Rory King is the owner of Rory’s Travel Club.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Leaving Northern Ireland to work in Fiji
• Starting his travel club in an Indian restaurant in Brooklyn
• Scaling to 100,000 customers
• Running a business where “everyone wins”
• And his plan to grow to 1 million customers

Check it out.

https://bestofbelfast.org/stories/rory-king-rorys-travel-club

Join Rory’s Travel Club Here: https://rorystravelclub.com/

Lucy Briggs is a world traveller whose career spans across Government, Academia and Royalty.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Her love of collecting things
• Where she got her desire to travel from
• Why Gen-Z's career path will look different than their parents
• How a StudyUSA experience ended up taking her around the world
• Landing a job with the Royal Family
• And advice she'd give to her 18-year-old self.

Check it out.

https://bestofbelfast.org/stories/lucy-briggs

Marty Neill is the founder of AirPOS. He’s also an ex-music journalist and avid retro gamer.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Leaving school illegally at 15-years-old
• Building and selling video games as a kid on his Spectrum + 2
• How all the best things in his life have come from “tiny rooms”
• Why you should never fall in love with your business
• Ideas being the “real currency”
• How COVID both destroyed and transformed his business
• Why your business will never love you back
• The huge opportunities that exist in Belfast
• And the new Retro Arcade opening in Belfast later this year

Check it out.

https://bestofbelfast.org/stories/marty-neill-airpos

Our greatest esoteric adventure yet — live from Scott’s sofa.    Join the yo-yo bros and fellow traveller Tone Floreal as we dive deep into the world of true community, the ebb and flow nature of life and moving away from shortcuts/tactics/elite biohacks to address the core of what’s holding us back from true lifestyle change.    https://bestofbelfast.org/stories/the-yo-yo-principle  

Eileen Murphy is a Professor of Archaeology at Queen’s University Belfast and a leading expert in ancient human remains/burial practices. Her passion is for telling the stories of ordinary people whose voices have been largely written out of history.

Dr Murphy is the author/editor of 12 books, including a book all about Takabuti: the Belfast mummy currently living in the Ulster Museum — who as you’ll hear inspired her to get into archaeology as a child.

In today’s episode we talk about about:

• Growing up with a sense of awe and adventure about the world around her
• Some of the weird and wonderful things found right here on our doorstep
• What the past can teach us about the present
• The rights of the living versus the rights of the dead
• Why a sense of place is an essential part of wellbeing
• Lessons learned from studying 1000+ human skeletons
• Discovering the first case of leprosy in Ireland (in a skeletons foot)
• And the greatest highs/lows of her journey so far

Check it out.

//

https://bestofbelfast.org/stories/eileen-murphy-takabuti

Hayley Milthorpe is the creator of The Cultured Food Company. She’s also a mother, nutritionist and passionate advocate for the health benefits of fermented foods.

Described as a trend setter, her company has been leading the way in Ireland for the last 8 years by producing a range of organic fermented vegetable from sauerkraut to kimchi — making probiotic rich foods accessible for all.

In today’s episode we talk about:

• Why eating “bacteria” is good for you
• How Hayley got into the weird and wonderful world of fermented food
• Simple dietary changes you can make to improve your mental health
• Why our ancestors ate fermented food
• (And the idea that fermented foods are now a missing food group)
• Why probiotic foods are strangely addictive
• And how she went from selling jars of sauerkraut at the local farmers market to getting her products on the shelf of Lidl

Check it out!

//

https://bestofbelfast.org/stories/hayley-milthorpe-cultured-food-company

People come and go in our lives — “friend’s for a season” — folks who we journey with for a while and then part ways. But every now and then a connection is made that you know will last a lifetime.   For me, podcaster James O’Connell from Dublin is one of those connections.    After strangely being introduced by previous podcast guest and current Mental Health co-host Stephen Ilardi, I first met James when he moved to Belfast last year and now he’s moving on, we decided to mark the occasion with a conversation that captures some of what we’ve wrestled with over the course of our friendship so far.   The result is a long-form conversation about dopamine, mental health, commitment, relationships, confrontation and compassion that dips into science, psyche, scripture and our own story along the way.   We don’t have the answers. We don’t have it all figured out. But we are trying — and hope that this raw, real-time wrestle will be a springboard for newfound courage, action and change in your own life.   — Matt    https://bestofbelfast.org/stories/james-and-matt

Gemma Gallagher is an award-winning Visual Artist and the Founder of Design & Dine, a Creative Workshop company based in the UAE and Northern Ireland.

