A conversation on how deep inner work transforms not only leadership, but the way we parent and partner. Ger Daly reflects on love, resilience, and the inner capacities needed to meet an uncertain future with steadiness and heart.
Where does deep inner work, leadership, and parenting intersect?
This conversation with Ger Daly explores what it means to fully commit to one’s transformational journey—and how that inner work inevitably shapes the relationships we enter, the way we raise our children, and how we lead others in the world.
Ger reflects on how disconnected he once was from himself, and how a serendipitous encounter with a masseuse named Alma—“soul” in Spanish—became the unexpected catalyst for his awakening and ongoing transformation.
He also shares vulnerably about his daughter’s prenatal diagnosis, and how love, presence, and inner work carried him and his wife through the fear and uncertainty of facing a worst-case scenario.
Together, Jonathan Hermida and Ger explore why the era of knowledge and performance is giving way to embodiment, nervous system regulation, and personal sovereignty—and why these capacities are becoming essential for leaders and parents navigating an increasingly complex world.
⏰ Timestamps
🔗 Learn more about Ger :
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Ger it is an absolute pleasure to be here with you, and as we do at the beginning of all of these episodes, I'd like to ask, who was J prior to the onset of your transformational journey?
Ger Daly: Um, a very j that version of juror is [00:04:00] very different to who I am now, but I, I, I hold him dearly with me, um, because who, who I was then feels like I had, I had gone far away from myself. Um, not even really fully knowing who I was, what was important to me, what I wanted, even though I was striving so much all the time. And I'm probably talking about myself in my, my right up into my early thirties, you know, um, kind of striving for. Success, whatever that was. And I didn't even really know what that was, what I, informed about success by my, you know, environment, my upbringing, uh, who I was around you know, that's kind of money and material things. [00:05:00] and also recognizing that inside, um, well actually not recognizing it, but experiencing a tension inside of, you know, well actually is this what I want? What do I want, what's important to me? Um, so I, it led me to experience a lot of uh, and stress. Um, and this affected my all aspects of my life.
Not just work, but relationships, just overall direction, um, where I was putting all of my energy in. to distract myself in so many different ways, ways, actually. Um, through exercise and working out you know, drinking, copiously and socializing and dabbling in drugs and just abusing, um, [00:06:00] abusing alcohol for distraction and, and numbing. And, um, I guess it got to a point where I needed to do something for myself. I like, this isn't working for me. That took me a long time to get it. This really isn't working for me. I wasn't sleeping well. I was stressed. I was, you know, having these kind of skin conditions, and, you know, um. So I, I, I decided that I want to, I maybe just even get something simple like a massage, just to, I just needed something nourishing, something soothing and relaxing just to count something. I, I couldn't, I didn't have language for it. I didn't have words for it, but I needed something just to settle myself, and find a bit of ease. Uh, and there was a lot I didn't know at the time about what I can do for myself in that regard. I knew was just go for massage. [00:07:00] Um, there was a, there was a woman in here, in, in Galway where I live, and, and she was phenomenal, uh, at what she did in massage.
And she said to me, there's this, um, other practice that I'm training in at the moment, do it is called Reiki. Do you mind if I if I tried on you? And I said, I didn't. I just said, yeah, go. I trusted her. Um, and so she, when she put her hands over me. Alma was her name. Um, and she was really kind of, seemed a bit kind of perplexed and little trying to figure out since what was going on. Um, she said that the closest way she could describe it was that I was like a ping pong machine inside. Uh, and not knowing anything about what she was talking about, I knew exactly what she meant 'cause that's what I felt like inside my nervous system was all over the [00:08:00] place.
jonathan-_1_02-10-2026_090739: Okay.
Ger Daly: and uh, and she recommended I go to someone or to an intuitive nutritionist 'cause I was having a lot of stomach problems and skin problems. Um, um, I went to this nutritionist, her name escapes me right now, but, um, April Danon was her name actually April Danon. And, uh, she was amazing. And, and while everything was based on. Focus on my nutrition. It was totally holistic energy work. Um, and a lot of energy moved in the session. A lot of emotion came to the surface. Um, and she also recommended that, that I speak to a counselor. And again, I completely trusted her. And not that I hadn't thought of this before, but I just, it landed with me. and all of this was just happening at the right time for me to, I was just ready, I was ready for change, ready for something different.
