A podcast for those seeking purpose in their work, whether staying in their current job or considering a career change.
Hosted by communications expert Jim Walsh and Mettacomms data prophet Ellen Gunning
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
A podcast for those seeking purpose in their work, whether staying in their current job or considering a career change.
Hosted by communications expert Jim Walsh and Mettacomms data prophet Ellen Gunning
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Negotiating pocket money as a child and taking up martial arts as a teenager helped shape a business approach
When Michael O’Donohoe now Country Director for Ireland and UK with Wavin, the iconic supplier of above and below ground plastic pipe systems. was a child he had to negotiate for his pocket money every year with his father who worked with a trade union.
Then he took up martial arts and excelled at Taekwondo.. At the age of 17 he achieved a 2nd Dan Black belt and went on to represent Ireland at an international level.
In chatting with Jim and Ellen in this episode of Off the Fence with Purpose Michael explains how both of the these influences shaped his business and management approach.
The learnings from the annual negotiations with his father stood to him as he progressed his career and as he says the attributes needed for Taekwondo; confidence, discipline, respect and communication added to his structured and disciplined approach to management.
His wide ranging career has seen him progress as a sales and marketing professional with national and international experience in diverse industries including Pharma/Biotech, Food & Beverage and Building/Construction. His specialties have included management in general business, sales & marketing, key accounts, project sales and distribution.
Michael graduated with a BS.c Applied Science-Chemistry and Maths from TU Dublin and holds an Advanced Diploma in Management Practice and an M.Sc. in Executive Leaderships from Ulster University.
In addition he has been President and Executive Committee member of the Irish Hardware Association.
This conversation with Michael covers not only his career and interests but also the state of the building/construction industry in Ireland and the impact of AI on the sector.
While Taekwondo may have shaped his early life Michael has now turned his attention to Ironman and Triathlon events. His description of recently completing the Alcatraz Triathlon is gripping.
Michael describes his style as that of a hands-off manager. He gets the right people onto the bus and then figures out the right seat for them.
His lessons for career development is: be true to yourself, understand your own ability, get out of your comfort zone, challenge yourself and whatever you do pursue it with passion.
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This lively chat with Margaret E Ward covers her time from being a cub reporter in New York, through an award winning journalism career in Ireland with leading national and broadcast media to becoming founder and CEO of a company that is all about business leadership and team development. Her career which also includes serving on the boards of national organisations, writing three books and thousands of articles, provides many useful thoughts for those working on their career path or who have reached leadership roles.
A1 bias provokes an interesting discussion on this episode about how organisations today use AI in the recruitment process.
Margaret began her journalism career in New York where she says as a young 23/24 year old cub reporter she was trusted to tackle investigative stories. Her first being about political campaign donations. She learned quickly the value of trusted sources and this shaped her approach during her journalism career and now to AI.
The only member of her family born outside Ireland she came to Ireland 30 years ago to write the story of her grandmother who at the age of 14 had been interred during the Irish Civil War.
Like many of the guests on this podcast it took a major event in her life to lead to a significant change of career direction. In her case it was a family illness. Without that she says, she would probably never have left full-time journalism.
She continues to write a weekly column for the Irish Times and discussing her company Clear Eye leads the conversation to her strong views on the positives and negatives about leadership, communications and strategy.
Margaret has been a strong advocate for women in media and business throughout her career and on this podcast she articulates those views on the ability of woman to chair the boards and actively contribute to lead roles in any organisation.
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Making a positive difference
Advocating for women in a mental hospital came at a career cost for Louise Bayliss. But as she tells Jim and Ellen in this episode of Off the Fence with Purpose for every negative there is a positive.
Beginning her career as a mortgage advisor in the banking sector she loved helping people find a home. She retained her link with housing when she moved into an advocacy role with Threshold this time helping tenants in the rental sector.
