Happier At Work: Leadership, Culture, Performance

This 7th episode in the Leadership Series features Saskia Kremer. We speak personal leadership and what you need to do in order to manage yourself. We cover things like being proactive rather than reactive, reflecting on your day “if you don’t run the day, the day runs you” but in a non-judgemental way, chunking your vision down to smaller pieces, and celebrating the wins. Saskia helps successful, time challenged high level management, directors and business owners, who can’t find the bandwidth to pursue more profitable projects and increase their performance, without the overwhelm. Saskia, once a Missionary, worked alongside Mother Teresa herself, which brought her around the globe, helping people discover their meaning in life in sometimes heart-breaking circumstances. She left the missions following her own experience of burnout to pursue her lifelong dream of having her own business. In 2016 she moved from Holland to Ireland and specialized in working with business owners, consultants and managers showing them how to create a bigger vision for their business and life, create clarity on more profitable projects and create higher performing teams. She has worked with countless clients in Europe and continues to build her reach. Her story was featured in National Newspapers and with Irish broadcasters including RTE one with Ryan Tubridy. You will find her speaking and inspiring people at events globally. www.saskia.ie https://www.linkedin.com/in/aoifemobrien www.empowermentcoaching.ie

This 6th episode in the Leadership Series features Timen Baart from TrustXP. We speak about all things trust in the workplace, with a specific focus on employee trust and what as leaders we can do to drive trust. We answer questions like: What is trust? Why is it important? What drives trust? Timen shares his insights on this elusive topic, and delves into the key drivers: fairness; competence; identification; reciprocity; transparency. It all starts with leadership!Timen Baart is the author of Win With Trust. Timen presents why an empathetic approach to trust is the key to success in business. He explains that employee trust requires leaders to view employees not as liabilities, nor assets, but as individuals who are the hero in their own story. Trust starts as an elusive concept, but Timen presents a framework to identify trust issues and provides a way to systematically improve trust. It arms managers and leaders with the awareness and skills to increase trust, and to make the business case for trust. As the CEO of TrustXP, he works with companies and consultants to measure and enhance employee trust.www.trustxp.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/aoifemobrien www.empowermentcoaching.ie

This episode features Asumpta Gallagher, the owner and founder of Best Practice. She launched her business in early 2018 to provide supports to GP’s, their Practices and their Staff. The services that Best Practice provide, enables GPs to spend more time being the Doctors they want to be. Best Practice helps to standardise processes, implement systems as well as providing tailored training to staff inhouse, remotely and through external workshops. A well managed Practice empowers and motivates the entire Practice Team, and results in a better work life balance for everyone as well as improved Patient Care. A full list of services can be found on www.bestpractice.ie Asumpta and I discuss what makes a good leader, the difference between managing and leading, ambition, success, asking for help and starting with why.www.bestpractice.ie https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3rZLZwwq6rA https://www.linkedin.com/in/aoifemobrien www.empowermentcoaching.ie

This episode features Tim Kidd, the Europanel Managing Director for Kantar’s Worldpanel division, with responsibility for the UK, France, Spain, Ireland, Portugal, Greece plus the US. Kantar Worldpanel is centred on the creation of data and insight to help clients understand people better (specifically what they buy and consume) and to inspire growth. Tim has been in the business for 27 years and is retiring at the end of March, which will be a sad and happy day in equal measure. He believes strongly that if we get the people part of business “right”, then clients will get more value from their relationship with us and this in turn will lead to us having a stronger business ourselves. And by “right” he means that everyone in the team knows where we’re going, what their part in that is, is able to grow personally, is valued and respected and has fun along the way too. Many companies talk about people, but he hopes his legacy will be a to have a led a team where the people focus is authentic.Tim and I discuss what makes a good leader, what it means to put people first, and what practical steps you can take to make it a [email protected]://www.kantarworldpanel.com/ie/Careerswww.linkedin.com/in/aoifemobrien

