That Great Business Show

Conall Ó'Móráin

That Great Business Show with Conall Ó Móráin - officially Ireland's TOP Business Podcast, UCD Smurfit's Business Podcast of the Year! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. 21h ago

    E307 That Great Business Show She Started on Her Parents’ Kitchen Counter. Now she's aiming for Selfridges | Gráinne Mullins

    Gráinne Mullins thought 2020 was going to be her year. She had just won Young Chef of the Year. Then Covid arrived. Restaurants closed. Everything in the diary disappeared. So Gráinne went home to East Galway and started making hand-painted chocolates on her parents’ kitchen counter. That little experiment became Grá Chocolates. The first online launch sold out in just over five minutes. Actually, it did better than that. The website crashed and accidentally sold twice as much chocolate as Gráinne had made. Fast forward. Grá Chocolates now employs 18 people, with more joining at peak times. Every single chocolate is still hand-painted. And Gráinne has just set up UK distribution, now Selfridges and Harrods are firmly on the hit list. In between came one other fairly useful development. She entered the Stelios North–South Business Cooperation Awards. The application took about 15 minutes. Then came a Zoom with Stelios Haji-Ioannou himself. Then came the phone call. Grá Chocolates and Northern Ireland partner Needi won €100,000. And the money was in the bank within roughly three working days of the competition. There is €500,000 available again this year through the Stelios Awards. For the full practical detail on who qualifies, the prize structure and how to apply, listen to the Barry Sherry episode of That Great Business Show. This episode is the other half of the story: what winning actually feels like — and what it can do for a young business. Also in this episode: the Valentine’s Day disaster that ended with chocolates being hand-delivered around Irelandwhy Gráinne treats business competitions as a management exercisehow Michelin kitchens taught her how to run a companywhy she wants to move production back to rural East Galwaythe importance of Northern Ireland as an obvious first export marketand a remarkable 16-year-old employee who gets Gráinne’s Hire in a Heartbeat.That Great Business Show is brought to you by De Facto Shaving Oil — the world’s finest shaving oil, made in Mayo and sold worldwide. Find all episodes at www.ThatGreatBusinessShow.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    E307 That Great Business Show She Started on Her Parents’ Kitchen Counter. Now she's aiming for Selfridges | Gráinne Mullins

  2. 2d ago

    E306 That Great Business Show - He Spent 20 Minutes Applying. Won €100,000. Then Sold His Company. | Barry Sherry

    Twenty minutes. €100,000 cash. No equity handed over. That got our attention. Barry Sherry and his co-founder built their Monaghan-based energy business into a 20-person company working North and South. Then Barry spotted the Stelios North–South Business Cooperation Awards in his local newspaper. He reckoned they ticked the boxes. The application took about 20 minutes. Then came a Zoom. Then another Zoom — this one with Stelios Haji-Ioannou. Then, on a Saturday evening, Barry opened an email telling him they had won €100,000. And there’s another twist. Not long afterwards the company was acquired. Did winning the Stelios Award help? Barry says the eventual buyer had seen the business in the media, knew about the award and asked them about it. This is a very practical episode for any SME doing business North and South. Barry explains: exactly how they appliedwhat Stelios appeared to like about the businesswhy having a founder on each side of the border helpedwhy he sees Northern Ireland as an opportunity rather than an export markethow they built a business capable of being sold only three years after startingwhy clean management accounts made four-month due diligence possibleand the bizarre problem of people working on one side of the border being refused mortgages on the other.And there is €500,000 in cash available again in 2026. The 2026 Awards have one €150,000 Gold Award, two €100,000 Silver Awards and six €25,000 Bronze Awards. Applications close 7 September 2026, with the winners announced at Castle Leslie on 28 October. Barry’s advice? Apply. The worst they can say is no. The best they can say is €150,000. That Great Business Show is brought to you by De Facto Shaving Oil — the world’s finest shaving oil, made in Mayo, sold worldwide. Find all episodes at www.ThatGreatBusinessShow.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    E306 That Great Business Show - He Spent 20 Minutes Applying. Won €100,000. Then Sold His Company. | Barry Sherry

  3. Jul 28

    E305 That Great Business Show - George Clooney Made Coffee Pods Sexy. Sofia Kalfa Is Cleaning Up the Mess

