Made In Chaos with Ryan Curtis

I Knew I Had Cancer Before The Doctors Told Me - Carly Mahady

She Knew Before the Doctors Did. Carly Mahady on Cancer, Being Dismissed & Why Pity Never Saved Anyone. At 16, Carly Mahady found a lump and was told she was fine. At 22, she noticed something else, and this time the doctors listened. What followed was a diagnosis of secretory carcinoma, a cancer so rare only 0.02% of people in the world have it, a mastectomy scheduled for her 25th birthday, chemotherapy during COVID, and a fight that most people never saw the full picture of. In this episode, Ryan sits down with Carly for one of the most honest, funniest and most unexpectedly deep conversations Made in Chaos has ever had, about identity, illness, ADHD, avoidance and what it really means to come back as yourself. What we get into: * Noticing a lump at 16 and being completely dismissed by her GP * How she decoded the body language of medical staff before they said a word * The man in the suit — how she figured out the waiting room system before anyone told her * Being diagnosed with secretory carcinoma: 0.02% of the world, no clear playbook * Scheduling her mastectomy on her 25th birthday and why she insisted * When the cancer spread to her lymph nodes — the second blow * Chemotherapy during COVID and finding genuine joy on the ward * Whether suppressed emotion and carried resentment caused her cancer — and why she believes it did * Pity vs results: you can have one, but you can't have both * ADHD, object permanence, protective pessimism and being violently avoidant of herself * Why she stopped talking about her cancer online — and what people misunderstood about that * Trauma porn, oversharing and finding the right delivery for a story that's still yours Ryan Curtis is a former Irish MMA fighter who was paralysed from the neck down and told he would never walk again. Made in Chaos exists to platform guests who've turned adversity into wisdom worth sharing. Follow: @madeinchaospod | @chaoscurtis 🖊️ Sponsored by The Ink Factory, Temple Bar — Ireland's highest rated tattoo studio. theinkfactory.ie | @theinkfactory

Recession, Paralysis & 90 Grand in Debt. - How Niall McMahon Survived It All

Less Than 1% Chance of Walking Again. Three Doctors. Three Hammer Blows. One Decision to Never Give Up. Niall McMahon opened Alfie's on South William Street in Dublin in 2008, the same year the recession began. He survived debt, pandemics, rising costs and 18 years of one of the toughest industries in the world. Then, in November 2023, a blood vessel in his spine burst without warning. Within days, he was paralysed. In this episode, Ryan sits down with Niall for one of the most powerful conversations Made in Chaos has ever had, two men who've been through near-identical journeys comparing notes on paralysis, recovery, mindset and what it really takes to come back from the unthinkable. What we get into: * Growing up in the restaurant business, his parents built Joelle's from a trucker café * Opening Alfie's the day before his 30th birthday during the worst recession in living memory * 90 grand in debt with nothing in his pocket, and the walk on Bray beach that changed everything * The Japanese TV show that saved his menu and his business * The cavernoma, the blood vessel he was born with that nobody knew was there * Three consultants, three hammer blows: wheelchair for life, less than 1% chance, permanent bladder damage * The moment he lifted his knee 2 inches and said goodbye to the Bentley wheelchair * Pat, the roommate who gave him everything and was dead 4 months later * The hill, the biscuits and the last day at the NRH * Why the doctors who deliver bad news need to think about how they deliver it * What both Ryan and Niall believe is the real difference between people who come back and those who don't Ryan Curtis is a former Irish MMA fighter who was paralysed from the neck down and told he would never walk again. He rebuilt his life from the ground up. Made in Chaos exists to platform guests who've faced real adversity and come out with wisdom worth sharing. Follow: @madeinchaospod | @chaoscurtis 🖊️ Sponsored by The Ink Factory, Temple Bar — Ireland's highest rated tattoo studio. theinkfactory.ie | @theinkfactory

Why 80% of Irish Workers Are Sleep-Deprived And What to Actually Do About It - Tom Coleman

