Made In Chaos with Ryan Curtis

Ryan Curtis
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Made In Chaos is a podcast about resilience, mental toughness, and rebuilding your life after everything collapses. Hosted by former MMA fighter Ryan Curtis, who survived a catastrophic training accident that left him paralysed from the neck down, this show explores what it really takes to recover - physically, mentally, and emotionally. Each episode digs into adversity, discipline, identity, trauma, growth, recovery, and personal development, sharing lessons that help you create lasting change and a stronger future.

  1. 6d ago

    Why You Can’t Buy a House & What The Housing Crisis In Ireland Is Really About - Ray Cooke

    He Built One of Ireland's Best-Known Estate Agencies, Lost Almost Everything in the Crash, and Came Back. Ray Cooke on Housing, Money & Sacrifice. Whether you're trying to buy your first home, stuck renting, investing, or you're just convinced the whole system is broken, you have an opinion on the housing market. Ray Cooke has watched it all from the inside. He built one of Ireland's most recognisable estate agency brands, survived the 2008 crash when he couldn't afford to feed himself, and has seen firsthand how policy, interest rates and supply shape thousands of lives. Ryan sits down with Ray for an honest, no-spin conversation that goes well beyond house prices. What we get into: Growing up in Rathcoole, dyslexia, and why hard work became his "superpower"Working in the pub at 11 and the money habit that shaped everythingSetting up his business in 2005, then watching the 2008 crash nearly destroy itViewing one house 82 times before it sold, and living on beans on toastThe bank manager who ripped up his business plan three times and saved himWhy 2008 won't happen again, and how lending has completely changedThe truth about estate agents, ghost bidding and why they get so much abuseWhether the housing crisis is really the agents' fault, or the government'sHis honest, blunt take on sacrifice, saving and getting on the ladderWhat he'd change first if he woke up as housing ministerHow to build wealth starting with 20 grandThe biggest money mistake ordinary people make without realisingRyan Curtis is a former Irish MMA fighter who was paralysed from the neck down and told he would never walk again. Made in Chaos exists to platform guests who've turned adversity into hard-earned wisdom worth sharing. Follow: @madeinchaospod | @chaoscurtis 🖊️ Sponsored by The Ink Factory, Temple Bar — Ireland's highest rated tattoo studio. theinkfactory.ie | @theinkfactory

  2. Jul 15

    Philly McMahon: The Dublin GAA Legend Who’d Rather Talk About His Community Than His Medals

    One of the Greatest to Ever Wear the Dublin Jersey — But This Isn't About Football. Philly McMahon on Ballymun, His Brother, and What Really Shaped Him. Philly McMahon is considered one of the greatest Gaelic footballers to ever play for Dublin. But behind the medals and the All-Ireland titles is a far more interesting story: growing up in working-class Ballymun, losing his brother John to addiction, becoming a father, and spending his life trying to understand what really drives people from communities like his. Ryan sits down with Philly for a wide-ranging, honest conversation that goes nowhere near a highlight reel. What we get into: Growing up in the Ballymun flats and the community that shaped himHow systemic decisions, not just individual choices, ghettoised whole areasThe hero's journey, slaying the dragon, and why hardship is where the growth isThe story of the footballer he transformed by sending him to feed the homelessLosing his brother John to addiction, and what his mother taught him about love and connectionWhy "tough love" often isn't the answer, and what actually helps someone strugglingFashion, identity and status in working-class communitiesParenting: how much hardship to pass on, and how much to protect them fromWhy our prisons are full of people from a handful of postcodes, and what that says about classAdverse childhood experiences and how much of our lives trace back to childhoodWhat Philly hopes people remember about him, and why it isn't footballRyan Curtis is a former Irish MMA fighter who was paralysed from the neck down and told he would never walk again. Made in Chaos exists to platform guests who've turned adversity into hard-earned wisdom worth sharing. Follow: @madeinchaospod | @chaoscurtis 🖊️ Sponsored by The Ink Factory, Temple Bar — Ireland's highest rated tattoo studio. theinkfactory.ie | @theinkfactory

