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In Series 7, Episode #57, I interview Charles Cosgrave, owner and CEO of Village Vets, the largest independent vet practice group in Ireland. Charles shares his journey from a practising vet to a successful entrepreneur, detailing his early inspirations from his veterinary roots, his transformative experience in the UK, and the ambitious growth of Village Vets from just two locations to a thriving network of 20 clinics. He also discusses the challenges of balancing veterinary practice with business management, the importance of professionalising operations, and his vision for the future, including technological advancements and nationwide expansion.

CONNECT WITH CONOR:

LinkedIn

VILLAGE VETS:

Website

Facebook

Instagram

Support mental health awareness with Brent Pope’s “Elephant in the Room” initiative. Join the movement to de-stigmatise mental health conversations in the workplace and beyond. Adopt an elephant sculpture and show your commitment to creating a supportive environment for everyone. Visit www.elephantintheroom.ie to learn more and get involved.

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In Series 7, Episode #56, I speak with Laura Weldon, owner of Honey Honey Cafes, now with three locations in Dublin. Laura discusses her entrepreneurial journey, from her initial foray into business in 2018 to overcoming various challenges, including the impact of COVID-19. She elaborates on the importance of learning by doing, allowing customers to shape the brand, and the necessity of loving what you do. Additionally, Laura shares insights on scaling a business, the value of investing in technology and people, and balancing hard work with smart decision-making.

CONNECT WITH CONOR:

LinkedIn

HONEY HONEY CAFE:

Website

Instagram

Facebook

Support mental health awareness with Brent Pope’s “Elephant in the Room” initiative. Join the movement to de-stigmatise mental health conversations in the workplace and beyond. Adopt an elephant sculpture and show your commitment to creating a supportive environment for everyone. Visit www.elephantintheroom.ie to learn more and get involved.

Produced by Jetbooks, Chartered Accountants Ireland.

Subscribe to the Business Builders Newsletter for the very best ideas I've discovered on business and personal growth.

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.

Attend the Harvard Business School and Scaling Up joint event:  https://scalingupglobal.com/scaling-up-2022/

More about Scaling Up https://www.scalingupglobal.com/

2 day Scaling Up Masterclass May 11th 2022 ,  Shannon Chamber event  https://www.shannonchamber.ie/events/scaling-up-the-business-2-day-interactive-workshop-with-verne-harnish/

Irish Business Builders is brought to you by Jetbooks. Jetbooks provides online bookkeeping services for Irish Businesses. For a free 15 minute online consultation, visit www.jetbooks.ie

Produced by Jetbooks, Chartered Accountants Ireland.

Subscribe to the Business Builders Newsletter for the very best ideas I've discovered on business and personal growth.

This week I spoke to JD Buckley, CEO at Sky Ireland.

Sky, as most of you will know, is a global broadcasting and telecommunications company.

Since joining Sky in 2012, JD has overseen the growth of the Irish business from just 30 people to over one-thousand today.

In this very enjoyable conversation, JD talks about what he learned while working for Digicel in the Caribbean, along with an early opportunity that came from failing an exam in UCD, and he gives some really clear and honest advice for anyone who aspires to one day, becoming a CEO.

Irish Business Builders is brought to you by Jetbooks. Jetbooks provides online bookkeeping services for Irish Businesses. For a free 15 minute online consultation, visit www.jetbooks.ie

Produced by Jetbooks, Chartered Accountants Ireland.

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This week I had a great talk with Conall Ó'Móráin, founder and Managing Director of Corporate PR firm, The Media Group and host of Ireland’s (second best) business podcast, That Great Business Show!

In this conversation we go right back to his days at UCD, where Conall started his very first media venture, a student magazine called Gob Shout.

Since then, Conall has had a very successful business career across media, stock-broking, and public relations. We cover all of this, as well as drawing some interesting contrasts between Conall, and Richard Branson.

Irish Business Builders is brought to you by Jetbooks. Jetbooks provides online bookkeeping services for Irish Businesses. For a free 15 minute online consultation, visit www.jetbooks.ie

Produced by Jetbooks, Chartered Accountants Ireland.

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This week I talked to Sarah Oullette, founder and CEO of Kindora, an online marketplace for buying, selling and renting premium children's goods. After failing to liquidate some expensive baby equipment online, Sarah realised that there was no secure online retail space for secondhand baby goods. So, Sarah launched the startup and two years later she has a co-founder, angel investment and has just finished the Techstars Accelerator program in London.

Sarah talks about how she founded the business, her passion for supporting women in business and how to start and scale a global company. 

Visit Kindora: https://kindora.shop/

Irish Business Builders is brought to you by Jetbooks. Jetbooks provides online bookkeeping services for Irish Businesses. For a free 15 minute online consultation, visit www.jetbooks.ie

Produced by Jetbooks, Chartered Accountants Ireland.

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This week we hear from James McElroy, Co-Founder of multiple businesses in the Pet Care Technology space, and along with his brother Timothy, finalists for EY’s 'Entrepreneur of the Year' programme in 2019.

James’s most recent venture is the newly launched Oscars Farm, which delivers fresh pressed dog food to your door in a monthly subscription. 

James is also co-founder of Gudog, Europe’s largest peer-to-peer marketplace and mobile app for dog owners in need of local vetted dog sitters and walkers. 

Gudog operates in over 75 cities, and has over 30,000 sitters and walkers earning a living on the platform.  

