The Entrepreneur Experiment
The Entrepreneur Experiment is a weekly podcast where host Gary Fox interviews world-class entrepreneurs, elite thinkers, and peak performers to uncover their strategies for success in business, health, and mindset. Each episode explores the habits, systems, and experiments that these extraordinary individuals use to build thriving companies, maintain peak physical condition, and cultivate sharp minds. The show aims to provide listeners with a blueprint for balancing ambition with wellness, hard work with mental fitness, and success with purpose.
Episodes
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 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, fertilit
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 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 b
The Real Reason I Left Dragons’ Den | 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 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
James 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 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 Tinda
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 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
EE521 - 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 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 t
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 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 sh
EE519: 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 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
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 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, soc
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 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 moment
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 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 comp
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 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
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 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 MyWal
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 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
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 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,
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 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 s
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 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 found
EE509: 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 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 endorsem
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 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-foc
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 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
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 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
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 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-i
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 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 e
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 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 Spa
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 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 in
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 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 t
500 Episodes Later: Gary Fox on the Experiments That Changed His Life
In this milestone Episode 500 of The Entrepreneur Experiment, Gary Fox turns the microphone on himself for a special AMA, reflecting on the experiments, decisions and hard-earned lessons that shaped the podcast from a side project into one of Ireland’s leading founder platforms.
Gary shares how the podcast began in 2019 as a literal experiment while he was running Host Butlers, his Airbnb managem
EE499 - Mentor Moment: Fran Quilty - AI Agents Will Change How Businesses Operate
In this Mentor Moment, Fran Quilty, founder of Conjura, breaks down one of the biggest shifts happening in business right now: the move from AI answering questions… to AI actually taking action.
Fran explains “agentic AI” in a way that finally makes sense — from AI identifying risks in your business, to making pricing decisions, changing campaigns, and automating workflows across platforms withou
EE498 - Brian Lee: From Chopped to TRYKA’s 10,000-Athlete Launch
In this episode of The Entrepreneur Experiment, Gary Fox sits down with Brian Lee, the entrepreneur behind Freshly Chopped and founder of TRYKA, Ireland’s inclusive hybrid fitness race league.
After building one of Ireland’s most recognisable healthy food brands, Brian has turned his attention to the booming world of fitness racing — but with a very different philosophy. TRYKA is not built only f
EE497 - Mentor Moment: Ciara Troy - Let the Customer Voice Build the Business (Oishii Sushi)
In this Mentor Moment, Ciara Troy, founder of Oishii Sushi, shares a simple founder advantage that most people avoid: getting closer to the customer voice, not further away from it. Instead of over-engineering a five-year plan, Ciara focused on relentless iteration - testing, listening, refining, and letting real demand guide the next move.
It’s a practical reminder that traction often comes from
EE496: How Ashley McDonnell is Raising €50 Million to Take Irish Fashion Brands Global
What does it take to make a plan at 16 - and still be executing on it at 32?
Ashley McDonnell saw a Christian Dior exhibition in London as a teenager and decided she was going to work for Dior. She didn't know French. She'd never lived abroad. She had no connections in luxury. Six years later, she was walking into LVMH headquarters on Avenue Montaigne in Paris.
Now she's back building in Ireland
EE495 - Mentor Moment: Paul Buckley — The Accidental Australia Move That Changed Everything
In this Mentor Moment, Paul Buckley shares the messy, real start of what became a serious founder journey - not from a polished “masterplan,” but from a place of pressure, responsibility, and learning fast. Paul is the entrepreneur behind EPS Group Australia (which he built and exited) and now C2O Group, and he’s a great example of how leadership is often forged in the moments you didn’t choose: w
Why 10x Goals Are Easier Than 10% Ones: 5 Scaling Secrets from Google X & Zalando with Sean Mullaney
What if the reason your business isn't scaling is that you're aiming 10% higher when you should be aiming 10x?
Sean Mullaney has been a founder three times, led engineering at Google X's moonshot factory, scaled Zalando from €1bn to €10bn, and is now building Seapoint - the business bank designed from the ground up for founders. In this episode, he unpacks the systems, mindsets, and decisions beh
EE493 -Mentor Moment: Rory McLaughlan - The Ask That Led to a Gary Neville Shoutout (Shirt in a Box)
A reminder that big breaks often come from proactive moves: ask, show up, build relationships, and make it easy for the right people to say yes. Rory also shows what matters after the moment hits - capturing it, repurposing it, and using it to build momentum, not just hype. Listen back to the full episode, Episode 443 - and subscribe/follow so you don’t miss the next episode.
