Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast Business Builders
| Titre | Date | Durée | |
|---|---|---|---|
| €50m Turnover in 5 Years | Liam Kearney, Revive Group | 17 Aug 2026 | 01:25:36 | |
THE ROOM | 23 OCTOBER 2026 ------------------------ Liam Kearney explains why the most successful businesses are often built in industries nobody talks about, why entrepreneurs should think five and even ten years ahead, and how the lessons he learned from financial collapse, corporate burnout and personal tragedy helped him build Revive Group into one of Ireland's fastest-growing manufacturing companies. Liam Kearney joins Business Builders to share the story of building Revive Group from the ground up, transforming decades of experience in specialist municipal engineering into a global manufacturing and technology business that expects to exceed €50 million in turnover this year, with ambitions to surpass €100 million in the next three years and eventually reach half a billion euro in revenue. Liam reflects on losing a successful business during the financial crisis, being forced to leave Ireland, rebuilding his career in Denmark and ultimately returning home to start again. He explains why corporate life almost destroyed his entrepreneurial spirit, why he deliberately chose an industry that remains resilient during economic downturns, and how Revive is evolving from a traditional manufacturer into a data-driven technology company. The conversation also explores Liam's experiences growing up with dyslexia, being told he'd never achieve anything, and losing both of his parents in separate accidents. He discusses how those experiences shaped his ambition, why he isn't motivated by money, the importance of building world-class teams, and why creating opportunities for people through employability initiatives has become one of the most meaningful aspects of his leadership journey. This is a conversation about entrepreneurship, manufacturing, engineering, leadership, resilience, scaling, industrial technology, data, innovation, globalization, dyslexia, ambition, founder mindset, team building, employability, Irish industry, personal tragedy, business failure, corporate culture and building global businesses from rural Ireland. "My reward is success. Taking something that didn't exist and turning it into a global organization." 🎧 In this episode, you'll learn: • How Liam rebuilt his career after losing a successful business during the financial crisis • Why he left corporate life to become an entrepreneur again • How Revive Group grew into a business approaching €50 million in annual turnover • Why sewer infrastructure became the foundation of a global manufacturing company • Why Liam deliberately chose an industry that can survive any economic downturn • How Revive is transitioning from manufacturing equipment to harvesting and monetizing data • Why the best founders think five and even ten years ahead • How dyslexia shaped Liam's approach to business and leadership • Why Liam believes success has nothing to do with money • How personal tragedy strengthened his determination to build something meaningful ⏱️ Timestamps 00:00 - Cold open 00:39 - What is Revive Group? 02:20 - Liam's previous business and the financial crash 04:09 - The story of buying a chicken factory on a train 07:16 - Losing a successful business 08:28 - Rebuilding in Denmark 15:40 - Why corporate life almost broke him 17:59 - Thinking five and ten years ahead 19:28 - Starting Revive Group during Covid 20:42 - Why data is more valuable than the machines 23:04 - Choosing a recession-proof industry 24:12 - Building the Warrior Project 25:34 - Building a world-class leadership team 27:06 - Do CEOs need technical expertise? 30:11 - Why Liam brought the business back to Ireland 32:56 - Building completely off-grid factories 33:19 - The Danish manufacturing model 38:04 - Growing towards €50 million in turnover 40:01 - The biggest challenge: cash 46:10 - Transitioning from manufacturing to data 55:17 - Where ambition comes from 57:49 - Growing up with dyslexia 01:01:14 - Why money doesn't motivate Liam 01:01:50 - Losing both parents in separate accidents 01:05:25 - Leadership, employability and giving back 01:12:01 - The three things Liam is most proud of 01:16:08 - The personal cost of ambition 01:17:14 - Advice for his younger self 01:21:50 - The Enterprise Ireland programme that changed his thinking Topics covered: Entrepreneurship, Liam Kearney, Revive Group, manufacturing, engineering, industrial technology, sewer infrastructure, municipal engineering, leadership, resilience, scaling, business growth, globalization, data, Industry 4.0, entrepreneurship in Ireland, founder mindset, dyslexia, employability, team building, innovation, Denmark, Irish manufacturing, business failure, ambition, leadership development, Enterprise Ireland. | |||
| From Professional Rugby To Building A €100m+ Business | Shane Leahy, Oxygen8 | 10 Aug 2026 | 01:09:02 | |
Shane Leahy explains why rapid growth can become one of a business's biggest challenges, why great leaders build teams around their own weaknesses, and how the lessons he learned building Oxygen8 into a €100m+ global technology group are now helping him scale humanitarian aid in some of the world's most dangerous conflict zones. Shane Leahy joins Business Builders to share his journey from professional rugby into telecoms and entrepreneurship, eventually helping grow Oxygen8 from a €30 million business into a global technology group generating more than €100 million in turnover, with operations spanning Africa, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, Australia, the US and beyond. Shane reflects on the leadership lessons he carried from professional sport into business, why different people require completely different styles of management, and how recognising his own weaknesses helped him build stronger teams around him. He also discusses the challenges created by rapid international growth, a fraud of more than $10 million that forced the group to restructure, the importance of learning from failure, and why putting the right management structures in place became essential as Oxygen8 scaled. The conversation also explores Shane's decision to step back from the day-to-day running of his businesses and establish One for Humanity. Using the same proof-of-concept and scaling principles he learned in business, Shane and his team have helped establish 19 hospital units along the front lines in Ukraine and deliver more than $200 million worth of medicine, while also supporting humanitarian projects in Gaza and elsewhere. This is a conversation about entrepreneurship, leadership, professional sport, scaling, international business, failure, resilience, team building, self-awareness, humanitarian aid, purpose, Ukraine, Gaza, technology, organisational structure, founder mindset, and using business experience to make an impact far beyond business. "You learn a hell of a lot more from your failures than you do from the successes." 🎧 In this episode, you'll learn: • How Shane went from professional rugby into business and telecoms ⏱️ Timestamps 00:00 - Cold open Topics covered: Entrepreneurship, Shane Leahy, Oxygen8, leadership, professional rugby, business growth, scaling, international business, telecoms, mobile payments, Africa, team building, organisational culture, management, resilience, failure, founder mindset, self-awareness, business strategy, One for Humanity, humanitarian aid, Ukraine, Gaza, frontline medicine, purpose, technology, Irish business. | |||
| How To Build A Business That Survives Anything | Pat Byrne, CityJet | 03 Aug 2026 | 01:13:32 | |
Pat Byrne explains why great businesses fail when leaders stop challenging themselves, why resilience matters more than avoiding failure, and how CityJet evolved from a small challenger airline into one of Europe's leading regional aviation operators. Pat Byrne joins Business Builders to share the story of founding CityJet, transforming it from a startup airline challenging the Dublin–London monopoly into an international aviation business that grew to operate almost 50 aircraft across Europe through innovative wet leasing partnerships with some of the world's largest airlines. Pat reflects on building and selling multiple businesses over a career spanning more than five decades, including Cornmarket and CityJet, recounts how a cold call to Richard Branson led to a partnership with Virgin, and explains why the biggest breakthroughs often come from challenging conventional thinking. He also discusses surviving constant crises in aviation, overcoming failure, building customer relationships instead of transactions, creating high-performing teams, avoiding the dangers of groupthink, and why the most successful founders never stop transforming themselves or their businesses. This is a conversation about entrepreneurship, aviation, leadership, resilience, transformation, business strategy, innovation, customer experience, scaling, organisational culture, founder mindset, sales, marketing, change management, and building businesses that can survive constant uncertainty. "The real risk is not being prepared to take one." 🎧 In this episode, you'll learn: • How Pat built CityJet from a startup into a major European regional airline ⏱️ Timestamps 00:00 - Cold open Topics covered: Entrepreneurship, CityJet, aviation, airlines, Richard Branson, Virgin, Cornmarket, leadership, resilience, business strategy, transformation, sales, customer relationships, marketing, innovation, founder mindset, scaling, organisational culture, failure, risk-taking, change management, consulting, business growth, Irish business. | |||