The aim was to create an event where guests could discover their creative abilities and learn to make art in a fun, sociable environment. What started as a small workshop has now grown to become the UAE’s largest interactive, creative experience with consistent sell-out events and over 7000 guests having attended so far.

After founding Design & Dine in 2015, she has built the company up to operate across multiple cities with a team of Artists from around the world working with her to make Art fun and accessible to everyone.

Her vision is to grow Design & Dine to be a global brand, allowing anyone to have fun and connect through the joy of creativity.

In today’s episode we talk about:

• Growing up on the Antrim Road in the 90s
• Working on a banana farm in Australia
• What brought her to Abu Dhabi in 2014
• Her experience working as a teacher in the Middle East
• Where she got the idea to start her business
• How she scaled her events from 15, to 25, to 50, to 100 people
• The secret to incredible in-person events
• What she misses most about home
• And her greatest highs/lows of the journey so far.

Check it out.

//

https://bestofbelfast.org/stories/gemma-gallagher-design-and-dine

Dr Lindsay Broadbent is a virologist at Queen's University Belfast who has made over a thousand media appearances during the pandemic.    In this conversation we talk about:

• What a virus actually is
• How viruses jump from animals to humans
• The potential scientific truth behind vampire lore
• Human responses to pandemics throughout history
• The importance of transparency and nuance in public discourse
• And what we could have done differently around COVID-19

  Check it out!   https://bestofbelfast.org/stories/lindsay-broadbent-virologist  

Grab a pair of headphones, a shovel and get to work. The boys are out of town and this time we’re volunteering at Hahu Organics to try and find the meaning of life amongst the worms and dirt.   Along the way we chat about how disconnected we’ve become from our food, the change of perspective working the land can give us and whether or not our great-granda’s could beat us in a fight.   https://bestofbelfast.org/stories/esoteric-farming  

Biruk Sahle is the no-dig gardener behind Hahu Organics: an initiative that feeds 40+ families from a small plot of land in Helens Bay Walled Garden.    By flipping modern agriculture on its head, Biruk and his family have been able to create a sustainable and profitable business growing vegetables in the 21st Century without pesticides, subsidies, heavy machinery or debt — all while regenerating the land he farms and restoring biodiversity back to the area.   In today’s episode we talk about:

• His back to the future approach to farming
• What the heck a ‘no-dig’ philosophy is
• Going deep instead of going wide
• Finding customers before developing a product
• Permaculture and why it matters
• And the power of embracing each moment as it comes. 

  Check it out.   https://bestofbelfast.org/stories/biruk-sahle-hahu-organics

Dr Amilra De Silva (more commonly known as AP) is a Professor in the School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering who during his 40-year career with Queen’s University developed a blood analyser that has sold 10’s of millions of units and saved countless lives around the world.    In today’s episode we talk about:

• Growing up in Sri Lanka
• The role his grandparents played throughout his life
• Moving to Belfast in the 70s
• Why he was working on a molecular sodium sensor
• How it got picked up by Big Pharma
• The Lion King
• And the wisdom of surrounding yourself by curators, mentors, and other people going deep into an area of expertise

  Check it out.   https://bestofbelfast.org/stories/amilra-de-silva-chemistry-belfast

Shines Seafood are a family business based in Killybegs, Co.Donegal that sell Ireland’s only Irish Tuna, Irish Sardines & Mackerel to both the retail & food services sectors.   It’s is their aim to make the best quality Irish Seafood in the world more affordable and available to the nation. Having been involved in the fishing industry for a combined 50 years they are passionate about the consumption of seafood and the overall sustainability of the industry.   In today’s episode, we caught up with John while he was up in Belfast receiving an award to chat about:

• Why we eat fish on Fridays
• The difference between wild and farmed fish
• Some of the controversy around sustainability and fishing
• Common fish myths (mercury poisoning, extinction, preservation process)
• How “sardines” don’t actually exist
• Why eating local fish makes such a big difference to us and the communities who supply them
• The Omega 3 content of his fish 
• And the ‘true cost’ of a 17p can of tuna 

  Check it out!   https://bestofbelfast.org/stories/shines-seafood-irish-caught-fish

Máirtín Ó Muilleoir is the publisher of the Andersonstown News in Belfast and the Irish Echo in New York.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Why he has a blackbird on his business card
• How he was able to buy a business with no money
• The future of the newspaper industry
• Growing up in Andytown during the sixties
• Challenges facing the media sector
• The symbiotic relationship between Ireland/America
• Life lessons from a Buddhist Chaplain
• And dealing with the chaos of modern life

