What do you do when your business is on the brink of collapse? For Gary Lavin, it meant getting in his car and personally selling into 3,500 stores in 18 months. In this raw and honest moment, Gary shares how fear became his biggest motivator, why most people skip the hard (but essential) work of selling, and how doubling your store count can double your business — if you're willing to do the legwork. This is a must-listen for any founder struggling to grow or hesitant to sell. -----

Subscribe to our newsletter for weekly inspiration on Business, Brain and Body, as well as exclusive events, courses and more, straight to your inbox. It's free! https://www.mrgaryfox.com/subscribe-1 

--- Visit my partners

Enterprise Ireland: https://bit.ly/EIreland

Azure Communications: https://bit.ly/azureEE 

Nostra: https://bit.ly/3HHwSMo

In this episode of The Entrepreneur Experiment, Gary Fox sits down with Lorraine Heskin, the trailblazing founder of Gourmet Food Parlour, one of Ireland’s most successful independent hospitality groups. Lorraine shares her journey from selling Irish foods on the streets of Manhattan to opening a tiny 25-seater café off a side street in Dun Laoghaire - without investors, key money, or a culinary background.

She reveals how she grew a brand that now spans restaurants, catering, corporate hospitality, and even cross-country expansion, all while maintaining a fierce loyalty to her team, her customers, and her values. This conversation is a masterclass in brand-building, resilience, and trusting your instincts - especially when the world tells you otherwise.

Whether you're in food, retail, or simply thinking about taking the leap to start your own business, Lorraine’s story will light a fire under you. ----- Subscribe to our newsletter for weekly inspiration on Business, Brain and Body, as well as exclusive events, courses and more, straight to your inbox. It's free! https://www.mrgaryfox.com/subscribe-1    --- Visit my partners: Enterprise Ireland: https://bit.ly/EIreland  Azure Communications: https://bit.ly/azureEE  Nostra: https://bit.ly/nostraee

In this Mentor Moment from Episode 365 with Laura Bonner, founder of The Muff Liquor Company, she opens up about the mental practices that keep her grounded in business and life. Laura shares her unapologetic belief in therapy, the importance of taking time to reset, and why legacy isn’t about being a great business person—but a great person. It’s a raw, real reflection on healing, perspective, and purpose from one of the most authentic voices we’ve featured. ---- Subscribe to our newsletter for weekly inspiration on Business, Brain and Body, as well as exclusive events, courses and more, straight to your inbox. It's free! https://www.mrgaryfox.com/subscribe-1    --- Visit my partners Enterprise Ireland: https://bit.ly/EIreland  Azure Communications: https://bit.ly/azureEE  Nostra: https://bit.ly/nostraee ---

In this episode of The Entrepreneur Experiment, Gary sits down with Rory King, the founder of Rory’s Travel Club- a radically simple subscription business that’s quietly revolutionising travel in Ireland and beyond.

With no investors, no fancy app, and no startup playbook, Rory turned a €10 Facebook idea into a thriving travel club with over 200,000 members, a 10-person team, and a blueprint to reach one million users. From sleeping in his car outside Applegreen Petrol Station to traveling to Sri Lanka with his customers, Rory shares his unfiltered journey of hustle, honesty, and high-impact email marketing.

If you’ve ever wondered how to build a profitable business without venture capital - or how to make email sexy again - this episode is your masterclass.

Show Notes:

In this episode, we cover:

• 💡 How Rory validated his idea with a €10 PayPal experiment on Facebook

• 📬 Why email marketing (done right) is still king—with 70% open rates

• 🚀 The low-cost, high-impact subscription model fueling explosive growth

• 🤝 How Rory builds loyalty through real-life connection and 1:1 interaction

• 🌍 The plan to scale from Ireland to Scotland, the UK, and beyond

• 🎯 Why keeping the annual fee at €12 is part of the growth strategy

• 🧠 Repurposing old content + smart social media strategies

• 🔄 Retention, recurring revenue, and the beauty of a no-commission model

• 🛏️ How 5-star hotels and top travel brands now come to him with deals

• ☕ From sports science grad to group trip leader: Rory’s real entrepreneurial journey