| How We Scaled From €3M To €20M By Starting Over | Oltian Dervishi, Forte Pespa | 27 Jul 2026 | 00:51:29 | |
Oltian Dervishi explains why every growing business eventually hits a ceiling, why founders must keep taking risks long after they've found success, and how Forte Pespa transformed itself from a traditional contractor into one of Ireland's fastest-growing offsite manufacturers. Oltian Dervishi joins Business Builders to share the story of building Forte Pespa from a small construction business into Ireland's largest aluminium balcony manufacturer, growing from €3 million to €20 million in turnover after completely reinventing the company and its business model. Oltian reflects on the difficult early years of entrepreneurship, including going nine months without taking a salary, explains why rebuilding the business from scratch became the only way to scale, and shares the lessons that transformed both his leadership and the company's trajectory. He discusses the importance of timing, learning through failure, hiring ahead of growth, building a culture driven by hunger rather than credentials, taking on private equity, and surrounding yourself with people who force you to think much bigger than you thought possible. This is a conversation about entrepreneurship, manufacturing, leadership, innovation, scaling, risk-taking, company culture, hiring, private equity, business strategy, offsite construction, and building a high-growth manufacturing business from Ireland. "You can't teach hunger." 🎧 In this episode, you'll learn: • How Forte Pespa grew from €3 million to €20 million by reinventing its entire business ⏱️ Timestamps 00:00 - Cold open Topics covered: Entrepreneurship, business growth, scaling, manufacturing, offsite construction, innovation, leadership, founders, company culture, hiring, ambition, risk-taking, failure, private equity, operations, strategy, engineering, construction, aluminium, supply chain, acquisitions, productivity, Irish business, EY Entrepreneur Of The Year, Forte Pespa. | |||
| From CTO to CEO | John Corley, Spanish Point Technologies | 20 Jul 2026 | 00:56:48 | |
John Corley explains why great products still fail, why ambition matters more than most founders realise, and how Spanish Point Technologies became a global software company powering the music industry. John Corley joins Business Builders to share the story of building Spanish Point Technologies from a small Irish software consultancy into an international technology company employing more than 120 people, generating €27 million in annual revenue, and providing the software behind music royalty systems across the world. John reflects on the costly lessons learned after investing millions into a product that received a standing ovation from Microsoft but ultimately failed commercially, and explains why distribution, market focus and go-to-market strategy matter just as much as building a great product. He also discusses bootstrapping for nearly two decades, transitioning from services to software products, embracing AI to solve real-world problems, preserving company culture during rapid growth, and why founders shouldn't be afraid to think much bigger than they're comfortable admitting. This is a conversation about entrepreneurship, software, AI, leadership, product strategy, scaling, company culture, ambition, bootstrapping, and building a global technology business from Ireland. "Building a great product isn't enough." 🎧 In this episode, you'll learn: • How Spanish Point Technologies grew into a €27 million global software business ⏱️ Timestamps 00:00 - Cold open Topics covered: Entrepreneurship, software, SaaS, AI, artificial intelligence, leadership, scaling, business growth, founders, bootstrapping, software engineering, Microsoft, startups, company culture, hiring, CTO, CEO, product strategy, go-to-market strategy, music industry, music royalties, digital transformation, private equity, Irish business, Spanish Point Technologies. | |||
| How An Irish Entrepreneur Cracked The American Market | Dermot O’Shea, Taoglas | 13 Jul 2026 | 01:10:42 | |
Dermot O’Shea explains why sales beats fundraising, why America rewards ambitious founders, and how he built Taoglas into a $100 million global technology company. Dermot O’Shea joins Business Builders to share the remarkable story of building Taoglas from a two-person startup into a global leader in antenna technology, employing more than 350 people across ten international locations and generating over $100 million in annual revenue. After starting the business with little more than determination, supportive families and a relentless focus on sales and cashflow, Dermot explains why he ignored the startup obsession with fundraising and instead concentrated on winning customers. He reflects on breaking into the American market, why the US business culture helped accelerate Taoglas’ growth, and why resilience has been the defining characteristic of his entrepreneurial journey. Dermot also discusses building a high-performance culture, hiring people who believe in your vision, dealing with toxic employees, trusting your instincts as a leader, transitioning to private equity ownership, and why purpose - not money - is what continues to drive him more than twenty years into the business. This is a conversation about entrepreneurship, sales, resilience, leadership, company culture, global expansion, private equity, purpose, and building a business that lasts. “We were focused on selling. Everyone else was focused on fundraising.” 🎧 In this episode, you’ll learn: • How Dermot built Taoglas into a $100 million global technology business ⏱️ Timestamps 00:00 - Cold open Topics covered: Entrepreneurship, sales, business growth, scaling, leadership, resilience, company culture, startups, founders, cashflow, fundraising, global expansion, American business, European business, private equity, acquisitions, manufacturing, technology, Taoglas, antenna technology, B2B sales, customer trust, CEO mindset, hiring, business strategy, Irish business. | |||
| Your Business Can’t Outgrow The Leader You’re Willing To Become | Brendan Mcgurgan, Simple Scaling | 06 Jul 2026 | 01:14:25 | |
🔔🔔 Brendan McGurgan explains why your business can’t outgrow the leader you’re willing to become; and why scaling starts with self growth first 🔔🔔 Brendan McGurgan joins Business Builders to share the lessons from scaling CDE Global from a 15-person engineering company into a global market leader operating across six continents, before founding Simple Scaling to help ambitious business owners grow with purpose. After spending nearly two decades leading one of Northern Ireland’s biggest business success stories, Brendan now coaches founders on the mindset, systems and leadership required to build companies that can scale beyond their dependence on the owner. He explains why most founders become the bottleneck in their own business, why delegation is a leadership skill rather than a management tactic, and why your business will only ever grow as far as you do. Brendan also reflects on navigating the global financial crisis, building a culture that thrives through adversity, creating a compelling vision that people genuinely want to follow, and why success should never come at the expense of your health, relationships or sense of purpose. This is a conversation about leadership, scaling, mindset, culture, delegation, purpose, and building a business that creates lasting impact. “Leaders will only ever scale to the ceiling of their own belief system.” 🎧 In this episode, you’ll learn: • How Brendan helped scale CDE Global from 15 people to a global business ⏱️ Timestamps 00:00 – Cold open Topics covered: Scaling, business growth, leadership, founder mindset, entrepreneurship, SMEs, delegation, business systems, company culture, vision, purpose, leadership development, personal growth, scaling businesses, coaching, change management, resilience, business strategy, founder bottlenecks, Northern Ireland business, CDE Global, Simple Scaling, scale-ups, high-performance teams, business leadership | |||
| How to Build a Business That Survives Every Crisis | Charlie Hamilton, Canadia Flooring | 29 Jun 2026 | 00:49:39 | |
🔔🔔 Charlie Hamilton explains how he led a business through the financial crash and Covid; and why the best leaders never stop dealing with reality 🔔🔔 Charlie Hamilton joins Business Builders to share the story of Canadia Flooring, one of Ireland’s leading flooring suppliers, and the leadership lessons he’s learned from three decades of building the business. Starting as an accountant before joining the company in its earliest days, Charlie worked his way from sales to Managing Director before eventually completing a management buyout and becoming owner. Along the way, he led the business through the global financial crisis, expanded into the UK when the Irish market collapsed, and later navigated the uncertainty of Covid. Charlie explains why he believes the most dangerous thing a leader can do is ignore reality, why surrounding yourself with experienced people matters, and how building the right team has been the foundation of Canadia Flooring’s success. He also reflects on the management buyout process, the importance of independent boards for SMEs, finding work you genuinely enjoy, and why entrepreneurship is often about spotting opportunities that others don’t see. This is a conversation about leadership, resilience, long-term thinking, business growth, and building a company that lasts. “The real danger is that you don’t deal in reality, and you don’t deal with the facts that are in front of you.” 🎧 In this episode, you’ll learn: • How Charlie grew from accountant to owner of Canadia Flooring ⏱️ Timestamps 00:00 - Cold open Topics covered: Entrepreneurship, leadership, management buyouts, MBO, business growth, SMEs, Irish business, family business, recession, financial crisis, Covid, resilience, leadership mindset, boards, governance, strategy, customer experience, sales, scaling a business, construction, flooring, importing, entrepreneurship in Ireland, Canadia Flooring, business ownership, founder mindset | |||