    George Clooney helped make the coffee pod glamorous. Unfortunately, the estimated 30 billion pods going into landfill every year are considerably less glamorous. Sofia Kalfa spent almost 20 years working with companies including Dell, PepsiCo, Wayfair and CRH. She then brought that corporate experience into Fzin Coffee, a growing Cork business taking on some of the biggest names in the global coffee industry. Fzin has developed an independently certified, bio-based and home-compostable coffee capsule that can go into a home compost heap, food bin, flowerpot or garden rather than joining the plastic and aluminium mountain. But this is not simply a sustainability story. Sofia explains: How Fzin built an 80-plus-product coffee and beverage portfolio.Why a customer told her that Fzin needed to be available through Musgrave.How she followed up through LinkedIn and effectively told Musgrave: “You have to list us.”Why seven business awards changed the type of people visiting the Fzin website.How a UK customer arrived shortly afterwards.Why she rejected the traditional van-and-sales-representative model.How she plans to build a national and international commission-based sales network.Why Fzin has avoided outside investment.How hotels could dramatically reduce the waste created by in-room coffee machines. There is also palm-oil-free drinking chocolate, coffee syrups moved from plastic into glass, grants, exports, rural Ireland, a Cork-via-Greece accent and a small Irish business refusing to wait for the giant competitors to change first. In HIRE IN A HEARTBEAT, Sofia chooses former Glanbia Group Managing Director and current CRH board member Siobhán Talbot — and offers her a completely blank sheet of paper. That Great Business Show with Conall O Morain is sponsored by De Facto® Shaving Oil, the world’s best all-natural shaving oil. No cans. No unnecessary waste. Made in Mayo and sold to the world. Listen on Acast, Spotify, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts — and subscribe to the show on YouTube. Find all episodes at www.ThatGreatBusinessShow.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    E305 That Great Business Show - George Clooney Made Coffee Pods Sexy. Sofia Kalfa Is Cleaning Up the Mess

  4. Jul 22

    E304 That Great Business Show - The CFO Who Interviews for a New Job Every Year — Vineta Bajaj, Holland & Barrett

    Vineta Bajaj interviews for another job every year. She is also Group CFO of Holland & Barrett. That may sound like a dangerous combination, but Vineta says interviewing is a muscle. Let it go soft and the day you genuinely need another job, your first few interviews will be dreadful.If you are in the corporate world, or want to understand that world, this is an essential episode. Born and raised in Limerick, she finished school at 16, entered the University of Limerick before she was old enough for the pub, taught piano and developed a teenage fascination with trading options in oil refinery companies. As you do. Since then, she has worked with KPMG, Kerry Group, Ocado and Rohlik Group before taking charge of the finances at Holland & Barrett, a company with over 1,200 stores globally. Vineta explains why you should never say “that’s not my job”, why “busy” often means ineffective, how she told a CFO that she wanted his job, and why you must ask directly for the career you want. She also reveals the extraordinary full-circle moment when she hired two of the men who once hired and managed her. Hire in a Heartbeat: Vineta attempts to dodge the compulsory name, admits her admiration for Michael O’Leary and ultimately chooses something more valuable—a leader with a genuine founder mindset. With thanks to De Facto Shaving Oil, the longstanding sponsor of That Great Business Show. Find all episodes at www.ThatGreatBusinessShow.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    E304 That Great Business Show - The CFO Who Interviews for a New Job Every Year — Vineta Bajaj, Holland & Barrett

  5. Jul 17

    E303 That Great Business Show - The Irish Startup Turning €85 Billion in Advertising Spend into Customer Rewards - Matthew Coffey, Leah Deasy

    SQUID has raised €10 million, reached almost 4,000 reward locations and now wants to turn loyalty points into real spending power. €85 billion is spent every year across the UK and Ireland trying to influence where consumers spend their money. Irish loyalty company SQUID has a rather disruptive suggestion: stop spending so much trying to buy people’s attention and put more of that money directly into their pockets. ON Episode 303 of That Great Business Show with Conall Ó Móráin, SQUID CEO Matthew Coffey and Chief of Staff Leah Deasy, explain how the company grew from personally pitching independent coffee shops to operating across almost 4,000 locations. SQUID has raised €10 million over time, employs approximately 28 people and says more than 1% of the UK and Irish population now uses its platform. We examine: Why SQUID believes rewards can outperform conventional advertisingHow three million rewards have already been claimedWhy free coffee remains a surprisingly powerful business toolHow the company makes moneyThe payment partnerships that could unlock European expansionIts planned €10 million-plus Series AWhether Revolut, Stripe or another payments giant could eventually come knockingHIRE IN A HEARTBEAT: Leah chooses Canva co-founder Melanie Perkins. Matthew chooses Stripe founders Patrick and John Collison. Sponsored by De Facto Shaving Oil. The world’s best all-natural shaving oil. Not a beard oil. Made in Mayo, sold worldwide. DeFactoShave.com Find all episodes at www.ThatGreatBusinessShow.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    E303 That Great Business Show - The Irish Startup Turning €85 Billion in Advertising Spend into Customer Rewards - Matthew Coffey, Leah Deasy

  6. Jul 8

    E302 That Great Business Show - The banks said no. The ramen got funded. Niall O'Grady, Linked Finance & Kevin Hughes, Nomo Ramen