*Our Sponsors *
Nos
EE492 - From Glofox to WellFest: Anthony Kelly on Timing, Scale, and Redefining Success Beyond Business
In this episode of The Entrepreneur Experiment, Gary Fox sits down with Anthony Kelly - entrepreneur, co-founder of Glofox, and co-founder of WellFest - for a wide-ranging conversation on building in the health and wellness space long before it became mainstream. From spotting the early signals in boutique fitness and turning that into a global software company, to building one of Ireland’s best-k
EE491 - Nir Eyal: Why Smart People Stay Stuck, And How To Break Out Of It
In this episode of The Entrepreneur Experiment, Gary Fox sits down with Nir Eyal — bestselling author of Hooked, Indistractable, and Beyond Belief - for a masterclass on the psychology of belief, persistence, and entrepreneurial thinking. Together, they explore why success is so often less about intelligence, resources, or talent, and more about what you believe is possible. Drawing on psychology,
EE490 - 1 Product, €3M Revenue, 450 Stores: The Gigi Story with Jennie Haire and Lisa Hughes
In this episode of The Entrepreneur Experiment, Gary Fox sits down with Jennie and Lisa, the founders of Gigi, the women’s health brand rethinking hormonal support through premium, evidence-led supplements.
From working as registered nutritional therapists to building a fast-growing consumer brand, Jennie and Lisa share how their clinical experience led them to spot a major gap in the market: wom
EE489 - Mentor Moment: Alan Andrews - Pricing as an Experience, Not a Number
A premium-brand lesson you can steal in any industry: pricing that isn’t just maths.
Alan shares how pricing can be communication, positioning, and part of the customer journey. He shows how the “moment of pause” or consideration can actually work in your favour when the product delivers and the experience educates. Listen back to the full episode, Episode 441 now for the full conversation with A
EE488 - Ken Rideout: Why Most People Never Find Out What They’re Capable Of
In this episode of The Entrepreneur Experiment, Gary Fox sits down with Ken Rideout for a conversation that goes far beyond endurance sport. Yes, they talk about marathons, HYROX, discipline, and what it really feels like to stand on a start line ready to compete — but this episode is really about identity, effort, masculinity, parenting, business ambition, and the mindset required to keep going w
EE487 - Mentor Moment - Gerry Hussey - A 5-Minute Visualisation Exercise for Founders
In this Mentor Moment, Gerry Hussey shares a simple but powerful way to visualise success that founders can actually put into practice. Instead of vague “future goals,” Gerry breaks it down into outcomes, daily process enablers, and identity — becoming the person who already lives the life you’re working towards.
You’ll hear his step-by-step exercise to map what you want, identify the habits that
EE486 - From Bakery to Cult Favourite: Eoin Cluskey on Scaling Bread 41
In this episode of The Entrepreneur Experiment, Gary Fox sits down with Eoin Cluskey, founder and head baker of Bread 41, the Dublin bakery business built on craft, care, and real food. From leaving school early and training as a carpenter to finding his calling in kitchens abroad, Eoin shares the winding road that led him back to Ireland to build one of the country’s most loved bakery brands. Bre
EE485 - Mentor Moment: Lorraine Heskin - Building Gourmet Food Parlour in the Celtic Tiger
In this Mentor Moment, Lorraine Heskin — founder of Gourmet Food Parlour — takes us back to 2006, right in the heart of the Celtic Tiger, when she made the leap from a stable job into the unknown to build her own café brand.
Lorraine shares how she approached brand-building from day one, why finding a location was the hardest part (and why she refused to pay key money), and the magic of opening t
EE484 - The Cash Flow Playbook with Andrea Reynolds: Grants, Debt, VC & Profitability
Andrea Reynolds, Founder & CEO of Swoop, joins Gary to break down what founders actually need to know about funding, cash flow and building a business that lasts.
