The Unpack With Jack Podcast

Unpack with Jack explores emotional intelligence, healthy masculinity and the deeper patterns shaping how we grow, lead and live.

What does it really mean to become a better man and who gets to define that?

This conversation explores purpose, self-belief, leadership, and the values that quietly shape the people we become.

Former teacher turned entrepreneur Kieran McMahon shares the experiences, values and people that shaped his journey and why becoming "better" has far more to do with character than achievement.

If you've ever wondered how to live with greater intention—or define success on your own terms—I think you'll get a lot from this conversation.

Kieran McMahon is the founder of "Better" and the "Be A Better Man" programme, a coaching community supporting more than 160 men to improve not only their physical health, but also their mindset, relationships, confidence, finances and overall quality of life.

A former teacher, Kieran has built his work around a simple philosophy passed down by his late mother: Pursue. Persist. Persevere. Today, those same principles continue to shape both his own life and the men he coaches.

Throughout this conversation, what struck me wasn't simply Kieran's success in business - it was the thread connecting the people who shaped him. His mother's final words. His grandfather's quiet leadership. The mentors who challenged him to think bigger. And now, his own commitment to passing those lessons forward through the work he does with men every day.

One of the reasons I wanted to have Kieran on the podcast is because his work reflects something I care deeply about too: helping people live with greater intention. While Kieran's work begins with health and fitness, our conversation reaches far beyond the gym. We explore the values we inherit, the standards we choose to live by and the quiet responsibility we all have to become better - for ourselves, the people around us, and the generations that follow.

What You'll Learn In This Episode:

✨ Why success is ultimately subjective—and why that's so freeing

✨ How travelling and living abroad can completely reshape your perspective

✨ The role values play in building confidence, identity, and purpose

✨ Why leadership begins long before you're given a title

✨ The importance of surrounding yourself with people who challenge and inspire you

✨ How small, consistent decisions shape the person you're becoming

Curious to Learn More About Kieran?

Kieran is the founder of Better, a coaching community helping men over 35 improve their health, mindset, confidence, relationships, and overall quality of life through his flagship programme, Be A Better Man.

If you'd like to learn more about Kieran's work, you can find him here:

What does it take to build confidence, find clarity, and create a life that actually feels aligned?

In this episode of Unpack with Jack, I’m joined by my good friend Paul McBride — mindset and performance coach, football coach, and founder of Modern Mind Coaching.

This conversation is a full-circle moment. Paul was there for the very first podcast I ever recorded, and now we sit down years later to reflect on growth, transition, coaching, self-belief and the experiences that shaped both of our paths.

Paul shares how moving to Australia helped him build independence, confidence and a new sense of possibility after years of struggling with self-doubt. We also speak about returning home to Ireland, carrying the lessons of Australia into a new chapter and the importance of environment, community and honest support in personal growth.

We explore visualisation, purpose activation, strengths-based coaching, men’s work, vulnerability, burnout, flow, and the pressure many people feel in their 20s and 30s to have everything figured out.

At its heart, this is a grounded conversation about confidence, uncertainty, purpose and learning to build your life one step at a time.

Curious which patterns might be shaping how you think, work and show up in life?

Unpack with Jack explores self-leadership, emotional intelligence and the deeper patterns shaping how we grow, lead and live.

What happens when the life you built no longer feels aligned with who you are?

Eric McNamara - coach, mindfulness practitioner, author of the "Erica’s Light " series and former owner of an award-winning landscaping company - shares the journey that led him from constant pressure, burnout and emotional suppression… to rebuilding his life from the inside out.

If you’ve ever felt stuck in “go mode”, disconnected from yourself, or like success no longer feels the way you thought it would — this conversation will resonate.

EPISODE SUMMARY:

Eric McNamara spent years building a successful landscaping business in Ireland — constantly working, constantly pushing, and rarely slowing down.

From the outside, things looked good. But internally, he was burnt out, emotionally disconnected, and struggling beneath the pressure of always needing to keep going.