You Don't Have a Sleep Problem — You Have a Boundary Problem. Ireland's Leading Sleep Expert Explains Everything. 80% of Irish workers are sleep-deprived on any given day. And the solution isn't a supplement, a sleep tracker, or blue light glasses. Tom Coleman — Ireland's leading sleep expert, who has worked with Olympic athletes, global corporations, and shift workers — joins Ryan to dismantle everything you think you know about sleep. What we get into: * Why you don't have a sleep problem — you have a boundary problem * The racing mind: the one thing almost every poor sleeper has in common * What alcohol is actually doing to your sleep cycles (it's worse than you think) * Melatonin — hormone or supplement, and why getting it wrong can backfire * The sleep aid sitting on pharmacy shelves that's linked to long-term dementia risk * Magnesium bisglycinate vs citrate — and which one actually helps sleep * Deep sleep vs light sleep vs REM — the biggest myths debunked * Your brain cleans itself every night — and what happens when it can't * Sleep trackers: why they're only 60% accurate and why you shouldn't let them dictate your mood * What waking up at 3am is actually telling you — and the counterintuitive strategy that works * Shift workers: the hidden health crisis affecting 20% of the Irish workforce * How sleep deprivation destroys relationships — including what newborns do to couples * What Tom has seen inside Coca-Cola, eBay and Pfizer behind closed doors Ryan Curtis is a former Irish MMA fighter who was paralysed from the neck down and told he would never walk again. Made in Chaos exists to platform guests who've turned adversity into hard-earned wisdom worth sharing. Follow: @madeinchaospod | @chaoscurtis 🖊️ Sponsored by The Ink Factory, Temple Bar — Ireland's highest rated tattoo studio with over 5,000 five star Google reviews. theinkfactory.ie | @theinkfactory

Overnight DJ Success, Grief & The Pressure Men Don't Talk About - Robbie G (Belters Only)

From a Bedroom in Dublin to the World's Biggest Stages — Robbie G on Success, Grief & What It Really Costs. Robbie G is one half of Belters Only, Ireland's most successful DJ duo, diamond-certified at home, platinum across the world, and now playing stages from New York to Tokyo. But this episode isn't just about the highs. Ryan sits down with Robbie for one of the most honest conversations Made in Chaos has ever had, about going from bedroom producer to global artist overnight, about what it's really like inside the major label machine, about playing the 3Arena months after losing his ma, and about what happens when the thing you love starts to feel like a burden. What we get into: * Growing up in a musical family — his grandad was touring America with a showband in the Joe Dolan era * How remixing Boyz II Men on Bended Knee led to a Universal LA deal at 17 * The passport story — and how he missed his invite to Manhattan * Why Ireland had no scene when he started — and how that's completely changed * Dublin's nightclub crisis and the fight to extend licensing laws * Going from two young fellas with a dream to Polydor Records in London overnight * Imposter syndrome, the pressure of follow-up hits, and the reality of major label life * Why talent alone no longer gets you anywhere in the attention economy * Burnout, grief and playing the 3Arena in the same year he lost his ma * Why he's only now starting to understand what rest actually means Ryan Curtis is a former Irish MMA fighter who was paralysed from the neck down and told he would never walk again. He rebuilt his life through sheer determination. Made in Chaos exists to platform guests who've faced real adversity and come out the other side with something worth sharing. Follow: @madeinchaospod | @chaoscurtis Brought to you by Irelands Best Tattoo Studio: The Ink Factory

Why You Do Things You Know Are Bad for You: A Behavioural Scientist Explains - Jason Lear

Why Do You Keep Doing Things You Know Are Bad for You? A Behavioural Scientist Explains. Most people think they're in control of their decisions. They're not, and the science proves it. Ryan sits down with Jason Lear, behavioural analyst and organiser of TEDxBlackMountain, for one of the most thought-provoking episodes of Made in Chaos yet. Jason breaks down the hidden patterns driving human behaviour in sport, business, leadership, addiction, and everyday life, and explains why most attempts to change fail before they even begin. What we get into: Why humans are fundamentally irrational and what that means for your decisions What gets tolerated becomes the standard, and why it destroys teams and businesses The Rosenthal experiment: how your expectations literally change other people's outcomes Social media as a slot machine, and the behavioural engineering behind the scroll Why ultra-processed food and your phone were built on the same addiction science The EAST Framework: the proven system for actually changing behaviour Why people repeat behaviours that clearly ruin their lives What truly separates people who change from those who stay stuck TEDx: what makes an idea worth sharing and worth remembering Thinking fast slowly, the elite skill that separates great performers under pressure Ryan Curtis is a former Irish MMA fighter who was paralysed from the neck down and told he would never walk again. He defied every odd and rebuilt his life from the ground up. Made in Chaos exists to platform guests with hard-earned wisdom worth sharing. Follow: @madeinchaospod | @chaoscurtis