Andrea started Swoop after becoming deeply frustrated by how hard it was for business owners to access grants, loans and funding quickly. What began as anger at a broken system became a fintech platform helping businesses access cash fa
EE483 - Mentor Moment: Anthony Gallagher — Building Petstop Through People & Innovation
In this Mentor Moment, Anthony Gallagher, founder of Petstop, Ireland’s leading Independent Pet Retailer, shares what he’s proudest of after decades in business: the people who stayed. From team members who have been with him for nearly 30 years to multi-generational families now working across the business, Anthony reflects on why great companies are built by investing in people, staying close to
EE482 - €0 Funding, €7.5m Profit, 2000 Events a Year: The Bingo Loco Blueprint with Will Meara
Will Meara is the founder behind Bingo Loco — the 3-hour bingo rave that sells chaos as an experience and somehow turns strangers into mates in the space of one night.
In this episode, Will breaks down how Bingo Loco went from a scrappy experiment in Dublin to a global live-experience machine — running roughly 2,000 events a year, active in around 270+ cities, with a team of ~276 people and ~200+
EE481: Mentor Moment - Rory King - The Content Machine Behind Rory’s Travel Club
In this Mentor Moment, Rory King - founder of Rory’s Travel Club - breaks down the content engine behind building a simple, low-cost membership business at scale. He shares how they publish across multiple platforms every day, the split between posts that convert (offers), posts that build trust (reviews/testimonials), and posts that drive engagement (questions, entertainment), plus why “value fir
EE480: Dr Caitriona Ryan & Dr Niki Ralph: 40,000 Patients a Year at the Institute of Dermatologists
In this episode, Gary sits down with Dr Caitriona Ryan and Dr Niki Ralph, co-founders of the Institute of Dermatologists in Dublin, to unpack how they built a modern “centre of excellence” model in Irish private care - combining medical dermatology, cosmetic dermatology, skincare, and a growing surgical pathway under one roof.
They share the realities of scaling a high-trust healthcare business (
EE479: Mentor Moment - Seán Brett - Why ‘Not Fitting In’ Can Be Your Advantage
In this bite-sized Mentor Moment, Seán Brett shares the raw, real start of his entrepreneurial journey - leaving school at 14 after being misunderstood for dyslexia and ADHD, and turning that experience into creativity, resilience, and a relentless drive to build a better life.
Seán breaks down why “non-traditional” beginnings can become an advantage, how early selling teaches you more than any c
EE478 - AI Is Changing Business Fast: Here's What Actually Matters with Ray Ryan, Noledge Group
What doesn’t disappear in a recession? Money. What disappears is confidence — and that’s where opportunity lives.
In this episode of The Entrepreneur Experiment, Gary sits down with Ray Ryan, founder of The Noledge Group, for a wide-ranging, founder-first conversation on staying relevant through decades of tech change — from mainframes, to PCs, to cloud… and now AI, agents, and wearables.
Ray sh
EE477: Mentor Moment - Redefining Success with Founders of Ella & Jo: Charlene Flanagan & Niamh Ryan
In this weekend’s Mentor Moment, Charlene Flanagan and Niamh Ryan - the founders of Ella & Jo - share a refreshing take on what success really means. Instead of chasing someone else’s version of the win, they talk about defining success for yourself: freedom, family time, building from the west of Ireland, and creating a legacy by bringing a brand from “nothing” to customers in over 50 countries.
EE476: Founder Finance 101: The Simple Money System Founders Actually Need with Diarmuid Corcoran
In this brand-new Masterclass Special, Gary Fox sits down with Diarmuid Corcoran of Chartered Capital to unpack the money questions Irish founders avoid - until it’s too late.
They talk openly about why money can still feel like a “dirty word” in Ireland, why founders can be brilliant at making money but hesitant to manage it, and how wealth often compounds simply because of maths. Diarmuid break
EE473 - Mentor Moment: Keilidh Cashell on Trust - The Real Currency of Influencing
In this Mentor Moment, Keilidh Cashell shares the exact moment her career pivoted - she left her job on the makeup counter with plans to build a weekend client business… and instead, brands started reaching out with paid opportunities straight away.
Keilidh breaks down how she stayed true to her values, learned the realities of the influencer industry, and why trust and long-term partnerships mat
EE474 - Spencer Matthews: The High Performance Operating System (Business, Body, Brain)
In this episode of The Entrepreneur Experiment, Gary Fox sits down with Spencer Matthews - founder of CleanCo, endurance adventurer, and the definition of a modern founder operating across business, body and brain.