This episode features Stephen Naughton, an experienced leadership coach and consultant with unique skills in operational leadership and team coaching. He has over 16 years’ experience in leading teams in financial services and developing the Operations Performance Centres of Excellence. Stephen covering a wide variety of topics such as leadership, emotional intelligence, diversity awareness, virtual communications and resilience. He continues to coach executives and also coaches college students on a pro bono basis. He's also the host of the Good Boss Bad Boss Podcast and has a passionate belief in the potential of every human being!Stephen and I discuss what makes a good leader, playing to your strengths, the importance of reflection, values, and the importance of connection in building trust. A leader must: inspire trust; clarify the purpose; align the systems; unleash the talent. Above all, a leader is someone who others want to follow!https://www.stephennaughton.com/good-boss-bad-boss-podcasthttps://www.stephennaughton.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/aoifemobrien

22: Fiona English on Meaning at Work by Aoife O'Brien

This episode features Bernard Jackman, former Irish international and Leinster rugby player whose story of success and failure – of bouncing back – makes him an engaging and entertaining speaker who can talk with authority, ease and humour about what success looks like and how to take responsibility for, and create, your own success.Bernard and I discuss what leadership means, what makes a good leader, and recipes for success. Leadership starts with purpose, clear communication of that purpose, a strategy and plan in place to achieve that, and a clear culture of behaviours to enable the strategy. This is all made possible by clear communication channels and providing feedback as to where you are versus where you need to be.https://www.linkedin.com/in/bernardjackman/https://www.linkedin.com/in/aoifemobrien https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5771014-the-talent-code

In this special episode of the podcast, I speak with a range of people about their experience of imposter syndrome. Louise Goss is founder of Homeworker magazine, Adrian Whelan is a Senior Vice President and Head of Regulatory Intelligence for Investor Services at Brown Brothers Harriman (BBH), Andrea Mara is a crime fiction author, Peter Hill works in analytics in the fast moving consumer goods industry in Sydney, Korina Duffy has her own business Korina Duffy Fitness. All of them share their own experience of imposter syndrome: how it shows up and what we can do about it.Imposter syndrome can show up in many ways. Trying to be perfect (perfectionism) or overcompensating because you think you don’t know enough and you’re going to be “found out”; procrastinating doing things because nothing you do is ever good enough; you think that “other people” know much more than you do, and you compare yourself to the anonymous masses; you’re trying to be a superhero and be the expert at absolutely everything; you’re afraid of being judged; you believe you’re underqualified; being out of your comfort zone; the more you know, the more you know you don’t know!Overcoming imposter syndrome: know that you’re not alone, it is experienced by people at all levels it doesn’t favour one gender versus another; recognise imposter syndrome for what it is; learn from your mistakes, using “failure” as a way to learn and grow; do the work now, don’t wait until you “feel” like you’re an imposter/ in a situation where your imposter will rear its ugly head; think about who you serve (it’s not about you); talk to someone about how you’re feeling; put together a success, praise, feedback folder; own your own story, be responsible for your own story.

This episode features Sara Lasker of Healthy & Hygge. We talk all things Hygge, considered a defining characteristic of Danish culture. Hygge is associated with cosiness and an overall sense of harmony with your environment leading to greater wellbeing. We discuss how it’s not just a winter phenomenon, how to be more Hygge, and what that looks like specifically in work.Health is more than just the number on a glucose meter. As one of the first people in the world dually certified as a Master Certified Health Education Specialist and Certified Diabetes Educator, Sara works to help people find harmony in all areas of wellness: Occupational, Social, Spiritual, Intellectual, Physical, Emotional, Environmental, and Financial. She has worked in education, government, medical clinics, non-profits and worn many titles in life Daughter, Diabetes Advocate, Counsellor, Teacher, Wife, Medical Assistant, Coach, but those do not define her just like a number should not define you!www.healthyandhygge.comwww.onetonline.org

