June Curtain joins Amanda for a conversation that will completely redefine how you think about kindness - and why you might have given up on it for all the wrong reasons.
You've tried being kind. You've bent over backwards for people. You've given until it hurt. And what did you get? Taken advantage of. Unappreciated. Burnt out.
So you decided kindness doesn't work. People don't deserve it. You're done.
Plot twist: What you were doing probably wasn't kindness at all.
Meet June Curtain:
Why Kindness Matters: "Nobody escapes this life without walking a step in pain. Nobody."
We don't wear badges announcing our struggles. You pass hundreds of people daily who are barely holding it together. Your kindness might be the only softness they encounter all day.
Follow Snámhaí Sásta on Instagram.
"I know I should leave this WhatsApp group because it's draining me, but what if they think I'm a terrible person?"
Sound familiar? Amanda breaks down the exhausting pattern that's probably running your life without you realising it.
You stay in conversations that drain you because you don't want to seem rude. You keep saying yes when you mean no. You override your instincts because you're terrified of disappointing someone.
Here's the uncomfortable truth: You've been programmed to believe other people's comfort matters more than your own integrity.
Want to go deeper? Download the free guide "5 Signs You're Unconsciously Choosing Chaos Over Serenity" HERE
This pattern is just one of the five - and they're all connected.
After 16 years of iterations, false starts, and "almost there" moments, Amanda finally reveals what's been trying to be born through her all along.
You know that feeling when you've been trying to solve the same problems for years? Reading every self-help book, listening to every podcast, trying every method, but nothing sticks?
Here's what no one tells you: Information isn't transformation.
In this deeply personal episode, Amanda traces the journey from her first business attempt in 2009 (Girlwise - helping 8-13 year old girls) all the way to today's revelation.
Spoiler alert: It was always the same thing trying to emerge.
The game-changing moment:
A client says "I wish I was an alcoholic" and suddenly everything clicks.
Amanda breaks down how to transform draining patterns without abandoning who you are. You're not giving up caring - you're learning to care WITHOUT depleting yourself.
Real-life proof it works: The €35 lipstick that got crushed under her car wheel. Old Amanda would have lost her sh*t. New Amanda shows up a different way.
This episode is for you if...
Big announcement: The Road Back Home Podcast is becoming The Serenity Project to align with this new offering.
Download the FREE guide "5 Signs You're Unconsciously Choosing Chaos Over Serenity" at www.theserenityproject.ie
School taught you that creativity, individuality and questioning authority were problems to be solved. But in today's world? Those are the exact skills that make you unstoppable.
Laura Canavan Hayes joins Amanda for a raw conversation about everything the education system got wrong - and how to reclaim what they tried to strip away.
In this deeply personal episode, Amanda and Laura unpack:
Laura's journey: From painting maintenance sheds in rebellion to walking away from a six-figure banking job to pursue acting and why a particularly demoralising "failure" was actually perfect preparation.
Amanda's realization: At almost 50, she's finally learning what it actually means to "apply herself"
The game-changer: What if everything you were told to suppress to "survive" in the world is exactly what you need to thrive?
The permission slip you've been waiting for: You can be many things. It's never too late to pivot, create, or claim your space in the world exactly as you are.
Mentions:
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Music Credit: Holes By Bradley James Grace
Today's guest didn't show up. So Amanda spills the tea on the ONE thing that's kept you stuck your entire life.
You think the problem is your partner. Your weight. Your boss. Your bank account.
Plot twist: You've been trying to solve the wrong problem.
Amanda lost 100lbs TWICE and was still miserable. She tried the geographic cure more times than she can count. Same drama, different zip code.
Here's what she learned from recovery programs that changed everything...
The secret isn't waiting for a miracle. It's using a method.
In this raw solo episode, Amanda reveals:
Plus: The one question that will show you exactly where you're bleeding energy.
Stop trying to control what you can't. Start changing what you can.
Your happiness isn't selfish—it's service.
Ready to stop waiting for everyone else to change? The Serenity Project launches mid-August.
Join the NEWSLETTER to be first in line.
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Music Credit: Holes By Bradley James Grace.
This one's for everyone who's tired of feeling like they have to keep pulling rabbits from a hat to deserve a seat at the table.
In this unscripted solo episode, Amanda challenges herself to just talk. No outline, no plan, no trunk full of wisdom to unpack.
What emerges is a beautiful meditation on recovery, control and the radical act of being enough exactly as you are.
Fresh from re-entering the world after hermit mode, Amanda reflects on the insights that come from working a 12-step program while navigating business networks, social media and the simple act of house-training a new dog.
