I am so excited to finally launch my podcast, Pockets of Joy, streaming on all platforms in June 2024, and in video format on our Youtube channel. I wanted every episode to feel like a really organic conversation, where you are a fly on the wall, learning, laughing, listening to wonderful stories and feeling motivated to live your best life too. Dive into these pockets of joy with us and please share with your friends to help us spread the word!
Season 1 has guests from New Zealand, the US, Canada, Northern Ireland, Portugal… we are global, guys!!
Episode 1
Episode 1 features the fantastic author Fiona Ferris (above) of http://www.howtobechic.com and the amazing Kindle series “Thirty Chic Days”. I’ve been reading and rereading her books for years and I couldn’t wait to interview her to ask everything I’d always wanted to know! She did not disappoint, and this episode really sets the tone for this series, creative entrepreneurs living their best lives, with stories and insights to inspire us all. I hope you enjoy it!
Listen to Episode 1
or:
Watch it on our Youtube Channel (plus bloopers!)
Episode 2
In Episode 2 I’m joined by musician and storyteller Anne Harper from Co. Down in Ireland. Anne tells us about a campaign she is spearheading to save KnockIveagh, a sacred burial place in her locality. She shares her love of nature, music as a healing tool to regulate the nervous system, we discuss birth, death and the land. Anne taught me so much in this conversation, one standout moment for me is when she describes the “comfort in her insignificance”, she is a real antidote to the Ego-driven capitalistic mindset, a creative entrepreneur who follows her heart, works hard and is definitely making the world a better place. Enjoy!
Listen to Episode 2:
If you prefer video, catch Episode 2 below!
Episode 3
In Episode 3 I speak to Anna Day from Wild Simplicity about her work with women both decluttering their physical spaces, but more importantly, their mindsets. Anna is based in Portugal but works online and in person with clients through her Decluttering Circles and Women’s Circles. Anna has a fantastic podcast where she shares her wisdom.
We discussed losing the Good Girl / Perfectionist behaviour, the power of silence, what comes of connection with others in a women’s circle and how our choice of language can really hold us back. I get to ask Anna about my own clutter / hoarding behaviours and she gently inspires me to let go of things that no longer serve. Anna embodies soft power, she is a mother of two and describes how she manages her emotions in a really powerful way modelling emotional intelligence to her children.
Listen to our interview here:
You can catch us on the Youtube video version here:
Episode 4
Episode 4 dropping on Tuesday 18 June sees me talking to Irish writer Ben Murnane in Canada about his new book “Transhuman Citizen: Zoltan Istvan’s Hunt for Immortality”. Istvan is a Transhumanist and former US Presidential candidate of Hungarian origin. Transhumanism is a fascinating concept: that we humans might reach a point in medical innovation and technology where we might live forever, and Istvan believes this is coming as soon as the next 50 years. I quiz Ben (who happens to be my cousin) about generative AI like Chat GPT, Ben describes his personal interest in extending our lifespan due to his lifelong battle with Fanconi Anaemia and details some of Zoltan’s adrenaline-fuelled escapades.
Listen to Episode 4 here:
Watch the video version here:
Episode 5
Lisa Kelly (above) of Celtic Woman & Riverdance fame joins me to discuss her current business “The Lisa Kelly Voice Academy”, her podcast “Middleage-ish”, her past career touring with two huge shows and young children, and how her career took off in the early 2000s.
Lisa’s four children are extremely talented: champion Irish dancers / actors and we talk motherhood, “the juggle” of every working mom, her move to Peachtree City, Georgia, USA and her pride in her current students as they move towards their goals. She continues to be honest, inspiring and still has her feet on the ground after all her success. Inspiring me back in the 90s as a “triple threat” in our community theatre group, she inspires me now as a podcaster and motivated mom, and I know you are going to love our conversation as much as I did.
Listen to Episode 5 here:
Check out the video interview here:
Episode 6
I’m sure a lot of you know the fantastic Nicola O’Byrne IBCLC (above), Lactation Consultant, but for those of you not in Ireland: Nicola is a mum of 5, and an IBCLC registered Lactation Consultant with a background in pediatric nursing. Nicola supports mums who want desperately to breastfeed, and those who are finished their breastfeeding journey and ready to wean. She is non-judgemental, realistic and focused on results. She began her training with Cuidiu, and became an IBCLC lactation consultant in 2005. Nicola not only helps parents but also trains midwives, doctors, public health nurse, doulas and other lactation consultants and speaks internationally at conferences.