This episode features Kate Maree O’Brien, leadership expert. We talk all things boundaries – how to recognise when your boundaries are unclear or non-existent, what lies beneath that behaviour, and how to untangle yourself from that web. People pleasing leads to over-functioning, which in turn leads to under-functioning of those around you. Are you taking things on for other people that they really should be doing for themselves? Turn unspoken agreements into spoken boundaries. We train people how to treat us. Don’t be afraid to say “no” when you mean it, it won’t damage the relationship. Take some time to really understand your needs, and communicate them. Never “let this one slide” or say to yourself “just this once” – it’s a slippery slope! Remember your “why”!Kate Maree O’Brien lives and breathes personal leadership. She’s the founder of SHE - Australasia’s largest women’s leadership and empowerment event – and over the last 15 years, has personally smashed through major glass ceilings – again and again and again, demonstrating all that she stands for in being able to rewrite our own futures. Kate was once addicted to drugs, anorexic and suffered from social anxiety. Nowadays she’s a highly regarded leadership coach, sought after speaker, and is well known for her down-to-earth teachings and bullshit free approach to creating breakthrough results.https://katemareeobrien.com/training/

This episode features Brigid Farrell from All Talk Training. We discuss how to improve your communication, specifically in a cross-cultural environment. We speak about the importance of self-awareness and empathy, the impact of culture on our communication, and the importance of ensuring you have been understood.Brigid Farrell, founder of AllTalk Training, works with companies who operate internationally and have culturally diverse teams, helping them to eradicate communication issues that arise due to differences in language and culture. Having spent several years abroad, Brigid has observed countless instances of communication breakdown due to cultural misunderstandings. In addition to this, her work training businesspeople in English has also afforded her extensive insight into the areas that lead to miscommunication in international business. This experience led Brigid to identify a pressing need - the development of communication training for those working within diverse teams. This training offers practical solutions to the question ‘What can we, native speakers of English, do to ensure non-native speakers are given an equal voice?’ Uncovering what can be done to improve cross-cultural interactions not only reduces instances of miscommunication and cultural misinterpretation, but also helps to drive collaboration among diverse teams.www.alltalktraining.com

This episode features Jason Cooper an Advanced Mind, Business & Sales Coach/trainer. We discuss how to improve your performance, especially at work. We speak about authenticity; being true to yourself. Showing vulnerability to build a rapport with others. This builds trust, shows the true side of you, and makes you less superhero and more human! Being ok with not “knowing it all” and seeking help from others. Having a growth mindset, using feedforward instead of feedback. Visualisation as a great tool for achieving what you want. How to move away from multi-tasking so you can be more productive and get more done.Jason Cooper is an Advanced Mind, Business & Sales Coach/trainer and uses tools and techniques of NLP, Neuroscience, Psychology and other tools and processes to help people and teams achieve sales success. He has over 20 years of sales and marketing experience - from large multinationals to small, aggressive, online tech startups. Jason specializes in business sales skills development within the IT, Retail, Finance, Export and Manufacturing industries. Jason has achieved consistent success resulting in marked increases in productivity levels in sales targets, enhanced communication skill sets, advanced staff motivation, performance and presentation skills. Jason delivers exceptional sales growth through unique programs based on Neuroscience using NeuroSelling and other sales disciples for sales teams and sales Coaching for managers and coaches. This is based on how the brain works and the impact on a person’s neurology to help them improve and understand clients in a more effective way.https://jasoncooper.ie/

This episode features Pauline Rohdich from Just Pause, a rapid transformation therapist. She speaks about how changing our thoughts can have a dramatic impact on our life; mastering your mind can allow you to take your power back. Often we are living inside repeated patterns of behaviour, and holding ourselves back from reaching our true potential; living a “diluted” version of ourselves. 50% of our happiness is from genetics, 40% from our habits and beliefs, and only 10% is due to circumstances (although this is what most people try to change). If you have a belief that is holding you back, ask yourself “who am I without this belief?” “who can I be?” Pauline is the creator of Just Pause, a transformational business with a mission to remind each person that they have the power to change their life and cultivate unconditional happiness. She is an advanced RTT Clinical Hypnotherapist, Life Coach, Happiness Trainer, Yoga & Meditation Teacher, and NLP Practitioner. Growing up, Pauline always had a strong connection to the mystical and sensed there was so much more to understand about God and spirituality than what she had been exposed to in her strict Catholic upbringing. Her background has seen her as a Garda, Air Hostess, and an entrepreneur in a variety of small businesses. However, her deepest desire has always been to help people to be the best they can be and her biggest shift began in her mid-thirties.www.justpause.ie