Irish Business Builders is brought to you by Jetbooks. Jetbooks provides online bookkeeping services for Irish Businesses. For a free 15 minute online consultation, visit www.jetbooks.ie

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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/

Irish Business Builders is brought to you by Jetbooks. Jetbooks provides online bookkeeping services for Irish Businesses. For a free 15 minute online consultation, visit www.jetbooks.ie

Produced by Jetbooks, Chartered Accountants Ireland.

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This week I caught up with Mark Flood, Director at Renatus Capital Partners, a private equity fund manager focused on investing in Irish SMEs.

In this conversation, we cover a wide range of topics from the early days of the business and how they raised their first fund, to their investment process at Renatus and what they look for when buying a business.

Mark also brings me through an example of an investment they made in the burrito chain Boojum – and his thoughts on why the CEO is the most important factor in determining the value of any business. 

Every Sunday, Renatus issue a newsletter synopsising the latest deal activity, company performance and people moves.

They also include their top macroeconomic-related tweets, thought for the week and other topics of interest to our stakeholders. 

Sign up to the Renatus weekly newsletter here: https://renatus.ie/newsletter/

Renatus also have an excellent podcast showcasing some of Ireland’s best SMEs which you can listen to here: https://renatus.ie/newsletter/

Irish Business Builders is brought to you by Jetbooks. Jetbooks provides online bookkeeping services for Irish Businesses. For a free 15 minute online consultation, visit www.jetbooks.ie

Season 5 is kicking off on Monday 15/11!

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Make sure you subscribe to hear the first episode as soon as it's published!

Irish Business Builders is brought to you by Jetbooks. Jetbooks provides online bookkeeping services for Irish Businesses. For a free 15 minute online consultation, visit www.jetbooks.ie

Produced by Jetbooks, Chartered Accountants Ireland.

Subscribe to the Business Builders Newsletter for the very best ideas I've discovered on business and personal growth.

Hey guys, this is just a quick heart to heart to say thank you for continuing to tune in to the show, and also for getting in touch and reviewing the podcast.

I really appreciate all of your feedback, so please, if you haven’t already, feel free to email me with any suggestions or queries that you may have.

For those of you who need it, my email address is conor@jetbooks.ie 

We’re going to take a short break to line up more great conversations with Irish entrepreneurs and business builders!

Make sure you’ve hit ‘Subscribe’ wherever you’re listening to this and I’ll be back soon!

Irish Business Builders is brought to you by Jetbooks. Jetbooks provides online bookkeeping services for Irish Businesses. For a free 15 minute online consultation, visit www.jetbooks.ie

Produced by Jetbooks, Chartered Accountants Ireland.

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Well today, we have a slightly different episode of the podcast! Brenton Ward, who was interviewed in episode 2, becomes the host of Irish Business Builders, and interviews me!

We talk about how the podcast came about and the lessons I’ve learned interviewing some of Ireland’s most successful business people over the past year.

We also talk about my own business journey with Jetbooks, alongside topics such as bootstrapping, strengths, weaknesses, books and bits of advice I’ve picked up along the way.

Find out more about Jetbooks here: www.jetbooks.ie

Irish Business Builders is brought to you by Jetbooks. Jetbooks provides online bookkeeping services for Irish Businesses. For a free 15 minute online consultation, visit www.jetbooks.ie

Produced by Jetbooks, Chartered Accountants Ireland.

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In Series 7, Episode #55, I speak with Barry Drennan about his extraordinary journey from mechanic to entrepreneur. Barry discusses transitioning from selling and servicing golf course machinery to founding his own business and how he successfully navigated the 2008 financial crisis by pivoting to a leasing model. Barry also delves into managing staff, creating a sustainable retirement plan through pensions and property investments, and balancing his professional life and personal passions such as running ultramarathons. Highlighting the mental and physical challenges of ultra running, the camaraderie among runners, and the profound life lessons he's learned along the way, Barry’s story is a testament to resilience, adaptability, and finding passion in every aspect of life.

CONNECT WITH CONOR:
LinkedIn

Support mental health awareness with Brent Pope’s “Elephant in the Room” initiative. Join the movement to de-stigmatise mental health conversations in the workplace and beyond. Adopt an elephant sculpture and show your commitment to creating a supportive environment for everyone. Visit www.elephantintheroom.ie to learn more and get involved.

Produced by Jetbooks, Chartered Accountants Ireland.

Subscribe to the Business Builders Newsletter for the very best ideas I've discovered on business and personal growth.

This week we're hearing from Elaine Carroll, co-founder of the All Ireland Business Foundation.

The AIBF is the organisation behind the Business All-Star award, a coveted accreditation given only to Best-In-Class Irish businesses.

The Foundation also hosts the annual All-Ireland Business Summit and monthly gatherings to promote collaboration among its members

In this conversation, Elaine talks about studying neuro linguistic programming in Las Vegas and why she decided to never-again pursue something, for the sake money alone.
 
Find out more about Elaine and the AIBF here: https://aibf.ie/

Irish Business Builders is brought to you by Jetbooks. Jetbooks provides online bookkeeping services for Irish Businesses. For a free 15 minute online consultation, visit www.jetbooks.ie

Produced by Jetbooks, Chartered Accountants Ireland.

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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

Irish Business Builders is brought to you by Jetbooks. Jetbooks provides online bookkeeping services for Irish Businesses. For a free 15 minute online consultation, visit www.jetbooks.ie

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On this episode, I chat with Pat Moran, Partner, and Head of Cyber Crime and IT Forensics at PwC.

