The Entrepreneur Experiment
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- 12. Nov. 2026
Über den Podcast
Discover how world-class entrepreneurs, elite thinkers, and peak performers master success in business, body, and brain. Every week, I sit down with extraordinary people to explore how they build thriving businesses, maintain peak physical health, and cultivate sharp, resilient minds. Together, we’ll discover the habits, systems, and experiments they use to create their unique formulas for success. Join me as you learn how to build like a founder, train like an athlete, and think like an artist—so we can all find our formula for success. This isn’t just a podcast; it’s a blueprint for a new kind of founder—one who balances ambition with wellness, hard work with mental fitness, and success with purpose.
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Sophie Morris: How I Built 673,000 Followers & Grew by 5,000 a Day (Her Full Media Empire Playbook
Sophie Morris joins Gary Fox on The Entrepreneur Experiment for an honest conversation about entrepreneurship, motherhood, identity and the reality behind building a successful personal brand.From explosive …
Shownotes
Sophie Morris joins Gary Fox on The Entrepreneur Experiment for an honest conversation about entrepreneurship, motherhood, identity and the reality behind building a successful personal brand.
From explosive social media growth to the pressures of running a business, Sophie shares the opportunities, sacrifices and difficult decisions that come with building something of your own.
But beyond the followers and commercial success, we explore something much more personal.
What happens to your identity when you become a mother?
Sophie opens up about the challenges of navigating motherhood while holding on to her own ambitions, the experience of losing your sense of self, and the unique pressures women face when building businesses and raising families.
We also discuss the realities of monetising an audience, protecting your credibility, turning down commercial opportunities and why growing a business doesn't always mean making more money.
In this episode, we explore:
- 673,000 followers: How Sophie grew her audience and what drove her extraordinary social media growth.
- Motherhood and identity: The experience of becoming a mum and feeling you've lost part of who you are.
- Female entrepreneurship: The expectations, pressures and challenges women face when building businesses.
- Ambition and guilt: Navigating the competing demands of being a parent and pursuing professional goals.
- Building a personal brand: How Sophie turned her passion and personality into an audience of hundreds of thousands.
- Protecting your reputation: Why she has said no to commercial opportunities and the importance of trust.
- The business of growth: The realities of retail, profitability and the decisions that matter behind the scenes.
- Finding yourself again: Why becoming a mother doesn't have to mean abandoning your ambitions or your identity.
This is a conversation about much more than followers, algorithms and business success.
It's about navigating ambition, family, identity and the often unseen pressures of entrepreneurship.
Build a better founder, not just a better business.
The Entrepreneur Experiment with Gary Fox.
Proudly powered by our commercial partners
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Sophie’s New Book: Sophie’s Swaps Homemade Wins: https://link.amazon/B0ja1G7hP
Sophie’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sophie_morris/Why Most Founders Are Building the Wrong Business with Julian Metcalfe founder of Pret & Itsu
What does it really take to build a business that lasts for decades?Julian Metcalfe, the entrepreneur behind two of Britain's most recognisable food brands, Pret A Manger and Itsu, joins Gary Fox for a …
Shownotes
What does it really take to build a business that lasts for decades?
Julian Metcalfe, the entrepreneur behind two of Britain's most recognisable food brands, Pret A Manger and Itsu, joins Gary Fox for a masterclass in entrepreneurship, leadership and the relentless pursuit of excellence.
After more than four decades building businesses, Julian has a refreshingly simple philosophy: never settle, never stop improving and never forget the customer.
In this conversation, Julian reveals why he believes founders need to think in decades rather than days, why great products matter more than great marketing and why leadership starts with taking personal responsibility.
He shares extraordinary stories from his career, including giving around 1,000 Pret employees his personal phone number, building an internal help desk to support his team and travelling repeatedly to Japan to perfect a product.
We also explore why so many businesses lose their soul as they grow, how to create a culture of genuine care and why Julian believes there's never been a better time to start a business.
This is a conversation about building something exceptional, treating people properly and finding purpose in the work.
If you're building a company, leading a team or thinking about starting your own business, this episode is for you.
Julian Metcalfe: Building Pret, Itsu & the Pursuit of ExcellenceGuest: Julian Metcalfe, Co-founder of Pret A Manger and Founder of Itsu
Host: Gary Fox, The Entrepreneur Experiment
In this episode
Proudly powered by our commercial partners
Nostra: https://bit.ly/nostra26
Azure Communications: https://bit.ly/azure26
Small Firms Association: https://bit.ly/4iDW6tW- Think in decades: Why trust, brand loyalty and lasting businesses take years to build.
- Start before you're ready: Julian's advice to aspiring entrepreneurs who are paralysed by perfectionism.
- Product beats promotion: Why marketing cannot compensate for a disappointing product.
- Never stop improving: The story of repeated trips to Japan to perfect an Itsu noodle product.
- Don't let your product taste like a spreadsheet: How financial decisions can strip the soul out of a business.
- Build a culture of care: Why employees need a shared purpose, meaningful responsibility and exceptional support.
- Leadership means accountability: Why Julian gave employees his personal phone number and shares his email address with customers.
- Fight mediocrity: Julian's philosophy of making products, services and people better every day.
00:00 — Building brands that last for decades
01:20 — Why entrepreneurs must think 10–20 years ahead
03:15 — The privilege of working for yourself
04:00 — Julian's journey into entrepreneurship
07:00 — Starting a business in the social media era
09:00 — Why great products beat great marketing
10:45 — Travelling to Japan to improve the product
12:55 — When your product starts tasting like a spreadsheet
14:10 — Creating a company culture with purpose
17:00 — What former Pret employees say about the culture
20:00 — Keeping leaders connected to frontline teams
29:00 — Giving employees responsibility and room to grow
40:00 — The importance of refusing mediocrity
45:30 — Why Julian gave 1,000 Pret employees his phone number
46:00 — The remarkable internal Pret employee help desk
47:55 — Why accountability matters in business
49:15 — Personally responding to customer feedback
52:55 — Quick-fire questions and book recommendations
55:30 — Why Julian doesn't invest in other businesses
57:30 — The one lesson every founder should take away
58:30 — Itsu's future and international expansion
Mentioned in this episodeJulian's businesses
Pret A Manger: https://www.pret.co.uk
Itsu: https://www.itsu.com
Book recommendation
Leaders Eat Last by Simon Sinek
Other businesses mentioned
Hikari Miso, the Japanese producer Julian discusses when describing the development of Itsu's broth products.
Connect with The Entrepreneur ExperimentHosted by Gary Fox.
Build a better founder, not just a better business.
Subscribe for conversations with exceptional entrepreneurs and practical lessons on building a better business and a better life.
How to Build a Premium Brand With Almost No Money - Peter McAuley founder Nomadic Watches
What does it take to build a luxury watch brand from scratch and challenge an industry dominated by Rolex, TAG Heuer and the Swiss giants?Peter McAuley is the founder of Nomadic Watches, a Belfast born luxury …
Shownotes
What does it take to build a luxury watch brand from scratch and challenge an industry dominated by Rolex, TAG Heuer and the Swiss giants?
Peter McAuley is the founder of Nomadic Watches, a Belfast born luxury watch company on a mission to put Irish watchmaking on the global map.
In 2021, Peter launched with his personal savings, a single prototype, some basic iPhone photography and a Shopify website. His first 10 customers came from personally messaging strangers on Instagram.
Just a few years later, Nomadic has grown into a multimillion pound business, with customers around the world, a flagship Belfast store and ambitious plans to expand into Dublin and the United States.
In this episode of The Entrepreneur Experiment, Gary Fox sits down with Peter to explore how he built a premium consumer brand without an established reputation, why opening a physical shop transformed the business and how he secured £500,000 in debt funding to accelerate growth.
They also explore the power of storytelling, the importance of understanding your real customer, and why Peter is focused on building a business that can survive for generations rather than chasing short term growth.
In this episode, you'll discover:
• How Peter found his first 10 customers through Instagram DMs.
• Why Nomadic went from selling roughly 100 watches a year to 1,000.
• How a physical retail presence became a major growth driver.
• The strategy behind selling luxury watches priced from £1,000 to £3,000.
• Why Peter chose £500,000 in debt funding rather than giving away equity.
• How to build a brand that competes on storytelling, identity and experience rather than price.
• Why building a sustainable, profitable business matters more than chasing growth at all costs.
