Everyday People

Paola De Angelis is a broadcast and pilates teacher in Rome, Italy. You can listen to Paola's radio show here: https://www.raiplayradio.it/programmi/seigradi/

James Norton is an Irish Poet and Buddhist. "Between Bridges" is taken from "The Fragrance of Dust", a collection of Jim's writing, written over a 20 year period.

Níall & Josie Ó Murchú were stressed, tired and sick... then they learned the Wim Hof method and their lives were transformed...

Gearoid decided he wanted to join the Irish Air Corps when he was 15. His dream was to be the Presidential Pilot. The first step was to get in... He researched the admission process - the aptitude test, the physical assessment, the interview. He was determined to excel in each area but there was one thing missing... He learned that the interviewers liked to see that you've had some life experience -  a project you led or another achievement. He needed a story - something to talk about in the interview - so he entered the BT Young Scientist Competition with his school. He worked hard for a few months on the project and nailed it. Well Gearoid didn't just stop at the BT Young Scientist Competition. Since then, he kayaked from Ireland to Scotland, he set a world record, and set up several businesses. But did he ever get to fly the president? Press play to find out.

Kingsley Aikins (@kingsleyaikins) is the founder and CEO of Diaspora Matters. He has spent over 30 years working in 6 countries in the areas of trade, investment, philanthropy, education, culture, tourism and sport. As CEO of the Worldwide Ireland Funds, Kingsley helped raise over $250m for philanthropic causes. Kingsley is passionate about networking. His mission is to help individuals and companies become better Networkers. His company, Diaspora Matters does this with online and in-person training, videos and articles. In this conversation, we talk about how he learned to network, how countries can harness the power of their diasporas, as well as networking tips for people who might be uncomfortable about networking. Please enjoy!

A few years ago, I was listening to a podcast called London Real. London Real features interviews with the most interesting people on the planet. One week, the latest episode of London Real comes out and it's this guy Philip McKernan who I had't heard of - I press play and a of a sudden there's an Irish accent. I'm used to hearing American and British accents on London Real and now here's a Dublin accent. "Who is this guy?", I thought. So the accent got me interested. And then I listened to what Philip was saying and his message got me hooked. Philip has an amazing gift of cutting to the core of what's important. And what's most important is not always the most comfortable. He'll ask a question like, 'What conversation do not want to have?' Who do you want approval from right now? Are you driven towards your goals because they are valuable in themselves, or because you want to make a point to someone? Are you living authentically, or at the mercy of a story that no longer works for you? These are hard,

Niall Doherty writes books, build websites, and helps people get started working online. He spent 44 months traveling around the world without flying. He's from Waterford, Ireland but has called dozens of countries his home. Right now he's in Bansko, Bulgaria. Thanks for listening to Everyday People. Please rate, subscribe and review on iTunes, (or wherever you get your podcasts). I'd love to hear from you. Say hello on Twitter (@conorsweets) or Instagram (@conor.sweets).

Earlier this year, Patricia Fitzgerald decided to leave her 27 year career as a Senior Librarian to pursue her passion.

If you are afraid of public speaking, it's reassuring to know that every great communicator has been in your shoes. They have felt their chest tighten and their palms sweat. Eric Fitzpatrick was no different. At the start of our conversation tells the story of his first time speaking in public: "I'm pretty sure that no one in the room that day would have encouraged me to write a book about presentations!". But that's exactly what he did. Since then, Eric has dedicated himself to helping others get over that fear.  My guest this week is Eric Fitzpatrick. In our chat we talk about Eric's journey from his first speech to now where Eric is a Speaking Coach and Professional Speaker. In his new book, Persuade With Purpose, he outlines the "T.R.U.E Presentation" model. This a great a tool for helping people to create to create memorable, engaging and persuasive speeches and presentations.  If you ever have to speak in public, you'll get a lot listening to this conversation: reassurance, insight and practical advi

#014 Andrew Considine (part 2) - On Achievement Verses Fulfillment by Everyday People podcast by Conor Sweetman

