Real Business Conversations with Kinore

Real Business Conversations is a monthly podcast from Kinore, hosted by CEO and founder Larissa Feeney. Each episode is an honest, unscripted conversation with a business owner or expert about the real story behind building and growing a business in Ireland.

Booking a flight or a hotel online takes minutes, yet demand for personal, face-to-face travel advice keeps growing rather than shrinking.

This conversation covers how one family-run agency built its reputation on trust and financial protection, why cruises now make up almost 40% of its business, the hard conversations behind a family business succession, and how the team kept the doors open through COVID and beyond.

Joining Larissa is Emma McHugh, Managing Director of Atlantic Travel, one of Ireland's leading independent travel agencies based in Letterkenny, Co. Donegal. Emma took over the family business from her father and aunt nine years ago and has since been named TTG Manager of the Year for Ireland and the UK, with Atlantic Travel twice named Worldchoice Cruise Agent of the Year.

THINGS WE SPOKE ABOUT

Building trust in a market flooded with online options
The financial protection built into every bonded holiday booking
How Atlantic Travel became specialists in cruise holidays
Taking over the family business and navigating COVID
Why low deposits and word of mouth drive bookings

GUEST DETAILS

Emma McHugh is Managing Director of Atlantic Travel, one of Ireland's leading independent travel agencies, based in Letterkenny, Co. Donegal. She took over the family business from her father and aunt nine years ago, having previously worked as cabin crew and in beauty industry management.

Emma has received numerous prestigious accolades, including TTG Manager of the Year for Ireland and the UK, and TTG Top Agency in Ireland for two consecutive years, an achievement made even more significant as it spanned the COVID-19 period. Atlantic Travel has also been recognised by the Irish Travel Agents Association (ITAA) and the Irish Travel Industry Awards (ITIA) as Top Travel Agent in Ireland, and was named Worldchoice Cruise Agent of the Year for two consecutive years, in 2024 and 2025. Emma has served as both a Board Member and Treasurer of the ITAA.

Website: www.atlantictravel.ie
Social Media: Instagram @atlantictrvl | Facebook: Atlantic Travel Letterkenny

ABOUT KINORE

Kinore is an award winning and innovative online Chartered Accountancy service that takes away the worry and headache of running your own finance and related business services functions.

https://kinore.com/

ABOUT YOUR HOST

The host of this podcast is Larissa Feeney, CEO and Founder of Kinore, an award-winning online accountancy and business services firm based in Ireland.

Larissa's journey is notable, starting in hospitality before transitioning to accounting, where she qualified as a Chartered Accountant.

Driven by a vision to challenge traditional accountancy and leverage technology, Larissa founded Kinore in 2015, establishing Ireland's first online, remote-first Finance and Business Services company.

Under her leadership, Kinore has received numerous accolades, and Larissa herself has been recognised with awards like 'Accountant of the Year'.

QUOTES

It's not biased. We're not linked to any particular hotel groups. - Emma McHugh

You really need to understand what your clients' likes are before you're able to match them to the right ship, and that's why the relationship part is so important. - Emma McHugh

Have those hard conversations, as hard as they are at the time. - Emma McHugh

If you love what you do, it's much easier. If you have good relationships with the people you work with, it's much easier. - Emma McHugh

It's a huge repeat business. If somebody who goes on a cruise is 93% to rebook another one. - Emma McHugh

KEYWORDS

#FamilyBusiness #TravelIndustry #CustomerTrust #CruiseSpecialists #Kinore

Real Business Conversations is a monthly podcast from Kinore, hosted by CEO and founder Larissa Feeney. Each episode is an honest, unscripted conversation with a business owner or expert about the real story behind building and growing a business in Ireland.

Most of what we see and hear is forgotten almost instantly. One widely-cited estimate is that as little as 4% of advertising is remembered positively. So why do some of the world's biggest, most data-driven brands keep investing in it, and what is a brand actually worth to the bottom line of a business?

This conversation covers the real difference between brand and marketing, why a strong brand can be worth up to a quarter of a company's total value, the risks of building a business around a single founder's personal profile, and the eighteen-month journey behind Kinore's own rebrand from Accountant Online.