From one prototype in Belfast to a global luxury brand, this is a fascinating lesson in persistence, positioning and thinking long term.
Build a better founder, not just a better business.
Episode chapters
Peter McAuley | Nomadic Watches00:00:00 Introduction to Peter McAuley and Nomadic Watches
00:00:45 The personal story that inspired Peter's passion for watches
00:14:00 Launching Nomadic with personal savings and one prototype
00:15:00 Selling the first watches through Instagram
00:16:00 Why founders must learn to sell
00:24:00 Growing from 100 to 1,000 watches a year
00:25:00 Why physical retail changed the business
00:30:00 Pricing luxury watches and understanding the customer
00:43:45 Raising £500,000 through debt financing
00:50:00 Retail partnerships and customer lifetime value
00:54:00 Opening a flagship store in Dublin
00:56:00 The opportunity to expand into America
01:04:00 Peter's personal routines and approach to performance
01:09:00 The mindset required to succeed as a founder
01:09:45 Peter's recommended business books
01:10:55 Which entrepreneur would Peter invest in?
01:13:15 Where to find Nomadic Watches
Five key lessons for founders1. Your first customers won't magically appear.
Peter found his first 10 customers by reaching out to people individually through Instagram. Sales require direct action, particularly when nobody knows your brand.
2. Sometimes the best growth strategy goes against conventional wisdom.
Despite being warned about the cost of physical retail, Peter discovered that customers purchasing luxury products wanted to experience them in person.
3. Great brands sell more than products.
Nomadic draws on Belfast's history, engineering heritage and storytelling to create an identity that goes beyond the watch itself.
4. Understand your customers before scaling.
Peter explains how the brand evolved as he learned who was actually buying his watches, what they valued and how they preferred to shop.
5. Build for decades, not quarters.
Rather than pursuing growth at any cost, Peter wants to create a sustainable brand that can still exist in 50 or 100 years.
Connect with Peter and Nomadic WatchesNomadic Watches website: https://nomadicwatches.com
Irish website: https://nomadicwatches.ie
Peter McAuley on LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/peter-mc
Nomadic Watches on LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/company/nomadic-watches
Books recommended by PeterReady, Fire, Aim by Michael Masterson
https://www.oreilly.com/library/view/ready-fire-aim/9780470182024/
The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing by Al Ries and Jack Trout
https://profilebooks.com/work/the-22-immutable-laws-of-marketing/
About The Entrepreneur ExperimentThe Entrepreneur Experiment explores what it really takes to build a successful business and become a better founder.
Hosted by entrepreneur and investor Gary Fox, the podcast features candid conversations with founders, business leaders and high performers, covering the lessons, strategies and decisions behind their success.
Our
The Uncomfortable Truth That Entrepreneurs Ignore - Dan Kiely
Dan Kiely built one of Ireland’s great entrepreneurial success stories.Alongside Linda Green Kiely, he transformed Voxpro from a small Cork business into a global company working with some of the biggest …
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Dan Kiely built one of Ireland’s great entrepreneurial success stories.
Alongside Linda Green Kiely, he transformed Voxpro from a small Cork business into a global company working with some of the biggest technology companies in the world.
But what did that level of success actually cost?
In one of the most open conversations we have had on The Entrepreneur Experiment, Dan talks about the sacrifices required to build a company of that scale, the obsession that drove him, his relationship with Linda, cracking America, building powerful networks and eventually selling Voxpro.
Then came the part nobody prepares founders for.
Dan remembers looking at €45 million in his bank account after the deal and realising he had never felt more miserable.
We talk about identity after an exit, addiction, giving up alcohol, learning to be present, men's mental health, his relationship with success and why he is now going back to the classroom to become a better coach and listener.
Dan also explains what he looks for when investing through MASV, why Irish founders need to think globally much earlier and why relationships remain one of the greatest competitive advantages in business.
This is a conversation about building a huge company.
But more importantly, it is about what happens to the person who builds it.
Show Notes
In this episode we discuss:00:00 Dan and Linda's extraordinary partnership
00:42 Why Linda was the original venture capitalist
04:30 Building a company valued at €150 million
05:42 What success actually cost Dan
10:00 The hidden pressure behind public success
15:00 Why Dan fought for the idea of “operational beauty”
20:40 Our growing addiction to Reels
25:30 AI will either serve you or you will serve AI
35:45 Why Irish founders need to go where their market is
40:30 Why your network is everything
46:10 Why Voxpro was “50% business and 50% show business”
50:08 Ireland's complicated relationship with failure
52:40 How America changed Dan's mindset
59:30 Addiction, ambition and giving up alcohol
01:01:13 Becoming more present and getting to know himself
01:06:15 Why every entrepreneur needs to understand their exit
01:10:50 Life immediately after selling Voxpro
01:11:27 “I had €45 million in my bank account and I've never been so miserable in my life”
01:15:00 Finding a new identity and creating MASV
01:19:10 Men's mental health and helping other founders
01:20:00 Why Dan has gone back to education
01:25:00 Linda's next chapter and using fashion to create impact
Guest resources
Dan Kiely on LinkedIn
MASV
Everyone Told Her Not to Build Peanut. She Did It Anyway | Michelle Kennedy
Michelle Kennedy was told to build another dating app.She knew dating. She had worked at Badoo and Bumble. It was the obvious move.Instead, she built Peanut.Michelle created Peanut after becoming a mother and …
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Michelle Kennedy was told to build another dating app.
She knew dating. She had worked at Badoo and Bumble. It was the obvious move.
Instead, she built Peanut.
Michelle created Peanut after becoming a mother and experiencing first hand how isolating that transition could be. What began as the product she wished existed has grown into a global community connecting women through motherhood, fertility, menopause and some of the most important stages of their lives.
But the journey started unusually.
Michelle raised investment before she had a product or a team. At that point, she essentially had herself, an idea and a deck.
She then made another unconventional decision. Rather than slowly expanding from London across the UK, she went directly after the US market, launching into cities including New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles.
In this episode, we unpack how she did it.
Michelle explains why she deliberately targeted America, what she would do differently if she were raising money today, and why taking institutional investment so early created lessons she only understood later.
We also explore one of the most important but least discussed advantages in business: your network.
Michelle openly admits that she spent much of her early career without understanding networking at all. She explains how she eventually realised that relationships were driving opportunities all around her, and how founders can build a network intentionally rather than simply collecting contacts.
We discuss the difficult balance between founder instinct and data, why listening to every piece of advice can damage a company, and how Michelle learned to distinguish useful feedback from pressure to follow trends.
Michelle also explains why she believes great consumer founders need taste, why experimentation is fundamental to building products, and why a catastrophically bad experiment can sometimes teach you far more than a small improvement.
We explore Peanut's mission beyond technology and why Michelle believes real world human connection will become even more valuable as AI becomes more powerful.
Michelle also shares Peanut's work around matrescence, the biological, psychological and emotional transition into motherhood, and the company's wider mission to make women's experiences better understood.
And finally, Michelle shares the three qualities she believes have been most important to her success as an entrepreneur: grit, passion and team.
In this episode• Why Michelle built Peanut after becoming a mother
• Why people encouraged her to build another dating app instead
• Raising VC funding before having a product or team
• Why Peanut attacked the US market from the beginning
• What Michelle would change about her fundraising strategy today
• The funding challenges still facing female founders
• Why founders need to filter advice
• The danger of following trends instead of your customer
• How Michelle learned the importance of building a network
• Why relationships can become a hidden advantage in business
• Combining founder instinct with data
• Why great consumer founders need taste
• How to run experiments that actually teach you something
• Why a dramatically unsuccessful experiment can still be valuable
• AI and the increasing importance of real human connection
• Peanut's work around matrescence
• The Village Fund and helping mothers connect in real life
• Michelle's three ingredients for entrepreneurial success: grit, passion and team
About Michelle KennedyMichelle Kennedy is the founder and CEO of Peanut, a platform designed to connect women through different stages of life including fertility, pregnancy, motherhood and menopause.
Before founding Peanut, Michelle worked in the dating industry at Badoo and was involved in the early development of Bumble.
She launched Peanut in 2017 after experiencing first hand the need for better connection and community following the birth of her first child.
Learn more about Michelle and PeanutPeanut
https://www.peanut-app.io/Download Peanut through the Apple App Store or Google Play.
