Solo Powered with Ariana Dunne

In this episode we celebrate 40 episodes and 1 years since Solo Powered launched.Thank you so much to everyone who has listened or has been a guest. To celebrate we are offering one lucky listener the chance to win a Solo Spa Day in the fabulous Powerscourt Springs in Co. Wicklow. To win message me or comment, share about Solo Powered on your social channels. We also talk to American listener Dr Vivian Vo. A multi-passionate Life Coach, Doctor, and Yoga Teacher, who has witnessed and experienced first hand the unique challenges folks of the global majority face. She is a coach who is passionate about helping AAPI folks. "We juggle societal expectations, internalized pressures, the strong need to help our communities, and the constant feeling of needing to prove ourselves."

Susie is a business growth coach. She has been around the block what feels like a million times before getting to the stage that she's at now. She has worked in sales, the event industry, marketing, graphic and web design. She started her own cosmetics company at 21 and has started multiple businesses since then. Not understanding the importance of her "Why" and her Purpose led her on paths that were not fulfilling her goals. It was only when she started looking at the "Ikigai" method of understanding your purpose that Susan realised what her passion and purpose really was - she absolutely thrives when she is helping women startup and grow their own businesses and so The Visionary Room was born. Her zones of genius lie in sales and the "new norms" for selling online, branding, design, growth strategies, e-commerce, spotting opportunities for new revenue streams, product creation, sourcing products, social media, online course creation and creating content that sells. Susie shares her Solopreneur journey running Seven Companies while also being a Solo Mom. This is an inspiring episode showing how you can overcome adversity, strive forward, learn from mistakes and stay true to your authentic creative self.

To celebrate St Patricks Day I am thrilled to welcome Lorraine O’Dwyer an 8th generation Bean Feasa (Translation: Wise Woman) or Witch for want of a better word onto the Solo Powered Podcast. Based in the southeast of Ireland, and famed for her unique storytelling walks and workshops that draw us back into the past, to a world almost lost today.From tree and herblore to kitchen craft skills and foraged foods with more than a little magic along the way! In this episode she talks about what trees to hug and when, Brehon law, Irish Folklore, Fairies, Leprechauns, and Fierce Irish Warriors. With her company Gallivanting.ie Lorraine takes people on mystical ancient woodland walks imparting her vast knowledge and legendary storytelling. She also talks about growing up in 80's Catholic Ireland as a self proclaimed pagan. This is a fascinating episode full of information and entertaining stories.#solo#solowalksinnature#witch#individual#folklore#fairyfolk#irish#leprechaun#trees#paganism

Streat School, an Irish food truck provider and marketing agency, has turned over more than millions of euro and has helped over 300 new outlets to get up and running.The company was founded by Seany McCleary, the owner of Blasta Street Kitchen, a month before the pandemic started. It has gone from strength to strength since and in June 2022 claimed the One to Watch prize at the National Enterprise Awards.Seany and his partner Nikita started Blasta Street Kitchen in February 2017, after returning to Ireland from a 5-year stint travelling around the world, with just €600 cash. In this episode Seany offers advice to anyone with a solo'preneur dream esp in the food industry.

On this episode Ariana chats to Mary-Kate Murphy about the searing pain of pet grief. Mary-Kate is a teacher and a solo'prenuer as owner of her own dance school as well as running a successful pet-sitting business called 'Teach Tubs'. The business is named after her beloved miniature schnauzer Tubs who sadly passed away last year at the age of 11. Tubs was Mary-Kate's companion throughout painful breakups and has lived with Mary-Kate solo for most of his life. Losing him was extremley sorrowful and we explore that often underrepresented or much maligned grief of losing a pet on this episode. Mary-Kate is also a fan of the podcast and since tuning in has embarked on two Solo travel trips to Iceland and Belgium which she tells us all about.#petgrief#solo#solodogmom#miniatureschnauzer#solotravel#solopreneur

Anna Clifford is a multi-talented woman, she is a comedian, actor, writer, poet, podcast host, presenter and content creator. Anna is a natural entertainer with a strong stage presence and jokes to match. She has had audiences across the globe laughing with her relatable act outs and witty observations on millennial life. Anna kicked off her comedy career while living in Vancouver, Canada. Since then she has been standing out against the best in the Irish and UK comedy circuit. In 2023 she embarked on a solo comedy tour around Ireland and the UK and is currently the star of RTE's Irelands Perfect Pubs. On this episode she talks about the bravery of standing up on stage solo with the sole purpose of making people laugh, how to have lots of eggs in lots of basket as a self employed entertainer and how she went on her first solo work trip to Portugal to concentrate on herself and have some all important me-time. #solo#solotravel#solocomedy#standupcomedy#lovewhatyoudo#liveyourlife#funny

On this episode I am so thrilled to welcome @fazanagram Ellie Fazan onto the podcast. Ellie is a storyteller: She has worked as a stylist, scout, shoot producer, journalist, magazine editor and digital content producer. Whether she's working in TV or print, she says that storytelling is all about creating connections through pictures and words. And, she says, she always searching for the gold at the end of the rainbow. One such pot of gold she has absolutely found is her beautiful sallow skinned brown eyed boy Sidney who was very fittingly born over Pride weekend in 2023. Ellie talks about her decision to have her beautiful baby boy with her gay best friend Eddie. On this episode Ellie talks about what it was like to be single when all her friends were getting married, how the pandemic affected her ability to meet anyone at a pivotal time in her biological clock, and after a trek down Everest base camp she made a decision to have a baby despite not being in a relationship. Instead she embarked on another love story, a platonic parenting route with her gay best friend Eddie. Ellie discusses the highs and lows of IVF, the, at times, painful struggle she had to ensure to become a mother and how navigating this new life with her baby and her friends is still very much a learning curve. This is a beautiful episode showcasing that love and family comes in many different forms. That we don't have to accept the cards we are dealt but we can shuffle up that deck and deal ourselves a new hand, a hand of our own making and a hand that allows us to live the life we want to lead. I learned so much from Ellie as I continue on my own fertility journey and I hope you enjoy listening to this episode as much as I did. #solopowered#soloparenting#solojourneytoparenthood#platonicparenting#lgbtqi+parents#livethelifeyouwanttolead#love#family#ivf#ivfbaby

On this episode Ariana reconnects with her Australian friend Rachael Oakes-Ash who she met when on a solo travel adventure at a Writer and Artists retreat in the Sth. of France in 2016. Rachael is a life writer, established journalist and a travel and ski blogger. She is the founder of SnowsBest.com and Elephanttruths.com and the author of two books with Random House and contributor to numerous anthologies. On this episode she talk about life travelling the globe solo chasing the snow. She also talks about confronting grief, overcoming broken relationships, and finding herself and she evolves into her fifties. Rachael also talks about her relationship with food, disordered eating and how becoming an adult orphan has made her assess her life and take back control of her destiny and life's path.This is a rollercoaster of an episode with many themes of life, love and loss explored.#solo#solotravel#solopreneur#snow#ski#journalist#writer#control#grief#disorderedeating