And, I went to a [00:09:00] counselor very soon after that. Um, and this is, so this is about four 15 years ago. and I went to see this man, Sam Bott, who's now working in the States. and he brought me in, invited me in, sat me down, and I was a bit anxious, a bit nervous, didn't know what to expect. Um, and he asked me how, how I was. And just the particular way that he said to me, asked me, how are you? There was an extra layer of like a transmission in those words from him. And when I began to speak, uh, I very soon began to mumble and just this upsurge of emotion and tears came out of deep inside of me and I cried and bawled [00:10:00] solid for about 45 minutes. And this was all, this was with me for decades. I couldn't, uh, rationalize it and I wasn't even trying to, he, this man was just holding me in that and not trying to make me feel better, not trying to fix anything. And it was really the. It was such catharsis and such a relief and relief, that, I knew I needed more. Um, and so I, I, I went back for more counseling, a number of times at that same man. I think he asked me, he, he asked me at the end of that session, do you wanna come back for another one? I said, can I come back tomorrow? I was really, I, I just knew I needed it, you know? Um, and so then, and that [00:11:00] very soon after that, um, like I, I got, I felt I got what I needed in a short amount of time with him. Um, and not long after that, I, I, I entered into the, the first, my first real significant relationship. I, I was not capable of holding a. A stable, healthy relationship up to that point, up to my mid thirties. and, and we're still together today. Yeah. So, um, and, and that was, that was, that was the start of a whole other journey. And together my wife Sarah and I, we, we've been on this journey very much together. It's what, it's what's bonded us. we went on to explore rather, I, you know, a certain amount of work gets you so far at the stage you're at before next step is, is necessary because [00:12:00] it will feel like the old stuff is coming up again and maybe not coming up the same old way, but it's coming up in a way that is, needs to be looked at. Differently and to be healed further. Um, and so I, I began to explore meditation, um, uh, because I started having, you know, the old stuff was coming up again. I wasn't sleeping. was having a lot of trouble sleeping. Very light sleeper. That's why so much of the, so much exercise. that that was my way well, not so much fitness and strength and fe, you know, really feeling good so I could sleep, you know, and the same with alcohol, just so I could, I could sleep. so, and, and again, recognizing this can't go on and, and there's more as well. I went to a meditation class. Um, it was a, it was a mantra meditation, [00:13:00] and that night, I had the best sleep that I had had in many years. Simply by sitting, meditating in a group. And that was enough for me to keep going back and so much more. Um, there was a cascade of, of, uh, healing and impacts in my life that went on. I, I committed to that meditation for several years after that and opened up a whole world of other practices as well. You know, different types of energy healing, family constellations, um, ancestral work going on, retreats going on, to visit spiritual places. Been to India several times, um, and really, really powerful, um, powerful experiences with many other people who are going through their own stuff. But, uh, you, you really recognize the universality of this type of journey. Ev you know, we've all got stuff and we've all got [00:14:00] trauma. of our ancestors have experienced trauma and it's, you know. It's really, comes to a point where on the, along the line has the capacity and the inclination to that pain and feel the hurts that can heal it for not just for yourself, but for them, for and for, for our children and beyond, you know? So, um, and so all of that, the, the next stage of my journey really was, was coaching. Um, and how, uh, I could really not just work on myself, the work continues on myself, but hold other people along the journey, support other people along the journey. Um, and it was, um, I, so I took a, and, and my life was completely changing. Sarah and I got married, um, in. [00:15:00] 2017. Within a few months, I left a job that I, that I had been in for 13 years. Um, and we, in those next few years, we, you know, we had kids, we moved around to, lived in different places, um, continued to work on ourselves, COVID happened. Um, we're building our own businesses, um, and mine focusing as a, as a coach, um, working with, with leaders, other coaches, anybody who's really open and ready to explore their inner world. Um, and this really has, has come through the, the, door opened, um, in, in this work for me through, um, the courses at the center and, and Leon's work. Um, and the DCI. So it was just about 2019. I, I started training as a coach. Uh, and I, I [00:16:00] just took to it. I love it. Um, loved the, loved the, the space and what could be experienced with people and, and where people can get to through coaching. But I always felt like there was, I'm not, I'm not really one for goals and planning and, you know, that I was a bit at odds at that in that regard with, with coaching for, in myself. And I came across a, um, an article written by another coach, Steven Lane, who's come through the DCI and, and that other same coaching institute I trained in Kingstown College. Um, and Steven had just completed the DCI and what he wrote about practices and, and the shift in being, uh, just struck a chord. I just. Knew it in the, in deep inside this, this is the coaching for me, this deep transformational coaching. Um, and I signed up for the next [00:17:00] um, even though that particular cohort was, uh, Asia Pacific, so I had to get up at o'clock in the morning every Wednesday for six months to do the course.
But it was, it was absolutely worth it and I, I would do it again, you know. Um, and, and I've been, again, I've been on a whole journey since then. continued the training and transformational coaching through the center and through others. Um, it to include vertical development, leadership development, uh, trained up in several, uh, psychometric assessments and, and also incorporating breath work and meditation, into the work. Um, but, but. Yeah, my, my journey very much continues I recognize that it will, it's a lifelong journey, really. and [00:18:00] it isn't, it isn't by any means, a straight line, uh, but it's, uh, it can be a bit of a rollercoaster at times. But, um, right now I, I don't see life as being any other way. And I'm quite satisfied and happy in that.
jonathan-_1_02-10-2026_090739: You mentioned a cascade of healing at one point, the phrase, a cascade of healing, and that's what it really sounds like from the moment you met Alma. Was it Alma that was her name, correct.
Ger Daly: Yeah, that's right.
jonathan-_1_02-10-2026_090739: Are you, are you aware of what the name Alma means in Spanish?
Ger Daly: Uh, not, no, no.
jonathan-_1_02-10-2026_090739: Which is in incredible that this was the catalyst for you. So Alma means soul. Literally soul.
Ger Daly: Wow. Wow.
jonathan-_1_02-10-2026_090739: that incredible?
Ger Daly: Yeah. [00:19:00] It's so apt. Yeah.
jonathan-_1_02-10-2026_090739: It's so ab. So soul was the catalyst of your journey.
Ger Daly: yeah. Yeah. And that's so much part of this work and this journey, you're, it's connecting to your soul. Calling in the soul, which we feel we can feel so often very separate from, even if we can put that word on whatever our consciousness is or whatever we are connected to. It is soul work and soul, soul journey. For sure.
Jonathan Hermida (2): Yeah. Yeah. You shared so much that I wanna, I wanna double click into several pieces. One, one of the thing things that I'm curious about, you know, growing up in, in Ireland and Galway and the culture there, in terms of, you know, pub life and, and the way folks, folks, you know, are maybe, uh, deal [00:20:00] with their own pain and traumas and, and that you were a part of.
What was it like when you began to sort of awaken out of that world in terms of the relationships that you had established? What was your relationship with the environment and culture that you were still in, but that you were moving away from?