Emiliana and I discuss all things happiness at work! The PERK framework - purpose, engagement, resilience, kindness. The importance of kindness in the workplace for business outcomes, especially when it comes to teamwork. How to communicate effectively and deal with conflict at work. The importance of mindfulness and gratitude at work. How there needs to be a culture and mindset shift away from the idea that work is bad and you can't be happy at work.Emiliana Simon-Thomas, PhD, is the Science Director at UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center. Trained in neuroscience and social psychology, she runs the student research fellowship program, directs key science initiatives, and teaches the The Science of Happiness, a massive open online course on the edX platform that has enrolled over 600,000 people worldwide. She also teaches the Science of Happiness at Work Professional Certificate Series on edX, and serves as an expert voice on the biology and psychology of well-being around the world. Her work highlights the critical role that pro-social experiences and behaviors play in happiness, and addresses research-backed approaches to improving happiness - like practicing mindfulness, or strengthening habits of compassion, gratitude, and generosity. Overall, Emiliana's work leverages scientific insights to help people live better lives individually, in relationship with others, within organizations and communities, and society-wide.https://ggsc.berkeley.eduhttps://ggsc.berkeley.edu/who_we_serve/researchers/uc_berkeley_student_fellowshipshttps://www.edx.org/course/the-science-of-happiness-3https://www.edx.org/professional-certificate/berkeleyx-science-of-happiness-at-workDublin Goal setting tickets: https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/goal-setting-workshop-kick-start-2020-with-a-mindset-for-success-tickets-83313644353Galway Goal setting tickets: https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/goal-setting-workshop-to-kick-start-2020-tickets-84865255263My website: www.empowermentcoaching.ie

Adrian Whelan from Brown Brothers Harriman (BBH) and I speak about inclusion in the workplace, among lots of others things. Being your authentic self at work, how to speak up, getting a mentor, the idea of "normal" (what is normal?), the key to fitting in at work, "giving it a go", self-awareness, reflection, creating a feedback culture, high performers, the "getting out of bed" test and how a diversity and inclusion policy results in better business outcomes.Adrian Whelan is a Senior Vice President and Head of Regulatory Intelligence for Investor Services at Brown Brothers Harriman (BBH), based in Dublin. In this role, he is responsible for articulating the impact of regulatory change on asset managers and the industry in which they operate. Mr. Whelan is the lead contributor to BBH’s On The Regs blog, where he regularly shares insights on global regulatory topics. He joined the firm in 2011.Mr. Whelan is active in the Investment Company Institute, the International Securities Lending Association, Irish Funds and Investment Association, and other global industry bodies and working groups focused on education and advocacy for regulatory and policy changes impacting the asset management and banking industries.Mr. Whelan is a champion of the Dublin chapter of BBH's Young Professionals Network and is active in the firm’s Asia Link Network and Pride Network.Adrian holds a degree in Business Studies from Dublin City University.https://ontheregs.com

In this episode, I speak with Treasa Spragg from Revolution Project Ltd all about the importance of sleep for our overall health and happiness in work. We talk about moving away from the “sleep when I’m dead” mentality, the importance of sleep cycles, prepping for social occasions/ late nights, being kind to your body, practical tips anyone can use to improve the quality of their sleep. Decide for yourself how you want to feel, make the necessary changes, and don’t forget to catalogue the changes (including how you feel). 2 key takeaways: no blue light (TV, phone, tablet etc) for 1-2 hours before bed – find other things to do instead like reading a book, chores you usually don’t get to, vision boards. No coffee after 12 midday.Treasa Spragg’s main mission in business is to make people happier and healthier. Treasa firmly believes that we all have intrinsic value with something unique to offer to the world but knows how difficult it is to show up and be our best selves when we’re low on resources with many of those resources coming from our sleep. When our sleep is compromised or sub-optimal, our moods suffer, our productivity and creativity go south and the detrimental effects on our health are evident almost immediately. A little knowledge of the lifestyle factors impacting our sleep and a few tweaks to our daily routines are all it takes to begin to improve our sleep immediately. We can then implement more elements for even greater benefits which are felt in the now and in our later years.https://[email protected]://www.linkedin.com/in/treasaspragg/