It's all connected: the way we try to control our environment, manage other people's experiences and reach outside ourselves to fix internal discomfort.
This episode captures the messy, real work of recovery. Not just from substances, but from the addiction to productivity, people-pleasing and the exhausting need to prove your worth through performance.
Amanda shares how she's learning to give her brain a break and trust that she's enough without constantly adding to herself.
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🎧 Listen now and subscribe on SUBSTACK for podcast companion articles, tools & resources.
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Music Credit: Holes By Bradley James Grace.
Ashleigh Tobin is a master storyteller who uses words as colours and her voice as a paintbrush.
As a hormone health coach, registered nurse with 35+ years experience and TEDx speaker, she helps women navigate the profound transformation of midlife not as decline, but as awakening.
In this conversation, we dive deep into the four stages of womanhood: maiden, creative, enchantress, and sage.
That third stage, enchantress or warrior woman, coincides with our forties and fifties, exactly when society tells us we're "over the hill."
But Ashleigh reveals this as the time when our greatest resources are waiting to emerge.
We explore how the stories we tell ourselves either open or close possibilities, why curiosity is the antidote to certainty and criticism and how to navigate the break in continuity when you start becoming someone new.
This conversation also touches on the profound moment when Amanda chose her creative calling over traditional motherhood, leading to an identity shift from "escape artist" to "creative wayfinder", proof that we can rewrite our stories at any stage of life.
Key Themes:
Connect with Ashleigh:
Photographer and yoga teacher Tara Morris sits down for one of the most honest conversations about what it actually means to be free; not when you're "perfect," but right now, exactly as you are.
Fresh from losing her mother after 25 years of Parkinson's & navigating her own profound grief, Tara speaks with raw honesty about being "face down in the arena" while still somehow radiating the kind of energy that makes you want to lean into life harder.
As an Enneagram 7, she's learned that you can't just run from the hard feelings, sometimes you have to turn toward them.
We explore the difference between the stories we tell ourselves, particularly about our bodies and the actual experience of living in them.
Tara talks shares why she practices 'granular gratitude' for every single thing her body can do.
This is about more than body acceptance, it's about the courage to stop waiting for permission to live fully in the skin you're in.
Key Themes:
If this conversation reminded you that you're already worthy of love exactly as you are, we'd love if you'd share it with someone who needs that reminder too.
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Connect with Tara:
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Music: Holes by Bradley James Grace
This one's for everyone who's ever felt like they had to choose between being authentic and being professional.
Jean Evans is a Networking Architect, but this conversation isn't about collecting business cards or LinkedIn strategies. It's about something much more essential: how authentic connection becomes life resourcing, especially for women rebuilding their worlds.
After being made redundant while breastfeeding one child with two toddlers around her feet, Jean discovered that learning to network wasn't just about business—it was about discovering who she was as a human being.
We dive deep into the wounds that keep us isolated—the fear of being seen as needy, the toxic self-reliance, imposter syndrome, perfectionism.
This conversation challenges everything we think we know about networking, success and the dangerous myth that we can, or should, do it all alone.
Key Themes:
If this episode reminded you that none of us are supposed to do life alone, we'd love if you'd share it with someone who needs to hear that message.
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Connect with Jean:
Websites
Jean's Newsletter, + free Top 20 Tips to Rock Your Week.
Podcasts
Socials
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Music Credit: Holes By Bradley James Grace.
Amanda met Michelle at a professional speaking event, where she stood before a room & declared: "Every single person has something to offer. Everybody has value." Then she challenged everyone to prove it, right there, in real time.
In this conversation, Amanda unpacks with her, the inner panic that quickly ensued.
Michelle, aka THE PEOPLE READER, is an expert in human behaviour, president of the Professional Speaking Association and a woman who, on Dec 26th 2004, was caught in one of the deadliest natural disasters in history, the Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami.
But what she witnessed in the aftermath wasn't devastation, it was revelation and it led to her life's work.
Tune in to hear:
Why self-reliance doesn’t work & what the alternative is
What happened when Amanda's ego "threw a tantrum" & quit on her recovery.
Michelle's take on the key to our collective evolution.
The results of Amanda's driving forces analysis (a tool developed by Michelle) & a powerful challenge to us all.
Connect with Michelle:
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Subscribe to Amanda's SUBSTACK for companion articles, tools & resources.
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Music Credit: Holes By Bradley James Grace.
What happens when you stop being a "square peg trying to fit in a round hole"?