Staying with. advocacy she then moved to the Irish Advocacy Network which led to a tumultuous period in her life when her public actions in support of women patients in a psychiatric hospital brought her into the media spotlight. She lost her job, was then reinstated after a public outcry only to find that on returning to work it was only temporary and with different responsibilities.
She learned immensely from this setback which had a serious impact on her life. She moved on and became a campaign coordinator with Focus Ireland, supporting people out of homelessness and last year she joined to the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul as head of social justice and policy.
Around the time her life was unsettled over her support for the women in the psychiatric hospital she became a founder member and spokesperson for the Single Parents Acting for the Rights of our Kids (SPARK). In 2019 she joined the Council of the National Information Service for Unmarried Parents (TREOIR) and became its chair rin May 2024.
Louise has an MSc in Equality Studies and has been involved in social justice issues throughout her career.
It has been a career of change, some deeply upsetting but she remains upbeat and dedicated to making a positive difference to the lives of those people helped through her work.
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I can do that. I’ll give that a go
In Episode 15 Jim and Ellen chat with Deirdre Ryan who had a long career with RTE in a variety of jobs in radio from being an indoor messenger to working in the music library to becoming a researcher and then moving to television to become a vision mixer.
Having left RTE she saw a gap in the market for people in various technical roles in a growing radio, television and film market and set up a recruitment company called The Production People.While running The Production People she also continued freelancing as a vision mixer.
Talking with Jim and Ellen she describes a love of music instilled in her by her late father, her ability when an opportunity arose to say, “yes I can do that or “I’ll give that a go”, being involved through her career with some of the key personalities in Irish radio and her involvement in recording major events in Irish life which she says provided an opportunity to witness history as it happens.
In this absorbing episode her advice to those who wish to advance their careers is, Try things, be curious and ask questions.
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In this episode the guest is Derek Kehoe, CEO and Head of Country for BNP Paribas in Ireland.
Although Derek chats with Jim and Ellen about working in financial services his philosophy and approach to management should apply to any sector.
The chat covers his career which began at a time when unemployment in Ireland was at 16%. That was one of his many sink or swim moments.
At times he was content and had no interest in moving up the career chain while at other times he set his sights on a specific role.
In one case he describes how a senior colleague went from being a sceptic about Derek's ability to mange a large team to becoming his advocate for the position.
The conversation around these moments and how he handled them is engrossing, as are Derek’s approach and thoughts on zero tolerance for disrespect in the workplace, assessing both quantity and qualitative performance evaluation, doing the right thing for clients, pushing yourself out of your comfort zone, bringing your true self to work and a view that if you take on additional responsibilities the rewards will follow.
Catch up now with this and the previous episodes with guests from different business and social areas who share their engaging stories.
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Off the Fence with Purpose Episode 13
The guest on this episode is Breda Brown and she chats with Jim and Ellen about everything around communications, media and books. her advice to anyone working in these areas is love what you do, stay curious and develop your network and interpersonal skills.
Breda’s enthusiasm for her work in media, particularly radio, PR, Communications counselling and books is obvious throughout this episode.
She has worked in trade magazines and as a freelance journalists for national publications. In radio she has been Chief News reporter with Dublin Radio station 98FM and Head of News at Dublin’s Q102. where she was responsible for overall news and current affairs output and managing a team of 12 journalists.
If you have an interest in how local radio works you will be fascinated at the stories Breda has to tell, in particular the multi-tasking role of a local radio presenter.
A natural storyteller it was a logical move for her into the world of books, inspired to by a prompt from her business partner Al Dunne in Unique Media, a media company which they co-founded over 20 years ago.
From reviewing crime novels for a national newspaper she has extended into hosting a podcast about books which has led her to interview international and Irish authors. She also contributes regularly to national and radio and television programmes and acts as a host/MC/Moderator at events.
Somehow she also manages to chair the board of the Irish Writers Centre
and provides strategic communications advise wearing her Unique Media hat.