Joining Larissa is Ray Sheerin, former founder and Managing Director of Chemistry, one of Dublin's best-known creative agencies, who also worked with global agencies Ogilvy and Saatchi & Saatchi earlier in his career. A highly respected brand and marketing strategist, Ray guided Kinore through its own rebrand from Accountant Online, helping to define the company's tone of voice, core values and overall marketing strategy.

SOURCES AND CITATIONS

Books, research and people referenced by Ray and Larissa during the conversation. 

Les Binet & Peter Field, The Long and the Short of It: Balancing Short and Long-Term Marketing Strategies (IPA, 2013) – www.amazon.ie/dp/085294134X.
The study Ray references as “the biggest study into effectiveness award-winning case studies ever undertaken”, comparing long-term brand building with short-term sales activation.

Byron Sharp, How Brands Grow: What Marketers Don't Know (Oxford University Press, 2010) – www.amazon.ie/dp/0195573560. 
Byron Sharp directs the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute, which Ray cites for its work on marketing spend benchmarks.

Ehrenberg-Bass Institute for Marketing Science, University of South Australia – www.marketingscience.info. 
The research institute behind the “excess share of voice” (ESOV) concept Ray discusses, and home to academics Byron Sharp and Jenny Romaniuk, both referenced in the episode.

Rory Sutherland, Alchemy: The Surprising Power of Ideas That Don't Make Sense (WH Allen, 2019) – www.amazon.ie/dp/0753556529. 
Source of “logic never solved a persistent problem, because if it could have, it would already have done so.”

Gerald Ratner, The Rise and Fall...and Rise Again (Capstone, 2008) – www.amazon.ie/dp/1906465290  
Ratner's own account of the 1991 speech and its fallout, discussed in the episode as a cautionary tale about founder-led brands.

Dave Trott – davetrott.co.uk, referenced for his UK advertising-spend statistics and his line that advertising is “the last legal unfair advantage we have over the competition.” He is the author of Predatory Thinking (Macmillan, 2013) – www.amazon.ie/dp/1447285344.

THINGS WE SPOKE ABOUT

The real difference between brand and marketing
Why a strong brand can be worth up to a quarter of a company's value
The risk of building a business around a founder's personal brand
Inside the eighteen-month journey behind Kinore's rebrand
Weaning the business off paid Google Ads in favour of organic content
Ray's single best piece of advice for building a memorable brand

GUEST DETAILS

Ray Sheerin is a highly respected brand and marketing strategist with decades of experience helping businesses define their identity, sharpen their positioning, and drive long-term growth.

Ray is the former founder and Managing Director of Chemistry, a very well-known Dublin creative agency which he led for 21 years until 2020. Earlier in his career he worked with global marketing giants Ogilvy and Saatchi & Saatchi. As the former founder and Managing Director of leading creative agencies, Ray has guided countless leadership teams through pivotal transformations, helping them articulate who they are, what they stand for, and how to connect meaningfully with their target audience. In 2023 he was awarded an Honorary Fellowship, the highest honour of the Institute of Advertising Practitioners in Ireland (IAPI), and he is a Chartered Director with the Institute of Directors.

Ray played an instrumental role in shaping the identity of Kinore, guiding the team through their rebrand from Accountant Online. Over several months of strategic workshops, Ray helped define Kinore's tone of voice, core values, and overall marketing strategy. He brings invaluable expertise on the true power of brand building and why investing in brand identity is critical for long-term business success.

Website: www.raysheerin.com

ABOUT KINORE
Kinore is an award winning and innovative online Chartered Accountancy service that takes away the worry and headache of running your own finance and related business services functions.

https://kinore.com/

ABOUT YOUR HOST
The host of this podcast is Larissa Feeney, CEO and Founder of Kinore, an award-winning online accountancy and business services firm based in Ireland.

Larissa's journey is notable, starting in hospitality before transitioning to accounting, where she qualified as a Chartered Accountant.

Driven by a vision to challenge traditional accountancy and leverage technology, Larissa founded Kinore in 2015, establishing Ireland's first online, remote-first Finance and Business Services company.

Under her leadership, Kinore has received numerous accolades, and Larissa herself has been recognised with awards like 'Accountant of the Year'.