Check it out.

https://bestofbelfast.org/stories/mairtin-o-muilleoir-andersonstown-news

Rory O’Connor, a native of Derry, is Professor of Health Psychology at the University of Glasgow where he directs the Suicidal Behaviour Research Laboratory, one of the leading suicide research groups internationally.    He is a world leader on suicide research and prevention and has been working in the field for 25 years, beginning with his PhD on suicide and self-harm at Queen’s University of Belfast.    Rory is the current President of the International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP) and past President of the International Academy of Suicide Research – the only person from the UK and the 2nd person globally to hold both offices.    He has published extensively in the field of suicide and self-harm and has advised on and contributed to six BBC documentaries on suicide, including the BAFTA-nominated Life After Suicide with Angela Samata, Suicide and Me with the rapper Professor Green and Our Silent Emergency with the DJ Roman Kemp.    He published the award winning book When It Is Darkest: Why People Die by Suicide and What We Can Do To Prevent It in 2021.   Check it out.   https://bestofbelfast.org/stories/rory-oconnor-suicide-prevention

Matthew Scott is a Digital Media Entrepreneur working hard to change Media Entertainment, Digital Storytelling and Digital Democracy.

Over the last 20-years he has worked as a creator, producer, marketer and innovator with the likes of SKY, BBC, Discovery Networks, Nike, Coca-Cola, Ford, Lego, Intel, Sony Pictures and countless more.

His new company Play Human focuses on helping creators/brands engage with their audiences in the post-social world.

In today’s episode we talk about:

• Growing up on Bangor
• His early days as a storyteller
• What got him into tech
• How he ended up working with some of the biggest brands on the planet
• What the post-social world will look like
• And the biggest lessons he’s learned along the way.

Check it out.

 

//

https://bestofbelfast.org/stories/matthew-scott-play-human

//

Dr Yassin Brunger is a Lecturer in Human Rights Law and Co-Director of the Gender Justice and Society Research Network at Queen’s University Belfast.    Originally from the Gambian, Yassin spent 20 years living in the Middle East and is rooted in transnational understandings of justice and human rights. As a long-term feminist and scholar-activist, her academic work remains informed by the lived experiences of post-conflict, justice and peace of marginalised communities in the ‘Global South’ — amplifying struggles for justice within and beyond legal frameworks and academia.    Closer to home, Yassin is a dedicated champion of gender and racial justice in Northern Ireland. She has received national recognition for her contribution to the first 'Black History Month campaign' in Northern Ireland and formerly served as one of the inaugural Co-Chairs of IRise, the University's Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic and International Staff Network.   In this episode we talk about:

• Growing up in the Middle-East
• Her experiences in white middle-class England
• What justice actually is
• What racism in NI looks like
• And most importantly what we can do about it

  Please note: This episode also contains reference to gender and racial-based violence. If you are affected by anything discussed in this conversation we have signposted a few phone numbers and links below for you to avail of.   The Rowan Sexual Assault Referral Centre 0800 389 4424 Freephone 24/7 http://therowan.net/   Women's Aid NI: https://www.womensaidni.org/get-help/   Northern Ireland Council for Racial Equality https://nicre.org/services/   Lifeline 0808 808 8000   //   https://bestofbelfast.org/stories/yassin-brunger

Colly Graham is a 78-year-old international businessman, sales training expert and great-grandfather.

He's also a former alcoholic, rough-sleeper, petrol-bomber, prisoner and member of the RAF. 

In today's episode we talk about:

- The secret to a happy marriage

- Old drinking dens in Belfast

- Sobriety

- Spiritual experiences

- What most young people get wrong about life

- And balancing contentment with ambition

 

Check it out. 

//

https://bestofbelfast.org/stories/colly-graham-sales-xcellence

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Dear friends!

Excited to share with you today a very special conversation with someone I've only met once who left a big impression on me.

The short story is that I got more from a two-hour chat with Rabo (Polish-Canadian Engineer, Writer and Product Manager) at the launch of Mark Dowd's new business in December than frankly, I have in most relationships outside of my inner-circle.