Her varied career and the lessons she shares has made her another guest on this podcast well worth a listen.
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Episode 12 - Lessons learned to date
In this episode Jim and Ellen consider the lessons learned from the first 10 Episodes.
They discuss the impact changing careers had on their guests and what drove them to seek new challenges.
Like Gavan O’Brien CEO of gradeireland (Episode 6) who found being on the road 5 hours a day meant he rarely saw his children on weekdays or personal trainer Pat Henry
(Episode 8) who took a year out following a serious accident to regain his spirit working in in a Hollywood gym.
Chats about the value of networking, great customer service, weekend hustles, self belief, a desire to keep learning, work/life balance and loving what you do; all were common aspects of the podcast guests who came from different business sectors and disciplines..
Declan Kelly, an experience digital marketing expert, (Episode 9) said of having more mature people involved in the communications sector, "it’s not the grey hair that matters, its the matter in the grey hair” The Public Relations Consultants Association (PRCA) recognised that in Jim who was recently presented with the PRCA inaugural Hall of Fame Award. Ellen teases out the reasons.
Aileen O’Toole, former journalist, one of the founders of the Business Post and now a corporate consultant (Episode 3) found her self belief coming into play when the Business Post almost never made it past week one.
Don Harris, (Episode 7) who also saw his career dramatically change after a serious illness described from moving from media advertising to being a tour guide and monitoring his passion.
Networking and getting involved were common themes. Patrick Atkinson, (Episode 2) credits networking for his rise from marketing positions to now CEO of the building material retailer Chadwick’s.
Likewise Carmel Doyle (Episode 4) now CEO of the Osophageal Cancer charity found the same.
Other intriguing chats were with marketer, innovator and educator Conor Lynch (Episode 5) who predicted that half of workers will freelancing, weekend hustlers, in the next 10 years.
and David Orr (Episode 10), who made the jump from accountancy to advisor in the entertainment world with Riverdance the lessons were around relationships.
Log on to the next episode on 11th August, particularly if you are in the communications or books worlds.
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Never went to college but now owns his own academy.
In this episode of Off the Fence with Purpose Jim and Ellen chat to Paul C. Dwyer Founder and CEO of Cyber Risk International and the Cyber Risk Academy, an online training campus for individuals and organisations to help them become cyber strong and unified. The Academy mantra is “It Takes a Network to Defeat a Network” and its primary objective to foster collaboration and networking. to work together to support the industry and help defeat the "cyber bad guys".
It recently launched a Cyber Security Bootcamp for Women, to deal with the challenge of diversity in the cyber security sector.
The conversation covers Paul’s work with governments and security organisations throughout the world and his thoughts on the best type of individual suitable for a career in cyber security. It covers gangster capitalism and ethical hacking as well as how people in the cyber world adapt a different persona to their real life. He also describes how many are entrepreneurs and innovators and not stifled by the requirement of real world business.
On a personal level Paul discusses how as a relatively shy person he had to work at operating on a global stage. He strongly believes that cyber security world is a meritocracy so to succeed it is not who you know or who your parents are. You have to work hard and have the soft skills necessary to network.
He was a Certified Novell Engineer at 18/19 and an IT manager in a corporate law firm before he was 21. In fact he celebrated his 21st birthday while on an assignment in Russia
Paul’s views on careers will resonate with many listeners. When recruiting he believes that the best approach to consider is that you are buying the person, not the skills. As an example he says that someone technically good may have been so immersed in one employment that they only know the language of that employment and may not have the understanding of how a business works.
This episode is a deep dive into the sometimes very dark and troubling side of cyber security and a wake-up call for every company and organisation when they face a cyber security threat.. It also highlights the level of ability and mindset needed by people who want to be among the cyber good guys. Just taking a compliance-led approach is a very low bar, he says.
This is an absorbing discussion touching on areas not covered in any other episode.
