Trading Up

Trading Up

By The Irish NewsBusinessEntrepreneurshipManagement
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Trading Up episodes

  • World's Biggest TV Show and a Field of Dreams in Banbridge
    Game of Thrones is one of the biggest TV shows ever made so you would expect a tour based around one of its key studio locations to be world class. And it is. The challenge for Sam Harding, the relatively new managing director at the Game of Thrones Studio Tour, isn’t the product or experience. It’s location – nestled in the countryside near Banbridge in the middle of Northern Ireland. What his offer lacks in obvious logistics – though Belfast and Dublin are within easy reach - is made up for in authenticity: the experience is here because this £40 million attraction is built around the studios where key parts of the show were made over several years. The old linen mill that had fallen idle was first reborn as studios and then when filming stopped as a visitor attraction containing many original sets, props, costumes and artefacts from the show. The financials have been challenging but Sam is on a mission. Bringing years of international experience to bear he has an ambitious plan now underway: cutting costs, raising revenue and building those visitor numbers. Find out how on this week’s podcast.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    47 min
  • Taking a bite of the food business

    Thana Thammavongsa was working for a mapping company in Coleraine when her career took an abrupt turn off the planned route and into the unchartered territory of running her own catering business. Three years later and she was taking a lease on premises in the town to see if her healthy Thai and Vietnamese street food concept would play well with a permanent base. Now more than a decade later she's driving off the map again with new business producing instant noodles under her Whoosh brand. Along the way she's sought help from the Go Succeed business support programme and Joanne McLaughlin joins the chat, along with former participant - and Trading Up regular - Melanie Harrison.


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    33 min
  • Ski bum to clothing king - How Matt Creighton took off with Bleubird
    We don’t all get to take ourselves to the top of a mountain for inspiration. But for Matt Creighton, it worked. As a keen skier, he’d taken a job after university as a seasonaire in the Alps. The problem he faced was the paltry pay. In order to allow for a bit of beer money he began screen printing T-shirts to sell to his mates in the ski resorts. His side hustle has since developed into a serious activity and outdoor lifestyle clothing brand selling into 300 independent outlets across the UK, Ireland, mainland Europe and even North America. They’ve begun opening stores - not just their Belfast base, but also franchises in Ballymena, Cookstown and now one to come in France. In some ways the skills and model is old school - building relationships with independent retailers - but it’s paying off with Bleubird also securing distribution deals from other brands who want to use their sales network and benefit from the “dual market access” from their Belfast base. But the brand also sells direct from its website, though ensuring it never undercuts its loyal retail base. Matt and his two business partners have done it all to date without any huge borrowings. So maybe grab your fleece or hoodie and come for a jaunt to the outdoors with Matt on this week’s episode.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    38 min
  • A student loan & an illegal pitch - Pete Boyle's remarkable story
    Pete Boyle began with a student loan and an illegal pitch on Belfast’s Royal Avenue. He built a retail business that’s made him many millions and that enabled him to buy a reservoir near Belfast (because he loves kayaking) and turn it into a tourist and leisure destination. Meanwhile he’s been growing a property development business with a focus on transforming old buildings. Pete Boyle speaks frankly about his highs and lows; his great passions and his pet hates. It’s an episode packed with real learnings from someone who has built a business empire from the ground up. From the challenges of managing growth, to the demands of turning a bricks and mortar business into clicks and mortar operation; to the frustrations of dealing with red tape and bureaucracy - Pete shoots from the hip.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    49 min
  • Brexit and Bubbles - JN Wines' James Nicholson
    The journey begins in 1977 with a Ford Cortina in Crossgar and makes important stops in Dublin and London with foreign destinations now on the horizon. James Nicholson, founder of JN Wines, shares his incredible entrepreneurial journey from selling wine out of the back of his car to building a multi-million pound business. The episode explores the ups and downs of running a business, the challenges of navigating Brexit, and the importance of Northern Ireland's unique dual market access. James also discusses his passion for horse racing, sharing insights into the industry's future amidst the rise of online betting. This episode is packed with valuable lessons for aspiring entrepreneurs and anyone interested in the world of business, wine, and even horse racing.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    42 min
  • Jailhouse Spirit - John Kelly of McConnell’s Irish Whisky
    John Kelly of McConnell’s Irish Whisky: It looks like a typo, but it’s central to the brand - McConnell’s Irish Whisky. Spot the issue? This week on Trading Up, Jim goes in search of an explanation for the missing “e” as he meets the man who has helped breathe new life into a brand that was once one of the biggest names in whisky/whiskey from Belfast to Boston but had gone out of business in the prohibition years before being resurrected in A Wing of Crumlin Road Jail. From the challenge of building a distillery in a listed Victorian jail to the task of building a 21st century brand and managing a major visitor attraction, McConnell’s CEO John Kelly distills the issues this week.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    34 min
  • Wellies on the farm and a suit in the office - Rob Heron from EY Northern Ireland
    When he’s not wearing wellies on the family farm at the weekend or trainers as he pounds the pavements prepping for his latest marathon, Rob Heron wears the title of Managing Partner at EY in Northern Ireland. A diverse skillset and decent fitness level is useful for the boss of a firm in rapid growth mode. EY in Northern Ireland has ambitious plans to more than double its 950-strong workforce in the next five years. On this week’s episode Jim explores what this 'big four' firm does - it’s not just accountancy and audit any more. From data, tech and AI consultancy, to running the Entrepreneur of the Year programme there’s a lot to discuss. Meanwhile, Jim and Rob explore some of the themes and insights that have emerged in the first few months of Trading Up episodes.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    39 min
  • Throw away the begging bowl - Maeve Monaghan from Now Group