In this episode, I speak with Louise Goss from The Homeworker magazine about Working from Home. This episode is for remote workers, freelancers, entrepreneurs, flexible workers. Whether you love it or hate it, we discuss some very practical tips that you can implements to make working from home much better, productive, and happier. Things like: leave the house, schedule your day, don’t forget to schedule breaks too, listen to your body, acknowledge your achievements, don’t compare yourself to others. Stay motivated by remembering your why – who are you serving and how are they benefitting? Collate feedback and testimonials. Remember you have a choice – if you’re in a slump, you have the freedom to do something else. You will gain clarity through action – just take those small steps.Louise Goss is an award-winning journalist and the founder and editor of The Homeworker magazine. The Homeworker is a new publication that promotes a healthy mind, body and business and is dedicated to helping you thrive when you work from home. As a professional journalist, Louise has worked across TV, radio and print in regional, national and international newsrooms. She has enjoyed covering stories for organisations such as ITN, the BBC and Global radio as a reporter and newsreader. Having been self-employed and worked as a freelancer for much of her career, Louise launched The Homeworker magazine to support the growing number of people who now work from home. She is settling back into UK life after living in Australia where her two young children were born.www.thehomeworker.com

In this episode, I speak with Bettina Arnafjall from Women’s Career Lift. We discuss how, as women, we tend to get in our own way when it comes to managing our careers. It’s important to take stock of our achievements and communicate them effectively. Collect positive feedback and bring good news to your manager; be in the driving seat of your own career. If you’re not happy at work, stop complaining and take action. We also chat about raising your visibility, how to deal with mistakes, and the gender pay gap.Bettina has 8 years of experience as a hiring manager and also works as a freelance women’s career coach offering support with job applications (resume, cover letter, job interviews) while working full time. She is known for her curiosity, her desire to see and understand the big picture, her hands-on mentality, her project management talent, her laser sharp focus and her capability to achieve her targets. Website: www.womenscareerlift.com

In this episode, I speak with Bill Phillips about Timeshifting. We discuss how our happiness depends on how we construct our own realities. Time is an illusion, how to take a deep breath to get into the present moment and temporarily out of the “rat race”. We often find ourselves limited or controlled by time, and get stressed when we try to resist what’s happening to us. Be present in the moment, savour the moment, choose how you want to feel by identifying the thoughts that are driving your feelings. Having thoughts vs thinking – we can deliberately let thoughts go, and the more you practice, the better you will get.Bill Phillips is an accomplished and experienced international facilitator, training and learning specialist, team-builder and coach. One of his strengths is that he creates a positive thinking environment and inspires people to take action and get results. For the past 3 decades Bill has facilitated learning internationally, both on his own account and as a sub-contractor, with organisations including the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and the World Health Organisation (WHO). He has been a specialist in facilitating and working with teams and personal working preferences since 1987, and has worked using Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) since 1988. Research since then has focused on building resilience and wellbeing at work, and creating more choice through emotional intelligence.Bill’s email: [email protected] Access the resources Bill referenced here:Time Shifting: A Revolutionary New Approach To Creating More Time for Your Life by Stephan Rechtschaffen https://www.amazon.co.uk/Time-Shifting-Revolutionary-Approach-Creating/dp/0712671269The book he couldn’t remember is The Celestine Prophecy by James Redfield You will find the mindfulness tracks herehttps://soundcloud.com/aoife_ob/sets/tracking-thoughts-bill-phillips

