The Entrepreneur Experiment

• EE 408 - How I Built a $15M Media Empire in the Middle East – Richard Fitzgerald’s Story

  In this episode of The Entrepreneur Experiment, Gary Fox sits down with Richard Fitzgerald, the founder of Augustus Media, an award-winning modern media company in the UAE and KSA, publishers of Lovin Dubai, Lovin Saudi, and Smashi TV. With a background in media and advertising since 2006, Richard worked at agencies in Ireland, England, and the UAE before building a regional social media department at Mindshare MENA and later becoming Managing Director of a creative technology start-up. In 2015, he launched Augustus Media, a ‘new media’ company that has since expanded across the Middle East, winning Best SME Company at the 2018 MENA EFFIE Awards. Today, Augustus operates Lovin brands in multiple cities, including Dubai, Saudi, Bahrain, Cairo, Riyadh, and Sharjah, and in 2019, they added ODEUM, a dedicated content studio, to their growing media empire. Richard reveals the strategies he used to scale his media brands, the challenges of monetising digital media, and why he believes traditional media is broken. If you’re building a content brand or looking to scale your business in a competitive market, this is a must-listen! 🎧 Show Notes: In this episode, we cover: 🔥 How Richard turned Lovin Dubai into a media powerhouse from scratch 🚀 The strategies he used to growth-hack his way to millions of pageviews 💡 The future of media & why traditional outlets are struggling to adapt  🌍 Expanding across the Middle East: The challenges of entering new markets (Dubai, Saudi, Bahrain, Cairo, Riyadh & more!)  🔑 How Lovin and Smashi became the region’s leading digital media brands 📈 Revenue, investment, and why he rejected buyout offers 🎥 The role of ODEUM, Augustus Media’s content studio 🎤 Hiring journalists vs. content creators – what media needs now 📌 Resources & Links: 📖 Learn more about Augustus Media: https://weareaugustus.com/ 📰 Follow Lovin brands across the Middle East: https://lovin.co/ 🎥 Check out Smashi TV – https://smashi.tv/en 🎬 Discover ODEUM – Augustus Media’s content studio: https://weareaugustus.com/odeum/ 📱 Connect with Richard on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fitzyrichard/ 💬 “I didn’t want to think about fundraising or exits—I wanted to build something real, something that lasts.” – Richard Fitzgerald   --- Visit my partners --- Enterprise Ireland: https://bit.ly/EIreland  Azure Communications: https://bit.ly/azureEE Nostra: https://bit.ly/nostraee

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• EE 407 - The Gym Equipment Empire Used by 75% of Premier League Teams - BLK BOX

  In this episode of The Entrepreneur Experiment, Gary Fox sits down with Greg Bradley, founder of BLK BOX, one of the leading gym equipment manufacturers in Europe. Greg shares his journey from bootstrapping a startup with no engineering background to building a business that supplies some of the world’s top sports teams—including Irish Rugby and 75% of the Premier League clubs. Greg opens up about the challenges of scaling a manufacturing business, the rollercoaster ride of COVID-19, and why he stepped away from the CEO role to focus on his strengths. If you’re an entrepreneur looking for insights on brand-building, international expansion, and leadership, this episode is packed with value.  🎧 Show Notes: In this episode, we cover: 🔥 From side hustle to global brand – How Greg built BLK BOX from scratch 🏋️‍♂️ Supplying the pros – Landing contracts with elite sports teams & gym chains 📉 The COVID challenge – Why it was a net negative for the business 💡 Lessons in leadership – Why Greg hired a CEO to replace himself 📈 Scaling manufacturing – Expanding operations without outside investment 🇺🇸 Cracking the U.S. market – BLK BOX’s next big move 🎯 The future of fitness – Hyrox, functional training, and what’s next 💬 "I didn’t bring investment in at the start because I feel sometimes money can suffocate creativity. My strength has always been being resourceful—turning lemons into lemonade." - Greg Bradley  📌 Resources & Links: 🔗 BLK BOX – Greg’s company: https://www.blkboxfitness.com/ 📖 Scaling Up – Business book recommendation 🏃‍♂️ Hyrox – The fitness race taking over: https://hyrox.com/ 📱 Follow Greg Bradley on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregory-bradley-69610539/ 🎙️ Enjoyed this episode? Subscribe to The Entrepreneur Experiment for more inspiring founder stories. --- Visit my partners Enterprise Ireland: https://bit.ly/EIreland  Azure Communications: https://bit.ly/azureEE Nostra: https://bit.ly/nostraee  

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• EE 406 - From Idea to Impact: The Courage to Start Your Own Business with Keogh's Crisps & Advanced Cosmoetics

