This week on The 10forty Podcast, I’m joined by a true Dublin legend — Mattress Mick, Michael Flynn.

From humble beginnings selling bottled gas and costume jewellery, Mick built his business from the ground up. Starting out on Pearse Street, he laid the foundations for what would become one of Ireland’s most recognisable brands.

We dive into his entrepreneurial journey, the early struggles he faced and the mindset that kept him moving forward — even when things didn’t go to plan.

Mick shares how bold, unconventional marketing — from posters plastered across the city to headline-grabbing campaigns — helped him stand out, stay relevant and turn attention into sales.

💼 In this episode, we cover:

• Mick’s early hustle and first ventures

• The marketing moves that made him impossible to ignore

• How he turned setbacks — even court summonses — into opportunities

• Why you can copy success, but there’ll only ever be one Mattress Mick

A must-listen for anyone interested in business, branding, marketing, sales, or thinking differently.

This episode is proudly sponsored by:

Top Drawer Talent — Supply Chain & Procurement Specialists helping businesses hire best in class talent across Ireland and internationally.

https://www.tdtalent.ie/

Nesta Storage — secure, flexible storage solutions for businesses and individuals, with modern facilities, long or short term options, and complete peace of mind when space matters.

https://nesta.ie/business-storage/

Get 25% off your first month’s storage using code CS25

______________

HERE WE GO.

Want to share your own career journey on the podcast — or shine a light on a business, side project or industry?

📧 [email protected]

🎙 Sponsorship opportunities: [email protected]

Today we speak to Noel O’Brien.

This is an incredible story.

From finding a home in Drimnagh Boxing Club… to building a multinational company.

Boxing became a huge part of Noel’s life early on and he credits the sport with developing many of the characteristics that would later help him build and lead businesses.

Discipline. Resilience. Confidence. Work ethic.

Noel went on to become the Director of a successful electrical company — experiencing the booms and busts that come with business and entrepreneurship.

But eventually, Noel turned back to boxing.

After returning to Ireland, he decided to go professional chasing a dream that had always been there.

That obsession with improvement, discipline and performance eventually led Noel to ask a bigger question:

How do you get the absolute best from training?

That question became the foundation of Altipeak — now a multinational company operating at the forefront of performance, recovery and healthcare innovation.

Because what Noel is working on today is about far more than fitness.

It’s about health.

In this episode, we talk about:

School days and life lessons through boxing

Building character through sport

The booms and busts of business

Returning to boxing and going pro

And building Altipeak from the ground up

This is a conversation about resilience, reinvention and constantly pushing yourself to another level.

This episode is proudly sponsored by:

Top Drawer Talent — Supply Chain & Procurement Specialists helping businesses hire best in class talent across Ireland and internationally.

https://www.tdtalent.ie/

Nesta Storage — secure, flexible storage solutions for businesses and individuals, with modern facilities, long or short term options, and complete peace of mind when space matters.

https://nesta.ie/business-storage/

Get 25% off your first month’s storage using code CS25

______________

HERE WE GO.

Want to share your own career journey on the podcast — or shine a light on a business, side project or industry?

📧 [email protected]

🎙 Sponsorship opportunities: [email protected]

Today on the 10forty Podcast, we’re joined by Jamie Griffin.

Now, just before we get into it — this episode is raw.

We cover some sensitive topics, including tough times, losing friends, and struggles with mental health… so just a heads up before you listen to the full episode.

Jamie’s story is real.

From time spent in Prision… to working on building sites… to now working in personal training — it’s been a journey shaped by setbacks, growth, and hard lessons.

We talk about hitting low points… losing the ego… and what it really takes to rebuild.

But what stands out most… is why Jamie decided to speak up.

Why he chose to share his story publicly — and how passionate he is about supporting others who are going through similar struggles.

At the centre of it all is family.

Jamie talks about how having children changed everything — and how being there for them is now the priority.

This is an honest conversation about accountability, growth, and using your story to help someone else.

This episode is proudly sponsored by:

Top Drawer Talent — Supply Chain & Procurement Specialists helping businesses hire best in class talent across Ireland and internationally.

https://www.tdtalent.ie/

Nesta Storage — secure, flexible storage solutions for businesses and individuals, with modern facilities, long or short term options, and complete peace of mind when space matters.

https://nesta.ie/business-storage/

Get 25% off your first month’s storage using code CS25

______________

HERE WE GO.