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A career that spans accountancy and entertainment
When David Orr was a trainee accountant little did he realise that 40 years later he would be touring the world with the iconic Riverdance show.
As part of his accountancy training he spent some time in the US and when he returned to Ireland he had as he says ‘itchy feet’. So he set up his own accountancy practice where he was later joined by a colleague Pat Faulkner to form Faulkner Orr. In this chat with Jim and Ellen on Episode 10 of 'Off the Fence with Purpose' he describes the feeling of his first morning on his own in an empty office with no clients and no staff. Faulkner Orr grew over the following years and became part of an international group to become KSi Faulkner Orr.
In most recent years David has had an injection of entertainment into his bloodstream as CEO of the company behind Riverdance the Irish entertainment phenomenon which has captured the attention of audiences throughout the world.
He has gathered a tremendous library of knowledge about career development both from his accountancy experience and as he says his ‘helicopter’ view of so many careers that are necessary to ensure the success of a touring show with around 100 people involved, from dancers, set designers, IT and marketing professionals, travel specialists and a host of other support staff.
The importance of a strong work ethic,work life balance, respect, empathy, ambition, what to look for in succession planning and giving back, are all career issues touched on in this entertaining conversation.
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In this episode of Off the Fence with Purpose Declan Kelly, managing partner at Digital Impact in Dublin chats about his remarkable career in advertising and digital media and the many lessons learned along the way.
He tells Jim and Ellen that he was always drawn to media from a young age and knew early on that this was the world he wanted to be in.
He says that the first lesson he learned was to get your foot in the door. Then kick it open.
His first break as a Sales Executive in a local radio station, covering for someone on leave, saw his first sales win - finding a sponsor for the for a county final.
From there it was on to a number of advertising agencies where in one company he wrote ads for radio, even one which was banned from the national broadcaster, RTE for being too racy..
Working in media by day and studying it at night led to him becoming a media manager at 23. He worked on major car brands and learned by osmosis
- the best learning experience possible, from a boss who from day one took him to every client meeting. Then came some more switching. "Sometimes you switch jobs for the car. Sometimes for your sanity.” he says.
Sanity won out and Declan took a four month sabbatical during which went snowboarding. That helped him gain clarity, perspective, and a reminder of what matters.
Back in the real world the entrepreneurial spark ignited and the work-life balance ethos took hold when he joined Core, now Ireland’s largest marketing communications agency. It had 30 people when Declan joined and had grown to 400 when he left 16 years later.
Then post Covid the world changed and he knew that he needed to change also. First he joined a digital agency that became part of BDO and then that agency spun out into Digital Impact where he is now Managing Partner.
Reflecting on his career and what his variety of roles has taught him he says “Get involved, stay open, your side interests shape your creativity and character.
You’re always learning — from the crap jobs to the great ones, from the awkward meetings to the inspirational mentors. In the end, it’s about doing meaningful work and living a fulfilling life outside of it.”
Well worth a listen.
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Best known in Ireland as a personal trainer to the stars Pat Henry has also been a movie extra and musician.
His early working life was far away from his work as personal trainer in Hollywood and an extra in films like, In the Name of the Father, Michael Collins and Excalibur where he first came into the world of Clint Eastwood, Bruce Springsteen, Mel Gibson and Daniel Day Lewis.
He began work as a deck boy with a shipping line before becoming an apprentice with a mechanical engineering company, a sales assistant and general manager in a shoe store
a stint as a guitarist with an Irish showband and a yoga teacher. As he says he could never say no to offers of work that interested him.
A freak accident then almost left him paralysed but unable to walk for a year.. His sheer determination brought him back walking but left him with a lack of confidence and unsure of himself.
A year in California brought back his confidence and he returned to Ireland to open his own gym and put into practice what he had learned in the US.
The Pat Henry gym lasted 39 years and was a magnet for superstars who came to perform in Ireland. It closed earlier this year when its lease expired and Pat is now ensconced with personal trainer Paul Byrne at the Body Byrne Studio in Dublin’s Powerscourt Townhouse.