| The Hidden Problem Facing Women in Leadership | Hannah Wrixon, KELLA | 22 Jun 2026 | 01:05:04 | |
🔔🔔 Hannah Wrixon explains why the most successful women are often the least supported; and why she’s building a global network to change that 🔔🔔 Hannah Wrixon joins Business Builders to share the story behind Keller and why she believes one of the biggest challenges facing women in leadership is something few people talk about. After building and exiting multiple businesses, Hannah noticed a surprising pattern. While countless initiatives exist to support startups and emerging leaders, many of the women who had already “made it” were quietly carrying enormous responsibilities with very little support themselves. The executives and founders mentoring everyone else often had nobody to turn to when they faced their own challenges. That insight led Hannah to launch KELLA, a private global community for senior women leaders and entrepreneurs designed around peer-to-peer support, leadership development, and meaningful connections. Alongside the story of Keller, Hannah reflects on building and selling Get the Shifts, navigating Covid, understanding her own strengths as an entrepreneur, and why ambition and personal fulfilment are not always the same thing. She also shares her experiences as a woman entering heavily male-dominated industries in the 1990s, the importance of risk-taking, and why she proudly describes herself as “unapologetically ambitious”. This is a conversation about entrepreneurship, leadership, ambition, identity, and what success really means. “That’s all wonderful. But who’s mentoring you? Silence. Full stop.” 🎧 In this episode, you’ll learn: • Why the most successful women are often the least supported ⏱️ Timestamps 00:00 - Cold open Topics covered: Women in business, women in leadership, entrepreneurship, startups, founder mindset, leadership, ambition, purpose, identity, work-life balance, business exits, scaling companies, peer networks, executive leadership, female founders, mentoring, gender equality, confidence, family, personal development, business growth, Keller, Get the Shifts, leadership development, founder psychology. | |||
| From Grief To Purpose: Building ADHD Now | Danny Buckley | 15 Jun 2026 | 00:51:49 | |
🔔🔔 Danny Buckley shares how grief, purpose, and an ADHD diagnosis at 32 led him to build one of Ireland’s fastest-growing healthcare businesses 🔔🔔 Danny Buckley joins Business Builders to share the remarkable story behind ADHD Now and how a series of deeply personal experiences transformed both his life and his career. For much of his life, Danny believed there was something wrong with him. Undiagnosed ADHD left him struggling with anxiety, emotional regulation, and self-understanding, while family health crises and the devastating loss of his wife forced him to confront some of life’s hardest challenges. After receiving his own ADHD diagnosis at the age of 32, Danny discovered that understanding himself was only the beginning. Determined to ensure others wouldn’t face the same barriers he had encountered, he set out to build ADHD Now — an online service designed to provide fast access to diagnosis and meaningful support beyond it. What began with a mission to help others has quickly grown into a thriving healthcare business employing almost 100 people, alongside the launch of Autism Care and a broader vision to improve access to neurodiversity and mental health services across Ireland. In this episode, Danny reflects on grief, faith, purpose, emotional resilience, and why success means far more than money. He also explains how building a mission-driven business has helped turn pain into something that positively impacts thousands of lives. This is a conversation about entrepreneurship, loss, personal transformation, and the power of finding purpose through adversity. “I thought there was something wrong with me my whole life.” 🎧 In this episode, you’ll learn: • How Danny’s own ADHD diagnosis at 32 changed his life ⏱️ Timestamps 00:00 - Cold open Topics covered: ADHD, entrepreneurship, neurodiversity, autism, mental health, grief, resilience, purpose, leadership, emotional regulation, startups, healthcare, personal development, parenting, faith, business growth, founder mindset, emotional intelligence, Ireland, ADHD diagnosis, Autism Care, entrepreneurship and purpose. | |||
| Building A Global Kids Brand With Disney, Lego & Netflix | Emmet O'Neill, StoryToys | 08 Jun 2026 | 01:17:32 | |
🔔🔔 Emmet O’Neill reveals how StoryToys nearly collapsed after years of venture capital funding, how he cut the business from 45 people to 15, and how that turnaround ultimately led to a €35 million children’s media company with more than 300 million app downloads 🔔🔔 Emmet O’Neill joins Business Builders to share the remarkable story behind StoryToys, one of Ireland’s most successful digital media companies and the creator of educational children’s apps based on brands including Disney, Lego, Marvel, Pixar, Star Wars, Bluey, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, and more. Starting his career as an illustrator before moving into digital media, Emmet spotted the opportunity created by the arrival of the iPad and helped pioneer a new category of interactive storytelling for children. But the journey was anything but straightforward. After raising significant venture capital and scaling rapidly, StoryToys found itself growing too fast in too many directions. Burn rates soared, the business came close to collapse, and difficult decisions had to be made. Emmet shares the painful reality of cutting the team from 45 people to 15, taking over leadership during the company’s darkest period, and rebuilding the business around profitability rather than fundraising. What followed was a remarkable turnaround. By refocusing on high-quality licensed content for preschool children, securing partnerships with brands such as Lego and Disney, and maintaining a relentless focus on product quality, StoryToys transformed from a struggling startup into a highly profitable global business generating €35 million in annual revenue. Along the way, Emmet reflects on working alongside his brother, the challenges of venture capital, product-market fit, acquisitions, leadership during crisis, creativity in business, licensing major intellectual property, and why he believes great businesses are built by enabling talented people to do their best work. The conversation also explores the future of children’s media, Netflix’s growing games strategy, AI’s impact on creative industries, autism-friendly product design, and why creating products that genuinely improve children’s lives remains at the heart of StoryToys’ mission. This is a conversation about creativity, entrepreneurship, leadership, resilience, product-market fit, and building a business that survives long enough to become extraordinary. 🎧 In this episode, you’ll learn 🎧: • How StoryToys grew from a small Dublin startup into a €35 million business ⏱️ Timestamps 00:00 - Cold open Topics covered: Entrepreneurship, startups, venture capital, StoryToys, children’s media, educational technology, mobile apps, app development, product-market fit, Disney, Lego, Netflix, intellectual property, licensing, acquisitions, leadership, business turnaround, scaling companies, profitability, creative entrepreneurship, digital media, gaming industry, children’s entertainment, AI, artificial intelligence, autism, neurodiversity, company culture, product design, business growth, Irish startups, technology business. | |||
| “I Turned a $20M Company Into a $1.45 Billion Exit” | Cathal Friel, Raglan Capital | 01 Jun 2026 | 01:22:08 | |
🔔🔔 Cathal Friel explains how he built five public companies, turned a $20 million business into a $1.45 billion exit, and why IPOs may be making a comeback for ambitious entrepreneurs 🔔🔔 Cathal Friel joins Business Builders for a fascinating conversation on entrepreneurship, IPOs, public markets, distressed assets, investing, AI, and building companies across multiple industries. Cathal is a serial entrepreneur, investor, and company builder who has launched five public companies over the past fourteen years. His ventures have spanned sectors including oil and gas, pharmaceuticals, life sciences, renewable energy, and biotechnology. But this conversation is about far more than stock markets and finance. Cathal explains the repeatable model he has developed for identifying opportunities, acquiring distressed assets, raising capital, and building fast-growing public companies. He shares the story of how a struggling oil and gas company ultimately evolved into Amryt Pharma, which was later sold for $1.45 billion. Drawing on decades of experience as both an entrepreneur and investor, Cathal breaks down the realities of IPOs, why many founders misunderstand public markets, and why he believes going public can be a powerful alternative to private equity. Along the way, he reflects on being forced into the family business at sixteen, the lessons learned from rebuilding debt-ridden companies, the importance of rejection, networking, and continuous learning, and why entrepreneurship is a skill that can be developed rather than something people are simply born with. The conversation also explores AI, the future of work, Europe’s economic outlook, leadership, parenting, and why Cathal remains as excited about building businesses at sixty-one as he was decades ago. This is a conversation about entrepreneurship, reinvention, opportunity, resilience, and building businesses that create long-term value. 🎧 In this episode, you’ll learn 🎧: • How Cathal built five public companies in fourteen years ⏱️ Timestamps 00:00 - Cold open Topics covered: Entrepreneurship, IPOs, investing, public companies, private equity, distressed assets, business growth, capital markets, pharmaceuticals, biotech, renewable energy, venture building, acquisitions, leadership, networking, AI, future of work, investing strategy, family business, business resilience, startup funding, innovation, company building, European business, entrepreneurship mindset, scaling businesses. | |||
