Episodes

  • Hello and welcome back to The Other Side Of Perfect. On today’s show I speak to the extremely creative and talented Emma Flynn, also known in the digital space as This Mama Doodles. Emma is a mum of three, artist, illustrator, writer and creator who’s words and imagery have touched the lives of mothers across the globe. Emma is also a maternal mental health advocate ,and to highlight Maternal Mental Health month, she is undoubtedly the person to have this conversation with.

    Did you know 1 in 5 women experience mental health concerns during and after childbirth, but these symptoms go undetected and untreated. Common symptoms of mental health concerns can mirror typical postpartum symptoms, and include changes to weight, energy, sleep, libido, and emotions - which is why I feel it’s so hard for mothers to open up, reach out and ask for help.

    During this episode, we cover candid subjects including mother-baby bonding, postpartum emotions, loss of identity, and relationship changes. Emma is wonderful at highlighting these struggles in such an honest and sensitive way on her own platform, and so I hope this discussion helps some of you feel less alone as we unite in the complexity that is motherhood.

    This Mama Doodles https://thismamadoodles.com/
    Instagram https://www.instagram.com/this_mama_doodles/

  • On today's show I chat to the wonderful Katie Mugan, also known as Nursing Mama. Katie is a mum to 4, and nurse by profession; more specifically a Registered General Nurse, Paediatric Nurse , Public Health Nurse and Lactation Consultant who offers invaluable advice online for all feeding journeys. In this episode we discuss why our breastfeeding rates in Ireland are so low, the judgment and benefits surrounding extended feeding, weaning from feeding to sleep, breastfeeding for bonding, comfort, pain relief and beyond. We also cover the differences in baby sleep depending on whether you breast or bottle feed, supply and demand, cluster feeding, harvesting colostrum, expressing, combination, and of course formula feeding. This is a jam-packed episode that I hope offers the information needed to start a successful feeding journey.

    I always hoped to breastfeed, and after experiencing birth trauma it became even more important to me. As someone with a large following and online platform I think it's integral that we continue to advocate for, normalize and support breastfeeding. If you know anyone who is interested in breastfeeding, experiencing difficulties, or dealing with a feeding journey that didn’t go how they had hoped, perhaps you can share this conversation. If you have any further questions, or topics we didn't have time to cover today, please send them on to [email protected], I'll also leave Katie's contact details below.

    Katie Mugan https://nursingmama.ie/
    Instagram https://www.instagram.com/nursingmama.ie

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  • On today’s show I’m honored to have the founder of Solid Starts Jenny Best who is not only a baby-led weaning expert, she’s also a food and farming enthusiast on a mission to make it easier for families to introduce real food to their babies. I really wanted to include an episode covering everything you need to know when it comes to starting solids, which can be both an exciting and nerve-wracking phase of parenthood. We did baby-led weaning alongside exclusively breastfeeding and I have to say it has been a really fantastic combination that worked for our family, and as a result, I’m eager to share more on the topic. Jenny is also a mother of 3 including a severe picky eater and twin toddlers and has openly shared her own vulnerable journey as a family navigating everything from reversing picky eating to dealing with the frightening world of allergies and the juggle that is being an extremely successful business woman and mother. Prior to launching Solid Starts Jenny led global communications at One Acre Fund and Slow Food USA, and was also a professional ballerina with the NYC ballet.

    For those of you who may not be familiar, Solid Starts is a team of pediatric feeding experts and doctors and an incredibly invaluable database that has a loyal community of over 2.5 million. We have found their resources absolutely invaluable, whether it’s searching for certain foods, how and when to introduce them to River or dealing with the likes of allergies and constipation. I hope this conversation will be useful, whether you’re pregnant and intrigued by baby-led weaning, starting out on your own solids journey, or aiming to prevent or reverse picky eating.