In reflection on his varied career Pat talks in this podcast about the influence his wife Marie has had. She was the one who insisted that he should take a year out to “find himself' following his freak accident. The first time he saw her he was was still in his teens and told her that someday he would marry her. They married four years later.
He also discovered at age sixty that he was adopted and how that discovery explained why he had a difficult time at school when he was young
In terms of lessons learned he talks about the challenges and curve balls that impact on someones life and how they learn to deal with them. He also emphasises the importance of doing a job to 100% of your ability and focus your energy into moving onto the next stage of your career either where you are employed or where you want to move to.
A must listen.
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In this episode the guest is Don Harris whose career took a dramatic twist following an emergency medical operation.
Before leaving school a career guidance teacher told him that as he was very good at talking he would be good at sales. This was a skill that brought him to Switzer Department Store in Dublin where he learned sales from behind the counter. A move into PR with the Royal National Lifeboat Institution followed and then setting up Airtime an advertising sales company for independent radio stations while at the same time working in the advertising department at a business magazine.
Then came the medical emergency that almost took his life and hastened his career path from a talker to a listener. Recovering from an 8 hour operation he focused on his company Talkback and his experience as a Life Coach.
Don chats with Jim and Ellen about the lessons learned in an amazingly variety roles including Executive coach, Mediator, Tour Guide, Podcaster and Broadcaster. One of his key messages for business leaders is that “People need space to be listened to.
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In this episode of Jim and Ellen chat with Gavan O'Brien who following a difficult start to his business career went on to make a success of various roles in the motor and media sectors and now manages a a leading careers platform for students and graduates in Ireland. His story demonstrates the importance of reliance and finding ways to
circumvent obstacles along the way. Among the topics touched on are relationship development, unusual customer service and battling for a role for which you have a great interest but no experience or family background to build on. Putting a young family before a successful career in media that had him travelling 5 hours each day is another challenge Gavan faced. He resigned that position just as the downturn in the economy hit and he spent 18 months out of work. He used that time to achieve an MBA in Business Administration and Management from Warwick Business School.
This is a conversation full of stories about a lived experience and a key message that your early education and business experience does not have to define what you will become or the success that will bring.
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Conor Lynch an award winning digital business innovator and educator talks to Jim and Ellen about a career which has moved through the various waves of information technology communications, from the internet, through digital and social media and now AI.
The conversation also covers building a personal brand plus learning and earning in a world where it has been suggested that up to 50% of workers may be freelancing in 10 years.
Conor says that success at work has never been more complex in this era of juggling jobs, side hustles and going solo. He also says that while there is such complexity most advice remains anchored in traditional linear careers. And this overlooks the unstoppable rise of self-employment and blended careers.
His new book Multi-Me is the definitive call to action for ambitious workers of today who seek a long-term career plan.
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The guest in this episode of Off the Fence with Purpose is Carmel Doyle who was recently conferred with the honour of a Life Fellowship from the Public Relations Institute of Ireland (PRII).
Carmel has had a varied career since leaving school at 17. Having started her career in research with NCB Stockbrokers,
She then worked in corporate PR with Heneghan, Edelman, Keating & Associates and Text 100 before setting up her own communications training business..
Carmel is a graduate of both the Marketing Institute of Ireland and the Chartered Institute of Marketing, a former president of PRII and has won several awards for excellence in fundraising, communications and good governance.
She has been Communications Director and CEO of the national charity, The Jack and Jill Foundation and is currently CEO of the Oesophageal Cancer Fund.
Carmel talks about her mentors including Dermot Desmond at NCB Stockebrokers and Jonathan Irwin at the Jack and Jill Foundation.
The key lessons from her career she says is always have a go, be confident and don’t be afraid to ask for advice.
