1% Better

Welcome to the 1% Better Podcast.Leah Olszewski has had quite the journey so far. She is an award-winning Entrepreneur, a Commissioned Officer in the US Army, holds an MBA & PMP and has just come through a very challenging couple of years personally. But, as you'll hear, she's looking forward to what the future will bring with focus and resilience.During the interview, Leah talks me through the path life has had in store for her, touching on early years growing up, lessons learned at university, finally realising her ambition of becoming a commissioned officer, to becoming an accidental entrepreneur with her sister, and, in more recent times, dealing with domestic violence in her personal life. Thankfully, she's a very strong and determined lady and is now focusing on the next chapter in her journey.You should listen to this podcast as it's always interesting, has many turning points and touches on so many valuable lessons that you can take something from. A more detailed summary of the podcast can be fou

This is just me testing out the live show features as I might look to do this a bit more in the near future!

John Eades is the CEO of LearnLoft, an organization focused on developing the modern professional. He is also the author of F.M.L. Standing Out and Being a Leader and host of the Follow My Lead podcast. He wants a world where every modern professional adds value to his or her organization and the world. He writes or has been featured on Inc.com, LinkedIn Pulse, TrainingIndustry.com, eLearningIndustry.com, CNBC Money, and more. He also was a professional Golfer which he says thought him how to deal with failure!When I asked John to be a guest on the podcast, I didn't expect to discuss Garth Brooks' hit song 'Standing Outside the Fire', Soccer (Football) or Faith but it's amazing what comes up and becomes very relevant as these conversations unfold and this one was absolutely one of the best so far for that.During this hour long conversation, we go broad and deep into John's career, learnings, turning points, faith, success, and so much more. A summary of the topics covered including the key 1% Better takeaways

Dermot Mannion has been the CEO of Aer Lingus, Deputy Chairman of Royal Brunei Airlines and President of Group Services at Emirates Airlines. He now runs his own consulting and coaching business, Dermot Mannion Consulting.I was lucky enough to have Dermot as a classmate during the Executive Coaching Diploma we were on together at the IMI in 2016. Right from the start, Dermot was someone I, and everyone on the course, was impressed by. So, when I started the podcast in 2017, he was one guest I really wanted to get on the show. I was delighted that we could make that happen.During this hour long conversation, Dermot brings us through his career and shares valuable insights and lessons he’s learned along the way. From his early career with Ulster Bank, to the CEO position with Aer Lingus, going toe-to-toe with Ryanair, and then holding the role of deputy chairman with Royal Brunei Airlines. He has had quite the career so far.It's a fascinating show. I know you’ll enjoy it.A high-level summary of the topics discu

Donna Taggart is a Celtic singer and musician. Born in Omagh in County Tyrone in Northern Ireland she first came to prominence in 2011 when her acclaimed debut album Celtic Lady Vol. 1 was picked up by highly respected BBC Radio Ulster presenter Gerry Anderson.Donna shot to fame in 2016 with over 27 million Facebook views of her video rendition of "Jealous of the Angels" which was written by Jenn Bostic in 2010. Since then, Donna has had over 150millions plays/listens/view across the social platforms and it’s rising day by day!I was delighted to meet with Donna in person and record this episode of the podcast just before she played in the Ballymaloe Grainstoreback in April. We had a fun chat and got a lot into under 30 minutes.The topics that came up during the conversation include:Last time she played in the Grainstore at 39 weeks pregnantEarly Memories – growing upBeing reserved and sensitive so didn’t believe singing was her pathBecoming a teacher but Life having another planDeveloping Self-believe - 90% b

Hi all,This week we focus very much on the power and importance of Communication, making Connections, building your Network and creating Communities. All of which my guest, Steve Lenox, does exceptionally well.Steve runs his own consulting business, Lenox Consulting, and has offices here in Cork as well as in New York and New Jersey.In addition to his busy consulting practice, Steve is the President of the Irish Network USA which is the national umbrella organization integrating the Irish Networks that exist in various cities across the United States. It allows members of the networks to connect with their peers and to develop relationships that will foster success in their business, economic, cultural and sports ventures. During Steve’s time here, it has grown to over 20 Chapters and has a mission to bolster business between Ireland the US.During the conversation, which we recorded just around St. Patricks Day, Steve talks me through his career, lessons learned along the way and shares lots of advice from pe

Hi all,In this week's episode, I have the privilege to share a conversation with Madeleine Black about her debut book, Unbroken. This is a story with real suffering, pain, and trauma. It is also one that has compassion, forgiveness, healing, recovery, and hope.In the memoir, Madeleine tells her deeply moving, important and empowering story, as she discovers that life is about how a person chooses to recover from adversity.At the age of 13, Madeleine Black was violently gang-raped. For years afterward, she lived in a state of shock, self-loathing and self-harm. It took her years to confront the buried memories and pain of the attack. When her own daughter turned 13, all these memories fully resurfaced. This time, Madeleine knew it was time to find a way to accept what had happened, find a way to forgive, and move forward with her own life.In 2014, when Madeleine Black decided to share her story publicly for the first time, the reaction and response was one she didn't expect. So many women and men got in touch