Ger Daly: Yeah. Uh, that's a really great question because it's one of the biggest shifts that happens. Um, it's not that there's, there's anything wrong or any judgment, but when you start to look at your, your. Life, your relationships, how you're living and socializing, how you, what way you're working, how you're turning up. Um, and you see that it, it, it can be a different way and it needs to be a different way that you want it to be different. This isn't [00:21:00] working anymore maybe at once for a period of time it did. Um, what has been familiar, some of it falls away. It has to, and that can include relationships, can include friendships. maybe those relationships remain, but your role changes significantly. not the person you were to them any longer. Um, and sometimes it, it happens quietly over time. Um, sometimes it can feel abrupt very sudden.
Uh, other times, um, you know. We can't always tell how others are going to receive us and how we are being different. And when I mean different, we're actually becoming more ourselves, you know? Uh, and we're not the person that they [00:22:00] thought they knew any longer. Um, and that can be, can be tricky sometimes, but actually as, as often as not when it's your truth, and when it's from the heart when it's real, nobody can really with that. You know, when, when we really truly honor our honor ourselves, we put down clear boundaries. But what's okay? What's not okay? What role am I gonna play now? It just, it tends to happen. particularly also when you have the perspective yourself of, you know, whatever, however somebody else is responding to you or reacting to you, it's more to do with them than, than you. I'm not responsible for how anybody else reacts [00:23:00] or responds naturally, so long as there's respect coming from me, which is the base of any relationship, any relationship that's, that's theirs and it's not my responsibility to make it okay for them. And maybe, and more, more likely whatever they're experiencing is, is what they need at that time too. know? Um, and, and that's really, but also already established relationships can deepen. You know, this is true also, and it may model what others are looking for and what others are curious about. I remember friends of mine, very close friends of mine saying to me, we don't know what you're doing, but everyone's, everyone sees it, everyone's watching. You know? And I guess in a way, like true [00:24:00] friends, the real relationships, they'll be happy for you. 'cause they'll see, they'll feel it, you know, and they'll still be there no matter how different I the roles are, you know? Yeah.
jonathan-_1_02-10-2026_090739: Yeah. Yeah. It's, it's so true. It's so true. The ones that are, because there, there is a, a bit of a, a frequency as in relationship to others in terms of, there's some that remain in our frequency, whether they're in the same path that we're on or not, but there's something kind of binding us together. And then there's others that naturally fall out of that frequency.
They're in another space, another place, and they, they do naturally shift away.
Ger Daly: Yeah.
jonathan-_1_02-10-2026_090739: One, one of the things, as you were sharing your story, it, it. As we do. In retrospect, it kind of all seems like it's going up into the right, you know, in your healing journey, you're kind of just going healing more, shedding more, letting go of more, discovering new things, meeting your eventual wife.
What were some of those dips? [00:25:00] Recognizing that the, even when we're on this transformational journey, it's not just up into the right, it's, you know, it's up and then down, and then up and then down.
Ger Daly: absolutely.
jonathan-_1_02-10-2026_090739: some of those low points that you had along the way?
Ger Daly: Oh, well, there have, there have been a few and like several in, in different ways. I mean, there's your own stuff that you're, that you're faced with nose to nose and, and you know, you're really, when certain amount of healing takes place, that's, that's tested. You know, you know, is this really, have you worked through this? Let's see, life is, life is kind of playful that way, you know? Um, and that's great when you can see then, oh, this is different now. but I guess early on in particular, and it can happen sometimes, you know, there's a human, very human tendency part, particularly when we're in a place early, uh, when we starting to work on ourselves where you're almost, you come [00:26:00] across a teacher or a coach or a guide or whatever that person may be, and there can be, uh, temptation just to hand over your agency. Okay? I haven't got a clue what I'm doing. This guy has got it together and he knows exactly what I'm supposed to do. I'm just gonna do what he tells me. Um, and I, uh, a lot of people can fall into that. Um, I certainly did, and. That was actually totally a part of the journey also. was part of, it worked for a while, it got to a point, uh, you know, I saw this very much.
In hindsight, we need to reclaim this journey is also about reclaiming our selves, all parts of ourselves that we have given away, you know, in different ways. It's not just to a teacher or a guru or a coach, but we can give, give our [00:27:00] our parts of ourselves away to, uh, to relationships that aren't serving our highest good.
Maybe there's a toxic relationship or negative situations. And when things are on our minds and bothering us, they're living inside us. They've, they've got a part of us, you know, so it's about reclaiming. those parts of us so that there's, there's nothing really has us anymore. So, like in the past, yeah.
Reclaiming that. My agency, again, from those that I, I handed it over to because I felt I, I didn't know what I was doing and, and I need to just follow somebody else. So, so that was that experience. And I've, I've experienced that a, a couple of times, but in that, that reclaiming my agency, my sovereignty, my [00:28:00] energy, there's a, you know, you grow beyond that the next time, so there's a dip, but it brings you to the next level. you know, and, and also there's a, a, a lesson that no matter how much work. That we do in ourselves, how much experience we have, how far we may be seen to be gone along the journey. You know, you're never done. Stuff can always come up. The ego, the, the hurt, injured parts of the ego are always with us.
They run deep. And he healing energy can be extremely powerful, uh, extremely powerful, extremely charged. And when we're in an environment our deepest wounds are opened and triggered, uh, you know, that, that [00:29:00] we can act out on those again in, in a very hurt, way, um, that can perpetuate, you know, so, um. A good dose of humility and, um, perspective that really we're all on this journey for as long as we're breathing, you know, and, and, and we are, there's no hierarchy. Even though for a long time there was, um, you know, I, on retreat last year in I always remember Leon, one of the first things he said on that retreat was the day of the guru is finished. Uh, really does feel like that. It's in this work. It's so vitally important for all of us to our own agency and [00:30:00] sovereignty not to hand over our, um, our decision making, our. Where, where our energy is brought to our focus, where we place our focus that we are in, um, uh, we are agents of that, that is our energy and, and that is our potentiality. Um, and not to be giving it away. and for tho, you know, for when have those experiences of, being tested or apparently falling from positions, you know, hold those, hold them in, in compassion also, you know, um, there can be great teachings through the [00:31:00] most difficult of experiences. Um, and, and those experiences can be. Role modeled by teachers are sometimes. So when,
jonathan-_1_02-10-2026_090739: Yeah.