QUOTES

A brand is really what exists in the head of an individual – the best definition I've heard is that a brand is the promise of an experience. - Ray Sheerin

The value of a brand can be anywhere between 15% and 25% of the total value of the business. - Ray Sheerin

Logic never solved a persistent problem, because if it could have, it would already have done so. - Ray Sheerin

What we did was a complete flip, which was 100% the right thing to do, but absolutely not the easiest thing to do. - Larissa Feeney

Befriend somebody who is a creative thinker. - Ray Sheerin

A brand will exist independent of marketing once it has been built. - Ray Sheerin

KEYWORDS

#BrandStrategy #BrandVsMarketing #Rebranding #Kinore #IrishBusiness

Real Business Conversations is a monthly podcast from Kinore, hosted by CEO and founder Larissa Feeney. Each episode is an honest, unscripted conversation with a business owner or expert about the real story behind building and growing a business in Ireland.

For decades, ambition itself has not been evenly distributed. Women were once nine times less likely than men to say they wanted to grow a business beyond themselves, and there was little support built to change that.

This conversation traces how one piece of research turned into a nationwide movement: the peer-to-peer roundtable model behind Going for Growth, its rural counterpart ACORNS, and Back for Business for returning emigrants, along with what today's data says about ambition, role models and scaling a business.

Joining Larissa is Paula Fitzsimons, founder of Fitzsimons Consulting. Paula was Ireland's national coordinator for the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor for twenty years and has designed and led some of the country's best-known peer support initiatives for entrepreneurs, including Going for Growth, ACORNS and Back for Business.

THINGS WE SPOKE ABOUT

The gender gap in start-up rates and growth ambition
How one GEM statistic sparked Going for Growth
Why peer-to-peer roundtables break psychological isolation
Bringing the model to rural Ireland through ACORNS
Supporting returning emigrants through Back for Business

GUEST DETAILS

Paula Fitzsimons is the founder of Fitzsimons Consulting, specialising in entrepreneurship and growth. She was the national coordinator for the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) research project in Ireland for twenty years and served on the global board as President of the national teams for several years.

Paula has designed and implemented tailored peer support programmes for entrepreneurs, including Going for Growth, now in its 18th cycle with more than 1,100 ambitious female entrepreneurs having taken part, supported by Enterprise Ireland and KPMG. She also designed ACORNS, now in its 11th year with over 600 rural women involved, supported by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, and Back for Business for returning emigrants, supported by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Paula was appointed to the SME and Entrepreneurship Taskforce by the then Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment in 2020.

Website: www.fitzsimons-consulting.com | www.goingforgrowth.com | www.ACORNS.ie
Social Media: Paula Fitzsimons (LinkedIn)

ABOUT KINORE
Kinore is an award winning and innovative online Chartered Accountancy service that takes away the worry and headache of running your own finance and related business services functions.

https://kinore.com/

ABOUT YOUR HOST

The host of this podcast is Larissa Feeney, CEO and Founder of Kinore, an award-winning online accountancy and business services firm based in Ireland.

Larissa's journey is notable, starting in hospitality before transitioning to accounting, where she qualified as a Chartered Accountant.

Driven by a vision to challenge traditional accountancy and leverage technology, Larissa founded Kinore in 2015, establishing Ireland's first online, remote-first Finance and Business Services company.

Under her leadership, Kinore has received numerous accolades, and Larissa herself has been recognised with awards like 'Accountant of the Year'.

QUOTES

What's your vision for this business? Not just what's your vision for you, so that it's bigger than you. - Paula Fitzsimons

If you could see a woman who was a successful businesswoman, then you'd believe that you could do it. - Paula Fitzsimons

It broke down that psychological isolation and that feeling that you were the only one with imposter syndrome. - Paula Fitzsimons

No matter who he put a mic under, they were able to talk, and that's the way it should be. There's no favourites. - Paula Fitzsimons

The role models are there. They have to have the aspiration, the belief, the dedication, and then the support, as well as natural talent and hard work. - Paula Fitzsimons

KEYWORDS

#GoingForGrowth #FemaleEntrepreneurs #ACORNS #BackForBusiness #Kinore

Most founders stay stuck in survival mode because they confuse passion with strategy. True growth requires moving past the initial excitement and implementing the tight operational discipline that keeps a business alive.

