Cathleen Ireland is an award-winning singer, songwriter, and producer whose work blends warm pop, soul, and coastal R&B with emotional depth and authenticity.

Throughout this conversation, we’ll be playing excerpts from four of Cathleen’s songs:

“Coastin’”

“Golden Sienna”

“In the City”

“Do You Care”

A longtime fixture in Pittsburgh’s music scene, she has earned international recognition for both her music and visual storytelling, with songwriting honors from the USA Songwriting Competition, the UK Songwriting Competition, and the International Acoustic Music Awards, along with more than 70 film festival selections for her music videos worldwide.

In 2024, Cathleen was awarded Best Adult Contemporary Song by The Artists Forum Music Competition in New York City for “DRIVE,” a track she co-wrote and co-produced with multi-platinum producer Ryan M. Tedder.

She kicked off this year with the release of an uplifting new single “Coastin’,” from her latest album In The City — a sunlit, groove-driven anthem rooted in gratitude, presence, and self-acceptance.

As both a songwriter and producer, Cathleen remains deeply hands-on in shaping a sound that feels modern yet personal—polished yet unmistakably human. She is also the founder and lead vocalist of the Pittsburgh-based band Hot Weather Holiday.

Cathleen's Website

Cathleen on YouTube

@cathleenireland on Instagram

Cathleen's Facebook page

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cathleen-ireland-68513550/

1) “Coastin’” and the Moment After the Climb

Cathleen, “Coastin’” feels like a deep exhale — a moment of calm after pushing through uncertainty. What season of life were you in when you wrote this song, and what did “coastin’” represent for you personally?

2) Gratitude Without Platitudes

The lyrics celebrate gratitude, presence, and self-acceptance—but in a way that feels earned, not glossy. How do you write about gratitude without it sounding cliché, and how has lived experience shaped the honesty in your songwriting?

3) From “DRIVE” to In The City: Crafting Songs That Move People

Your song “DRIVE,” co-written and produced with Ryan M. Tedder, earned major recognition and clearly resonated with listeners. What did that collaboration teach you about songwriting, production, and trusting your creative instincts — and how did that experience influence the music you’re making now?

4) Creative Momentum and Collaboration

You’ve collaborated with a wide range of musicians and producers over the years. How do collaboration and trust influence your creative process—and what have you learned about your own voice through working closely with others?

5) Presence, Peace, and the Creative Life

“Coastin’” reminds us that fulfillment doesn’t always come from chasing what’s next. For creatives who feel pressure to constantly produce, perform, or prove themselves, what does it look like to slow down and still stay creatively alive?

If someone listening today is in the middle of their own climb, what’s one thing you’d want them to remember about joy, patience, and trusting the process?

Today’s conversation might change the way you think about your home. What if the spaces you live in are quietly shaping your energy, relationships, and sense of purpose—every single day? Whether you own or rent, this episode will show you how to put the mind–body–environment connection to work for you.”

Talor Stewart is a licensed architect with more than 25 years of experience and the author of the #1 bestselling book Conscious Home Design, which has reached the top of the charts in seven countries. An award-winning architect, Talor specializes in single- and multi-family homes as well as intentional communities, working with clients across the United States and select international locations.

Talor's Website

@conscioushomedesign on Instagram

Talor's Facebook page

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/talorstewart/

Over the past two decades, Talor has developed the Conscious Home Design (CHD) philosophy and system—an approach that helps people understand how their homes can actively support wellbeing, relationships, and personal growth. In addition to his design practice, he teaches and certifies other designers and architects in the CHD method, empowering them to bring these life-changing principles to clients everywhere.

Talor’s work expands the familiar mind-body connection to include the built environment, helping people—whether they own or rent—make simple, meaningful changes that uplift daily life.

1) What Really Makes a Good Life?

Talor, you often reference long-term research on happiness. What does the research—especially the Harvard Study on Adult Happiness—tell us about what actually helps people thrive as they age, and how did that insight influence your approach to home design?

2) Relationships, By Design

One of the exercises in your workbook is about three different types of relationships that are essential to our wellbeing. Can you break those down for us—and explain how the bones of our homes can either support or undermine those relationships?

3) From Maslow to the Floor Plan

When you’re thinking about what a home truly needs to provide, what framework do you use? How does Maslow’s hierarchy of needs translate into your concept of the nine essential spaces, and why does that matter whether someone lives in a house or a small apartment?

4) The “Sunny Window Effect”

You’ve coined the term sunny window effect. What is it, and why does access to sunlight have such a powerful influence on motivation, mood, and daily behavior?

5) Small Shifts, Big Impact

For listeners who may not be building a new home—or who rent—what are a few small, practical changes they can make right now to shift their environment and, in turn, shift their life?

If someone listening today wants to start living more intentionally—but feels overwhelmed—what’s one simple step they can take this week to let their home support them more fully?

What could we do to start making a “Creative Room: Express Yourself! Making Room for Creativity”?

Today’s guest is going to help you answer a question every creative wrestles with: How do I show up with confidence, clarity, and purpose—especially when the stakes are high? If you’ve ever felt stuck, underestimated, or like you’re holding back your best work… this conversation will help you lead with more intention—and live with fewer regrets.

Pallavi Ridout is an executive leadership coach, keynote speaker, facilitator, and emcee who helps leaders unlock confidence, clarity, and purpose. After a 20-year corporate career, she stepped into her calling full-time—guiding individuals and teams through her signature work, Leading a Life of No Regrets.

And outside of leadership development, Pallavi is a global traveler who has visited 30 countries—including an “Around the World in 80 Days” adventure with her son—and she even competes in pool championships.

Pallavi's Website

https://www.linkedin.com/in/pallaviridout

Book: https://a.co/d/2FcPIoy

1) The Pivot: From Corporate Success to No Regrets

Pallavi, you had a 20-year corporate career across global industries—entertainment, internet, aerospace—and then made the bold decision to build your own path. What was the moment—or season—that made you decide: “I’m going to lead a life of no regrets”?

2) Confidence + Clarity: The Foundation of Creative Leadership

A lot of creatives struggle with visibility—speaking up, owning their value, pitching ideas, asking for opportunities. When you coach leaders, what are the most common confidence blockers you see… and what’s one practical way people can start building confidence quickly?

3) Executive Presence Without “Performing”

You specialize in executive presence, emotional intelligence, and communication. How do you help leaders develop executive presence in a way that feels authentic—especially for thoughtful, introverted, or highly creative people who don’t want to feel like they’re “acting” in professional settings?

4) Turning Loss Into Leadership: Your Chapter in Lives Lost and Leadership Found

You’re a contributing author to Lives Lost and Leadership Found, a powerful collection where leaders reflect on how grief, loss, and “special somebodies” shape our capacity to lead. What inspired you to contribute your story—and what did the writing process unlock for you personally or professionally? And what was it like being part of a multi-author collection where so many voices are transforming loss into leadership wisdom?

5) Purpose, Courage, and Community Impact

You devote 25% of your work to purpose-driven efforts that strengthen communities and amplify unheard voices. How do you personally stay grounded in purpose while also growing a business—and what does “living with no regrets” look like in real life, not just as a keynote theme?

If someone listening today is ready to lead with more courage—but they’ve been hesitating—what’s one small step they can take in the next 24 hours to move toward a life of no regrets?