Today's podcast is my attempt to recreate some of that magic and dive deeper into a wide-range of rabbit holes we left unexplored including:

• Practical ways to slow down and appreciate beauty
• Why community is so broken in the 21st Century
• How Rabo's simple, yet powerful app can help
• The value of intergenerational relationships
• Navigating the tension between wanting to show up with the desire to escape
• His path into becoming a polymath and why the advice to "find your passion" never worked for him
• Some of the strange jobs he's had along the way (from documentary-making to sewer-diving)
• How different experiences change the way we view the world
• Why some of us are naturally attracted to entrepreneurship
• And the kindest thing someone has ever done for him.

It's rare to meet someone with as much depth and experience as this dude right here and I hope you enjoy this brief, dipping of the toe into the wonderful world of Rabo.

Enjoy.

— Matt

 

//

- Favourite quote: “Art must be exaggerated. Bend until your spine cracks.” ~ Szukalski (Polish Artist)

//

 

Show notes:

- Definition of sonder

- Revere App

- Rabo's writings

 

Webpage for this episode: https://bestofbelfast.org/stories/mark-rabo-beauty-and-community

 

Professor John Barry is the C0-Director of the Centre for Sustainability, Equality and Climate Action at Queen's University Belfast, and C0-Chair of the Belfast Climate Commission.   He’s also a recovering politician, public servant, electric-car driving, foldable bicycle riding activist himself, as well as a lover of The Lorax by Dr Seuss — but I’ll let John tell you more about that himself.   In today’s episode we talk about:

• His origin story as a climate-activist 
• Why we have the wrong end of the stick when it comes to “climate change”
• What the economy is actually for
• The wisdom of Dr Seuss, Lord Of The Rings, The Matrix and more
• And most importantly, what you and I can do to take meaningful action.

  Check it out!   https://bestofbelfast.org/stories/john-barry-climate-activist

Sea-swimming, sauna-sweating and aufgussing (wait, what?!). 

Join myself, Scott and special guest Ryan Scollan on another esoteric adventure — this time up the North Coast on Benone Beach in our favourite sauna in the world: Hotbox!

Medical Disclaimer: please do not do anything mentioned, discussed or actually done in this episode.

Enjoy!

//

Notes:

- Check out our interview with Anna & Carl

- Book your own Hot-Slot Sauna Session here

- Scott's website

- Ryan's website

- Matt's website

//

Today's episode webpage: https://bestofbelfast.org/stories/esoteric-sauna

 

 

Dr. Ryan Milligan is a lecturer in the Astrophysics Research Center at Queen’s University Belfast. His research focuses on the study of the sun and how it can impact our planet.   After graduating from Queen’s University in 2007 he spent several years at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center outside Washington, DC, and two years at the University of Glasgow, before returning home in 2019.    Before embarking on his astrophysics career, Ryan was a full-time truck driver, and can still be seen behind the wheel from time to time. He is also an avid solar eclipse chaser.   In today’s show we talk about:

• Growing up working in fish factories in Ardglass
• The life-changing moment of experiencing his first total solar eclipse
• How he went from truck-driving to studying Astrophysics
• Landing jobs at NASA, University of Glasgow and Queen’s University
• His incredible TV Show Space Truckers that was picked up by the BBC
• Why studying solar flares matters
• His plans to launch a rocket in 2024
• And the most challenging/successful moment of the journey so far. 

  Check it out.   https://bestofbelfast.org/stories/ryan-milligan-astrophysics  

Dr Caoimhe Rooney is a mathematician at NASA that searches for life throughout the universe by studying distant planets, known as exoplanets.    Following an undergraduate degree in mathematics at Trinity College Dublin, with a scholarship year at UCLA, Caoimhe achieved a PhD in Industrially Focused Mathematical Modeling at the University of Oxford.    In pursuit of her dream to apply her transferrable mathematical skills within the space sector, Caoimhe was awarded the NASA Postdoctoral Program fellowship to model the formation and distribution of clouds in exoplanet atmospheres at NASA Ames Research Center, California. She continues to work at NASA Ames as a Research Scientist.   Motivated by the under-representation of women in maths, Caoimhe also co-founded Mathematigals, an educational outreach initiative with the aim to encourage young girls to pursue mathematics by making it fun and accessible while showcasing its many applications.   In today’s show we talk about:

• Why GCSE maths is a terrible representation of what the field of mathematics is really like
• How she ended up landing a job at NASA
• What it’s like looking billions of years into the past
• How the atmosphere of exoplanets can be observed using light
• Her dreams of becoming an astronaut
• Favourite space/maths related movies 
• And her greatest challenges/successes from the journey so far

  Check it out!   https://bestofbelfast.org/stories/caoimhe-rooney-NASA-mathematician

What a ride the last few weeks have been! Highly recommend you going back and listening through the six different episodes we've released as part of this Addiction Series.