Ger Daly: when our teachers fall, they go through challenge and way, when they may not appear to be acting out of integrity, we're this too is a teaching for us, you know? Um, and, and it's important for us to see it that way. Also, not to make it a judgment on it or, or not to make things, you know, uh, allow people away with not acting in integrity. But everything is a lesson. Everything is a lesson. Um, and, and just out of, you know, aside from the work and, and the intentional transformation journey just in life as well, um, a really [00:32:00] challenging where all of this, everything I experienced was. Uh, and everything that I learned was put into practice was when, um, Sarah and I, um, were expecting our first child and there was a, a prenatal, um, fatal fetal, um, And, um, it was, it was at a, a stage, uh, about 26, 24 weeks, which was a, real hammer blow to us. We were, you know, doctors are incumbent, you know, they, they, they must tell us what the worst case scenario may be. and what we were told was, uh, just shook us to our core. Um, and it was soon [00:33:00] after the. Uh, abortion referendum here in Ireland, that allowed, uh, women to have abortions here and not have to travel to the UK for abortions. Um, so doctors also must present this as an option, and we were told that we might want to consider that also, um, because of the huge challenges that, uh, not only what we would face, but what, what our child would likely face. Um, and it was so she, she was diagnosed with, um, uh, tubular sclerosis Complex, which is where, um, tumors, uh, or tubers as they're called as well, um, can form in any of the major organs causing all sorts of difficulties, particularly when they're in the brain. Um, and they can show up in the heart. So Annie was born, um, they detected two big tubers. Blocking [00:34:00] a valve in her heart. And when she was born, they didn't know if, if she would be able to breathe or not. Um, so there was, um, a lot of complications and, and, um, precautions taken. And Sarah was going through her own, um, difficulties as well with hypertension. we went in, um, for checkup, uh, six weeks before the due date. And Sarah was kept, kept in for hypertension and, and she was really, not feeling well. She was not herself at all. And it was decided that the, um, Annie would be induced as an emergency, uh, birth. And there was a, a full pediatric cardiac, team in the delivery room with us. Um, so it's, it's, and we spent the next. Uh, [00:35:00] uh, so Annie, Annie was born. She was able to breathe. She was brought right to pediatric ICU, um, and um, where she remained, uh, for a couple of days and over those few days it was decided that, um, she needed a procedure, done her heart. Um, and this is very rare. It had never really been done before and there were no statistics for success. Um, so she was baptized, uh, on day three, in, in the ICU, just, just in case, you know. And, um, meanwhile, Sarah was in a different hospital down the road because there wasn't a, place for so, so Sarah wasn't even able to hold her for the first three days, and on top of everything she was experiencing.
So, um, fortunately that procedure was successful. Um, she was in ICU for another few days, another [00:36:00] procedure to undo the first one, not because it was anything was wrong, but because it was, it needed, it was a kind of a second stage of the procedure, that was successful and, and we spent. The next month in, in hospital in Dublin, the other side of the country, um, before we came home with Annie, luckily. and that was, um, that was seven years ago. She just turned seven last week, and she has surpassed far beyond any, kind of best case scenarios even that the doctors could have, uh, could have hoped for. Nevermind the worst case scenarios. Um, she has a number of things that we're still monitoring all the time, but, um, you, apart from slightly belly because of enlarged kidneys, um, you wouldn't know that anything, going on with her at all.
She does cartwheels all [00:37:00] around the place, does gymnastics, and does all the little, all the things that 7-year-old girl and,
jonathan-_1_02-10-2026_090739: Yeah.
Ger Daly: can do. So, um, that really, that whole experience really, put us. In a place of having to, uh, call in the practices and, you know, hold perspectives from deep awareness of, you know, what, what's, what's going on here?
Even at a, just at a human level, at a soul level, Annie, including little soul, this little soul that's coming into the world. What is all this about? You know, and, and not that we found answers, but just the experience of the whole thing, from a place of, of, you know, from a place of love, you know, holding the question, what, what would love do this situation if love is here, what, what does that mean? You know? [00:38:00] And, and sometimes there's nothing that we could possibly do Uh, hold ourselves in that place from that position, you know, from a place of love and be with what's happening. Be with what is, experience the emotions and navigate the situation as best you can. And always, always in every, in every part from a place of love, you know? And what we've learned from that is that really just things can be okay, not, not only, okay, things can resolve and, and happen in ways that cannot, at times foresee or cannot imagine. You know, things [00:39:00] can have a really mysterious, magical way. Of working out that could never be planned and could never be done by, by me or anybody else. But from a place of holding and, and operating from a place of love, uh, and, and being open to whatever that means, um, you know, life can, can really surprise you.
jonathan-_1_02-10-2026_090739: Yeah. Yeah. Jar. I can't even imagine going through that. That's the hardest thing a parent can experience. You know, those worst case scenarios with what I'm sure the, the prognosis was. I mean, Annie's an absolute miracle baby. A miracle child, in fact.