  • Welcome back to a brand new series of The Other Side Of Perfect, with me your host Joanne Larby. I feel really passionately about so many of these conversations and admire each and every one of the wonderful guests we have lined up. We'll be covering loss of identity, postpartum depression, grief, fertility journeys, baby bliss, and relationship changes. If you’re an avid listener of the show and have bagel interest in parenthood or children, there are still some amazing stories and inspirational dialogue for you to enjoy.

    Some of these stories will pull at your heartstrings, bring on a belly laugh or divulge some really invaluable life advice we could all take something from. Our first guest, in celebration of World Down Syndrome Day is Gina Daly of The Daly Dish. Self-proclaimed cook who couldn’t cook, and now the author of 3 best-selling cookbooks, mother of 3 beautiful children, and online advocate for Down Syndrome. As a trigger warning guys, in this episode we cover topics like a missed miscarriage and dealing with a disability, so if you are going through something similar this may be a sensitive topic for you. That being said Gina is extremely sound, it’s a really fun, positive, joyful and glass-half-full kind of chat so I hope you enjoy.

    The Daly Dish https://www.instagram.com/thedalydish/

  • Welcome back to a new series of The Other Side Of Perfect. I'm delighted to share a bonus episode with the wonderful Tracy Donegan. Tracy is a registered midwife, author and founder of the Gentle Birth app which so many of you recommended when I first announced my pregnancy. She's also an advocate for having a positive birth experience. On today’s show we discuss Hypnobirthing, each of the trimesters and what to expect, home birth, natural birth in the hospital, emergency and planned c-sections, VBAC (vaginal birth after c-section) and breast feeding.

    Gentle Birth https://www.gentlebirth.com/
    Sponsor https://www.cleancutmeals.ie/

    Thank you to the sponsors of this episode and series, Ireland's leading meal prep provider, Clean Cut Meals, who are offering 15% off their meals if you use the code 'JOANNE15'.

  • On this episode I chat to Fingal Ferguson who is part of the well known Gubbeen family. As per Fingal's bio he's a farmer, cheese maker, husband, father, experimenter and one of the world's most well known knife makers, based here in West Cork. On today's show we discuss the background behind Gubbeen, a zero waste approach to creating a successful food brand, the importance of community, his rather fabulous family, and why West Cork is a hub of artisan and craft.

    Gubbeen https://gubbeen.com/
    Fingal Ferguson https://www.fingalfergusonknives.com/
    Sponsor https://www.cleancutmeals.ie/

    Thank you to the sponsors of this episode and series, Ireland's leading meal prep provider, Clean Cut Meals, who are offering 15% off their meals if you use the code 'JOANNE15'.

  • On today’s show I speak with Ireland’s biggest male fitness influencer Rob Lipsett, who is also a Youtube star, and owner of Fuel Cakes and Gameplan. During our virtual conversation we chat about burning ambition, not conforming or settling for the rat race, and the importance of routine when focusing on your goals. Rob explains why he loves to keep a journal, turning his diagnosed ADHD into a positive attribute, Patrick Bateman level organisation and launching a brand in the middle of a pandemic. We also cover embracing failure, how competing can often ignite disordered eating, the smoke and mirrors of social media, and why having a sense of humour is so important.

    Rob Lipsett https://www.roblipsett.com/
    Sponsor https://www.cleancutmeals.ie/

    Thank you to the sponsors of this episode and series, Ireland's leading meal prep provider, Clean Cut Meals, who are offering 30% off their meals if you use the code 'JOANNE30'.

  • On today's show I have a conversation with Doctor Ciara Kelly. A former medical doctor, Ciara is also a broadcaster, presents on the Newstalk Breakfast Show, and writes a column for the Independent. Over the next hour we discuss the most topical subject of the past year and how to deal with the waves that come with COVID, why so many people love, and take part in her '100 Days Of Walking challenge. From anxiety and powerlessness to brighter days filled with hope, Ciara explains how to really dig deep during this time. We also discuss finding yourself in your forties and changing career later in life.