| A Big Exit, Confidence & Resilience Ciarán Mulligan, Yes Insurance | 25 May 2026 | 01:10:25 | |
🔔🔔 Ciarán Mulligan explains how he built and sold Blue Insurance, why crises create opportunities in business, and how becoming a father completely changed his perspective on success 🔔🔔Ciarán Mulligan joins Business Builders for a powerful and deeply personal conversation on entrepreneurship, marketing, scaling businesses, resilience, identity, surrogacy, and what really matters after success. Ciarán is the founder of Blue Insurance, the business he built into one of Ireland’s best-known insurance brands before selling in a reported multi-million euro deal. Now, he’s building again with YES Insurance - but this conversation goes far beyond insurance. He explains how Blue Insurance scaled by moving quickly, spotting opportunities during crises, and staying aggressive while competitors pulled back. From exploiting cheap advertising during recessions to building niche insurance products before competitors saw the opportunity, Ciarán shares the mindset that helped grow the company from a small operation into a major international business. He also reflects on the realities of entrepreneurship: negotiating relentlessly, staying lean, surviving economic crashes, dealing with uncertainty, and knowing when the right time to sell actually is. But this episode also becomes something much more personal. Ciarán speaks openly about growing up gay in Ireland, being bullied in school, building confidence over time, and why authenticity mattered to him as a leader. He also shares the emotional story of his surrogacy journey with his husband Brian, including the devastating loss of their first son Connor, the battle to bring him home from Georgia, and how becoming a father ultimately reshaped his priorities and outlook on life. Along the way, the conversation explores marketing psychology, hiring, scaling teams, founder mentality, innovation, customer care, travel, wealth, ambition, and why business success alone is never the full story. This is a conversation about entrepreneurship, resilience, family, identity, leadership, and building a meaningful life beyond business. 🎧 In this episode, you’ll learn 🎧:
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| (RE-RELEASE) “Why So Many SMEs Get Stuck at €1M–€5M Revenue” | Ed Murphy, Greentech HQ | 19 May 2026 | 01:34:04 | |
🔔🔔 Ed Murphy explains why most businesses fail to scale, what franchising taught him about systems and growth, and why founders themselves are often the bottleneck inside their own companies 🔔🔔 Ed Murphy joins Business Builders for a fascinating conversation on scaling businesses, franchising, entrepreneurship, systems thinking, and the realities of building sustainable companies over decades. Ed is the founder of GreenTech HQ and one of Ireland’s most experienced franchise operators, having helped scale major businesses including Snap Printing and Home Instead Senior Care across Ireland. But this conversation is about far more than franchising. Ed explains why so many SMEs get stuck between €1m and €5m revenue, why great founders often struggle to scale their own companies, and why businesses without proper infrastructure inevitably hit a ceiling. Drawing on decades of experience building franchise systems, Ed breaks down the hidden mechanics behind scalable companies: systems, structure, operations, incentives, accountability, leadership, and repeatable processes. He also reflects on the rise and fall of PrintOrigin during the dot-com bubble, the lessons he learned from taking VC investment too early, and why today’s AI boom reminds him of the early internet era. Along the way, Ed shares practical insights on hiring, property, founder psychology, partnerships, incentives, and why sometimes the bravest decision in business is knowing when to stop. The conversation also explores what success actually means after decades in business, and why helping other people succeed ultimately became more fulfilling than chasing money itself. This is a conversation about systems, scaling, leadership, long-term thinking, and building businesses that can grow beyond the founder. 🎧 In this episode, you’ll learn 🎧: Why most businesses fail to scale properly ⏱️ Timestamps 00:00 - Cold open Topics covered: Entrepreneurship, franchising, business systems, scaling businesses, SME growth, leadership, founder mindset, AI, startups, operational systems, business infrastructure, franchising models, Home Instead, Snap Printing, GreenTech HQ, business partnerships, startup growth, innovation, management, business strategy, founder psychology | |||
| “Why So Many SMEs Get Stuck at €1M–€5M Revenue” | Ed Murphy, Greentech HQ | 18 May 2026 | 01:34:04 | |
🔔🔔 Ed Murphy explains why most businesses fail to scale, what franchising taught him about systems and growth, and why founders themselves are often the bottleneck inside their own companies 🔔🔔 Ed Murphy joins Business Builders for a fascinating conversation on scaling businesses, franchising, entrepreneurship, systems thinking, and the realities of building sustainable companies over decades. Ed is the founder of GreenTech HQ and one of Ireland’s most experienced franchise operators, having helped scale major businesses including Snap Printing and Home Instead Senior Care across Ireland. But this conversation is about far more than franchising. Ed explains why so many SMEs get stuck between €1m and €5m revenue, why great founders often struggle to scale their own companies, and why businesses without proper infrastructure inevitably hit a ceiling. Drawing on decades of experience building franchise systems, Ed breaks down the hidden mechanics behind scalable companies: systems, structure, operations, incentives, accountability, leadership, and repeatable processes. He also reflects on the rise and fall of PrintOrigin during the dot-com bubble, the lessons he learned from taking VC investment too early, and why today’s AI boom reminds him of the early internet era. Along the way, Ed shares practical insights on hiring, property, founder psychology, partnerships, incentives, and why sometimes the bravest decision in business is knowing when to stop. The conversation also explores what success actually means after decades in business, and why helping other people succeed ultimately became more fulfilling than chasing money itself. This is a conversation about systems, scaling, leadership, long-term thinking, and building businesses that can grow beyond the founder. 🎧 In this episode, you’ll learn 🎧: Why most businesses fail to scale properly ⏱️ Timestamps 00:00 - Cold open Topics covered: Entrepreneurship, franchising, business systems, scaling businesses, SME growth, leadership, founder mindset, AI, startups, operational systems, business infrastructure, franchising models, Home Instead, Snap Printing, GreenTech HQ, business partnerships, startup growth, innovation, management, business strategy, founder psychology | |||
| “I Built a Multi-Million Euro Business With €1,000” | Troy Armour, Junk Kouture | 11 May 2026 | 01:35:13 | |
🔔🔔 Troy Armour reveals how he built Junk Kouture from a €1,000 idea into a global movement, and why he believes most entrepreneurs are driven by trauma, creativity, and the need to stand out 🔔🔔 Troy Armour joins Business Builders for one of the most wide-ranging and unconventional conversations we’ve ever had, covering entrepreneurship, creativity, trauma, AI, identity, leadership, and the deeper psychology behind building businesses. What began as a small creative idea with just €1,000 in the bank grew into Junk Kouture: a global platform spanning more than 100,000 young people across 74 nationalities, helping students express themselves through creativity, fashion, storytelling, and performance. But Troy’s story is about far more than building a successful business. He explains why he believes most entrepreneurs are “addicts” driven by feelings of not being enough, how childhood experiences shape ambition, and why creativity often emerges from pressure, pain, and constraint. Along the way, Troy shares the early hustle behind Junk Kouture; writing letters to nearly 1,000 schools because he couldn’t afford marketing, persuading venues to host events for free, and figuring everything out in real time with no roadmap and almost no money. The conversation also explores Troy’s deeply personal journey of self-discovery: from leadership struggles and burnout, to ayahuasca retreats in Brazil, vulnerability, shame, and learning to accept himself. He also discusses the future of AI, why he believes we are entering “the age of creativity,” and how artificial intelligence will fundamentally reshape business, software, and work itself over the next decade. This is a conversation about ambition, identity, creativity, healing, and what really drives people to build. “If you don’t fit in, then maybe you were born to stand out.” 🎧 In this episode, you’ll learn 🎧: How Troy built Junk Kouture starting with just €1,000 | |||