The Village Fund
https://www.peanut-app.io/village-fundPeanut and Coterie have created a six figure fund designed to help mothers turn online connections into real world meetups and communities.
Book recommended by MichelleGrit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckworth
https://www.angeladuckworth.com/grit/Michelle describes Grit as a phenomenal book and recommends it for founders. The book explores Angela Duckworth's research into why sustained passion and perseverance can matter more to long-term achievement than talent alone.
From No Idea to a $25M Raised in 3 Years | Mark Hughes co-founder Solidroad
Mark Hughes started Solidroad in Dublin in 2023 with his co founder Patrick Finlay.There was just one problem.They did not actually know what they were going to build.Three years later, Solidroad has gone …
Shownotes
Mark Hughes started Solidroad in Dublin in 2023 with his co founder Patrick Finlay.
There was just one problem.
They did not actually know what they were going to build.
Three years later, Solidroad has gone through Y Combinator, built offices in Dublin and San Francisco, landed major enterprise customers and raised a $25 million Series A.
In this episode of The Entrepreneur Experiment, Mark breaks down exactly how it happened.
We go inside the early search for product market fit, how they got their first customers, founder led sales, getting into Y Combinator after multiple attempts, moving his life to San Francisco and the extraordinary speed at which Silicon Valley operates.
Mark also tells the story of meeting First Round Capital on a Saturday, meeting the partnership on Sunday and effectively having the investment agreed by Monday.
We then get into AI.
Mark explains how AI has completely changed the way he works as a CEO, why he believes repetitive work is most at risk, why customer support will remain a combination of humans and AI, and how he is effectively building an AI powered operating system around his company.
Finally, we talk about the biggest mistake he has made building Solidroad and the lesson he would give his younger founder self:
Move faster.
A fascinating conversation about ambition, fundraising, sales, AI, Silicon Valley and what it really takes to build a venture scale company.
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—-
CHAPTERS00:00 Meet Mark Hughes and Solidroad
01:52 From Dublin startup to a $25M Series A
03:09 Why Mark became a second time founder
04:30 Starting a company without knowing what to build
06:01 How they searched for the right problem
07:49 The moment they realised they had something
09:09 Funding the company before Y Combinator
11:39 Revenue as the North Star
15:01 Why timing matters in startups
17:00 How Solidroad found its first customers
19:37 Mark's founder led sales playbook
24:28 Why moving to San Francisco changed everything
24:59 What Y Combinator actually does
26:33 Inside a typical week at YC
28:31 Getting into YC after multiple attempts
31:24 The personal cost of moving to San Francisco
34:38 What happens after Y Combinator
36:22 Inside YC Demo Day
37:27 Meeting First Round Capital
38:50 Saturday meeting, Monday money
39:53 Building a $6.5M seed round
42:10 Landing major enterprise customers
42:49 Why money raised is the wrong success metric
43:10 Why Solidroad raised again
44:56 Will AI take our jobs?
46:30 Why customer service will remain human
48:56 The jobs most exposed to AI
49:40 How an AI powered CEO works
52:42 Has Claude overtaken ChatGPT?
54:04 Raising the $25M Series A
59:05 Mark's advice for founders raising money
1:00:41 Dublin versus San Francisco
1:02:52 What comes next for Solidroad
1:03:59 Mark's biggest mistake
1:07:02 Quick fire
1:10:22 Why face to face sales will win in an AI world
1:13:37 The advice Mark wishes he had earlier
1:14:08 Speed is everything
The Real Reason I Left Dragons’ Den | Sara Davies
Mit Sara Davies
Sara Davies built the business that changed her life.Then she had to fight to save it.In this episode of The Entrepreneur Experiment, Sara tells the story of what happened when Crafter’s Companion, the company …
Shownotes
Sara Davies built the business that changed her life.
Then she had to fight to save it.
In this episode of The Entrepreneur Experiment, Sara tells the story of what happened when Crafter’s Companion, the company she founded from her bedroom, ran into serious trouble and ultimately entered administration.
She talks candidly about buying the business back, the brutal 18 months that followed, and what it feels like when the company that has defined so much of your life suddenly becomes the source of enormous pressure.
This is not simply a story about business recovery.
We talk about the decisions and warning signs that founders can miss when a company is growing, including the uncomfortable reality of doing around £20 million in revenue while struggling for cash.
Sara also opens up about stepping away from Dragons’ Den, the pressure of trying to be a founder, investor, television personality and mother at the same time, and reaching the point where she knew something had to change.
We explore ADHD, hyperfocus, motherhood, guilt, resilience, investing and the psychology that has allowed Sara to keep moving forward through some of the most difficult periods of her career.
In this conversation:
• What really happened inside Crafter’s Companion
• How a business can generate huge revenue and still run into cash problems
• Why Sara decided to buy her company back
• The toughest 18 months of her business career
• The founder mistakes she can now see more clearly
• Why she stepped back from Dragons’ Den
• The pressure of combining ambition, business and family
• Sara’s experience of ADHD and hyperfocus
• How she evaluates entrepreneurs and investments
• What difficult periods have taught her about resilience
This is a very different side of Sara Davies.
It is a conversation about what happens when success becomes complicated, when the business you built needs saving, and how you rebuild both the company and the founder behind it.
The Entrepreneur Experiment is about one central idea:
Build a better founder, not just a better business.
—-
Our Sponsors:Nostra: https://bit.ly/nostra26
Azure Communications: https://bit.ly/azure26Follow The Entrepreneur Experiment:
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Podcast: https://www.mrgaryfox.com/podcastJames Haskell: The Hard Truth About Success, Reinvention & Life After Rugby
James Haskell has spent most of his life performing under pressure.He won 77 caps for England, toured with the British & Irish Lions, played professional rugby around the world and then had to figure out who he …
Shownotes
James Haskell has spent most of his life performing under pressure.
He won 77 caps for England, toured with the British & Irish Lions, played professional rugby around the world and then had to figure out who he was when the game stopped.
Today, James is an entrepreneur, broadcaster, author, DJ and co-host of The Good, The Bad & The Rugby. He’s also building Blackeye Spirits alongside Mike Tindall and Alex Payne.
But this isn’t really an episode about rugby.
It’s about building a better founder, not just a better business.
We talk about why self-awareness may be the ultimate competitive advantage, how elite sport teaches you to handle brutal feedback, why ambitious people struggle to recognise when enough is enough, and how James rebuilt his identity after rugby.
We also get into focus, saying no, buying back your time, therapy, accountability, personal branding, choosing business opportunities, the creator economy, why information is becoming free and why implementation is becoming more valuable.
James is candid, funny and completely unfiltered throughout.
If you’re ambitious, stretched across too many things, or trying to work out what success actually means to you, there’s a lot in this one.
In This EpisodeWe cover:
- What professional sport teaches you about business
- Why “you can lie to everyone else, but you can’t lie to yourself”
- How to receive feedback without letting your ego get in the way
- The four things James believes you can actually control
- Why achievement can leave high performers permanently unfulfilled
- The difference between chasing outcomes and mastering process
- What Eddie Jones taught him about excellence
- Reinventing yourself when your first career ends
- Why James started preparing for life after rugby at 20
- Learning to say no to opportunities
- How he decides which businesses and projects deserve his time
- Why he refuses most equity-only deals
- Authenticity, personal branding and protecting audience trust
- Why information is becoming free but implementation will remain valuable
- Therapy, mental performance and changing your emotional state
- His approach to focus, batching and avoiding distraction
- Why even a former professional athlete pays someone to keep him accountable
- Buying back your time
- Defining how much money is actually “enough”
- Turning The Good, The Bad & The Rugby from a podcast into a media business
- Why modern podcasts need to think beyond audio
- Building Blackeye Spirits and the mission behind the Blackeye Rugby Fund
Links & Resources
James Haskell: official site covering his rugby, books, music and other projects. James Haskell official website (https://jameshaskell.com/)
The Good, The Bad & The Rugby: James hosts alongside Mike Tindall and Alex Payne; the show describes itself as the world’s biggest rugby podcast. The Good, The Bad & The Rugby (https://goodbadrugby.com/)
Blackeye Spirits: James, Mike Tindall and Alex Payne’s spirits business. The brand says its Rugby Fund aims to eventually invest £1 million annually supporting injured players, research, risk reduction and recovery.
Blackeye Spirits (https://blackeyespirits.com/James’s books: What A Flanker, Ruck Me and Approach (With)out Caution are all featured on his official site.