Pat started his career at AIB, before moving to Arthur Anderson, where he was a Director of IT Risk and Security, right up until the global collapse of the firm, subsequent to the Enron scandal.

Pat found himself in a new home over at EY, where he became a partner and eventually moved to PwC in 2016.

This interview will be particularly interesting to anyone who owns their own business, as Pat talks us through what it’s like, running a large client-services business, as part of a global organisation.

We also talk about IT Security and the steps that business owners can take to protect themselves against cyber attacks.

Pat was asked to speak at the international Ted conference in Monte Carlo, and you can watch his talk here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JbF-z7btahg

Connect with Pat via LinkedIn here: https://ie.linkedin.com/in/patmoran2

Irish Business Builders is brought to you by Jetbooks. Jetbooks provides online bookkeeping services for Irish Businesses. For a free 15 minute online consultation, visit www.jetbooks.ie

Produced by Jetbooks, Chartered Accountants Ireland.

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In this episode, I chat with Helen Normoyle, co-founder of My Menopause Centre.

My Menopause Centre is an online clinic with a mission is to empower women to take control of their menopause and thrive. 

Helen previously held coveted positions as Director of Marketing for the BBC, CMO at DFS and most recently,  Chief Marketing Officer at Boots.

In this conversation, we talk about Helen’s journey from an uncertain student in UL, to C-Suite Executive.

We also talk about what it was like leaving a behind a successful corporate career and steady salary to start an online business, and why they are giving away most of the intellectual property of My Menopause Centre free of charge!!

Find out more about My Menopause Centre here: https://www.mymenopausecentre.com/

Irish Business Builders is brought to you by Jetbooks. Jetbooks provides online bookkeeping services for Irish Businesses. For a free 15 minute online consultation, visit www.jetbooks.ie

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Today's episode is very special, because I caught up with Brian and Rachel from Nobó, an Irish food company creating delicious treats such as dairy-free ice cream and chocolate, with as little as 5 ingredients.

The couple started the business in 2012 and have since grown Nobó into an international brand, with even bigger future ambitions!

Rachel and Brian talk to me about what it was like to leave their secure jobs in New York to come back home to Ireland and sell ice-cream at farmers markets.

We chat about the ups, the downs, and the many challenges they’ve encountered along their journey.

Find out more about Nobó here: https://www.nobo.ie/

Irish Business Builders is brought to you by Jetbooks. Jetbooks provides online bookkeeping services for Irish Businesses. For a free 15 minute online consultation, visit www.jetbooks.ie

Produced by Jetbooks, Chartered Accountants Ireland.

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This week I caught up with Pat Caslin. Pat is currently CFO of Exit/Entry and serves as Chairman of Capventus.

In this conversation, we do talk about Pat’s career in business, but I think more importantly, Pat tells us about how a devastating diagnosis led him to discovering Stoic Philosophy and how this diagnosis has ultimately been a gift that has changed his values.

Pat talks about dealing with adversity in life and how to use it to your advantage, and the big question of what is actually important in the end?

Find out more and connect with Pat here: https://ie.linkedin.com/in/1patcaslin

Irish Business Builders is brought to you by Jetbooks. Jetbooks provides online bookkeeping services for Irish Businesses. For a free 15 minute online consultation, visit www.jetbooks.ie

Produced by Jetbooks, Chartered Accountants Ireland.

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This week I had a chat to Gary Purcell, founder of Allgo. Allgo is an employee incentives and rewards platform, serving some of the best known and largest companies globally.

In this conversation, Gary talks about Getting his hands dirty and how this can be an advantage against larger competitors, working other jobs to support the business in the early days and how to use incentives to scale a business.

Find out more about Allgo here: https://www.allgo.ie/

Reach out to Gary via LinkedIn or email:

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/garypurcell/

Email: gary@allgo.ie

Irish Business Builders is brought to you by Jetbooks. Jetbooks provides online bookkeeping services for Irish Businesses. For a free 15 minute online consultation, visit www.jetbooks.ie

Produced by Jetbooks, Chartered Accountants Ireland.

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Welcome back to Season 4 of Irish Business Builders! I'm excited to be back, and share more inspiring conversations with entrepreneurs, creators and thinkers this season. 

Kicking things off is this wonderful conversation I had with Suzie McAdam.

In this conversation, Suzie talks about failing as an architect before discovering her true passion - Interior Design.

We also talk about Suzie’s journey from start-up designer to managing director of a now, much larger business, and the impact of appearing on Home of the Year and becoming a household name in Irish design.

Find out more about Suzie McAdam Design here: https://www.suziemcadam.com/

Irish Business Builders is brought to you by Jetbooks. Jetbooks provides online bookkeeping services for Irish Businesses. For a free 15 minute online consultation, visit www.jetbooks.ie

Hey listeners, 

Firstly I hope everyone listening locally in Ireland is safe and managing okay with further lockdowns. 

Thank you for continuing to tune in to the podcast and get in touch. Your support really means the world to an independent podcaster like me!

I hope you have enjoyed Season Three of Irish Business Builders. We’ve had some amazing guests on the show this season.

I’m going to take a couple of weeks off to line up more great conversations with Irish entrepreneurs and business builders, so if you haven’t subscribed yet, please make sure you do, to avoid missing the first episode of Season 4!