    The banks said no. The ramen got funded. On Episode 302 of That Great Business Show with Conall Ó Móráin, we follow the money. Real money. SME money. The stuff every founder wants, needs, chases, curses and occasionally dreams about. Niall O’Grady, CEO of Linked Finance, explains how the company has put more than €400m into more than 5,000 Irish SMEs — and why speed matters when a business owner spots an opportunity. With him is Kevin Hughes, founder of Nomo Ramen in Dublin, who left a tech career, spent years obsessing over ramen, made hundreds of test bowls at home, was told “no” plenty of times, and still built the business. This is not theory. This is not “thought leadership.” This is money, noodles, risk, graft, landlords, lenders and the glorious madness of Irish SMEs. Hire in a Heartbeat: Kevin chooses Ivan Orkin, the New Yorker who became a ramen success in Tokyo and helped open up the secretive world of ramen recipes. Niall chooses John Teeling — and, even better, his grandmother Winifred Clifford, who ran a business in Clones and could apparently negotiate the legs off Hector Grey’s table. Sponsored by De Facto® the world's best all-natural shaving oil - shaving foam cans are sent to landfill. It's the law. De Facto is 100% recyclable. DeFactoShave.com Listen in. Subscribe. Share it with an SME owner who needs money, speed, nerve, or a bowl of ramen. Find all episodes at www.ThatGreatBusinessShow.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    E302 That Great Business Show - The banks said no. The ramen got funded. Niall O'Grady, Linked Finance & Kevin Hughes, Nomo Ramen

  7. Jul 1

    E301 That Great Business Show - would you pay 80c for one cube of ice? If yes, Richie French of LXRY ICE would like a word.

    Would you pay 80 cent for a cube of ice? Richie French, founder of The LXRY ICE Collection, says ice is no longer just frozen water. For premium bars, hotels, restaurants and events, it can be a luxury ingredient: crystal-clear, slow-melting, brandable and highly photographable. Conall asks whether this is serious business or a cocktail of nonsense. Richie explains the science, the margins, the branded ice stamps, the family business behind Pure Irish Ice, and why a 26-year-old Irish founder is thinking about ice 24/7. BTW, did you know certain supermarkets IMPORT ice from the UK?? Can you guess which ones? Richie’s Hire in a Heartbeat: Majken Bech-Bailey and Jordan Bailey, formerly of Aimsir. Sponsored by De Facto® the world's best all-natural shaving oil - shaving foam cans are sent to landfill. It's the law. De Facto is 100% recyclable. DeFactoShave.com Find all episodes at www.ThatGreatBusinessShow.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    E301 That Great Business Show - would you pay 80c for one cube of ice? If yes, Richie French of LXRY ICE would like a word.

  8. Jun 19

    E300 That Great Business Show, The Horse That Knows Your CEO Is Bluffing, Emma Jane Clarke,

    Episode 300: Emma Jane Clarke, Martinstown Lodge: Leadership Coaching With Horses, No Saddles, No Cowboys, No Hiding What happens when a senior executive walks into an arena with a horse and discovers the horse is not impressed by their title, their car, their bonus, their LinkedIn bio or their carefully manufactured air of command? That is the business Emma Jane Clarke has built at Martinstown Lodge in Co. Meath. No horse riding. No cowboy tricks. No corporate away-day nonsense with beanbags, beach balls or frostbite. This is equine-centred leadership development, where horses are used to help leaders and teams see how they really show up. Emma Jane is no flake. Far from it. She was a senior leader in a government agency, managed large teams and multimillion-euro portfolios, and before that was the only female harvesting foreman in the UK forestry sector. Then, after a major accident left her in a wheelchair, she went after the dream: a farm, horses and a business helping people get out of their own way. On Episode 300 of That Great Business Show with Conall O Morain, Emma Jane explains: Why horses are brutally honest leadership mirrors Why senior managers cannot bluff a horse Why your thoughts are not necessarily reality Why checking in too much can interrupt the flow of a team Why confidence, presence and trust matter more than title Why some CEOs need less PowerPoint and more paddock Why no one, absolutely no one, gets to play cowboy She also explains the business model, the client base, the expansion potential, the international ambition and why this strange-sounding idea is already working with serious companies. And in Hire in a Heartbeat, Emma Jane chooses Steve Bartlett, Jay Shetty and, best of all, her 89-year-old mother Dorothy Clarke, who recently started her own podcast. That is competition. Family competition. The worst kind. Brought to you, as always, by De Facto Shaving Oil. The world’s best shaving oil. Not a beard oil. DeFactoShave.com Find all episodes at www.ThatGreatBusinessShow.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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About

That Great Business Show with Conall Ó Móráin - officially Ireland's TOP Business Podcast, UCD Smurfit's Business Podcast of the Year! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Information

  • Creator
    Conall Ó'Móráin
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    347
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Conall Ó'Móráin
  • Show Website
    That Great Business Show

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