Let’s dive into this pocket of joy as I share some of my mothering journey, we discuss weaning, low milk supply, mental health and much more. Share this with your friends who may need the support, “Like” this video and leave your feedback in the comments, and subscribe so you don’t miss an episode! Check my YouTube for the video version.
You can find Nicola at the links below:
Home
https://www.facebook.com/BreastfeedingDublinIreland
https://www.instagram.com/nicola_lactationconsultant/
Listen to Episode 6 here:
Watch it on YouTube here:
Episode 7
There is nobody in the Western world who doesn’t know Muriel Fahrion’s characters: Strawberry Shortcake and the Care Bears. I followed her for ages on Instagram, before asking her to guest on my podcast and she said yes! She embodies Joy, Living the Dream, Living your Best Life… all the wonderful things I aspire to do and be, and she was even more interesting and entertaining than I imagined. After a few minutes technical difficulties where we had no audio, we finally got connected and jumped straight into the chat. Muriel lives in Tulsa, Oklahoma where she runs Outta Thin Air Studio, she gets no royalties from her original work in the 80s, she remembers her father with fondness, tells me all about her inspirations and her creative life, and how important her characters have been to her fans. See a sneak peek of the episode below on my YouTube, all you 80s kids will want to see this!
Blueberry muffin recipe : https://joyfoodsunshine.com/paleo-blueberry-banana-muffins/
Song: Happy People by Little Big Town
Muriel’s website: https://www.outtathinairstudio.com/
Muriel’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/outtathinairstudio/
Niamh’s Linktree: https://www.linktr.ee/thewellnessclinicireland
Listen to this episode here:
Watch the full episode on YouTube here:
Episode 8
I am delighted to introduce my guest for this episode: Optician and entrepreneur Ciaran McCarthy in New Brunswick, Canada who owns the sustainable business Eyeful Things Optical, selling vintage deadstock and fine eyewear. Ciaran has followed his intuition and created a career path that suits his strengths, with a kind of “underground” and very unique way of getting his products out there. For anyone who wants something different to the 9 to 5, this episode is for you.
Check out the links below to follow Ciarán online. I think his method of “babysteps” really frees us up from getting overwhelmed about the bigger picture. The result is a really successful business model where his passion and integrity shine through.
Have you caught up with the previous episodes? There’s something for everyone this season, Don’t forget to rate this podcast and share it with your friends. Thanks for tuning in!
Ciarán’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eyefulthings.optical
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ciaran.mccarthy/
Listen to the podcast here:
Watch it on YouTube here:
Episode 9
I am delighted to introduce my guest for this episode: Dublin-based actor and writer Margaret McAuliffe who wrote and toured her one-woman show The Humours of Bandon for the last eight years. This play explores what happens when we leave behind a childhood passion that was our everything.
Dive into this pocket of joy as we discuss beginning a career as an “older” graduate, motherhood, Mags’ writing process, touring the world with her play, and her clever #backstagesnax on Instagram.
Have you caught up with the previous episodes? There’s something for everyone this season, Don’t forget to rate this podcast and share it with your friends. Help me spread the joy by sharing this podcast with a friend, click on the “like” button and subscribe to my channel for more.
Mags’ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/moi_mags/
Mags’ Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/moi_mags/
Niamh’s Linktree: https://www.linktr.ee/thewellnessclinicireland
Listen to the podcast here:
Watch it here:
Episode 10
Rounding off Season 1 is the multi-talented creatrix Lucy H. Pearce. Her books “Burning Woman”, “Moon Time”, “The Kitchen Witch Companion” are regulars on my bookshelves and I recommend her work to everyone I know. Her books are life-changing, transformational and inspirational. She opened Womancraft Publishing house to give voice to the oft-silenced works that traditional publishers were ignoring. She is a force of nature and I was so happy to finally get to chat to her after almost two decades of admiring her work.
Dive into this pocket of joy as we discuss how Lucy manages her heavy workload around her chronic migraines, how we view ourselves as Autistic and ADHD (AuDHD) women, dismantling capitalism and patriarchy, crochet and her online courses.
Listen to this episode here:
Watch it on Youtube here:
Season 2!
Episode 1
Season 2 starts on a real high! I’m sharing my lifelong joy, my love of Disney with a true expert: Andrea McLeod who holidays in Florida for her Disney fix three times a year!