Produced by Jetbooks, Chartered Accountants Ireland.

Subscribe to the Business Builders Newsletter for the very best ideas I've discovered on business and personal growth.

Produced by Jetbooks, Chartered Accountants Ireland.

Subscribe to the Business Builders Newsletter for the very best ideas I've discovered on business and personal growth.

This week I caught up with Jake Browne, Founder and CEO of The Go House.

Jake and his business partner Tom, opened Ireland’s first and only TikTok house only a few short months ago. 

They gathered Ireland’s top social media influencers and gave them a place to live, and produce video content which is then published Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and many other platforms. 

In this conversation, Jake covers a wide range of topics from the lightning-fast rise of TikTok, the highly profitable online media industry (and how we can exploit it), and some fascinating thoughts on wealth, happiness, success, work and life.

Find out more about The Go House here: https://www.instagram.com/thegohouse

And check out Jake's podcast Move Fast & Break Things!

Irish Business Builders is brought to you by Jetbooks. Jetbooks provides online bookkeeping services for Irish Businesses. For a free 15 minute online consultation, visit www.jetbooks.ie

Produced by Jetbooks, Chartered Accountants Ireland.

Subscribe to the Business Builders Newsletter for the very best ideas I've discovered on business and personal growth.

In Series 7, Episode #54, I interview Mary McKenna, founder and CEO of Tour America and The Travel Suite. Mary shares her entrepreneurial journey, influenced by her father's passion and values, highlighting her resilience through challenges like September 11th, the COVID-19 pandemic, and a near-fatal accident in 2004. She discusses maintaining work-life balance and fostering a culture of empathy. Mary also delves into her methods for creating a customer-focused company culture, emphasizing respect, communication, and addressing customer concerns promptly, ensuring zero complaints.

CONNECT WITH CONOR:

LinkedIn

TOUR AMERICA:

Website

Instagram

LinkedIn

Support mental health awareness with Brent Pope’s “Elephant in the Room” initiative. Join the movement to de-stigmatise mental health conversations in the workplace and beyond. Adopt an elephant sculpture and show your commitment to creating a supportive environment for everyone. Visit www.elephantintheroom.ie to learn more and get involved.

Produced by Jetbooks, Chartered Accountants Ireland.

Subscribe to the Business Builders Newsletter for the very best ideas I've discovered on business and personal growth.

This week I had a chat to Rónán Ó Dálaigh, Founder and CEO of Thriftify, a social enterprise on a mission to bring the world’s charity shops online.

Thriftify’s software platform enables charity shops to accurately value the donations they receive such as books, clothing, jewellery and everything in between. 

Charity shops can then use Thriftify to sell these goods online; thereby increasing their sales volumes and ultimately, the return to the causes that they support.

In this conversation, Rónán talks about starting a business straight out of college, how he went about raising €500 thousand in seed funding and the huge opportunity that Thriftify is pursuing, across charity retailing, sustainable fashion and climate change.

Find out more about Thriftify here: https://partners.thriftify.com/

Irish Business Builders is brought to you by Jetbooks. Jetbooks provides online bookkeeping services for Irish Businesses. For a free 15 minute online consultation, visit www.jetbooks.ie

Produced by Jetbooks, Chartered Accountants Ireland.

Subscribe to the Business Builders Newsletter for the very best ideas I've discovered on business and personal growth.

This week I interview Paul McClatchie, Founder of Engage People, a specialist recruitment firm, aligning Businesses in Ireland with Financial Talent.

Paul was a director in CPL recruitment up until 2016, when he left to set up his own firm. 

In the short period since starting Engage People, Paul has built the business to a team of 8 and over €1 million in annual revenue. 

In this conversation, Paul talks about why he left a leadership role in a well established company to start his own business, the books he’s read that have shortened his path to success and Engage People’s ambitions for international expansion. 

Find out more about Engage People here: https://engagepeople.ie/

Irish Business Builders is brought to you by Jetbooks. Jetbooks provides online bookkeeping services for Irish Businesses. For a free 15 minute online consultation, visit www.jetbooks.ie

Produced by Jetbooks, Chartered Accountants Ireland.

Subscribe to the Business Builders Newsletter for the very best ideas I've discovered on business and personal growth.

This week I chatted to Niall Wall, Executive Chairman of Enva – a leading provider of waste management and recycling solutions, operating across 30 facilities in the United Kingdom and Ireland, employing over 15 hundred people.

Between 2006 to 2016, Niall was the CEO of the The Ardagh Group, an Irish packaging PLC listed on the New York Stock Exchange. 

Over that ten year period as CEO, Niall and the team grew the business from €650 million to €8 billion in annual revenues.

In this conversation, Niall talks about investing in large public companies, what the key strategies were when growing Ardagh, and the learnings he gained running his very first start-up – a quail farm, in his early 20’s.

Find out more about Enva here: https://enva.com/

Irish Business Builders is brought to you by Jetbooks. Jetbooks provides online bookkeeping services for Irish Businesses. For a free 15 minute online consultation, visit www.jetbooks.ie

Produced by Jetbooks, Chartered Accountants Ireland.

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This week I had a chat to Brian Hogan, owner and former CEO of Kylemore Services Group, a restaurant and hospitality business operating in over 100 locations nation-wide in both retail and commercial catering.

Brian’s grand parents opened the very first Kylemore Bakery in Dublin in 1920 which eventually became the largest fresh bakery in Ireland under Brian’s management.