Her Last Words Changed His Life. Then He Built a Business Helping Thousands | Danny Buckley
This is one of the most personal founder stories we’ve recorded on The Entrepreneur Experiment.Danny Buckley is the co-founder of ADHD Now and a 2026 EY Entrepreneur of the Year finalist.But the company exists …
Shownotes
This is one of the most personal founder stories we’ve recorded on The Entrepreneur Experiment.
Danny Buckley is the co-founder of ADHD Now and a 2026 EY Entrepreneur of the Year finalist.
But the company exists because of a far more personal story.
Danny spent much of his life struggling with distraction, emotional dysregulation, anxiety and a lack of structure without understanding why.
His wife Simone believed he had ADHD. Danny dismissed it.
Then life changed completely.
After years of serious health challenges, Simone became critically ill. The day before she died, she told Danny that life was short, that he needed to stop inflicting suffering on himself, get help for his ADHD, understand who he was and back himself.
Danny eventually followed her advice.
His diagnosis at 32 gave him a new understanding of himself, but getting there exposed another problem: accessing ADHD assessment and support was extraordinarily difficult.
Danny saw an opportunity to change that.
Together with his co-founders, he built ADHD Now around a simple idea: people should be able to get answers in weeks rather than wait years.
We unpack how they found clinical capacity, built the technology and processes, generated demand, scaled the team and created a service that expects to see 13,000 patients in 2026.
But this conversation goes far beyond business.
Danny speaks openly about grief, becoming emotionally available for his son, sobriety, faith, asking for help and learning to live with structure and discipline.
We also explore why ADHD appears so frequently among entrepreneurs, how hyperfocus can become both an advantage and a liability, and why Danny eventually had to recognise that not every exciting business opportunity deserved his attention.
His personal framework is beautifully simple: desire, hard work and help.
And each morning, he returns to his Three Cs:
Connection. Compassion. Contribution.
This is a story about what happens when you finally understand yourself, accept what you cannot control and put your energy into what you can.
As Danny puts it:
“Life is short. Enjoy the life you’ve left.”
IN THIS EPISODEDanny’s experience of living with undiagnosed ADHD
The final conversation with his wife Simone that changed the direction of his life
Why he travelled to the UK to receive his ADHD diagnosis
How diagnosis brought structure, discipline and emotional awareness into his life
Why getting a diagnosis is only the beginning
Turning his own experience into the idea for ADHD Now
The stranger Danny met outside the hospital who would later back the business
How ADHD Now went from idea to launch in a matter of months
Recruiting clinicians when the healthcare system was already at capacity
Using technology and systems to reduce friction for patients
Why private providers may form part of the solution to healthcare waiting lists
The relationship between ADHD, hyperfocus and entrepreneurship
Why Danny bought two bakeries while scaling a healthcare company
Learning when ADHD-driven curiosity becomes distraction
Danny’s formula of desire, hard work and help
His Three Cs: Connection, Compassion and Contribution
The moment at EY Entrepreneur of the Year when Danny finally felt proud of himself
Why he rejects the idea that founders have to be miserable to succeed
Faith, fatherhood and redefining what success means
Why “action removes anxiety”
Our Sponsors:Nostra: https://bit.ly/nostra26
Azure Communications: https://bit.ly/azure26🔗 Links & Resources:
ADHD Now: https://adhdnow.com/ie
Danny Buckley on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/danibuckley90
Danny Buckley on LinkedIn: https://ie.linkedin.com/in/danny-buckley-84840b2a0
Book recommendation – Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss: https://amzn.to/4dshO2a
Follow The Entrepreneur Experiment:
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Podcast: https://www.mrgaryfox.com/podcastEE521 - Mentor Moment: Laura Dowling - Why Consistency Beats Virality
Building a trusted brand rarely comes from one viral moment. It comes from showing up consistently, solving real problems and earning people’s attention over time.In this Mentor Moment, Laura Dowling shares how …
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Building a trusted brand rarely comes from one viral moment. It comes from showing up consistently, solving real problems and earning people’s attention over time.
In this Mentor Moment, Laura Dowling shares how she built credibility by making complex health information easier to understand and creating content that genuinely helped her audience.
It’s a valuable lesson for any founder or creator trying to grow a brand: trust compounds, consistency matters and meaningful impact will always outlast a temporary spike in views.
🎧 Listen back to Laura’s full conversation in Episode 466 of The Entrepreneur Experiment for more on her journey from pharmacist to educator, entrepreneur and trusted voice in women’s health.
Follow and subscribe so you never miss a Mentor Moment.
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EE520: Thomas Carty - From 300 Boxes to Nationwide Retail | How He Built Thirst
In this episode of The Entrepreneur Experiment, Gary Fox sits down with professional heavyweight boxer and Thirst co-founder Thomas Carty to unpack how he built one of Ireland’s fastest-growing hydration brands …
Shownotes
In this episode of The Entrepreneur Experiment, Gary Fox sits down with professional heavyweight boxer and Thirst co-founder Thomas Carty to unpack how he built one of Ireland’s fastest-growing hydration brands while pursuing a career in professional boxing.
The idea began with Thomas’s own search for a convenient electrolyte product to support his training. When the brand he relied on stopped shipping to Ireland, he decided to create his own. Within just ten weeks, Thomas and his business partner had developed and self-funded their first 300 boxes—but producing the product was only the beginning.
After pharmacies, health shops and supplement stores refused to stock them, Thomas loaded the boxes into his car and began selling them one at a time to coffee shops and saunas across Dublin. Today, Thirst works with more than 20 distributors and is stocked across Ireland in hundreds of cafés, vending machines, gyms, forecourts and major retail groups.
Thomas shares the reality behind that growth: the uncomfortable early sales, the importance of moving quickly, how founder-led content helped build trust and why the right business partner allowed him to balance building Thirst with training up to 11 times a week.
If you have an idea you’ve been waiting to launch, this episode is a practical masterclass in product development, distribution, founder-led marketing and getting started before everything is perfect.
🎧 Show Notes:
In this episode, we cover:
🥊 How Thomas’s Olympic ambitions led him into professional boxing
💡 The sauna conversation that sparked the idea for Thirst
🤝 Finding a business partner with complementary skills
⚡ Developing and self-funding the first product in just ten weeks
📦 Starting with 300 boxes across three flavours
🚪 What happened when pharmacies and supplement stores refused to stock the brand
☕ Creating a new route to market through coffee shops and saunas
🚗 Driving across Dublin to sell one box at a time
📱 Using social proof and founder-led content to build trust
🎙️ The podcast appearance that created a major spike in sales
📈 Growing from one distributor to more than 20
🛒 Designing packaging specifically for convenience and retail
🏪 Expanding into hundreds of cafés and vending machines across Ireland
⏱️ Why speed has become one of Thirst’s greatest advantages
🧠 Balancing a growing company with 11 boxing and training sessions each week
📓 The physical diary Thomas relies on to manage his life and workload
🌍 Why export—not launching a canned drink—is the next priority
📣 Why social media remains the most powerful free tool available to founders
🚀 What Thomas would do differently if he were launching Thirst again
🔥 Why blind faith and hard work form his personal formula for success💬 “The secret sauce is graft. There’s no secret.” – Thomas Carty
🔗 Links & Resources:
Thirst: https://thirstlife.com
Thirst on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thirst.life
Thomas Carty on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_thomascarty
Thomas Carty on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-carty-775516162
Book recommendation – Relentless by Tim Grover: https://timgrover.com/relentless/Our Sponsors:
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Podcast: https://www.mrgaryfox.com/podcastEE519: Mentor Moment: Mark Breen - Opportunities Rarely Arrive Planned
The biggest opportunities in your career rarely arrive with a perfect plan.In this Mentor Moment, Mark Breen, founder of Safe Events Global, shares how saying yes, staying open to unexpected opportunities and …
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The biggest opportunities in your career rarely arrive with a perfect plan.
In this Mentor Moment, Mark Breen, founder of Safe Events Global, shares how saying yes, staying open to unexpected opportunities and being willing to follow where the work led helped shape his career.
It’s a powerful reminder that progress is not always linear. Sometimes, the next step only becomes clear after you take it.
🎧 Listen back to Mark’s full conversation in Episode 463 of The Entrepreneur Experiment for more on his journey, the growth of Safe Events Global and the lessons he has learned along the way.
Follow and subscribe so you never miss a Mentor Moment.
