"We're really focused on the core fundamentals of organisational clarity, communicating that clarity, over-communicating that clarity, minimising confusion and politics. And when that's present, then you have the good stuff. And for me, the good stuff is that you're creating that environment for people to flourish and thrive." Sheila Walsh.

Sheila Walsh takes me through the tumultuous year in a tech company in the travel sector. We talk about keeping teams engaged when everyone is remote working and about the lack of spontaneity in a remote environment. Sheila talks about what it is like to work in a people-centric organisation that is driven by the Leadership Team and cascaded down - the LT have a team coach and no chance to get comfortable or complacent. She shares that CarTrawler has upgraded its high-performance focus to 'healthy high-performance'. We talk about finding meaning and purpose, rabbit-holes, pixie-dust, growth mindset, learning and more.

Sheila Walsh was Chief People Officer at CarTrawler at the time of recording. A hands-on and motivated HR professional, Sheila has a broad range of experience across many sectors including; software, telco, publishing, healthcare and not-for-profit. She strongly believes that the provision of meaning and purpose within the workplace results in engaged employees who live and breathe the behaviours that support sustained business success. She holds an MBS in Business Practice from University College Cork, is an accredited Life Coach & Lifeskills Consultant and is an associate member of CIPD.

Connect with Sheila:

On LinkedIn

Resources:

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team Patrick Lencioni

"So it's just giving people multiple ways to feed into this and to be heard. To be heard is the most important thing, is what I've learned." Deirdre de Bhailís

Deirdre de Bhailís and I talk about what it really takes for change to happen in communities — and why being heard matters so much when people are navigating uncertainty, sustainability, and the future of the places they live. Prompted by the Dingle Peninsula being named Ireland’s Greenest Place, our conversation explores local action on climate, food, transport and livelihoods and how community-led work connects policy with lived reality. Deirdre shares examples from the Dingle Hub, including quiet lanes, cycling, food waste, renewable energy, and the role of trust in making change stick. We also discuss the role of leadership in communities, the importance of pacing change and creating spaces where difficult conversations can be held without fear. From coastal resilience in the Maharees to sustaining livelihoods on the Dingle Peninsula this is a conversation about people taking responsibility for the long-term future of the places they live.

Deirdre de Bhailís is a nationally-recognised leader in social enterprise and community-led innovation, with a comprehensive knowledge of strategic and operational development. Skilled in multi-stakeholder and community engagement, she contributes significantly to advancing Ireland’s transition to a low-carbon society by empowering citizens and communities to co-create practical, scalable solutions. Her work spans sustainable mobility, circular bioeconomy initiatives, and climate resilience—bridging policy, technology, and grassroots action. Deirdre brings a systems-thinking approach to energy transition, ensuring that community voices shape a more reliable, efficient, and sustainable energy future. She is a frequent speaker at national and international forums on climate action, rural development, and energy innovation. Deirdre holds a degree in Electronic Engineering from NUIG and a Masters in Engineering Science from UCC.

Connect with Deirdre

www.dinglehub.com

On Instagram: dingle_hub

On LinkedIn: Dingle Hub; Deirdre de Bhailís

Resources Mentioned:

The Irish Times article

The Dingle Hub

Ireland’s Greenest Place Award

Quiet Lanes - Campaign to Protect Rural England

Samsø, Denmark — example of community-led renewable energy

The Maharees coastal conservation

Creative Ireland

Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) / Sustainable Energy Communities Initiative

Solar Beo — local solar PV provider on the Dingle Peninsula

ESB Networks / Electric Ireland

"For me, the human experiences is a universal one and the book aims to address core aspects of something that we all experience. So fear, learning boundaries, identity, all those different principles. [ ] So this universal human experience, I think is really, really important." Rachel Morris

Rachel Morris and I explore what she describes as this universal human experience — the fear, uncertainty, identity shifts and emotional complexity that show up whenever humans move through transition. Drawing on her book Working Mother and years of practice-based research, Rachel shares why the principles she writes about aren’t just relevant to parents, but to leaders, teams, and anyone navigating change at work. We talk about the discomfort of the “neutral zone”, why emotions thrive when hidden, the illusion of professionalism, and the cost of rewarding busyness over being. This conversation invites a more human way of leading — one rooted in curiosity, courage, emotional literacy, and the recognition that we’re not meant to navigate life or work alone.

As an experienced qualified coach, Rachel Morris supports professionals to gain clarity about who they really are rightnow, where they are aiming to be, and how they are going toget there. She believes every relationship has a unique dynamic andapproaches every learner with the intention of enabling themto reach their own level of internal satisfaction. In doing this,they increase personal focus, motivation and productivity. As a global business coach and bestselling author she brings20 years of coaching experience working with organisations to any conversation.

Connect with Rachel

Through her website: www.motionlearning.com

On LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/rachelmorrismotionlearning

Resources Mentioned

Working Mother by Rachel Morris

How Emotions are Made by Lisa Feldman Barrett

Permission to Feel & RULER tool by Professor Marc Brackett

A House of Dynamite on Netflix

New York Times article https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/03/21/opinion/teen-youth-focus-group.html