In this conversation, Brian talks about starting out in the family business at age 17, learning from their very best, multinational suppliers and why partnering with DCC was the best deal he’s ever done in his life!

Find out more about KSG here: https://www.ksg.ie/

Irish Business Builders is brought to you by Jetbooks. Jetbooks provides online bookkeeping services for Irish Businesses. For a free 15 minute online consultation, visit www.jetbooks.ie

Produced by Jetbooks, Chartered Accountants Ireland.

Subscribe to the Business Builders Newsletter for the very best ideas I've discovered on business and personal growth.

FleishmanHillard, if you haven't heard of it, is one of the world's largest PR & communications agencies. This week I talked to Rhona Blake, Managing Director of FleishmanHillard, who works with clients from large multinational corporations to start ups.

In this conversation, Rhona talks about her early days in Public Relations,  what it takes to build a successful PR agency and how an early opportunity led to gaining a crucial mentor and eventually a career long business partnership.

Find out more about FleishmanHillard here: https://fleishmanhillard.com/

Irish Business Builders is brought to you by Jetbooks. Jetbooks provides online bookkeeping services for Irish Businesses. For a free 15 minute online consultation, visit www.jetbooks.ie

Produced by Jetbooks, Chartered Accountants Ireland.

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For our second episode of 2021, I had a chat with Bart Kane, who is the Regional Director of The FD Centre, a provider of part-time CFOs and Financial Directors with a passion for growing businesses.

With over 25 years experience as a key Finance Executive, Bart has a strong understanding of how to manage a growing business to ensure success. Surprisingly, this isn't always a straightforward strategy and growth can sometimes hurt a business more than it can help.

Bart talks to me about the key things we must think about when scaling a business, how this exponential growth can actually kill an organisation and why the financial director is an entrepreneur's secret weapon!

Find out more about The FD Centre here: https://www.thefdcentre.ie/

Irish Business Builders is brought to you by Jetbooks. Jetbooks provides online bookkeeping services for Irish Businesses. For a free 15 minute online consultation, visit www.jetbooks.ie

Produced by Jetbooks, Chartered Accountants Ireland.

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This week I had a chat to Andrea Reynolds, whose time spent in the finance industry allowed her to start Swoop Funding, which provides assistance to small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) to be linked with funding providers.

Starting her career at KPMG, Andrea later became a corporate finance advisor to smaller businesses in the UK, which is where she saw how difficult it was for these SMEs to navigate the funding world themselves.

We talk about how Andrea grew Swoop from 1 to 50 employees in 3 years, how she became a non-executive director at Berkshire Hathaway European Insurance and what it's like to have Warren Buffett as your boss!

Find out more about Swoop Funding here: https://swoopfunding.com/

Irish Business Builders is brought to you by Jetbooks. Jetbooks provides online bookkeeping services for Irish Businesses. For a free 15 minute online consultation, visit www.jetbooks.ie

Produced by Jetbooks, Chartered Accountants Ireland.

Subscribe to the Business Builders Newsletter for the very best ideas I've discovered on business and personal growth.

This week I had a chat to Chris Burge, founder and CEO of Spark Crowdfunding, a platform that allows companies to raise new funds from accredited investors who are interested in growing businesses with high potential.

Chris's journey from engineer to entrepreneur is very interesting, and he shares the challenges of growing a marketplace platform and what is daily life as a startup CEO looks like.

Find out more about Spark Crowdfunding here: https://www.sparkcrowdfunding.com/

Irish Business Builders is brought to you by Jetbooks. Jetbooks provides online bookkeeping services for Irish Businesses. For a free 15 minute online consultation, visit www.jetbooks.ie

Produced by Jetbooks, Chartered Accountants Ireland.

Subscribe to the Business Builders Newsletter for the very best ideas I've discovered on business and personal growth.

You'll notice that I've talked to a lot of entrepreneurs in the hospitality industry. That's mainly because I love food, but it's also a fascinating area of business with people doing exciting things. Peaches Kemp is no exception.

Peaches and her sister Domini started Itsa Bagel in 1999, and haven't slowed down since then, as you can tell by the impressive list in the title of this episode.

Peaches talks to me about the highs and lows of her entrepreneurial life, and shares advice she's learnt along the way. No matter what industry your business is in, you'll get something from this episode.

Find out more about Itsa Bagel here: https://www.itsa.ie/

Irish Business Builders is brought to you by Jetbooks. Jetbooks provides online bookkeeping services for Irish Businesses. For a free 15 minute online consultation, visit www.jetbooks.ie

A big heartfelt thank-you to all of the listeners who have tuned in this year.

It's been a tough one for many businesses, but having conversations about highs and lows with all of my guests on the podcast has definitely helped me to get through.

Enjoy these highlights from this season's conversations and join me for the first episode of Season 3, coming next week!

Produced by Jetbooks, Chartered Accountants Ireland.

Subscribe to the Business Builders Newsletter for the very best ideas I've discovered on business and personal growth.

Thanks for listening and see you all for Season 3!

Produced by Jetbooks

Subscribe to the Business Builders Newsletter for the very best ideas I've discovered on business and personal growth

In Series 7, Episode #53, I speak with renowned entrepreneur and adventurer Enda O'Coineen. The conversation delves into Enda's early fascination with the ocean, his competitive nature, and his journey from being expelled from school to becoming the CEO of the Business Post Group. The episode covers topics such as risk management, the fundamentals of business, strategic thinking, and the importance of focusing on the customer. Listeners will learn about Enda's ventures in Central Europe, his acquisition of the Business Post, and his views on technology's role in advancing society.

