Conor Carlson is a bodybuilder and co-founder of Accomplish Fitness, providing online physique coaching, tailored training and nutrition for clients. Conor has a BSc in Sports Science and MSc in Sports Management from University College Dublin. Bodybuilding has been a major component of Conor’s life and after university he made the difficult decision to concentrate entirely on training and online coaching. Conor has competed as a muscle model since 2016 and in 2018 won his pro card to become the Pure Elite Overall World Champion. 

Our conversation focuses on his bodybuilding career to date, looking specifically at some of the values and principles he’s abided by through the years. We discuss my short and sweet bodybuilding career and Conor provides his thoughts on my competition as my coach throughout the preparation. We dig a little deeper into the services he provides and what steps you can take to return to healthy training and nutrition habits.

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Gary Melican is a web developer that specializes in web design, analytics, SEO, email marketing and conversion. After a successful career in the start-ups world, a significant event drove Gary to starting Gary Melican Web Design, which he describes as “the best thing that ever happened to me”. Gary has recently curated his own online web development course, an intense 30-hour coursework covering all of the key aspects of building a successful website for your company or side business. 

Check out Gary’s course – Learn to Build a Website and Gary Melican Web Services. 

Gary and I have a very interesting conversation of his path into entrepreneurship, some of the lessons he has learned on his journey and the impact on his personal and professional life. We discuss some of the service offerings he provides and take a deep dive into passive income streams, looking at both the advantages and disadvantages.

Please enjoy!

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Will O’ Brien is head of growth and government affairs at Zipp Mobility. Zipp are an Irish e-scooter operator bringing a more sustainable scooter sharing model to cities in the UK, Ireland and further afield. Zipp brings a quick and convenient way to travel around the city and provide customers with a ‘last-mile’ solution to and from public transport links. The Dublin-based e-scooter start-up have recently secured €500,000 investment, which will be used to continue trials in the UK market.

Will and I dig a little deeper into the strategy of Zipp, the legislation around micro mobility and how you could be using an e-scooter in Ireland very soon. We discuss the shift in alternative transport methods which have accelerated rapidly due to COVID-19. Providing an opportunity for Zipp to create a low-cost solution to a larger transportation problem in cities. Lastly, Will explains some of the design aspects, looking closer at the NanoSeptic handlebar that Zipp claims can reduce the risk of Covid-19 transmission by 99.98%.

Please enjoy!

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Ryan Conlan specializes in personal branding and digital marketing strategies which have resulted in over 1.6 million views on LinkedIn. Through trial and error, Ryan learned some of approaches to tap into a rapidly growing LinkedIn user base in the last couple of years. Sharing regular content on topics such as productivity, personal development, and growth. He has recently become a TEDx speaker on the topic: “The Secret Upside of Dyslexia: Not a Disability but a Superpower”. 

Ryan and I discuss how to build an online presence and why this can be so beneficial for young professionals in their career. Specifically, growing a personal brand on content deficient platforms such as LinkedIn. We review alternative interview strategies to catch the attention of employers and how you can deploy various approaches to landing job interviews. Lastly, Ryan breaks down his TEDx talk, looking at some of the building blocks to public speaking and why so many people fear getting on stage. 

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Graham Healy is the Country Manager of Avanade Ireland since 2018. Prior to this, Graham spent a number of years as a Managing Director in Sales with Accenture working across Europe, Middle East, and Africa. He has experience as the Chief Operating Officer of a scaling a start-up as well as experience with Accenture in business development, alliance management, and technology consulting. 

Graham and I discuss the different approaches to career development, contrasting the traditional career path to a more modern approach to a work-life balance. We look at the future of work and the changes in technology which are required to keep pace with the evolving landscape of remote working. Lastly, Graham gives his opinion on strategies for cultivating a digital culture and the effect this may have on an organization and its employees. 

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If you enjoyed this episode, please consider dropping a share on Instagram or leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts. Tell everyone I'm a semi-decent guy and it really helps to grow the show!

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Joe Lennon is the cofounder and Chief Technology Officer of Workvivo, an Irish technology company which helps companies to communicate with employees working remotely. Joe and his cofounder John Goulding have recently been nominated for the 2020 EY Entrepreneur of The Year award. In the past year, Workvivo has experienced over 200% growth in user numbers, with customers operating in over 50 countries. Workvivo have announced plans to create 100 new jobs in the next three years after raising over €16 million in funding. Workvivo’s initial investment came from Zoom with its Series A funding led by Tiger Global with participation from Frontline Ventures and Enterprise Ireland. Tiger Global have previously invested in companies such as LinkedIn, Airbnb, Stripe and Uber.

Joe and I discussed how Workvivo developed into an employee engagement platform and what the recent investment means for the growth and expansion of Workvivo. Joe provided his thoughts on the bootstrapped start-up model versus early stage seed investment. Lastly, Joe gave his advice for entrepreneurs of all backgrounds starting their own pursuits. 

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Victoria Fox is an entrepreneur, public speaker, writer and founder of the multi-award-winning MISS FOX Melbourne, Self-Care Sanctuary. Most recently, winning the Worlds Spa Awards for “Worlds Best Beauty Salon” of 2018 and 2019. She has recently started her online business coaching programme, providing professional advice to entrepreneurs in their own career. After building her own company for over 10 years, she now has the ability to travel extensively seeing the most unique aspects of the world. She is a big believer in mediation, yoga and all things spirituality.

This discussion focuses on how Victoria built her own company from scratch to winning internationally accredited awards. What steps she’s taken to transition into a digital nomad lifestyle. Delving into some of the benefits she’s achieved from travelling and experiencing new environments. Lastly, we discuss meditation techniques and how it can be so beneficial for relieving stress and anxiety.  

Please enjoy!

Follow Kickoff Sessions on Spotify to keep updated with new sessions!

If you enjoyed this episode, please consider dropping a share on Instagram or leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts. Tell everyone I'm a semi-decent guy and it really helps to grow the show!

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Conor Lyden is the Founder & Chief Executive Officer of Trustap, an award-winning Irish Fintech start-up with a specific focus on enabling users to transact online with complete peace of mind. Trustap is a secure transaction platform that completely protects the consumer from fraud when you wish to buy or sell with someone you don't know. Trustap operates in over 135 countries covered in collaboration with partnerships with companies such as Stripe, Amazon & 640+ couriers worldwide. The company was founded in Cork, Ireland in 2017 and is growing quickly, with offices in Ireland, the UK and the US.

The discussion focuses on how Conor started Trustap, the different means to raising capital and getting outside investment and the different start-up accelerator programmes which are available to young entrepreneurs. Conor discussed both the challenges and opportunities in FinTech start-ups as well as a look to the future as he aims to scale Trustap in different markets. Lastly, Conor provided his advice for young professionals starting their own company and lessons he’s learned along the way.  

Please enjoy!

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If you enjoyed this episode, please consider dropping a share on Instagram or leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts. Tell everyone I'm a semi-decent guy and it really helps to grow the show!

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Kickoff Sessions is hosted by Darren Lee, who interviews everyone from entrepreneurs and tech CEOs to business leaders and high performance athletes to delve deeper into their mindset, perspectives and success factors. Providing a wealth of knowledge and advice for people in their professional careers and personal lives. You'll learn some of the building blocks to successful entrepreneurship, career development, personal branding, building a team and outsourcing, personal finance, creating online courses and productivity tips so you can create something great. Kickoff Sessions is an interview style and solo podcast discussing topics such as business strategy, start-ups, technology, future of work and the principles of a successful career. 

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Support the growth of Kickoff Sessions
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