Meet Brian O Connor | Podcaster

We had the good fortune of connecting with Brian O Connor and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Brian, how has your work-life balance changed over time?
This is one that I feel constantly needs work. I feel like there is no such thing as the perfect work life balance. In the past I have fully thrown myself into work and have neglected the ‘life’ part. As I’ve grown older I have realized the importance of being on your own time as I like to call it. We are constantly on other peoples time, may it be work or commitments outside work. Nowadays when I finish work and get to my car I take a deep breath and say ‘now I’m on my time’ I totally relax in the thought that I can choose how I want to spend my time which is usually with my kids and family.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I produce and host Concerts That Made Us Podcast.

If you met me two years ago you would say I would be the last in the world who would start a podcast. I have always had jobs the left me feeling unfulfilled, like there was a yearning inside to me to do more, to be better and put my skills to better use. Ever since my school days I have been a creative, however once I finished school and entered the rat race I started to feel like those dream I had were in fact just that. Childhood dreams. I’m an adult now I have to get a real job. Go to work, earn money and just exist.

I always seemed to have jobs that were solitary (working on my own). This coupled with moving to a new location and losing contact with old friends made me feel isolated and led to me being a very shy, quiet person who had minimal interaction with people outside of work/family.

Fast forward to 2020, feeling unfulfilled, I knew I had to do something. I had been using podcasts to keep me company in work and had the dream of starting one.

Being a lifelong music fan, former guitarist and drummer I felt it was the obvious choice to create a music podcast………but what kind of music podcast would it be. As we all know by now the pandemic had an incredible effect on the music industry worldwide with gigs/concerts practically outlawed. From personal experiences I know that the next best thing to attending a concert is reminiscing about past concerts.

I came up with plan of interview people about their concert experiences. The idea resonated with people and before long I found myself being contacted by musicians wanting to speak about their experiences.

Flash forward to the present and the podcast has grown to heights I couldn’t have imagined. I have gone from being a person who broke out in a sweat at the thought of speaking on the phone to sitting down and chatting with strangers and rockstars. I finally feel like I have found my confidence and I am now the person I wanted to be in my childhood dreams.

The most unbelievable part is the most common piece of feedback I get from guests and fans of the podcast. They all say the part they love most is that I seem to be able to make the guest feel so comfortable that they show a piece of there soul.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I would have to show them the beaches of my hometown. They are the longest uninterrupted beaches in europe and constantly voted the most beautiful in Ireland/Europe. If the weather is good it truly is like a piece of heaven on earth. (A little piece of trivia) Curracloe beach doubled for Omaha beach in the D-Day landings sequence of Saving Private Ryan.

On the way back we would have to stop at ‘The Premier’ for some fish and chips. Without a doubt the nicest chipper in existence. It is a staple in my hometown. You can’t go there without trying the local delicacy known as a rissole. It is a mashed potato and herb ball fried in batter or breadcrumbs.

On day two we would visit Coumshingaun (Cow-m-shin-awn) Lough. It is a beautiful lake that sits atop the Comeragh Mountains. Once you reach the top it is like entering a mythical land of old Ireland.

On the way back down we would have to visit the Magic Tree. A local phenomenon where gravity seems to go in reverse. Water flows up the hill instead of down and if you put your car in neutral it will move up the hill gaining speed until you put your foot on the brake. Local folklore suggest it is the site of an ancient fairy fort and it is the fairies and their mischievous games.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
The podcast community has been a great place. When I started I had no clue what I was doing but the community of podcasters has been an amazing place, from supporting each other and helping each other grow to sharing tips and helping with technical knowledge.

To name a few:

Reg Seeton – Starting Overdrive Podcast – Reg is an inspiration in every sense of the word.

Steven Adelmund – Steven is a marketing genius who is always there to help with any marketing query.

Emma Kelly – My number one fan from the beginning. Whenever I doubt myself or feel like giving up she is there to give me the kick in the butt to push through and succeed.

Website: https://www.concertsthatmadeus.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/concertsthatmadeuspodcast/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ConcertsUs

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Theconcertsthatmadeus/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7mlpz4nArFDm6royeCeq3A