Ger Daly: Hmm. Absolutely. Yeah. She, she is the, I mean, when we were in hospital that time, we were being visited by student doctors every other day because there were so [00:40:00] every, everyone in the hospital was talking about this, Annie. Because of her case. Very, really unique case. And actually, uh, all of those complications that happened really early on, and the, um, medications that she was put on to, um, shrink those tumors on either side of her, the valve in her heart, that medication, which was a, which was a, a micro dose of a chemotherapy. they didn't, she was too young to have an MRI scan, but they told us that they would also affect any other tubers present in her system. Um, and much later on, I think when she was about four years old, she had her first MRI scan and it showed, so that treatment worked. It shrank the size of those tubers, so we knew that.
Uh, tumors anywhere else would be shrunk too. And there were signs of [00:41:00] where lesions, there, there were lesions on the brain, which were signs that there would have been tumors growing, growing there also in the brain. Um, and so if there that had happened, would've been a whole load of, that would've been an entirely different situation, from, you know, behavioral difficulties, learning difficulties to epilepsy, to God knows what. and so she has actually, uh, because of the early complications and the treatment she received at that time, she's much better off now if she hadn't had that. it's really, it's really amazing how things, how things work out. Yeah. So
jonathan-_1_02-10-2026_090739: Yeah. Yeah.
Ger Daly: actually we're in a place of being thankful for it happening just the way it did you?
Yeah.
jonathan-_1_02-10-2026_090739: Hmm. Choosing and choosing is maybe, uh, a big word here, the right partner, and I mean choosing, because it sometimes [00:42:00] we don't really choose the partner. We, we kind of in my, in my esti estimation, we attract them. And it sounds like you and Sarah came together, uh, exactly when you needed to come together and for you to have navigated what you navigated with Annie and also just the way that you entered into relationship Right.
After many years of, I'm sure yearning and, and, and wanting to be in partnership and wondering, you know, will I ever be with someone? In retrospect, what have you learned about partnership? About finding the right person around, you know, just being in alignment with that human being that you are choosing to live side by side with.
Ger Daly: Uh, yeah. Um. I better choose my words carefully here, but really, I mean, what a huge question. I mean, if I, if [00:43:00] I was even aware of how to ask a question like that earlier in life, well things might just be the very same as they are. But you know, this, this is, this this is a, you know, reflecting on, on what makes a relationship powerful, I suppose, and, and sacred even. That's probably how I would describe relationship actually. so yeah, recognizing, the, the journey is what has bonded us, really Recognizing you mentioned frequency at Iran, and that was totally true. And I guess because in, in some ways our backgrounds are, are very similar and our traumas are quite [00:44:00] similar. Not exactly the same, but similar. And so we, we don't, we don't always attract what our kind of, our, our shining qualities are, if you like, or what we want other people to see, but at a very subconscious level, attract those maybe whose wounds are similar or maybe there's a connection in a way where there's a healing that can take place in relation to the other. And there's, this is another aspect of the he of Healing that can take place in us. It's not just us working on ourselves, but us being in relations with others, uh, whether that's an intimate partner friend or family, but certainly in an intimate partnership, there [00:45:00] is a massive opportunity for healing to take place. Um, and that can take place in unconsciously, or it can be very intentional also. Um, and we have experienced, um, each other's shadow. Um, our traumas, um. Our, our deepest fears, um, that we have not shown anybody else. And, and almost definitely for many years, uh, hid from ourselves. Um, but holding one another.
They're, again, from a loving place, not holding [00:46:00] on to the other, but, you know, holding one another in our experiences, um, giving one another permission to, work things out ourselves and with one another. Recognizing that, and this, this is a really difficult part, you know, in. Close relationships. Not taking things personally is really, really tough because it's by their very nature, they are deeply personal. Um, and that is happening with someone else is, is 99% of the time their stuff that we may be showing them or they're showing us. But it's for us have that [00:47:00] awareness to catch that and work on it. And, and, um, thank God we're, we're both very much on, on the same page there. And I know you asked earlier on, you know, when starting off in this journey, what, what can change in relationships?
And I've seen it many times when, when one person in a relationship is working on themselves, if the other person isn't, that relationship always last very much longer. You know, um, and it's, it's a when, again, from my experience, when we have two young kids together, we're not just doing it for ourselves. know, we're doing it for our children also. And recognizing, you know, it's not about us being perfect, perfect partners, perfect parents, but [00:48:00] the healing that we do, then we, we save our children from being passed on what we don't heal. And those hurts from me. Those hurts and pains from parents and their parents because it, it, it all filters down until it gets, it gets healed, you
jonathan-_1_02-10-2026_090739: Hmm.
Ger Daly: So it's, and we're relational beings. You know, we don't live in isolation. We're not born out of isolation. It's not, it's not possible. Yeah,
jonathan-_1_02-10-2026_090739: No, no. Yeah. The biggest gift we can give our kids is out of our own healing and getting out of our own way as much as possible. I mean, they're always gonna have their own stuff to, to contend with in their own way. But if we, you know, I, I think about inheritance a lot. You know, we think about it in terms of wealth and, and finances, but the biggest gift that I can give my children is [00:49:00] not money, but a regulated nervous system, but space to allow them to be themselves.
Not adding more into the mix. Right. And and that's what I'm hearing you and Sarah are really intentional about, you know, and in fact, so much so that you all decided as a family to move out into isolation in, in, into a teeny tiny island off the west coast of Ireland. Can you talk more about that decision to move into that place?
Ger Daly: Yeah. So it was, um, so where we're living now is a, is a small island. one of a group of islands, three islands called the Iron Islands. This one's called Inish Man, which literally means the mid island. It's got the, the other two are either side of it the west coast of Ireland, Sarah's mother is from here. And it's very close to Galway, where, where we met Sarah and [00:50:00] I, and where we lived for many years. And so we used, since we got together, we've been coming out here and Sarah's mother moved back out here about 10 years ago. and it, it's a really special place. It's, it's not. It's an easy journey to get here, but the nature of an island, can feel a lot farther than how the distance geographically. Um, so it was about, it was two years ago. Um, we were, and we were looking at, um, schools for any, because she was gonna be starting very soon. And we were, we actually had decided we were in Galway we couldn't decide where to base ourselves, but knew we wanted to be, to be somewhere else. So we started in Portugal we moved to the Algarve two years ago for, to, to just to explore, see what it would be like and what, what might be possible there.