CONNECT WITH CONOR:

LinkedIn

CONNECT WITH ENDA:

Business Post

Kilcullen Kapital

Support mental health awareness with Brent Pope’s “Elephant in the Room” initiative. Join the movement to de-stigmatise mental health conversations in the workplace and beyond. Adopt an elephant sculpture and show your commitment to creating a supportive environment for everyone. Visit www.elephantintheroom.ie to learn more and get involved.

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Maurice Pratt's life in business is exactly the conversation I'd wanted for the finale of Irish Business Builders Season 2!

He has been at the head of 10 companies, including Quinnsworth, Tesco Ireland and C&C. More recently, Maurice acts as Chairman of Uniphar Group, as well as holding numerous positions as a Non-Executive Director and Chairman for organisations across tourism, non-profit and healthcare sectors.

Maurice also shares his views on managing ones time as a public company CEO and the best advice he ever received, from none other than Gary Weston.

Find out more about Maurice Pratt here:

https://www.bloomberg.com/profile/person/1876971

Irish Business Builders is brought to you by Jetbooks. Jetbooks provides online bookkeeping services for Irish Businesses. For a free 15 minute online consultation, visit www.jetbooks.ie

Thanks for listening and see you all for Season 3 soon!

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Subscribe to the Business Builders Newsletter for the very best ideas I've discovered on business and personal growth.

This week I sat down with Brian Crowley and talked about all things entrepreneurship, challenges and growth.

Brian is a former international Irish boxer, who now has a played a part in the forming and managing of several companies. He founded TTM group, a specialist healthcare and recruitment company in 2002. After receiving an investment from Broadlake, Brian felt the need for a change and became a partner at Broadlake.

Brian's story is one of resilience. He nearly went bust in 2008, but bounced back and is experiencing strong revenue growth with Broadlake.

Connect with Brian Crowley here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/crowleybrian/

Irish Business Builders is brought to you by Jetbooks. Jetbooks provides online bookkeeping services for Irish Businesses. For a free 15 minute online consultation, visit www.jetbooks.ie

Thanks for listening!

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Subscribe to the Business Builders Newsletter for the very best ideas I've discovered on business and personal growth.

I had a great chat with former professional rugby player and now general manager of Zambrero, Darragh Fanning.

Zambrero is a Mexican food franchise which started in Australia, with a focus on healthy and affordable food, which also helps to save world hunger. Every burrito or bowl purchased means a meal donated to someone in need with Plate 4 Plate, a charity partnering with Rise Against Hunger. To date they've donated over 40 million meals!

Darragh talks about how he discovered Zambrero whilst in Australia in his mid-twenties, how his life changed afterwards and his professional rugby journey.

Find out more about Darragh Fanning and Zambrero here:
https://www.zambrero.com/

Irish Business Builders is brought to you by Jetbooks. Jetbooks provides online bookkeeping services for Irish Businesses. For a free 15 minute online consultation, visit www.jetbooks.ie

Thanks for listening!

Produced by Jetbooks, Chartered Accountants Ireland.

Subscribe to the Business Builders Newsletter for the very best ideas I've discovered on business and personal growth.

This week I caught up with Norman Crowley, a successful serial entrepreneur who is doing remarkable things in business and in environmental awareness.

Norman Crowley founded and sold 3 businesses with a total worth of $750million before the age of 40. Norman actually retired at the age of 28, but as you'll hear in our conversation, that was short lived. Under the Cool Planet Group, Norman has several businesses that all share the goal of creating a more environmentally friendly and sustainable future. We talk about why having a mission in business is so important and Norman's drive to do good for the planet.

Find out more about Norman Crowley and The Cool Planet Group here:
https://www.coolplanetgroup.ie/about

Irish Business Builders is brought to you by Jetbooks. Jetbooks provides online bookkeeping services for Irish Businesses. For a free 15 minute online consultation, visit www.jetbooks.ie

Thanks for listening!

Produced by Jetbooks, Chartered Accountants Ireland.

Subscribe to the Business Builders Newsletter for the very best ideas I've discovered on business and personal growth.

Lory Kehoe is an adjunct associate professor at Trinity College Dublin and Founder of BlockChain Ireland.

Being an accountant, I thought I knew a little about blockchain and cryptocurrency before my chat with Lory, but as you’ll hear for yourself, his depth of knowledge about the subject is fantastic. He is also very excited about the possibilities of this emerging tool. 

We talk about Blockchain and its real-world application, why Lory left a global consultancy partnership to start his own business, and how teaching has helped develop his leadership skills. 

Find out more and connect with  Lory Kehoe here:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/lory-kehoe/

Irish Business Builders is brought to you by Jetbooks. Jetbooks provides online bookkeeping services for Irish Businesses. For a free 15 minute online consultation, visit www.jetbooks.ie

Thanks for listening!

Produced by Jetbooks, Chartered Accountants Ireland.

Subscribe to the Business Builders Newsletter for the very best ideas I've discovered on business and personal growth.

This week I had an inspiring chat with Barbara Turley, Founder and CEO at The Virtual Hub. The Virtual Hub provides virtual, remote assistants to businesses all over the world. 

