The Entrepreneur Experiment

Dan Nugent symbolizes everything that The Entrepreneur Experiment stands for. He started his business with his partner, Sacha, for less than €1000, bootstrapped it from day 1 and has scaled it globally in less than 2 years. The duo started Ambr Eyewear in 2017 from their kitchen table. The company began with just 3 frames and two years later have over 35 styles.  Ambr started selling blue light glasses to help with problems caused by spending so much time staring at phone and laptop screens. It has since morphed into an eyewear brand that covers everything from blue light to prescription glasses.  In this episode we chat about: - How there is never a perfect time to start a business - Why limits and restraints can actually help an entrepreneur - How to source and select manufacturers and partners - The unsexy side of e-commerce success, SEO & content - Why the influencer business is imploding      

Shane Ryan is the brains behind one of Ireland's fastest-growing food brands, Fiid. In less than 12 months, Shane has gone from an idea in his head to seeing his product stocked in outlets right across Ireland. That’s not the whole story however, as his rapid rise to success came at a great cost to him personally. He quit a highly promising international hospitality career to start delivering meals on his bike around Dublin city. That startup almost broke him, financially and emotionally as he strived to make it a success. The chat with Shane has been one of the most honest and revealing conversations I’ve had with a fellow entrepreneur around the area of mental health. Hope you enjoy the episode and please do get in touch with feedback and comments.

Sonia Deasy is the co-founder and CEO of skincare company, Pestle & Mortar. Founded in 2014, Sonia and her husband, Padraic, have grown it into a global brand in just 5 years.  Pestle & Mortar is now listed in stores such as Liberty London, Arnotts, Avoca, FaceGym, Harvey Nichols, and Bloomingdales. Irish-owned and based in Naas, Sonia & Padraic have created a local company with global ambition. In this episode we discuss: - The lightbulb moment for creating the company - Sonia secrets for PR success & how to tell your brand story - How she managed to get her products listed in global stores - What it takes to go live on QVC to over 100 million people - Balancing a work/marriage partnership. - Why you should have global ambition  

James started his first company with just €500 which was borrowed from his wife after losing his job in the 2008 financial crash. This small investment launched a catering empire that spanned coffee shops, Mexican food outlets, and corporate catering. He then lost it all. We hear how James bounced back by becoming the Barista Baron and how he is now on the way to creating a global coffee business. James is now the owner of The Dublin Barista School, 9th Degree Coffee and soon to be launched, World Barista Institute.

Most people take home some terrible souvenirs from their holidays. When he was just 22 years old, traveling around Thailand, Caolan Cullen discovered the idea that would become his future business. Caolan is the founder of Arctic Stone Ice Cream, who were the first people in Ireland to make hand-rolled ice cream that is completely customizable. Named as one of the best young entrepreneurs in Ireland in 2019, he is creating his own ice cream empire here in Ireland. He is a modern-day Willy Wonka, capable of making ice cream to any flavour you can dream of. In this episode we discover: How you can find business ideas in the most unlikely of places The steps to taking action once you discover your idea The secrets to making ice cream in every possible flavour How Caolan bootstrapped and crowdfunded his early venture. The brand deals that are driving a huge part of his business His effort to set a Guinness world record

Why do so many professional sports stars become entrepreneurs? In today's episode, we chat with former Leinster, Munster and Ireland rugby player, Shane Monahan, who brings us on his journey from sports star to entrepreneur. We discover the mindset required to become successful at both sports and business.   We chat about - How goal setting shaped Shane's career - Playing for Leinster, Munster, and Ireland - How you are ever only one bad game away from a bad season - Why so many rugby players become successful entrepreneurs - How voice will shape so many industries in the next 5-10 years.

This week, I share with you my goal of becoming the number 1 business podcast in Ireland in 2019.  If your goals don't scare you, they aren't' ambitious enough! I break down the huge success we've had in June and the structure I'm building to help me achieve this. It's a packed episode as I reveal how new Airbnb regulations mean a huge change for my other business and I also share exclusive discounts for the new podcast studio.    

Launched in January 2017, on the week of blue Monday, GymPlusCoffee began life in the toughest way possible after missing out on lucrative Christmas sales. Undeterred, the 3 founders have turned their business into one of Ireland’s leading names in the athleisure space in just 2 years! Loved by sports stars such as Brian O’Driscoll and Joe Wicks, they have managed to launch their brand into the mainstream thanks to a loyal community and clever marketing.  

How do you go from working in finance to living in Bali running a successful business from your laptop? Siobhan O'Hagan is one of Ireland's best known online fitness coaches and in today’s episode breaks down how she quit her 9-5 job to become a personal trainer and fitness entrepreneur. With over 115k followers on Instagram, Siobhan now travels the world, working from locations such as Bali, Thailand, and Australia while managing her online coaching business. With a degree in maths, Siobhan is a highly systems and process driven entrepreneur. She takes us back to how her story began in fitness and how her own personal journey led to growing a thriving online community.   We chat about How to transition from a 9-5 job to running your own business. How to work out how much money you actually need? Partnering up with someone who can help scale your business. Turning down thousands of euro from potential sponsors. Building a personal brand. Selling while not selling out. How to deal with online trolls. Pressure of living your life on social media. Having a business versus having a following.

In this episode, I reveal how I built a podcast studio in 24 hours and reveal what the first business idea for The Entrepreneur Experiment will be. I also discover 1000 listeners that I never knew existed after doing a deep dive into how my podcast actually works! If you are curious about starting your own podcast, this episode will give you some great insights.