The Natural Resilience Podcast

Kieran Kelly went from the family butcher's to CEO of Ubloquity, the Belfast firm
securing global supply chains.

What does it actually take to build a technology company from an unorthodox start,
and who do you need around you to do it?

In this episode of The Natural Resilience Podcast, Ciarán May sits down with Kieran
Kelly, founder and CEO of Ubloquity, to trace a route into tech that went through a
family butcher's shop and a bedroom building PCs before it arrived anywhere near a
boardroom.

Kieran describes Ubloquity as the trust protocol in the supply chain. It uses
blockchain to let goods move across borders without friction, and to prove where
something came from, what it is made of and who made it. He talks through the
company's work with Amazon Web Services, and a project with Lowden Guitars in County
Down that gave individual instruments a verifiable record of their own provenance.

The conversation turns to what scaling actually costs. Kieran is direct about the
cognitive load, the pressure, the stakes and the risk of building a start-up, and
about why none of it is survivable alone. His line for it is that it takes a village
to raise a start-up. Finding a tribe of founders who understand the work gives you a
support system, and people who will show you your own blind spots.

He closes on Northern Ireland's technology sector, and why the grit, the
determination and the genuine willingness to collaborate here amount to a competitive
advantage rather than a consolation.

IN THIS CONVERSATION
- From the family butchers, to building PCs, to founding a technology company
- What Ubloquity does, and what a trust protocol in the supply chain means
- Blockchain, frictionless borders, and proving provenance
- The work with AWS and the Lowden Guitars project
- Why scaling is high load, high pressure, high stakes and high risk
- Finding your tribe, and the blind spots only other founders can show you
- Collaboration as Northern Ireland's competitive advantage

TAKE THE FOUNDER SCORECARD
Kieran is clear that no founder gets there alone. The Founder Scorecard is where that
starts. It takes a few minutes and shows you where you are performing well, and where
you need more clarity, structure or support.
https://founder-first.scoreapp.com

GET THE LESSONS FROM EVERY EPISODE
We pull the most useful thinking out of these conversations and send it to our mailing
list, so the ideas outlast the episode.
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MORE FROM NATURAL RESILIENCE
Website: https://natural-resilience.co.uk

Subscribe to The Natural Resilience Podcast for more honest conversations about
leadership, resilience, entrepreneurship and the realities of building a meaningful
life and business. New episodes twice a month, recorded in Belfast.

The Natural Resilience Podcast explores how founders, leaders, elite performers and
remarkable people build the capacity to perform, endure and live well.

#KieranKelly #Ubloquity #SupplyChain #Blockchain #BelfastTech #NorthernIreland
#TechFounder #Startup #LowdenGuitars #NaturalResiliencePodcast

CHAPTERS
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Tracy Kelly grew up on Sandy Row and went on to become Lord Mayor of Belfast.

What does authentic leadership look like when it is rooted in community, shaped by working-class values and driven by a determination to make sure nobody feels left behind?

In this episode of The Natural Resilience Podcast, Ciarán May sits down with Tracy Kelly, former Lord Mayor of Belfast, to explore her journey from Sandy Row to Belfast City Hall and the experiences that shaped her approach to leadership.

Tracy speaks openly about growing up in a proud working-class community, the importance of representation, and why people from areas like Sandy Row should be encouraged to believe that their background does not limit their future.

The conversation explores grassroots leadership, staying connected to the people you represent, and the responsibility leaders have to make sure communities do not feel forgotten. Tracy also reflects on the realities of public leadership, remaining true to herself, and using her position to help others see what might be possible for their own lives.

This conversation was recorded during Tracy's term as Lord Mayor. Her term has sinceended.

IN THIS CONVERSATION
- Growing up on Sandy Row and what that community gave her
- The road from grassroots work to Belfast City Hall
- Representation, and why it matters who is in the room
- Staying connected to the people you represent
- The realities of public leadership
- Leadership as impact rather than title

TAKE THE FOUNDER SCORECARD
If you are a founder or business leader who wants to lead yourself and your organisation in the right direction, the Founder Scorecard will help you identify where you are performing strongly and where greater clarity, structure or support may be needed.
https://founder-first.scoreapp.com

ABOUT BREAKING BREAD
This episode was recorded live at Breaking Bread, our quarterly leadership and business breakfast in Belfast. Every three months we bring together 50 of the city's top entrepreneurs and business leaders for three live fireside interviews and the conversations that follow.
Join the waiting list: https://businessnetwork.scoreapp.com

MORE FROM NATURAL RESILIENCE
Website: https://natural-resilience.co.uk
Join the mailing list: http://eepurl.com/hhiFzr
Subscribe to The Natural Resilience Podcast for more honest conversations about leadership, resilience, entrepreneurship and the realities of building a meaningful life and business.
New episodes twice a month, recorded in Belfast.

