Your Best Self

Did you know that $460 billion dollars worth of clothes are discarded every year? The carbon footprint of the fashion industry is something that has been well documented in recent years. Anne Marie Tomchak is using her skills to shine a spotlight on this issue while also promoting mental health and wellbeing through her social enterprise, Share Joy. A journalist and entrepreneur, her career has taken her from the RTÉ newsroom to the bright lights of London working for the likes of BBC, Mashable and British Vogue where she led their digital content. She is also a regular contributing editor to British Glamour.  In this episode we discuss: The importance of authenticity in the workplace How being open to new opportunities has enhanced her career; and Why she wants to use her journalistic and digital skills to help others and raise awareness about the issues close to her heart. I hope you enjoy the episode.  For all the latest updates from Your Best Self you can follow us on: *Instagram: @yourbestself_podcast *Facebook: @yourbestselfpodcast *Twitter: @Your_Best_Self_ Or you can follow Faye Rowlands on Twitter at @rowlands_faye

Entrepreneur and former journalist, Mark Little is the King of re-invention.  His career has taken him everywhere from Washington DC as RTÉ’s US correspondent to the helm of one of Ireland’s biggest current affairs shows, Prime Time. In 2010 he founded Storyful – a social media intelligence agency - which was acquired by NewsCorp in 2013 under a multi-million euro deal. Since then he has held  positions including Head of Media Partnerships and Managing Director at Twitter and more recently he has returned to his entrepreneurial roots by co-founding Kinzen a social intelligence agency to combat disinformation. In this episode Mark tells me about his early days in journalism, the story that left a lasting impression on him during his time in the US, asking questions of those in power during Ireland's financial crisis and the inspiration behind his multi-million euro venture Storyful. We also discuss Twitter's decision to ban Donald Trump from the platform, the regulation of Big Tech and the future role of blockchain in protecting the privacy of our data online. I hope you enjoy the episode. For all the latest updates from Your Best Self you can follow us on: *Instagram: @yourbestself_podcast *Facebook: @yourbestselfpodcast *Twitter: @Your_Best_Self_ Or you can follow Faye Rowlands on Twitter at @rowlands_faye

Sandra Hurley knows what it’s all about covering politics in a pandemic. A mathematics whizz kid - her career has taken her from the corporate world of investment banking to the newsroom. You’ll likely best know her as the face of RTE’s political news coverage bringing us the latest news and developments from Government Buildings. She’s reported everywhere from the streets of New York to the Papal conclave in Rome and the London bombings of 2007 and has covered some of the biggest national stories from the Banking Inquiry to the vindication of Garda Whistleblower, Maurice McCabe and the Charleton Tribunal. In this episode we discuss: why she swapped mathematics for the newsroom; how the public perception of politics has changed; and  she tells me about the story she covered during her time in New York that would later be recounted on television in the popular legal drama “The Good Wife”. She also offers plenty of advice for young aspiring journalists. I hope you enjoy the episode. For all the latest updates from Your Best Self you can follow us on: *Instagram: @yourbestself_podcast *Facebook: @yourbestselfpodcast *Twitter: @Your_Best_Self_ Or you can follow Faye Rowlands on Twitter at @rowlands_faye

Adi Roche has made it her life’s mission to help survivors and those left behind in the wake of the Chernobyl disaster. She is the founder and voluntary CEO of Chernobyl Children International. She has researched and produced award winning documentaries which unveiled the true scale of the Chernobyl tragedy to the world. She has received numerous awards in recognition of her activism and dedication to humanity. Five years ago she received an invitation to address the UN General Assembly in New York. Following this landmark address, the United Nations resolved to mark today, April 26th, an international day of commemoration to honour those whose lives were affected by the Chernobyl nuclear tragedy. In this episode we speak about finding hope in the midst of tragedy, how her charitable organisation has coped during the pandemic, and the new pastime that has given her a new lease of life. 40 years on and Adi’s passion for her work is as infectious as ever and I just know you’ll really enjoy what she has to say in this episode… If you'd like to make a contribution to Chernobyl Children International or find out more about what they do you can do this on their website: https://www.chernobyl-international.com/ For all the latest updates from Your Best Self you can follow us on: *Instagram: @yourbestself_podcast *Facebook: @yourbestselfpodcast *Twitter: @Your_Best_Self_ Or you can follow Faye Rowlands on Twitter at @rowlands_faye

Nearly eight years ago Maeve Mullin took redundancy from her job as an IT Project Manager and went back to education to pursue her love of Irish History. Inspired by her father's love of the subject she now works as an Irish Genealogist with Finders International here in Dublin. She tells me what inspired her to make the career change and what she enjoys about her new role. We discuss everything from tracing your family tree, to Irish-American Presidents and how she's been helping the children of Ireland's Mother and Baby Homes reconnect with their birth families. I hope you find the episode insightful. For all the latest updated from Your Best Self, follow us on: *Instagram: @yourbestself_podcast *Facebook: @yourbestselfpodcast *Twitter: @Your_Best_Self You can follow Faye Rowlands on Twitter @rowlands_faye You can contact me at [email protected]