In this episode, I speak with Gerry Duffy about Goal Setting. We discuss the importance of writing down your goals, being in control of your own future, getting clear on why you want to achieve your goals (start with why!), contracting in advance to avoid setbacks, being specific. What you do every day is more important than what you do once in a while. What does success look like to you? Try a “check-in Wednesday” How to stay motivated after the routine of the everyday has kicked in. The importance of setting smaller goals. Change your language around goal setting.Gerry Duffy is a professional speaker in the areas of Leadership, Goal Setting and Public Speaking. With a CV that has seen him work with over 800 companies and organisations since 2010 and a personal passion that has seen him complete many extreme sporting challenges (including running 32 marathons in 32 consecutive days) Gerry brings a mixture of corporate insights as well as personal success to his inspirational keynotes, workshops and corporate leadership programmes. Clients include Facebook, Google, Aldi, SAP, Boston Scientific, Hewlett Packard and British Gas. He has also authored three books including THE GOAL GETTER- ‘35 Different Ways to Reach Your Goals.’

In this episode of Happier at Work podcast, I speak with Andrew Barnes. Andrew’s company Perpetual Guardian sparked global media fascination with its flexible work model after it successfully trialled and implemented the four-day week, resulting in a 20% lift in employee productivity, a 27% reduction in work stress levels, and a 45% increase in employee work-life balance. The four-day week concept has proven to be extraordinarily popular around the world. Media coverage of the four-day week has reached 4.5 billion people in 70+ countries through more than 3,500 news articles and 11,500 social media posts.Andrew and I speak about the practicalities of implementing a 4-day week, input vs output, the impact on work as well as home life, which industries would benefit from a 4-day week and how healthier, happier people produce better results.You can find more details about the 4-day week here:https://4dayweek.comAccess the whitepaper here:https://4dayweek.com/access-white-paperSee Andrew’s announcement of the trial of the 4-day week:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rA4TFMHamw Andrew’s TEDx Talk:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjgqCgoxElwPre-order the 4-day Week book:Amazon US https://www.amazon.com/Day-Week-productivity-profitability-sustainable/dp/034942490X/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=the+4+day+week+andrew+barnes&qid=1569487824&s=gateway&sr=8-1 Amazon UK https://www.amazon.co.uk/Day-Week-productivity-profitability-sustainable/dp/034942490X/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=the+4+day+week+andrew+barnes&qid=1569487824&s=gateway&sr=8-1

In this episode, Simon Haigh and I talk about resilience, our “capacity to cope with life” or how we manage our emotional and behavioural responses. It is further broken down into self-resilience, societal resilience, and life resilience. Self-resilience is about accepting yourself as you are, unconditionally. Knowing that we are not limited. Permission to feel our feelings, think, choose how to respond and live in the moment. Life is uncertain, so it’s about learning to live with ambiguity. You choose what you choose, there is not right or wrong answer.Societal resilience is about building meaningful relationships with clear boundaries. “We become who we tolerate”. Communication is key, and avoid rushing into relationships, ask yourself “do I respect this person?” “Do I trust this person?” “do I like this person?”Being self-aware is key. As is being willing, open-minded, and honest (including with yourself). Ask yourself “what will benefit me today?” Strive for progress, not perfection. “Did I try my best?”Simon Haigh is a growth expert with over 25 years of of international executive, consulting and leadership coaching expertise - supporting organisations & leaders with strategy; high performance growth, change, improvement or transformation; business development and negotiation. He can be reached on LinkedIn, or through his website https://www.simonhaigh.com

The Mindful Living Guy, Stephen Downey, is a public speaker and founder of Our Mindful Moments. A Facebook page that promotes Mindfulness and Positive Mental Health. There is a combination of Positive Mindset and Mindful Living Techniques to help celebrate everything good in life. Stephen's TEDx talk, "The Value of a Moment" was recorded in September this year: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rXKYNDYq_coStephen and I cover mindfulness, recognising the signs of burnout, how to incorporate mindfulness into our everyday lives, his journey to TEDx, and what makes him Happier at Work!