    Maeve Monaghan loves making money. 


    It’s what she does with it that makes her business different. She heads Now Group which is a social enterprise, so her profits get reinvested in her cause - helping young people with learning difficulties and autism to find meaningful employment. She never begs, she delivers. She delivers for the many businesses who buy her products and services and she delivers for the thousands of people with learning difficulties and autism whose lives are transformed. On Trading Up this week she makes clear that it’s time for social enterprises - who have a combined turnover of £78 billion in the UK - to throw the begging bowl away and focus on delivering what business, or government wants. Angela McGowan joins the lively discussion.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    39 min
  • From chief ride tester to director of the company - John McAreavey from Clearhill

    The serious business of fun -


    So, picture the scene. You’re in town doing a bit of shopping but you’ve got your young toddler with you and they're getting restless. They begin tugging your arm towards the little rides out in the mall. How much are you willing to feed that machine and how does the business behind it capture your pound, or two?


    That’s a question for John McAreavey whose family business is installing and running those kiddie rides – 1,900 of them in 430 locations across the UK and Ireland. 


    There’s something very old-school, nostalgic even, about those little rides. But on Trading Up we learn from John how he is positioning the business for the future with everything from cashless machines to home-grown apps, loyalty schemes, and plans for expansion.


    And Trading Up regular Nichola Mallon, who has fed those machines on occasion with her young children, joins the discussion.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    39 min
  • University frustrations led to shipping firm - My Baggage's Paul Stewart

    Have you ever tired of hauling a suitcase after you on holidays and the queues for bag drop at airports; or wondered how to get a student packed off to university with all their gear; or even had to move the contents of your home to another country? The chances are you may have come across the business founded by the guest on Trading Up this week, Paul Stewart of mybaggage.com


    How has he turned his personal frustration with sorting his own uni luggage into a global business that’s helping thousands each year deal with door-to-door logistics? Find out on this week’s podcast and discover how he has also developed his own software to take the pain out of customs paperwork for customers. Nichola Mallon of Logistics UK also joins the discussion and spins the Number Wheel this week.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    31 min

About Trading Up

From the publisher's feed

Trading Up hosted by Jim Fitzpatrick, delves into the real businesses, personal stories, and remarkable journeys of entrepreneurs. Discover insights…