| “You Can’t Build a Business Without Hard Decisions” | Colin Culliton, Kith&Kin | 20 Apr 2026 | 01:04:58 | |
🔔🔔 Colin Culliton reveals why you can’t build a successful business without making hard decisions - and the realities of scaling through crisis 🔔🔔 Colin Culliton joins Business Builders to share the story of how he built and scaled a multi-million euro print and communications group, and the hard decisions that defined his journey. What began as a small “me too” printing company with six people grew into a €20M group of businesses spanning design, marketing, events, and more. But the path from startup to scale was anything but smooth. Colin explains how he approached growth in a traditional, highly competitive industry, starting with organic growth before using acquisitions to accelerate scale and expand into new areas. Along the way, he learned that business success isn’t about avoiding problems; it’s about facing them head-on. Nowhere was this clearer than during the 2008 financial crisis, when Colin made the counterintuitive decision to cut headcount while the business was still booming - a move that ultimately saved the company. In this episode, Colin breaks down what it really takes to build a long-term business: from making tough calls under pressure, to trusting your instincts, to building teams that can solve problems better than you can. He also reflects on leadership, the realities of managing multiple businesses, and why the fear of failure never truly goes away - no matter how successful you become. This is a conversation about resilience, decision-making, and the truth behind what it takes to survive and scale a business over decades. “If you think you can avoid hard decisions and build a business over the long term - you just can’t.” 🎧 In this episode, you’ll learn:
⏱️ Timestamps 00:00 - Cold open Topics covered: Entrepreneurship, business growth, leadership, acquisitions, scaling a business, financial crisis, decision-making, founder mindset, SME strategy, resilience, Colin Culliton | |||
| "This Is What It Takes To Really Scale a Business" | Ciaran Burke, Swoop | 13 Apr 2026 | 01:00:57 | |
🔔🔔 Ciaran Burke, CEO and co-founder of Swoop, shares how he built a global fintech platform helping 300,000+ businesses access over £2BN in funding - and the brutal realities behind scaling a startup 🔔🔔 Ciaran Burke joins Business Builders to share the story behind Swoop and the realities of building and scaling a fintech company in the modern funding landscape. What started as a simple idea - helping small businesses navigate the complex world of finance - has grown into a global platform operating across multiple countries, connecting businesses with loans, equity, grants, and financial insights. But the journey from early-stage startup to international scale was anything but smooth. Ciaran shares the often unseen side of entrepreneurship; from sleepless nights during funding rounds to the pressure of keeping a team motivated while facing uncertainty behind the scenes. Along the way, he learned one of the most important lessons in business; not all revenue is created equal. Growth can look impressive on the surface, but without understanding margins and key drivers, it can actually hold a business back. In this episode, Ciaran breaks down what it really takes to scale a company: understanding your numbers, making tough decisions about where to focus, and navigating the emotional and operational challenges that come with growth. He also explains why many founders misunderstand funding, how businesses limit themselves by relying on a single source of finance, and why being “funding ready” is more important than ever. This is a conversation about entrepreneurship, fintech, and the reality of building a business in an increasingly complex and competitive environment. “Not all revenue is the same… some of it looks good, but you’re actually giving most of it away.” 🎧 In this episode, you’ll learn: Why Ciaran co-founded Swoop and the problem it solves for businesses ⏱️ Timestamps 00:00 - Cold open Topics covered: Entrepreneurship, fintech, Swoop, startup funding, business finance, scaling a business, founders, cashflow, revenue vs profit, two-sided marketplaces, leadership, startup growth. | |||
| “You Don’t Need More Hustle, You Need This System” - Willie McMahon, EOS | 06 Apr 2026 | 01:36:26 | |
🔔🔔 Willie McMahon built, scaled, and sold a 45-person engineering business - then walked away to help other founders do it better. 🔔🔔 Willie is giving away 10 copies of the book Traction on a first come first served basis. If you’re running a company with between 10 - 250 employees, contact Willie to get your free copy: willie.mcmahon@eosworldwide.com Willie McMahon, EOS Implementer and founder of CalX (exited) joins Business Builders to share how he went from a one-man operation to building and exiting a scaling engineering business - and what he learned along the way. Starting with no plan, no funding, and no support network, Willie built a calibration and instrumentation business from scratch. What began as a solo operation grew into a 45-person company, navigating cash flow pressure, hiring challenges, and the realities of bootstrapping - before eventually merging and exiting. But the journey wasn’t smooth. Growth nearly broke the business multiple times. Hiring mistakes, cash constraints, and operational complexity forced hard decisions - including turning down major opportunities that could have destroyed everything. Willie shares how 90-day execution cycles and relentless problem-solving helped them scale - even before formally discovering EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System). The conversation dives into what actually drives business success: people, structure, and clarity. Willie explains why most problems are not what they seem, why founders are often the bottleneck, and how systems - not effort - create scalable companies. He also opens up about the emotional side of building and selling a business: risk, fear, responsibility, and the moment you realise you’re responsible for other people’s livelihoods. Now working with founders through EOS, Willie helps businesses break through growth ceilings, build stronger cultures, and create structure that enables freedom. This is a conversation about entrepreneurship, scaling, leadership, and building a business that actually works. “It's not the person - it's the system around them.” 🎧 In this episode, you’ll learn: How Willie built and scaled a business from 1 to 45 people ⏱️ Timestamps 00:00 - Cold open | |||
| “There Is No Finish Line in Business” | Gowri Subramanian, Aspire Systems | 30 Mar 2026 | 01:08:44 | |
🔔🔔 Gowri Subramanian built a $200M global software company over 25 years - without venture capital 🔔🔔 Gowri Subramanian, CEO of Aspire Systems, joins Business Builders to share how he built and scaled a global technology services company from zero to $200M in revenue; entirely bootstrapped. What started as a group of seven friends with no clear plan or funding became a 4,500-person software and technology services business working with global enterprises across the US, Europe, and beyond. But the journey was slow and difficult. It took years to find product-market fit, pivot away from a non-scaling business model, and reach profitability. Gowri explains how Aspire evolved from an industrial engineering consultancy into a software product engineering company, a pivot that unlocked growth. Instead of raising venture capital, the company reinvested profits and used debt funding to scale, taking a long-term approach. Moving from $10M to $100M required one set of capabilities; but, scaling beyond that meant competing with global firms like Accenture, Capgemini, and Infosys. Gowri shares why every stage requires a different company, strategy, and mindset. The conversation also explores AI and its impact on the software industry. Gowri explains why AI threatens traditional time-and-materials models, while also creating opportunities in legacy modernisation, enterprise transformation, and custom software. Beyond strategy, this episode dives into leadership, culture, and long-term thinking. Gowri shares why people and open feedback are critical to scaling, and why he’s focused on building a business for the long term - not for exit - including creating impact through philanthropy in India. This is a conversation about entrepreneurship, scaling, AI disruption, and building something that lasts. “Business is a rat race - there is no finish line.” 🎧 In this episode, you’ll learn: How Gowri built Aspire Systems into a $200M global company ⏱️ Timestamps 00:00 - Cold open Topics covered: Entrepreneurship, scaling a business, bootstrapping, venture capital, AI and business, software industry, technology services, leadership, company culture, global expansion, startups, India economy, product engineering, long-term business building, philanthropy, founders | |||
| Viva La Vulva! with Laura Dowling, fabÜ | 23 Mar 2026 | 01:08:38 | |