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EE518 - Jeff Dodds: The Formula for Scaling a Global Sport to 400m+ Fans
In this episode of The Entrepreneur Experiment, Gary Fox sits down with Jeff Dodds, CEO of Formula E, the electric motorsport championship that has grown from no established fan base to more than 400 million …
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In this episode of The Entrepreneur Experiment, Gary Fox sits down with Jeff Dodds, CEO of Formula E, the electric motorsport championship that has grown from no established fan base to more than 400 million fans worldwide.
Jeff takes us inside the rapidly expanding business of global sport and explains how Formula E is combining close-combat racing, world-famous manufacturers, sustainability, social media and entertainment to build the next generation of motorsport.
He shares the unconventional story of how he moved from leading Virgin Media O2 into Formula E, what he discovered during his first month as CEO, and why he keeps a game of Snakes and Ladders behind his desk as a reminder of the realities of running a scale-up.
Jeff also reveals the leadership principles that shape Formula E’s culture, including the three qualities he looks for in every team member: energy, optimism and accountability. He explains how obsessive behaviour can become a competitive advantage, why leaders must focus on what they can control, and how Formula E uses immediate post-race debriefs to turn lessons into action.
From managing his energy while travelling for six months of the year to balancing competition, training and recovery, this is a fascinating conversation about leadership, performance and building a global sports platform.
For founders, CEOs and anyone trying to scale an ambitious organisation, this episode is packed with practical insights.
Show NotesIn this episode, we cover:
🏎️ How Formula E grew to more than 400 million fans worldwide
💰 How the business of global sport actually makes money
📱 The role of creators, social media and entertainment in growing a sport
🔥 Why obsessiveness can become a competitive advantage
🪜 Jeff’s “Snakes and Ladders” approach to leading a scale-up
⚡ The three traits behind high-performing teams: energy, optimism and accountability
📝 Formula E’s “I like, I wonder” post-race debrief system
🔋 How Jeff manages energy, travel and recovery as a global CEO
🚀 Why first-mover advantage still matters in business
Connect with Jeff and Formula E
Links and Resources- Formula E official website (https://www.fiaformulae.com/)
- Formula E on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/formula-e/)
- Jeff Dodds on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jedodds/)
- Formula E on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fiaformulae/?hl=en
- https://www.youtube.com/@FIAFormulaE
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EE517 - Mentor Moment: Ryan Casey - Build the Brand Before You Build the Business
ou don’t need a huge budget to prove that an idea can work. You need creativity, resourcefulness and the willingness to start.In this Mentor Moment, Ryan Casey, founder of C11 Recovery, shares how he began …
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ou don’t need a huge budget to prove that an idea can work. You need creativity, resourcefulness and the willingness to start.
In this Mentor Moment, Ryan Casey, founder of C11 Recovery, shares how he began building the brand with limited resources by creating recovery boxes, tapping into his network and finding smart ways to test demand before scaling.
It’s a practical lesson in building momentum without waiting for perfect conditions, using partnerships to create opportunities and proving the concept before making bigger investments.
🎧 Listen back to Ryan’s full conversation in Episode 462 of The Entrepreneur Experiment for more on the story behind C11 Recovery and the lessons he has learned building the business.
Follow and subscribe so you never miss a Mentor Moment.
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EE516 - From €237 in the Bank to Building a Global Accessibility Company | Stephen Cluskey
In this episode of The Entrepreneur Experiment, Gary Fox sits down with Stephen Cluskey, CEO and co-founder of Mobility Mojo.At 18, Stephen broke his neck in a freak accident and was paralysed from the neck …
Shownotes
In this episode of The Entrepreneur Experiment, Gary Fox sits down with Stephen Cluskey, CEO and co-founder of Mobility Mojo.
At 18, Stephen broke his neck in a freak accident and was paralysed from the neck down. After years focused on rehabilitation, a six-hour wait for an accessible taxi inspired his first business and ultimately led to the creation of Mobility Mojo.
Stephen shares how the company survived with just €237 left in the bank, adapted when Covid shut down the hospitality industry and evolved into a global workplace accessibility platform used by major organisations.
This is a powerful conversation about resilience, purpose, product-market fit and why the people who survive are often those most willing to adapt.
🎧 Show Notes
In this episode, we cover:
🔥 The accident that changed Stephen’s life at 18
🎯 Using small goals to navigate recovery
🚕 The inaccessible taxi experience that sparked his first business
💶 Reaching just €237 in the company bank account
🌍 The conversation that transformed Mobility Mojo’s business model
🦠 Pivoting when Covid shut down the hospitality industry
🏢 Building a global workplace accessibility platform
📈 Raising investment and winning major enterprise clients
♿ Why accessibility goes far beyond ramps and bathrooms
⚖️ Combining social impact with a profitable business model
👥 The importance of team, perseverance and adaptability💬 “It’s not the strongest that survive; it’s those that adapt.” – Stephen Cluskey
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EE515 - Mentor Moment: Dan Lawrence: Recovery Is the Performance Multiplier
What if the key to performing at your best isn't working harder—but recovering better?In this episode of The Entrepreneur Experiment, Gary Fox sits down with performance coach Dan Lawrence to explore the …
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What if the key to performing at your best isn't working harder—but recovering better?
In this episode of The Entrepreneur Experiment, Gary Fox sits down with performance coach Dan Lawrence to explore the science behind sustainable high performance. Drawing on years of experience working with elite athletes, founders and executives, Dan explains why recovery isn't a reward for hard work—it's what makes peak performance possible.
They discuss the hidden cost of chronic stress, the importance of sleep, nutrition and movement, and why the world's highest performers treat recovery as seriously as training. Dan also shares practical strategies to improve focus, resilience and long-term performance without burning out.
Whether you're building a business, leading a team or simply trying to perform better in your everyday life, this conversation is packed with actionable insights you can start applying immediately.
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EE514 - Emmet Savage: 12 Years of Struggle, 12 Days to Breakthrough | My Wall St
In this episode of The Entrepreneur Experiment, Gary Fox sits down with Emmet Savage, co-founder of MyWallSt, to talk investing, AI and the reality of building a business over the long term.Emmet shares the …
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In this episode of The Entrepreneur Experiment, Gary Fox sits down with Emmet Savage, co-founder of MyWallSt, to talk investing, AI and the reality of building a business over the long term.
Emmet shares the framework he uses to identify exceptional companies, why the best investors often do less, and how early bets on companies like Netflix and Tesla shaped his approach.
He also reveals how MyWallSt went from being close to collapse after 12 years in business to generating the equivalent of 12 years of revenue in just 12 days.
This is a conversation about patience, conviction, optimism and staying in the game long enough for everything to change.
🎧 Show Notes
In this episode, we cover:
🔥 Emmet’s formula for success in business and investing
📈 How he identifies companies with long-term growth potential
🧠 Why emotion can help and hurt investors
⏳ The power of buying well and holding for decades
🚀 His early investments in Netflix and Tesla
🤖 Whether AI is a bubble or a generational opportunity
🌌 Why space and Rocket Lab excite him
💰 How MyWallSt achieved 12 years of revenue in 12 days
⚠️ Why hustle culture gives founders the wrong message
🌱 How optimism and persistence kept the business alive
💬 “The route to success is one mistake after another, staggered by the occasional blistering winner.” – Emmet Savage
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Links and Resources
Emmet Savage and MyWallStMyWallSt:
https://www.mywallst.com/Learn by MyWallSt:
https://www.learn.mywallst.com/Prophet by MyWallSt:
https://www.mywallst.com/prophet_landingEmmet’s investing journey:
Investicon 2026
https://www.mywallst.com/chief-investor-letterInvesticon takes place in Dublin on 27 August 2026, bringing together leading investors to share the companies and investment themes they believe have the greatest long-term potential.
Tickets and event information:
https://www.investicon.ie/Listener discount mentioned in the episode:
Use the code GARY200 for €200 off.EE513 - Mentor Moment: Jenny Johnston - Your Network Is Your Greatest Asset
Success isn't just about what you know - it's about who you surround yourself with.In this Mentor Moment, Jenny Johnston, founder of Azure Communications, shares why the strongest careers and businesses are …
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Success isn't just about what you know - it's about who you surround yourself with.
In this Mentor Moment, Jenny Johnston, founder of Azure Communications, shares why the strongest careers and businesses are built on genuine relationships. From asking for help to creating opportunities for others, Jenny explains why generosity, trust, and investing in your network can open doors that talent alone never will.
