Your Time With James Sweetman

Episode 193 In conversation with Michael Dunlop

This week I was fortunate to sit down with Michael Dunlop (www.powerofchoice.ie) It’s a heartfelt and uplifting conversation where Michael shares a personal story of loss, love and resilience. We explore the power of choice and practical coaching insights and frameworks from the world of NLP, where Michael is a recognised expert. I find Michael’s quiet heroism and wisdom so inspirational. It’s an episode not to be missed.

Episode 192 Building momentum after a break

In this first episode of a brand new series, I explore the reality of ‘getting back to normal,’ after a holiday, or a break from work. It’s a time when our inner critic loves to show up with a storm of ‘shoulds.’ I share practical tips to help you build momentum and I close this episode with a reflection called 'The Day After Holidays,' a soft landing for anyone who’s returned from a break, but hasn’t quite arrived yet.

Episode 191 A new chapter - sharing wisdom, creating community

In this special edition of my podcast, I’m sharing something personal and professionally significant. After years of hesitation, I’ve launched a new subscription-based membership community. But this episode isn’t a sales pitch, it’s a story. I talk about the internal resistance, the pivotal conversation that shifted everything, connecting with my creativity and courage and why now, after two decades in business, this feels like the most aligned and authentic step forward for me. If you’ve ever wrestled with the idea of valuing your work, or felt the quiet nudge to evolve into something deeper, I think you’ll resonate with what I share.

Episode 190 Soulful living & self-worth with wellness coach Sharon Fitzmaurice

This week, I’m joined by Holistic Wellness Coach and author Sharon Fitzmaurice. Our heartfelt conversation is a fitting way to close this series of episodes. We explore the power of surrender, the wisdom of the inner child, and how healing often begins by simply allowing ourselves to feel worthy. Sharon shares insights from her own journey of overcoming trauma, as well as practical tools for reconnecting with presence, intention, and inner peace. It's a nourishing, soulful exchange, one that reminds us that transformation doesn’t come from striving, but from softening.

Episode 189 Why are we meeting?

We’ve all left meetings wondering -‘What was the point of that?’ This week, I share 10 practical strategies for making meetings efficient, engaging, and worthwhile. I also explore how meetings are culture in action, the power of questions over statements, and why a meeting without psychological safety is a performance, not a conversation. And if you’ve never heard of ‘the meeting within the meeting,’ the unspoken dynamics that tell you everything about leadership and team health, you’ll want to tune in.

Episode 188 Change, fear and the power of feeling safe

Change isn’t just a strategic challenge, it’s an emotional one. This week I’m exploring why so many change initiatives fail before they even begin, namely because of the absence of psychological safety.

I’ll also look at the emotional barriers to change, the common pitfalls to avoid, and how leaders can create environments where growth feels safe. I’ll go beyond the workplace too, because personal change also needs safety. As I say in the episode- self-compassion is the psychological safety of personal change.

So if you’re navigating change, within your team or in your own life, this is an episode I’m sure you’ll find worthwhile.

Episode 187 Resilience - from 'why me' to 'let me'

This week I’m exploring the topic of resilience, not as an heroic soundtrack moment, but as a soft, steady strength, a whisper that helps us move from ‘why me’ to ‘let me.’ We’ll look at how resilience helps us navigate uncertain times and why it’s less about bouncing back and more about recalculating, like your inner GPS when life takes an unexpected turn.

I share practical tips for building resilience in everyday life. There’s many reflection questions to ponder too, including ‘when was the last time I surprised myself with my own resilience?’ Because chances are you already have!

Episode 186 How to deal with a difficult co-worker - whilst keeping your cool!

We’ve all encountered people who drain our energy, test our patience, or trigger us in ways we can’t always explain. This week, I’m sharing tools, insights, and fresh perspectives to help you deal with a difficult co-worker. I’ll show you how to respond rather than react, and how to protect your peace of mind without losing your integrity. We’ll explore how to reclaim your power in difficult dynamics and how sometimes our most challenging colleagues can become unlikely teachers. So if you’re navigating a tricky relationship, or just want to feel more grounded when things get tense, this episode is for you.

Episode 185 I met my younger self for coffee

This week’s episode was inspired by a beautiful poem ‘I met my younger self for coffee at 10.15’ by Jennae Cecelia. I imagine sitting down with my 18-year-old self, the one just out of school, starting his first job and full of questions. It began as a private journaling exercise, but the more I wrote, the more I felt it might resonate with others. It’s a reflection on choices, resilience, and self-acceptance, an internal conversation that many of us rarely pause to have. Let it be a reminder that sometimes the person we most need to hear from is ourselves.

Episode 184 Is it confidence you're lacking - or permission?

We often think we need confidence before we can act, to speak up, to take a risk, to try something new. But what if it’s not confidence we’re lacking. What if it’s permission?

This week, I look at how we’ve been conditioned to seek permission from others, but how real change happens when we stop waiting for approval, and start giving ourselves permission to begin.

I also delve into the quiet but powerful role of willingness, the force that precedes courage. Willingness is what nudges us forward when confidence hasn’t yet arrived.

I also explore what it means to move from inner waiting to inner agency and how small acts of bravery can stretch our comfort zones and shift our lives.