#TracyKelly #LordMayorOfBelfast #SandyRow #Belfast #NorthernIreland #Leadership#CommunityLeadership #WomenInLeadership #BreakingBread #NaturalResiliencePodcast

Sometimes the greatest purpose is forged through life's greatest loss.After losing his father to a heart attack and later his father-in-law, Mark Hanna found purpose through supporting Marie Curie. What began as a way of giving back has become a lifelong mission.
Since then, he has:
Raised over £1 million for Marie Curie.
Completed 22 marathons (with the Dublin Marathon 2026 next on the horizon).
Taken on multiple Ironman competitions.
Reached Everest Base Camp.
Climbed Mount Kilimanjaro.
Cycled the length of Ireland.
Trekked Machu Picchu.
Organised Northern Ireland's Time Ball, raising significant funds for Marie Curie every two years.
But this conversation isn't really about endurance sport. It's about grief, purpose, service, and the extraordinary impact one person can make when they dedicate themselves to a cause greater than themselves.
Mark also shares his remarkable personal transformation, losing five stone, and reflects on why purpose—not motivation—is what keeps him moving forward.
If you've ever wondered how ordinary people achieve extraordinary things, this episode is for you.
If Mark's story resonates with you and you'd like to support this year's Time Ball in aid of Marie Curie, you can make a donation here: https://www.justgiving.com/page/timeball7-11-26?utm_medium=FR&utm_source=WA
If you enjoyed this conversation, please subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with someone who needs to hear it.
Every conversation has the power to change a life.

Neil McManus is widely regarded as one of the greatest hurlers ever to represent Antrim. Over a remarkable 17-year inter-county career, he captained his county, competed at the highest level of Gaelic Games and became one of the most respected figures in Irish sport.But this conversation goes far beyond hurling.In this episode of the Natural Resilience Podcast, Neil joins Ciarán May to explore the leadership lessons learned from elite sport, the importance of community, and the transition from athlete to entrepreneur.Growing up in Cushendall, Neil developed a deep connection to place, identity and service. Today, alongside his sporting legacy, he is helping create opportunities for future generations and has embarked on a new journey as a founder, building solutions designed to solve real-world problems.Together they discuss:✅ Leadership under pressure✅ Captaining teams and managing expectations✅ High performance and resilience✅ Lessons from elite sport that apply to business✅ Entrepreneurship and start-up life✅ Community, connection and belonging✅ The future of work and the impact of AI✅ Why human skills matter more than everWhether you're a founder, leader, entrepreneur, athlete or simply someone looking to perform at a higher level, this conversation is packed with practical insights and timeless lessons.---🎙 About the Natural Resilience PodcastHosted by Ciarán May, founder of Natural Resilience, this podcast explores leadership, resilience, wellbeing and sustainable high performance through conversations with exceptional people from business, sport, public service and beyond.New episodes released every two weeks.Connect with Ciaran May on LinkedinWebsite - www.natural-resilience.co.uk-If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a review and share it with someone who would benefit from the conversation.#NeilMcManus #Leadership #Hurling #AntrimGAA #Entrepreneurship #FounderJourney #BusinessLeadership #HighPerformance #Resilience #NaturalResilience #Podcast #NorthernIreland #CiaranMay #SportAndBusiness #LeadershipLessons

Are you building a business, a brand or huge company like Blk Box? Take our Founder Scorecard to see how much capacity to truly have - https://founder-first.scoreapp.com
What does it really take to build a world-class business from Belfast and compete on the global stage?In this episode of the Natural Resilience Podcast, Ciarán May sits down with Greg Bradley, CEO and Founder of Blk Box, one of Northern Ireland's most successful international brands in the fitness and performance industry.
From humble beginnings to supplying some of the world's leading sports organisations, professional teams, elite athletes and high-performance facilities, Greg shares the real story behind Black Box's growth.
This is an honest conversation about entrepreneurship, leadership, resilience, business growth and the realities of scaling a company internationally.
Greg discusses:
* How Blk Box was founded
* The early challenges of building a business
* Scaling from Belfast to global markets
* Winning major international contracts
* Leadership lessons learned through growth
* Managing risk, uncertainty and setbacks
* Building a high-performance culture
* The future of the fitness and performance industry
* What founders and entrepreneurs need to know about sustainable growth

Whether you're a founder, entrepreneur, business owner, leader or someone interested in building a successful brand, this episode is packed with practical insights and real-world lessons from one of Northern Ireland's leading business success stories.

Subscribe for more conversations on leadership, resilience, entrepreneurship, wellbeing and high performance.
#GregBradley #BlackBoxFitness #Entrepreneurship #BusinessGrowth #Leadership #FounderJourney #StartupSuccess #HighPerformance #BusinessPodcast #NaturalResilience #ScaleUp #NorthernIrelandBusiness #CEO #FounderFirst #LeadershipDevelopment #FitnessIndustry #BusinessSuccess #Resilience #Innovation #Podcast