About The Show
With each bi-weekly episode we speak to a new guest on the podcast from various areas of the industry and all walks of life. The Other Side Of Perfect covers a myriad of topics including entrepreneurship, positive mindset, mindfulness, relationships, therapy, body confidence, and more.
Season 2
On Episode 5 I had a bit of a career pinch me moment, and I think you can tell at the start of this interview just how secretly excited I am. Whilst staying in The Holmes Hotel in London THE Samantha Chapman came to visit little old me - in fact she traveled 3 hours from Norwich, which I'm eternally grateful for. Sam was one of the pioneers of beauty Youtube, and is up there with the Make Up Artist greats - she certainly inspired my original career path as an MUA. We dive straight into what it was like growing a community online whilst also battling depression behind closed doors, working with Sam's sibling Nic Chapman, and moving from Pixiwoo to Real Techniques and beyond. This is a jam packed chat filled with words of wisdom, hints of sarcasm, candid charisma and honesty. Sam offers opinions on the world of photography, lighting, editing, fillers, filters, and handling even handling hate online negativity. We also discuss finding freedom from your career, what make up really means to Sam, parenthood and the products you need in your make up bag.
On Episode 6 I sit down with expert Allison Keating who is a highly respected registered psychologist, author of a best selling book 'The Secret Life Of Adults, columnist and media contributor. Allison's book is based around your 7 key relationships and how to make them work. There are two parts to this podcast; the second will be exclusive to the TOSOP community area where Allison answers your romantic relationship questions. In this episode we discuss Allison's extensive work in the area of trauma; from dealing with asylum seekers to providing therapy for marital breakdowns. Have you been feeling overwhelmed or exhausted with life lately? We chat about getting in control of you mood, noticing your triggers, the difference between your public and private self. Is your phone ruining your sex life, try communicating the correct way with your partner, and truly accepting yourself before questioning or trying to improve other relationships. Hopefully this podcast will do just that.
On Episode 7 I sit down with Kate Watson-Smyth, also known as Mad About The House. I’ve admired Kate's decor and design style for some time on social media and her home lived up to every single expectation. We're currently going through a house move; we’ve moved from an apartment in the city to our first big countryside house, so this podcast has come at a perfect time, because editing it I was able to pick up plenty of tips and tricks for the venture ahead - which can seem super daunting. If you want to give me a follow, you can check out my new home account @highrisetohouse on Instagram. Kate's background is uber interesting; she’s moved from journalism for The Daily Mail and Financial Times to the wonderful world of interiors. In this episode we chat about how Kate renovated two dingy flats and turned them into the most incredible interior space. If you’re big into interiors you’ll get so many nuggets of info over the next hour, from items you should splurge and save on, how to make rented accommodation your own, creating a theme throughout your home by using colour prints and textures, using bold colour in small spaces, and inspiration to take on a career change later in life.
On Episode 8 I speak with film maker, author, educator and founder of The Horse Boy Foundation, Rupert Isaacson. A few months ago I had the pleasure of attending one of Rupert's dressage masterclasses, held at Thornton Park Equestrian Centre, and in that moment I knew there was something very special about his technique and I just had to interview him. When Rupert's son Rowan was diagnosed with non verbal autism, Rupert feared his child would never communicate again. Through a very special moment, and the healing power of horses, Rupert and Rowan created a new movement method and a beacon of light for those living with autism. On today's show we cover a myriad of different topics from Rupert's alternative upbringing, to shamanic training, his work with horses, how the movement method works, and how having a child with autism made him a better man.
On today's show I discuss the real life stress you don't see on social media; my recent melt down, feeling overwhelmed and dealing with comparison. I wanted to sit down and have a chat about two of the most common topics that I'm regularly asked about through social media. I run through a variety of your anonymous questions about body image and break ups. Getting to a state of body neutrality; learning to love the body you have today, realising you have the power to change it if you're truly unhappy, weight fluctuations, period bloat, getting back on the bandwagon and my motivational tips. I also discuss healing a broken heart, trying not to focus on the status of your friends, improving your self esteem after a toxic relationship, and being single.
On Episode 2 we have magic man Keith Barry, which I thought was an appropriate episode for the festive season. Keith is a magician, hypnotist, mentalist, escapologist and biometric hacker. He’s had a pretty impressive and eccentric career, including acting as the Magic consultant for the 'Now You See Me' movies and star of the Discovery TV show, 'Deception With Keith Barry'. He’s appeared on The Ellen Show and Jimmy Kimmel, and works as a private mind coach with business leaders, sports legends and rock stars on how to unlock the power of the mind. I wanted to chat to Keith about just that, unlocking the power of the mind, going into super activity mode, the science behind hypnosis, shrinking the negative in your life and having a cast iron mindset. We also touch on subjects like the subconscious mind, having a hypo birth, the dangers behind his show stunts and hacking into Morgan Freeman’s brain.