Want to share your own career journey on the podcast — or shine a light on a business, side project or industry?

📧 [email protected]

🎙 Sponsorship opportunities: [email protected]

This week on the 10forty Podcast, we’re joined by Chris Evans — Commercial Director at Ancorra Environmental Services, operator of JS Solutions, and host of the What If You Didn’t? podcast.

Chris’s journey starts early.

At just 16, he stepped into the family business in Liverpool — learning the ropes from the ground up.

But his path didn’t stay there.

A move to Australia opened things up.

Seven years in Perth, working with Carnegies, helped shape his approach to leadership, discipline, and business.

That experience would go on to define how he operates today.

But there’s another layer to Chris’s story.

Back in school, he was navigating ADHD — something that, at the time, felt more like a challenge than anything else.

Over time, that perspective shifted.

What once felt like a setback… became a strength.

And ultimately — a superpower.

That mindset, combined with years of experience across different environments, led Chris to Ireland — where he’s now building and leading successful businesses.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Growing up in a family business
• The impact of international experience
• And reframing challenges into strengths

This is a conversation about perspective, growth — and using your experiences to build something bigger.

This episode is proudly sponsored by:

Top Drawer Talent — Supply Chain & Procurement Specialists helping businesses hire best in class talent across Ireland and internationally.

https://www.tdtalent.ie/

Nesta Storage — secure, flexible storage solutions for businesses and individuals, with modern facilities, long or short term options, and complete peace of mind when space matters.

https://nesta.ie/business-storage/

Get 25% off your first month’s storage using code CS25

______________

HERE WE GO.

Want to share your own career journey on the podcast — or shine a light on a business, side project or industry?

📧 [email protected]

🎙 Sponsorship opportunities: [email protected]

This week on the 10forty Podcast, we’re joined by Padraic Gilchrist — founder of Flawless Paint Correction & Detailing Ireland, one of the country’s leading paint protection specialists.

Padraic’s story doesn’t start in business.

It starts with music.

That passion led him into the army band — and eventually to a posting in Cork.

But like many in that world… one job wasn’t enough.

So he picked up a nixer.

Car detailing on the side.

What started as extra income quickly became something more.

A craft.

An obsession with precision.

That curiosity led him deeper — into paint correction, and eventually into PPF — a space where standards are everything.

Then came the turning point.

When the nixer started to outgrow the day job… Padraic made the call.

He left the army — and went all in.

Today, he runs Flawless — a business built on reputation, discipline, and elite-level execution.

In this episode, we talk about:

Turning a side hustle into a full-time business

Knowing when to take the leap

And building something through consistency and craft

This is a conversation about trusting your gut — and backing yourself when it matters most.

This episode is proudly sponsored by:

Top Drawer Talent — Supply Chain & Procurement Specialists helping businesses hire best in class talent across Ireland and internationally.

https://www.tdtalent.ie/

Nesta Storage — secure, flexible storage solutions for businesses and individuals, with modern facilities, long or short term options, and complete peace of mind when space matters.

https://nesta.ie/business-storage/

Get 25% off your first month’s storage using code CS25

______________

HERE WE GO.

Want to share your own career journey on the podcast — or shine a light on a business, side project or industry?

📧 [email protected]

🎙 Sponsorship opportunities: [email protected]

From Behind the Lens to Behind the Mic

This week on the 10forty Podcast, we’re joined by Ben O’Neill — founder of Ben O’Neill Productions.

Usually, Ben is the one behind the camera…

but this week, he steps in front of it.

Ben’s journey is built on backing himself — in an industry that doesn’t wait for anyone.

From early on, he was focused on pushing beyond what felt possible — especially in a space where, at times, it can feel like Ireland puts a ceiling on how far you can go.

That mindset took him further.

Even to filming YouTube content in New York — chasing opportunities instead of waiting for them.

In this episode, we talk about:

Taking risks and betting on yourself

Growing by stepping into different areas of media

Why learning styles don’t always fit the system

And what it actually takes to build experience from the ground up

This is a conversation about doing the work, learning as you go, and not waiting for permission.

Because sometimes, the only way forward…

is to start and figure it out along the way.

