Today we’re going to be talking to Kieran Folliard. He moved to the USA from Ireland at an early age and has successfully sold some of the most popular bars and restaurants in Minnesota and launched 2 GINGERS Whiskey. We’ll talk about how he built his business by following his passion as well as how he has exited. You won’t want to miss today’s show!
In this episode, you’ll learn:
How Kiernan decided to become an entrepreneur and about his experience moving from Ireland to the United States.
How Kiernan’s passions fit into the equations and why exploration was key. He also talks about how his parents were supportive.
How starting an Irish pub solved a problem that Kiernan encountered in Minnesota.
How Kiernan overcame some of the challenges that accompany opening a restaurant, which is known to be a difficult type of business to open.
How Kiernan went about hiring a team and making sure that everyone’s skills were complementary. He also talks about how he established a vision with his team.
The emotions that surrounded backing away from one venture while starting another.
Considerations Kiernan kept in mind as he developed and grew 2 GINGERS.
How Kiernan structured his business transitions.
What Kiernan is applying to his business model to ensure longevity.
Where Kiernan gets his ideas from, what he’s trying to accomplish, and what the future may hold.
Passion. It’s what got you into this business, and it’s what will drive you through it. But what value does passion have in terms of our future successes and can it be turned into equity? Today’s podcast with Kieran Folliard explores the idea that following our passions can lead to greater business success and a strong legacy.
So what’s the value of passion?
Passion as Drive
Kieran’s passion drives him from enterprise to enterprise. He learned at a young age that anything is possible if you have the determination and work ethic to achieve it, so he has spent his adult life making his dreams a reality. His great love for his culture—including its beer and whiskey!—spurred him to pursue his dream of creating the perfect Irish pub in Minnesota, of all places.
Kieran’s passion for exploring took him to Saudi Arabia to operate a dairy farm—yes, a dairy farm in the desert. His passion for Ireland led him to open his own Irish-themed bar and even make his own whiskey, called 2 Gingers. From there, Kieran has branched into the food industry and is working on high-quality and award-winning products which focus on nutrition and flavor. Passion has driven him to multiple successful enterprises and keeps him actively looking for the next big thing.
Combining the things we love with the things we do doesn’t always work out. You need to have the discipline to see the venture through to the end. In business, you also need to be able to create something that is sustainable and valuable to someone other than yourself—so
how do you value passion?
The Equity of Passion
The thing with passion is: You can’t measure it. You can’t tell how successful an idea will be simply from the desire to make it a reality. However, there are aspects to passion which lend themselves to valuation.
As with most assets that are difficult to mea