In Good Company with Cathy Martin

Caroline McKenna is a serial entrepreneur, and an accidental content creator with a highly popular and inspirational podcast of her own. A qualified school teacher, Caroline went viral after sharing her experience with heartbreak after moving to Australia. A series of sliding door moments motivated her to pivot into the business world, to make a difference in both children and adults’ lives. She joined Cathy to talk about how her businesses, including Nurturing Minds Tutoring Services and Elara Pilates Studio in Co. Down, align with her values around wellbeing, nutrition, and mindset.

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Andrew Trimble enjoyed a decorated career playing for Ulster and Ireland, where his achievements included winning two Triple Crowns and the 2014 Six Nations Championship. But since hanging up his boots, he has also shown he has a flair for business as a tech entrepreneur - to talk about how transferrable skills from sport has helped him on that journey, he joined Cathy Martin.

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Husband and wife power couple Eugene and Catherine McKeever have built a family-run hotel empire, having worked their way up from humble beginnings to now celebrating 40 years in business with a portfolio of seven hotels. They join Cathy to tell their remarkable story of how hard work, drive, determination, and family values helped them achieve their vision for success.

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As chief executive of Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce, Suzanne Wylie is a woman at the top of her game, having grown the chamber into one of the best performing chambers in the UK with a strategic focus on skills, infrastructure, and trade. Under her leadership, it won British Chambers of Commerce Chamber of the Year 2024, and she remains passionate about helping Northern Ireland's businesses maximize their growth potential. She joined Cathy to tell her more about her role and her career, Northern Ireland’s particular struggles when it comes to business, and if she believes the ‘glass ceiling’ for women in business has fully been broken.

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Neil McKibbin is the driving force behind some of Belfast’s most iconic office spaces. The serial entrepeneur has spent decades spotting opportunities where others see risk – buying and renovating Victoria house in the aftermath of brexit, and buying Custom House in the middle of the pandemic. He joins Cathy to talk about why he decided to buy an over 200 year old building in the middle of covid, if we really still need offices, and why he has always believed in Northern Ireland’s future.

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Belfast’s first Night Czar, Michael Stewart, reflects on 40 years in hospitality—from managing Bob Cratchit’s in 1987 amid the Troubles to helping shape the city’s post-peace nightlife through venues like The Fly, The Apartment, and The Northern Whig.   He joins Cathy to talk about his pivotal early career choice not to join the Hong Kong Police, one Hollywood A-Lister's visit to Belfast, and his experience as the cornerstone of Belfast’s nightlife scene during the Troubles, including the traumatic shooting of a 21-year-old bar worker in 1994. 

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Buying a home is one of the biggest financial decisions you'll ever make—but thanks to social media, online forums and well-meaning advice from friends and family, it can also feel like one of the most confusing. Do you really need a 20% deposit? Is one missed payment enough to ruin your chances? Should you wait for interest rates to fall before buying? Cathy is joined by Ann Marie Rollo, Mortgage advisor with Mortgage IQ, to bust the biggest mortgage myths.

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Gavin Mckenna is the marketer who oversees how Belfast is promoted on a global stage. Gavin previously worked in Marketing in London, where he launched Marks and Spencer's in the US and had clients including Harvey Nichols and Tesco. Now, he’s the head of marketing for Visit Belfast. He speaks with Cathy about what Belfast can do that London can’t, why Belfast is so much more than shipbuilding and peace walls, and his excitement about the upcoming Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann.

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In 1996, Peter Lavery's life changed overnight. At the time, he was earning £300 a week driving buses when he became one of Northern Ireland's biggest ever lottery winners, scooping up a £10.2 million. Nearly 30 years later, he's one of Belfast's best-known businessmen. Today, he's at the heart of one of Belfast's most ambitious tourism ventures as founder of Titanic Distillers, bringing whiskey production back to the city for the first time in almost 90 years.

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From a beauty counter in Debenhams to a global beauty brand. Elanna McGowan is the owner of Pearl Beauty – a functional makeup brand which is making waves in the UK, Ireland and beyond. Originally from Canada, Elanna moved from Ontario to Ballymoney after meeting her now husband. Having built up a following on YouTube of almost 300,000, she decided to start a beauty brand that anyone could use – and pearl beauty was born. She joined Cathy to talk about finding your niche, building a brand, and staying true to yourself in business.

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