Martin Brennan is the Managing Director of Proactive Management, which specialises in Management Training, Team Training, Coaching, Train the Trainer, Course Design and Accreditation. He has delivered training at Board, Senior Management, Middle Management and Operator Levels. He’s also a qualified Occupational Psychologist.I was introduced to Martin earlier this year (thanks Maria) as someone that would be a great guest on the podcast as so much of his work around coaching, values, self-improvement, setting and achieving goals align directly with what the theme of the show is. And I can 100% say he didn’t disappoint.During the conversation, Martin bring us on a journey through his 30+ year career and shares insights, stories and very valuable lessons he’s taken onboard to help him grow and develop and is now sharing these for your benefit.The one main aim I have for each episode of this show is to provide some value to you. I know I’ve taken some actionable nuggets from this show and I’m confident you will d

My guest this week is 2009 World Champion in the 20km walk, Olive Loughnane. I was very much looking forward to chatting with Olive to get a view into what made her the highly successful champion that she was. So, naturally I was delighted when we connected back in February and she ‘walked’ (sorry) me though her career.As a big sport fan, with a huge interest in performance psychology and how to get that extra 1%, listening to Olive talk about her gradual improvement over the years, having fierce determination and, of course, never giving up, was a real treat.During the conversation, Olive shared stories that stood out during her journey and breaks down what the process is and what the key ingredients are to become a world champion. She almost makes it sound possible for the average person!The topics covered include:Being Originally from Cork and moved to Galway at the age of 4.Spending school and her degree years in GalwayEarliest memories linked to the Moscow Olympics in 1980Having a fondness and love for t

Mental Health, Depression, Suicide Awareness, Asking for Help and knowing that it’s Ok not to feel Ok are at the centre of this week's podcast conversation with founder of Cycle Against Suicide Jim Breen.  Jim Breen is the Founder and Chairman of PulseLearning (www.PulseLearning.com) and Chairman of Becloudsmart (www.Becloudsmart.com).  Jim is also a Director at Cork BIC (www.Corkbic.com) and an Advisor to The Wheel (www.Wheel.ie).He came to public attention in 2012 when he appeared on the TV Show Secret Millionaire. It was during his appearance on this show, while spending time working with a suicide awareness group in Dublin, that he hit a breaking point. Witnessing first-hand the destructive nature that depression and mental illness could bring during the show, he faced a tipping point of his own. One that he had to face head on.As you’ll hear from my conversation with Jim, he’s been through a lot in the last 6 years. During this period, he’s been on his own immense journey, not only working through his ow

Go with your gut is a phrase we’re all very familiar with. How it's tied into intuition and that feeling you get in your stomach from time to time, when you know something isn’t just right or that you’re very certain of a situation or decision yet can’t understand why! It’s fascinating and something I’ve been keen to learn more about over the years.Ted Dinan is Professor of Psychiatry at University College Cork and a Principal investigator in the APC Microbiome Institute. His clinical activity is focused on treating patients with severe forms of depression. Ted, along with two other professors in UCC, released a book called the Psychobiotic Revolution last year that has ground breaking research in the area of the gut and now it impacts your mood and overall mental health. The Psychobiotic Revolution has been hailed by the science community as a “game-changer”. The book explores the mysterious world of the gut – a “second brain” that weights around 2kg – and how to nourish our microbes. The book claims that b

Welcome to the second and final part of the interview with Sarah Abbott. The reception from part one has been very positive. Lots of actionable tips shared and this one has even more. The show charted at #8 in the iTunes education chart at the weekend which was great to see it up there riding high. Great to know that new folks are checking out the show and hopefully taking some positive insights from each episode. Last Monday I launched One Minute Monday. A new idea I’ve had to share one piece of wisdom on a Monday that lasts a minute. Check that out here. But back to this week’s show. In part two we move on to new topics covering Leadership, the work of Robert Keegan around Leadership Development, Millennials and, towards the end, we wrap up with some of the regular questions  on topics such as sleep, meditation, and more book recommendations. Here is a more detailed list of what’s in the show below.Leadership: •Is a Leader is Born or Bred?•Anyone can become a great leader with self-awareness •Hiring people

Hi there, It has been a very interesting week since the release of the episode with Josh Quigley last Friday. Thanks to all that connected in directly, commented on the socials, provided feedback and nice words. Something like 30,000 views on LinkedIn alone so that’s great. For those that checked out the episode, thank you. It’s very clear that this is a topic that needs more discussion & exposure so I’ll be returning to it again in the next few with a couple of episodes that I’ve already recorded. More to come.To this week’s episode. We switch focus towards Management, Coaching, Leadership, Values. All subjects that my guest, Sarah Abbott, has extensive experience in. I worked with Sarah during her time leading HR for EMEA at EMC and Dell EMC. Last year she set up her own venture, The People Practice, with co-founder Susan Manning. Sarah is an Experienced HR Executive with a demonstrated history of working in the information technology and services industry. Skilled in HR Leadership, Executive Coaching,