Barbara has an astounding work ethic and draws a hard line between work and life. She doesn’t let work get in the way of being a fantastic mother to her children and living the lifestyle she wants. 

Having started the business 5 years ago, she has scaled it to 150 staff. Delegation is key for Barbara, and she gives us some very useful insights into avoiding being consumed by your business. 

Find out more about Barbara Turley here:  https://www.thevirtualhub.com/

Irish Business Builders is brought to you by Jetbooks. Jetbooks provides online bookkeeping services for Irish Businesses. For a free 15 minute online consultation, visit www.jetbooks.ie

Thanks for listening!

Produced by Jetbooks, Chartered Accountants Ireland.

Subscribe to the Business Builders Newsletter for the very best ideas I've discovered on business and personal growth.

Vincent Carton’s story reaches back into the 18th Century, where the Carton family began a poultry business involving breeding, feeding and selling in the Dublin area. This is one of Ireland’s oldest surviving companies!

With so much experience and wisdom to share, we’ve brought this conversation to you in two parts. Following on from Part One, where you heard how Vincent came to own the business and how he nearly lost it, in Part Two you'll find out how Vincent and his team got the business back on track and the strategy they used to grow profits from 500 thousand to 13 million in just 7 years!

Check out these videos I mentioned in the episode:

The Whirl Wind
The concept that top management can’t focus on growing and scaling the business if they are caught up in the day-to-day work of the business. Getting out of the Whirl Wind was critical for Manor Farm implementing their strategic plan.
https://youtu.be/ahH2WdrovPg?list=PL7B1E1664C5352A7

First Follower
In order get all employees rowing in the same direction, the board needed to communicate the strategy of the business to everyone in the organisation. To do this, they appointed 23 “first followers” to champion the strategy in their own divisions. It only took 23 people to change a company of circa 830 people.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fW8amMCVAJQ&list=LL4t6dGleRcIkHHwCqBARENQ&index=73

The Five Monkeys
This was the main problem that Vincent and the board came up against when they tried to create change in a 230 year old business. People will always follow “the way we’ve always done it” rather than embrace change. Vincent and his first followers showed this video to their staff who quickly understood the concept and bought-in to the idea of going back to the facts.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZeiSKnhOBc

Find out more about Vincent Carton and Manor Farm here:
https://chicken.ie/about-us

Irish Business Builders is brought to you by Jetbooks. Jetbooks provides online bookkeeping services for Irish Businesses. For a free 15 minute online consultation, visit www.jetbooks.ie

Thanks for listening!

Produced by Jetbooks, Chartered Accountants Ireland.

Subscribe to the Business Builders Newsletter for the very best ideas I've discovered on business and personal growth.

Vincent Carton’s story reaches back into the 18th Century, where the Carton family began a poultry business involving breeding, feeding and selling in the Dublin area. This is one of Ireland’s oldest surviving companies!

Family businesses can be slow to evolve,  as decision making can span several generations. Vincent and his brother Justin saw this and bought out all of the shareholders. They focused on understanding new customer needs, streamlining the organisation and selling off underperforming divisions. 

With so much experience and wisdom to share, we’ve brought this conversation to you in two parts. In Part One, you’ll hear about the history of Manor Farm, how Vincent almost lost the business and how an old college friend helped him turn things around. 

Find out more about Vincent Carton and Manor Farm here:

https://chicken.ie/about-us

Irish Business Builders is brought to you by Jetbooks. Jetbooks provides online bookkeeping services for Irish Businesses. For a free 15 minute online consultation, visit www.jetbooks.ie

Thanks for listening!

Produced by Jetbooks, Chartered Accountants Ireland.

Subscribe to the Business Builders Newsletter for the very best ideas I've discovered on business and personal growth.

Jack Pierse is the co-founder and CFO of Wayflyer, a revenue-based financing service for ecommerce companies.

Wayflyer’s business is a simple one, they lend money to businesses, so that they can buy more online advertising to grow their sales

In under 24 hours, businesses can connect with Wayflyer, connect their online marketing platforms and receive funds towards their online marketing campaigns. 

Unlike a bank who would review a customers’ ability to pay back a loan, based on standard accounting and cashflow reporting, Wayflyer plug in seamlessly to their customers online marketing platforms such as Facebook, Google, Instagram etc, to assess which specific advertising campaigns are performing well.

Dive in to hear about Jack’s revolutionary business model, how he raised venture capital in the US and the importance of thinking big!

Find out more about Wayflyer here:
https://www.wayflyer.com/

Irish Business Builders is brought to you by Jetbooks. Jetbooks provides online bookkeeping services for Irish Businesses. For a free 15 minute online consultation, visit www.jetbooks.ie

Thanks for listening!

Produced by Jetbooks, Chartered Accountants Ireland.

Subscribe to the Business Builders Newsletter for the very best ideas I've discovered on business and personal growth.

Welcome to Season 2 of Irish Business Builders!

On today's episode I chat with Mick Kearney, whose life in business has taken him down many paths since he started out in the early 1980's.

Mick brought Snap Printing to Ireland in 1984,  which quickly grew to be the largest Print and Design group in the country. A position it still holds today.

Then in 2005, Mick and his business partner Ed Murphy, launched another Franchise in
Ireland – Home Instead Senior Care. Their philosophy is to provide a trusted service to older people, allowing them to stay independent and to continue to live in their homes for longer. Over the following 12 years, Mick and Ed grew Home Instead to €70 Million
euros in revenues before selling a majority stake in 2017.