I talk to Joe about what collective consciousness is and how to achieve it in the workplace, toxic people and what to do with them, values and the importance of kindness.Joe Dalton is the Founder of Breakthrough Brands. Joe empowers leaders and entrepreneurs to rise above the confusion and uncertainty, so they may achieve their true potential in their unique way. His career spans over 28 years and is very privileged to have worked with many dedicated and talented people across the globe. Joe also hosts a Radio Show called Breakthrough Brands and Business Eye on Dublin South FM. He is also a member of the Global Goodwill Ambassadors (GGA)Want to know more about values? www.empowermentcoaching.ieJoe's event is happening on 5th October 2019, you can get tickets here: https://joedalton.ie/change-your-mind-change-your-life

Andy Ramage is the co-founder of OneYearNoBeer, he is also an author, entrepreneur and behavioural change expert.Andy is a former professional athlete, who after injury cut short his career he went on to create two multimillion-dollar city brokerages. After achieving traditional “success” Andy was left unfit, unhealthy, overweight, stressed and unhappy. He believed there had to be another way to win big in the city while staying super fit, healthy, maintaining a happy home life and doing it with a smile on his face. So he set out on a quest to study peak performance and well-being. As part of this process, Andy took a break from alcohol. It was this experience that helped him unlock the behavioural change code and revitalise his business and life.Inspired, Andy co-founded with Ruari Fairbairns a world-leading behavioural change platform OneYearNoBeer.com (OYNB) which is a 28, 90 or 365-day alcohol-free challenge. OYNB has inspired over 70,000 people to transform their relationship with alcohol and power up their life.Andy’s first book with Pan Macmillan - ‘The 28-day alcohol-free challenge’ is a best seller and his second book on motivation called ‘Let’s do this’ is available to pre order on Amazon now.Andy also has a TEDx talk ‘This pill will make you limitless’.You can catch Andy almost daily LIVE on both the @OneYearNoBeer & @_AndyRamage Instagram and FB pages inspiring over 100,000 followers. Andy also has masters degree in coaching psychology and positive psychology (distinction) and is currently exploring a PhD. Andy’s unique background, education and experience make him one of the world’s leading behavioural change & peak performance experts. Follow me:www.empowermentcoaching.ieThe online course that helped me lose the weight:https://www.susilodolacounselling.com/weight-loss/

Andrea Mara is an author and blogger who lives in Dublin with her husband and three young children. She attempts – often badly - to balance work, family, and writing, then lets off steam on her blog, OfficeMum.ie. For 17 years, Andrea worked in Financial Services and it was when she returned to work after her third maternity leave that she started blogging – focusing on the challenges she faced while trying to balance work and home. Two years later, redundancy gave her the opportunity to turn her hobby into a career. In 2016, she signed a book deal with Poolbeg, and her first novel, a psychological thriller called The Other Side of the Wall, was shortlisted for the Kate O’Brien award in 2018. Her second novel, One Click, was shortlisted for Irish Crime Novel of the year in the 2018 An Post Irish Book Awards. She has also won a number of awards for blogging, but is unlikely to win any medals for her ongoing attempts to balance work and home.Website: www.officemum.ieKey points:You find better balance when you enjoy your job moreThe key to balance is not feeling guilty for not being able to give everything 100%Find better balance by writing a list of what's working and what's not working

In the first episode, I speak to Furkan Karayel of DiverseIn (www.diversein.com) all about Diversity & Inclusion in the workplace, and what drives a happier workplace. Furkan shares some practical tips for setting up or improving a D&I program and talks about what brings her joy in the workplace.

The Happier at Work podcast is for anyone who… you guessed it, wants to be happier at work. Happier workers are more productive and have better mental wellbeing. This podcast is for CEOs, HR professionals, entrepreneurs, as well as employees. Anyone who wants to put their people first. Through interviews and solocasting, I will be covering a wide range of topics such as: purpose, dealing with conflicts at work, culture, leadership, workplace wellness schemes, engagement, bullying.What does being happier at work mean to you?