Hi there,I’m delighted to share this week’s episode with you. It’s a conversation with Josh Quigley.On the 2nd November 2015, Josh made a video that he shared on Facebook telling the story of surviving a suicide attempt. This video went viral and Josh’s life changed ever since.Josh came my attention a while after that when he gained media attention for his plan to cycle around the world (50k miles) to raise awareness from mental health, depression.Earlier in 2015 Josh attempted to take his own life. He hit a motorway barrier at 80mph. He somehow survived and literally walked away. The Movie Unbreakable with Bruce Willis came to my mind when he explained this story to me. He talks about what lead up to it and what life has been like since. A really fascinating story and one that is continuing to evolve. Even since I’ve talked with Josh back in January, a lot has happened, and his journey continues to keep me, and many others on social media very interested.During the conversation, Josh talks about the days and

Hi all,Welcome to the show.  It’s was my pleasure to talk with Emma O’Toole for this episode.Emma runs her own successful Yoga studio/business in Dublin, cunningly titled Yoga with Emma (www.yogawithemma.ie), and I was introduced to her through Samantha Kelly, who I interviewed near the end of Season 1. During my conversation with Samantha, the subject of Type 1 Diabetes came up as Samantha’s daughter has the condition. As I also am a Type1 Diabetic, I was interested to focus more on it in a future episode. Thanks to Samantha, Emma and I were able to make it happen.Why did I want to share this story?Since my own diagnosis, I have been learning so much about it over the last 5 years. In general, I feel it’s not a well understood condition and also can be a stigma attached to it. Education around it and the signs that it might be developing can help with an early diagnosis. Also, making others aware that someone has the condition is key too.I would guess that someone you know has type 1 Diabetes. And more are g

Hi all,So, this really feels like the season is up and going now with the first guest interview upon us.First off though, thanks so much for the great feedback for the intro episode. I really wanted to get a few updates out on all that’s being going on in pre-season. And for those that have listened in last year and have seen things develop and grow, I hope you got something from the plans for the next stage of the journey.If you didn’t get to check out EP1, go back and have a listen! Linked here. And please do check out the Support page on the site where I have links to the Pro Bono coaching offering, Patreon (where you can support the show) and the Amazon affiliates link.Ok, on to this weeks guest. It’s fitting that I’m releasing this rugby themed episode in the aftermath of the Irish rugby teams grand slam success (well done guys) as I am delighted to introduce Jonathan (Jonny) Holland.Jonny is a retired Irish rugby who was making a serious impression with the Munster Rugby team in Ireland (that is a provi

Welcome to the 1% Better Podcast. This is Season Two. Episode One. It’s great to be back and have you here with me!I’ve done my best to stick to a 25-minute Pomodoro inspired episode and I’ve tried to squeeze as much as I could into this timeframe. The aim is to give you an insight into what I’ve been working on in the background over the last 2+ months since wrapping up Season One.As I release this episode, I have already over 12 shows recorded and in the queue for roll-out. I’m genuinely excited by the stories that I’ll be sharing in the coming weeks.I launched Season One 12 months ago (a week earlier than this). In the year since, I’ve learned so much about this whole podcasting game and an awful lot about myself too. I hope you’ve taken something from some/many of the episodes last year and am excited to provide more 1% Better insights and ideas that you can apply in 2018.So, with that, and extending one (or two) finger(s) in the face of the imposter syndrome, let me give you an overview of what’s in toda

Hi all,In this short catch up show, I chat a bit about what's in the works for season two of the show, chat about some 2018 goals and generally talk about stuff that's been going on since Season One ended at end of 2017. Check out the full page on the www.robofthegreen.ie site for more notes and links to a few things mentioned. Cheers,Rob

Hi all,Welcome back to part 2 of the ONE documentary where I followed the Irish Amputee Football team on their journey just before, during and just after the European Amputee Football Championships in Turkey in Oct 2017.Please go to the episode to get the full show notes. The link is www.robofthegreen.ie/episodes/ep50-one-p2/Thank you so much for listening.

Welcome listeners,This is a slightly different episode to normal but it's still very much following the same theme as other 1% better shows. For this two-part show, I've dipped the toe into the documentary pool for the first time. During it, I track the fortunes of the Irish Amputee Football Team as they prepared for, played in, and reflected back on their experiences from the 2017 European Amputee Football Championships that took place in Turkey in October. Ireland was one of 12 teams at the tournament. The sound clip you can hear at the very start was from Simon Baker, who is very much responsible for bringing Amputee football to Ireland. In the six years since he helped establish the team in Ireland, they've gone from strength to strength and the team were looking forward to their first Euopean Championships. So a little more background!Back in April this year, I had to pleasure to chat with David Saunders for the podcast. David plays for the Irish Amputee Football team and told his story in EP16 - www.rob