This episode is proudly sponsored by:

Top Drawer Talent — Supply Chain & Procurement Specialists helping businesses hire best in class talent across Ireland and internationally.

https://www.tdtalent.ie/

Nesta Storage — secure, flexible storage solutions for businesses and individuals, with modern facilities, long or short term options, and complete peace of mind when space matters.

https://nesta.ie/business-storage/

Get 25% off your first month’s storage using code CS25

______________

HERE WE GO.

Want to share your own career journey on the podcast —

or shine a light on a business, side project or industry?

📧 [email protected]

🎙 Sponsorship opportunities: [email protected]

This week on the 10forty Podcast, we’re joined by Ciaran Mulqueen — the creator of Crazy House Prices and author of How to Buy a Home in Ireland.

Ciaran’s journey doesn’t follow a straight line.

He started young — studying business and accounting at just 17 — taking a path that, on paper, felt sensible and secure.

But his route changed.

After college, Ciaran spent seven years working as a personal trainer, building discipline, resilience and a real understanding of people and the realities many face trying to build a life in modern Ireland.

Then came another shift.

Ciaran returned to education, going back to college to retrain as a teacher — bringing lived experience with him and a growing curiosity about how systems shape opportunity.

It was during this time — while searching for his own home — that another idea took shape.

As Ciaran navigated listings, prices and contradictions in the market, he began sharing what he was seeing. What started as a way to make sense of the process for himself grew into Crazy House Prices — an Instagram page that captured attention by showing the reality of Ireland’s housing market through real examples.

That work eventually led to his book, How to Buy a Home in Ireland — a practical guide aimed at helping people understand a system that often feels confusing, inaccessible and stacked against them.

In this episode, we go deep.

We talk about Ireland’s housing policy and the impact it’s having on everyday lives.

We question the education system and whether we’re pushing too many people toward academic routes without enough consideration for alternative paths.

And we explore what it means to change direction — more than once — in search of work that makes sense and has purpose.

This is a conversation about choices, systems and the confidence to question the paths we’re told to follow.

Because sometimes, the most important step is asking whether the system itself is working.

This episode is proudly sponsored by:

Top Drawer Talent — Supply Chain & Procurement Specialists helping businesses hire best in class talent across Ireland and internationally.

https://www.tdtalent.ie/

Nesta Storage — secure, flexible storage solutions for businesses and individuals, with modern facilities, long or short term options, and complete peace of mind when space matters.

https://nesta.ie/business-storage/

Get 25% off your first month’s storage using code CS25

______________

HERE WE GO.

Want to share your own career journey on the podcast —

or shine a light on a business, side project or industry?

📧 [email protected]

🎙 Sponsorship opportunities: [email protected]

This week on the 10forty Podcast, we’re joined by Carl Coates, founder of Nixer.me.

A man whose story is built on curiosity and a belief that people already have more value than they realise — if they’re willing to back themselves.

Carl is the creator of Nixer.me, a platform he started as a side hustle, designed to help others turn what they’re good at — into real income.

Not a flashy start‑up.

Not a shortcut.

But a practical idea, built alongside a full‑time career, to solve a real problem.

Carl works with Iarnród Éireann and in this episode he takes us through his career journey — the roles, the decisions and the moments that shaped how he views work and opportunity.

At one point, he made a big call taking a career break and moving to Oman.

Living and working abroad challenged him in new ways — exposing him to different cultures, perspectives and responsibilities. When he returned home, he came back with more than just experience.

He came back wanting more.

With a broader understanding of the world.

And a clearer sense of what he wanted from his own life and career.

Carl also talks about the role that staying active and involved has played throughout his life — particularly when it comes to navigating challenges.

He speaks honestly about the importance of keeping busy, having structure and staying connected to positive routines — and how this can have a real impact on mental health, especially during tougher periods.

From full‑time work…

To life abroad…

To building Nixer.me alongside it all…

This is a conversation about initiative, perspective and momentum.

About not standing still and about recognising that staying engaged — mentally and physically — isn’t just productive, it’s essential.

This is the story of building something meaningful — while continuing to grow along the way.

This episode is proudly sponsored by:

Top Drawer Talent — Supply Chain & Procurement Specialists helping businesses hire best in class talent across Ireland and internationally.

https://www.tdtalent.ie/

Nesta Storage — secure, flexible storage solutions for businesses and individuals, with modern facilities, long or short term options, and complete peace of mind when space matters.

https://nesta.ie/business-storage/

Get 25% off your first month’s storage using code CS25

______________

HERE WE GO.