    Ciara Kelly https://www.instagram.com/ciarakellydoc/
    Sponsor https://www.cleancutmeals.ie/

    Thank you to the sponsors of this episode and series, Ireland's leading meal prep provider, Clean Cut Meals, who are offering 30% off their meals if you use the code 'JOANNE30'.

  • On today's show I talk to one of my favourite UK online creators in the interiors space. Katie Woods of 'Come Down To The Woods' instagram success, is also a full time dentist and mum of 4. On today's episode we delve into the world of influencing, including all of the highs and lows. Over the next hour we will give you a keen insight into the reality of creating content, the guidelines, the time involved, dealing with creative burnout, trolling and the negative impact it can have, and how underneath it all we're winging it.

    Katie Woods https://www.comedowntothewoods.com/blog/
    Sponsor https://www.cleancutmeals.ie/

    Thank you to the sponsors of this episode and series, Ireland's leading meal prep provider, Clean Cut Meals, who are offering 30% off their meals if you use the code 'JOANNE30'.

  • On today's show I’m joined by Daniella Moyles, who you may know as a former model and DJ, turned author of the best selling book 'Jump'. On this episode we discuss burnout and how at one point Daniella's anxiety was so debilitating, that her digestion and skin were being affected. At that low point, everything called Daniella to turn to solo travel, and so she packed up her bags, and after a whirlwind few years and lots of new experiences and perspective, she now shares her journey and lifestyle online. Over the next hour we talk about how to heal, finding your true self, becoming more ego aware, and why you really should stick with yoga.

    Daniella Moyles https://www.instagram.com/daniellamoyles/
    Sponsor https://www.cleancutmeals.ie/

    Thank you to the sponsors of this episode and series, Ireland's leading meal prep provider, Clean Cut Meals, who are offering 30% off their meals if you use the code 'JOANNE30'.

  • On this episode I hope to help those of you juggling work and family life at home. I’m joined by the wonderful Lucy Wolfe, a Sleep Consultant, Co Creational Parent and Relationship Mentor, and mum of four children. Lucy is also the author of the bestselling book The Baby Sleep Solution, All About Baby Sleep, and Creator of the 100% natural Sleep Through brand which I'm a massive fan of. Over the next hour we discuss Lucy’s explorative and diverse career path, the parenting routines and techniques that helped her along the way, and how we have a chance to ‘parent’ ourselves as we bring up our children. Dealing with separation anxiety (which is a big issue for those in lockdown with children returning to school), becoming more conscious, and of course Lucy’s top tips for better sleep.

    Lucy Wolfe https://sleepmatters.ie/
    Sponsor https://www.cleancutmeals.ie/

    Thank you to the sponsors of this episode and series, Ireland's leading meal prep provider, Clean Cut Meals, who are offering 30% off their meals if you use the code 'JOANNE30'.

  • On this episode I chat with my old school pal Jenny Keane, who is also a sex-pert, specialising in holistic sex education, Jenny runs online courses including Orgasm Online and Period Power, she’s also a Tantra Yoga Instructor. On today’s show we talk about Jenny’s super interesting journey, why we’re often reluctant to accept pleasure, the beauty beliefs that have been given to us, and how denial, a sense of unworthiness, self acceptance and self love affect our sex drive. We also discuss practises that help you to learn to love your body, dealing with low and high libidos in a relationship, communicating with your partner and how stress can affect our sex life, with tips and tricks to keep that spark alive - even during a global pandemic.

    Jenny Keane https://www.instagram.com/hellojennykeane/
    Sponsor https://www.cleancutmeals.ie/

    Thank you to the sponsors of this episode and Series 2, Ireland's leading meal prep provider, Clean Cut Meals, who are offering 20% off their meals if you use the code 'JOANNE20'.

