My Story
About Me
I’m Dr Brian Pennie
I’m Dr Brian Pennie.
I’m a neuroscientist, keynote speaker, author, podcast host, and behaviour change specialist. My work combines neuroscience, lived experience, and practical tools to help people and organisations create meaningful, lasting change.
After overcoming a 15-year heroin addiction, I rebuilt my life, completed a PhD in neuroscience, lectured in Trinity College Dublin, founded an award-winning healthcare communications agency, and now work with leaders, teams, schools, and organisations across Ireland and beyond.
Through keynotes, workshops, coaching, and consulting, I help people understand the science of change… and apply it in real life.
Because no matter where you start, change is possible.
My Story
I was a Heroin Addict
One autumn day in October 2013, my life changed forever. By then, I had been a heroin addict for more than 15 years and it was slowly killing me. That day, in what seemed like an instant, the world seemed to glow. Captivated by this sudden change, I started to question why I felt so alive. I didn’t see it at first, but then it hit me. It had tortured me my entire life. The voices in my head, the stories that I spun myself – the ones that drove my anxiety and, in turn, my addiction. They were gone. For as long as I could remember, thinking had consumed me – my mind racing about what I needed to do, tirelessly working out ways to escape my bodily agitations. But now, the voices were silent. My anxiety was gone. The race was over and my new life had begun.
A Second Chance
Bonus Time
This sudden shift in perspective set me off on an amazing journey, and with a newfound love of learning, I went to university to study the human mind. I had so many questions: What is a perspective shift? Why did I feel so alive? What is the relationship between anxiety and the voice in our heads? Why do people suffer? How can I help others escape their suffering?
Life had gifted me a second chance, but after so many years of addiction, I had no idea how to live in the real world. With that, I began to develop what I called a ‘Programme for Life,’ a framework that would help me to master my mental, emotional, and external world. It worked, helping me to become a doctor of psychology, a neuroscientist, a published author, a lecturer at the top two universities in Ireland, and a coach to some of Ireland’s most influential leaders.
Most importantly, I now have a beautiful relationship with anxiety, helping me to live life in an energetic, emboldened, and carefree way.
A New Life
A New Purpose
Now that I’d conquered my own struggles, I wanted to share my programme with others who might need it.
I began speaking in schools, and after one talk in 2016, a 14-year-old kid approached me. With incredible enthusiasm and energy, he told me “I’m going to do this. I’m going to do everything you said.” This sparked something visceral inside of me. I’d never felt so alive. With a fire in my belly and a mission to share what I’d learned, I began refining my Programme for Life, creating my own business called Change is Possible.
Through this company, I deliver workshops and keynote talks to some of the world’s largest organisations. But I never forgot my roots, and I provide mentorship programmes, talks, and workshops to schools and prisons around Ireland.
clients
Partners in Transformation
With a track record of delivering exceptional results and unwavering dedication to my clients, we have earned a reputation for integrity, expertise, and reliability.
book
Bonus Time
A true story of surviving the worst and discovering the magic of every day.
In this incredibly honest and inspirational book, I tell the story of how I turned my seemingly hopeless existence into a rich and rewarding life, showing that change is always possible, no matter how stuck we feel.