Episode Transcript
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Aideen Ni Riada (00:02):
Welcome.
This is the Resonate podcastwith Aideen.
I'm Aideen Ni Riada and myguest today is Áine Gleeson.
Áine is the founder of WowWe,one of Ireland's leading gift
companies.
She's a proud Ennis native andmulti award winning entrepreneur
.
Áine built WowWe on curiosity,creativity and and heart, and
(00:25):
her business offers peoplemeaningful gifts that they just
love to give.
Áine actually came to me forsinging coaching, which was a
long time dream of hers, and I'mso thrilled to share that she's
now singing regularly andbringing the same heart and
courage to her voice as she hasto her business.
Thank you for joining us today,áine voice, as she has to her
business.
Aine Gleeson (00:44):
Thank you for
joining us today, Áine.
It's lovely to be here.
It's an absolute pleasure.
I'm delighted.
Aideen Ni Riada (00:49):
I'm so excited
as well to share the journey of
your singing with other people,because for you it was a long
time goal.
You were involved intraditional music.
Tell us a little bit about yourbackground with music in
general and how that led you tothe singing when.
Aine Gleeson (01:08):
I think back, I
suppose, on my childhood.
Some of the fondest memories wehad were going on road trips as
a family and singing and havingmusic in the car.
And I was a middle child, Ialways seemed to get the middle
seat, but we used to sing.
We'd start the journey with aprayer for a safe journey and
then we'd belt into singing andmy mom would sing the lyrics she
(01:32):
knew and some lyrics that shemade up along the way, and my
dad would tap the steering wheelto the beat and we would all
join in in the back and I havevery fond memories of that.
It was a choice of that orcounting all the numbers of cars
coming against us, so we alwayschose the musical route.
And, yeah, I've fond memoriesof that and lots of different
(01:52):
songs along the way that, evenwhen I hear them now they bring,
bring me right back there,great memories of how I suppose
I gelled together with mysiblings and my parents in that
car, that car.
You know we'd often be stuckbehind a tractor and instead of
moaning we were singing.
Aideen Ni Riada (02:12):
I love it and
it's so interesting singing does
.
It is something that a lot ofpeople connect more to their
childhood than to their adultlife.
Right, it's something that'smore common.
You know, kids are allowed tosing.
They make noise and everything.
But as we get older, there'smore judgment around our voices,
and often our singing voices aswell.
But you didn't, um, just singas a child.
(02:34):
I know that you are also hadinstruments and you were doing
some music that way as well.
Tell us a little bit about thattoo.
Aine Gleeson (02:42):
I suppose my
granddad played the concertina
and from the age it was safe.
We all had tin whistles in ourmouths and my dad would have had
the school band and my momplayed as well and so did her
siblings.
So music was in the house andwe were very carefree in our
music.
Music was a safe thing to dowith our family and our cousins
(03:05):
and I just loved it.
And as I became older you startentering competitions and I
suppose a little part of thejudging starts.
And I suppose my memory bringsme right back as I'm talking to
you today.
When I was 14 years of age.
It was a ce, a Cayley bandcompetition out in Tulla in
(03:26):
County Clare, and I remembersitting on the steps of a
monument waiting to see would Iget picked or not for the band.
So there's 20 people in a rowand he's got to pick 14.
And I can still hear hisfootsteps going along saying
yeah, I'll take you, I won'ttake you, I'll pick you.
And he got to me and he lookedand he continued without picking
(03:49):
me.
I was dropped, basically, and Ido understand how sports people
get, you know, especially inteams.
I do understand how picking anddropping can have such a
dramatic effect on on yourconfidence.
And not alone did I get droppedthat day, but my voice dropped
as well, aideen, it dropped to alevel of okay, I don't make the
(04:13):
cut, I'm not good enough, andunfortunately it kind of stopped
there.
I would sing if I was at a party.
I would sing if I had a glassof wine.
I would sing in the shower, I'dsing in the kitchen to a safe
place, I would sing to mychildren, but any other singing
(04:33):
or music had just ceased andthat always, always,
disappointed me.
So I'm thinking, maybe fiveyears ago my dad said there's a
music group in town who gatheron a Tuesday night.
He said it's a real humblething and they'd love if you
join them and bring youraccordion.
I said, dad, my accordion's ina box for 30 years.
(04:55):
He said I know.
