Share
That Great Business Show
E235 That Great Business Show - Switching business success from 30% to 70%, Martin Duffy, Hibernia-Lab & Food, one tough, tough business, Margaret Dineen, Blue Sky Food
Season 1, Ep. 235
•
Episode 235 That Great Business Show
UCD Smurfit Business School, 'Podcast of the Year'
An investment company that says they’re aiming to defy the "accepted norm", by flipping 70% failure, to a 70% success rate
MARTIN DUFFY is General Partner with Hibernia-Lab, at Dublin based early stage venture labs ecosystem that, inter alia, conducts 'thorough market research' develops ‘a unique value proposition’, identifies growth opportunities for almost any business, 'differentiates your brand', and maximises your businesses' market potential. Its investments appears positively eclectic with a portfolio of more than ten investments that includes a company that advises rugby teams, and another, called Team Taca (backed by dad and daughter team of Niall and Aisling Quinn) that has created a platform for youth soccer clubs. Hibernia-Lab has also worked with Leinster Rugby at Syracuse University.
Martin covers an awful, awful lot about business on this episode.
His 'hires in a heartbeat'? The late Nicola Tesla or the very much alive (and That Great Business Tip for the Top) Emma Meehan of Precision Sports Technology
Margaret Dineen - Food Whisperer
We like feature so many early stage food companies on the podcast as they make business accessible and understandable, whether we’re talking about buying, selling, marketing or doing deliveries. Lessons learnt from making bread, no matter what your industry, can make you bread.
Accountant Margaret Dineen is a food business whisperer. Her business Blue Sky Food Consulting, is a supply chain and commercial finance advisory service. Her other business, The Irish Food Trade Connect Forum is a Food and Drinks nationwide platform for trade development for the Irish Food and Drinks industry.
Her 'hire in a heartbeat'? Niamh Lenehan, CEO, Agri-Food Regulator
More episodes
View all episodes
240. E240 That Great Business Show - A VR world-leader, based in Ireland, needs cash to go mega & How to gain operational efficiencies of 40%
59:28||Season 1, Ep. 240Episode 240 That Great Business ShowGeoff Allen, co-founder Mersus Technologies - a VR company (not a training company!) that is changing how we do business in so many sectors. What they do is truly amazing. We know. We've seen their work. Having recently won a place on the Meta app store they're only one click away from 24,000,000 headsets (a number that is about to explode in size). They use gaming software to digitise training. They create a 'virtual twin' of a workplace, a virtual factory. They're passing tacit knowledge (knowledge gained through experience) to incoming staff. They're world leaders in the sector. Their big problem is funding, funding and funding. They're looking for a High Net Worth Individual who knows the bio/pharma space, to join as an investor.His 'hire in a heartbeats' are Pat McDonagh of SuperMacs and Stephen Grant of Grant Boilers.Improve your businesses' operational efficiency by 40%. Helen Burke, lead-founder Teambase Ireland, joins That Great Business Show to explain how she does it for the insurance industry and how other industries can learn from her. She has her eye on Ireland and the UK right now, having served her time as a kindergarten teacher (teaching the letter A for three weeks solid wasn't for her) in the Middle East where she came across Teambase. She says the insurance industry is still using Excel, hand written or copy and pasted, taking hours and hours to find insurance solutions. She's taking the donkey work out of this process. Networks are golden she says and she loves her insurance networks around the world.Her 'hire in a heartbeat' is Jim Campion, that we had on a previous episode of the podcast. With thanks to De Facto Shaving Oil, the world's best shaving oil (not a beard oil, it's for anyone who shaves).
