Life and Depth with Ryan McDaid

Ryan McDaid
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I’m Ryan McDaid, an entrepreneur driven by curiosity and a passion for growth. Join me as I dive into thought-provoking conversations about life, business, existence, spirituality, psychedelics, and the natural world. Together, we’ll explore how we, as individuals and as humanity, can evolve, thrive, and create a better world.

  1. #48 The Beekeeper’s Warning: What Do Bees Know That We Don’t? - Mick Verspuij

    9 JAN

    #48 The Beekeeper’s Warning: What Do Bees Know That We Don’t? - Mick Verspuij

    Bees notice the changes in nature long before we do. In this episode, I sit down with Mick the Beekeeper, a lifelong keeper of native Irish bees, to explore what these animals reveal about the world around us. Mick shares how years of observing his bees taught him to slow down and see patterns most people overlook. His experiences with hive behavior and shifting seasons changed the way he understands the natural world. We talk about why bees react to things we barely notice, how nature communicates through behavior and timing, and what we lose when we disconnect. The conversation also explores memory, attention, and the value of taking time to really look. This is a reflective conversation about awareness, connection, and the quiet lessons nature is always trying to teach us. ============================ Chapters: 00:00 – Intro: The accident that changed everything 02:00 – A path nobody planned 04:10 – Seeing the world differently 07:40 – Searching for what remains 10:55 – Why something small matters 14:00 – A misunderstood substance 17:50 – Stepping back, not controlling 21:10 – When trust replaces armor 24:20 – When order starts to crack 27:00 – Decisions without leaders 30:10 – The ones that belong here 33:00 – When mixing goes wrong 36:10 – Lives measured in weeks 40:00 – A risk few mention 43:00 – Knowing when you don’t fit 46:10 – A knock at the window 49:10 – The quiet mind of trees 53:00 – What disappeared unnoticed 56:40 – The real cost of progress 01:00:40 – Messages beneath the ground 01:04:10 – How far we drifted 01:09:40 – When water remembers 01:14:20 – Starting again with kids 01:18:30 – Bees that came full circle 01:28:00 – Final thoughts and where to find Mick

    1h 23m
  2. #47 How to Deal with Burnout: Finding Meaning, Purpose and Clarity Through Nature - John Duffy

    2 JAN

    #47 How to Deal with Burnout: Finding Meaning, Purpose and Clarity Through Nature - John Duffy

    Burnout can creep in long before you realise something is wrong. In this episode, I sit down with John Duffy, an engineer-turned-regenerative farmer, to explore why high achievement, constant pressure, and disconnect from nature silently push people toward physical and emotional collapse. He shares how years in the oil and gas industry, chronic stress cycles, and a life-altering moment in a woodland ecosystem forced him to rethink success, health, and what it means to feel grounded. We talk about why modern lifestyles make burnout so common, how the body signals imbalance long before burnout hits, and why reconnecting with nature, community, and purposeful work can reset your entire life. This is a grounded, honest conversation about clarity, resilience, and the turning points that guide you back to yourself when life becomes unsustainable. ============================ Chapters: 00:00 – Intro: How burnout led John to regenerative farming 04:38 – The moment that shifted his worldview 07:32 – Leaving oil and gas after years of stress 09:52 – Losing his father and rethinking purpose 12:13 – Learning regenerative agriculture around the world 15:19 – Holistic management explained simply 17:09 – Transforming poor land into healthy soil 20:24 – Water, nutrients, and why soil health matters 23:00 – Why conventional farming often leads to burnout 26:39 – How modern agriculture became fragile 28:22 – The grazing method that actually works 31:35 – Helping farmers transition without losing income 33:16 – Humans as part of nature, not separate from it 36:00 – Food quality, nutrition, and long-term health 41:56 – The comfort crisis and chronic stress 44:17 – Nature, recovery, and mental clarity 50:21 – What farming taught him about resilience 53:54 – Burnout, priorities, and mental bandwidth 59:26 – Rebuilding community and human connection 01:01:56 – Ancestral skills and reconnecting to the land 01:13:00 – Deer pressure and restoring native woodlands 01:17:00 – Why wild Irish venison is misunderstood 01:19:46 – Creating the Wild & Co protein bar 01:23:21 – Kickstarter launch and the future of Wild & Co 01:25:15 – Final thoughts and where to find John

    1h 27m
  3. #46 Surviving Cancer, Meningitis and a Heart Scare. What It Taught Him About Life - Bosco Reid

    19/12/2025

    #46 Surviving Cancer, Meningitis and a Heart Scare. What It Taught Him About Life - Bosco Reid