But he said you were well ableto play that.
He said why don't you join them?
They're all adults, there's nojudgment.
There's no judgment.
There is no, there's no critics.
Just why don't you just go forone Tuesday and see how you get
on?
So reluctantly I said, okay,I'll go, and I went in and I got
such a warm welcome and theyplayed some tunes that I knew
(05:18):
and some ones that I didn't, andthey sang some songs as well
and I thought, thought, oh myGod, for the first time, this is
gorgeous, I belong here.
The music was coming back to meand I kind of went home on a
high and it was getting veryclose to Christmas and they
always had a Christmas gathering.
So I arrived at the Christmasparty with my glitz and my
(05:38):
glamour and they said you know,everybody tonight here has to
sing.
And I went, oh, and honestly ittransported me right back to
that step in Tulla where I froze, and it's amazing how things
sit.
I had no idea that was stillthere, but I thought I can't
sing.
So they went around the tableand they sang like imperfectly,
(06:01):
they sang with their eyes closed.
They sang ch chanos, they sangfunny songs.
We got a version of O Holy Nightand it came to me and I passed
on and there was a part of mesaying I really want to sing.
I was itching to sing, I wantedto sing and I couldn't sing.
And I listened to the peoplewho sang and I thought I'm
(06:24):
equally as good as they are andyet I can't do it.
Why can't I do it?
And I really had to examinethat part inside of me.
What was stopping me?
What is even vulnerable?
What am I scared of?
These are really nice peoplewho I can sit, laugh and chat
with.
I'm well used to speaking atconferences laugh and chat with.
(06:47):
I'm well used to speaking atconferences.
I'm not a shy individual andyet when it comes to this part,
I freeze.
But I left the Christmas partyand I remember going over the
bypass in my car thinking nextChristmas, when I'm asked to
sing, I'm going to sing whateverit takes.
And so that little thought satsilently and I was the
non-singer in the group so theynever asked me again and that
even annoyed me.
(07:08):
I thought I really, really wantto sing.
So I was lying on a beach in LaHinch the following summer and
something came up about singingand I said to my sister I would
love to sing and she said whydon't you?
I said I've no confidence tosing.
I just would get you know I'dfreeze up completely.
(07:28):
And she said I have the womanfor you.
It's Aideen Nereida.
She said she's got a programrunning.
It's called singing forconfidence or something.
She said I'll send you her linkand look her up.
And that was the start to awhole new journey for me.
I had to sit in front of acamera with Aideen and watch
(07:50):
myself singing.
I had to sing funny songs, likeyou know, a warm-up with the
meows and woofs and all kinds ofthings.
I had to get really vulnerableactually with myself.
That was a rude awakening forme, but it was a wonderful.
It was a wonderful experienceand it allowed me to start
(08:13):
expressing myself and unlockingthat stupid part from the
monument seat in Tulla to what'sreally going on.
And I remember one of the thingsthat you said to me and and you
mightn't even remember this,but you said when you're singing
, don't take any notice of whoelse is in the room, just take
notice of those words and howyou think they might connect to
(08:35):
the people who are listening.
And that's all you need to do,because nobody else will hear
anything other than the wordsyou're singing and it's how you
express them that they'relistening to.
Not a judgment way of singing,and I don't know how it works
for your other students, butthose words to me and even still
, if I'm singing in company nowand I get those little heebie
(08:58):
jeebies inside me.
I think, ok, sing withexpression.
What are the words in that songthat will resonate with the
listeners, what will touch them,what will connect them?
And I went into the Christmasconcert the following year Now
you know I won't say I wasn'tnervous because they didn't know
(09:20):
this part of me and they saidwill you sing this year?
I said I will and I could seeheads turning and go.
Oh, and the song I sang was theRosalind Fair, which was one
that you were helping me with,and I was able to introduce it
with my accordion and my tinwhistle and one of the guys in
the group played the guitar withme and off I went and I can
(09:45):
honestly say I came home.
You know that group is full ofcrack and in Ireland that's a
way of enjoying yourself.
I did not need any cocaine.
I was that high coming homethat I had reached my mission.
I I knew I had touched thesouls of everybody listening.
That song is a love story abouta couple meeting at a fair,
getting married at a fair, andall the joy of the banjo and the
(10:09):
fiddle and the music and thetuning and that resonated with
everybody there, as well as mebeing the newbie on the block
being able to sing and to hearall their comments at the end,
and it made my Christmas.
