The Grounded Way Podcast

In this week’s episode, we sit down with Dublin singer-songwriter Ciaran Moran to talk about his journey into music and the experiences that shaped his sound.

Ciaran shares how his passion for music began at just nine years old when his uncle first taught him guitar. Growing up in a musical family—his brother Keith played in No Angels DC, who toured with Sinéad O'Connor and Meat Loaf—Ciaran was surrounded by the music industry from an early age. At 13, a songwriting course helped him find his voice and learn how to write about difficult subjects. That same year he worked with Christy Moore and Roddy Doyle, and even toured with Damien Dempsey.

Growing up in Dublin’s inner city heavily influenced Ciaran’s music, leading him to write about social issues like addiction and the realities of life around him. He also reflects on playing his first gig supporting Damien Dempsey at Whelan's at just 13 years old.

Ciaran speaks about the influence of the late Christy Dignam, performing at the 3Arena, and the challenges of breaking into the music industry. We also discuss self-belief, the Irish mentality around success, and the importance of staying authentic as an artist.

Ciaran performs two songs live during the episode, giving listeners a real taste of his raw, honest style. It’s a powerful conversation about music, resilience, and staying true to yourself.

This week, Conor sits down with his dear friend Michaela Kelly for a powerful and honest conversation about courage, creativity, and building a life that feels truly aligned.

Michaela shares her journey from teaching English in China to completing her degree at home, moving to London, and ultimately finding her heart in Barcelona. Along the way, she travelled to India for yoga teacher training, reconnected with her love of singing, and began teaching yoga — all guided by what she describes as a “fire within” pushing her to explore more.

She opens up about the confidence it took to quit a job and step into the life she once only envisioned, how living abroad reshaped her perspective on Ireland after 2020, and why she resonates so deeply with Barcelona’s slower, more intentional way of living. We also dive into ego, resilience, self-awareness, and her bigger vision of using her voice professionally while building a spiritual business centred around expression and helping others.

We wrap up with some fun rapid-fire questions to finish.

An inspiring episode about trusting your instincts, taking bold leaps, and creating a life on your own terms.

In this week’s episode, we sit down with inspiring business psychologist Farzana Maudarbaccus, originally from Mauritius and now living in Greystones, Ireland.
Farzana shares her journey from Mauritius to France and eventually Ireland, and how her daily sea swimming ritual mirrors the resilience and courage required in entrepreneurship. We explore the mindset, tools, and self-awareness needed to start and grow a business, along with the challenges that come with taking that leap.
We also discuss our growing addiction to screens, the importance of maintaining human connection in a digital world, and the evolving role of AI in our lives — and why critical thinking matters more than ever.
Farzana opens up about her path to delivering a TED Talk, the work behind it, and the excitement of stepping onto that stage. As a mother of two, she also shares how she balances business and family life, reminding us of the importance of making time for what truly matters.
A thoughtful and motivating conversation about ambition, resilience, and staying human in a fast-changing world.

In this week’s episode, we spin the wheel once again with Topic Roulette, diving into a wide range of conversations that have been on our minds — from the things that quietly shape our everyday lives to the topics we experience often but rarely speak about out loud.

We explore emotional intelligence and the importance of being able to read and understand the emotions of others, as well as how people’s perceptions of us can shape expectations around how we “should” act based on past interactions. We talk honestly about the struggle of showing up as our true selves, why it’s okay not to always be upbeat or high-energy, and why other people’s opinions shouldn’t dictate who we are or how we behave.

The conversation takes a lighter turn as we discuss the awkwardness many of us feel when paying with cash in restaurants and businesses — and why stepping away from cards might matter more than we think in a world drifting toward a cashless society.

We also touch on some timely cultural and social issues, including the rise of Dublin’s so-called “Yup Bro” culture, the increasing dangers posed by electric scooters on our streets, and concerns around public spending — from the controversial skate park in Wicklow Town to the Irish government’s €100 million aid package to Ukraine and how that money could have been invested in Ireland’s healthcare system.
To wrap things up, we reflect on the everyday conversations we have and the random characters we meet along the way, leading into a story from our time in Killarney and an intense (and unforgettable) breakfast conversation with our good friend Raj Bruv.
We had a lot of fun recording this episode of Topic Roulette, and we hope you enjoy listening as much as we enjoyed talking it through.

In this week’s episode, we have the pleasure of sitting down with Urja Shah, a physiotherapist with a truly global story. Of Indian descent, born in Kenya and raised in Perth, Western Australia, Urja shares how her background and life experiences led her to discover the world of physiotherapy and the powerful benefits it can bring to our lives.
Urja explains what first drew her to study physiotherapy — her love of human movement and sport, and a deep desire to care for others and help them heal. She takes us through the many ways physiotherapy can improve our overall wellbeing, while also exploring how past trauma, mindset, and lived experiences influence how the body feels and functions.
We dive into the biopsychosocial approach to pain, a framework widely discussed within the physiotherapy community, which looks beyond symptoms to understand why pain is happening in the first place. Urja also breaks down the role of the nervous system, describing it as the body’s central computing unit, and explains how pain and injuries can feel louder and more intense when the nervous system is stuck in fight-or-flight mode. Along the way, she touches on the importance of the vagus nerve in regulation and recovery.
Urja also opens up about her decision to leave Australia and begin travelling — a journey that saw her visit 24 countries — and what ultimately brought her to Ireland. We discuss how social media can often create an illusion of reality, and how life behind the camera can be very different from what we see online.

This episode highlights how physiotherapy is about far more than treatment alone. It’s about understanding the whole person — their trauma, experiences, relationships, and environment — and how all of these elements come together to support true healing.