Change is Possible

• A Premier League Manager’s Most Important Win: Sobriety - Brian McDermott

  Brian McDermott once managed on football’s biggest stage, but his greatest victory came off the field, rebuilding his life through recovery, self-awareness, and connection. In this deeply honest conversation, Brian discusses the highs of reaching the Premier League, the crushing lows of addiction and identity struggles, and the tools that brought him lasting peace. This episode explores what success truly means, the power of vulnerability, and how daily discipline and gratitude transformed his life. TimeStamps:(00:00) – Introduction & Opening(02:58) – The Wembley Defeat: Losing the Playoff Final(06:42) – Premier League Success & Emptiness(10:18) – Identity Struggles: Irish Roots, English Voice(14:37) – Addiction Begins: Coping with Shame(19:45) – The Spiral: Drinking to Escape(25:02) – Rock Bottom & Family Breakdown(31:10) – Asking for Help: The Turning Point(37:28) – Recovery & the 12 Steps(43:05) – Daily Disciplines for Peace(48:24) – Redefining Success & Gratitude(53:40) – Mental Health in Football(58:12) – Authentic Living & Connection(1:01:00) – Closing Reflections & TakeawaysFollow Brian: Brian McDermott is a former Premier League footballer, manager, coach, scout, and director of football whose journey is defined by resilience, leadership, and a deep love of the game. Instagram LinkedInChange is Possible with Brian Pennie: ⬛ Get FREE access to Brian’s online courses ⬛ Buy Brian’s memoir, Bonus Time ⁠⬛ Follow Brian on Instagram⬛ Follow Brian on LinkedIn Sponsors: The Kyne Foundation Imagine having a sponsor whose only interest is creating positive ripple effects of change around the world. I first met Jacqueline and David Kyne from the Kyne Foundation when they introduced me to Dr Gabor Mate in 2024, an incredible “pinch myself” moment in my own life. With a focus on nurturing youth wellbeing and empowering education, The Kyne Foundation's belief is simple: kindness is powerful, practical, and worth paying forward. Over the next few episodes, we’ll be sharing weekly challenges inspired by their work and ethos: small actions create big ripples. Our simple ask? Go be kind to yourself, to others, and your community. Because kindness is contagious.

  --------  

  1:01:55

  --------

  1:01:55
• Turning Anger Into a Force for Good - Senator Lynn Ruane

  From becoming a mother at fifteen to navigating addiction risks, undiagnosed ADHD, and the armour built in a tough Dublin community, Senator Lynn Ruane reflects on the anger and shame cycles that shaped her, and the breakthroughs that set her free. Her ADHD diagnosis, the paradox of medication-induced “nothingness,” and a nine-month spiritual reckoning led to shedding self-loathing and rediscovering passion as a force for justice. For Lynn, real change comes through systemic levers such as social housing, universal healthcare, wealth taxes, and public health approaches to violence led by those with lived experience. Raw, vulnerable, and deeply human, this conversation shifts from personal survival to collective transformation, demonstrating how reframing our stories can create change not just for ourselves but for society. Change is possible — and Lynne’s story and work prove it.Timestamps:(00:00) Change Is Possible – Introduction (01:00) Anger, ADHD & Emotional Growth (06:00) Turning Anger Into Purpose (08:30) Growing Up in Dublin (12:00) Sensitivity and Strength (15:00) Teenage Motherhood & Recovery (19:00) Healing and Self-Awareness (23:00) Success and Emotional Reckoning (29:00) Spiritual Renewal and Authenticity (33:00) Letting Go of Validation (38:00) Reading, Thinking & Emotional Regulation (43:00) Systems of Power and Inequality (48:00) Collective Power & Radical Love (52:00) Violence Prevention & Prison Projects (55:00) Closing Reflections – Hope and ConnectionFollow Lynn: Lynn Ruane is an Irish Senator who has served as the deputy leader of the Civil Engagement Group in Seanad Éireann since 2016. Lynn is from Tallaght - a historically underserved and neglected community in Dublin. A long-time community and drugs worker, Lynn now champions the causes most close to her heart and community in Ireland’s parliament.Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/senator_lynn_ruane/LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/senatorlynnruane/Change is Possible with Brian Pennie: ⬛ Get FREE access to Brian’s online courses - https://brian-pennie-pd.kit.com/a3bff3f22a⬛ Buy Brian’s memoir, Bonus Time - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bonus-Time/dp/B0882N4Y4G/⬛ Follow Brian on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/brianpennie78/⬛ Follow Brian on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-pennie/Sponsors: The Kyne Foundation https://www.kynefoundation.org/Imagine having a sponsor whose only interest is creating positive ripple effects of change around the world. I first met Jacqueline and David Kyne from the Kyne Foundation when they introduced me to Dr Gabor Mate in 2024, an incredible “pinch myself” moment in my own life. With a focus on nurturing youth wellbeing and empowering education, The Kyne Foundation's belief is simple: kindness is powerful, practical, and worth paying forward. Over the next few episodes, we’ll be sharing weekly challenges inspired by their work and ethos: small actions create big ripples. Our simple ask? Go be kind to yourself, to others, and your community. Because kindness is contagious.