So we spent four months living in the south of Portugal [00:51:00] and we, uh, you know, that was a whole other journey for us together. The people we met were incredible. Um, it was an amazing time for the kids. Uh, you know, travel for children of a young age, it's so expansive, you know, it
jonathan-_1_02-10-2026_090739: Yeah.
Ger Daly: their mind their experience. Um, and between the jigs and the reels, um, we felt that Portugal probably wouldn't work. We didn't wanna be on the mainland and we didn't wanna live in a city. Um, and we sp we, we had the summer to decide, so we spent the summer here on Inman. There was a place in the school. Uh, there's only, there are only 12 kids in the school, so it's basically like private tuition. Um, there, there was a place for us to stay, so we decided to give it a go and see what it would be like for, for the first year of Annie's education. through the Irish language as well, by the way. Um, so she's, she's [00:52:00] already bilingual. Um, and it's been, it's been amazing. Not without its challenges, but it's been really rewarding. It's, uh, a really small island. Four kilometers in length by two kilometers wide. 160 people living here all year round. Lots of visitors in the summer. But a real sense of community here. Um, uh, pretty much everyone on the island knows each other. It's really safe. Uh, the kids have freedom that is incredibly rare these days, free, a freedom that most kids don't experience anymore in Ireland.
Um, closer to what I would've experienced growing up. Um, we're really steeped in nature here. We're very, I'm, I'm looking from side to side. There's two huge windows here. I'm looking out across the island. they're steeped in nature. We're at the mercy of, of the weather, come, coming and going on the boats, supplies coming and going on [00:53:00] the cargo. Um, there's, there's an. A sense of the ancients here as well. There are two prehistoric forts on the highest points of the island that are overlooking us. The, you can see them from every part of the island. Um, there's a great sense of mystery there because they don't, no one really knows who built them. Um, and these islands in the west coast of Ireland in particular, I mean, through, through history, it's been regarded as the edge of the world and, and place of isolation and retreat, um, where people will come for, for isolation, uh, for contemplation. There are many monastic settlements here, and lots of history and tradition of, uh, contemplation and reflection, you know, um, and, and attuning to nature and slowing, slowing [00:54:00] down to match the pace of, of nature. ' cause that's, that's, I feel that certainly Sarah and I, and definitely through the work that we've done on ourselves, uh, the pace of modern life for us is not optimal. If you like, uh, and the rushing and, you know, doing all the things and getting all this stuff, and filling, filling up your time with all of the things that there are to do. It's a much simpler life here. Um, and we do there, there, you know, connection is really important to us as well. There's a powerful community here, but connection to our family and friends who are not far away. It's important to, for us to maintain that also and other communities that we wish to, to connect with, you know, and, and, and. [00:55:00] over, you know, else that's that's made my work possible in the last years or so is the accessibility that this technology has afforded us. And the possibility to connect with so many more people across the world, uh, to study with, train with experience, you know, so it's the, it's the, it's a really amazing of being in a, uh, on a remote kind of outpost, if you like, kind physically and geographically, but still being able to able connect with the whole world.
It's incredible.
jonathan-_1_02-10-2026_090739: Yeah. Yeah, it's unbelievable. Uh, speaking of technology, and you have two young children, how, what, how are you thinking about this AI revolution and the world that your kids are gonna step into
Ger Daly: Yeah.
jonathan-_1_02-10-2026_090739: in the near future?
Ger Daly: Yeah. Um, [00:56:00] yeah, this is, this is ever present with us in terms of, and not even ai, but screens and devices, you know, cameras, there are cameras everywhere now. And, you know, particularly children when they get a little bit older, there's more, know, getting more and more Optim mischief and, and, um, using technology in, in ways that are not always mature or responsible.
And, and we need, we must, we must, uh, safeguard that. Um, and AI brings a whole other level to it now as well. Uh, but to answer your question, uh, it's even more vitally important now than ever before for us to be able to go inside and. Connect with ourselves, [00:57:00] understand ourselves, know ourselves to be able to be, to be able to be without looking for distraction, without looking for external answers or voices or validation or entertainment to be self-sufficient and sovereign in your own agency that we don't need anything external. You know, so much of, of, you know, a AI is, it's obviously much more than entertainment, but there, there's a tendency in the modern world to look outside of ourselves. Um, and, and really that's comes from a distraction of not trusting ourselves and not being able to be with ourselves. So [00:58:00] teaching our children and to, you mentioned it earlier on, just be with their emotions. Hold them in that, hold them in their upset, hold them in their highs and hold them in their lows. Um, and so we're not, there can be a tendency, and maybe this happens early in childhood, when a child is upset and the, the, the caregiver naturally wants to make them feel better to stop crying, stop the upset. But I think that's the start of resisting bad or negative emotions and that, and, and I don't see it that way at all, by the way.
