The Ireland Podcast7 Apr 2025

154. Sonya Lennon: Designing Positive Impact

Episode 154: Sonya Lennon began her career in fashion as a stylist, then broadcaster, and designer. Now, as a passionate equality advocate, she has turned her sights on designing better workplaces and a better society. Fender Jackson chats with Sonya in her Dublin home on 1 April 2025.

Conversation includes: introductions; occupations; permission; childhood in Malahide; family background; being driven; being an ENTJ personality type (Myers Briggs); benevolence bias; Sonya’s interest in communication from an early age; Loreto College burning with the tragic deaths of six elderly nuns on June 2, 1986; Sonya pioneering online shopping; brogues and legwarmers; fashion virality; the thrill of empowering people; doing a Masters in Business Equity, Diversity and Inclusion under the recognition of prior learning programme (RPL); selling and trust; becoming a stylist; to move or not to move to London; working for the RTÉ makeover show ‘Off The Rails’ in 2008; the global recession; media training for moving as a stylist into the role of TV Presenter; celebrity and pressure; reticular activation system; goals vs. direction of travel; Leading Ireland’s Future Together (LIFT); Work Equal; Lennon Courtney; Kilkenny Design; DEI in USA today; “affirmative action” and quotas; homophily and monoculture; ‘A Cry From The Far Middle’ by P. J. O’Rourke; Sonya’s time split; meditation; sea swimming; Peter Cat Recording Co.; Prince; CMAT; Madeleine Peyroux; plans for the future and other topics.

Relevant Links

https://sonyalennon.com/

Additional Links

https://liftireland.ie/

https://workequal.ie/

https://www.lennoncourtney.com/

Ep. 154 Spotify Playlist

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Denne episoden er hentet fra en åpen RSS-feed og er ikke publisert av Podme. Den kan derfor inneholde annonser.

Episoder(236)

236. Alternative Ulster - Henry Cluney: Inside The Song

Henry Cluney, founding member and guitarist of Stiff Little Fingers and currently with XSLF, joins Fender Jackson for a deep dive into “Alternative Ulster”.Together they listen through the recording a...

23 Aug 1h 44min

235. Falling Slowly: Inside the Song

Falling Slowly sounds simple. But underneath Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová’s Oscar-winning song are some beautiful musical choices.In this episode of The Ireland Podcast, musician and host Fender J...

19 Aug 40min

234. Mary McAleese: President of Ireland

Mary McAleese served as President of Ireland from 1997 to 2011. Born in Belfast, she became the first President of Ireland from Northern Ireland and held office through some of the most significant ye...

12 Aug 52min

233. Remembering Glen Hansard: Friends Share Stories After His Funeral

Who was Glen Hansard away from the stage?Following Glen Hansard's funeral at St Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin, this episode captures the thoughts and memories of friends, collaborators and fellow musi...

5 Aug 17min

232. Remembering Glen Hansard: Voices from His Public Wake

On Monday 3 August 2026, hundreds of people gathered at the Baroque Chapel, Irish Museum of Modern Art (IMMA), Royal Hospital Kilmainham, to pay their final respects to Glen Hansard.Rather than recoun...

3 Aug 1h 7min

231. Why Are So Many Irish People Pro-Palestine? | Zoe Lawlor

Why has Ireland become one of the world's strongest supporters of Palestine?In this episode, Zoe Lawlor, Chairperson of the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC), discusses why so many Irish pe...

28 Jul 47min

230. Brexit: What Happens Next? Prof. Katy Hayward

Ten years after the Brexit referendum, what has actually changed?In this final episode of our three-part series, Professor Katy Hayward looks beyond the politics of 2016 to examine Brexit's long-term ...

20 Jul 46min

229. Jeffrey Donaldson: The Rise, Fall & Future of the DUP | John Manley

Jeffrey Donaldson was once regarded as one of the most influential and respected figures in unionism. A former leader of the Democratic Unionist Party, Privy Counsellor, and key negotiator during some...

9 Jul 51min