🔔🔔 Laura Dowling, founder of fabÜ, built a business by talking about topics most people avoid; and it changed everything 🔔🔔 Laura Dowling joins Business Builders to share how she turned women’s health - one of the most overlooked and under-discussed areas in healthcare - into a fast-growing brand, a platform, and a movement. What started as years of frustration working as a pharmacist and seeing women suffer in silence with issues no one was talking about, evolved into a business, a movement, and a platform for education. Laura explains how she spent over a decade developing formulations before launching fabÜ from her couch, without retail backing or a traditional business plan. By building an audience on Instagram and speaking openly about topics many considered taboo, she created demand first - and the business followed. Along the way, she uncovered something deeper: women’s health has been historically misunderstood, under-discussed, and often dismissed. From menopause to intimate health, many women simply aren’t given the language, knowledge, or confidence to understand their own bodies. In this episode, Laura shares how she turned that insight into a brand, a live show, and a bestselling book - all while staying true to her voice and refusing to sanitise the message. She also opens up about failure, launching without a plan, living with ADHD as a founder, and why building a business doesn’t always follow a straight line. This is a conversation about entrepreneurship, identity, and the power of saying the things no one else is willing to say. “People are embarassed to talk about it - but that’s exactly why it matters.” 🎧 In this episode, you’ll learn: Why Laura started fabÜ and the problem she saw in women’s health ⏱️ Timestamps 00:00 - Cold open Topics covered: Entrepreneurship, women’s health, fabÜ, supplements, startup founders, personal branding, Instagram marketing, ADHD and business, health education, building a brand, taboo topics, consumer products. | |||
| From SAAS to Snacks with Jayne Ronayne (OAC Snacks | Talivest) | 16 Mar 2026 | 01:05:44 | |
My guest today is Jayne Ronayne, Co-Founder and CEO of OAC Snacks, an e-commerce company focusing on high protein snacks that are simple, delicious and made for real life. Jayne previously founded employee experience platform Talivest, which raised over €3 million in its lifetime (from some very big named investors) and was acquired by the Australian tech company Go1 in 2022. In this chat, Jayne talks about:
Topics covered: | |||
| Building Silicon Republic: How Ann O’Dea Built One of Ireland’s Leading Tech Media Companies | 09 Mar 2026 | 01:06:01 | |
Ann O’Dea joins Business Builders for a wide-ranging conversation about entrepreneurship, technology, artificial intelligence, and building a media business at the dawn of the internet. As co-founder of Silicon Republic, Ann helped launch one of Ireland’s leading technology news platforms at a time when almost nobody was reading news online. Advertisers didn’t believe in digital media, the audience was tiny, and the future of the internet was still uncertain. Instead of waiting for the market to catch up, she built for where the world was going. From cycling floppy disks between newsrooms in the early days of digital publishing, to navigating the 2008 financial crash, media disruption, and the rise of AI and the modern tech industry, Ann explains what it takes to build and sustain a niche media company for more than 25 years. But this episode goes far beyond journalism. Ann reflects on the emotional reality of founding and running a business - worrying about payroll even decades into entrepreneurship, learning the hard lessons of hiring, and the importance of having a co-founder when building a startup. She also shares her views on the future of artificial intelligence, technology, and digital media, and why diversity in STEM is essential if we want the best minds solving the world’s biggest problems. This is a conversation about resilience, curiosity, leadership, and building a business that evolves alongside the technology shaping the modern world. 🎧 In this episode, you’ll learn:
⏱️ Timestamps 00:00 - The early days of the internet Topics covered: | |||
| John Teeling: The Man Who Helped Revive Irish Whiskey | 02 Mar 2026 | 01:22:50 | |
John Teeling joins Business Builders for a candid, wide-ranging conversation about risk, resilience, and the 20-year bet that helped revive Irish whiskey. When John entered the industry in the 1980s, Irish whiskey had fallen to under 2% of the global market. Consolidated into a struggling monopoly and written off by many, it looked like a declining category. Instead of walking away, he built. From buying a shuttered chemical plant in Dundalk and installing second-hand pot stills, to navigating bank loan recalls, political pressure, and years without meaningful profit, John explains what it really took to build Cooley Distillery; and why the payoff took nearly two decades. But this episode goes far beyond whiskey. John shares lessons from decades in mining, resources, and investing, where high risk doesn’t mean high reward, but high probability of loss. He breaks down the difference between risk and uncertainty, why “the Euro is an orphan,” and why unsophisticated investors should never be in speculative markets. This is a conversation about long-term conviction, imposter syndrome, stubborn belief, and building businesses that outlast downturns. At 80 years old, John reflects on endurance, energy, family, legacy, and what it really means to take responsibility when you persuade others to back your vision. 🎧 In this episode, you’ll learn: - Why Irish whiskey collapsed - and how it came back ⏱️ Timestamps 00:00 - Why banks shouldn’t accept uncertainty | |||
| The business of saving lives – Evelyn Kelly on how Orphan Drugs actually reach patients | 23 Feb 2026 | 00:59:40 | |
Evelyn Kelly joins Business Builders for a powerful conversation about rare disease medicine, scaling a global consultancy, and what it really means to build a business with purpose. From starting at her kitchen table in 2017 with no formal plan, to growing Orphan Drug Consulting from €250,000 to €5 million in just four years, Evelyn shares how she built a specialist pharma consultancy that has helped over 70 companies launch medicines in more than 100 countries. But this isn’t just a growth story. Evelyn works in the world of orphan drugs — treatments for rare diseases, many of which affect children. With over 7,000 rare diseases globally and fewer than 10% having approved treatments, she explains the regulatory, commercial and supply chain realities behind getting life-saving medicines to patients. The conversation explores what most people never see: clinical trial constraints, reimbursement battles across Europe, US pricing pressure, post-Brexit complexity, and the volatility currently hitting the biotech investment market. Alongside the technical depth, Evelyn reflects on leadership — absorbing hard feedback, building processes that allow scale, being responsible for other people’s livelihoods, and why managing risk isn’t about fear, but about stability. This episode is a grounded, high-level look at the intersection of purpose and process — and what it takes to build a resilient business in one of the most complex industries in the world. 🎧 In this episode, you’ll learn: – What orphan drugs actually are — and why they matter ⏱️ Timestamps 00:00 – “We got that medicine to a child” 🎧 Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube. | |||
| Michelle Walshe: The Summer That Nearly Broke Our €50M Business | 16 Feb 2026 | 01:24:15 | |
Michelle Walsh joins Business Builders for a grounded, honest conversation about scaling a family business, navigating relentless growth, and learning the hard lessons that only come from being in the arena. From unexpectedly stepping into a food manufacturing business straight off a flight home, to helping grow RibWorld from €7 million to nearly €50 million in turnover, Michelle shares what it really takes to lead through expansion, crisis, and eventual exit. Over nine intense years, she helped build a 250-person operation supplying major supermarkets across Ireland, the UK, and Germany — all while learning first-hand how easy it is to lose control when growth outpaces structure. Rather than glamorising scale, Michelle reflects on the summer that nearly broke the business — when booming demand exposed weak controls, poor management information, and the cost of avoiding the “hard stuff.” That experience reshaped how she thinks about leadership, information, delegation, and strategic planning. The conversation moves through succession in family businesses, the emotional complexity of selling a company built over generations, the stress of private equity due diligence during Covid, and the personal toll of running a high-pressure operation in a volatile industry. Now working with founder-led and family businesses, Michelle brings that lived experience into advisory — helping business owners step out of operational firefighting, build real management teams, and regain control of the numbers that actually drive profit. This episode is a practical and deeply human look at what scaling really demands — and why facing the hard decisions early can save you years of pain later. 🎧 In this episode, you’ll learn: – Why rapid growth can quietly destroy profitability ⏱️ Timestamps 00:00 – The summer that changed everything 🎧 Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube. | |||
| Dying With Your Best Work Inside You: Philip McKernan on Success, Meaning, and Regret | 09 Feb 2026 | 01:13:56 | |
