BEYOND THE GAME

Does talent really drive success - or is culture the real differentiator?

In this episode of Beyond The Game, we’re joined by Bernard Jackman, former professional rugby player, Heineken Cup winner, elite coach, and now a highly respected leadership and high-performance consultant working across Irish and international organisations.

Bernard draws on his experience operating at the highest levels of sport and business to unpack what truly underpins sustainable success. From elite dressing rooms to boardrooms, his message is clear: talent alone is never enough - high performance is built on culture, accountability, and standards.

We explore how resilient teams are created, why adaptability and learning matter more than raw ability, and how leaders can build environments where people consistently perform under pressure. Bernard also shares insights from his own career transitions - from player to coach to leadership advisor — and the mindset required to reinvent yourself while maintaining clarity and purpose.

This episode is packed with practical leadership lessons, making it essential listening for business leaders, managers, entrepreneurs, coaches, and anyone interested in resilience, high performance, and organisational culture.

Topics covered include:

Why talent doesn’t guarantee success - and what does

Building resilient, high-performance cultures in sport and business

Accountability, standards, and leadership under pressure

Lessons from elite teams that transfer directly into Irish business

Adapting, learning, and reinventing across multiple careers

🎧 Listen and subscribe to Beyond The Game for evidence-informed conversations on resilience, leadership, mindset, and high-performance habits - distilled from the worlds of elite sport and business.

What does it take to stay at the top of professional rugby for over a decade?

In this episode of Beyond The Game, we sit down with James Cronin - former Munster, Biarritz, and Leicester Tigers prop - whose career is defined by consistency, resilience, and an unbreakable determination to succeed.

Having made over 150 appearances for his boyhood club Munster, James went on to test himself in France with Biarritz before finishing his professional career in the English Premiership with Leicester Tigers. Now stepping into his next chapter as Head Coach of Highfield Rugby, he reflects on the lessons learned from the highs, lows, and everyday grind of elite sport.

James shares powerful insights into maintaining elite performance over time, managing setbacks, and transferring the mindset of a professional athlete into leadership and coaching.

Topics Covered:

Building resilience and consistency in elite performance

Overcoming injury setbacks & psychological recovery

Leadership lessons from the pitch to the coaching box

Transitioning identity from player to leader

The importance of preparation, perspective & purpose

Listen, follow, and subscribe to the Beyond The Game Podcast for real-world lessons on resilience, mindset, and leadership from athletes, coaches, and business leaders who’ve performed at the highest level.

#JamesCronin #BeyondTheGamePodcast #Resilience #Leadership #HighPerformance #Rugby #Mindset #CareerTransition #MunsterRugby #LeicesterTigers #Biarritz #IRFU #Highfield #Coach

TJ Dillashaw: Resilience, Reinvention & Running a Business

What does it take to rebuild yourself after hitting rock bottom?

In this powerful first episode of Beyond The Game Season 2, two-time UFC Bantamweight Champion TJ Dillashaw opens up about the highs of world titles, the lows of public scrutiny, and the mindset required to come back stronger than ever.

Known for his relentless work ethic and precision inside the Octagon, TJ shares how he’s applied the same discipline, accountability, and mental toughness to life after fighting - and his new venture, Wild Society Nutrition.

This conversation goes far beyond sport. It’s about owning your mistakes, rediscovering purpose, and using adversity as fuel for reinvention — lessons that resonate in business, leadership, and everyday life.

Topics Covered:

Overcoming setbacks & rebuilding confidence after failure

The psychological components of true resilience

Lessons in leadership, discipline & ownership

Life after sport: transferring elite habits into business

Founding Wild Society Nutrition & the science of wellbeing

Listen, follow, and subscribe for more powerful insights from athletes, coaches, and business leaders redefining what it means to perform — Beyond The Game.

#BeyondTheGamePodcast #TJDillashaw #UFC #Resilience #Mindset #Leadership #Redemption #HighPerformance #SportsPodcast #Entrepreneurship #WildSocietyNutrition #Motivation

What happens when the game you’ve built your life around suddenly stops?

In the final episode of Season 1 of Beyond The Game, our very own Jonny Holland steps into the guest seat to share his remarkable journey - one marked by resilience, reinvention, and a relentless pursuit of growth.

From the heartbreak of a career-ending injury to building a new path as a leading performance nutritionist and coach, Jonny opens up about the mindset shifts that helped him navigate change, and how the lessons from elite sport now fuel his approach to helping others perform at their best.

Topics Covered:
- Reinventing yourself after a career-ending setback
- Resilience in the face of uncertainty and identity loss
- Nutrition & mindset for sustainable high performance
- Moving from player to coach — lessons in leadership & empathy
- Building a future beyond sport — and staying driven through transition

 

🎧 Listen now to the final episode of Season 1 on Spotify, Apple Podcasts & all major platforms.

What does it take to leave behind everything familiar and start again on the other side of the world - professionally, personally, and mentally?

In this episode of Beyond The Game, Ciarán Sheehan shares his remarkable journey from All Ireland winning Cork GAA star to professional AFL player with Carlton Football Club in Melbourne.

Ciarán reflects on his early love for sport, the joy of playing multiple codes, and the shift from community-driven GAA to the high-pressure environment of professional sport. He opens up about the physical and mental toll of injury setbacks, how he navigated change, and the identity challenges that come with life after elite sport.

Taking his knowledge from working in player welfare and development role, Ciarán now leads people at Green rebel one of Ireland's biggest green energy suppliers bringing thoughtful insight into working with people, supporting others through transition, and the lessons he’s carried with him from sport into real life.

Topics Covered:
- Transitioning from Cork GAA to professional AFL
- Managing injury setbacks - physically and mentally
- Adjusting to a new culture and professional system
- Supporting others through change and personal development
- Balancing performance, wellbeing, and staying grounded in joy

🎧 Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts & all major platforms.