Laura Dowling : Love your vulva!

Topics covered : Drug use, teenage pregnancy, motherhood, death, grief, further education, stereotyping, privilege, creativity, authenticity, philosophy, visualisation, Miriam Margolyes.Senator Lynn Ruane is my guest this week.She lives in Killinarden in Tallaght with her two daughters, Jordanne who’s 22 and Jaelynne who’s 15.And in this conversation she talks about her childhood; experimenting with drugs from the age of 12, finding out she was pregnant at 15 and how a community education initiative called ‘An Cosán’ developed by Katherine Zappone and the late Ann Louise Gilligan helped her massively in life.She’s been a senator for 6 years now and recently completed a masters in creative writing and she was the dream to chat to.She cares deeply, she’s inquisitive, authentic and refreshingly honest and I hope you enjoy our conversation as much as I did.If you’re a fan of my pod, please follow, rate and review in all the usual places. And thanks, as always, for your support of Ready to be Real. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

25 Nov 202255min

Topics covered : Living without money, social media/technology, sustainability, being in flow, climate change, economy, marketing, community, vasectomy and toilets! Originally from Donegal, Mark made a life changing decision to give up money entirely in 2008 and he lived completely without it for 3 years.He's the author of four books including ‘The Moneyless Man’ and ‘The Way Home; Tales from a Life without technology’.And this conversation is a fascinating insight into his life and the reasons why he decided on such a radical life change.We talk about living sustainability and in tune with the seasons and why he decided to get a vasectomy when he was only 30!It's an episode that will make you think about your own life and perhaps encourage us all, to make some positive changes.Book mention -‘The Shock Doctrine’ by Naomi KleinIf you’re a fan of my pod, please follow, rate and review in all the usual places. And thanks, as always, for your support of Ready to be Real. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

18 Nov 202259min

In this bonus episode I speak to international numerologist Gráinne Tyndall about 1111.It’s being released on Friday the 11th of November, the day that my baby girl Clíodhna turns one so obviously it means a lot to me personally, but I asked Grainne to share her thoughts on 1111.If you’d like a personal reading with Gráinne, feel free to reach out to her.HOME - Numbers 4 SuccessAnd if you’re a fan of my pod, please follow, rate and review in all the usual places. And thanks, as always, for your support of Ready to be Real. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

11 Nov 202214min

Topics covered : Sexual confidence, connection, shame, blame, self-pleasure, communication, fantasies, desire, dirty talk, sex toys, orgasm. Holistic sex educator Jenny Keane is my guest this week.It's an episode I had been looking forward to recording for ages and it did not disappoint.She talks about sexual confidence, the importance of connection, self-pleasure, shame, blame and dirty talk.She also answers your questions on fantasises, sex toys and she gives us a fascinating insight into orgasm too.She’s so knowledgeable and great craic and as you’d imagine this is a conversation for adult ears only, so something to be mindful of as you listen.I loved it and I think you will too.If you’re a fan of my pod, please follow, rate and review in all the usual places. And thanks, as always, for your support of Ready to be Real. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

11 Nov 20221h 16min

Topics covered : Childhood, starting a business/brand, taking chances, creating, success, failure, conflict, motherhood, gardening.In this episode I speak to trailblazing entrepreneur Marissa Carter.Marissa lives in Dublin with her husband Ronan and their kids; Charlie who’s 10 and Isabelle who’s 7 and their much loved dog Cherry.Her brand ‘Cocoa Brown’ was born 10 years ago this month and like all successful entrepreneurs she’s not afraid of taking chances.The past few years have been particularly challenging for her professionally and this is her first interview in 3 years.She tells us about her upbringing and how she became the business woman she is today, the women who helped her along the way, meeting Kim Kardashian and conflict.She’s a homebird who loves gardening and she’s also a great laugh to be around.I hope you enjoy our conversation.If you’re a fan of my pod, please follow, rate and review in all the usual places. And thanks, as always, for your support of Ready to be Real. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

4 Nov 20221h 8min

Topics covered : Confidence, courage, anxiety, affirmations, bullshitting, self-talk. In this episode I speak to Professor Ian Robertson about confidence.Ian is a clinical psychologist and neuroscientist and he is widely recognised as one of the world’s leading researchers in neuropsychology and he’s also the author of several best-selling books, including ‘How Confidence Works’.In this conversation he tells us what confidence is, what makes someone confident, how we can improve it, the differences between men and women in terms of confidence and why that is; the art of bullshitting and the power of positive self-talk.If you’re a fan of my pod, please follow, rate and review in all the usual places. And thanks, as always, for your support of Ready to be Real. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

27 Okt 202251min

Topics covered : Confidence, being in flow, authenticity, integrity, music, style, love, grief.In this episode I speak to Cork powerhouse Lyra, who’s a singer-songwriter known for her distinctive voice, striking outfits and electrifying live shows.In this conversation we speak about confidence and staying true to yourself, the special bond she had with her Nan Kitty and the absolute joy she feels when she’s performing.She’s independent, great craic and full of integrity and it was brilliant to chat to her.Her new single ’29 box’ is out now and for a full list of tour dates, check out Lyra Singer | The Official Website Of LyraCheck out my Instagram page for some photos that relate to this conversation.𝗦í𝗹𝗲 𝗦𝗲𝗼𝗶𝗴𝗲 (@sileseoige) • Instagram photos and videosIf you’re a fan of my pod, please follow, rate and review in all the usual places. And thanks, as always, for your support of Ready to be Real. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

14 Okt 202247min

Topics covered : parental separation, abandonment, depression, violence, racism, homelessness, shame, teenage pregnancy, suicide, grief, independence, support, resilience, representation, forgiveness, compassion.In this episode I speak to the phenomenal Deborah Somorin.Deborah, or Debbie as she’s better known as, has experienced so much in her life; she was in and out of care homes from a very young age, at 13 she became homeless and at 14 she found out she was pregnant. In this conversation we hear about the complicated relationship she had with her mother and the reality of years spent in care in Ireland. But we also hear about the people who helped her along the way to achieve more in her life than she ever knew was possible.Today she’s a management consultant, a qualified chartered accountant and the founder of ‘Empower the Family Ireland’, a charity that helps single parents further their education and she’s also mother to Liam, who’s now 13.She’s just released two books, her memoir ‘Believing in Me’ and her children’s book ‘I Believe in You’.Resources :SamaritansSamaritans IrelandBooks : Deborah Somorin – ‘Believing in Me’ and ‘I Believe in You’If you’re a fan of my pod, please follow, rate and review in all the usual places. And thanks, as always, for your support of Ready to be Real. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

7 Okt 20221h 11min