A few good conversations can lead you somewhere you hadn’t planned.
For me, they helped turn years of working with people in sport into ACE, and now, something I’m giving my full attention.
With a few new eyes on what I’m doing, I thought it was worth sharing a little about me, how I got here and why I get such a kick out of this work.
I’m Ian, from Dublin, living by the beach in Sydney. Big on coffee, exercise, music and spending time with my closest people. Simply Red, Christy Moore and Keinemusik can all feature within the same hour. It depends what kind of buzz we’re after.
I like trying things, having a laugh and making the most of a week. Leaving a spare second in that week is something I’m still learning.
A few conversations became something more
My work took me from Gaelic games in Ireland to four great years with the South Sydney Rabbitohs. Alongside studying applied positive and coaching psychology, I got to work closely with people whose performances attracted plenty of attention.
Getting to know the person behind those performances was a part I really enjoyed.
People outside sport were curious too. What did the work involve? Could it help a friend? Would I come in and speak to a team?
Those conversations became requests for individual coaching. I was enjoying the work, people were asking for more, and I wanted to see where I could take it.
By May 2025, I was giving ACE—Align. Conquer. Elevate—a proper go. A professional development trip to New York that month gave me the space and perspective to take another important step with it.
I’ve shared more about how ACE began before. What’s exciting now is having the opportunity to put my full attention into it.
Putting it into practice myself
While ACE was taking shape, I was making changes in my own life too.
I lost 16 kilograms during that period. What stayed with me was learning to trust myself: getting clear about what I wanted, making the steps small enough to follow through and recognising the progress along the way.
It made me curious about what else I could do if I applied myself.
These days, that includes building a business. There are early calls, late finishes and plenty to learn. There’s also the ongoing effort to keep friendships, fun, exercise and a bit of downtime in the mix.
Sometimes that means a 24-kilometre run on a Saturday and being absolutely in ribbons afterwards. Sometimes it means remembering to leave the diary alone.
I don’t get the mix right every week. I’m enjoying having a go.
The bit that keeps me coming back
In a coaching conversation, there’s sometimes a moment when someone puts words to something they haven’t quite been able to explain.
Another possibility appears. Their energy lifts. They start talking about what they could do.
I love being part of that - and being alongside them afterwards as they try things, adjust and build a plan they feel good about.
I get the same enjoyment from a room where people relax, speak honestly and get interested in each other. Informal conversations that turn out to be really useful.
That’s the spirit of what I’ll share here: good questions, stories, practical ideas and things worth paying attention to. Ways to understand yourself, recognise what’s already good and explore what could come next.
One thing my own experience keeps reminding me: make the next step small enough to take, then give yourself credit for taking it.
A few conversations gave me something worth exploring. I’m glad I followed them.
If you’ve made it this far, fair play. I reckon we’ll have plenty more.