    Being fit doesn’t always mean being healthy. In this episode, I sit down with Bosco Reid, an osteopath and lifelong athlete, to explore why serious health issues can develop even in active, disciplined people. Bosco shares how surviving meningitis, a prostate cancer diagnosis caught early through routine checks, and a later heart scare reshaped how he thinks about health, prevention, and longevity. We talk about why fitness alone can hide serious risks, how emotional health and social connection influence recovery, and why balance matters more than performance as you age. This is a reflective conversation about resilience, early detection, and the deeper lessons that emerge when life forces you to slow down and reassess what truly matters. ========================================= Chapters: 00:00 - Intro: Cancer news and why health can change instantly 01:08 - Bosco’s background and meningitis in 1983 03:49 - Being “very fit” but still getting seriously ill 10:14 - Why athletes can struggle when they stop winning 13:00 - Coaching, discipline, and sport as community 20:45 - Why overly competitive sport makes people quit 22:10 - Fitness imbalance and the hidden cost of skipping cardio 23:21 - The 2 biggest longevity predictors: grip strength and VO₂ max 23:49 - Parkrun: the simplest health habit Bosco recommends 28:44 - Prostate cancer story and the moment everything changed 39:28 - PSA testing: why early detection matters 45:05 - The weekly baseline: cardio + resistance training 48:34 - Sleep, REM, and emotional healing 53:10 - Cholesterol, statins, and Bosco’s 2019 heart event 01:00:07 - Cardio, diet, and preventative checks you should actually do 01:07:06 - Why sitting destroys your lower back 01:13:05 - Strength training basics and avoiding common mistakes 01:16:20 - “Japanese walking” (interval walking) for heart health 01:19:39 - Loneliness and cardiovascular risk 01:20:03 - Why CPR training should be taught in schools 01:24:13 - Final thoughts and where to find Bosco

    1h 25m
  4. #45 Suspended GP Breaks Silence: Why I Risked Everything To Expose The Truth

    30/11/2025

    #45 Suspended GP Breaks Silence: Why I Risked Everything To Expose The Truth

    In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Anne McCloskey, a retired GP from Derry who has been suspended by the General Medical Council for challenging the official narrative regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Anne opens up about her transition from a respected physician to a whistleblower, detailing the alleged vaccine injuries she witnessed in her practice and the aggressive legal battles she has fought against regulatory bodies. We discuss the realities of her suspension, her imprisonment for refusing to pay fines, and her conviction that current global health policies are driven by financial interests rather than patient safety. This is a raw, unfiltered conversation about medical censorship, the ethics of healthcare, and the personal cost of standing against the establishment. ========================================= Timecodes: 00:00 - Suspension update & Introduction 00:43 - Medical background 03:23 - Early skepticism 06:40 - Midazolam protocols 09:30 - Returning to work 12:50 - Story of a teenage diabetic denied face-to-face care 15:40 - The "COVID Cult" 18:13 - The "financial scam" 21:53 - How GP contracts changed to prioritize pharmaceutical targets 26:56 - Patrick Walsh’s data on excess mortality in Ireland 31:26 - The specific video and patient cases that led to suspension 34:00 - The "Midnight Email" from the Chief Medical Officer 37:50 - The "Anti-Human" Agenda: Technocracy and control 42:30 - Fear in the medical community 45:40 - The decline of medical education and student debt slavery 50:40 - The end of the NHS and the push for digital health 56:34 - The legal battle 01:02:40 - Personal tragedy and the refusal to adjourn hearings 01:08:40 - Imprisonment 01:10:47 - Challenging the court jurisdiction: The "Strawman" argument 01:15:20 - Confronting "Naked Evil" and the spiritual battle

    1h 20m
  5. #44 The Scary Truth About AI: Why You Are Losing Your Independence - Eoghan Furey

    24/11/2025

    #44 The Scary Truth About AI: Why You Are Losing Your Independence - Eoghan Furey

