2022 and 8th September 2022. Reserve your seat today: https://courses.howgreatmarketingworks.com/position-with-purpose 

Get connected socially with Thor A Rain:

https://firstaidforfeelings.com/ 

https://insighttimer.com/thorarain 

Get connected socially with host Finola Howard: 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/finolahoward/

https://howgreatmarketingworks.com/

https://www.facebook.com/HowGreatMarketingWorks

https://twitter.com/HowGMW

https://www.youtube.com/channel/HGMW

This podcast is proudly produced in partnership with podlad.com

This episode is dedicated to Maureen’s brother, Johnny McGowan, who was diagnosed with ALS – an aggressive Motor Neurone Disease in September 2021. To help support Johnny and his family, donations are most welcome via the link below:

GoFundMe: Fight for Johnny’s Girls

https://www.gofundme.com/f/fight-for-johnnys-girls 

‘’I can’t imagine going back to the classroom. But this time, four years ago, I couldn’t imagine being out of the classroom. So you know, none of us know what life has in store for us.” – Maureen McCowen.

Welcome back to Your Truth Shared. The task of public speaking can be daunting and anxiety-inducing for many, and today’s guest, Maureen McCowen, is here to banish those fears. 

Maureen is the proud founder of Soft Skill Success, where she is dedicated to working with individuals and teams to unlock their confidence and flourish as public speakers. In this episode, Maureen takes us along the steppingstones of her professional path from secondary school teaching to coaching the art of effective communication. Interested in improving your communication skills!? Keep an ear out as Maureen kindly shares her top three tips for enhancing your public speaking abilities. Key points throughout the episode include:

- An introduction to Maureen McCowen. 

- Not letting the fear of rejection get in your way. 

- Unlocking speaking confidence. 

- Is confidence building prevalent in education? 

- Switching the focus to your audience. 

- Having a methodical approach to business.

- The significant turning point in Maureen’s solopreneur journey.

- Adapting and thriving in a rapidly changing environment.  

- Maureen’s top three tips for becoming a better public speaker.

- How to master engagement and grasp people’s attention. 

Get connected socially with Maureen McCowen:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/maureenmccowen/ 

https://www.softskillsuccess.ie/ 

https://twitter.com/MaureenMcCowen 

Get connected socially with host Finola Howard: 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/finolahoward/

https://howgreatmarketingworks.com/

https://www.facebook.com/HowGreatMarketingWorks

https://twitter.com/HowGMW

https://www.youtube.com/channel/HGMW

This podcast is proudly produced in partnership with podlad.com

Ever wondered what the key to building a successful business from scratch is? If so, you are in for an educational treat with this week’s guest, Andy Lambert. Andy is the co-founder of ContentCal, a social media and content planning tool which has since recently been acquired by multinational giant, Adobe. Andy is also the author of Social 3.0, a guidebook serving thousands of businesses across all corners of the globe to unleash the power of social media. 

Welcome back to Your Truth Shared. In this episode, Andy shares the valuable learnings from the stages of his professional journey, the power of people when building a business, explores the multiple paths one can take into entrepreneurship and reveals how to build an audience and foundation for future growth. Key points throughout this episode include: 

- An introduction to Andy Lambert. 

- Stepping away from the corporate comfort trap. 

- The new normal and what the future of work looks like. 

- Stepping into entrepreneurship and building a successful business from scratch.

- The power of people in business and the impact of word-of-mouth. 

- Organic marketing -VS- paid marketing. 

- Nailing product market fit. 

- The importance of humanising your brand. 

- Adobe’s acquisition of ContentCal.

- Social 3.0 and marketing your agency.

- Why you should build your audience first. 

‘’The best investments that you could make is those investments in yourself.’’ – Andy Lambert.

Resources: 

Book: The Startup Owner’s Manual by Bob Dorf and Steve Blank. 

https://www.amazon.com/Startup-Owners-Manual-Step-Step/dp/0984999302 

Book: Social 3.0: How forward-thinking B2B’s can unleash the power of social media by Andy Lambert. 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/SOCIAL-3-0-forward-thinking-unleash-social/dp/B09TN35BC3 

CEO, Co-founder and author, Rand Fishkin:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/randfishkin/ 

Get connected socially with Andy Lambert:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/andycontentcal/ 

https://www.contentcal.com/ 

Get connected socially with host Finola Howard: 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/finolahoward/

https://howgreatmarketingworks.com/

https://www.facebook.com/HowGreatMarketingWorks

https://twitter.com/HowGMW

https://www.youtube.com/channel/HGMW

This podcast is proudly produced in partnership with podlad.com

Joining Finola this week is the wonderfully brave and inspirational Amanda Grace. Amanda is an artist, speaker, life coach and overall creative powerhouse who opens up about her artistic entrepreneurial journey and the common thread that arises every time. 

Trust us when we say, this episode focused on creating your masterpiece and the art of entrepreneurship is packed to the brim with many golden nuggets. Amanda discusses how you don’t owe your decisions loyalty and introduces us to her newfound friendship with resentment and clean decision-making. We also hear Amanda’s take on overdelivering, how to avoid financial exhaustion, the dangers of straying away from the truth and much more. Key points throughout include: 

- An introduction to Amanda Grace.