Over the course of her career my guest this week has delivered over 1,000 babies. Dr Vicky O'Dwyer is a mum of three, a Consultant Obstetrician and Director of Gynaecology at the Rotunda Hospital in Dublin. She holds a medical doctorate, completed a fellowship in maternal medicine and went on to run a national preterm prevention clinic before joining the Rotunda. She previously led the Rotunda's colposcopy department before taking on her current role as their Director of Gynaecology. She tells me what sparked her passion for medicine - and in particular, her love of the labour ward. We discuss everything from baby booms in a pandemic, to the Cervical Screening Program and how the 2018 referendum (which repealed Ireland's abortion ban) has impacted clinical practice and maternal medicine in Ireland. If there's a guest you'd like to hear from in Season 2 or you'd like to get in touch with the podcast, you can email us at [email protected]  For all the latest updates from Your Best Self you can follow us on: * Instagram: @yourbestself_podcast *Facebook: @yourbestselfpodcast *Twitter: @Your_Best_Self_

Have you just started a new job in lockdown? Thinking of changing organisation or even switching careers? If so, my guest this week has just the advice for you.  Ros Toynbee is a leading career coach in the UK. She's spent the past 18 years helping her clients build fulfilling careers whether that’s going for a promotion, joining a new organisation or a executing complete career change. In this episode she tells me how her own career has evolved over the years and shares her tips on how to stay motivated at work during lockdown, what to do if your starting a new position and lots more. For all the latest updates from Your Best Self you can follow us on: *Instagram: @yourbestself_podcast *Facebook: @yourbestselfpodcast *Twitter: @Your_Best_Self_ Or you can follow Faye Rowlands on Twitter at @rowlands_faye

This week on the podcast I'm joined by Minister of State for Special Education and Inclusion, Josepha Madigan. Madigan is an Irish Fine Gael politician and qualified solicitor. She spent 20 years practising law and running her own firm before being elected to Dáil Eireann in 2016. She quickly established herself as a rising political figure within the Party and was just three weeks in office when the former Taoiseach Enda Kenny invited her to partake in Government formation talks. As a back-bench TD, she initiated a private members bill that ultimately reduced the divorce waiting time in Ireland from 4 years to 2. In 2017, she became the first female lawyer appointed to the Irish Cabinet where she served as the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht. I caught up the Minister late last year. She tells me what it's like juggling family life with a demanding political career, the people who inspire her in politics and why Article 41.2 of the Irish Constitution (regarding the women's place in the home)needs to be removed to reflect a modern day Ireland. For all the latest updates from Your Best Self you can follow us on: *Instagram: @yourbestself_podcast *Facebook: @yourbestselfpodcast *Twitter: @Your_Best_Self_ Or you can follow Faye Rowlands on Twitter at @rowlands_faye

My guest this week is Kate Verling. Kate is Managing Director at the award winning, Mink Hand and Foot Spa. Her family established the business, opening its flagship salon in Donnybrook in 2006 and Kate joined the business  after completing her Business degree at DIT. Since then the business has expanded from a team of just 3 to employing 60 people. Mink regularly features in Image Magazine’s Annual Business of Beauty Awards – taking home the award for best nail salon in 2017. Kate herself was shortlisted for Image Magazine’s Young Businesswoman of the Year in 2018. In this episode she tells me about the women who’ve inspired her in business, why empathy will always be a feature of her management style and her exciting plans to expand Mink as a life and beauty brand. For all the latest updates from Your Best Self you can follow us on: *Instagram: @yourbestself_podcast *Facebook: @yourbestselfpodcast *Twitter: @Your_Best_Self_ Or you can follow Faye Rowlands on Twitter at @rowlands_faye.

My guest on the podcast this week is Michelle McDaid. Michelle is the Director of Engineering at Workhuman. The company with dual headquarters in Dublin and Massachusetts, provides its clients with cloud-based software services. Its social recognition program encourages employees to recognize and reward each other’s work as an incentive for performance. Michelle is a passionate supporter of women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). She has used her leadership platform at Workhuman to drive diversity and inclusion initiatives and was an influential figure in the company’s decision to join the 30% Club. In 2019, she was shortlisted as trailblazer in her industry at the Dublin Tech Summit, Women in Tech Awards. In this episode she tells me why we need more women in the technology sector, how a growth mind-set helped her succeed and why she derives real satisfaction from enabling others to do their best work. For all the latest updates from Your Best Self you can follow us on: *Instagram: @yourbestself_podcast *Facebook: @yourbestselfpodcast *Twitter: @Your_Best_Self_ Or you can follow Faye Rowlands on Twitter at @rowlands_faye