Today's episode is a final recap conversation and overview with my dear friend Professor Steve Ilardi from our new Mental Health podcast.

If you would like to hear other episodes in this series (including ADHD 101, Depression 101 and Anxiety 101) please check out https://mentalhealth.fm/

Other than that thanks so much to everyone who made this series possible and I really hope it's a useful tool for you and the people you care about.

— Matt 

Patrick Treacy is a pioneer in Aesthetic Medicine. Throughout his incredible career, he’s won countless awards, trained thousands of doctors and trail-blazed new protocols used around the world today.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Smuggling cars across the German border to pay for med school
• Being arrested in Iraq under suspected espionage
• How being from Ireland quite literally saved his life
• His phone call with Nelson Mandela
• Treating Michael Jackson and the subsequent friendship that ensued
• How he wants to spend the next few decades
• And advice he’d give to his 18-year-old self

Check it out!

https://bestofbelfast.org/stories/patrick-treacy-aesthetic-medicine

Today’s episode features a conversation about the state of addiction in Northern Ireland with Dr Anne Campbell and Professor Kathryn Higgins from Queen’s University Belfast who have both dedicated their professional careers to researching and implementing solutions around this issue.    In today’s episode we talk about:

• What personally got each them into the field of addiction
• Key insights from longitudinal studies and individual stories
• Which substances are causing the greatest harm locally
• Unique strengths and weaknesses NI faces with addiction
• The impact of COVID on the sector
• Some of the incredible research they have been involved in over the years
• And first steps you and I can take to get help or help others 

  Check it out!   https://bestofbelfast.org/stories/state-of-addiction-northern-ireland

Floatation and trauma expert Vivian McKinnon set up Hydro-ease: Northern Irelands only dedicated floatation centre in September 2015.    She established the business in response to her own traumatic experiences and a passion for helping people move away from pain and towards a life of fulfilment.   Qualified and experienced in many therapeutic approaches and currently studying with Dr Gabor Mate, Vivian has crafted her own exclusive and eclectic approach to recovery, RAFT (Reconnection and Floatation Therapy) to assist others by guiding and inspiring them to use the skills and tools in the life they have to create the life they desire.   Vivian’s experience as a unique and dynamic therapist spans over three decades. It’s her core belief ‘there is magic within us all’.   Through her own process of post-traumatic growth, Vivian is thriving and living out her mission of ‘healing the world, one float at a time.’   In this episode we talk about:

• Her involvement in cloning 'Dolly The Sheep'
• Childhood trauma
• Addiction
• How she discovered floating (sensory deprivation tanks)
• And why she’s dedicated this season of her life to setting up Ireland’s first Float Tank Centre

  Check it out.    https://bestofbelfast.org/stories/vivian-mckinnon-hydro-ease

Theo Fleury is a former NHL All-Star, Stanley Cup winner and Olympic Gold Medalist. He’s also the two-time best-selling author of Playing with Fire and Conversations With a Rattlesnake.   While Theo enjoys his hockey memories and accolades, he feels his true life’s purpose is what he does today: creating healing through conversation, particularly in the areas of addiction, sexual abuse and childhood trauma.    In this episode we talk about:

• Why he moved to Belfast to play for The Giants
• How his time in Northern Ireland turned his life around
• His journey to sobriety
• And the daily practices that helped him overcome trauma, depression and addiction. 

  Check it out.   https://bestofbelfast.org/stories/theo-fleury-all-star-hockey-player

Willy G is a world-famous tattoo artist from Whitehead, Northern Ireland. He’s also a husband, proud father of three, painter and former cocaine addict.   In today’s episode we talk about:

• The intimacy involved in tattooing 
• How Willy got into art
• Working towards dreams/goals
• Managing success at a young age
• The years that led him to rock bottom
• And what got him sober

  Check it out.   https://bestofbelfast.org/stories/willy-g-tattoo-artist

Today’s very special episode features an in-depth conversation with an individual in his 70s who has been sober for 40+ years through the Alcoholics Anonymous, 12-Step Program.    In this episode, “Alan” shares:

• Why anonymity is a key pillar of AA
• The origins of this organisation that has helped millions of people get sober
• Why alcoholics are “allergic to alcohol”
• The rock-bottom moment that led to him seeking help
• What AA meetings actually look like
• And most importantly, why the 12-step program actually works.