- The concept of finger pointing to the moon.

- The superpowers of an artist. 

- Embracing wreckage and tackling anxiety.

- The rise of Pilgrim Soul and the red flag of resentment. 

- Facing resistance and putting a cap on growth.

- The power of listening and making changes. 

- Breaking artistry stereotypes and disciplining chaos. 

- How to avoid financial exhaustion.
- The dangers of straying away from the truth.

- Setting goals and the experience of hitting target figures.

- Trying, testing and the process of elimination.  

- The value in community and growing your network.

- The failure of living in a hated situation. 

‘’No matter how difficult and painful it may be, nothing sounds as good to the soul as the truth’’. - Martha Beck.

Get connected socially with Amanda Grace:

https://www.amandagrace.ie
https://www.instagram.com/amandagrace_ie/ 

Get connected socially with host Finola Howard: 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/finolahoward/

https://howgreatmarketingworks.com/

https://www.facebook.com/HowGreatMarketingWorks

https://twitter.com/HowGMW

https://www.youtube.com/channel/HGMW

This podcast is proudly produced in partnership with podlad.com

In some form or another, our profession impacts our day-to-day life, and after all, we are not just what we do. To explore this further, Finola is adding a new dimension to the Your Truth Shared podcast this week with the help of special guest, Dr Julie Meehan.

Julie is a clinical psychologist, strategic interventionist coach, parent guide and proud imperfect mom with over 20 years of experience working with children, parents, and families. In this episode, we hear about Julie’s brave move from a secure job with the Irish Health Service Executive into entrepreneurship, why we should never ignore our inner voice, the imperfect dance of parenthood, and coming home to ourselves. Julie also reveals the statistics of high sensitivity in the population, and the numbers may take you by surprise. Key points throughout this episode include: 

- An introduction to Julie Meehan.

- Leaving the HSE and going solo. 

- The independent pathway of training as a clinical psychologist. 

- The system of managed care. 

- The importance of listening to your inner voice.

- Being an imperfect parent and the messiness of motherhood.

- The dance between getting it right and wrong in parenthood.

- Developing self-connection and self-trust. 

- How to embody your soul in day-to-day life.  

- Navigating through a sensitive world. 

- An insight into Elaine Aaron’s DOES acronym. 

- Democratic education and empowering children in the world we live in. 

- Handling sensitivity in marketing and choosing how you market. 

- Julie’s guided pathway for parents to follow. 

‘’The human soul doesn’t want to be advised, fixed, or saved. It simply wants to be witnessed, to be seen, heard and companioned exactly as it is.’’ – Parker Palmer. 

Get connected socially with Julie Meehan:

https://www.juliemeehan.com/ 

https://www.instagram.com/drjuliemeehan/ 

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrRdEP5IRrgZd2D0dfqYDPA 

https://www.juliemeehan.com/the-parent-course-pathway 

https://www.juliemeehan.com/One-to-One-Parent-Guidance 

Get connected socially with host Finola Howard: 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/finolahoward/

https://howgreatmarketingworks.com/

https://www.facebook.com/HowGreatMarketingWorks

https://twitter.com/HowGMW

https://www.youtube.com/channel/HGMW

Welcome back to Your Truth Shared. Predica is a proud Microsoft partner offering IT services and IT consultations with a mission to give people the freedom to do meaningful work. The business came to fruition by four inspiring founders, Greg, Pawel, Andrzej and Tomasz, each with different personalities but with the commonality of sharing a purpose and a robust set of values. Last week, we met Greg, and this week welcomes a lovely continuous flow as co-founder and self-leadership coach Pawel Szcecki joins Finola to discuss his Predica journey and the greater good in business.  

There is no doubt that Pawel is an introverted listener with a remarkable ability to pay attention and empathise. In this episode, Pawel kindly opens up and shares his insights and vulnerability with us. We learn about how Pawel adapted to being a founder, his journey from IT technology to coaching, the different perspectives and challenging conversations around the acquisition of Predica, the power of values-based decision making, emotions in the workplace, and so much more. Key points throughout this episode include: 

- An introduction to Pawel Szczecki.

- Traits of a successful leadership team.

- Vulnerability on a personal and operational level. 

- Handling disagreements and avoiding conflict within a team.

- Transitioning a company into a new reality. 

- The power of values-based decision-making. 

- Business acquisition: finding the perfect match. 

- Reassuring employees during a time of transition. 

- The superpower of empathy.

- Overcoming the challenges in leadership and tackling difficult conversations.

- Personal development: the key ingredients to business growth. 

- Why everyone should have a thinking partner. 

- Mindlessness: Taking time to switch off your mind. 

Get connected socially with Pawel Szczeki:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/pawelszczecki/ 

https://www.predicagroup.com/ 

Get connected socially with host Finola Howard: 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/finolahoward/

https://howgreatmarketingworks.com/

https://www.facebook.com/HowGreatMarketingWorks

https://twitter.com/HowGMW

https://www.youtube.com/channel/HGMW

This podcast is proudly produced in partnership with podlad.com