If you had told Andrew Considine at age 15 that we would be the first one of his class from school to get a job, he would not have believed you. In fact neither would his teachers, family or friends!  And if you had also told them he would join the priesthood at 20, move to Ireland, fall in love and leave the seminary by age 28, they would of thought you were cracked all together... Nowadays Andrew is a personal and professional development coach. He works with businesses and individuals as a speaker, trainer and coach.  Andrew's Twitter handle sums in up his work perfectly, it's @inspireachieve. Please hello to him there. You can also check out his website, andrewconsidine.com.  This week's story is only the tip of the Andrew Considine iceberg. The original interview was over an hour long. Next week I will be releasing the full unedited interview where we talk about Andrew's work in a lot more detail.  To get the next episode and all the other episodes, make sure you have subscribed on iTunes or wherever

This week's episode in with founder of The Third Act, Dr Edward Kelly. The term, third act refers to the third act in our lives. The first act is childhood and our teenage years. The transition to the second act happens in our twenties. When we get into our fifties and sixties, we move into the third act. But what happens then? Nowadays when people retire, they have a whole new gift of time - twenty or thirty years - that the generation before them never had. Average Life expectancy in the developed world is now close to 80. Half of all babies born since 2000 are expected to celebrate their 100th birthdays. And this doesn't just apply to babies; if you are 60 now you have a 50% chance of living to 90 or more Naturally there are practical questions like, will I be healthy? How will I support myself financially? Where will I live? But there's a whole other set of questions that are lot deeper and a lot more difficult to answer... What will do now? Who will I be now? What's my purpose? Edward through his

This week's episode is with Des Mullally. Des runs Facebook page called Dublin 8 where he collects and share stories about Dublin richest historic quarter. Ever since the Vikings first saw its potential, Dublin 8 has been the heartbeat of the city. And there's a lot there! Dublin 8 is home to museums, theaters, monuments, Cathedrals and a world famous brewery; not to mention Ireland's oldest street, pub, library and fish & chip shop. In this episode, Des takes me on a walking tour of Dublin 8. And what's amazing is that the sites he shows me are sites that I have been ignorantly walking past for years. Des sees the world differently to most people. While most of us have our heads in smartphones, Des looks up. He notices what's interesting. And then he goes a step further - he shares what he notices. And in doing so he connects people with the past, provides joy through nostalgia and inspires the rest of us to look up.

Jane Stephenson runs seminars.ie which brings international inspirational speakers to Ireland. She set up the business in 1995. There was a lot happening in Ireland in 1995... boxer Steve Collins became a world champion, Father Ted first appeared on our televisions, and signs of the Celtic Tiger were beginning to show. For Jane, it wasn't such a happy time. She had just returned to Ireland from London after being conned out of her savings. To add to to that, she was a single mother trying to raise two kids but had no job to support them. Throughout this time, Jane found herself gravitating towards the self-help section of book shops. Titles like, "Feel The Fear and Do It Anyway" and "Don't Sweat the Small Stuff" really spoke out to her. These titles had once felt cheesy to her but now felt like they were showing her the way. Setting up any business takes courage. But setting up a business having already been burnt in life and when the stakes are so high takes real guts. The first speaker Jane brought to I

Elva Carri (@elvacarri) is co-founder of Girl Crew. I love the Girl Crew origin story... Finding all her friends were busy one Friday night when she was keen to go out dancing, Elva changed her settings on Tinder to make sure she’d show up to girls in her area. Using a big pink text graphic as a profile image, she explained she was in fact female and was simply looking for some new friends to head out dancing with. Much to her surprise, Elva accumulated over 100 matches within 24 hours A few weeks later, Elva set up a private Facebook group and asked the girls from Tinder to join. A few hours after setting up the group, Elva returned to her computer to find that dozens had joined the group and girls were already organising events and spreading the word. It was at that moment the penny dropped and Elva realised the potential of this idea. Girl Crew was born. Girl Crew now has almost 85,000 members in 46 cities, spanning multiple counties. Alongside Elva are her two co-founders Aine Molloy and Pamela Newenha