This conversation examines the difficult transition from survival to scaling a manufacturing business in a hyper-competitive market. The dialogue highlights the strategic necessity of supply chain control and the power of focusing on core competencies. Joining the conversation is Stephen Bell, Managing Director of Bell Lane Coffee.

Stephen brings deep expertise in navigating regulated manufacturing markets, building direct-trade relationships, and successfully steering a business through the difficult teenage growth phase that every scaling company faces.

THINGS WE SPOKE ABOUT

Operational discipline as the primary driver of business longevity.
The danger of dilution: focusing on core competencies to win.
Building resilient supply chains to control costs.
Managing the teenage years of a business without heavy debt.
The role of financial literacy and cash flow management in scaling.

GUEST DETAILS

Stephen Bell is the Managing Director of Bell Lane Coffee. He has successfully transitioned from a technical expert into a CEO, scaling his roasting business through a direct-trade model and avoiding the pitfalls of retail expansion. Stephen is an expert in navigating regulated manufacturing markets and maintaining operational discipline.

Company Website - www.belllane.ie

Social Media:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephen-bell-85265538/

ABOUT KINORE

Kinore is an award winning and innovative online Chartered Accountancy service that takes away the worry and headache of running your own finance and related business services functions. 

https://kinore.com/ 

ABOUT YOUR HOST

The host of this podcast is Larissa Feeney, CEO and Founder of Kinore, an award-winning online accountancy and business services firm based in Ireland. 
Lasissa’s journey is notable, starting in hospitality before transitioning to accounting, where she qualified as a Chartered Accountant. 

Driven by a vision to challenge traditional accountancy and leverage technology, Larissa founded Kinore in 2015, establishing Ireland's first online, remote-first Finance and Business Services company. 
Under her leadership, Kinore has received numerous accolades, and Larissa herself has been recognised with awards like 'Accountant of the Year'.

QUOTES 

Passion gets a business started, but tight operational discipline is what actually keeps it alive. - Stephen Bell

You have to fail to succeed, and you understand that. - Stephen Bell

When you're spending your own money, you learn very quickly. - Stephen Bell

KEYWORDS: 

#BellLaneCoffee #SpecialtyCoffee #BCorpCertification #DirectTrade #WholesaleCoffee

Managing a dispersed workforce often leads to unexpected regulatory friction and compliance risks. Business owners frequently struggle to maintain legal standards when hiring talent across multiple international jurisdictions.

We explore how to bridge these gaps through robust infrastructure and smart employment strategies. This episode breaks down the complexities of international payroll, tax obligations, and the role of the employer of record.

We are joined by Dee Coakley, CEO of Boundless. With deep operational expertise and a history of scaling high-growth tech companies, Dee shares the realities of building an award-winning platform that transforms how organizations manage remote international teams.

THINGS WE SPOKE ABOUT

Origin story of Boundless and global expansion.
Legal obligations of hiring remote international workers.
Why Irish payroll fails for international employees.
How to select a co-founder with complementary skills.
Strategic benefits of the Boundless and Payoneer acquisition.

GUEST DETAILS

Dee Coakley is the co-founder and CEO of Boundless, an Irish-founded tech platform that enables companies to hire and manage international talent. 

A seasoned operational leader and former COO, Dee brings vast experience in finance, legal, and HR systems to the global workforce space. Under her leadership, Boundless successfully scaled to 32 countries and was acquired by the global financial technology giant, Payoneer.

Company Website - www.boundlesshq.com

Social Media:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/deecoakley/

ABOUT KINORE - AWARD WINNING ONLINE CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTS

Kinore is an award winning and innovative online Chartered Accountancy service that takes away the worry and headache of running your own finance and related business services functions. Kinore’s services include:

Accountancy Services
Annual Compliance & Year-End
Online Bookkeeping Services
VAT Returns
Payroll Services
Management Accounting
Xero Conversion & Training
Company Secretarial Services
Company Formation Ireland
Company Secretarial
Virtual Office
Bond for Non-EEA resident Directors
Registration Of Beneficial Ownership

https://kinore.com/ 

ABOUT YOUR HOST

The host of this podcast is Larissa Feeney, CEO and Founder of Kinore, an award-winning online accountancy and business services firm based in Ireland. 