Philip McKernan joins Business Builders for a powerful conversation about success, identity, money, and the quiet cost of living a life that isn’t fully aligned with who you are. Rather than framing success as growth, scale, or financial achievement, Philip challenges the idea that more money or momentum will ever resolve a deeper sense of unease. Drawing on his work with entrepreneurs, athletes, and leaders around the world — as well as his own experience of losing everything — he explores why so many people reach impressive milestones yet still feel unfulfilled, restless, or disconnected. The conversation moves through identity, failure, purpose, and self-awareness, examining how entrepreneurs often over-identify with achievement, postpone meaningful work, and build lives around what they want to avoid rather than what they truly want. Philip also reflects on the role of money, environment, and fear in shaping our decisions — and why most people never bring their greatest work into the world. This episode is a deeply human look at entrepreneurship as a personal journey — not just a commercial one — and an invitation to stop betraying yourself in the pursuit of success. 🎧 In this episode, you’ll learn: ⏱️ Timestamps 00:00 – Why entrepreneurs neglect their relationship with themselves 🎧 Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube. | |||
| The Winner Effect: Neuroscientist Ian Robertson on How Confidence Works | 02 Feb 2026 | 00:53:14 | |
Neuroscientist and psychologist Ian Robertson joins Business Builders to unpack what confidence really is, how it shapes success, and why it can quietly turn against the very people it helps elevate. How Confidence Works: the new science of self-belief. Penguin The Winner Effect: the science of success and how to use it. Bloomsbury Rather than treating confidence as optimism or self-belief, Ian explains it as a brain-based mechanism; one that drives action, motivation, mood, influence, and decision-making. Drawing on neuroscience, psychology, sport, leadership, and real-world examples, he shows how confidence compounds through small wins, why it’s essential for navigating uncertainty, and how it can distort judgment as success accumulates. The conversation also explores the dark side of confidence: how overconfidence becomes addictive, why it mirrors the effects of power on the brain, and how leaders, founders, and public figures can lose self-awareness as dopamine, status, and success reinforce one another. Ian draws a sharp distinction between intrinsic goals, wanting to be good at what you do, and extrinsic goals like money, status, and beating competitors, explaining why one builds resilience while the other undermines judgment and mental health. This episode is a deep, practical look at confidence as a tool, one that can build extraordinary momentum if used well, and cause serious damage if misunderstood. 🎧 In this episode, you’ll learn: ⏱️ Timestamps 00:00 – What confidence really is | |||
| How Sam Moffett Built a Global Business from Rural Ireland (Moffett Automation) | 26 Jan 2026 | 00:59:15 | |
Sam Moffett, founder of Moffett Automation, shares what it really takes to build a world-class, high-stakes business where failure simply isn’t an option . From growing up inside a family manufacturing company in rural Ireland to delivering fully automated warehouse systems for some of the world’s biggest operators. Sam explains the fundamental shift from selling products to selling outcomes, and why, in his world, customers don’t care about features - they care about certainty. When a warehouse goes down, the cost can be millions per day, and that reality shapes everything from how Moffett Automation sells, builds, installs, and supports its systems. The conversation explores the pressures of scaling a complex technology business, the early pain of winning trust as a young founder, and the responsibility that comes with having your name above the door. Sam talks candidly about projects that didn’t go to plan, why honesty matters more than short-term wins, and how standing by customers, especially when things go wrong, became a defining principle of the company. We also dig into the human side of growth: balancing a global business with family life, the personal cost of constant travel, and why Sam is determined to scale without losing control, quality, or values. 🎧 In this episode, you’ll learn: ⏱️ Chapters 00:00 — Introduction Whether you’re building a technology company, scaling a high-risk operation, or leading a business where trust is everything, this episode offers grounded, hard-earned insight into what sustainable growth really demands. 🎧 Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube. | |||
| From the Tools to the Top: How Tim Sparsis Built a Scalable Attic Business | 19 Jan 2026 | 00:52:43 | |
Tim Sparsis, founder of The Attic Company, shares an honest account of what it really takes to grow a trade business from the ground up — from arriving in Ireland with an old van and borrowed money to building a company that now delivers hundreds of projects every year. Tim talks openly about the early days of doing everything himself, the fear of hiring when cash was tight, and the moment he realised that staying “on the tools” was holding the business back. He explains why scaling meant going backwards to go forwards, how systems and people unlocked growth, and why letting go was the hardest — but most important — leadership shift he made. The conversation also explores the human side of building a business: mental health, burnout, and the role running and fitness play in helping Tim switch off, think clearly, and build something sustainable over the long term. 🎧 In this episode, you’ll learn: Whether you’re building a trade business, scaling a service company, or navigating the transition from operator to leader, this episode offers practical, hard-earned insights into what sustainable growth really requires. 🎧 Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube. | |||
| What Is ‘Enough’? Pádraig O'Céidigh's Lessons from a Life in Business (Aer Arann) | 12 Jan 2026 | 01:25:28 | |
Business leader and entrepreneur Pádraig O’Céidigh shares a deeply reflective conversation on success, stress, and the question most people never stop to ask: what is enough? 🎧 Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube. | |||
| From Zero Customers to a €200m Business: Nick Keegan’s Startup Story (Mail Metrics) | 05 Jan 2026 | 01:08:06 | |
Mail Metrics co-founder Nick Keegan shares a raw and revealing account of what it really takes to survive the early years of a startup — from three years with no customers to building one of Ireland’s largest customer communications businesses through bold pivots and high-risk acquisitions. | |||
| What Nobody Tells You About Growing a Company with Tom Rowan (Rowan Engineering) | 15 Dec 2025 | 00:49:05 | |
Tom Rowan, founder of Rowan Engineering, shares a grounded and refreshingly honest account of how he built a forensic engineering and environmental consultancy from one customer and no grand plan into a 30-person business working with insurers, public bodies, and major Irish organisations. | |||
| From Redundancy to Europe-Wide E-Commerce: Daniel Plewman (Happythreads) | 08 Dec 2025 | 00:49:28 | |
After losing his engineering job during the 2008 crash, Daniel Plewman found himself unemployed, on the dole, and unsure what came next. A chance moment — his wife struggling to source quality scrubs from the US — sparked the idea that would eventually become Happythreads, an e-commerce scrubs and healthcare uniform business now operating across Ireland, the UK, France, Spain, Germany and beyond. | |||
| Building the World's Largest Betting Company with Stewart Kenny, Co-Founder of Paddy Power | 01 Dec 2025 | 00:56:45 | |
Former Paddy Power co-founder Stewart Kenny shares a brutally honest account of how he built — and then left — the world’s biggest betting company. | |||
| An MBO, Scaling through Acquisition and Managing Risk with Niall Jones (AIR Group) | 24 Nov 2025 | 00:50:06 | |
Niall Jones, co-owner of Anglo Irish Refrigeration, joins host Conor Kearney to share his journey from redundancy to running a €30M+ business. In this episode, Niall gets candid about the personal risks of buying a company, the adrenaline of nonstop growth, and how culture—not spreadsheets—has become his most powerful business tool. If you’re interested in acquisitions, scaling SMEs, or what it really takes to grow a service-heavy business, this is an essential listen. | |||
| From Magician to CEO: How Ciaran McCormack Built a €300M Business (Select Tech Group & DID Electrical) | 17 Nov 2025 | 01:10:46 | |
What can a magician teach us about leadership, resilience, and growth? | |||
| From Scientist To Building A Multimillion-Euro Enterprise. Sean Mac Fhearraigh (Assay Genie) | 29 Sep 2025 | 01:00:26 | |
Hire world-class accountants and in The Philippines. Visit Outsource Direct to scale your operations with higher flexibility, maximum efficiency and much lower costs. CONNECT WITH CONOR: Discover EO Ireland—part of an international network designed specifically for entrepreneurs. EO Ireland connects business owners for networking, mentorship, and shared learning experiences. Take your business to the next level and join a community of like-minded leaders today at eoireland.org. Empower your entrepreneurial journey! | |||
| Investment Strategies, Growth Potential & Managing Risk. Laura Dillon (Waterland Private Equity) | 22 Sep 2025 | 01:04:45 | |