  • We are back with what feels like a strange start to Series 3, recorded in the middle of a global pandemic. I hope you’re all surviving and navigating this unique time as best you can, and that the following Quarantine Questions will keep you company over the next few weeks. Although I’ll be doing more solo episodes in this series, I thought I'd kick things off with a very special surprise guest, my lockdown lover Adam (who is absolutely hating me for me this). In fact I don’t think he could think of anything worse than doing an interview for social media, BUT I know you lot have burning questions for us both, so fingers crossed he will forgive me for dragging him into my weird and wonderful world. In this episode we have a completely unedited couples' conversation and discuss how we met, what it’s like dating an influencer, what I’m really like offline, the impact of online hate on a relationship and having babies. We also delve into pet hates, skipping the honeymoon period, communication, trust, finding our dream house and moving to rural Ireland just before lockdown.

    Sponsor https://www.sweatybetty.com/

    Thank you to the sponsors of this episode, women's activewear brand, Sweaty Betty, who are offering 15% off their website for the next two weeks if you use the code 'theothersideofperfect15'.

  • 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.

    Big thank you to Childvision for allowing us record last minute while Rupurt was teaching in Dublin. You can check out their Movement Method events with below.

    Rupert Isaacson https://www.penguin.co.uk/authors/32862/rupert-isaacson.html
    The Horse Boy Foundation https://www.horseboyfoundation.org/
    Childvision http://childvision.ie/site/eventbrite-event/horse-boy-movement-methods-for-those-on-the-autistic-spectrum-with-rupert-isaacson/

  • 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.

    Join TOSOP https://theothersideofperfect.com/
    High Rise To House https://www.instagram.com/highrisetohouse/
    Kate Watson-Smyth https://instagram.com/mad_about_the_house
    Mad About The House https://www.madaboutthehouse.com/

  • 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.

    Join TOSOP https://theothersideofperfect.com/
    Allison Keating https://www.instagram.com/allison.keating
    bWell Clinic http://www.bwell.ie/

  • 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.

    Join TOSOP https://theothersideofperfect.com/
    Sam Chapman https://www.instagram.com/samchapman/
    Holmes Hotel https://www.holmeshotel.com/
    Sponsor https://www.cleancutmeals.ie/

    Shoutout to Holmes Hotel for allowing us record for a couple of days in London. Thank you to the sponsors of this episode and Series 2, Ireland's leading meal prep provider, Clean Cut Meals, who are offering 20% off their meals if you use the code 'JOANNE20'.

  • On Episode 4 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.

    Join TOSOP https://theothersideofperfect.com/
    Helen Cody http://www.helencody.com/
    ARC Cancer Support https://www.arccancersupport.ie/
    Sponsor https://www.cleancutmeals.ie/

    Thank you to the sponsors of this episode and Series 2, Ireland's leading meal prep provider, Clean Cut Meals, who are offering 20% off their meals if you use the code 'JOANNE20'.

  • 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 the topic of connection, and before we get into this really inspiring episode, I recently launched an exclusive Membership site called TOSOP (which stands for The Other Side Of Perfect). You can join this uplifting space to share ideas, positivity, motivation, seek expert advice, and of course have some fun along the way - for as little as a cup of coffee per week. To find out more, head to https://theothersideofperfect.com/ and download your first FREE 4 week expert Movement for mindset guide. This contains three 20 – 35 minute workouts, suitable for Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced fitness levels. There’s no equipment needed, so you can try them anywhere, at anytime. There will also be bonus podcast episodes over there, so I hope you join in on the journey.

    Join TOSOP https://theothersideofperfect.com/
    The Happy Pear https://thehappypear.ie/
    The Happy Pear Courses https://www.happypearcourses.com/

  • 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.

    Visit https://theothersideofperfect.com/
    Keith Barry https://www.keithbarry.com/
    Insanity Tour https://www.keithbarry.com/tours/insanity
    Sponsor https://www.cleancutmeals.ie/

    Thank you to the sponsors of this episode and Series 2, Ireland's leading meal prep provider, Clean Cut Meals, who are offering 20% off their meals if you use the code 'JOANNE20'.