Episode #350
Ep 347 Interview Sessions with Niall Donnan | Restoring Human Connection - What Would You Do With One Final Hour?
At 24 years old, Niall Donnan has built his work around something remarkably simple: human connection. From asking strangers for hugs to using social media to support people who need help, his mission begins with the belief that a small act of genuine connection can matter far more than we realise. But that mission was born from loss.During COVID restrictions, Niall visited his granny to deliver cigarettes she had asked him to collect. He sanitised the packet, left it outside and spoke to her from a distance rather than going inside. As he returned to his car, she told him she loved him. Niall drove away. She died suddenly the following evening.It meant that an interaction defined by distance, sanitisation and a hurried goodbye became the final time he ever saw somebody with whom he had shared so much of his childhood. That experience gave Niall a question he continues to ask himself and others:What would you do if you had one hour left to live? Most people do not describe achievement, status or possessions. They imagine sitting beside somebody they love.So if that is where we would choose to spend our final hour, why don't we spend more of our ordinary hours doing the same? We explore Niall's journey from feeling directionless at 18, through periods of sadness and anxiety, to finding purpose through service. We discuss the difference between having followers and having influence, why Niall chooses to use social media to create something positive, the stories of people he has met through his work and why strangers can sometimes reveal their humanity to one another in extraordinary ways. Those with ears, let them hear. Always love, Ryan Connect with Niall Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/niall.donnan/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/niall.donnan.3/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@nialldonnan Go Fund Me Page: https://www.gofundme.com/u/c7ec636f-94a3-43c9-b87a-566ebdae807b Connect with Always Better Than Yesterday Website: https://abty.co.uk/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alwaysbetterthanyesterdayuk/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/abty/ Join our mailing list: https://abty.co.uk/contact Explore ABTY coaching: https://abty.co.uk/coaching Please email questions and reflections to: podcast@abty.co.uk Chapters: 00:00 – Meet Niall Donnan 01:56 – Finding Purpose Through the Path 02:48 – Life Without a Dream at 18 04:46 – The Experience That Changed Everything 05:30 – Niall's Final Visit to His Granny 08:11 – What If You Had One Hour Left? 09:00 – Ryan Reflects on Losing His Nan 10:00 – Grief, Sadness and Finding Direction 12:49 – Using Social Media for Good 13:03 – What Do You Influence? 14:03 – The People Behind the Videos 16:46 – Why Niall Hugs Strangers 18:01 – Escaping the Need to Conform 20:00 – Loving People Without Controlling Them 24:07 – The Privilege of Being Seen and Heard 25:01 – When People Have Nobody 27:02 – Has Convenience Made Us Disconnected? 30:05 – We Connect at the Edges 32:03 – Challenging the Stories We Inherit 35:04 – Turning Attention Into Help 36:01 – Helping Susie and Bob 38:02 – You Don't Need Enormous Resources 39:07 – Rebuilding Community Through Love 41:04 – Getting Support to Grow the Mission 43:44 – What Would Niall's Granny Say Now? 44:11 – What Did Her Hug Feel Like? 45:05 – Signs, Synchronicity and Stoke City 47:12 – The Heartprint of a Hug 47:57 – Return to the Final-Hour Question 49:00 – Simplicity Wins 51:11 – Football and Finding Joy in the Moment 52:08 – Connect With Niall 52:54 – Your Action: Send the Message #NiallDonnan #HumanConnection #GoFundMe