Lasissa’s journey is notable, starting in hospitality before transitioning to accounting, where she qualified as a Chartered Accountant. 

Driven by a vision to challenge traditional accountancy and leverage technology, Larissa founded Kinore in 2015, establishing Ireland's first online, remote-first Finance and Business Services company. 

Under her leadership, Kinore has received numerous accolades, and Larissa herself has been recognised with awards like 'Accountant of the Year'.

QUOTES 

The individual is an employee in the country they live in, they're entitled to the rights of the country that they live in. -  Dee Coakley

I really enjoy working with people. I had no desire to be the dictator at the top of the organisation, where mine was the only voice that mattered. - Dee Coakley

We act as the legal employer on our customers' behalf in the country where their workers are based, and that then allows us to process payroll on their behalf, pay the workers, pay the local tax authorities, pay local benefits providers on their behalf. - Dee Coakley

Keywords: #EmployerOfRecord #GlobalCompliance #InternationalHiring #PayrollManagement #BusinessScaling #RemoteWorkforce

Most entrepreneurs are great at building a company but struggle to master public perception and get their unique story heard. In a world flooded with AI-generated content and diminishing returns from traditional advertising, mastering reputation management is no longer a luxury but a core business requirement.

The solution lies in creating earned media opportunities, pivoting from old SEO methods to generative engine optimisation, and understanding what makes a story cut through the noise. Discover the powerful yet simple strategies small businesses can use to build visibility and ultimately grow their customer base.

Host Larissa Feeney welcomes media heavyweight Garrett Harte, founder of Harte Media. Garrett served as the first employee and Editor in Chief at Newstalk for 15 years, helping turn a local startup into a national powerhouse. He now consults for business leaders on mastering storytelling and reputation management.

THINGS WE SPOKE ABOUT

Guiding principle to beat the competition.
Three unexpected pieces of business advice.
AI is fundamentally changing SEO advertising.
Focus on the desired media headline.
Why business owners avoid doing press releases.

GUEST DETAILS

Garrett Harte is a highly respected media strategist and the founder of Harte Media, a Dublin-based consultancy specialising in strategic communications and reputation management. 

With a career spanning over two decades in the Irish media landscape, Garrett is best known for his 15-year tenure at Newstalk, where he served as Editor-in-Chief and was the station's very first employee. Under his leadership, Newstalk transitioned from a local Dublin station to a major national broadcaster. 

Today, he uses his deep "insider" knowledge of the newsroom to help business leaders craft compelling stories and navigate high-stakes public relations.

Company Website - www.hartemedia.ie

Social Media: www.linkedin.com/in/garrettharte

ABOUT KINORE - AWARD WINNING ONLINE CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTS

Kinore is an award winning and innovative online Chartered Accountancy service that takes away the worry and headache of running your own finance and related business services functions. Kinore’s services include:

Accountancy Services
Annual Compliance & Year-End
Online Bookkeeping Services
VAT Returns
Payroll Services
Management Accounting
Xero Conversion & Training
Company Secretarial Services
Company Formation Ireland
Company Secretarial
Virtual Office
Bond for Non-EEA resident Directors
Registration Of Beneficial Ownership

https://kinore.com/ 

ABOUT YOUR HOST

The host of this podcast is Larissa Feeney, CEO and Founder of Kinore, an award-winning online accountancy and business services firm based in Ireland. 
Lasissa’s journey is notable, starting in hospitality before transitioning to accounting, where she qualified as a Chartered Accountant. 
Driven by a vision to challenge traditional accountancy and leverage technology, Larissa founded Kinore in 2015, establishing Ireland's first online, remote-first Finance and Business Services company. 
Under her leadership, Kinore has received numerous accolades, and Larissa herself has been recognised with awards like 'Accountant of the Year'.

QUOTES 

You need to find ways to tell your story in that independent third party media, because reputation isn't about what you say about yourself, it's what other people say about you. - Garrett Harte 

The idea you have today, Garrett, for your business, it'll be different in 12 months' time, so don't fall in love with it. -  Garrett Harte 

What's the one headline that you would like to see on the front page of Donegal Daily, the front page of Donegal Democrat, the front page of the business post. What would that headline be? - Garrett Harte

Keywords: #EarnedMedia #ReputationManagement #BusinessGrowth #StartupLessons #DigitalStrategy

The leap from a great product idea to a sustainable, self-funded, international business is a massive hurdle for entrepreneurs. 
Scaling a brand while maintaining obsessive quality control and a digital-first approach requires discipline, intentional strategy, and a high tolerance for risk. This episode dives into the uncompromising philosophy of building a household name without external investment.