Interior architect Stephanie O'Sullivan spent over a decade in corporate creative roles, masking her neuro-divergent nature and slowly having "anything good about it sucked away."
Then came the breakthrough that changed everything and led to a complete reimagining of what it means to be creative, authentic and unapologetically yourself.
This Conversation Is Essential Because:
It's about reclaiming your creative intelligence in a world that profits from your conformity.
It shows how breakdown can become breakthrough when you stop fighting who you are.
It proves that your "difficult" nature might be exactly what the world needs.
And because sometimes the most radical act is simply being unapologetically yourself.
Stephanie's Links:
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Subscribe to Amanda's SUBSTACK for companion article, tools & resources.
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Music Credit: Holes By Bradley James Grace.
What happens when a "big voice" changes the trajectory of your entire life?
In 1988, Emer Halpenny was holding her eight-week-old son, about to take him home from his foster family, when something extraordinary happened.
A voice, clear as day—landed on her: "What do you think you're doing? You know this is not for you. Put that baby down."
Thirty-six years later, that baby found her again.
This isn't just an adoption story—it's about the moment when you know something so deeply that no amount of logic can override it.
Here's what will astound you: This monumental decision didn't break Emer—it became her superpower. She doesn't agonize over decisions anymore. When facing anything hard, she remembers: I made the hardest decision possible. Everything else is manageable.
WATCH EMER'S TED TALK HERE
Connect with Emer Website / LinkedIn
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Subscribe on Substack for creative tools & resources.
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Music Credit: Holes By Bradley James Grace.
Sometimes the most life-changing revelations come from the most ordinary moments.
In this deeply personal solo episode, Amanda shares how adopting her new dog Molly six weeks ago led to a stunning realisation that "turned everything I had been insisting was true on its head."
What You'll Discover:
Plus, a question that will change how you think about your needs.
This Episode Will Stay With You Because:
Ready to go deeper? Join Amanda's SUBSTACK for free content and upgrade for €7/month to access deeper "do the work" invitations that accompany each episode.
Listen now—because some lies we tell ourselves are too costly to keep believing.
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What if 'me time' wasn’t a luxury, but a lifeline?
This episode is an invitation to step out of productivity culture and into something deeper: the quiet, profound magic of art journaling and creativity as a way home to yourself.
Whether you’re in recovery, in transition, or just feeling disconnected , this one is for the part of you that knows there’s more wisdom inside, but can’t quite get to it with words alone.
Learn:
✨ The two kinds of art & the difference between them.
✨ How creativity can support your healing journey
✨ The power of symbols, dreams & the parts of you that know the way.
This is a love letter to your creative self; the one that doesn’t need to perform, sell, or impress.
Just create. Just feel. Just come home.
If you’ve been waiting for a sign to pick up your journal, paints, or pastels… this might be it.
🎧 Listen now and subscribe to our SUBSTACK for bonus content.
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Links:
🎙 We're Sober, Now What Podcast
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Music Credit: Holes By Bradley James Grace.
Amanda brings listeners along for a real-time walk through the Irish countryside with her newly adopted dog, Molly.
Recorded on a winding bóithrín in Co Tipperary, this intimate 'walk and talk' offers an immersive sensory experience, reflections on grief and healing and an invitation to reconnect with the natural world; and ourselves.
Tune in to hear:
🌿 How a simple walk became a metaphor for healing after loss
🌿 The serendipitous story behind meeting Molly
🌿 Why reclaiming movement can be an act of self-trust, not self-control
🌿 A 60-second sensory meditation you can experience right alongside Amanda.
🌿 A moment with a stranger that changed everything
If you’ve ever needed a reminder that healing is messy, brave, and deeply beautiful; this episode is for you.
Come walk with Amanda and maybe find your own little slice of happiness along the way.
Subscribe on SUBSTACK for BONUS tools & resources.
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Music Credit: Holes By Bradley James Grace.
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Shout Out To:
fitragamuffin Jamie Carbaugh | Weight-Inclusive Fitness Coach
Amanda & Mel reunite after a break & unpack the emotional & practical realities of re-entering 'normal life' after time off.
Whether you're coming back from a vacation, a creative break, or just a disrupted schedule, this episode explores why re-entry can feel so rough & how to handle it with self-compassion.
They talk about:
Why everything feels harder without routine
Holidaying with a brain that never switches off
Does everyone just say “fuck-it” on holidays?
Getting 'back on track' with self awareness & compassion
Shifting to “gray area” versus all or nothing solutions
Whether you're managing your recovery or just trying to hold it together when life gets chaotic, this is a real, relatable & hopeful episode about navigating “re-entry” with more grace and less shame.