Eventually, something had to change.

What followed was a complete shift in direction — from construction and high performance into mindfulness, coaching, writing and self-discovery.

In this conversation, we explore the cost of always being switched on; the pressure many men feel to suppress emotion and handle everything alone; how mindfulness opened the door to deeper healing; and what it actually looked like for Eric to rebuild his life from scratch.

We also explore identity, self-acceptance, nature, journaling, vulnerability and the power of slowing down enough to truly listen to yourself.

There’s a grounded honesty to this conversation that I think a lot of people will resonate with.

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN:

• Why constantly staying busy can disconnect you from yourself

• What burnout actually felt like for Eric behind the scenes

• How mindfulness helped him slow down and reconnect

• The impact of suppressing emotions for years

• Why rebuilding your identity takes time

• The importance of environment, support and honest conversations

• How journaling, nature and storytelling became part of his healing journey

ABOUT ERIC:

Eric McNamara is a coach, mindfulness practitioner and author based in Ireland.

Before stepping into this work, Eric spent years in construction and later built an award-winning landscaping company before eventually walking away from it after experiencing burnout and deep disconnection from himself.

Today, he combines mindfulness, coaching and storytelling to help people reconnect with themselves and navigate life with more presence and intention.

He is also the author of the "Erica’s Light" series — a collection of stories inspired by healing, nature and personal transformation.

CONNECT WITH ERIC:

Unpack with Jack explores emotional intelligence, healthy masculinity and the deeper patterns shaping how we grow, lead and live.

What happens when the roles, relationships, and identity you built your life around no longer feel like you?

In this episode, I sit down with Caoimhe Gibney, known to many as The Mindful Physio, to explore healing, self-worth, embodiment, nervous system regulation, and what it actually means to choose yourself and create a life that feels aligned from the inside out.

If you’ve ever felt disconnected from yourself despite everything looking fine externally, this conversation will help you understand why.

Caoimhe is the founder of Anam Collective, a breathwork facilitator, retreat & reiki leader, physio, and someone deeply immersed in healing, embodiment and nervous system work.

Through retreats, facilitator trainings, workshops, and community spaces across Sydney, Ireland, Bali, Greece and beyond, she has supported countless people in reconnecting with themselves more honestly and compassionately.

She facilitates in-person breathwork experiences, 1:1 sessions, and breathwork facilitator trainings in both Australia and Ireland, while continuing to build Anam Collective into one of the most respected wellness and healing communities in Sydney.

In this conversation, Caoimhe speaks openly about the personal experiences that shaped her journey - from identity, relationships, and self-worth to the quieter internal struggles that can still exist even after years of healing work.

One of the strongest themes throughout the episode is the tension between external success and internal alignment, and what happens when the life you’ve built no longer feels fully true to who you are.

Together, we explore shame, people pleasing, embodiment, nervous system regulation, boundaries, relational healing, men’s role in healing spaces, and the importance of creating environments where people feel emotionally safe enough to be fully seen.

This was one of the most grounded and emotionally honest conversations I’ve recorded so far.

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN THIS EPISODE:

• Why external success can still leave you feeling disconnected internally
• The hidden roles many people unconsciously build their identity around
• How shame, validation, and people pleasing shape behaviour and relationships
• The difference between performative healing and genuine embodiment
• Why nervous system regulation and relational safety matter in healing work
• How choosing yourself can completely change the direction of your life

If you’d like to learn more about Caoimhe’s work, retreats, breathwork trainings, or Anam Collective, you can find her here:

Unpack with Jack explores self-leadership, emotional intelligence and the deeper patterns shaping how we grow, lead and live.

What happens when everything you’ve built your identity around no longer reflects who you are and you’re forced to start again?

Sarah French - former Royal Australian Navy chef and CEO of a celebrated Sydney catering business turned social justice and health advocate - shares what it really takes to rebuild from the inside out.