Want to share your own career journey on the podcast —

or shine a light on a business, side project or industry?

📧 [email protected]

🎙 Sponsorship opportunities: [email protected]

This week on the 10forty Podcast, we’re joined by one of the most compelling voices in Irish hospitality Keelan Higgs, head chef of the Michelin-starred Variety Jones.

But this story doesn’t begin with awards or recognition.

It starts where many real careers do.

At 13 years old, in a kitchen at Greystones Golf Club.

A Saturday morning breakfast shift. Learning the job from the ground up.

From those early days, Keelan was drawn deeper into kitchen life — working his way through demanding environments, honing his skills, and learning the discipline, technique, and standards required to operate at the highest level.

No shortcuts. No glamour. Just graft.

And eventually… he built something of his own.

Variety Jones.

Cooking over fire.

Bold ideas.

No compromise.

Within its first year, it earned a Michelin Guide star and it has held that standard ever since.

But this conversation isn’t just about accolades.

Keelan opens up about the real rhythm of kitchen life:

• The long hours

• The responsibility of leading a team

• The commitment required to maintain elite standards

• And the consistency needed to show up, day after day

The good days.

The tough ones.

And the lessons that come with building something properly.

And through it all, one thing stands out — his love for the craft.

That same passion is now shaping what comes next, with Mongoose — a new, more casual concept built on simplicity, seasonality, and respect for the work.

From a teenager on a Saturday breakfast shift…

To Michelin-level cooking…

To building something sustainable in one of the toughest industries there is…

This is a story about commitment.

About standards.

And about choosing the long road — because it’s the one worth taking.

This episode is proudly sponsored by:

Top Drawer Talent — Supply Chain & Procurement Specialists helping businesses hire best‑in‑class talent across Ireland and internationally.

https://www.tdtalent.ie/

Nesta Storage — secure, flexible storage solutions for businesses and individuals, with modern facilities, long‑ or short‑term options, and complete peace of mind when space matters.

https://nesta.ie/business-storage/

Get 25% off your first month’s storage using code CS25

HERE WE GO.

Want to share your own career journey on the podcast — or shine a light on a specific industry?

Reach out: [email protected]

Sponsorship opportunities: [email protected]

This week on the 10forty Podcast, we’re joined by Irish snooker legend Fergal O'Brien — a man whose career is a masterclass in patience, resilience, and relentless dedication to his craft.

From the most humble of beginnings a small tabletop snooker set in his kitchen at just seven years old. Fergal’s journey is proof that greatness doesn’t need perfect conditions, just obsession and consistency.

That early spark turned into a remarkable career spanning over three decades at the very top of professional snooker. Known for his grit, discipline, and mental toughness, Fergal competed against the best in the world in one of the most demanding individual sports there is.

We dive into the highs, the pressure, and the defining moments — including his unforgettable victory at the 1999 British Open, where he battled through elite competition to claim the biggest win of his career and cement his place in Irish snooker history.

From breaking into the world’s top ten, to experiencing the explosion of snooker in China where players are treated like stars, this conversation explores the evolution of both the sport and the mindset required to stay at the top.

Now retired from professional play, Fergal continues to shape the game as a coach, mentor, and commentator — passing on decades of experience to the next generation.

This episode is about more than snooker.

It’s about:

• Respecting the process

• Committing to constant improvement

• And sustaining excellence over time

A story of quiet determination, longevity, and doing the simple things exceptionally well.

This is the story of a man who didn’t just play the game — he lived it.

This episode is proudly sponsored by:

Top Drawer Talent — Supply Chain & Procurement Specialists helping businesses hire best‑in‑class talent across Ireland and internationally.

https://www.tdtalent.ie/

Nesta Storage — secure, flexible storage solutions for businesses and individuals, with modern facilities, long‑ or short‑term options, and complete peace of mind when space matters.

https://nesta.ie/business-storage/

Get 25% off your first month’s storage using code CS25

HERE WE GO.

Want to share your own career journey on the podcast — or shine a light on a specific industry?

Reach out: [email protected]

Sponsorship opportunities: [email protected]