Spencer shares the real story behind his identity shift: from heavy drinking and coasting, to building extreme discipline through endurance challenges, and channeling that same intensi
EE473 - AMA: Breakout Founders for 2026 + My Boldest Predictions
Welcome back to The Entrepreneur Experiment for 2026 - and Season 28 kicks off with a special format: an Ask Me Anything Q&A. Gary answers the most “juicy” questions sent in over Christmas (LinkedIn, Instagram, and the newsletter), covering everything from taking the podcast global, to the tools and team behind the scenes, to why he’s doubling down on founder-led brands in the age of AI.
You’ll a
EE472 - Live Podcast Special: Aine Kennedy, Nadia Adan, and Jack Pierse: Building Brands in Public
Recorded live at The Sugar Club, this special edition of The Entrepreneur Experiment brings three standout Irish founders on stage for an honest, high-energy conversation about building modern businesses in public.
Aine Kennedy, founder of The Smooth Company and newly crowned EY Entrepreneur of the Year, shares how she launched her first product with no budget, built everything herself, with the
EE471 - Mentor Moment: Trevor McFarlane — Building an Elite Network from Scratch
How do you build a powerful business network when you’re starting with no members, no brand, and no shortcuts?
In this Mentor Moment, Trevor McFarlane, founder and CEO of EMIR, shares how he built one of the Middle East’s most influential private CEO networks — starting with a single event, a lot of nerve, and an obsession with trust and curation.
Trevor explains why optics matter, how credibili
EE470 - Air Miles for the High Street: How Squid Is Rewiring Local Loyalty
In this episode of The Entrepreneur Experiment, Gary Fox welcomes back Matthew Coffey, co-founder of Squid, Ireland and the UK’s largest local loyalty network with 550,000+ users and nearly 2,000 independent businesses.
What began as a simple tap-for-coffee reward app has evolved into a powerful loyalty and payments infrastructure - and now Squid has launched Wave, a universal points currency des
EE469 - Mentor Moment: Opening the Books - How Eoin Cantwell Built a Transparent Food Empire
What happens when a founder opens the company’s books to every single staff member — salaries, P&L, everything?
In this episode, Eoin Cantwell, founder of Fitt Meals, shares the bold move that transformed his culture, boosted performance, and created true ownership across his team.
Eoin opens up about:
why he embraced full financial transparency with staff
how he teaches the “why” behind
EE468 - How Jac Dunne Reinvented Her Career and Stepped into Fintech Leadership
In this episode of The Entrepreneur Experiment, Gary Fox sits down with Jac Dunne, CEO of Dimply, an AI-powered financial experience platform that’s quietly reshaping how banks, insurers and wealth managers serve their customers.
After almost three decades in legacy finance, Jac made a bold move in her mid-50s into regtech and then fintech, “bookending” her career by building the kind of technolog
EE467 - Mentor Moment: Building a Personal Brand & Authentic Entrepreneurship With Conor McHugh
Forget the corporate polished front - authenticity wins every time.
Conor McHugh, founder of Alchemy Search, shares why building a personal brand has been key to his success in Dubai, how honesty drives relationships, and why you should never pretend to be bigger than you are.
🎙️ For the full episode (412) of The Entrepreneur Experiment, listen to Conor’s full story on reputation, relationships,
EE466 - From Pharmacy Counter to 1,500 Stores: How Laura Dowling Built Fabu Wellness
In this episode of The Entrepreneur Experiment, Gary sits down with Laura Dowling — “The Fabulous Pharmacist” — a pharmacist, founder, educator, entertainer, and one of Ireland’s most recognisable health voices.
From 20 years behind the pharmacy counter to running a fast-growing wellness brand stocked in 1,500+ stores, Laura shares the real story behind Fabu Wellness: the failures, the stolen ide
EE465 - Mentor Moment: Pádraig Ó Céidigh — From Teaching to Buying an Airline
How does a schoolteacher from Connemara end up buying his own airline?
In this Mentor Moment, Pádraig Ó Céidigh, former owner of Aer Arann, shares how instinct and courage led him to take one of the boldest entrepreneurial leaps in Irish business — remortgaging his home to keep a vital island service alive.
