Trading Up

He's behind the biggest residential development Belfast City Centre has ever seen and he wants to change the way we live. He began his career as a surveyor in London before moving into the development game. The £175 million Loft Lines development in Titanic Quarter comprising 778 apartments is Anthony Best's biggest project to date. He details how he makes the sums add up in a city that isn't always the most development-friendly. And he also reveals his wider commitment to changing the way we view our city and our way of living.

We catch up with two former guests to find out what's happened since we first met them on the podcast. The Newry lawyer who took an Irish pharma firm onto the Nasdaq with a $1 billion plus listing and the Mid Ulster builder who constructed the top four floors of Mayfair's Claridges Hotel in Magherafelt. Who says remarkable things can't happen in remote places? John McEvoy and Mark Gribbin update Jim on how their respective businesses are continuing to grow.

Jan Cunningham believes in failure. He may have helped put Ulster Rugby on the world stage as European champions with a stunning victory in the 1999 Heineken Cup. But he contends that even that great team had more failures than successes. It's what you learn from the failures that makes all the difference. 25 years later and Jan is now Managing Partner at one of Northern Ireland's leading independent law firms, Millar McCall Wylie. On this episode he explores with Jim how he uses his elite sport experience to help guide his business decisions today and ensure that his law practice can continue to grow in an ever-changing and increasingly competitive market. Clare Guinness of Belfast Chamber joins the discussion and has an elite sports reveal of her own.

Things get meta on the podcast this week as Jim Fitzpatrick dives into AI with industry leaders Catriona Campbell of EY and Tom Gray of Kainos. Not only do they explore and explain the huge challenges and opportunities that AI presents to business, but Jim takes a mind-bending detour down the AI rabbit hole with an AI podcast within an AI podcast. Angela McGowan joins the discussion as they unpick what's vital for everyone in business to know, and to ask. No humans were harmed in the making of this podcast, though some machines were definitely involved.

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

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

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

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