On Episode 3 I’m joined by the utterly delightful Happy Pear (who are rather gorgeous too), and are quite literally a brush of fresh air on social media. These guys worked their way up from having a vegetable shop, to having 3 number 1 best selling cookbooks, 4 retail stores, a wide variety of award winning plant based products, a range of amazing online courses, and over one million people as part of their extremely loyal community. For the next hour we talk about mindful entrepreneurship and obtaining a sense of freedom from your career, life before The Happy Pear, feeding the business beast and silencing your ego, while having conscious capitalism, as Steve beautifully articulates. I ask what it's really like to pump out daily health and happiness on social media, how small changes make a real difference, availing of mother earth, sea swimming, and how connection is what matters most.
On today's show I chat to the scrumptious Helen Cody who kindly invited me to her creative studio, which is every girls' dream - it's like a walk in wardrobe of fantasy creations. For those of you who don't know, Helen has over 3 decades of experience in the fashion industry, so if you're into style and fashion or thinking about getting into that line of work, this is the episode for you. Helen has worked in London, Paris and New York. She has some amazing back stories to her journey, she's dressed celebrities, and her highly sought after work has been exhibited all over the world. In this episode we talk about Helen's style story, including some snippets of her life as a designer over the years. We chat about the transition from traditional print to social media, and how you have to adapt as a designer. We also talk about design in general; how it needs to be durable for the client, the process behind design, the materials, and connecting human emotion to fashion. Helen also openly and eloquently discusses her breast cancer diagnosis, how she used clothes and bright colour during her chemo, the great gift of gratitude that comes after an illness and appreciating the simple things in life. How her cancer was camouflaged, her hairloss and her amazing work with ARC.
Season 1
In Episode 1, host of the show Joanne Larby takes you on a journey from childhood memories to present day position. Covering a combination of vulnerable experiences, she hopes to shed light on some really topical areas. Joanne explains what led her to start this podcast, and hopes that by opening up herself, it will help listeners understand her stance in future interviews with upcoming guests. From recovering after a relationship to finding love again, receiving online negativity and her ongoing battle with body image, no page is left unturned.
In Episode 2 we chat to the ever inspiring Brian Keane, King of podcasting in Ireland, best selling author, public speaker, mindset coach and father. Brian discusses how to utilise peak productivity and offers incredible insight into improving your mindset motivation. We also discuss the impact social media and vanity can have on your mental health, and how body image and dysmorphia affects men and women. Ever struggled with handling an ‘all or nothing approach’ when embarking on a fitness journey? From weight fluctuations to gaining the relationship stone, this is such a powerful episode, and I promise you’ll walk away feeling pumped.
In Episode 3 we have the wonderful Sabrina Hill, founder of Kopper Hair Salon in Cork and New Hair Revolution, Co Founder of Business Of Hair, and Creative Colourist for Joico Europe. After opening up about my own hairloss experience online, I really wanted to delve deeper on the subject, answer your frequently asked questions with a professional, and shed some light on an area that isn’t spoken about as often as I would like. In this episode we cover the importance of good hairdressing, avoiding drama online, how CBT can benefit your business, how Sabrinas’s own mental health manifests, being an influencer, my hairloss journey, and a no bullshit holistic approach to handling it.
In Episode 4 we have the beautiful and bubbly Sinead O’Brien, also known as Sinead Curvy Style. Sinead is one of those women who just makes you feel good; her uplifting spirit and happy, positive outlook on life is infectious. She’s super comfortable in her own gorgeous skin and I think so many of you will benefit from this one. Sinead discusses curvy modelling and how, if the jeans don’t fit you simply need to buy bigger jeans. This episode will make you want to pack your bag full of confidence if you’re going on holidays, and learn to love the skin you’re in. We had so much banter, we had belly laughs, and we also delve into you dating questions. From what it’s like to date an influencer to how to know if he’s the one, dealing with cheating, strip clubs, how to not panic if you’re single in your 30s, getting back with an ex, facing fear head on, marriage and more.
In Episode 5 we have the ultra cool Laura Crane. I love how chilled this episode is; we had this conversation sat in loungewear, jet lagged after a long, but super fun day. We’re both extremely comfortable and relaxed, and yet touch on some heavy heartfelt subjects. Laura has a really interesting and unique story. You may know her from Love Island, but she’s been a pro surfer and model for big companies like Billabong from a very young age. This episode delves into the world of being an athlete in a male dominated industry, traveling around the world without your parents from such a young age, the pros and cons of a competitive streak, proving people wrong, and dealing with negative thoughts. We also cover Laura’s journey battling and recovering from bulimia, social anxiety, being your best self, and the reality behind reality TV.