🎙️ Listen to the full conversation in Episode 408 of The Entrepreneur Experiment to hear P
EE463 - The Hidden Industry Powering the World’s Biggest Events
In this episode of The Entrepreneur Experiment, Gary sits down with Mark Breen, co-founder of Safe Events Global, the Irish team behind some of the world’s most ambitious events - from Dublin Zoo’s Wild Lights to Formula 1 in Qatar and mega-city festival sites across the Middle East.
Mark shares the real, behind-the-scenes story of how a student “helping people up at a Frames gig” turned into run
EE463 - Mentor Moment - Building the Biggest Media Brand in Dubai with Richard Fitzgerald
When opportunity knocks, sometimes the smartest move is to just say yes and figure it out later.
Richard Fitzgerald, founder of Augustus Media - the company behind Lovin’ Dubai, Lovin’ Saudi and more — reveals how 100 days of relentless work and curiosity helped him build one of the Middle East’s leading media companies from scratch.
🎙️ Hear the full conversation in Episode 407 of The Entrepreneu
EE462 - How To Build a Brand the World’s Best Athletes Trust (in Just 3 Years)
In this episode of The Entrepreneur Experiment, Gary Fox sits down with Ryan Casey, the founder of C11 Recovery — one of Ireland’s fastest-growing performance and recovery brands.
From spending his days as an electrician to working with Rory McIlroy, Manchester City, Munster Rugby, and the DP World Tour, Ryan’s journey is a masterclass in turning grit into global growth.
In just three years, h
EE461: Mentor Moment - From Student Debt to Premier League Clients with Greg Bradley
From his parents’ house to supplying the world’s top athletes, Greg Bradley’s journey is pure entrepreneurial grit.
In this Mentor Moment, the founder of BLK BOX shares how he went from teaching himself manufacturing to building a global fitness equipment brand trusted by Premier League clubs.
🎙️ Go back to Episode 406 of The Entrepreneur Experiment to hear Greg’s full story, including the setbac
EE460 - The 4 Pillars of Elite Performance: Dan Lawrence’s Blueprint for Founders
In this episode of The Entrepreneur Experiment, Gary Fox sits down with elite performance coach Dan Lawrence — the man behind some of the world’s top athletes and executives, including boxer Conor Benn. From his roots in London to building a thriving high-performance business in Dubai, Dan reveals what it really takes to operate at the highest level — not just in sport, but in business and life.
EE459 - Mentor Moment - Is AI Really Coming For Your Job? With Brian O'Rourke
Is AI really coming for your job — or is that just the hype talking?
Brian O’Rourke, co-founder and CEO of CitySwift, shares his grounded view on the real role of AI, the importance of founder-market fit, and why celebrating your wins along the way matters just as much as chasing the next goal.
🎙️ Catch the full story in Episode 367 of The Entrepreneur Experiment, where Brian dives deeper into bu
EE458: How I Bought a Business Without Spending a Cent – Jenny Johnston’s Story
In this episode of The Entrepreneur Experiment, Gary Fox sits down with Jenny Johnston, CEO and owner of Azure Communications — a print, packaging, and marketing company based in Dublin. Jenny’s story is a masterclass in courage, negotiation, and belief. After joining Azure as CEO, she pulled off a leveraged buyout to acquire the business outright—without putting down her own capital. She shares e
EE457 - Mentor Moment - Oonagh O’Hagan: Shaping the Future of Healthcare
What does it take to grow from one pharmacy to a nationwide network, and redefine what healthcare means along the way?
In this Mentor Moment, Oonagh O’Hagan, founder of Meagher’s Pharmacy, shares how curiosity, courage, and a willingness to step outside your comfort zone can spark incredible innovation.
🎙️ Listen to the full conversation in Episode 374 of The Entrepreneur Experiment for Oonagh’s
EE456 - £25M ARR and Zero Gimmicks: The Heights Story with Dan Murray-Serter
In this episode of The Entrepreneur Experiment, Gary Fox sits down with Dan Murray, co-founder of Heights, the brain health and wellness brand redefining supplements through science and transparency. From building a startup after insomnia and burnout to scaling Heights to over £25 million ARR, Dan’s story is a masterclass in resilience, product integrity, and founder mindset.
Dan doesn’t hold bac
EE455 - Mentor Moment - Aimee Connolly: The 19-Month Journey to Launching Sculpted
In this Mentor Moment from episode 403 of The Entrepreneur Experiment, Aimee Connolly shares the behind-the-scenes story of building Sculpted by Aimee: from 19 months of figuring out formulation, logistics, and packaging on her own, to spray-painting roses gold for her first press drop.