The judging an emotion is good or bad, but just emotions are to be experienced. It's information for you. To tell you how you feel about a situation for children to be allowed to experience their emotions, feel them [00:59:00] cry, be upset, get frustration and anger outta their body, whatever way that looks, even if that stomp in the ground or kicking a wall, you know, holding them in that, that they are able to express themselves. And, um, also, you know, say what they, what they want, what they need. Um, know, that's, that's not to say that they have, they need to get everything they want, they want all the time, but at least to be able to recognize what they want and ask for it, and be able to say yes to things, be able to say no to things and to honor that, no. As, as a boundary and honor that boundary because I think that's something else that, that happens in, in early [01:00:00] childhood that is, has implications later in life where a child's no is not honored. And so then later in life we hear about, you know, consent is a huge issue where people believe, an inner self-belief that my know isn't valid. So it's really, it's children are so informative, and the impressions that we leave on them with them the rest of their lives. So for, for a, a parent to. As best as, as we possibly can to hold them in a, in a safe place where [01:01:00] they can learn to regulate themselves, um, without a need for anything external to fix or numb or distract or validate. I feel like that's the, that's what makes those things are what makes, makes us human. And coming back to what is more and more human is what differentiates us from AI that can never be conscious or feel how we feel or. have a soul. You know, that's all of this. I know there, there is, there are some out there who whether AI can have a consciousness or not, but there's, there's, know that there is nothing that can replace a human being, a human heart, a human [01:02:00] experience, and that we must learn to with it. But again, not give over our agency to something that is more intelligent or the owners of that, something that is more intelligent than we are. So there's to hold onto our own agency, our own sovereignty.
jonathan-_1_02-10-2026_090739: Mm
Ger Daly: Recognize the value and importance of that. think that's really. The lesson to teach the kids, you know, that that's so, that is theirs, that is their God-given.
Right. And that can be given away. It can be taken away even without us realizing it.
jonathan-_1_02-10-2026_090739: mm.
Ger Daly: I think that's, that's what we're all facing right now.
jonathan-_1_02-10-2026_090739: Which is why the, the, especially these first 10 years [01:03:00] of our kids' lives are so vital in establishing that foundation of, um, self-awareness, of self-regulation, of autonomy,
Ger Daly: yeah.
jonathan-_1_02-10-2026_090739: that as they move into the inevitable world that we're moving into, they have a base foundation of understanding and can use whatever tools are out there as tools rather than being taken beholden by them because there's parts of them that, or there's holes inside of them that are needing to be filled by their mind in self preservation.
Right. And so this is where just the, the having conscious parents and, and that is something that I'm so optimistic about in my relationships with other parents in these conversations, is that there are so many conscious parents out in the world, thankfully raising conscious children that. I think our, our giving them the skillset, the tool set needed to confront the world that, that we're stepping into collectively.
Ger Daly: Uh, [01:04:00] absolutely, absolutely. I mean, we all, again, it's very human, human thing to, to act out our hurts the real world, in our
jonathan-_1_02-10-2026_090739: Yeah.
Ger Daly: professionally, but if, if we can raise our children doing our own work and our own healing so that that stuff is not passed onto them, they are held in a safe, conscious, loving And they don't have all the stuff from the parents or the grandparents and beyond, or even collectively as well. You know, imagine what, what the future leaders could be like, are operating from a place of wholeness in themselves,
jonathan-_1_02-10-2026_090739: Hmm.
Ger Daly: not of any pain or hurt, but of [01:05:00] being, being healed, being aware and, and operating from an open heart and, and toward a greater good for everybody, and that that's totally possible.
jonathan-_1_02-10-2026_090739: Yes. Yes. What, what do you feel are the biggest challenges that leaders face in being in leading from a more whole centered, connected place?
Ger Daly: Today, the, the pace of everything today is so fast and feels like it's getting quicker because people feel the need to keep up with progress and how things are changing and all of the different levels, whether it's technology, geo-politics, environment, you know, population change [01:06:00] leaders are, are grappling with so much and, and, um, as well as their, you know, obvious performance obligations which are not going away. You know, so much is still down to the bottom line and what the numbers say. Um, and how can be done with less? It's, it's, um. It's a real challenge. That, and, and then, you know, the, the space, where's the space and the time for the self and for this work, for the leaders. the leaders at the highest levels recognize the vi uh, how vital this work is in not what they can do, but how they're turning up and what they have the capacity for. Um, and it seems like the [01:07:00] higher up they go in places, the more that they recognize this. If, if leaders at early stages in their leadership would recognize this also, not so much the, the capacities and skills for doing more, doing differently, but. What something like the transformational journey can offer them, or vertical development or healing or whatever you wanna, whatever way you wanna call it. Making the space for that. And then maybe facing, well, does this mean now for me? What's important for me now? You know, what are my values now if I'm doing this, this work, and taking it seriously in terms of the, the transformational work and the healing work. What are my values now and, and who do I want to be?
[01:08:00] Where do I want to myself? Where I want, where do I want people to follow me too? Is it the same as what it was five years ago? You know, so there's lots of sh and that can have huge implications. And that's scary when you've got a lifestyle
jonathan-_1_02-10-2026_090739: Yeah.
Ger Daly: paid for because you've been so successful. And you gotta, you gotta keep up the Joneses. It's, it's, it's not for the faint of Fainthearted and that's probably why it's, maybe it's not so popular sometimes and it's, it's just an easier thing to keep going with the same, the same way. It's always been the status quo, but I think we're getting to a point where the status quo can't sustain for too much longer. And change is coming on multiple levels, whether, whether we like it or not. So I, I think it's for leaders to get their heads around that and what's, possible. And I'm not, I think it's [01:09:00] starting 'cause this work is becoming more and more visible. Uh. In the workplace, in, in online, even in places like LinkedIn and at the highest levels, it's really, I'm, I'm so emboldened by what I'm hearing people talk about and what I'm reading and how it's being responded to. You know, this work is really, it's really innately human work. all of us and it's for everybody, and we can all take to it, and we can all embark on the journey. And it, it has meaning and impact for all of us. It's, it's just at the moment who, who really is aware of it as even a possibility and what it can mean
jonathan-_1_02-10-2026_090739: Hmm.