Larissa Feeney sits down with Suzie O’Neill, the visionary Founder and CEO of Ayu Cosmetics, an Irish-owned, multi-award-winning beauty brand. Suzie shares her journey from a technical expert to a CEO leading over 30 employees, detailing her masterclass in identifying market gaps and prioritising long-term integrity over rapid mass-market growth.

THINGS WE SPOKE ABOUT

Leaving a secure job for necessity
Bootstrapping business to avoid debt
Why quality control beats launches
Intentional DTC model for luxury
Leader evolution: from tornado to CEO

GUEST DETAILS

Suzie O’Neill is the Founder and CEO of Ayu Cosmetics, an Irish-owned, multi-award-winning brand. A professional makeup artist by trade, she successfully scaled her business without external investment into a team of over 30 employees. 

Her business is built on a foundation of customer-centric innovation, brand integrity, and a meticulous direct-to-consumer strategy.

Connect with Suzie:
Company Website - www.ayu.ie

Social Media: https://www.linkedin.com/in/suzie-o-neill-ayu/

ABOUT KINORE - AWARD WINNING ONLINE CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTS

Kinore is an award winning and innovative online Chartered Accountancy service that takes away the worry and headache of running your own finance and related business services functions. Kinore’s services include:

Accountancy Services
Annual Compliance & Year-End
Online Bookkeeping Services
VAT Returns
Payroll Services
Management Accounting
Xero Conversion & Training
Company Secretarial Services
Company Formation Ireland
Company Secretarial
Virtual Office
Bond for Non-EEA resident Directors
Registration Of Beneficial Ownership

https://kinore.com/ 

ABOUT YOUR HOST

The host of this podcast is Larissa Feeney, CEO and Founder of Kinore, an award-winning online accountancy and business services firm based in Ireland. 

Lasissa’s journey is notable, starting in hospitality before transitioning to accounting, where she qualified as a Chartered Accountant. 
Driven by a vision to challenge traditional accountancy and leverage technology, Larissa founded Kinore in 2015, establishing Ireland's first online, remote-first Finance and Business Services company. 

Under her leadership, Kinore has received numerous accolades, and Larissa herself has been recognised with awards like 'Accountant of the Year'.

QUOTES 

You don't always have to have all the fancy stuff to begin with. - Suzie O'Neill

I just didn't have a choice otherwise, like, things had to work, or else I was going back to work. - Suzie O'Neill

You're in business now, every day there's going to be a bump on the road, and you just have to learn how to ride them. - Suzie O'Neill

Keywords: #BusinessFinance #ScalingUp #DTCStrategy #FounderStory #LeadershipTips

Bringing life-saving medical innovation to a regulated market is fraught with complexity, risk, and massive commercial barriers. The challenge is balancing technical perfection with the difficult business realities of scaling, fundraising, and exit planning.

This episode unpacks the journey of turning personal purpose into a profitable, high-impact medical technology business. 

We discuss the crucial differences between medical knowledge and commercial acumen, the importance of building trust, and securing investment in a slow-moving sector.

Larissa Feeney welcomes Brian Bailey, the CEO of Harmony Hybrid. Brian is a 25-year veteran of the medical technology sector who has successfully built, scaled, and exited multiple businesses in this demanding industry.