239. E239 That Great Business Show - Why Big Engineering Projects are under priced
33:25||Season 1, Ep. 239Episode 239 That Great Business ShowLaurent Germain, CEO, Egis WorldwideSteven Preece, CEO, Egis Ireland.Egis, the engineering company, the largest engineering company in Ireland, and they gave you The Port Tunnel, the Jack Lynch Tunnel, the Limerick Tunnel...and so, so much more. They're also making sure the Adare bypass happens before the Ryder Cup comes to Limerick.We have two bosses in studio with us, the Irish boss and the Big Big boss, of a company employing 20,000 people worldwide. They have €1billion to double the size of the company...and they're looking for acquisitions in Ireland as well as worldwide.They tell us why Cork, Limerick or Galway won’t be having a high speed train anytime soon. Why the government should follow the French model and hire the best engineers to project manage big infrastructure projects to keep them somewhere near budget. (In an earlier 13-year long career Laurent worked at the top end of government in France)And why Ireland needs another 6,000 engineers – right now. (Egis is hiring too).Their 'hires in a heartbeat'The French boss opted for French star, Antoine DupontThe English born, Irish boss, opted for Ireland and Lions coach, Englishman Andy Farrell
238. E238 That Great Business Show - Problems importing Polish coated steel and a Slovakian champion body builder grows a business
47:24||Season 1, Ep. 238E238 That Great Business ShowThanks to De Facto Shaving OilLithuanians William and Anthony explain how they ended up in Longford, set up a business called Tolvita together, importing and selling coated steel cladding that is ideal for home construction. Originally they came to 'collect a few bob' but a chat with MicroFinance Ireland led them to the Longford LEO who helped them create their enterprise. They're now looking for others in the domestic construction business to use their products that they (naturally) say is better than the rest. They have big ambitions to break into the Northern Ireland and British markets. There's a business opportunity here.Their 'hire in heartbeat'? Richard Branson and Elon Musk (added reluctantly)Michael Mi-Xuan borrowed time from C&D Petfoods when he worked their as a general operative to research his business. He had been into break dancing and ballet and had a yearning for bodybuilding. He knew nothing about the gym business, but that did not hold this born entrepreneur back. He borrowed money for 'his wedding' from Ulster Bank to set up his gym business in Longford. He then bought 2nd hand equipment from N. Ireland. But disaster. He had nowhere to put the equipment. A local businessman stepped in and Michael now has a thriving gym business, with ambitions to keep growing beyond Longford. And as an Irish body building champion he also has world ambitions win big internationally. This is a fun interview with business insights that include his views on nutrition. Spoiler alert. Don't eat junk near him!His 'hire in a heartbeat'? International business coach Dan Pena - the one trillion man.
237. E237 That Great Business Show -
50:41||Season 1, Ep. 237E237 That Great Business ShowUCD Smurfit School, 'Podcast of the Year'With thanks to De Facto Shaving Oil, the world's best shaving oil.Alex Harris, co-founder, CogniStreamTurning market research on its head, using AI bots that sound more human than humans, creating campaigns in hours not weeks or months, cutting the cost by 90%, affordable for businesses of all sizes that are launching a number of products or services every year - and soon available in multi-languages.Her 'hire in a heartbeat', Dr. Deirdre Robertson. They want her brains to make sense of what CogniStream is finding out.Avril Power, co-founder, GiystAnother AI plus marketing driven company that can take hundreds of hours of video, chop it, dice it and make it into something that people might actually watch. Your annual conference, shrunk to minutes. Your two hour webinar, delivered to you in a two minutes, salient points added. And all done in almost instantly. They've got patents. The may have a world business. They just need to raise €250k. Well worth a listen. Her 'hire in a heartbeat'? Canva founder Melanie Perkins and Sonru founder (and seller) Ed Hendrick
236. E236 That Great Business Show - Why wellness is great for business, The Ffrench twins, Jackie and Bernie
