Founder & Family Collective

It was Jenny’s birthday. I’d planned the day, she thought there might be a present waiting for her… and somehow we ended up here.

Welcome to After Hours, our chance to debrief when everything else is finally put to bed.

Life is busy. Between careers, kids, training, family and everything else we seem to take on, it’s very easy to keep moving without actually stopping to talk. After Hours is deliberately making the time to do exactly that. Sit down, bring a few things to the table and see where the conversation takes us.

For the first one, we’re talking birthdays, the madness of Halloween, my slightly questionable relationship with coffee, holidays during school term, and the little quirks you eventually learn to accept about the person you married.

It’s a bit different from the usual Founder & Family episode, but that’s the idea.

This is After Hours.

Let us know what you think and what should we bring to the table next time?

What happens when you step into a family business with generations of history behind it but still have to figure out who you are within it?

This week I sit down with Jarron O’Neill Watson, the man behind Belfast restaurant 2Taps, for a really open conversation about family, ambition, legacy and finding your own way. We talk about growing up around the family business, stepping into an established Belfast restaurant and the pressure that comes with it the risks Jarron has taken, the lessons he’s had to learn for himself, and how you put your own stamp on something without losing what made it special in the first place. But this one goes well beyond the restaurant. Jarron is now a dad himself, with his own ambitions, pressures and priorities. We get into fatherhood, fitness, marathon training and that constant challenge of wanting to keep pushing forward while still being present for the people around you.

And, somehow, online grocery shopping gets a fairly significant amount of airtime too 😂

A very honest, easy conversation about family, ambition and figuring things out as you go.

If you enjoy the conversation, subscribe and let me know what stood out to you.

Is Northern Ireland a place where ambitious people can genuinely build something big?

This week I’m joined by an old friend, entrepreneur, councillor and current Mayor of Ards and North Down, Craig Blaney.

We talk business and entrepreneurship in Northern Ireland, the realities facing hospitality, whether we do enough to encourage ambition, Craig’s journey into politics and what being Mayor actually involves. We also get into his own ambitions, balancing politics with family life and the small matter of whether he’s actually training for the Bangor 10K. 😂

A slightly different Founder & Family conversation about business, politics, ambition and family in Northern Ireland.

Can you train like an athlete, chase ambitious goals and still put your family first?

In Episode 26 of Founder & Family, I sit down with Sinéad Boyd to talk about HYROX, discipline and the reality of building serious training around an already full life.

We get into what consistency actually looks like, how she finds the discipline to keep showing up and the constant challenge of balancing personal ambition with being present at home.

Because the difficult part isn’t always the training itself. It’s finding the time, managing the guilt and deciding what you’re willing or unwilling to sacrifice along the way.

A really honest conversation about whether it’s possible to pursue big goals without the people closest to you paying the price.

If you enjoy the episode, subscribe to Founder & Family and let us know in the comments: can you genuinely have both?

Follow Sinéad:
@sineadboyd8

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@founderfamilycollective

Chris Braniff is the founder of Proud Girl Dad Co. a brand built around fatherhood, identity and the unique privilege of raising daughters.

In this episode, we talk about where the idea came from, turning something deeply personal into a growing business, and what it means to pursue your own ambitions while remaining present for the people who matter most.

It’s an honest conversation about business, purpose, fatherhood and the reality of being completely outnumbered at home.

A proper girl-dad conversation although, as we both know, the girls are very much in charge.

You’ve heard plenty about Jenny over the past year… it was probably about time she made an appearance.

Between two young girls, an A&E career, businesses and everything else life throws at us, we rarely get an uninterrupted hour to just sit and chat. So that’s exactly what we did.

We talk family, work, relationships, communication, life in A&E, play a questionable game of Mr & Mrs, and finish with a question that meant more to us than we expected.

If you’ve ever felt like you’re just trying your best while juggling a busy life, hopefully this one reminds you you’re not the only one.

If you enjoy it, we’d love if you subscribed and shared it with someone who might too.

A year ago, Dean McFarland became the very first guest on Founder & Family.Twelve months later, he's back.

In this episode, we reflect on what has changed over the last year not just in business, but in family life, ambition, priorities and the way we think.

If you're an ambitious parent trying to build something meaningful without sacrificing your family, this conversation is for you.

If you enjoy the episode, please consider subscribing, leaving a like and sharing it with someone who'd benefit from the conversation.

Brought to you in partnership with Ballygowan B-Active.

Follow / connect:

Instagram: @declanholmes08 @founderfamilycollective

Find Dean :

Socials: @deanmc88

@nightcapeventgroup

@thefoxesdenards

One thing really stuck with me after this conversation with Conor: say yes, then work it out.

It’s a mindset that’s opened doors throughout his career, created opportunities he never expected and shaped the life he’s built today.

We also chat about family, building a career online, staying grounded and why creating space for proper conversations often reveals things you never knew even about people you’ve known for years.

Hope you enjoy this one. If you do, I’d really appreciate you subscribing, leaving a comment and sharing it with someone who needs to hear it.

Brought to you in partnership with Ballygowan B-Active.

Follow / connect:

Instagram: @declanholmes08

@founderfamilycollective

Find Conor :

Socials: @belfastfoodblogger

A few weeks ago, Ciara and I bumped into each other in a corridor for the first time.A few weeks later, we’re sitting down for one of the most honest conversations we’ve had on Founder & Family.From the outside, Ciara had achieved many of the things we’re told should bring fulfilment. The business was growing, the goals were being achieved and life looked successful by most people’s standards.Yet something felt missing.In this episode, we explore the reality of ambition, why the next milestone rarely delivers what we expect, and how family, wellness and being present can matter more than another achievement, pay rise or title.It’s a conversation about success, fulfilment, motherhood, identity and learning to enjoy the life you’re building while you’re still building it.A special thank you to Ballygowan B-Active, our Founding Partner, for supporting these conversations.

Founder & Family CollectiveConversations with founders, leaders and creators building meaningful businesses without losing sight of what matters most.

Follow / connect:

Instagram: @declanholmes08

@founderfamilycollective

Find Ciara :

Instagram: @ciaradalyoffical @happyfestni

Youtube:  ⁨@Ciaradalymakeup⁩ 

What if the best business to start... already exists?In this episode, I sit down with entrepreneur Jenna Hill to explore a path that most aspiring founders never seriously consider: acquiring an existing business instead of building one from the ground up.We discuss why buying a business can sometimes be a faster, less risky route into entrepreneurship, how to identify the right opportunities, what makes a business worth acquiring, and the mindset required to take ownership and lead it forward.But this conversation goes far beyond balance sheets and business deals.Jenna shares her perspective on building a life that creates freedom rather than consuming it, setting boundaries, protecting family time, and defining success on your own terms.Whether you're thinking about launching a business, growing an existing one, or simply trying to create more space for the people who matter most, there's plenty in this conversation for you.In this episode:Buying a business vs starting from scratchHow to spot acquisition opportunitiesThe risks and rewards of business ownershipCreating freedom through entrepreneurshipBuilding boundaries around workFamily, ambition and modern successWhat Jenna hopes her children remember about this season of lifeIf you enjoyed the episode, please like, subscribe and share it with someone who'd get value from the conversation.Founder & Family CollectiveConversations with founders, leaders and creators building meaningful businesses without losing sight of what matters most.

Follow / connect:

Instagram:

@declanholmes08

@founderfamilycollective

Find Jenna :

Instagram: @jennahilloffical