THINGS WE SPOKE ABOUT

Commercial acumen harder than medical knowledge
Build respect by knowing limits
Prepare documents to minimise due diligence
Creating products to avoid child heart surgery
Need patience, perseverance, and right people

GUEST DETAILS

Brian Bailey is the CEO of Harmony Hybrid. He has over 25 years of experience in cardiology device distribution and sales in Ireland. Brian is an expert in commercial strategy and navigating regulated markets, having successfully sold his family business, Bailey Medical Limited, and his subsequent distribution company, Medilex Limited

Connect with Brian:

Company Website - https://harmonyhybrid.com

ABOUT KINORE - AWARD WINNING ONLINE CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTS

Kinore is an award winning and innovative online Chartered Accountancy service that takes away the worry and headache of running your own finance and related business services functions. Kinore’s services include:

Accountancy Services
Annual Compliance & Year-End
Online Bookkeeping Services
VAT Returns
Payroll Services
Management Accounting
Xero Conversion & Training
Company Secretarial Services
Company Formation Ireland
Company Secretarial
Virtual Office
Bond for Non-EEA resident Directors
Registration Of Beneficial Ownership

https://kinore.com/ 

ABOUT YOUR HOST

The host of this podcast is Larissa Feeney, CEO and Founder of Kinore, an award-winning online accountancy and business services firm based in Ireland. 

Lasissa’s journey is notable, starting in hospitality before transitioning to accounting, where she qualified as a Chartered Accountant. 
Driven by a vision to challenge traditional accountancy and leverage technology, Larissa founded Kinore in 2015, establishing Ireland's first online, remote-first Finance and Business Services company. 

Under her leadership, Kinore has received numerous accolades, and Larissa herself has been recognised with awards like 'Accountant of the Year'.

Entrepreneurs struggle to find the balance between aggressive business growth and their own essential wellbeing, often overlooking the psychological health of their teams. This challenge can lead to burnout, poor decision-making, and limits on long-term, sustainable success.

This episode explores the strategies that prove compassion and a focus on human performance are not luxuries, but commercial necessities for building an enduring enterprise. You will hear key learnings from 30 years of entrepreneurship, the power of delegation, and innovative ways to listen to your customer to shape and expand your business.

Our guest is Jenni Timony, founder of the hugely successful Irish athleisure brand FitPink Fitness. She is also the Managing Director for I Am Here, leading the movement for psychological safety in the workplace. Jenni shares her diverse experience, from starting her first business at 19 to becoming a national finalist in the EY Entrepreneur of the Year Awards.

THINGS WE SPOKE ABOUT

Starting an entrepreneurial career young
Key financial lessons from business failure
Launching an athleisure brand successfully
How crowdfunding provides fast investment
The essential nature of true delegation

GUEST DETAILS

Jenni Timony is an entrepreneur with 30 years’ experience in commercial and social entrepreneurship projects. As Managing Director for I Am Here in the UK and Ireland, she partners with employers across sectors to embed psychological safety and build cultures where wellbeing and performance go hand in hand. She is also the founder of FitPink, an athleisure brand for women. Jenni has lectured extensively in Digital Marketing and was a national finalist in the EY Entrepreneur of the Year Awards in 2007.

Connect with Jenni:
Website: https://iamheretribe.com/  https://fitpinkfitness.com/
Social Media: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennitimony/

ABOUT KINORE - AWARD WINNING ONLINE CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTS

Kinore is an award winning and innovative online Chartered Accountancy service that takes away the worry and headache of running your own finance and related business services functions. Kinore’s services include:

Accountancy Services
Annual Compliance & Year-End
Online Bookkeeping Services
VAT Returns
Payroll Services
Management Accounting
Xero Conversion & Training
Company Secretarial Services
Company Formation Ireland
Company Secretarial
Virtual Office
Bond for Non-EEA resident Directors
Registration Of Beneficial Ownership

https://kinore.com/ 

ABOUT YOUR HOST

The host of this podcast is Larissa Feeney, CEO and Founder of Kinore, an award-winning online accountancy and business services firm based in Ireland. 
Lasissa’s journey is notable, starting in hospitality before transitioning to accounting, where she qualified as a Chartered Accountant. 

Driven by a vision to challenge traditional accountancy and leverage technology, Larissa founded Kinore in 2015, establishing Ireland's first online, remote-first Finance and Business Services company. 
Under her leadership, Kinore has received numerous accolades, and Larissa herself has been recognised with awards like 'Accountant of the Year'.

