Smooth Scaling

In this episode of Smooth Scaling, Marie sits down with Brenda Dooley, Founder and CEO of AXIS The Reimbursement Experts, to explore the scaling journey behind one of Ireland and the UK’s leading reimbursement strategy firms.
Brenda shares how she built a highly specialised business from a clear market gap, the shift from boutique consultancy to an international scaling company, and the people, systems and strategic thinking required to support that growth. We also discuss innovation in healthcare, the future of reimbursement, AI, and why mission-led businesses can scale with both purpose and ambition.

In this episode, Marie is joined by Nancy Costello, Founder & CEO of The Belle Brush and the driving force behind Belle Hair and Invisibelle.

Named Image Young Business Woman of the Year 2025, Nancy has built a standout Irish beauty brand with significant global reach - selling over 500,000 award-winning products worldwide and growing a powerful e-commerce business supported by millions of online viewers.

From Galway to a global audience, Nancy shares the reality behind scaling a consumer brand - the early challenges, differentiating in a saturated market, building community at scale, and the operational discipline required to turn product demand into sustainable growth.

This is a candid conversation about ambition, resilience, and what it really takes to build a modern, internationally recognised brand from the West of Ireland.

In this episode of Smooth Scaling, Marie sits down with Eoghan Finneran, co-founder of Senus, formerly FarmEye, a company that has grown from rural roots in Roscommon into a leading player in agri-tech and environmental intelligence.

Senus has mapped over 3.5 million acres for soil health, building what it describes as Europe’s largest geo-tagged soil health database, and now operates internationally across 16 countries. In December 2025, the company listed on Euronext, reaching a market capitalisation of approximately €13 million.

Marie and Eoghan discuss the evolution of the business, scaling environmental data into actionable insight, navigating international growth, and the realities of building a public company from the West of Ireland.

Season Two of Smooth Scaling opens by setting the scene for the year ahead.
In this short episode, host Marie Donnellan outlines what scaling businesses are facing for the year ahead. Drawing on insights from the 2026 Business Outlook Report, she explores key themes including international expansion, cost and margin pressure, lean growth, AI adoption, leadership bandwidth, and talent challenges.
Season 2 will feature practical, honest conversations with founders and scaling leaders, many from the SCALE by Platform94 regional community, sharing real experiences and insights from their own scaling journeys.
The episode also pays tribute to the late John Purdy, an early supporter of our regional scaling community and a much-loved guest on the podcast, whose spirit of collaboration and generosity continues to shape everything we do.
New episodes coming very soon. Thank you for listening, your support truly means a lot.

In this special wrap-up episode of Smooth Scaling, Marie Donnellan reflects on the biggest insights, standout stories, and hard-won lessons from Season One.
From global entrepreneurs to regional innovators, our guests have shared candid truths about purpose, structure, resilience, talent, and culture, the real foundations needed to scale successfully on the international stage.
Marie revisits the highlights of each conversation, draws together her five biggest takeaways, and celebrates the momentum of the regional scaling community.
Whether you’ve listened to every episode or you’re just discovering the series, this finale is packed with perspective, inspiration, and practical wisdom for anyone on a scaling journey.