👉 Have you ever struggled with falling apart after a holiday or break? What anchors help you stay tethered? We’d love to hear.
Subscribe for free on SUBSTACK for bonus tools & resources.
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Music Credit: Holes By Bradley James Grace.
In this special episode, Amanda sits down with her beloved teacher, mentor, and spiritual guide, Carmel Boyle of An Chroí Wisdom Institute.
Their conversation offers a rich and moving exploration of healing, transformation, spiritual unfolding and the deep human longing to return home to ourselves.
Amanda shares how she found the Wisdom Institute, and Carmel, the morning after her father’s death, at a time when her spirituality was becoming impossible to ignore.
What began as a search for a course of study became a profound meeting of kindred spirits.
Together, they explore:
The struggle of transformation, what it requires & what get's in the way.
How creative practices like journaling and art become sacred companions through darkness and change.
How to recognize the grace hidden within loss, endings, and moments of disorientation.
The power of intention as a guiding light through grief, transition and spiritual rebirth.
Through personal stories, spiritual wisdom, and real-life metaphors, Amanda and Carmel illuminate a path for anyone navigating grief, healing, or spiritual transformation.
They remind us that even in darkness, we are always held by something larger than ourselves; and that the invitation to heal is one we are free to accept, whenever we are ready.
Resources Mentioned:
An Chroí Wisdom Institute (Training in Spiritual Guidance, Supervision, and Retreats)
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Subscribe on Substack for additional tools & mentioned resources.
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Music Credit: Holes By Bradley James Grace.
[nb: The audio for the 1st 2 mins or so (Amanda's intro) isn't great - please bear with it, it gets better]
If you’ve ever struggled with food, body image, or that nagging voice that says you’re not “sick enough” to get help, this episode will speak directly to your soul.
Amanda introduces to The Road Back Home, Jacqueline Campion from the Marino Therapy Center to talk about recovery from eating distress in a way most people don’t: human-first. No shame. No labels. No hierarchy of suffering.
In this heartfelt and deeply honest conversation, we talk about:
🔸 Why the term “eating distress” is more accurate and more compassionate than “eating disorder”
🔸 The myth of not being “bad enough” to deserve help
🔸 What Amanda learned from believing she had an “eating problem” (and how that was never really the issue)
🔸 Why the anti-diet space can be just as problematic as diet culture
🔸 The courage it takes to reclaim your self when your inner dictator is telling you to disappear
🔸 The stress we’ve normalised and how it fuels the cycle of shame, secrecy & self-erasure
Plus, we share where to find truly non-judgmental, hope-filled support (hint: it exists and we’ll tell you where to look).
🎧 If you’ve ever wondered whether your struggles are “valid enough,” this episode is your permission slip.
Listen now.
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Marino Therapy Centre Links:
Book mentioned: HOPE by Marie Campion
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Music Credit: Holes By Bradley James Grace.
What really happens behind the scenes of a live podcast launch? We spill it all.
In this episode, we take you behind the curtain of our first-ever live recording of The Road Back Home and yes, it was every bit as nerve-wracking, soul-stretching and joy-filled as you’d imagine.
We talk about:
What it felt like to sit on stage with no 'exit plan'
Why Mel, a seasoned stage pro, felt a bit out of water.
Amanda’s post-show vulnerability hangover.
How the night was far more powerful than we planned
What we learned about the heart of our podcast
Some of the most moving reflections from the audience
And what's next for TRBH live?
If you’ve ever wondered what it really means to “take up space,” rebuild a relationship, or put your heart out there, this is the one to hear.
Listen now and maybe feel inspired to take the stage in your own life.
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Music Credit: Holes By Bradley James Grace.
What if your happiness isn’t selfish… but generous?
In this very special live episode recorded at Nenagh Arts Centre, Amanda & Mel take the stage to unpack a bold idea:
your happiness is not just a personal pursuit, it’s a gift to everyone around you.
With heartfelt honesty, laughs & a little Grace-over-drama realness, they get into:
This episode is for you if you’ve ever:
📌 Spoiler: Your happiness is not selfish. It's overdue.
This conversation is a love letter to anyone who’s tired of putting themselves last; and ready to rewrite that story. Come for the honesty, stay for the goosebumps.
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Subscribe on Substack for bonus tools & resources, including a handout to go with Amanda’s visualisation exercise in this episode PLUS our curated ‘happiness’ playlist.
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Music Credit: Holes By Bradley James Grace