In Episode 6 we have the terrific Trisha Lewis, also known as Trisha's Transformation on Instagram. Trisha takes us on her journey from being morbidly obsess, in the depths of depression to learning to love herself enough to change her life forever. This uplifting and inspiring episode explains how someone fighting an incredibly difficult internal battle, can master that reset button, start again, and beat the bulge for good. This woman went from avoiding photos completely to filming workouts for the nation to see. Over the next hour we discuss how to remove the bully that lives in your brain, making weight loss a positive, enjoyable process, dealing with gym fear and handling plateaus in weight loss. This is a woman who went from lashing out at the ones she loved and physically feeling like she was going to die, to waking up every morning, tying those shoelaces and getting shit done. Her basic, yet powerful daily mantra ‘do you want to be fat or fit, happy or sad, healthy or dying will help so many.
On Episode 7 we have mental health activist Caroline McMenamin, also known as The Red Dutchess on social media. Caroline has a degree in counselling and drama, a post grad in CBT and over 15 years of voluntary work and training. Caroline is also the founder of Replenish, a non-clinical mental health organisation aimed at educating, empowering and equipping individuals with the resources and support needed to manage their mental health. Caroline takes us on a journey from her OCD diagnosis to CBT training, and we cover mental health topics including anxiety, trauma, PTSD, relationship abuse and removing the stigma around seeking help or getting therapy. Caroline has a wonderful way with words, an incredibly insightful approach to dealing with clients and is truly passionate about helping people get better.
On Episode 8 we have one of Ireland’s leading public speakers Pat Divilly. Pat is also an author and high performance coach, who is passionate about helping people reach new levels of purpose, passion and fulfilment through movement and mindset. Pat regularly speaks at his own one day workshops and three day retreats, as well as providing trainings in leadership, self awareness and wellness for some of Ireland’s leading corporations. I think this conversation will really benefit those of you struggling with self doubt or if you’re looking to upgrade your career, or personal life. We discuss dealing with failure and insecurities, letting go of what others think about you and learning how to deal with, and benefit from constructive critique.
On Episode 9 we have the incredibly creative Catherine Carton, also known as Dainty Dress Diaries on Instagram. I’ve followed Catherine for years; not only for her DIY skills, but also her humour and bubbly personality. Catherine works full-time, but her successful side hustle is interiors, content creation and Youtube. Over the next hour or so we chat about finding flow, traveling solo, the positives about being single in your 30’s and removing societal pressure. We also touch on dating apps and Tinder terrors, so grab a cuppa, sit back and enjoy!
On Episode 9 we have the incredibly creative Catherine Carton, also known as Dainty Dress Diaries on Instagram. I’ve followed Catherine for years; not only for her DIY skills, but also her humour and bubbly personality. Catherine works full-time, but her successful side hustle is interiors, content creation and Youtube. Over the next hour or so we chat about finding flow, traveling solo, the positives about being single in your 30’s and removing societal pressure. We also touch on dating apps and Tinder terrors, so grab a cuppa, sit back and enjoy!
On Episode 11, the penultimate episode of Series 1, we have the stunningly soulful Síle Seoige, who I have officially named the ‘Galaxy bar of voice’ - smooth and full of depth. We chat about Síle’s extensive media experience over the past 20 years, from RTÉ and radio to some really heartfelt topics. Síle opens up about her journey with cancer and recovery, a marriage breakdown, miscarriage and motherhood. We talk about acceptance, non judgement, finding your true self, how negativity can be the catalyst for change, femininity and breathwork. I hope you enjoy what I found to be a truly therapeutic conversation.
On Episode 12 (the final episode in Series 1) we have the patient ambassador for DEBRA Ireland, Emma Fogarty. Emma suffers from RDEB, also known as Recessive Dystrophic Epidermolysis Bullosa. EB is a rare, genetic skin condition which causes the skin to blister at the slightest touch. These wounds, some of which will never heal, occur both internally and externally and are constantly at risk of severe infection. Children that are born with EB are highly susceptible to a very aggressive form of skin cancer from as early as their teenage years and there is currently no cure for EB. Emma has an extraordinary life, and has experienced pain most humans can’t even fathom. This remarkable woman is everything The Other Side Of Perfect is about because, she’s not defined by her struggle, instead her strength. In this episode we discuss in detail, what it’s like living with EB, life outside the condition, the incredible people Emma has met on her journey, and why fundraising is so important.