Hire world-class accountants and in The Philippines. Visit Outsource Direct to scale your operations with higher flexibility, maximum efficiency and much lower costs. CONNECT WITH CONOR: Discover EO Ireland—part of an international network designed specifically for entrepreneurs. EO Ireland connects business owners for networking, mentorship, and shared learning experiences. Take your business to the next level and join a community of like-minded leaders today at eoireland.org. Empower your entrepreneurial journey! | |||
| Building Sales Teams, LinkedIn Content & The Price Of Entry. Ross Keating (The Lennox Academy) | 15 Sep 2025 | 00:57:27 | |
Hire world-class accountants and in The Philippines. Visit Outsource Direct to scale your operations with higher flexibility, maximum efficiency and much lower costs. CONNECT WITH CONOR: Discover EO Ireland—part of an international network designed specifically for entrepreneurs. EO Ireland connects business owners for networking, mentorship, and shared learning experiences. Take your business to the next level and join a community of like-minded leaders today at eoireland.org. Empower your entrepreneurial journey! | |||
| Design Innovation & Sustainability. Laura McDermott (Colectivo) | 08 Sep 2025 | 01:10:08 | |
Hire world-class accountants and in The Philippines. Visit Outsource Direct to scale your operations with higher flexibility, maximum efficiency and much lower costs. CONNECT WITH CONOR: Discover EO Ireland—part of an international network designed specifically for entrepreneurs. EO Ireland connects business owners for networking, mentorship, and shared learning experiences. Take your business to the next level and join a community of like-minded leaders today at eoireland.org. Empower your entrepreneurial journey! | |||
| From Bedroom Start-Up To €70 Million Turnover. Ciaran Marron (Activ8 Solar Energies) | 01 Sep 2025 | 01:04:22 | |
Hire world-class accountants and in The Philippines. Visit Outsource Direct to scale your operations with higher flexibility, maximum efficiency and much lower costs. CONNECT WITH CONOR: Discover EO Ireland—part of an international network designed specifically for entrepreneurs. EO Ireland connects business owners for networking, mentorship, and shared learning experiences. Take your business to the next level and join a community of like-minded leaders today at eoireland.org. Empower your entrepreneurial journey! | |||
| Bankruptcy, Self-Belief & Cardboard Cutouts. Michael Flynn (Mattress Mick) | 25 Aug 2025 | 01:03:21 | |
Hire world-class accountants and in The Philippines. Visit Outsource Direct to scale your operations with higher flexibility, maximum efficiency and much lower costs. CONNECT WITH CONOR: Discover EO Ireland—part of an international network designed specifically for entrepreneurs. EO Ireland connects business owners for networking, mentorship, and shared learning experiences. Take your business to the next level and join a community of like-minded leaders today at eoireland.org. Empower your entrepreneurial journey! | |||
| From College Project To Successful Business, Market Pivots & Implementing Company Values. Fionn Barron (Tracworx) | 18 Aug 2025 | 00:58:49 | |
Hire world-class accountants and in The Philippines. Visit Outsource Direct to scale your operations with higher flexibility, maximum efficiency and much lower costs. CONNECT WITH CONOR: Discover EO Ireland—part of an international network designed specifically for entrepreneurs. EO Ireland connects business owners for networking, mentorship, and shared learning experiences. Take your business to the next level and join a community of like-minded leaders today at eoireland.org. Empower your entrepreneurial journey! | |||
| Acquisition, Software & Potential. Stuart McCaul (Ishikawa Technologies) | 11 Aug 2025 | 00:54:58 | |
Hire world-class accountants and in The Philippines. Visit Outsource Direct to scale your operations with higher flexibility, maximum efficiency and much lower costs. CONNECT WITH CONOR: Discover EO Ireland—part of an international network designed specifically for entrepreneurs. EO Ireland connects business owners for networking, mentorship, and shared learning experiences. Take your business to the next level and join a community of like-minded leaders today at eoireland.org. Empower your entrepreneurial journey! | |||
| Leadership & Self-Awareness. Greg Clarke (Digicom) | 04 Aug 2025 | 01:21:43 | |
Hire world-class accountants and in The Philippines. Visit Outsource Direct to scale your operations with higher flexibility, maximum efficiency and much lower costs. CONNECT WITH CONOR: Discover EO Ireland—part of an international network designed specifically for entrepreneurs. EO Ireland connects business owners for networking, mentorship, and shared learning experiences. Take your business to the next level and join a community of like-minded leaders today at eoireland.org. Empower your entrepreneurial journey! | |||
| Manifest Your Dreams. Rachel Bright (Children's Book Author) | 28 Jul 2025 | 01:24:35 | |
Hire world-class accountants and in The Philippines. Visit Outsource Direct to scale your operations with higher flexibility, maximum efficiency and much lower costs.
And many more! To date, Rachel has sold over 6 million copies of her books. They’ve been translated into 50+ languages and have been adapted for both television and live-theatre. Her self-illustrated, Love Monster, is a major animated series for the BBC and currently has over 20 million downloads. The film rights to Rachel’s famous title The Lion Inside have been acquired by a BAFTA winning production company and the project is currently in development. If that wasn’t enough, Rachel also has an award-winning gifts and stationery business, The Bright Side, selling over 18 million greeting cards and over 6 million gifts on 5 continents. I came across Rachel’s books while reading to my son and was blown away by her wisdom and the lessons that she’s so kindly passing on to the younger generation. The story of Rachel’s success is one of passion, grit and trusting that you’re on the right path even when all the signs are pointing in the opposite direction. If you’re a business owner, aspiring entrepreneur or just someone with a dream, get ready to be inspired by the wonderful, Rachel Bright. CONNECT WITH CONOR: The Bright Side - Gifts & Stationery Discover EO Ireland—part of an international network designed specifically for entrepreneurs. EO Ireland connects business owners for networking, mentorship, and shared learning experiences. Take your business to the next level and join a community of like-minded leaders today at eoireland.org. Empower your entrepreneurial journey! | |||
| *RE-RELEASE* #047: Brian Keegan (360 Group) | 21 Jul 2025 | 00:51:51 | |
*This episode was originally aired in April 2022* Hire world-class accountants and in The Philippines. Visit Outsource Direct to scale your operations with higher flexibility, maximum efficiency and much lower costs. This week I caught up with Brian Keegan. Brian was founder and CEO of a global outsourced payroll company called 360 Group which he started from his one bed flat in London, and grew it to 6 offices in the UK and Ireland, a data-processing centre in India and a £60 million annual revenues. Brian sold 360 Group in 2018, and has started business coaching, helping entrepreneurs through the journey from the scale-up to stage, to ultimately selling their business. Brian has embraced the Scaling Up methodology, created by Verne Harnish and the Entrepreneurs Organisation, having used it so successfully in growing and selling the 360 Group. CONNECT WITH CONOR: | |||
| *RE-RELEASE* #037: Anne Heraty (CPL Resources PLC) | 14 Jul 2025 | 00:32:10 | |
*This episode was originally aired in June 2021* Hire world-class accountants and in The Philippines. Visit Outsource Direct to scale your operations with higher flexibility, maximum efficiency and much lower costs. Welcome back to another exciting chat, this time with Anne Heraty, CEO of CPL Resources PLC, a global talent and recruitment company that she started in 1989. Anne took CPL public 10 years later, and has since grown the company to 570 million euro in annual revenues. In this conversation, Anne talks about starting a business in a recession, the positives and negatives of focusing on a niche, and the importance of making the customer of your business, as successful as they can be. Anne also talks about the recent sale of CPL, to the Japanese group, Outsourcing, for 318 million euro! Find out more about Anne and CPL Resources here: https://www.cpl.com/ie | |||
| *RE-RELEASE* #042: Dan Hobbs (Protex) | 07 Jul 2025 | 00:45:04 | |
*This episode was originally aired in November 2021* Hire world-class accountants and in The Philippines. Visit Outsource Direct to scale your operations with higher flexibility, maximum efficiency and much lower costs. I'm thrilled to welcome Dan Hobbs this week, Co-Founder and CEO of Protex, a software company using artificial intelligence to track safety for industrial employees. Dan and his Co-Founder Ciarán are recent graduates of Y-Combinator, a start-up incubator based in San Francisco, boasting an enviable track record of finding the next big companies in tech. Other notable alumni include Airbnb, Dropbox, Reddit, and Stripe! In this conversation, we cover a host of topics, from Dan’s experience applying to and going through the Y-Combinator programme, raising money from some of the world’s most successful and best-known entrepreneurs, to Dan’s first start-up, which he started at the tender age of 22, and sold a few years later in 2019! Find out more about Protex: https://www.protex.ai/ | |||