Meet the Mind Hacker Behind Ireland’s Elite Performers

Dr. Dylan Clohessy is the performance whisperer taking Irish athletes, musicians, and business leaders from high-functioning to elite. His toolkit? Hardcore behavioral science, sharp diagnostics, and zero fluff

Dr. Dylan Clohessy

Raised in Crumlin, with one foot in the inner-city grit and another in rural Kildare calm, Dylan's personal journey mirrors his professional one: practical, curious, and deeply invested in what makes humans tick. From being the first in his family to go straight to college to becoming a PhD in behavioral psychology, his path has been all about decoding performance—how it's built, broken, and rebuilt.

Now working across high-performance sports, education, and corporate systems, Dylan’s approach isn’t just motivational talk—it’s evidence-driven, psychologically precise, and sharply human. Whether he's transforming underperforming students through relational skills training or helping elite athletes manage performance anxiety, his mission is simple: better your best.

The Lowdown

• IQ can be trained. Dylan’s research shows intelligence isn’t fixed—it can jump 20+ points in kids and even 7–12 in adults.

• Performance anxiety is the #1 barrier for emerging athletes, followed closely by self-limiting beliefs.

• Flow state is real but elusive—it’s about tuning out consequence and tuning into pure expression.

• Mindfulness isn't fluffy anymore—it’s a science-backed tool for emotional regulation and focus.

• True elite success is talent + insane work ethic + strategic psychology.

“We Put a Man on the Moon but Still Don’t Understand the Brain”

Human behavior is the last great frontier—and behavioral psychology is the map.

Dylan's early love for psychology stemmed from the mystery of the mind. He wasn’t just curious about people—he was obsessed with decoding greatness. That path led him to the hard science of behavioral analysis, where evidence rules and vague theories get no airtime.

“Psychology was full of middlemen explanations. Behaviorism got straight to the point.” — Dylan Clohessy

“We Took Kids with an IQ of 80 and Got Them to Average—20-Point Gains”

IQ isn't fixed. Training relational skills can supercharge cognitive development, even in struggling learners.

Dylan’s PhD work flipped the script on intelligence. Using precision-targeted programs, kids from remedial education backgrounds saw IQ boosts that closed the gap with their peers. For adults? Even high IQ individuals saw measurable improvements.

“Some of those kids went from the bottom percentile to average in weeks. That changes lives.” — Dylan Clohessy

“Elite Athletes Are Often Missing One Thing—Belief in Their Own Bounce-Back”

Talent and training are nothing if you crumble when it counts.

Two common issues plague high performers: performance anxiety and low coping self-efficacy. Many can perform when conditions are perfect—but crumble under pressure or when plans shift.

“Coping self-efficacy is the confidence to survive chaos. Most high performers don’t score well on it.” — Dylan Clohessy

“Flow Is About Forgetting the Audience and Finding Yourself”

The best performers lose themselves in the moment. No fear. No outcome obsession. Just pure skill in motion.

Flow is mystical but not magic. It emerges when challenge meets skill, and attention locks in. Dylan compares it to drumming jazz solos—technical skill plus total release.

“It’s like your arms move before your thoughts. You're fully you.” — Dylan Clohessy

“Failure Doesn’t Exist. Only Feedback”

The way Dylan reframes setbacks is all about keeping people in the fight.

He doesn’t use the word “failure.” It’s loaded. It’s fatalistic. Instead, he gets people to reassess what went wrong, keep moving, and extract lessons that fuel future performance.

“You don’t lose—you learn what doesn’t work. That gets you closer to what does.” — Dylan Clohessy

“If It’s All About Bonuses, You’ll Burn Out Fast”

Extrinsic motivation is fragile. Intrinsic drive is fireproof.

Whether it’s trophies, praise, or cash bonuses—Dylan doesn’t care what motivates someone. But internal motives last longer. He’ll harness whatever fuel’s available but always pushes for deeper, self-generated energy.

“If you need an audience to rehearse your guitar scales, you’ll never be great.” — Dylan Clohessy

“Elite Means Personalised. The Same Strategy Doesn’t Work Twice.”

His Psychological Scout Report digs into identity, resilience, and social style to tailor training for the individual.

With both athletes and corporate teams, Dylan starts with deep assessment. What motivates you? What blocks you? What triggers doubt? He maps the inner world before touching the outer.

“The goal is getting the junk out of the way so people can do the right things consistently.” — Dylan Clohessy

Quickfire

Can IQ really be improved?

Yes. Kids can jump 20+ points. Adults can still gain 7–12 points.

Top barrier in young athletes?

Performance anxiety. And not feeling like they belong.

Is flow always the goal?

Not for everyone. Some thrive in focus and alertness—not autopilot.

Talent or work ethic?

Both. But at the top level, everyone works hard. What separates them is who uses psychology to their advantage.

Exciting trend right now?

Meditation and attention science. It’s no longer fluff—it’s brain-altering tech.