  This is a very relaxed conversation with plenty of laughs along the way, making it the perfect way to ‘dip your toe in the water’ and find out more about AA.    Check it out.     //   https://www.alcoholicsanonymous.ie/   028 9035 1222   https://bestofbelfast.org/stories/alcoholics-anonymous-belfast   //

Kicking off our addiction series is Dr. Anna Lembke: a professor of psychiatry at Stanford University and one of the world's leading experts on dopamine. 

 

Over the last few years, Anna has appeared in Netflix documentaries like The Social Dilemma and podcasts like The Rich Roll Podcast, The Huberman Lab and The Joe Rogan Experience.

 

Her new book, Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence was an instant New York Times bestseller and explores how to moderate compulsive overconsumption in a dopamine-overloaded world.

 

In this conversation we cover:

- What dopamine actually is

- How it governs our lives

- Why the pursuit of pleasure is actually the pursuit of pain

- How a dopamine fast can help reset our brains

- And practical tools for overcoming addiction

 

This conversation is probably the most important episode I've shared in my podcasting journey so far (and is probably the one where you will hear me fangirling the most!)

 

Anna's work has made a profound impact on my life in recent months and I'm both incredibly honoured and excited to share some of it with you today.

 

— Matt 

 

https://bestofbelfast.org/stories/anna-lembke-dopamine-nation

Hopping on to give a head-up about probably the most important thing we will ever share on this podcast.

 

Over the next six weeks, we're diving deep into the topic of addiction, including some incredible stories from recovered addicts and the research from some of the world's leading experts on the topic.

 

Really hope you enjoy it and find it beneficial for you and the people you care about.

 

– Matt

Pilot episode for our new podcast! 

//

Over the last two years, there’s been a lot of discussion about the short and long-term side-effects of COVID-19.

But something I’d never heard anyone talk about was the proven link between depression and the virus itself… That was until I got COVID myself and hopped on the phone with my dear friend Steve Ilardi (who just so happens to be a Clinical Researcher and one of the world’s leading experts on depression).

The rest, as they say, is history.

In today’s first-ever, special pilot, episode myself and Steve catch up to chat about:

• Why the risk of depression doubles after a COVID infection

• How COVID affects the brain (including why we lose our sense of taste/smell)

• And what we can do to protect ourselves and the people we love from this rarely talked about side-effect.

Thanks so much for being here and we really hope you enjoy!

//

Subscribe to the new show here:

https://mentalhealth.fm/episodes/link-between-covid-and-depression

This week, the Dunk Brothers headed to Hydro-Ease (the first float centre on the Island of Ireland) in East Belfast for Scott's 7th time esoteric float and Matt's 1st ever.

In our pre-and-post-float chat we talk about:

• Why would someone even want to do this?
• Expectations versus reality of the float tank experience
• Our reactions to our time in the tank
• "Deep time" and intergenerational mindfulness
• The link between capitalism/communism and crops
• Losing connection with the village/tribe in modern life
• The Label-Free Diet (TM pending)
• And how the things that hold you back in your journey are often the whole point of the journey in the first place.

Check it out.

//

https://bestofbelfast.org/stories/sensory-deprivation-tank

 

Kit Adams is an adventurer from Newcastle, County Down who is currently working as a post-man in Antarctica.   After growing up at the bottom of the Mourne Mountains, Kit has dedicated his life to learning about and exploring the natural world.    Just before the pandemic hit he spent a season living and working at “The Penguin Post Office” where he and his colleagues manually processed over 60,000 postcards and welcomed visitors from all over the world.   In today’s episode we talk about:

• How on earth you land a job as a postman in Antarctica
• What remote/wild parts of the planet can teach us
• The value in disconnecting from technology
• And why doing hard things is both fulfilling and worthwhile

  Check it out.   https://bestofbelfast.org/stories/kit-adams-antarctica-post-office   P.S. The last we heard from Kit he was in the Falkland Islands on his way back to Antarctica!

 

Peter Hannan is a Meat Merchant who supplies 400+ restaurants throughout Ireland, the UK and Europe, including some of the biggest names in the industry.

In this episode, we talk about:

• How he started out in the meat business
• (Aka, butchering lambs for his mum's mate's freezer as a boy)
• Moving to America at 19-years-old to learn from the masters of his industry
• Becoming the highest-paid executive in Ireland by the age of 22
• Setting up his own business
• The decision to focus on quality rather than quantity
• Why attention to detail is the most crucial thing in business
• Buying 5 tonnes of salt from Pakistan
• How one smoke break changed his business forever
• And advice he'd give to his 18-year-old self

Check it out.

https://bestofbelfast.org/stories/peter-hannan-meat-merchant

Hannan Meats: https://www.hannanmeats.com/

Clive Corry is the founder of Action Trauma, Ltd. A not for profit organisation whose vision is to see a world where people stop hurting themselves and others because of undealt-with negative experiences (trauma).