  3. Jul 8

    His Mother Was Homeless and Addicted, Now He Saves People on the Same Streets - Brandon O’Connor

    He's 23 and Has Spent Years on Dublin's Streets Helping the Homeless — Not Because It's His Job, But Because He Chose To. Everyone has walked past someone sleeping rough. Most of us glance, wonder, and keep walking. Brandon O'Connor spends his nights sitting beside those people — hearing their stories and watching addiction, trauma, kindness and hope all exist on the same street. Brandon founded Dublin Homeless Awareness at just 16, as a transition year school project. Years later, his team run first-aid patrols, missing-person searches, river-safety patrols and mental health interventions across the city. In this episode, Ryan sits down with him for an honest, eye-opening conversation about what really happens on Dublin's streets — and what needs to change. What we get into: Why most people develop addictions after becoming homeless, not beforeHow Dublin Homeless Awareness started as a school project and grew into a frontline serviceThe reality of night patrols: overdoses, mental health crises and river rescuesThe systemic gaps that leave people with nowhere to goWhy homelessness can happen to almost anyone — including nurses, guards and charity workersBrandon's own story: growing up with a mother who was homeless and addictedWhat frontline work does to your own mental health, and how the team protects each otherThe small acts of kindness that people never forgetWhat every one of us can do differently when we walk past someone sleeping roughRyan Curtis is a former Irish MMA fighter who was paralysed from the neck down and told he would never walk again. Made in Chaos exists to platform guests who've turned adversity into hard-earned wisdom worth sharing. Follow: @madeinchaospod | @chaoscurtis To support or report a concern, find Dublin Homeless Awareness on Instagram, TikTok and Facebook. 🖊️ Sponsored by The Ink Factory, Temple Bar — Ireland's highest rated tattoo studio. theinkfactory.ie | @theinkfactory

  4. Jul 1

    Kenny Egan: I Won Olympic Silver, Then Hit Rock Bottom in Two Years

    He Won Olympic Silver in Beijing. Two Years Later He Hit Rock Bottom. Kenny Egan on Winning, Addiction & Finding Himself Again. Kenny Egan has one of the greatest stories in Irish sport, a ten-time senior champion, the only man ever to win ten consecutive senior titles, and an Olympic silver medallist in Beijing 2008. But once the gloves came off and the homecoming faded, Kenny faced a very different fight. Ryan sits down with Kenny for one of the most honest and important conversations Made in Chaos has had, about what happens when the biggest win of your life doesn't fix everything, the loss of identity that followed, the two-year spiral into addiction, and the long road into recovery that he now values more than any medal. What we get into: ​Growing up one of five brothers in Clondalkin and how boxing found him​Losing three All-Ireland finals in a row and nearly quitting at 13​The coach who told him he was a "2 out of 10", and how that rebuilt him​Gary Keegan drawing a line on the gym floor and changing Irish boxing forever​Beijing 2008, five near-flawless fights and an Olympic silver medal​Why winning the medal sent him from zero to rock bottom in two years​The loss of identity: "Who am I now?"​Walking away from a 10-year professional contract while in active addiction​The night his mam walked into a pub and said "Come home, son"​The day he got sober, 12th of August 2010, and never looked back​Becoming a psychotherapist and what real purpose looks like now​Why his sobriety means more to him than any Olympic medal​His upcoming charity fight for the Irish Cancer Society in memory of his late motherRyan Curtis is a former Irish MMA fighter who was paralysed from the neck down and told he would never walk again. Made in Chaos exists to platform guests who've turned adversity into hard-earned wisdom worth sharing. Follow: @madeinchaospod | @chaoscurtis 🖊️ Sponsored by The Ink Factory, Temple Bar, Ireland's highest rated tattoo studio. theinkfactory.ie | @theinkfactory

  5. Jun 24

    Why Achieving Your Biggest Goal Won't Always Make You Happy - Prof. Ross G. White