QUOTES 
 
I make mistakes, ultimately my team will make mistakes. And you know, they need to know that it's okay to make mistakes, because if you're not making mistakes, you're not trying hard enough. - Jenni Timony 
I would have probably capitalised the business better from an earlier stage. I would have got investors. - Jenni Timony 
I would say, don't be in love with your business, because your business isn't going to love you back when you're 80.  - Jenni Timony 
I always tried to think, you know, what got me here, won't get me there, so you have got to change your approach to things, I think, in business, over time." - Jenni Timony 

Keywords: #Entrepreneurship #PsychologicalSafety #BusinessGrowth #FitPink #Delegation

Discipline sounds harsh until you translate it to the Irish word : Smácht meaning control, mastery, and the beautiful skill of managing your fishing technique. 

Pádraic Ó Máille reveals how this Connemara word became a life-changing philosophy for terrified business owners surviving Ireland’s worst recession, evolving into mastermind groups running since 2011 with members still returning for one surprising reason: safety.

Discover why 98% of heart bypass patients revert to old habits without peer accountability, how Pádraic went from C-class to A-class through presentation skills, why his mother’s pre-speech phone call taught him about negative people, and the six questions transforming paralysing worry into actionable plans—including the business owner who smiled after finally knowing exactly what he owed. 

THINGS WE SPOKE ABOUT

• How the Smácht philosophy was born.
• Why mastermind groups provide irreplaceable benefits
• How physical fitness represents the #1 characteristic of successful business people. 
• Why the six-question problem-solving framework transforms worry into action. How presentation skills differentiate successful entrepreneurs not by product quality but by communication ability.

GUEST DETAILS

Pádraic Ó Máille is Ireland’s most sought-after business mentor, acclaimed speaker, and founder of the Smácht philosophy the proven discipline of success driving incredible achievements since 2011.

His framework has helped extreme athletes conquer the Atlantic, high-level sports teams win national titles, and entrepreneurs secure the EY Entrepreneur of the Year award. 

With over twenty years mentoring business owners through economic recessions, growth phases and personal challenges, Pádraic has worked with approximately 200 colleagues across 12+ Smácht mastermind groups operating since 2011, with many original members still participating today. 

Author of insightful books including The Midas Power, Pádraic’s unique approach combines Irish cultural wisdom (the Connemara word “smácht” meaning discipline, control and mastery) with practical

psychology, physical fitness principles, and peer accountability structures. 

His mentoring philosophy emphasises five critical success characteristics: physical fitness, surrounding yourself with the right

people, positive psychology, problem-solving frameworks, and presentation skills. 

Drawing on experiences from working with Fergal Quinn at SuperQuinn to supporting businesses through Ireland’s worst economic recession, Pádraic delivers transformative insights making success inevitable rather than hopeful.

Connect with Pádraic:

Smácht Mastermind Groups: Contact through Real Business Conversations
Speaking Engagements: Available for corporate events, conferences and business training

ABOUT KINORE - AWARD WINNING ONLINE CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTS

Kinore is an award winning and innovative online Chartered Accountancy service that takes away the

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Registration Of Beneficial Ownership

https://kinore.com/

ABOUT YOUR HOST

The host of this podcast is Larissa Feeney, CEO and Founder of Kinore, an award-winning online

accountancy and business services firm based in Ireland. Lasissa’s journey is notable, starting in hospitality before transitioning to accounting, where she qualified as a Chartered Accountant. Driven by a vision to challenge traditional accountancy and leverage technology, Larissa founded Kinore in 2015, establishing Ireland’s first online, remote-first Finance and Business Services

company. Under her leadership, Kinore has received numerous accolades, and Larissa herself has been

recognised with awards like “Accountant of the Year”.

QUOTES

I think when you ask the members, why do you keep coming back? It’s a safe place. When we have

problems, we can’t always go to our banks. We can’t even go to our accountants. - Pádraic Ó Máille

I asked them, what was the one characteristic they thought they needed more than anything else for

their businesses to survive? Almost every person said discipline. - Pádraic Ó Máille

Within two years, 98% of people who had bypassed surgery had reverted to their old habits, to their

old fitness regimes, to their old diets. The 2% who actually succeeded in sticking with it were part of

a mastermind group. - Pádraic Ó Máille

The first attribute of all the great people that I’ve worked with: they all had exceptionally high energy levels. They were all very physically fit. - Pádraic Ó Máille

Keywords: #Smácht #mastermindgroups #businessdiscipline #entrepreneurship #peerac

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