His journey started in 2016, after the death of his wife through illness, where he believes trauma/stress/anxiety may have compromised her immune system. 

Since then he’s read 100+ books on the topic, founded the not-for-profit and run several world-class conferences right here in Belfast that have attracted 1000’s of international visitors and global trauma experts like Gabor Maté, Janina Fisher, Stephen Porges, and Bessel van der Kolk. Along with many others.

In today’s episode we talk about:

• Working in the family timber business (JP Corry) during the troubles

• What trauma actually is and how it’s stored in our body

• The role trauma plays in addiction

• Why intergenerational trauma affects nearly all of us in Northern Ireland

• And most importantly, what we can do to start dealing with and healing our own trauma.

This is a fascinating conversation with an incredibly passionate, empathetic individual with a huge heart for seeing our nation experience healing on a big-picture and individual level.

I hope that you get as much out of it as I did.

— Matt

P.S. Clive asks us to note that Action Trauma provides information for everyone working with or experiencing psychological trauma through its conferences and events. Regrettably, it is not able to provide therapy, advice or treatment directly. However, via the website, it can signpost to where help may be found.

P.P.S. Here’s three books Clive recommended as a starting point (Amazon Affiliate links):

• Gabor Maté: When The Body Says No

• Bessel van der Kolk: The Body Keeps The Score

• Peter Levine: Waking The Tiger

 

  //   https://bestofbelfast.org/stories/clive-corry-action-trauma

This conversation first aired three years ago and is one of our most popular episodes. 

 

Merry Christmas and enjoy!

This conversation first aired three years ago and is one of our most popular episodes. 

 

The long pauses, stretches of silence and absolute golden moments have been kept in the way they happened on the day.

 

Merry Christmas and enjoy!

 

 

See You Next Year!

Eimir McSwiggan is a World Champion Ice Climber from Northern Ireland who’s been living and working in South Korea since 2010.   With 6 World Cup medals under her belt, Eimir is passionate about sharing her love for climbing and dreams of bringing competitive Ice Climbing back to Northern Ireland someday in the near future…   In this episode we chat about:

• Growing up on a farm in Gortin, County Tyrone. 
• How she got into the sport at an age when most people consider retiring
• Life lessons climbing competitively has taught her
• And some of her war stories from along the way (including a brutal yet beautiful 20-hour climb up Asia’s tallest frozen waterfall)

  All this and more in a very heartfelt and honest conversation with one of Northern Ireland’s best-kept secrets.   Check it out.    https://bestofbelfast.org/stories/eimir-mcswiggan-ice-climber  

Martin Mullholland is the Head Concierge of the Europa Hotel and has worked there for 38-years — making him the longest-serving staff member of the iconic Belfast landmark.   He’s also the current President of Les Clefs d'Or, UICH Ireland — a prestigious network of Head Concierges from around the world.   In this episode we talk about:

• Walking through the door of the hotel for the first time at 18-years old.
• Working in Belfast City Centre during the troubles
• Meeting President Bill Clinton
• The most unusual request a guest has ever made
• And the art of connecting with other people…

  This conversation took place as part of the Europa’s 50th Anniversary to celebrate and commemorate its place in local history and the role it’s played in the Belfast story.   Check it out!   https://bestofbelfast.org/stories/martin-mullholland-head-concierge-europa-belfast  

Scott has never seen The Prince Of Egypt. Matt grew up watching it. 

In this episode, the lads take an esoteric adventure through the trippy, complicated, star-studded, Oscar-winning 1998 animated cult-classic "kids-movie" musical all about Meek Moses leading the people of Israel through the Red Sea.

Check it out. 

https://bestofbelfast/stories/prince-of-egypt

 

Nadia Sayers is a professional model and Miss Universe Ireland 2020. She's also a passionate mental health advocate, speaker and educator with a Masters in Psychology.   After facing her own battles with depression and anxiety, Nadia went on to work in suicide prevention for six years before taking on her current role as Youth Development Manager at Hope 4 Life NI.   Her day job now involves going into schools across Northern Ireland with the Uberheroes Programme: an initiative that uses comic books to empower young people with the tools they need to take control of their mental health.   (P.S. These comics are based on real-life stories of kids from NI and are co-created with Marvel and DC illustrators!)   In today's episode we talk about:

• Reconnecting with your inner-child
• The difference between anxiety and depression
• Nadia's own encounter with suicide
• Her unexpected beauty pageant journey
• And the incredible results Uberheroes comic books have had on the lives of kids right here on our doorstep.