    In this episode, I sit down with computing researcher, lecturer and expert Eoghan Furey to discuss the chaotic world of information overload and the alarming rise of artificial intelligence. We explore how social media algorithms secretly manipulate our worldviews, the hidden dangers of intrusive data tracking, and why we are rapidly losing our ability to think independently. Eoghan explains the concept of "Emotographics," the controversial impact of ChatGPT on education, and how big tech companies aggressively monetise our attention. We also dive into the psychological effects of screen time on children and the subtle ways technology permanently alters our behaviour. This conversation reveals the reality of digital addiction and the critical need to reclaim our cognitive freedom before it is too late. =========================================Timecodes: 00:00 - Intro: The Age of Information Overload 00:50 - Losing Independent Thought to Algorithms 04:07 - The Attention Economy: "You Are The Product" 06:51 - The Hidden Cost of Wearable Tech Data 08:29 - Society’s Fragile Reliance on Technology 13:42 - Emotographics: How Tech Predicts Your Feelings 16:40 - The Global Race for AI Chips (NVIDIA) 20:40 - Why Siri & Alexa Failed vs. ChatGPT 24:35 - Is AI Destroying Critical Thinking Skills? 29:40 - The Black Box Problem: Why We Trust AI Too Much 38:56 - Sci-Fi Predictions Coming True (iRobot & The Matrix) 44:03 - The "Library of Everything": Dangers of AI for Kids 50:07 - The End of Privacy & DNA Data Risks 59:53 - Who Programs the Values? (The Bias Problem) 01:07:34 - Cambridge Analytica: 5,000 Data Points on You 01:12:00 - The Dopamine Trap: Likes, Validation, & Addiction 01:18:45 - Using Minecraft to Teach Healthy Habits 01:21:40 - The Correlation Between Screens and Anxiety 01:32:45 - Why Phones Should Be Banned in Schools 01:37:00 - The Death of Attention Spans 01:47:08 - The Rise of Narcissism & Need for Community

    1h 51m
  6. #43 John McCarron: Donegal Railway History: WWI, Emigration, British Rule & The Canal That Never Was

    07/11/2025

    #43 John McCarron: Donegal Railway History: WWI, Emigration, British Rule & The Canal That Never Was

    Ryan sits down with John McCarron, a local historian, artist, and storyteller from Buncrana, Donegal, to explore the fascinating story of the Londonderry and Lough Swilly Railway — once the lifeline of the northwest.John brings to life the rise and fall of the Donegal railways, from their ambitious beginnings in the 1800s to their quiet disappearance in the 1950s. He traces how the rail lines shaped communities, connected isolated towns, and even carried generations of emigrants on their journeys to new lives abroad.We explore:• The origins of the Lough Swilly line and how it transformed life in Donegal• The golden years of travel, trade, and tourism between Derry and Buncrana• How the partition and the arrival of cars and lorries led to the railway’s decline• The folklore of the “Ghost Train” and other local legends• The rebirth of the railway’s spirit through the modern Inishowen Greenway Project• John’s personal mission to preserve local heritage through storytelling and public artThis episode is more than a journey through railway history — it’s a love letter to Donegal’s past, a reminder of how deeply our landscapes are tied to memory, movement, and meaning.

    1h 23m
  7. #42 Jenna McCusker: Paralysed, Divorced & Placed in Psychiatric Care, How by My Intrusive Thoughts Controlled my Life

    31/10/2025

    #42 Jenna McCusker: Paralysed, Divorced & Placed in Psychiatric Care, How by My Intrusive Thoughts Controlled my Life

    Ryan sits down with Jenna McCusker, host of My Life and Me and founder of House of Sense. Jenna shares her extraordinary story of resilience — from the pain of divorce and emotional abuse to the unimaginable challenge of being told she would never walk again after a spinal injury. What began as tragedy became transformation. Through faith, humour, and an unbreakable love for her son, Jenna rebuilt her life — learning to walk again, confronting OCD, and turning her experiences into platforms for healing and connection. Jenna’s story is one of survival, grace, and humour in the face of hardship. Her journey reminds us that even when life breaks us — body, heart, or mind — we can still rise, rebuild, and find purpose again.

    59 min
  8. #41 Seamus McDaid: How A Small Brand Is Going Global Taking On Powerhouses Like Coca-Cola: McDaids Football Special

    24/10/2025

    #41 Seamus McDaid: How A Small Brand Is Going Global Taking On Powerhouses Like Coca-Cola: McDaids Football Special

    Ryan sits down with Seamus McDaid, the fourth-generation Irish entrepreneur behind McDaid’s Football Special, the craft soda from Donegal that’s been part of local celebrations for decades. The McDaid family turned a small family business into one of Irelands most iconic drinks, poured into trophy cups across generations and forever linked with Donegal heritage and community pride. Seamus shares what it’s like to carry a four-generation legacy, to modernise a brand without losing its heart, and to balance innovation with authenticity. From stories of his childhood around the family factory to his reflections on leadership, identity, and tradition, this conversation uncovers the human side of building something that truly lasts. We also dive into how McDaid’s continues to compete with global powerhouses like Coca-Cola, the challenges of staying independent in a market dominated by giants, and the importance of storytelling, resilience, and purpose in sustaining a local Irish brand on a global stage. It’s a story about legacy, family, and what it means to build something that outlives you, a true story with lessons for anyone chasing their own dream.

    1h 10m
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About

I’m Ryan McDaid, an entrepreneur driven by curiosity and a passion for growth. Join me as I dive into thought-provoking conversations about life, business, existence, spirituality, psychedelics, and the natural world. Together, we’ll explore how we, as individuals and as humanity, can evolve, thrive, and create a better world.

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