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In this series, Off the Fence with Purpose, Jim Walsh, founder and executive chair of Walsh, one of Ireland’s most long standing and respected PR agencies, and Ellen Gunning, founder of Mettacomms and the Irish Academy of Public Relations, chat with inspiring guests who share their unique career journeys, reveal the lessons they've learned along the way, and offer invaluable advice on turning passion into success.
In this episode their guest is Aileen O’Toole the first woman to edit a business magazine in Ireland and one of the founders of a national newspaper, the Sunday Business Post, now the Business Post.
Aileen talks about her first published writing, a letter in the Irish Times when she was 13 years old, her journalistic education and her career which started in a local newspaper, the Kerryman. She then went on to edit Checkout, a grocery trade magazine and Business & Finance before engaging in the the turbulent start to the Sunday Business Post. She also talks about the fantastic career teacher and the mentors she had along the way.
Aileen is now a business strategist and chartered director.
This podcast is a must-listen for anyone searching for purpose in their work or contemplating a career change. It is also for people who are People Managers and anyone interested in what drives and motivates people in their careers. This conversation will also particularly appeal to anyone with an interest in media. Hosted by Acast it is now available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
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Jim Walsh, founder and executive chair of Walsh, one of Ireland’s most long standing and respected PR agencies, and Ellen Gunning, founder of Mettacomms and the Irish Academy of Public Relations, team up to host a new podcast Off the Fence with Purpose. Each episode features inspiring guests who share their unique career journeys, reveal the lessons they've learned along the way, and offer invaluable advice on turning passion into success.
In Episode 2, Jim and Ellen chat with Patrick Atkinson, CEO of the Chadwicks Group, a multi-million euro supplier to the building/construction industry and DIY sector. Patrick talks about craft apprenticeships in the Irish building trade and his varied career which has included an internship with Masterfoods, a 12 year career in Wavin and an eight year stint in Paris in a global role with Saint-Gobain.
He also talks about the importance of networking and the influence executive search recruiters (Headhunters) had on his career.
This podcast is a must-listen for anyone searching for purpose in their work or contemplating a career change. It is also for people who are People Managers and anyone interested in what drives and motivates people in their careers.
It is available from 10th March 2025 on Acast, Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
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Ireland’s Leading PR Experts Get ‘Off the Fence’ with New Career Podcast
Jim Walsh & Ellen Gunning host a series on seeking purpose in careers
Jim, founder and executive chair of Walsh, one of Ireland’s most long standing and respected PR agencies, and Ellen, founder of Mettacomms and the Irish Academy of Public Relations, team up to host a new podcast Off the Fence with Purpose.
They have had a number of different career changes between them. Jim in print production, book publishing, PR consultancy and building a communications business. Ellen as a PR Consultant, Thought Leader, Broadcaster, Media Commentator and author.
Each episode features inspiring guests who share their unique career journeys, reveal the lessons they've learned along the way, and offer invaluable advice on turning your passion into success.
This podcast is a must-listen for anyone searching for purpose in their work or contemplating a career change. It is also for people who are People Managers and anyone interested in what drives and motivates people in their careers.
Walsh and Gunning sit down with some of Ireland’s most accomplished professionals to uncover the drive behind their success. From unexpected career pivots to personal triumphs and challenges, guests from all walks of life share their journeys.
There is an old proverb which says that the grass is always greener on the other side and that is the perception for many. It may be true in some instances but it is not always so. The guests in future episodes of this podcast will have stories about their experiences on either side.
They will be from many different walks of life and many different aspects to their careers. They will come from food, health, media, sport, charities, technology, public service and many other sectors.
You will hear their stories, the ups and downs, the impact on them and their families, their lifestyle changes and maybe take away some ideas that will help you in your chosen career path.
In Episode One Jim and Ellen chat about their own careers and the changes they have made. Later in the series while chatting to their guests they will also touch on new books that have some insight into working practices and discuss new jobs that have attracted their attention.
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