If you’ve ever used external achievement to avoid looking inward, this conversation will meet you there.

ABOUT SARAH:

Sarah French is a social justice and health advocate working in the domestic, family, and sexual violence space. With a background spanning military service and entrepreneurship, she brings both discipline and lived experience to her work — supporting men and women as they navigate the justice system and rebuild their lives after crisis through "Her Story Revolution".

She also serves as an ambassador for "Our Story Foundation", a charity focused on awareness, education, and support in this space.

Ever the entrepreneur, Sarah is now building "Beauty Foods" — a brand grounded in the belief that real health is built from within.

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN:

• Why external success without internal stability eventually breaks down
• How high-performance environments disconnect you from yourself
• What radical responsibility actually means — and how it gives you your power back
• Why nervous system regulation is foundational
• Where shame really comes from — and why much of it isn’t yours to carry
• How to begin rebuilding when your identity no longer holds

EPISODE SUMMARY:

Sarah French built a life that looked extraordinary from the outside - eight years in the Royal Australian Navy followed by a celebrated catering business in Sydney. By most measures, she had made it. What was harder to see was what was quietly unravelling underneath — until it caught up with her publicly and painfully.

What followed was a long process of rebuilding — not the external kind, but the confronting work of figuring out who you are once the titles and identity are gone. It wasn’t linear or quick. What gave her traction was radical responsibility — not excusing what happened, but by reclaiming authorship of her life.

In this conversation, we explore the shadow side of high performance; why surface-level wellness falls short without addressing the nervous system; what shame really is and where it comes from; and the work Sarah does today — supporting people through the justice system and helping them rebuild on the other side of trauma.

There’s a moment where Sarah reads a journal entry written to her younger self just days before recording. It lands differently than most podcast moments. The conversation earns it.

Connect With Sarah:

Unpack with Jack explores emotional intelligence, healthy masculinity and the deeper patterns shaping how we grow, lead and live.

What happens when losing your father young quietly shapes everything about who you become - and what you feel called to build?

In this episode, Joey Molloy shares how growing up with that loss became the foundation for building men's communities in Ireland, and why creating space for real connection might be the most important work a man can do.

If you've ever felt alone in what you're carrying - this one is for you.

Joey Molloy is a men's group facilitator, breathwork practitioner, and co-founder of WNOW Greystones (Co. Wicklow, Ireland). Having lost his father young, he returned from years in Australia driven to build the kind of spaces for men he never had - running weekly men's circles, breathwork sessions and cold exposure events.

What You'll Learn In This Episode:

• Why men's groups are nothing like most people assume
• How losing his father young shaped Joey's mission — and why it took years to understand that connection
• The role breathwork and cold exposure play in breaking through emotional blocks
• What the Four Corners of Clarity framework is and how it can help you know yourself better
• Why vulnerability in a group of men creates accountability that solo self-development never can
• How to stop performing and start showing up authentically

Episode Summary:Most men are carrying things they've never talked about - not because they don't want to, but because they've never had the right space. Joey's work is about building that space. He opens up about losing his father young, how it shaped him in ways he only understood later and why that sits at the heart of everything he now builds. When men are honest with each other, something shifts - not just for them, but for those around them.

The episode covers a lot of ground: the story behind WNOW Greystones and its unlikely connection to Australia, how Joey found breathwork and why he thinks it's one of the most underrated tools for emotional clarity, his battles with identity and self-doubt, the saunas and ice baths that became a gateway into deeper conversations, and the Four Corners of Clarity - his framework for helping men understand who they actually are.

A reminder that the things we carry don't have to be carried alone. As Joey puts it: "If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together."

Resources Mentioned:

Unpack with Jack explores emotional intelligence, healthy masculinity and the deeper patterns shaping how we grow, lead and live.

What if the most painful losses in your life were actually the doorway to truly finding yourself?

In this episode, Jessie Whelan explores how grief, vulnerability, and energy healing can become unexpected catalysts for deep self-discovery.