Check it out!

P.S. Here's a pageant podcast Nadia recommends :)   //   https://bestofbelfast.org/stories/nadia-sayers-uberheroes  

Francesca Morelli is the Enterprise Development Officer at QUBSU and Co-Founder of VAVA Influence: Northern Ireland’s first dedicated Influencer Marketing Agency.   After growing up as part of the Morelli Ice Cream family, Fran began forging her own path in the world of tech start-ups by spending a year working in Paris before moving back home to start her own business.   In today’s conversation we talk about:

• The incredible history of the Morelli family
• How living abroad isn’t always as glamorous as it looks
• Why influencer marketing is the future
• And the challenges/successes Fran’s faced on the journey so far. 

  Check it out!   https://bestofbelfast.org/stories/francesca-morelli-vava-influence

Roger Woodend is the Director of Strategic Sales at Amazon Web Services (AWS).   He was born in Belfast in 1975 and was raised in a council-estate in Coleraine before eventually leaving NI to study Politics in Glasgow.    Since then he’s lived and worked all over the world for telecom titans, tech-startups and even found the time to do an MBA before taking up his current role with Amazon today.   In today’s episode we talk about:

• Losing his dad at a young age
• How visiting Hong Kong changed his life
• Why he set up the New York City Northern Ireland Football Supporters Club
• Having dinner with the Australian Prime Minister
• And why the Harbour Bar in Portrush is his favourite place in the world.

  Check it out.   https://bestofbelfast.org/stories/roger-woodend-amazon-aws

Iain Percy is the founder of Artemis Technologies and a two-time Olympic Gold Medalist.

In this episode, we talk about:

• How he fell in love with the water
• His work with professional sailing teams around the world
• Building the world's first electric workboat and electric passenger ferry
• The pros/cons of bringing an Olympic mindset to business
• Limiting time vs limiting the scope of projects
• Why he decided to base the business in Belfast
• The necessity for green technology to make sense financially
• His vision for maritime decarbonisation
• And his dream of opening up a commuter ferry service to Belfast

Check it out.

https://bestofbelfast.org/stories/iain-percy-artemis-technologies

***Experimental Episode***

So as you know we've been playing around with some different formats over the last year that differ from our typical 'life story' styled interviews — and today's episode is probably our weirdest and wonderful-est one yet.

The idea was to catch up with Wim Hof Instructor, Health & Wellness expert, recent podcaster and now three-time Best Of Belfaster Scott Riley to talk about the things we do to keep ourselves physically and mentally well during winter.

What ended up happening was a two-hour conversation about the self, Moses and the burning bush, wisdom teeth, hygge, inner soul jars and healthy forms of suffering.

Without a doubt, this episode isn't for everything, but if you enjoy listening to two mates grapple with the impossible parts of life together then this one might be exactly what the doctor ordered.

Thanks so much as always and I look forward to catching you again on Monday for our regularly scheduled program.

— Matt

Kerri McCrea studied zoology at Queen's before moving to Thailand in 2013.    Since then, she and her Thai-Karen husband Sombat have set up their own elephant project called Kindred Spirit Elephant Sanctuary which works with local communities to bring elephants home to the forest and away from a life of work in the tourism industry.   In today’s episode we talk about:

• Kerri’s love for animals from a young age
• The career path of a Zoologist
• Why she moved to Thailand to set up an elephant sanctuary
• What it like living in a hill-tribe village
• The impact COVID has had on the ‘elephant industry’
• And the greatest challenges/successes she’s faced along the way

  Check it out!   https://bestofbelfast.org/stories/kerri-mccrea-kindred-spirit-elephant-sanctuary

Chris Suitor is a tailor, entrepreneur, DJ, Speaker, Father, Husband and — most recently, barista — from Belfast, Northern Ireland.   In today’s show we talk about:

• Buying a cottage in Donegal
• How he took a family business to new heights
• Starting a coffee truck 
• How he plans on opening 10 cafes in 2 years
• Managing screen time
• And being an egotistical utilitarian (???)

  Check it out.   https://bestofbelfast.org/stories/chris-suitor-bros