Links & Resources:

• Rory’s Travel Club

• Follow Rory on Instagram: @rorystravelclub

• Email Marketing Tool Rory Recommends: ActiveCampaign

___ Subscribe to our newsletter for weekly inspiration on Business, Brain and Body, as well as exclusive events, courses and more, straight to your inbox. It's free! https://www.mrgaryfox.com/subscribe-1 

___ Visit my partners Enterprise Ireland: https://bit.ly/EIreland  Azure Communications: https://bit.ly/azureEE  Nostra: https://bit.ly/nostraee 

In this Mentor Moment from episode 370, Nadia Adan shares how she left a high-paying corporate job in finance to launch her own car dealership, Ashford Motors, just before the pandemic. With grit, intuition, and a flair for social media, Nadia built a thriving business from scratch—even as others called her a "backstreet garage." This short episode is packed with powerful insights on betting on yourself, overcoming cultural expectations, and building a brand with both heart and hustle. ___________________ Visit my partners: Enterprise Ireland: https://bit.ly/EIreland Azure Communications: https://bit.ly/azureEE Nostra: https://bit.ly/nostraee

In this powerful episode of The Entrepreneur Experiment, Gary Fox meets Sean Brett – the unstoppable founder behind Steeltech Sheds. From painting houses with no experience to dominating Galway’s coal market and eventually building Ireland’s leading steel shed business, Sean shares a rollercoaster entrepreneurial journey packed with grit, hustle, and heart.

With no formal education beyond the age of 14 and a background shaped by dyslexia and adversity, Sean embodies the very essence of resilience. He opens up about cold calling his way to success, reinventing himself through personal development, and why not caring what others think is the greatest entrepreneurial mindset of all.

This is a must-listen for anyone who’s ever doubted themselves, questioned their path, or needed a reminder that the best businesses often start with zero resources and pure belief.

🎧 Show Notes: In this episode, we cover: 🔥 Sean’s first “Eureka” ad that kickstarted his painting business 🚛 How he went from one bag of coal to Galway’s biggest coal distributor 🏗 The origin story of Steeltech Sheds – and the pints-fuelled brainstorming that led to the name 🧠 Why overcoming dyslexia became one of his greatest strengths 🧰 The surprising power of rejection and how it built his sales resilience 📉 What he did when orders dried up overnight during the crash—and how expansion saved him 🎯 The marketing lessons he learned that still hold true today 🧍 Why being the face of your brand matters more than ever in the age of AI 💬 “If you could not care what other people think about you, your life would be so much happier, better, successful.”

🔗 Links & Resources: Steeltech Sheds — Learn more about Sean’s business: https://www.steeltechsheds.ie/  The Entrepreneur Experiment Newsletter — Stay updated with new episodes and insights: https://www.mrgaryfox.com/subscribe-1

--- Visit my partners

Enterprise Ireland: https://bit.ly/EIreland

Azure Communications: https://bit.ly/azureEE 

Nostra: https://bit.ly/nostraee

In this bite-sized Mentor Moment from Episode 384, David Jelly, founder of Property Bridges, joins Gary Fox to dissect two of Ireland’s biggest challenges: why people aren’t investing — despite sitting on billions in cash — and why startups struggle to retain talent in a post-COVID world. From cultural mindsets to broken incentives, David gets honest about what needs to change.