Ger Daly: them.
jonathan-_1_02-10-2026_090739: Yeah. You know, I, I, I, I think a lot of what's gonna happen [01:10:00] is the world is gonna change. Structures are crumbling, things are gonna evolve from where they're at today, and ultimately, leaders are not gonna have any other choice but to step into a deeper. Realm and ask deeper questions because the structures and systems that had been in place and that previously work no longer are AI technology.
All of that is gonna replace a lot. And, and so the in, in so many ways, this work, this deep transformational work that you and I are so embedded in is inevitable because if the outside world is no longer serving its place, it's no longer, no, no longer working, which is ultimately what happens in any transformational journey, is that our external world, the way is that we have been approaching life no longer work, thankfully, because even though it feels very uncomfortable, even though it's quite disruptive, it leads us into a much deeper, [01:11:00] more fulfilling, connected, true place within us Right?
And in relationship with the rest of the world. And so that's where I, I, I do sense we're heading in that. Not many. There's gonna be some proactive leaders, some proactive people that are currently waking up to this reality and taking proactive steps. The majority, however, are gonna be taken, kicking and screaming into, in, into the depths and in so many ways, those of us that have proactively taken these steps are gonna be the way, show the holders of the space for these individuals as they transition into a new way of being
Ger Daly: Absolutely. Absolutely. And, and those, you know, those who will be dragged kicking and screaming have a number of options, which direction they'll be dragged kicking and screaming
jonathan-_1_02-10-2026_090739: Sure, sure.
Ger Daly: [01:12:00] because there's, there it can be. It can be the, the human, the human option. human path. That is what, what you're talking about.
Or it's the path by ai, by the companies
jonathan-_1_02-10-2026_090739: Yeah.
Ger Daly: You know, and you know, you're, you've said so much there. You're absolutely right. I, I heard elsewhere. It's the, the age of the knowledge worker is over now is the age of the wisdom worker. And it's absolutely true. And that, that wisdom comes through inner work, it comes through relating and relationship and it comes through the sacred also, you know, this is, this is really what's being asked of us right now.
And, and I see, I know there will be huge. [01:13:00] Chaos and disruption and possibly collapse. there is great possibility for this to work in, in, again, from a place of love and maybe a little bit of naivety, but that's okay with me. this can be really magical for us in, in ways that so much work can be taken off our hands. And so what does this free us up to do and, and what are the possibilities? Then, you know, there, there are lots of, you've, just to give a couple of examples, there are so many children in the world today who are not at home with their parents the day, are packed into crowded rooms with a whole pile of other kids. know, best intentions, uh, are are there of course, but they're. Childcare, particularly in [01:14:00] Ireland. Childcare is a huge issue when both parents, it's our, it's demand of both parents to, to work and to pay for all of the, of modern life. The elderly also are growing older population and not, not all of our elderly or should be put into nursing homes or institutions, you know, so care caring for one another
jonathan-_1_02-10-2026_090739: Yes.
Ger Daly: is the opportunity and it's just some of the opportunity.
There's so much more.
jonathan-_1_02-10-2026_090739: So much.
Ger Daly: Yeah,
jonathan-_1_02-10-2026_090739: so much more Jira. As we move into the close here, what, what insight question tool might you share with the listener that coach that leader that is listening to this as they navigate their own transformational journey?
Ger Daly: so really. The greatest tool or instrument at our [01:15:00] disposal for each of us is our body, really, and for us to develop a practice of turning our attention inward and noticing, simply noticing what's happening inside, noticing what's happening physically in our body, in all of the different parts of our body, noticing what's happening emotionally in the present moment, what whatever's going on, whatever's story is going on in your, in your head, whatever you might be worried about coming down the line, but in, in the present moment, bringing your attention to your breath. Noticing what's happening in the body and being with that, [01:16:00] noticing what arises when you notice even further, we know from quantum physics that the, the very act of observ observing something can change it. So this can actually open up a whole journey of experience inside that can unlock so much. Uh, and, and this is a, a big aspect of the work I do with people. And even just today, I had an incredibly powerful session with a very experienced, skilled coach who turned up with not a particularly distinct topic to focus on feeling really good, and he was able to experience. And open up to huge amounts of energy in his body [01:17:00] that gave him a massive emotional release that wasn't only his but ancestral and also brought an immense amount of clarity in himself and wisdom that came along with it. And this is accessible to all of us just sitting here in a space with another person or other people with the same intention and awareness. It's so accessible to all of us, and it can be, it can begin just with that practice of turning your attention inward.
jonathan-_1_02-10-2026_090739: Gerry, you are a man filled with hard-earned wisdom. As a result of many years of, of practice, of, of work, of turning into yourself, you are walking the walk in this, in stepping into this world as a leader and a way show for those that are needing that [01:18:00] support. So thank you. Thank you for everything that you shared in this episode.
Thank you for being who you are in this world. Thank you for opening your heart to us. I really appreciate you for, for being on here with us.
Ger Daly: Thank you, Jonathan. It's a real, it's a real gift to share this space with you and, and thank you for everything you do at the center with these podcasts and bringing and these experiences to the world in this format. Uh, you do it beautifully and you are in your way also a great way. Sure.
So thank you. It was a pleasure to be here.
Thank you so much for being with us today. To learn more about today's guest visit our podcast landing page at www.podcast.centerfortransformationalcoaching.com. You'll find links to their website, social media, and anything else they might wanna share there. And if you're curious to explore more about our work, our trainings, or the deep coaching approach.
You'll find everything at www.centerfortransformationalcoaching.com. [01:19:00] A new episode of this podcast releases every two weeks, so please subscribe wherever you listen to. Stay up to date. Until next time, stay present, embrace love, and continue sensing into what life is calling you toward. See you soon. Doing.