Irish Business Builders

*This episode was originally aired in April 2022*Produced by Jetbooks, Chartered Accountants Ireland.Subscribe to the Business Builders Newsletter for the very best ideas I've discovered on business and personal growth.This week I spoke to JD Buckley, CEO at Sky Ireland.Sky, as most of you will know, is a global broadcasting and telecommunications company.Since joining Sky in 2012, JD has overseen the growth of the Irish business from just 30 people to over one-thousand today.In this very enjoyable conversation, JD talks about what he learned while working for Digicel in the Caribbean, along with an early opportunity that came from failing an exam in UCD, and he gives some really clear and honest advice for anyone who aspires to one day, becoming a CEO.Irish Business Builders is brought to you by Jetbooks. Jetbooks provides online bookkeeping services for Irish Businesses. For a free 15 minute online consultation, visit www.jetbooks.ieCONNECT WITH CONOR:LinkedIn

*This episode was originally aired in June 2020*Produced by Jetbooks, Chartered Accountants Ireland.Subscribe to the Business Builders Newsletter for the very best ideas I've discovered on business and personal growth.Junior’s Deli & Cafe. Paulie’s Pizza. Lotts & Co. Can you see a pattern?Barry McNerney and his brother Paul have built all of these iconic Irish businesses, and I loved hearing Barry’s tales of determination and passion in this interview. Starting out as an equity trader, lured to the profession by the slick Wall Street types you'd see in films, Barry soon realised this world wasn't what he'd imagined. His brother Paul being a chef, they decided to try their luck in the restaurant business and opened Junior's. It wasn’t easy, but  Junior’s became a hit with the community, with its authentic, honest, affordable food. What's amazing is what Barry and Paul did next. They went on to open Paulie's Pizza and boutique grocer Lotts & Co (all with big challenges along the way which you'll hear about). Still, Barry and Paul kept innovating, and seeing the headaches that ordering produce for restaurants presented, created UnifyOrdering. Starting out as a simple app to connect restaurateurs with suppliers, Unify is now available for everyone as a free app to get fresh, local Irish produce delivered to their homes. Find out more about UnifyOrdering here: https://www.unifyordering.com/Connect with Barry on Instagram @barrymcn81Irish Business Builders is brought to you by Jetbooks. Jetbooks provides online bookkeeping services for Irish Businesses. For a free 15 minute online consultation, visit www.jetbooks.ieThanks for listening!CONNECT WITH CONOR:LinkedIn

*This episode was originally aired in July 2020*Produced by Jetbooks, Chartered Accountants Ireland.Subscribe to the Business Builders Newsletter for the very best ideas I've discovered on business and personal growth.This week I spoke to Will Sparks, whose journey towards becoming a successful financial planner contained big hurdles. While at college in UCD, Will overcame immense challenges posed by Dyslexia. Having previously been an admittedly average student, Will knuckled down, worked hard and got into a routine. He surprised even himself when he came first in his class in final year.  The second hurdle came much later, when Will was working at a top finance firm. The GFC hit and Will was suddenly let go, and out on his own. Determination prevailed once again and he began building his own client list and eventually starting SparksWealth in 2019.Stay tuned for some inspiring stories of self-discipline and optimism, with a few practical investment gems thrown in too!Will mentions his favourite finance books:The Education of a Value Investor by Guy SpierThe Dhandho Investor by Mohnish PabraiFind out more about Will and SparksWealth at https://sparkswealth.ie/Irish Business Builders is brought to you by Jetbooks. Jetbooks provides online bookkeeping services for Irish Businesses. For a free 15 minute online consultation, visit www.jetbooks.ieThanks for listening!CONNECT WITH CONOR:LinkedIn

*This episode was originally aired in November 2020*Produced by Jetbooks, Chartered Accountants Ireland.Subscribe to the Business Builders Newsletter for the very best ideas I've discovered on business and personal growth.Maurice Pratt's life in business is exactly the conversation I'd wanted for the finale of Irish Business Builders Season 2!He has been at the head of 10 companies, including Quinnsworth, Tesco Ireland and C&C. More recently, Maurice acts as Chairman of Uniphar Group, as well as holding numerous positions as a Non-Executive Director and Chairman for organisations across tourism, non-profit and healthcare sectors.Maurice also shares his views on managing ones time as a public company CEO and the best advice he ever received, from none other than Gary Weston.Find out more about Maurice Pratt here:https://www.bloomberg.com/profile/person/1876971Irish Business Builders is brought to you by Jetbooks. Jetbooks provides online bookkeeping services for Irish Businesses. For a free 15 minute online consultation, visit www.jetbooks.ieThanks for listening and see you all for Season 3 soon!CONNECT WITH CONOR:LinkedIn