Aideen Ni Riada (10:22):
I'm so happy
and you actually seemed to.
You threw yourself into it, Iguess, and it was really
interesting to see yourconfidence grow.
I know from experience workingwith lots of people that when we
can concentrate on the messageof what we're saying, it does
help our confidence, becauseeven when we're speaking, we're
(10:44):
not thinking too much aboutourselves.
We're actually thinking moreabout what it is we're trying to
communicate and in singing, thepeople who are really loved,
singers who are loved they'rethe ones who communicate
something within the music.
And when you took that on board, that was the transformation.
It takes all of your attentionaway from how I feel and puts
(11:07):
your attention back on theperson listening, and that's
really a beautiful thing andit's a beautiful song, and I
know that the song itself hadmeaning for you.
So this is something that Italk to people about a lot is
don't just pick a song becauseyou think it sounds nice or you
like the way someone else singsit.
Pick a song that has themeaning in it that you have
attached to something, and Iknow that there's a story behind
(11:29):
that song as well.
Would you like to tell peopleabout it?
Aine Gleeson (11:33):
well, it's a love
story.
I suppose it brings in music.
It brings in a fair fair.
I know Liam Clancy sang it andI always admired how he sang it,
and Nancy Griffith sings it aswell.
But I've kind of developed myown style singing the song.
But I suppose another storythat resonates is that my son
got married in 2022.
(11:54):
And I don't know if people cankind of resonate with this, but
when it's your son's wedding,it's not like a daughter.
You're slightly detached inthat it's about the bride in so
many ways and I wanted to singand give something to them that
would be memorable.
So I sang what a WonderfulWorld in the church for them and
(12:24):
I remember it was in Poland, inone of these traditional kind
of ornate churches with themarble and the gold and the high
pillars, and my voice went upto the top of the church and
when I opened my eyes, most ofthe church were crying and you
know it's great to getvalidation.
Oh, we love your voice.
Your voice is so sweet.
I love how you sing, but whenyou open your eyes and you've
connected with so many peoplewho are crying from the words
(12:48):
and the emotion of the occasion,like one of the lines in that
song is I've heard my childrencry, I've watched you grow.
You'll know much more than I'llever know it's.
It couldn't be more apt for awedding and that's one of my
biggest moments in singing thatI could bring the joy to the
(13:08):
congregation and to my son andhis wife.
And they were also not.
My son was not crying, couldnot be crying, but he was
smiling with a smirk saying welldone, ma'am.
And his wife now was crying,and they since have a little
baby girl called Daisy, and Irecently recorded a song for her
(13:29):
called my Wonder Child, a songthat Mary Black sings.
Able to give that, to expressmyself through song and to be
able to give that back is Ican't describe it, but it
doesn't really get any betterthan that for me.
Aideen Ni Riada (13:45):
I love that and
I know, look, you're from
County Clare in Ireland andsinging is more part of our
culture in Ireland.
But I hear this um objectionfrom people that they would just
say, well, nobody wants to hearmy voice.
And what would you say tosomeone listening who has the
dream to saying that maybe istalking themselves back out of
(14:06):
it again?
Aine Gleeson (14:08):
I think you should
let nobody dim your light.
I do think of your voice is theone thing that you come with
that's so unique to you.
You can take your voice placesthat you can't take anything
else.
You know you can do chest voice, you can do high voice, you can
do all kinds of silly voices.
(14:30):
You can, with coaching, findyou know that you can reach a
higher pitch, a lower pitch, youcan entertain people.
You can practice using yourvoice in different tones.
That would help you in businessor in your relationships, in
your personal life.
Like voice is actually soimportant.
(14:50):
If somebody shouts at you, thatmessage is so differently
delivered to somebody who sayssomething in a calm voice.
Even general communication isyour voice and what I would say
is don't let anybody change thator dim it.
It's yours, it's only yours andgentle, small steps, get some
(15:13):
help.
I think in Ireland especiallywe're very poor to look for
assistance or coaching.
I know in the US sometimes youknow they could have 10
different coaches for differentaspects of their lives and here
we think, oh no, we're finishedschool, now we're done.
Yeah, you know.
And in in Ireland we're poor tolook for help.