What You'll Learn In This Episode:

• Why grief doesn't follow a timeline (and why it can still feel raw and fresh years after loss)
• How losing a parent can strip away false identities and force a deeper relationship with yourself
• The role of vulnerability and open dialogue in processing grief and building genuine connection
• What energy modalities like Reiki and somatic practices offer that talk therapy alone cannot reach
• How to show up for someone who is grieving and the one thing most people get wrong
• Why the relationship you have with yourself is the foundation that carries you through any loss

Episode Summary:

Jessie Whelan is a healer, writer and creator of JW Healing and the DMC Podcast. Originally from County Clare, Ireland, now based in Australia. In this conversation, she joins Jack to speak openly about grief: specifically, the loss of her father at 26 and everything that unfolded in the years that followed.

The central idea is that grief, as painful as it is, can become a doorway. For Jessie, losing her dad eventually helped her find herself — through creative expression, energy work and a willingness to sit with what hurts. Her sensitivity, long seen as a weakness, became her greatest strength.

Together, Jack and Jessie explore how to genuinely show up for someone who is grieving, the role of somatic practices in healing what words can't reach, and why continuing to talk about those we've lost is an act of love, not rumination. Jessie also speaks candidly about a recent miscarriage and why these conversations deserve far more space than they're given.

Ultimately, this episode is an invitation: to grieve openly, honour what you've lost, and keep showing up for yourself. As Jessie puts it — the relationship you have with yourself is the foundation that carries you through everything else.

Work With Jack

Unpack with Jack explores emotional intelligence, healthy masculinity and the deeper patterns shaping how we grow, lead and live.

Why do we sabotage ourselves even when we genuinely want to change?

In this episode, coach Dermot O'Donoghue explains why every behaviour - even self-sabotage - has a deeper motivation behind it.

In this episode of Unpack with Jack, coach Dermot O'Donoghue breaks down why every behaviour - even self-sabotage - has a deeper motivation behind it.

If you've ever felt stuck in cycles of self-criticism, this conversation will help you see those patterns in a completely new way.

What You'll Learn In This Episode:

• Why self-sabotage isn’t random and what actually drives it
• The connection between body image and self-image
• Why emotional intelligence is essential for lasting change
• The balance between self-compassion and accountability
• How nervous system regulation impacts personal growth
• Why community and honest conversations help men heal

Episode Summary:

In this episode of the Unpack with Jack podcast, Jack sits down with coach Dermot O'Donoghue to explore the psychology behind self-sabotage, motivation and personal growth.

Many people believe their struggles with discipline, consistency or confidence are personal failures. But as Dermot explains, every behaviour is motivated - even the ones that seem to hold us back. When we begin to understand the deeper patterns behind our actions, we can shift from fighting ourselves to working with ourselves.

Drawing on his experience in the fitness and coaching world, Dermot shares insights on emotional intelligence, self-compassion and the role of accountability in lasting change. The conversation also explores the connection between body image and self-image, why men often struggle to open up about their internal challenges and how supportive communities can create real transformation.

This episode is a reminder that growth is rarely linear - and that understanding yourself is often the first step toward meaningful change.

Curious which patterns might be shaping how you think, work and relate to yourself?

Work With Jack

Curious which patterns might be shaping how you think, work and show up in life? Take the free Maskuline Archetype Quiz:

In this episode of Unpack with Jack, I’m joined by wellness practitioner Leona Johnson of the Embodiedbody as we explore what happens when you step away from productivity, corporate identity and external validation to rediscover who you really are.

Leona shares her journey into breathwork and yoga, how the nervous system stores emotion, and what it’s like to sit with uncertainty, shame and self-trust during major life transitions. This is a gentle, honest conversation about healing, identity and learning to come home to yourself.

🔗 Explore Your Next Step:

Leona Johnson Instagram: @theembodiedbody

Unpack with Jack Instagram: @unpackwithjack_