Business Builders

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 [email protected]

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.

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

See you all on Monday 21st of September!

Conor

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 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!

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 Conor Hanratty, whose story is a little different than our other business builders so far. Conor was the managing director of Extraspace Solutions, a leading  specialist in construction of modular buildings, which he sold in 2016. Originally working at Cambridge Finance, a public leasing company that owned Extraspace, Conor bought the business out of receivership and grew the company in Ireland and then expanded into the UK.

As I found out in this chat, construction and manufacturing is a fascinating business. Conor has been in the industry for decades and generously shares his knowledge.

Find out more about Extraspace here: https://www.essmodular.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 had a great chat to Gary Fox, founder of Host Butlers, which is a property concierge service for short-term lettings. What is that, you might ask? Well, picture comprehensive, professional management of your property through Airbnb, offering everything from check-in, all the way to cleaning.

Gary is a passionate believer in doing things well, striving for quality and excellent service in whatever it is you’re doing. His success to date is reflective of this mindset, and he offers advice and insights that any business builder can take on board.

Gary’s enthusiasm for learning, and much like myself, eagerness to highlight the incredible entrepreneurs and business builders in Ireland, led him to start ‘The Entrepreneur Experiment’ podcast.

I left feeling very inspired after this conversation with Gary, and I think you will too!

Find out more about Gary and his podcast ‘The Entrepreneur Experiment’ at https://www.mrgaryfox.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 spoke to Will Sparks, whose journey towards becoming a successful financial planner contained big hurdles. 

While at college in UCD, Will overcame immense challenges posed by Dyslexia. Having previously been an admittedly average student, Will knuckled down, worked hard and got into a routine. He surprised even himself when he came first in his class in final year.  

The second hurdle came much later, when Will was working at a top finance firm. The GFC hit and Will was suddenly let go, and out on his own. Determination prevailed once again and he began building his own client list and eventually starting SparksWealth in 2019.

Stay tuned for some inspiring stories of self-discipline and optimism, with a few practical investment gems thrown in too!

Will mentions his favourite finance books:
The Education of a Value Investor by Guy Spier
The Dhandho Investor by Mohnish Pabrai

Find out more about Will and SparksWealth at https://sparkswealth.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 chatted to Tom Fox from Fifty-Three Six, a digital strategy agency for sport, with a focus on video.

Tom shares his career story from working with Twitter, all the way to learning how to run campaigns on Facebook for his clients when Fifty-Three Six first started.

A common trait of business builders is having the determination to say ‘we’ll figure it out’, having a desire to make things happen, even if it’s not something they’ve really done before. 

We also talk about the importance of hiring the right people once you’re able to, and creating a positive and inspiring culture in your business.

There are some great technical tips in the episode too, like the importance of creating a  database of factors from your industry and using it to analyse your growth strategy.

Find out more about Tom and Fifty-Three Six at https://www.fiftythreesix.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.

Attention: There’s a twist at the end of this episode, so stay tuned! 

This week I spoke to Molly McKeever, yoga teacher and founder of Sweaty Soul Studio, a slice of calm in Dublin’s busy IFSC.

Throughout our conversation, Molly generously shares her personal experiences in business.

Molly is the kind of person who thrives off challenges and working hard. But this high-adrenaline ‘fight or flight’ mode is not a sustainable way to live. It’s a common trait of business builders, but Molly states the importance of holding space for yourself. Ultimately, if you are thriving personally, it will be reflected in your business.

Oh, and the big twist. Find out how Molly is future-proofing her business, whilst also staying true to what is important to her.

This is the podcast Molly refers to in our chat: https://apple.co/3gqKbhr

Find out more about Molly and Sweaty Soul here: https://sweatysoulstudio.com/

Connect with Molly on Instagram @mollymckeeveryoga

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!