Whether you're building a business, growing your career, or looking to expand your circle, this conversation is a powerful reminder that your network is one of your most valuable assets.
🎧 Enjoyed this Mentor Moment? Listen back to the full conversation with Jenny Johnston in Episode 458 of The Entrepreneur Experiment, where she shares the story behind building Azure Communications into one of Ireland's leading communications agencies, the lessons she's learned as an entrepreneur, and why relationships remain at the heart of lasting success.
Follow and subscribe to The Entrepreneur Experiment for a new Mentor Moment every week, plus full conversations with world-class founders, creators and leaders.
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EE512: The Food Founder’s Playbook - Matthew Collins, on Scaling Without Losing Quality
In this episode of The Entrepreneur Experiment, Gary Fox sits down with Matthew Collins, founder of The Sibly Food Co, the Irish snack brand that began with a €143 food shop and a stall at a local Christmas …
Shownotes
In this episode of The Entrepreneur Experiment, Gary Fox sits down with Matthew Collins, founder of The Sibly Food Co, the Irish snack brand that began with a €143 food shop and a stall at a local Christmas market.
Matthew shares how he went from making brownies, rocky roads and cheesecakes in his parents’ kitchen to building a brand stocked in approximately 800 outlets nationwide. Along the way, he taught full-time, baked through the night, delivered products shop by shop and even packed Sibly’s first Aldi pallet under his uncle’s carport.
He reveals the pivotal decisions that transformed Sibly from a college side hustle into a national food business: leaving teaching, finding a business partner with complementary strengths, moving away from short-shelf-life cheesecakes, winning a Grow with Aldi contract and reinvesting everything back into the company.
Matthew also breaks down the reality of scaling a food brand, from pricing and distribution to shelf space, rate of sale, hiring and protecting product quality as volume increases. With Sibly recently producing 32,000 pots in a single week and targeting €3.5 million in sales this year, this is a practical masterclass in building a consumer brand one shop, one customer and one small improvement at a time.
For founders building a food business, consumer brand or bootstrapped company, this episode is packed with honest, practical lessons from someone still deep in the journey.
🎧 Show NotesIn this episode, we cover:
🎄 How a €143 food shop and a local Christmas market started Sibly
🍫 Finding the gap between bland “healthy” snacks and heavily processed sweet treats
🏠 Growing the business from Matthew’s parents’ kitchen and a purpose-built unit in their front garden
🎓 Baking and delivering at weekends while working full-time as a teacher
☎️ The phone call that convinced Matthew to leave teaching and commit fully to Sibly
🤝 How he identified his weaknesses and found a business partner with experience in sales and finance
💶 Why Matthew was initially undervaluing both his products and himself
🚐 Building distribution through cold calls, shop visits and door-to-door selling across Cork and Kerry
🍰 Why Sibly moved away from cheesecake pots to focus on scalable, longer-life energy balls
🛒 Packing the company’s first Aldi pallet under a carport and winning a Grow with Aldi contract
📦 What happened when an order for two pallets quickly became four and then six
📈 Growing from approximately 1,000 pots a week to between 6,000 and 8,000 almost overnight
🧠 Why Sibly’s first major hire gave Matthew the headspace to pursue bigger opportunities
🗺️ The importance of building distribution geographically rather than expanding everywhere at once
🏷️ Understanding rate of sale and why getting onto a shelf is only half the battle
🥣 Why clean ingredients and consistent quality have become central to the Sibly brand
📱 Building consumer demand through community, social media, sampling and word of mouth
🏪 Growing to approximately 800 outlets across Ireland
🚀 Producing 32,000 pots in a recent week while maintaining the same product quality
💰 Sibly’s targets of €3.5 million in 2026, €5 million in 2027 and close to €10 million by 2028
🌍 Why Matthew wants to saturate the Irish market before pursuing international expansion
🔁 The power of compounding and moving the business forward by a millimetre every day
💬 “Compounding sounds fancy, but it’s pushing it a millimetre forward every day.” – Matthew Collins
🔗 Links and ResourcesConnect with Matthew and Sibly- The Sibly Food Co website (https://thesibly.ie/)
- The Sibly Food Co on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/siblyfoodco/)
- Matthew Collins on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/mattzzer/)
- Learn more about Grow with Aldi (https://www.aldi.ie/grow)
- How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie (https://harpercollins.co.uk/products/how-to-win-friends-and-influence-people-collins-classics-dale-carnegie)
- The Heart’s Invisible Furies by John Boyne (https://shop.penguin.co.uk/products/the-hearts-invisible-furies-by-john-boyne)
- Shoe Dog by Phil Knight
- The Secret by Rhonda Byrne (https://www.thesecret.tv/products/the-secret-book/)
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EE511: Mentor Moment: Connor Martin - Knowledge Is Useless Without Action
Most people don't fail because they lack information. They fail because they never act on it.In this Mentor Moment, Connor Martin, founder of The Essence Vault, shares why rapid implementation has been one of …
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Most people don't fail because they lack information. They fail because they never act on it.
In this Mentor Moment, Connor Martin, founder of The Essence Vault, shares why rapid implementation has been one of the biggest drivers behind his company's extraordinary growth. From testing ideas quickly to challenging conventional thinking around customer acquisition and scaling, Connor explains why speed beats perfection every time.
If you're an entrepreneur, creator, or someone who finds themselves stuck in planning mode, this episode is a powerful reminder that progress comes from action, not another course, book, or podcast.
🎧 Enjoyed this Mentor Moment? Listen back to the full conversation with Connor Martin in Episode 452 of The Entrepreneur Experiment, where he shares how he built The Essence Vault into one of the UK's fastest-growing fragrance brands and the mindset behind scaling at speed.
Follow and subscribe to The Entrepreneur Experiment for a new Mentor Moment every week, plus full conversations with world-class founders, creators and leaders.
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EE510: The 2026 Social Media Playbook for Founders with Michael Corcoran
In this episode of The Entrepreneur Experiment, Gary Fox sits down with Michael Corcoran, former Head of Social at Ryanair and co-founder of Slice Social Consultancy, for a no-fluff masterclass on the state of …
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In this episode of The Entrepreneur Experiment, Gary Fox sits down with Michael Corcoran, former Head of Social at Ryanair and co-founder of Slice Social Consultancy, for a no-fluff masterclass on the state of social media in 2026.
Michael breaks down why social media has become more fragile, more volatile and harder for brands to win on, but also why there is still a massive opportunity for founders who think differently.
From the death of follower-first thinking to the danger of building your business on “rented land”, Michael explains why the brands that win are not the ones copying trends, chasing outrage or posting more for the sake of it. They are the ones with a clear strategy, a sharp point of difference and the discipline to build memorability over time.
Gary and Michael dig into what strategy actually means, how founders can find their “aha” moment, why functional messaging rarely builds a brand, and how small businesses can use creativity to punch above their weight.
If you are a founder, marketer or creator trying to build a brand in a crowded market, this episode is your playbook for standing out, being remembered and refusing to play the same game as everyone else.
🎧 Show Notes:
In this episode, we cover:
🔥 Why Michael believes social media is on “fragile ground” in 2026
📱 Why followers matter less than attention, creativity and memorability
🏗️ The danger of building your business on rented land
🧠 What strategy actually means without the corporate fluff
💡 How to find the gap, problem or opportunity your brand can own
🥤 Why a protein brand should not just make workout and recipe content
🎯 The difference between creating impressions and making an impression
⚡ How Liquid Death reframed the water category by behaving like an energy drink
📈 Why founders need to look at company, category, customer and culture
🏋️ Why functional claims rarely build brands: emotion does
🧓 The overlooked opportunity in the “grey market” for health, wellness and protein brands
🎬 The Moneyball lesson every small brand needs to understand
💰 How time, budget and team shape your social media execution
🚀 Why small brands must think, behave and execute differently to win💬 “You don’t build brands with function. You build brands with emotion.” – Michael Corcoran
Links & ResourcesMichael Corcoran
LinkedIn: https://ie.linkedin.com/in/michaelrichardcorcoran
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mc_so_me/Slice Social Consultancy
https://www.instagram.com/slice_social_consultancy/*Our Sponsors *
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Mentioned in the episode (not affiliated)No Bullsh*t Strategy by Alex M H Smith
“Liquid Death” (brand)
Moneyball
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1210166/Join Gary’s weekly newsletter:
https://bit.ly/40TgDkqEE509: Mentor Moment: Dan Murray-Serter - Turn Your Customers Into Your Best Marketing
What if your best marketing strategy wasn't paid ads, but the stories your customers tell?In this Mentor Moment, Dan Murray-Serter, co-founder of Heights, explains how authentic customer advocacy became one of …
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What if your best marketing strategy wasn't paid ads, but the stories your customers tell?