    Real Strength Isn't Pushing Through Everything. It's Learning to Bend Without Breaking. A Clinical Psychologist Explains. Most people think mental strength means never slowing down, never breaking, never letting anyone see them struggle. Professor Ross G. White, clinical psychologist, author and performance specialist who works with the Irish Rugby Football Union, argues that this exact belief is why so many people are burnt out, anxious and quietly losing themselves. Ryan sits down with Ross for a conversation packed with usable frameworks on resilience, purpose, pressure and emotional avoidance, the kind of practical psychology that genuinely changes how you think about your own life. What we get into: The get, threat and reset modes, and why high achievers neglect the one that keeps them wellWhy being "relentlessly relentless" guarantees burnoutThe arrival fallacy, why hitting your biggest goal won't make you happyShallow success vs deep success, focusing on values and process over outcomeWhy you don't find your purpose, you form itTreating emotions as messengers, and why there's no such thing as a negative emotionThe inner critic, where it comes from, and self-compassion as strength turned inwardSurvivorship bias, why copying Michael Jordan's mindset won't make you Michael JordanTowards moves vs away moves, the one question that can change every decision you makeStrong intention, light attachment, protecting your identity beyond one pursuitWhat burnout actually is, and why it's not your fault"You're not broken, you're stuck", and how a flexible mind helps you get unstuckRyan Curtis is a former Irish MMA fighter who was paralysed from the neck down and told he would never walk again. Made in Chaos exists to platform guests who've turned adversity into hard-earned wisdom worth sharing. Follow: @madeinchaospod | @chaoscurtis 🖊️ Sponsored by The Ink Factory, Temple Bar, Ireland's highest rated tattoo studio. theinkfactory.ie | @theinkfactory

  6. Jun 17

    From Being Homeless To World Champion & Losing My Best Friend to Suicide - Craig 'Coco' Coakley

    He Built the Road for Irish Muay Thai Himself. Two Years Homeless. A Best Friend Lost. World Champion. Craig "Coco" Coakley is one of Ireland's most accomplished Muay Thai fighters a Dublin Combat Academy fighter who became Irish Fighter of the Year, won multiple titles including a world title, and fought for Yokkao, Muay Thai Grand Prix and ONE Championship. But what makes Craig's story remarkable isn't the trophy cabinet. It's everything that happened underneath it. Ryan sits down with Craig for an unfiltered conversation about growing up in Dublin's inner city, falling into fighting almost by accident, spending two years homeless while building a career at the same time, losing his best friend to suicide, and walking away from the security of the biggest promotion in the sport because his sanity mattered more than the contract. What we get into: Growing up in Dublin 1, community, hardship and what people get wrong about "rough areas"How Craig fell into Muay Thai after getting battered in his first boxing matchThe brutal reality of fight week, fight camps and the sacrifices nobody seesTwo years homeless in a hotel room with a newborn while still actively competingThe loss that nearly broke him, his best friend James, and the system that failed himWhy fighting is more mental than physical, and what losing taught him about who's really in your cornerWalking away from ONE Championship and choosing his sanity over the biggest contract in the sportBecoming a father and how it completely reshaped what he was fighting forWhat he wants people to actually remember about Craig Coakley when it's all said and doneRyan Curtis is a former Irish MMA fighter who was paralysed from the neck down and told he would never walk again. Made in Chaos exists to platform guests who've turned adversity into hard-earned wisdom worth sharing. Follow: @madeinchaospod | @chaoscurtis 🖊️ Sponsored by The Ink Factory, Temple Bar. Ireland's highest rated tattoo studio. theinkfactory.ie | @theinkfactory

  7. Jun 10

    The Eating Disorder Expert Who Recovered After 22 Years and Why Ozempic Scares Her - Cara O'Loughlin