  --------  

  56:49

  --------

  56:49
• Healing Trauma Through Community and Connection - Niall Breslin (Bressie)

  Bressie (Niall Breslin) reflects on some of the most difficult chapters of his life—from living through war as a teenager on the Lebanon-Israel border to battling depression during his rugby career. He shares how these experiences shaped his relationship with anxiety, the isolating effect of loneliness, and the role of expression, language, and community in healing. The discussion broadens to examine how neoliberalism, bureaucracy, and individualism have fuelled crises in housing, healthcare, and inequality, while also deepening disconnection. Together, we explore the myths of achievement, the balance between discipline and rest, and the values that now guide Bressie’s life—family, creativity, and connection. Ultimately, the conversation highlights that true resilience and meaningful change stem not from relentless striving or medicalising social struggles, but from redefining our values, embracing community, and acknowledging the impermanence of both suffering and success.Follow Bressie: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/bressie/LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/niall-breslin-730646a4/ Change is Possible with Brian Pennie: ⬛ Get FREE access to Brian’s online courses - https://brian-pennie-pd.kit.com/a3bff3f22a⬛ Buy Brian’s memoir, Bonus Time - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bonus-Time/dp/B0882N4Y4G/⬛ Follow Brian on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/brianpennie78/⁠⬛ Follow Brian on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-pennie/Sponsors: The Kyne Foundation https://www.kynefoundation.org/Imagine having a sponsor whose only interest is creating positive ripple effects of change around the world. I first met Jacqueline and David Kyne from the Kyne Foundation when they introduced me to Dr Gabor Mate in 2024, an incredible “pinch myself” moment in my own life. With a focus on nurturing youth wellbeing and empowering education, The Kyne Foundation's belief is simple: kindness is powerful, practical, and worth paying forward. Over the next few episodes, we’ll be sharing weekly challenges inspired by their work and ethos: small actions create big ripples. Our simple ask? Go be kind to yourself, to others, and your community. Because kindness is contagious.

  --------  

  1:09:37

  --------

  1:09:37
• From Self-Doubt to Unshakeable Self-Belief - Max Kennedy

  Max Kennedy shares his journey from an uncertain 18-year-old on scholarship in the U.S. to a 23-year-old rising professional golfer with unshakable self-belief. He opens up about battling homesickness, handling self-doubt, and the intense competitiveness of elite sport. Max explains how undeniable facts, work ethic, and consistency have shaped his mindset—turning setbacks into resilience and belief into action. From his turning point in college to the pressures of competing against the world's best, he reveals the sacrifices, strategies, and competitive fire fueling his ambition to become the best golfer in the world. This conversation is about more than golf—it’s about how challenges forge strength, and how belief backed by hard work can change what’s possible.Follow Max: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/_maxkennedy_/Change is Possible with Brian Pennie: ⬛ Get FREE access to Brian’s online courses - https://brian-pennie-pd.kit.com/a3bff3f22a⬛ Buy Brian’s memoir, Bonus Time - https://shorturl.at/HHWwc⬛ Follow Brian on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/brianpennie78/⬛ Follow Brian on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-pennie/Sponsors: The Kyne Foundation https://www.kynefoundation.org/Imagine having a sponsor whose only interest is creating positive ripple effects of change around the world. I first met Jacqueline and David Kyne from the Kyne Foundation when they introduced me to Dr Gabor Mate in 2024, an incredible “pinch myself” moment in my own life. With a focus on nurturing youth wellbeing and empowering education, The Kyne Foundation's belief is simple: kindness is powerful, practical, and worth paying forward. Over the next few episodes, we’ll be sharing weekly challenges inspired by their work and ethos: small actions create big ripples. Our simple ask? Go be kind to yourself, to others, and your community. Because kindness is contagious.

  --------  

  1:00:18

  --------

  1:00:18
• Cancer Gave Me More Than It Took - Georgie Crawford

  What if the thing you feared most didn’t just break you, but rebuilt you into someone stronger, softer, and more alive than ever before? At 32, with an 8-month-old baby, Georgie Crawford heard the words no one is ever ready for: “You have cancer.” In an instant, her world burned down. But what happens when there’s nowhere left to run? In this episode, Georgie reveals how sitting with her pain — instead of numbing it — became the turning point of her life. She shares why losing everything gave her the only thing that mattered, and how she found compassion for herself for the very first time. This is not just a story of survival. It’s about change, transformation, and what is waiting on the other side of fear, as Georgie shares many of the tools that transformed her life.Follow Georgie: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/georgie.crawford/Website - https://www.thegoodglow.ie/ Change is Possible with Brian Pennie: ⬛ Get FREE access to Brian’s online courses - https://brian-pennie-pd.kit.com/a3bff3f22a⬛ Buy Brian’s memoir, Bonus Time - https://shorturl.at/HHWwc⬛ Follow Brian on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/brianpennie78/⬛ Follow Brian on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-pennie/Sponsors: Imagine having a sponsor whose only interest is creating positive ripple effects of change around the world. I first met Jacqueline and David Kyne from the Kyne Foundation when they introduced me to Dr Gabor Mate in 2024, an incredible “pinch myself” moment in my own life. With a focus on nurturing youth wellbeing and empowering education, The Kyne Foundation's belief is simple: kindness is powerful, practical, and worth paying forward. Over the next few episodes, we’ll be sharing weekly challenges inspired by their work and ethos: small actions create big ripples. Our simple ask? Go be kind to yourself, to others, and your community. Because kindness is contagious.⁠https://www.kynefoundation.org/

  --------  

  1:13:32

  --------

  1:13:32

More Education podcasts

Trending Education podcasts

About Change is Possible