We nerd out on all things Disney: the music, the characters, the movies, the parks, collectors items, Pixar, Loungefly, being a Disney adult, both of our Disney-inspired weddings and if you haven’t yet heard of “Disneybounding” you are going to learn about it here! Packed with lots of tips and tricks to save you time and money on your Disneyland holiday and so much more!
Listen to this episode here:
Watch it on YouTube here:
Season 2, Episode 2
Mari Kennedy, a Wise Woman in the Celtic Tradition, joins me to discuss her Next Stage Celtic Wheel, drawing on the ancient wheel of the year, a framework for working within the changing seasons to get the best use of our natural energy and rhythms.
Dive into this pocket of joy as we discuss the Celtic festival of Lughnasadh this August, having the “wild craic”, insights about our perception of time, rebalancing our energies from the linear masculine mode which causes burnout to leaning back into our feminine energy and learning to just “be”. Restoring our balance, reclaiming our sovereignty as women and so much more. I share some insights I have been having recently and we both are moved to tears. A really special episode with lots of nuggets of wisdom for you to takeaway.
Mari’s Linktree: https://linktr.ee/marikennedywisdom?utm_source=linktree_profile_share<sid=1739848e-31f2-41c2-9c2a-1f6d5d2dfdfb
Listen to our episode here:
Watch us on YouTube here:
Season 2, Episode 3
I’m delighted to introduce my guest, Dublin native actor and writer Lauren Larkin, whose short film One More Round just premiered at the Galway Film Fleadh last month. This film deals with a young couples struggles during IVF treatments, showing their emotional and financial strain with beautiful depth.
Dive into this pocket of joy as we discuss family dynamics, juggling careers and motherhood, the Sandwich Generation, how the pandemic affected us all and my low-demand lifestyle.
Follow Lauren on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/laurenlarkin10?igsh=MXI5OHg0eWRodXJueQ==
Listen to our episode here:
Watch our episode here:
Season 2, Episode 4
This episode I speak to the multitalented Clare O’Malley, Irish actor, singer and songwriter who has worked transatlantically for most of her career. After decades of bringing other people’s work to life, Clare is writing her own material now.
Dive into this pocket of joy as we discuss her career off-Broadway, having confidence and courage in the performance industry, songwriting, creative expression and my own dreams of the stage!
Follow Clare here: https://www.clareomalley.com/
https://www.facebook.com/clare.omalley.75
Listen to our episode here:
Watch it on YouTube:
Season 2, Episode 5
This episode I speak to award-winning Irish comedian, Shane Daniel Byrne about his career to date. You might know his podcast Young Hot Guys. Dive into this pocket of joy as we discuss his sell-out success at Edinburgh, his self-care routine during show season and his visions for the future.
Follow Shane here:
https://aviarytalent.com/shane-daniel-byrne
https://www.instagram.com/shanedanbyrne/?hl=en
You might like to join my Inner Circle Members Club for a free monthly Zoom designed to help reconnect you with yourself, your joys and set realistic goals for your self-care. More information on my webpage here: https://thewellnessclinic.ie/inner-circle/
Niamh’s links: https://www.linktr.ee/thewellnessclinicireland/
Listen to our podcast here:
Watch our podcast here:
Season 2, Episode 6
My guest this week is the esteemed Dr. Anthony Delaney, writer, broadcaster and actor. We discuss his book Queer Georgians, which will be published worldwide with Penguin in 2025.
Dive into this pocket of joy as we discuss some interesting characters from queer and trans history, Ireland’s same sex marriage referendum, gender identity, trans rights and much more.
You can follow Anthony on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anthonydelaneyhistory/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@anthonydelaneyhistory
After Dark podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/after-dark-myths-misdeeds-the-paranormal/id1705694900
Listen to our episode here:
Season 2, Episode 7
Today on Pockets of Joy my guest is Jody o’Neill, writer of the award-winning play “What I don’t know about Autism”.
Dive into this pocket of Joy as we discuss our shared neurodivergence, our experiences of labour and birth as women on the spectrum, how Jody makes time for self-care, her writing process, creating accessible experiences in the arts, and the social model of disability.
See Jody’s play “Grace” in Dublin theatre festival. https://dublintheatrefestival.ie/event/grace/
See “Grace” in Galway https://tht.ie/4359/baboro-2024
Follow Jody on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/oneill.jody
Listen to our podcast here: https://open.acast.com/public/streams/6654619f38e8dd0012bdbe10/episodes/66e018693c6083469371c2f3.mp3
THE WELLNESS CLINIC 