  The Entrepreneur Experiment Live Special with The Local Enterprise Offices: Lessons from Ireland’s Top Founders. To celebrate Local Enterprise Week, we sit down with Tom Keogh of Keogh’s Crisps and Noreen Hackett of Advanced Cosmetics to uncover the real stories behind building globally recognised brands from Ireland. Tom shares how his family farm transformed from market gardening to a premium snack brand sold in over 20 countries, including on international airlines. Noreen reveals how she went from chemist to CEO, creating an end-to-end cosmetics manufacturing powerhouse serving 37 brands worldwide.  If you're a founder or aspiring entrepreneur, this episode is packed with real-world insights on branding, scaling, and navigating sustainability and global expansion. 🎧 Show Notes: In this episode, we cover: 🔥 The power of branding – How Tom turned a family farm into a global snack brand 🚀 Taking the leap – How Noreen built her cosmetics empire from scratch 💡 The importance of authenticity – Why telling the truth in branding is a competitive advantage 📈 Expanding internationally – Breaking into global markets while staying true to your roots 🌍 Sustainability & business – What actually works vs. greenwashing 💰 Navigating funding & investment – Lessons from early-stage growth 🔑 Scaling smartly – How to manage multiple business lines without losing focus 💬 "Word of mouth is the most powerful form of marketing you’ll ever get." – Tom Keogh 📌 Resources & Links: 📖 Enterprise Ireland – Support for Irish startups: enterprise-ireland.com 🛍️ Keogh’s Crisps – www.keoghs.ie  🧴 Advanced Cosmetics – www.advancedcosmetics.ie Loved this episode? Subscribe to The Entrepreneur Experiment for more founder insights. --- Visit my partners Enterprise Ireland: https://bit.ly/EIreland Azure Communications: https://bit.ly/azureEE Nostra: https://bit.ly/nostraee 

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• EE 405 - From 0 to 300 Million Users: The Growth Story of Sean Blanchfield’s Startups

  In this episode of The Entrepreneur Experiment, Gary Fox sits down with Sean Blanchfield, serial entrepreneur and co-founder of Demonware, PageFair, and Jentic, to unpack his journey from student entrepreneur to scaling and selling tech companies. Sean shares candid insights into the early days of launching startups in Ireland, how Demonware became a critical player in multiplayer gaming, and the bold pivots that led to success. He also dives into his later ventures, PageFair, which tackled ad blocking in the digital advertising space, and Jentic, his latest project at the forefront of AI-driven market insights. From fundraising struggles to navigating acquisitions, Sean reflects on the lessons he’s learned across multiple ventures. If you’re a founder working on product-market fit, considering an exit, or fascinated by the business behind gaming and ad tech, this episode is packed with insights you won’t want to miss. 🎧 Show Notes: In this episode, we cover: 🔥 The origins of Demonware and its role in multiplayer gaming 🚀 How Sean and his co-founders pivoted their product four times before finding the right fit 💡 Fundraising challenges in Ireland and how they bootstrapped early growth 🎮 The rise of online gaming and how Demonware powered global hits like Call of Duty 📈 Selling to Activision – why it was the right move and how the deal unfolded 🛑 PageFair & ad-blocking – the problem it solved and how it changed the digital ad space 🤖 Jentic – Sean’s latest AI-driven insights company and the future of market intelligence 💼 The emotional and strategic aspects of selling a business 🤔 Lessons from failed ventures and why iteration is key to startup success 💬 "We were in existential crisis for the first 18 months. Then suddenly, we had product-market fit, and everything changed." – Sean Blanchfield     Visit my Partners Enterprise Ireland: https://bit.ly/EIreland Azure Communications: https://bit.ly/azureEE Nostra: https://bit.ly/nostraee   --- 📌 Resources & Links: 🔗 Enterprise Ireland – Support for Startups: https://www.enterprise-ireland.com/ 🎮 Demonware – Behind Activision’s Multiplayer Gaming: https://www.demonware.net/ 📢 PageFair – Ad-Blocking Analytics & Solutions: https://www.pagefair.com/ 📊 Jentic – AI-Powered Market Intelligence: https://www.jentic.com/ 📱 Follow Sean Blanchfield on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/seanblanchfield 📖 The Lean Startup – Eric Ries (A book Sean references in his startup journey)

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• EE 404 - From €10K Investment to Multimillion-Euro Beauty Empire: Aimee Connolly’s Story

  In this episode of The Entrepreneur Experiment, Gary Fox sits down with Aimee Connolly, the powerhouse founder behind Sculpted by Aimee. From working on makeup counters at 16 to building one of Ireland’s most successful beauty brands, Aimee shares her incredible journey of bootstrapping her way to the top. She reveals the bold steps she took—cold emailing manufacturers, self-funding her first product launch, and scaling from a solo founder to leading an international beauty empire. If you're an entrepreneur looking for real, unfiltered insights on launching a product, navigating challenges, and building a loyal brand community, this episode is for you. 🎧 Show Notes: In this episode, we cover: 🔥 The moment Aimee decided to build her own beauty brand 🚀 How she launched Sculpted by Aimee with just €10,000 💡 The power of ‘massive action’ and breaking down big goals 📈 Bootstrapping vs. raising investment: the cashflow lessons she learned 🌍 Expanding into new markets: from Ireland to the UK and beyond 🔑 Why authenticity and community-building have been key to her success 🏋️‍♀️ Balancing business growth with personal well-being 💬 "The number one difference between an entrepreneur and someone who doesn’t start is knowing you don’t have all the answers—but not letting that stop you." – Aimee Connolly   Visit my Partners Enterprise Ireland: https://bit.ly/EIreland Azure Communications: https://bit.ly/azureEE Nostra: https://bit.ly/nostraee      📌 Resources & Links: 📖 Enterprise Ireland: Support for Startups🛍️ Sculpted by Aimee📱 Follow Aimee Connolly on Instagram & LinkedIn 🎙️ Enjoyed this episode? Subscribe to The Entrepreneur Experiment for more insights from world-class founders.

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