Today FM's Dermot Whelan believes it is better to have tried and failed at something than to have never tried at all.
After 21 years working alongside his best friend Dave at Today FM, Dermot is leaving radio to focus on his Mind Full business.
For many years, Dermot’s passion has been meditation and he will now be teaching it full-time.
“Is it better to have tried and failed?” Dermot told The Hard Shoulder.
“And for me, the answer is absolutely ‘yes’ but I really believe I won’t; I think I’ll discover a whole new set of new opportunities.”
Dermot said he is “very excited” about what lies ahead and is certain that he would regret it in the years to come if he did not focus on the project full-time.
“I owe it to the version of myself that I am now,” he said.
“I’ve done great things for the version of myself from 10 and 20 years ago - we had a ball.
“But I think I owe it to who I am now to have a go at it and thankfully I’m blessed with a wife and kids who are willing to go on that journey with me.”
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Dermot said he is acutely aware of the fact he is giving up “a very nice salary” but a chat with a financial advisor soothed his concerns.
“[He told me], ‘I tell you what I do see a lot of and that’s people in their late 50s, 60s, they’re approaching retirement and they’re saying, ‘I had an opportunity to take a jump and I didn’t and I really wish I did,’” Dermot said.
“We’re human and we have people who depend on us and it’s really understandable we would stay with a career that is safe and reliable and that we know and we can put the money away and all those things.
“It makes sense to be risk averse - particularly with finances.”
.@DermotTodayFM will be chatting to @kierancuddihy on @TheHardShoulder this afternoon!
We’ll hear about Dermot’s decision to say goodbye to radio and what he’ll be up to next 🙌 pic.twitter.com/mcdK6VfuwC
— NewstalkFM (@NewstalkFM) August 9, 2023
After more than two decades on Today FM, Dermot said he is also very aware that it means a big change for his listeners as well.
“You’ve invested so much of yourself and you’re very conscious - particularly since COVID of how much your listeners invest in you - and how they do feel part of your life because you tend to divulge a lot of your personal life,” he said.
“You mine your family and loved ones for content every day.”
Main image: Dermot.