In this Mentor Moment, Dan Murray-Serter, co-founder of Heights, explains how authentic customer advocacy became one of the company's biggest growth drivers. From Stephen Fry becoming Heights' very first paying customer to building campaigns around genuine customer experiences rather than celebrity endorsements, Dan shares why trust always outperforms hype.
If you're building a brand, marketing a product, or wondering how to stand out in a crowded market, this episode is packed with practical lessons on storytelling, credibility, and creating marketing that people actually believe.
🎧 Enjoyed this Mentor Moment? Listen back to the full conversation with Dan Murray-Serter in Episode 456 of The Entrepreneur Experiment, where he dives deeper into scaling Heights, raising investment, building one of Europe's fastest-growing health brands, and the lessons he's learned along the way.
Follow and subscribe to The Entrepreneur Experiment for a new Mentor Moment every week, plus full conversations with world-class founders, creators and leaders.
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EE508 - Niall McGarry: Joe.ie, Fabric Social, and Selling to the World's Biggest Ad Agency
In this episode of The Entrepreneur Experiment, Gary Fox sits down with Niall McGarry, the founder of Joe.ie, Her.ie and Fabric Social, fresh from one of the most significant Irish founder exits of the …
Shownotes
In this episode of The Entrepreneur Experiment, Gary Fox sits down with Niall McGarry, the founder of Joe.ie, Her.ie and Fabric Social, fresh from one of the most significant Irish founder exits of the year.
After building Joe into one of Ireland and the UK’s best-known digital media brands, Niall started Fabric Social in the aftermath of the pandemic. What began in Ireland in 2021 became a UK-focused social-first creative agency that grew from roughly €2 million to almost €16 million in revenue and from 20 to 120 people in just 24 months, before being acquired by Publicis Groupe UK.
This conversation is a deep dive into how Niall spotted the shift from follower-based social media to interest-based, trend-led vertical video, and how Fabric helped major brands like Curry’s and Subway show up with personality, speed and cultural relevance online.
Niall also opens up about why he moved his family to the UK to crack the market, the difference between building a media company and an agency, how to know when it is the right time to sell, and why founders need obsession without becoming emotionally trapped by the business.
If you are building a company, trying to understand modern social, or thinking about what it really takes to create and exit a business, this episode is packed with lessons.
Show NotesIn this episode, we cover:
🚀 How Niall built Fabric Social from 2021 to its acquisition by Publicis Groupe UK
📈 Growing revenue from roughly €2 million to almost €16 million in 24 months
👥 Scaling the team from 20 to 120 people during Fabric’s biggest growth phase
📱 Why TikTok, Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts changed the game for brands
🧠 The shift from follower-based social to interest-based algorithms
🔥 Why brands now need “platform specificity” instead of one personality everywhere
💬 Fabric’s approach to “community nourishment” and comment-led brand building
🛒 The Curry’s and Subway social media case studies that helped put Fabric on the map
🎯 Why Niall hired “mavericks” who understood meme culture, trends and tone of voice
🌍 Why moving to the UK was critical to building a bigger business
🏙️ Why Irish founders should not overlook London and the UK market
💰 How recurring agency revenue made Fabric a more attractive acquisition target
🧾 The difference between building a media business and building an agency
⏱️ Why the best time to sell may be when every metric is pointing upwards
⚖️ Why your business is not your baby, and why emotional detachment matters
🔑 The role of obsession, timing and problem selection in founder success
“You need to create a degree of separation quite quickly and you need to keep clinical and controlled about it.” - Niall McGarry*Our Sponsors *
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Links & Resources- Fabric Social – Niall McGarry’s social-first creative agency, working with brands including Currys, Subway, Ocado and Sky: https://fabricsocial.com/
- Publicis Groupe UK acquisition announcement – Publicis Groupe UK announced the acquisition of Fabric Social in April 2026: https://www.publicisgroupeuk.com/news-and-views/news/publicis-groupe-uk-acquires-fabric-social-to-create-powerhouse-pr-social-and-influencer-offering/
- Niall McGarry on LinkedIn – Founder of Fabric Social and previous founder of Joe.ie / Joe Media: https://www.linkedin.com/in/niallmcgarry/
EE507 - Mentor Moment: Steve Crosbie - When One Dream Ends, Another Begins
What happens when the dream you've spent your entire life chasing comes to an end?In this Mentor Moment, Steve Crosbie shares how retiring from professional rugby at just 26 became the catalyst for building Fad …
Shownotes
What happens when the dream you've spent your entire life chasing comes to an end?
In this Mentor Moment, Steve Crosbie shares how retiring from professional rugby at just 26 became the catalyst for building Fad Saoil Sauna. He reflects on the power of obsession, the importance of backing yourself through uncertainty, and why the skills you develop pursuing one dream can become the foundation for the next.
Whether you're navigating a career change, starting a business, or simply trying to find your next opportunity, Steve's story is a reminder that reinvention isn't starting over - it's building on everything you've already learned.
🎧 Enjoyed this Mentor Moment? Listen back to the full conversation with Steve in Episode 454 of The Entrepreneur Experiment, where he shares the journey behind building Fad Saoil Sauna, Ireland's pioneering mobile sauna experience, and the lessons he's learned along the way.
Follow and subscribe for a new Mentor Moment every week, alongside full conversations with world-class founders, creators and leaders.
Recipe for Success: How Food Brands Break Through | TikTok, Retail & Margins
In this special episode of The Entrepreneur Experiment, Gary Fox sits down with three of Ireland’s most exciting food and drink founders for a live “Recipe for Success” masterclass, brought to you with the …
Shownotes
In this special episode of The Entrepreneur Experiment, Gary Fox sits down with three of Ireland’s most exciting food and drink founders for a live “Recipe for Success” masterclass, brought to you with the Local Enterprise Offices and the National Enterprise Awards.
Gary is joined by Denise Buckley of Sugar Plum Sweetery, Pat Falvey of Blarney Brewing Company and Active Brewing Company, and Ian O’Rourke of RYSE Chocolate to unpack what it really takes to build a food or drink brand in Ireland today.
From viral TikTok moments and 900% growth to getting onto retail shelves, managing margins, building customer feedback loops, and staying agile beside global competitors, this conversation is packed with practical lessons for anyone building a product-led business.
Denise shares how Sugar Plum Sweetery went from testing a viral Dubai chocolate bar with just nine moulds to making thousands of bars a day. Pat reveals how belief, vision and speed helped him move from property into brewing, including his ambition to build a sustainable Irish beer brand. Ian explains why early founders should “do things that don’t scale”, and how grassroots relationships with retailers can become one of your most valuable sources of data.
If you are building a food, drink, retail or consumer brand, this episode is a tactical playbook on testing fast, backing yourself, getting close to your customer, and staying in the game long enough for momentum to arrive.