She opens up about what it really takes to bring an idea to life, the lessons learned along the way, and why em
EE454 - He Quit Pro Rugby at 26 - And Started a Sauna Revolution
In this episode of The Entrepreneur Experiment, Gary Fox sits down with Steve Crosbie, former professional rugby player turned founder of Fad Saoil Saunas — one of the pioneers of Ireland’s sauna movement.
After years playing for Leinster, Munster, and Connacht, Steve walked away from his dream rugby career at just 26. The transition from athlete to entrepreneur wasn’t easy, but it led him somewh
EEE453 - Mentor Moment - Nature vs Nurture: Are Entrepreneurs Born or Built? With Sean Blanchfield
In this Mentor Moment, tech founder Sean Blanchfield, best known for building and scaling Demonware (acquired by Activision, now part of Microsoft), PageFair, and now Jentic, shares his take on the age-old question: are entrepreneurs born or made?
From being the “willing geek” in college to helping shape Ireland’s startup ecosystem, Sean reflects on how curiosity, environment, and sheer drive sha
EE452 - The 5-Year, £60m Fragrance Empire with Connor Martin, The Essence Vault
In this episode of The Entrepreneur Experiment, Gary Fox sits down with Connor Martin, founder of The JAQ Group, home to the viral fragrance brand The Essence Vault, as well as Thomson Carter and Liquid London.
From selling wax melts at a Saturday market to building a £60 million e-commerce empire in just five years, Connor’s story is a masterclass in resourcefulness, experimentation, and resilie
EE451 - Mentor Moment - Hiring Only A-Players with Dan Hobbs & Ciaran O’Mara, Protex AI
In this week’s Mentor Moment, Protex AI founders Dan Hobbs and Ciaran O’Mara share how they maintain an incredibly high bar when hiring, and why resilience, not just skill, is the real marker of top talent. They reveal how take-home exercises, structured culture frameworks, and a transparent interview process help them find and grow people who thrive under pressure.
💡 “If you hire A-players, they
EE450 - From Market Stall to 75 Employees: The Rise of Oishii Sushi
In this episode of The Entrepreneur Experiment, Gary Fox sits down with Ciara Troy, founder of Oishii Sushi, to uncover the 19-year journey of building Ireland’s most recognisable sushi brand.
From her first Saturday market in Greystones to supplying nationwide through Lidl, Aldi, Tesco, and Spar, Ciara shares the grit, resilience, and fearless naivety that kept her going through long days, cashf
EE449 - Mentor Moment - Consistency Over Brilliance: Colin Harmon on Building Trust at 3FE
In this Mentor Moment, Colin Harmon, founder of 3FE Coffee, reveals why consistency beats occasional brilliance when it comes to building lasting brands. He shares the lesson that changed how he thought about coffee forever: customers don’t need the “best cup ever” - they just need it never to be bad. By raising the floor instead of the ceiling, Colin built trust, scaled his business, and turned 3
EE448 - The $72 Million Blueprint: Thinking Bigger in Dubai with Colin Meagle
In this episode of The Entrepreneur Experiment, Gary Fox sits down with Colin Meagle, serial entrepreneur, venture builder, and founder of Continuous Ventures. Colin has built, scaled, and exited multiple businesses: from creative agencies to international tech ventures, and now operates out of Dubai, where he helps founders and corporates spin up disruptive businesses at scale.
Colin shares his
EE447 - Mentor Moment - The Secret Sauce of Social with Nadia Adan & Michael Corcoran
This week’s Mentor Moment dives into how Nadia Adan built her brand through bold, disruptive content, and why testing, learning, and finding a repeatable format is the secret to scaling on social media. Michael Corcoran shares why standing out often means doing the opposite of everyone else, and how brand storytelling, even with its raw ups and downs, is what truly connects with audiences.
🎧 To h
Recommended
Tasty Morsels of Critical Care
The Divided States of America with Pat Kenny
Big Kids Quiz
Lunchtime Live
How to Bid
The Movie Marketing & Distribution Podcast
The Hard Truth - Inside the Football Industry with Darragh MacAnthony
The Garda Podcast
The Filmmaker’s Playbook
Inflammation Nation
Your Time With James Sweetman
DJ Derek Burke