But with help and withencouragement and it might be
(15:35):
just somebody tapping you on theshoulder and saying I'll kill
you.
You're singing the fiddle andthe shoulder and saying I kill
you.
You're singing the fiddle andthe banjo and all I could hear
in my head at three in themorning was that fiddle and the
banjo.
He said I just loved it, likehearing little things like that
for somebody who wouldn't singtwo and a half years ago.
There's that in every personlistening they can bring their
(15:56):
voices.
You know, even if it's littlewarm-ups that you can find on
YouTube for yourself, you'd besurprised Like I go for my walk
every morning with my sister andon my way home I hum and I warm
up my voice for a half an hour.
It's great healing, it's greatexpression.
I just feel wonderful after it.
My breakfast, my shower, I'minto work and I'm actually able
(16:19):
to face anything and I even feelthe tone that I can speak to
people with, or if somethingcomes into my email that rocks
me or I've got to address it.
I have a whole new approach forthat, with tone that I probably
wouldn't have had until Ireally understood where I could
take my voice.
Aideen Ni Riada (16:37):
I really
understood where I could take my
voice, that's beautiful.
Aine Gleeson (16:40):
My message to
people is small steps.
It's today is what counts.
This moment is what counts, nothow you felt or who critiqued
you 20 years ago.
It's about now and there's awhole beautiful future for
everybody, in small steps.
I really believe that.
Aideen Ni Riada (16:58):
Me too.
I really do, and I thinkeverybody's voice is so
important.
I bet you didn't realise howmuch of an impact your voice
could have, yeah, and howsignificant those moments where
people have connected with thatmessage that you brought have
been no, I would have had noidea.
Aine Gleeson (17:16):
And it's until you
see the reaction, or see them
frowning, or to see them closingtheir eyes or to hear them join
in with you.
That's another been anotherplus.
I went whoa.
Um, people saying I love howyou sang, that I love that
version.
Or somebody actually recentlyasked me could they record with
(17:38):
me and they'd love to play theEllen Pipes and another guy
played.
They have a song, they want meto sing with them and play.
And I went whoa.
This could take me to a lot ofplaces I've never been.
I even want to write songs nowBecause when I listen to songs
on the radio that I love,they're very simple lyrics,
they're real stuff, they're notanything fancy, they're things
(18:00):
that happen to us every day andthat we experience.
I now want to write songs.
Aideen Ni Riada (18:06):
Oh wow, I'm
delighted to hear that that's so
exciting, so exciting.
So, look, we've talked a lotabout the singing and I'm really
excited to share this episodebecause I think it will really
help people to decide to takethat next small step towards
doing what it is that they loveto do, and if that's singing and
(18:27):
so I just wanted to ask you isthere anything you'd like to
tell me about your own work andhow your voice has changed
within the business end ofthings, because you mentioned
there briefly that you thoughtthings had changed for you a
little bit oh um.
Aine Gleeson (18:43):
I'm the founder of
wowieie.
It's an online gift businessbased here in the west of
Ireland.
There's nine wonderful creativewomen working with me and we
paint, we embroider, we engraveand we print every day on
beautiful gifts and we ship themaround the world.
And part of our creation isvoice, in that we sit down every
(19:06):
Thursday and we join as a teamand we share our ideas, we work
on any problems that we've hadand I suppose our motto and our
mission is to make our teambetter as a group and to listen
to each other, and that there isno idea or comment that's silly
(19:27):
or foolish.
And I have seen one particularlady who would never contribute
in a meeting like she's speakingnow, speaking now openly.
I love her ideas.
She's coming to the meetingready to, I suppose, contribute
and she's found her voicebecause of a culture I think
(19:48):
that was created for myself,from what I know in voice, and
that everybody's voice mattersand that everybody can be heard
and that you know sometimesthey've come with really great
ideas for a gift and to seethose gifts trashed out on maybe
a board with other people ideaswith colours and we always
(20:12):
would finish, we'd, we'd go andwhat else and what else, and to
hear them all contributing.
Nobody's shy and these arequite people, but they've seen
how their voice, contributing tothe meeting, has created gifts.
And then they see how peoplecome online and buy those actual
gifts that were their idea,their voice at the beginning.
(20:33):
You know, I can't, I suppose andby those actual gifts that were
their idea, their voice at thebeginning, you know I can't, I
suppose, emphasize how importantit is that everybody's voice
matters, whether it's at work,at home, in a relationship.
