Spark!

When was the last time you were really excited about your life? We set out in life believing we will achieve great things. But along the way self-belief fades and even if we are happy, we may suspect that we have settled rather than really pushed ourselves. We let go of our 'youthful delusions'. But youthful dreams don't have to be delusions! And right now is a good time to take stock of your life and to reawaken that younger self who believed you could set your mind to anything and achieve it. Norah Casey discovered this the hardest way imaginable. Losing her husband shortly after he was diagnosed with cancer forced Norah to take stock of her life. Despite her success in business and her high profile, she recognized that she had settled. So began a journey of self-discovery that forced her to reinvent herself. Norah shares her journey and the lessons she has learned in Spark!. Drawing on a mix of personal insight and the wisdom of twenty years as a top business woman, she explains how we can renew our passion and our ambition and become the best we can be. Put aside any pre-conceived notions: this isn't about blinding flashes of brilliance or razzle dazzle You don't have to be super-clever or endlessly fascinating to recover your spark. But you do have to be prepared to work hard to be the very best you can be and to rediscover the more splendid you. Norah Casey is a journalist and former nurse. She is owner and chairwoman of Harmonia, Ireland's largest magazine publishing company. She was formerly a Dragon in the popular television series Dragons' Den and is a well-known broadcaster presenting Newstalk's MindFeed and a variety of TV series and documentaries. Norah has served on numerous boards and is currently a member of the Press Council of Ireland, the London-based Women's Irish Network and The International Women's Forum. She is also a former Veuve Clicquot Business Woman of the Year.

Dubliner and former nurse Norah Casey is a broadcaster, businesswoman and publishing entrepreneur (her company, Harmonia, is Ireland's largest magazine publishing company, printing over four million magazines annually for the Irish, British and US markets). She has been honoured as Veuve Clicquot Businesswoman of the Year and served on numerous boards. Currently she is a member of the Press Council of Ireland, the London-based Women's Irish Network, and The International Women's Forum. Her husband, BBC journalist, Richard Hannaford, died following a short illness in October 2011. She has one son, Dara.