🎧 Show NotesIn this episode, we cover:
🔥 The “recipe for success” behind three standout Irish food and drink brands
🍫 How Sugar Plum Sweetery turned the Dubai chocolate trend into 900% growth
📈 Why Denise believes attention to detail, obsession and customer relevance drive brand momentum
🚀 How a test batch of nine chocolate bars became thousands of bars a day
📲 Why TikTok Shop became a powerful commercial channel for Sugar Plum Sweetery
🏪 The plan to expand Sugar Plum Sweetery into 10 physical stores over three years
🍺 How Pat Falvey went from 20 years in property to owning a brewery three weeks after a chance lunch
💡 Why belief, vision and the ability to embrace change are essential founder traits
🏉 The thinking behind Active Brewing Company and functional non-alcoholic beer
⚡ How Ian O’Rourke is building RYSE Chocolate as a new “chocolate energy” category
🛒 Why getting into retail is only the first challenge — and why shelf position, rate of sale and relationships matter
📊 How small brands can use local store managers and independent retailers as real-time market research
🎯 Why “do things that don’t scale” is still one of the most powerful startup lessons
💰 The importance of understanding margin before scaling any food or drink brand
🤝 How Local Enterprise Offices helped the founders with grants, feasibility studies, machinery, brand development and connections
🌱 Why Irish brands can compete with global giants by being faster, more personal and more agile
📚 The books Ian recommends for early-stage founders: The Lean Startup and Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway
🧠 The final advice each founder would give to someone thinking about starting their own business
Links & ResourcesSugar Plum Sweetery: https://sugarplumsweetery.ie/
Blarney Brewing Company: https://www.blarneybrewing.ie/
RYSE Chocolate: https://rysechocolate.com/
Local Enterprise Offices: https://www.localenterprise.ie/
National Enterprise Awards: https://www.localenterprise.ie/awards/2026-finalists/EE505 - Mentor Moment: Timo Boldt: Why Great Businesses Embrace Complexity
In this Mentor Moment, Timo Boldt, founder of Gousto, shares a counterintuitive lesson for founders: sometimes your biggest competitive advantage is the thing everyone else is trying to avoid.Timo explains why …
Shownotes
In this Mentor Moment, Timo Boldt, founder of Gousto, shares a counterintuitive lesson for founders: sometimes your biggest competitive advantage is the thing everyone else is trying to avoid.
Timo explains why building Gousto meant embracing complexity at every level — from AI and supply chains to logistics, manufacturing, and customer experience. He reflects on the reality of scaling a capital-intensive business, raising hundreds of millions of pounds, and why founders need to be great at far more than one thing if they want to build something truly exceptional.
If you're building a business and wondering whether the hard path is worth it, this conversation is a powerful reminder that complexity, when managed well, can become your moat.
Listen back to the full conversation in Episode 429 of The Entrepreneur Experiment — and subscribe/follow so you don't miss the next Mentor Moment.
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EE504: Sean Noble, Hyrox Elite 15: The Pain, Science and Obsession Behind the Rise
In this episode of The Entrepreneur Experiment, Gary Fox sits down with Sean Noble, one of Ireland’s fastest-rising HYROX athletes, currently ranked among the top competitors in the world.A qualified solicitor …
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In this episode of The Entrepreneur Experiment, Gary Fox sits down with Sean Noble, one of Ireland’s fastest-rising HYROX athletes, currently ranked among the top competitors in the world.
A qualified solicitor who walked away from the traditional career path to go all-in as a full-time athlete, Sean’s story is one of grief, obsession, discipline and reinvention. After a devastating knee injury ended his football ambitions, he spiralled into drinking, weight gain and depression — before discovering fitness as a way back.
What began as a means of escape became a new identity. From his first HYROX event in 2023 to winning major races, signing with MyProtein and Puma, and competing on the Elite 15 stage, Sean reveals the mindset, training structure and personal pain that have driven his rapid rise.
This is a conversation about going all-in, rebuilding yourself from rock bottom, and what it really takes to compete at the very edge of human performance.
The conversation took place at Wellfest, Dublin, as part of the new WellMan Stage.*Our Sponsors *
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🎧 Show NotesIn this episode, we cover:
🔥 How a career-ending football injury changed Sean’s life
💬 Standout Quote
🧠 The mental toll of losing sport at 22
💔 How grief after his father’s death became part of his driving force
🏋️♂️ Why fitness became his “medicine”
🚀 Going from his first HYROX event in 2023 to the Elite 15
⚖️ The decision to leave law behind and become a full-time athlete
📈 Why HYROX is one of the fastest-growing sports in the world
🧪 The science of lactate threshold, smart training and avoiding burnout
🥇 What it takes to train 28 hours per week at an elite level
🇮🇪 The pride of representing Ireland on the world stage“Fitness for me was my medicine. That was my why.” — Sean
EE503 - Mentor Moment: Bobby Kerr - How to Scale Without Letting Ego Get in the Way
In this Mentor Moment, Bobby Kerr - former Dragon and former CEO of Insomnia Coffee - shares the strategic lessons that helped scale Insomnia from a small coffee business into a recognised national brand.Bobby …
Shownotes
In this Mentor Moment, Bobby Kerr - former Dragon and former CEO of Insomnia Coffee - shares the strategic lessons that helped scale Insomnia from a small coffee business into a recognised national brand.
Bobby breaks down why underfunding was one of his biggest early mistakes, how letting go of ego helped him choose the right brand name and structure, and why partnerships with companies like Spar, Easons, Penneys, and Meadows & Byrne became key routes to growth.
This is a practical lesson in playing the long game, building multiple revenue streams, and making the kind of strategic decisions that give a business more ways to survive and scale.
Listen back to the full conversation in Episode 439 of The Entrepreneur Experiment - and subscribe/follow so you don’t miss the next Mentor Moment.
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EE502 - How He Turned 173 Salon Conversations Into a Startup That Raised €4.9M | Conor Moules
In this episode of The Entrepreneur Experiment, Gary Fox sits down with Conor Moules, founder and CEO of Barespace, the company building a true operating system for hair and beauty salons.Conor’s journey is …
Shownotes
In this episode of The Entrepreneur Experiment, Gary Fox sits down with Conor Moules, founder and CEO of Barespace, the company building a true operating system for hair and beauty salons.
Conor’s journey is anything but traditional. He left school at 16 to become a hairdresser, moved to Australia during the recession, found his way into door-to-door sales, then business intelligence, location intelligence, and eventually the Irish startup world through Bamboo. After helping turn Bamboo around during Covid, Conor used that hard-earned reputation to unlock the next chapter: Barespace.
What started as a deep understanding of salon life has become a fast-growing software company solving one of the industry’s biggest problems: salon owners are expected to be creative experts, managers, marketers, employers, finance teams and operators - all while still working on the floor. Barespace was built to change that.
In this conversation, Conor shares how he and co-founder Glenn Baker profiled 173 salons, raised €750,000 from the very customers they wanted to serve, and went on to raise almost €4.9 million in total. This is a story about resilience, customer obsession, reputation, and what happens when you build with the industry, not just for it.
Show NotesIn this episode, we cover:
🔥 Why Conor left school at 16 and started out as a hairdresser in Peter Mark
Pull Quote
💬 The unexpected lessons hairdressing taught him about listening, trust and human connection
🇦🇺 Moving to Australia during the recession and finding his feet in door-to-door sales
📊 How business intelligence and location data opened his eyes to the power of systems
🚀 The chance meeting with Luke Mackey that brought Conor into Bamboo
🧱 Why rebuilding Bamboo during Covid became the proving ground for Barespace
💡 The problem Conor and Glenn saw inside hair and beauty salons
✂️ Why salon owners are often expected to run the business and be the best person on the floor
🧾 How marketplaces can damage salon margins and weaken customer ownership
🔍 Why they profiled 173 salons before building the product
💰 How Barespace raised €750,000 from salon owners when traditional fundraising wasn’t working
📈 Processing €4.7 million in turnover in year one and growing from there
🧠 Why Conor believes founders need to ask for help earlier
🌙 The role of visualisation, daydreaming and belief in building a company
🔑 Why reputation, patience and obsession can become a founder’s greatest assets“The mission was never to get rich out of Bamboo. It was to unlock the gates to be able to walk in with Barespace.” - Conor Moules
Links & Resources- Barespace — the operating system for salons and barbers: barespace.io (https://barespace.io/)
- Enterprise Ireland — mentioned as part of the Barespace funding journey: enterprise-ireland.com (https://www.enterprise-ireland.com/en/)
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EE501: Mentor Moment: Áine Kerr - You Don’t Have to Choose One Path
In this Mentor Moment, award-winning journalist and entrepreneur Áine Kerr shares one of the most powerful career lessons you can hear early in life: it doesn’t have to be this or that. From teaching to …
Shownotes
In this Mentor Moment, award-winning journalist and entrepreneur Áine Kerr shares one of the most powerful career lessons you can hear early in life: it doesn’t have to be this or that. From teaching to journalism, startups to global tech platforms, Áine reflects on what she calls a “squiggly career” - and how the threadline only becomes clear when you look back.
This conversation is a reminder that curiosity, purpose, and following what genuinely energises you can often lead to a far more meaningful path than trying to force a perfectly linear plan. It’s especially powerful for anyone feeling pressure to “have it all figured out.”
Listen back to the full conversation in Episode 438 of The Entrepreneur Experiment - and subscribe/follow so you don’t miss the next Mentor Moment.
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