The Natural Resilience Podcast

Tracy Kelly grew up on Sandy Row and went on to become Lord Mayor of Belfast.

What does authentic leadership look like when it is rooted in community, shaped by working-class values and driven by a determination to make sure nobody feels left behind?

In this episode of The Natural Resilience Podcast, Ciarán May sits down with Tracy Kelly, former Lord Mayor of Belfast, to explore her journey from Sandy Row to Belfast City Hall and the experiences that shaped her approach to leadership.

Tracy speaks openly about growing up in a proud working-class community, the importance of representation, and why people from areas like Sandy Row should be encouraged to believe that their background does not limit their future.

The conversation explores grassroots leadership, staying connected to the people you represent, and the responsibility leaders have to make sure communities do not feel forgotten. Tracy also reflects on the realities of public leadership, remaining true to herself, and using her position to help others see what might be possible for their own lives.

This conversation was recorded during Tracy's term as Lord Mayor. Her term has sinceended.

IN THIS CONVERSATION
- Growing up on Sandy Row and what that community gave her
- The road from grassroots work to Belfast City Hall
- Representation, and why it matters who is in the room
- Staying connected to the people you represent
- The realities of public leadership
- Leadership as impact rather than title

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ABOUT BREAKING BREAD
This episode was recorded live at Breaking Bread, our quarterly leadership and business breakfast in Belfast. Every three months we bring together 50 of the city's top entrepreneurs and business leaders for three live fireside interviews and the conversations that follow.
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New episodes twice a month, recorded in Belfast.

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Sometimes the greatest purpose is forged through life's greatest loss.After losing his father to a heart attack and later his father-in-law, Mark Hanna found purpose through supporting Marie Curie. What began as a way of giving back has become a lifelong mission.
Since then, he has:
Raised over £1 million for Marie Curie.
Completed 22 marathons (with the Dublin Marathon 2026 next on the horizon).
Taken on multiple Ironman competitions.
Reached Everest Base Camp.
Climbed Mount Kilimanjaro.
Cycled the length of Ireland.
Trekked Machu Picchu.
Organised Northern Ireland's Time Ball, raising significant funds for Marie Curie every two years.
But this conversation isn't really about endurance sport. It's about grief, purpose, service, and the extraordinary impact one person can make when they dedicate themselves to a cause greater than themselves.
Mark also shares his remarkable personal transformation, losing five stone, and reflects on why purpose—not motivation—is what keeps him moving forward.
If you've ever wondered how ordinary people achieve extraordinary things, this episode is for you.
If Mark's story resonates with you and you'd like to support this year's Time Ball in aid of Marie Curie, you can make a donation here: https://www.justgiving.com/page/timeball7-11-26?utm_medium=FR&utm_source=WA
If you enjoyed this conversation, please subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with someone who needs to hear it.
Every conversation has the power to change a life.

Neil McManus is widely regarded as one of the greatest hurlers ever to represent Antrim. Over a remarkable 17-year inter-county career, he captained his county, competed at the highest level of Gaelic Games and became one of the most respected figures in Irish sport.But this conversation goes far beyond hurling.In this episode of the Natural Resilience Podcast, Neil joins Ciarán May to explore the leadership lessons learned from elite sport, the importance of community, and the transition from athlete to entrepreneur.Growing up in Cushendall, Neil developed a deep connection to place, identity and service. Today, alongside his sporting legacy, he is helping create opportunities for future generations and has embarked on a new journey as a founder, building solutions designed to solve real-world problems.Together they discuss:✅ Leadership under pressure✅ Captaining teams and managing expectations✅ High performance and resilience✅ Lessons from elite sport that apply to business✅ Entrepreneurship and start-up life✅ Community, connection and belonging✅ The future of work and the impact of AI✅ Why human skills matter more than everWhether you're a founder, leader, entrepreneur, athlete or simply someone looking to perform at a higher level, this conversation is packed with practical insights and timeless lessons.---🎙 About the Natural Resilience PodcastHosted by Ciarán May, founder of Natural Resilience, this podcast explores leadership, resilience, wellbeing and sustainable high performance through conversations with exceptional people from business, sport, public service and beyond.New episodes released every two weeks.Connect with Ciaran May on LinkedinWebsite - www.natural-resilience.co.uk-If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a review and share it with someone who would benefit from the conversation.#NeilMcManus #Leadership #Hurling #AntrimGAA #Entrepreneurship #FounderJourney #BusinessLeadership #HighPerformance #Resilience #NaturalResilience #Podcast #NorthernIreland #CiaranMay #SportAndBusiness #LeadershipLessons

Are you building a business, a brand or huge company like Blk Box? Take our Founder Scorecard to see how much capacity to truly have - https://founder-first.scoreapp.com
What does it really take to build a world-class business from Belfast and compete on the global stage?In this episode of the Natural Resilience Podcast, Ciarán May sits down with Greg Bradley, CEO and Founder of Blk Box, one of Northern Ireland's most successful international brands in the fitness and performance industry.
From humble beginnings to supplying some of the world's leading sports organisations, professional teams, elite athletes and high-performance facilities, Greg shares the real story behind Black Box's growth.
This is an honest conversation about entrepreneurship, leadership, resilience, business growth and the realities of scaling a company internationally.
Greg discusses:
* How Blk Box was founded
* The early challenges of building a business
* Scaling from Belfast to global markets
* Winning major international contracts
* Leadership lessons learned through growth
* Managing risk, uncertainty and setbacks
* Building a high-performance culture
* The future of the fitness and performance industry
* What founders and entrepreneurs need to know about sustainable growth

Whether you're a founder, entrepreneur, business owner, leader or someone interested in building a successful brand, this episode is packed with practical insights and real-world lessons from one of Northern Ireland's leading business success stories.

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#GregBradley #BlackBoxFitness #Entrepreneurship #BusinessGrowth #Leadership #FounderJourney #StartupSuccess #HighPerformance #BusinessPodcast #NaturalResilience #ScaleUp #NorthernIrelandBusiness #CEO #FounderFirst #LeadershipDevelopment #FitnessIndustry #BusinessSuccess #Resilience #Innovation #Podcast

What happens when someone decides to challenge one of the biggest cultural norms in Ireland?

In this episode of the Natural Resilience Podcast, I sit down with Jim Fitzpatrick, founder of Sober Irish, to discuss the rise of alcohol-free living, changing attitudes towards drinking, and why choosing not to drink no longer means opting out of life.

Alcohol-free beverages are experiencing huge global growth, particularly amongst younger generations who are prioritising health, energy, performance and meaningful connection over traditional drinking culture.

But this isn't a conversation about prohibition or telling people how to live. It's a conversation about choice.

Jim shares the story behind building Sober Irish, the inspiration behind the name, the challenges of launching a business that disrupts cultural norms, and why he believes Ireland can still be synonymous with great craic, community and social connection… just without the alcohol.

We also discuss:
• Why alcohol consumption is declining around the world
• The changing relationship younger generations have with alcohol
• Building a challenger brand in a traditional market
• Identity, habits and social pressure
• Entrepreneurship and starting a purpose-driven business
• The future of alcohol-free products
• Why socialising doesn't have to revolve around drinking

Whether you drink alcohol, are sober curious, or simply interested in changing consumer trends and modern Irish culture, this is a fascinating conversation.

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