Whether you're a founder, investor, or just trying to make sense of Ireland’s economic contradictions, this moment will provide some useful food for thought on investing in Ireland, and how to shape your team in our hybrid working world.  ------ Visit my partners:  Enterprise Ireland: https://bit.ly/EIreland  Azure Communications: https://bit.ly/azureEE  Nostra: https://bit.ly/nostraee

In this inspiring episode of The Entrepreneur Experiment, Gary Fox sits down with Charlene Flanagan and Niamh Ryan—the powerhouse duo behind Ella & Jo, one of Ireland’s fastest-growing beauty brands. From a single product and two simultaneous pregnancies to a global business stocked in Boots, Dunnes Stores and over 400 pharmacies, their story is anything but ordinary. Charlene and Niamh open up about how they built Ella & Jo from the West of Ireland, how they define success on their own terms, and why authenticity, connection, and community are at the heart of everything they do. Whether you’re a solo founder, aspiring entrepreneur, or building a business while juggling parenthood—this episode will leave you fired up, grounded, and full of ideas. Show Notes: In this episode, we cover: 💡 The serendipitous start to Charlene & Niamh’s partnership 👩‍🔬 From skin clinic and bridal makeup to co-founders of a global beauty brand 🧴 How a single brush cleanser idea turned into an award-winning product range 🌍 Building a global brand from the West of Ireland 💬 Why your business doesn’t have to be born in Dublin, London, or NYC 👩‍👩‍👧‍👦 Growing a business while growing a family—simultaneous pregnancies and startup hustle 🧘 The importance of defining your own version of success 🌟 How coaching and self-acceptance helped shape their leadership styles 📦 Behind the scenes of product development: the 9-month launch timeline 🤝 The role of trust, community, and social media in scaling Ella & Jo 🧠 How to stay creatively inspired while managing the demands of entrepreneurship Links & Resources:  💻 Ella & Jo Website: https://ellaandjo.ie  📸 Charlene Flanagan Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/charleneflanagan_  👩‍⚕️ Niamh Ryan Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/niamhryan_skin/  🛍️ Buy Ella & Jo at Boots Ireland: https://www.boots.ie/ella-and-jo  📚 Going for Growth – Women entrepreneurs programme: https://goingforgrowth.com/  --- Visit my partners: Enterprise Ireland: https://bit.ly/EIreland  Azure Communications: https://bit.ly/azureEE  Nostra: https://bit.ly/nostraee

In this Mentor Moment from Episode 355 of The Entrepreneur Experiment, Barry Napier shares hard-won wisdom on how founders need to evolve as their companies scale. From letting go of control to building a culture of trust and accountability, Barry reflects on how he went from “hard work and chaos” to leading with clarity and self-awareness.

If you're a founder feeling the weight of doing it all, this is a must-watch moment on what it really means to grow — not just your company, but yourself.

Full Episode: The Entrepreneur Experiment Episode 355

In this episode of The Entrepreneur Experiment, Gary Fox sits down with John Purdy, co-founder of Ergo and a seasoned leader who has helped shape the Irish tech landscape over the past three decades. From launching Ergo in 1993 with just a handful of people to scaling it into one of Ireland’s top IT services companies, John shares the highs, the hard decisions, and the philosophies that guided him through it all. John shares a rare behind-the-scenes look at how he scaled Ergo without external investment and spun out an eventual unicorn, Fenergo, along the way. He opens up about the emotional and strategic decision to step away as CEO after 28 years, and what he’s doing now to give back—both to founders and to causes close to his heart. If you're building a business or figuring out what comes after success, this is the playbook. Show Notes: In this episode, we cover: 🚀 Growing Ergo from a printer repair business to €200M+ in revenue 📊 How John bootstrapped and resisted outside investment for decades 🏗️ Spinning out Fenergo—now valued at €1.2 billion 🔁 Why he stepped down as CEO and how he let go without meddling 🧠 What he looks for before joining a startup board or investing 🔥 The brutal honesty of what it takes to scale and survive the “messy middle” 🤝 How personal values define great founders 💬 "The team that got me the last trophy won’t get me the next one." — John Purdy quoting Sir Alex Ferguson on leadership and succession Links & Resources Ergo Technology Group: https://ergotechnologygroup.com/ Connect with John Purdy on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnpurdy Book mentioned: Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl Recommended Podcast: The Tim Ferriss Show Visit my partners Enterprise Ireland: https://bit.ly/EIreland  Azure Communications: https://bit.ly/azureEE  Nostra: https://bit.ly/nostraee