    It's Not About the Food. A Life Coach Who Spent 22 Years in an Eating Disorder Explains What It's Really About. On the night her mum died, Cara O'Loughlin was 15 years old. That same night, she picked up her first eating disorder behaviour. What followed was 22 years of anorexia, bulimia, binge eating, exercise addiction, a stroke at 29, osteoporosis, infertility warnings, and eventually, full recovery. Today, Cara is a life coach specialising in eating disorder recovery, a yoga teacher, and one of the clearest and most credible voices on why these patterns start and what it actually takes to break them. This is one of the most important episodes Made in Chaos has ever recorded. What we get into: Why eating disorders are never about food, and what they're really aboutThe genetic predisposition, the personality traits, and the trigger that sets it offThe physical toll most people never see: bone density, fertility, heart, thyroid, strokeWhy Cara was at her sickest when she looked her healthiestWhat Ryan's own experience with weight cutting in MMA revealed about disordered eating in sportThe HALT framework, and why overwhelm was always Cara's triggerOrthorexia: the unhealthy obsession with eating healthily that nobody is diagnosing yetWhy 98% of diets fail, and the set point theory that explains everythingOzempic: who it's for, who it isn't, and what Cara is seeing in her clientsHow to raise children with a healthy relationship with food without ever mentioning weightThe division of responsibility, and why finishing your dinner is doing more harm than you thinkMen and eating disorders: Bigorexia, gym obsession and the conversation nobody is havingWhat someone struggling right now needs to hear, and where to get helpRyan Curtis is a former Irish MMA fighter who was paralysed from the neck down and told he would never walk again. Made in Chaos exists to platform guests who've turned adversity into hard-earned wisdom worth sharing. Follow: @madeinchaospod | @chaoscurtis 🖊️ Sponsored by The Ink Factory, Temple Bar - Ireland's highest rated tattoo studio. theinkfactory.ie | @theinkfactory

  8. Jun 3

    Dec Pierce: Why I Refused to Let Two Life-Threatening Illnesses Break Me

    A Brain Haemorrhage. Then Breast Cancer. Same Man. Two Years Apart. Dec Pierce Gets Completely Honest. Most people know Dec Pierce as the voice of Block Rockin' Beats — the man who brought thousands together through music, through lockdown, through the nights they'll never forget. But behind the energy and the stage presence, the last three years of Dec's life have been extraordinary in the worst possible way. In 2023, Dec suffered a subarachnoid brain haemorrhage mid-run in Ringsend. In 2025, he was diagnosed with breast cancer — a condition so rare in men it accounts for just 1% of all cases. Two life-threatening illnesses in two years, in a man who doesn't drink, doesn't smoke, exercises, eats well and does everything right. Ryan sits down with Dec for one of the most important men's health conversations Made in Chaos has ever had. What we get into: Growing up as a quiet, bullied kid and how music became his alter egoRecording his own pretend radio shows at 8 years old from a ghetto blasterDutch courage, a garden shed in Ballybrack and how pirate radio changed his lifeWhy dance music and nostalgia connect with people on a deeper level than almost anything elseStarting Block Rockin' Beats at his lowest professional point — and doing it for free for six monthsHow the birth of his daughter Ava removed every roadblock and fear of failure overnightThe bomb that went off in his head mid-run — and the sliding doors moment that saved his lifeWhat a subarachnoid haemorrhage actually does to the body, and the long road backThe lump he found in New York in the shower — and almost let sit thereThe phone call he got on the first day of his holiday in SpainWhy men don't check themselves — and why that silence costs livesThe youngest male diagnosis his specialist had ever made — and the earliest detectionTelling his 9-year-old daughter about the mastectomy scarThe nights when catastrophic thinking takes over — and how he got through themWhat two life-threatening illnesses gave him that nothing else couldRyan Curtis is a former Irish MMA fighter who was paralysed from the neck down and told he would never walk again. Made in Chaos exists to platform guests who have turned adversity into something worth sharing. Follow: @madeinchaospod | @chaoscurtis 🖊️ Sponsored by The Ink Factory, Temple Bar — Ireland's highest rated tattoo studio. theinkfactory.ie | @theinkfactory

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Made In Chaos is a podcast about resilience, mental toughness, and rebuilding your life after everything collapses. Hosted by former MMA fighter Ryan Curtis, who survived a catastrophic training accident that left him paralysed from the neck down, this show explores what it really takes to recover - physically, mentally, and emotionally. Each episode digs into adversity, discipline, identity, trauma, growth, recovery, and personal development, sharing lessons that help you create lasting change and a stronger future.

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