Mick also managed to find time to become Manager for the Irish Rugby team,
a position he held passionately and successfully for for 5 years, alongside colleagues Declan Kidney and later Joe Schmidt.

Mick is open and generous with the lessons he has learnt, his business philosophies and insights. Enjoy!

Irish Business Builders is brought to you by Jetbooks. Jetbooks provides online bookkeeping services for Irish Businesses. For a free 15 minute online consultation, visit www.jetbooks.ie

Thanks for listening!

Produced by Jetbooks, Chartered Accountants Ireland.

Subscribe to the Business Builders Newsletter for the very best ideas I've discovered on business and personal growth.

In Series 7, Episode #52, I interview Lorraine Heskin, founder and CEO of Gourmet Food Parlour, about her entrepreneurial journey. Lorraine discusses her early influences from American culture, the importance of a slow and steady growth strategy, and her experiences navigating the challenges of the Irish economic landscape. She shares insights into the art of building a strong brand, the value of adaptability, and the critical role of a supportive team. Lorraine also talks about balancing family life with entrepreneurial demands, the significance of good financial management, and the transformative experience of being an EY Entrepreneur of the Year finalist.

CONNECT WITH CONOR:

LinkedIn

GOURMET FOOD PARLOUR:

Website

Instagram

LinkedIn

Support mental health awareness with Brent Pope’s “Elephant in the Room” initiative. Join the movement to de-stigmatise mental health conversations in the workplace and beyond. Adopt an elephant sculpture and show your commitment to creating a supportive environment for everyone. Visit www.elephantintheroom.ie to learn more and get involved.

Hello dear listeners,

Thank you for tuning in to Season One of Irish Business Builders.

I'm very excited to return with Season Two on Monday the 21st of September!

You can use this time to catch up on any episodes you've missed, and if you know an Irish Business Builder you'd like to hear from on the show, email me at conor@jetbooks.ie

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Subscribe to the Business Builders Newsletter for the very best ideas I've discovered on business and personal growth.

My deepest thanks once again to everyone who has tuned in. 

See you all on Monday 21st of September!

Conor

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Subscribe to the Business Builders Newsletter for the very best ideas I've discovered on business and personal growth.

This week I sat down with Mick Dawson, ex-stockbroker with Davy and Chief Executive of Leinster Rugby since 2001.

I've never been a huge rugby fan and so in this chat, I was interested to hear what goes on behind the scenes at a world-class sports franchise; What are the main revenue drivers? How do they think about marketing? Does the executive HQ influence the outcomes on the pitch and what are the key dynamics that drive the business side of the game?

Mick gives us  an interesting look at how a professional club operates; coach selection, player satisfaction, sponsorships and fan engagement. 

Covid has hit the sporting world hard. Mick  can’t see into the future, but this conversation filled me with nostalgia about rugby matches past, and hope about the future of the sport post-Covid. 

Find out more about Leinster Rugby here: https://www.leinsterrugby.ie/

Irish Business Builders is brought to you by Jetbooks. Jetbooks provides online bookkeeping services for Irish Businesses. For a free 15 minute online consultation, visit www.jetbooks.ie

Thanks for listening!

Produced by Jetbooks, Chartered Accountants Ireland.

Subscribe to the Business Builders Newsletter for the very best ideas I've discovered on business and personal growth.

Peter Burke is the kind of person who sees challenges as opportunities. His first business venture was a small gym called Crossfit 353, as an affiliate of the well-known fitness brand. Starting an affiliate business is a great way to get a head-start on building a business from the ground up.

Peter Burke is also the founder of Hush Restaurant in Rathmines, a new spot for mouthwatering burgers, sandwiches and coffee. Covid-19 hasn’t made things easy for Peter, but with his optimistic attitude and motivated mindset, he shares with us his tips for a balanced lifestyle with work and family, and curbing bad social-media habits.
I really enjoyed this honest and inspiring chat with Peter, and I think you will too.

Find out more about Crossfit 353 and Hush here:
https://www.crossfit353.com/
https://hushrestaurant.ie/

Irish Business Builders is brought to you by Jetbooks. Jetbooks provides online bookkeeping services for Irish Businesses. For a free 15 minute online consultation, visit www.jetbooks.ie

Thanks for listening!

Produced by Jetbooks, Chartered Accountants Ireland.

Subscribe to the Business Builders Newsletter for the very best ideas I've discovered on business and personal growth.

This week I sat down with Xavier Vidal, somewhat of a retail genius, which is probably why he is involved now in something that makes so many people happy - ice cream.

We haven’t spoken about franchises in the show yet,  and I think it’s important to discuss because it’s a bit different than building a new business from the ground up.

After several impressive corporate retail positions, Xavier was looking for a change. While on a trip overseas looking for a coffee, he found himself in a store called Amorino. Soon after his coffee he was enjoying their world famous ice cream. Not long after that, he met with the founders, put plans in place for a store in Dublin, and it’s been a hit ever since.

Having worked in an industry so focused on people, for such a long time, Xavier’s insights can be applied to any business, and his franchise story will surely inspire anyone who’s interested in taking that path to their own business.

Find out more about Amorino here: https://www.amorino.com/en/

Irish Business Builders is brought to you by Jetbooks. Jetbooks provides online bookkeeping services for Irish Businesses. For a free 15 minute online consultation, visit www.jetbooks.ie

Thanks for listening!