In today’s 100th episode, Cognitive Behavioural Therapist and former teacher Nicola Culloty joins us for a grounded and thought-provoking conversation on values, emotions, and the power of awareness.

We explore her transition from the classroom to private practice, and how CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) isn’t just for those in crisis — it’s a life tool for anyone who wants to live more consciously and respond more intentionally.

Nicola unpacks the connection between thoughts, feelings, and behaviours, the role of psychoeducation, and why your values are often the compass behind your decisions (whether you realise it or not).

From the challenges of entrepreneurship to the wisdom of Brené Brown, this episode is packed with practical insights for personal and professional growth.

💡 Key Takeaways:

• Values shape our behaviours, relationships, and direction

• CBT links thoughts, emotions, and actions

• Emotional awareness is a superpower — and it can be learned

• Psychoeducation empowers people to understand themselves better

• CBT is for everyone, not just those in distress

• The mind-body connection influences how we experience anxiety

• Our thoughts aren’t facts — but they do shape outcomes

• Entrepreneurship is a values-driven journey

• Grounded tools like CBT support resilience and purpose

• Meaningful change starts with inner awareness

  
  

📌 Connect with Nicola Culloty:

🔗 https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicola-culloty-1a02a014a/
🔗 https://fullcirclecbt.com/

🎯 Interested in coaching?
If you're ready to reconnect with what matters most and move forward with clarity, confidence, and purpose — I’d love to support you.
📅 Book your free Clarity Call: tidycal.com/jamesdeancoaching/clarity-call

🎙️ Episode Summary – What’s Important to Michelle Mills-Porter

In this powerful episode, Michelle Mills-Porter shares her journey from surviving the 2004 tsunami to redefining how we understand human behaviour, communication, and success.

Michelle opens up about her late ADHD diagnosis and how it brought clarity to a lifetime of feeling misunderstood.

Her deep sense of fairness and passion for human potential are woven through her work as a keynote speaker, behavioural profiler, and founder of The People Reader Ltd.

We talk about why traditional education systems often fail to recognise neurodivergent strengths, how her own experience led her to create CLARITY—a behavioural profiling tool that empowers rather than boxes people in—and why true collaboration is the secret ingredient to personal and collective growth.

This is a conversation about embracing difference, finding your voice, and seeing value in the things you’ve always taken for granted.

💡 Key Themes:

• Fairness and neurodiversity

• ADHD, late diagnosis, and reframing the past

• Communication and public speaking with impact

• The power of personalised behaviour profiling

• Why collaboration > competition

• How to value your natural strengths

  
  

📌 Connect with Michelle Mills-Porter:

🔗 Website: https://thepeoplereader.com/

🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michellemillsporter/

📩 Want to work with Michelle?

Reach out via her website or message her directly on LinkedIn.

🎯 Connect with James Dean Coaching:

🔗 Website: https://jamesdeancoach.com/

🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesdeancoaching/

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamesdeancoaching/

🎙️ Podcast: What’s Important to You

👉 Interested in coaching?

If you're ready to reconnect with what matters most and move forward with clarity, confidence, and purpose—I’d love to support you.
📅 Book a free Clarity Call: tidycal.com/jamesdeancoaching/clarity-call

🎙️ Episode Summary – Maureen McCowen

“Confidence breeds confidence.”

In this uplifting and insightful episode, Maureen McCowen, Public Speaking Specialist, shares her journey from classroom to coaching — and how discovering her own voice helped her build a business focused on helping others do the same.

Maureen opens up about the freedom she’s found in self-employment, the challenges of changing careers, and how networking, community, and continuous learning shaped her path.

She discusses how public speaking isn’t just about delivering a message — it’s about owning your presence and building confidence that ripples through every area of life.

From navigating uncertainty to helping professionals step into their voice, this is a conversation about growth, connection, and the real impact of finding the courage to speak up.

💡 Key Takeaways:

• Freedom is a core value that shaped Maureen’s personal and professional choices

• Transitioning careers requires courage, curiosity, and a willingness to learn

• Public speaking training is about more than technique — it’s about building true confidence

• Networking plays a vital role in business growth and personal development

• Overcoming the stigma of needing support is the first step to change

• Communication is not about perfection — it’s about connection

• Confidence in one area can empower change across many others

• Supportive communities and networks are key to success in any field

• Finding your voice can transform how you lead, live, and relate to others

📌 Connect with Maureen McCowen

👉 Website: https://www.softskillsuccess.ie/
👉 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maureenmccowen/
👉 Instagram https://www.instagram.com/maureen_softskillsuccess/

🎙️ Connect with James Dean Coaching
👉 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-dean-688557156/
👉 Instagram: @jamesdeancoaching
👉 Podcast: What’s Important to You

🎯 Interested in coaching?

If you’re ready to reconnect with what matters most and move forward with clarity, confidence, and purpose — I’d love to support you.

Book a free Clarity Call here: https://tidycal.com/jamesdeancoaching/clarity-call