And the joy that it's broughtme to see those people, I
suppose, lifted up in businessand dying to contribute, dying
to have their say, it's reallyimportant to me and it's very
(20:55):
special to see that part growingand, I suppose, leadership
within it, in that everybodyfeels safe and everybody feels
that they have a voice andeverybody can contribute.
That's so important to me andthere's a business here that can
accommodate it and grow from it.
Aideen Ni Riada (21:12):
And there's a
business here that can
accommodate it and grow from it.
I love that, and do you thinkhaving conquered your own fear
around singing was like a thingthat actually could help you
understand when someone washolding back, that you could
nearly sense and feel that theywere holding back, because you
have done that so much with yourown voice?
Aine Gleeson (21:38):
Yes, absolutely.
And I remember an introvertcoming to me and she's saying
I'm not able to contribute atmeetings because I'm an
introvert, I can't speak on thespot.
So she said, if it's OK withyou, can I think about the
questions and the brainstormingand can I come to you tomorrow
and, like she, she's apowerhouse.
She comes with wonderful thingsnow and she's learning to use
her voice, but not in an instant.
(21:59):
So she will come back the nextday to me privately and, boom,
she's got wonderful things tocontribute.
So that in itself was veryinteresting for me to learn that
it's not everybody can speak onthe spot and that I have to
learn more about different kindsof voice and different kinds of
people, how they contribute.
It's not that they can't, butsometimes they need to do it in
(22:23):
a different way.
And she's full.
The girls are fully aware of itnow and they'll say, okay, what
did she come with?
You know, because last week itwas amazing.
So that's so interesting that Ican resonate with her and how
she can.
She can contribute confidently.
She's not the girl at themeeting who comes with nothing
now.
Aideen Ni Riada (22:43):
I love that and
I loved how she was.
She was willing to negotiatethat situation on a one to one
basis with you, and now it'spart of the whole culture that
they know that she'll come backwith something awesome.
That's amazing, um, so look, Idon't know.
I think we've covered an awfullot already.
Anya, I have loved working withyou and I I think I always feel
(23:08):
this little, um, kind of feelingof joy when I see someone I've
worked with doing somethingsimilar with other people.
It's like you know you'repaying it forward within your
business, helping people gainconfidence and helping their
voice be heard, and that justmakes me feel like that.
That ripple effect means thatthere's a lot of power each of
(23:31):
us have in the world, becauseyou doing that with your group
of people in work means thatthey are probably able to do
something similar for people intheir family or perhaps with a
friend, and that gives me greathope for the world at large,
because I think a lot of peopleare feeling very sad and, you
know, maybe a lack of optimismfor this world because of so
(23:53):
many things that are going on.
But when I see someone like youand I know that my little part
was significant in some way toyou and you're so significant in
so many ways to the people thatyou work with and those people
will be significant to others.
Aine Gleeson (24:09):
Absolutely.
I'm a firm believer that youknow what happens at home comes
into work and what happens atwork goes home.
So if I can assist and makesomebody feel better, that
they're going home feeling a bitbetter about themselves, I
genuinely believe that'scontagious, and if we're going
home from work feeling a littlebit better about it's wonderful.
Aideen Ni Riada (24:33):
Amen to that.
We'll finish up there, Áine.
Is there any last words thatyou'd like to say or any last
piece of advice that you'd liketo give people that may be
struggling with their confidenceor may be struggling with their
voice?
Aine Gleeson (24:45):
Think, speak,
write, create, share whatever it
is.
You know that is easy for youto express yourself.
Um, don't wait to be chosen,choose yourself.
Today is the day you do matter,and small steps does a lot
beautiful advice.
Aideen Ni Riada (25:03):
Thank you so
much.
This is Áine Gleeson from WowWeand you can check her out at
wowweie we.
Um, I'll have the informationand have the spelling in the
show notes and we would love tohear from you If you have any
comments about today's show oryou'd like to speak to Áine
about something or myself.
We would like to hear from youand thank you all for listening.
(25:24):
Until the next episode of theResonate podcast with Aideen,
we'll say goodbye and slán.
We may as well use a little bitof Irish, right.
Á, yeah.
Aine Gleeson (25:32):
That's correct
slán.
Aideen Ni Riada (25:34):
Bye everyone.