A few years ago, I played a gig with Keith Burke's band. It was a hot July night. And it was even hotter by the time you had walked the four flights of stairs to get up to the Odessa club in Dublin. You'd cool down quickly though. It was a dark, romantically-lit room. I remember the sound of talking and laughing and clinking glasses getting louder and louder as more people began to arrive. Without saying a word, Keith signaled to me and the other musicians that it was time to start. As we made our way to the stage, I noticed the volume of the crowd drop. By the time Keith is standing at the microphone, the room was silent. Keith doesn't get nervous. He smiles at the audience, they smiles back... the band begins to play. There is an intimacy to a Keith Burke gig that is quite unique. I was hoping to capture some of that intimacy in this interview. You are going to hear a conversation between two friends. You are also going to hear a bit of an experiment in the format of the podcast... Keith released an album

I first heard Ailbhe Smyth (@ailbhes) speak at a conference in Dublin called Show & Tell. It was one of those moments where I have realised how ignorant I am (and I've had plenty of those moments!). No only did I get a kick in the head and a glimpse into reality, I was overcome by a sense of admiration for Ailbhe and for anyone, anywhere who is campaigning to improve the lives of others. It's their courage that amazes the most. How many of us are afraid to simply be on our own for a short period of time? We've all done it... You're out for a drink or a coffee or an ice-cream with a friend, they head to the bathroom, and we pull out our phones and check Facebook so that we have a bit of company while we wait. Yet campaigners like Ailbhe are not afraid to stand out from the pack, to be different, to challenge the status quo and fight for a better world. There should be more people in the world like Ailbhe. Ailbhe Smyth is a feminist campaigner and former academic. She was the founding director of the Women’s

"Scene is picture. Picture is memory. It's about imprinting memories and engaging your listener" - Liam O'Brien This week’s guest is Liam O’Brien. Liam O'Brien is the Series Producer of RTE’s Documentary on One, a radio documentary series and podcast Liam started at Doc on one in 2005. Since then, the team has gone on to win over 180 national and international awards - making it the most successful radio documentary unit in the world Liam himself has been involved in over 300 productions. Any feedback, you leave it on iTunes, on Twitter or you can send me an email. Enjoy! Conor

This week's guest is David Lyttle (@david_lyttle). A man of many talents, he is a songwriter, jazz drummer, music producer, record label owner, and fellow podcaster. He has been described by Rolling Stone magazine as "one of the best, robust listening experiences you're likely to have all year". I have been a fan of David's work for about ten years now so it was great to finally meet him and chat with him about music, life and everything in between. David started out as a child performer at the age of four with his family band. He caught the attention of Irish jazz fans like me while performing with legendary guitarist Louis Stewart. Since then, he's gone on to perform in fifteen countries and develop associations with jazz icons like Joe Lovano, hip hop visionaries like Talib Kweli and the Irish music star Duke Special. The release of his third album, Faces, led to a MOBO award nominations. I caught up with David last December, having just finished his busiest touring year in the UK and Europe. 2017 will

Born in 1961 in Newry, Northern Ireland, Sean Hillen is an artist and a fascinating character. In this wide-renting conversation, we cover his early life in Northern Ireland, literary influences, censorship, UFOs and his recent diagnosis with Aspergers. As you will hear, Sean is heavily influenced by Ireland's literary greats such as Joyce, Beckett, Kavanagh. After the interview, I text him to ask where is a good place for someone to start with these writers. Not only was it a great answer to the question but the short text really captures Sean's personality: Conor: Hi Sean. I'll be releasing the podcast on Monday. In your opinion, who's the most accessible of the "crazy bastard writers"? Where's a good place for people to start? Sean: Hi Conor. I suppose you mean my 'dead boyfriends', the Asperger genii..?? Well, they're all different kettles of fish: Joyce, Yeats and Beckett the more highbrow (?) and Brendan Behan and Myles na gCopaleen more the comedians - with Paddy Kavanagh plowing his own furrow a