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