44:19||Season 1, Ep. 236E236 That Great Business ShowUCD Smurfit Business School 'Podcast of the Year'Jacqueline and Bernie Ffrench Investing in employee wellness isn’t just a trend—it’s a business advantage. A healthier, more engaged workforce drives productivity, innovation, and success. Here’s why:When employees feel physically and mentally well, they bring higher energy levels, sharper focus, and better problem-solving skills to work. Studies show that companies with strong wellness programs see a 20%+ boost in productivity.Workplace wellness initiatives lower stress, prevent burnout, and reduce sick leave. Businesses that prioritise wellness report fewer absences and lower long-term healthcare expenses, benefiting both employees and employers.Employees value workplaces that care about their well-being. A well-designed wellness program boosts job satisfaction, engagement, and loyalty, helping businesses attract and retain top talent.Wellness isn’t just a perk—it’s a strategy for success.#WorkplaceWellness #BusinessGrowth #HealthyEmployees #CorporateCulture #EmployeeEngagement #Leadership #WellbeingAtWork #MentalHealthMatters #FutureOfWork
234. E234 That Great Business Show - A cure for Scope Creep, Jenna Farrell, Scopey - Totally Nuts, Uche Chiemeka, UC Nuts
43:50||Season 1, Ep. 234E234 That Great Business Show UCD Smurfit Business School, 'Podcast of the Year'A special episode recorded in Longford, thanks to the Longford Local Enterprise Office that is keen to highlight the international diversity of businesses being set up in Longford, with budding entrepreneurs from all over the world being drawn to the county. On this episode we have two women entrepreneurs from very different parts of the world and both with unbridled ambition for their businesses.Jenna Farrell, co-founder of Scopey, explains what Scope Creep is and how to cure it. Essential listening for anyone selling a service where clients demand more for less.Uche Chiemeka is founder of UC Nuts. Covid almost did for her fledgling nuts business, but then she saw an ad for Supervalu's Food Academy. She says it was 'life changing'.With thanks to De Facto Shaving Oil www.DeFactoShave.com
233. E233 That Great Business Show - €3m raise to create world beating lenses, Simon Forsyth, Lir Optic & Stop SaaS Sprawl!, Niall O'Gorman, Marketsizer
49:07||Season 1, Ep. 233E233 That Great Business ShowA banker who wanted to run a car sharing business but turned to lens making instead. Simon Forsyth is part of the Lir Optic team at UCD Nova, the UCD spin out lab. They've come up with a 'world beating lens' they believe. It shifts shape by applying an electric current to it. That means no little motors to drive lenses in and out. That means thinner, cheaper phones and laptops, and...well anything that uses cameras, which is quite a lot. They're raising €3 million to bring it to the world. The market is so big we don't have enough zeroes on the keyboard to type it out...and they're in talks with A Big Company. Could be huge.His 'hire in a heartbeat'? Steve Jobs, who had the greatest team of optical engineers ever.SaaS Apocalypse is something new to us at That Great Business Show. It’s a term used by Niall O’Gorman, founder of MarketSizer, a competitive intelligence platform that helps SaaS companies find the right customers, optimize growth, and stay ahead of the competition. Wait until you hear how detailed they can be. They say they can know more about a company than the company owners may do. And other analyses they can do is pretty mind blowing. They track 60 million SaaS subscriptions at the moment. And growing. Very fast. Next may be an 'always on' analysis of what big companies are using, and telling the procurement what is being spent, on what etc.They're raising €1.5m. to head to North America.His 'hire in a heartbeat'? Matt Damon, because he was once 'stranded on Mars'.With thanks to De Facto Shaving Oil, the world's best.
232. E232 That Great Business Show - The Mary Poppins of Business, Ilaria Eugenia Ferri & Money for Jam, Felix Oster, Mór Taste
54:18||Season 1, Ep. 232That Great Business Show with Conall Ó Móráin – Episode 232 Ireland’s Best Business Podcast - UCD Smurfit Business School 'Podcast of the Year' brings you two incredible stories of entrepreneurship and innovation!💼 From Milan’s Theatres to Dublin’s BoardroomsMeet Ilaria Eugenia Ferri, the ‘Mary Poppins’ of business—a Virtual Assistant who helps companies scale, streamline, and stay organised. After swapping Milan’s top theatres for Dublin, she turned her passion for organisation into profit, helping small businesses structure their operations for success.🍓 Revolutionising Jam with Mór TasteFelix Oster is leading the jam revolution, crafting Europe’s fruitiest jams with 85% real fruit and zero concentrates. His journey—from food manufacturing to judging at the World Cheese Awards—led him to create a healthier, tastier jam inspired by an unexpected moment in the Swiss mountains.Tune in for inspiring business insights and don’t forget to REPOST & SHARE!What’s your biggest takeaway from this episode? Let us know in the comments!#ThatGreatBusinessShow #IrishEntrepreneurs #VirtualAssistant #FoodInnovation #SmallBusiness #Podcast