The Entrepreneur Experiment

Nick Keegan, the CEO & co-founder of MailMetrics is your mentor this week. He teaches us how to use venture debt and company acquisitions to supercharge your company growth.  Check out the full podcast here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPRHfAvJGC0  --- Thanks to my Partners - Visit them to support the podcast Growing Further: https://bit.ly/3Lia2tn Iconic Offices: https://bit.ly/3vPQAzF 

In today's Mentor Moment, we are going all the way back to episode 67 with Brody Sweeney. Brody founded the famous O'Brien's Sandwich Bars before going on to found Camile Thai. This week's mentor teaches us how to deal with failure and most importantly how to bounce back. In a brutally honest interview, Brody shared what it meant to lose a global empire at the height of his business fame and how he used that to fuel even bigger success the second time around with Camile Thai. If you are trying to figure out how to bounce back from a loss or setback, this mentor has the answers you need.   Sponsored by Square - Power your Business with Square Visit Square: https://squ.re/3x8oiOo  Location Partner: Iconic Offices  Claim your free office for a day: https://bit.ly/iconicEE23  MentorsWork - Get a free mentor https://bit.ly/eementorswork Music by Andrew Applepie

From his parents’ house to supplying the world’s top athletes, Greg Bradley’s journey is pure entrepreneurial grit. In this Mentor Moment, the founder of BLK BOX shares how he went from teaching himself manufacturing to building a global fitness equipment brand trusted by Premier League clubs. 🎙️ Go back to Episode 406 of The Entrepreneur Experiment to hear Greg’s full story, including the setbacks, pivots, and mindset shifts that shaped his success. 💡 Like what you hear? Hit follow or subscribe to The Entrepreneur Experiment for new episodes and Mentor Moments every week. —— Subscribe to our newsletter for weekly inspiration on Business, Brain and Body, as well as exclusive events, courses and more, straight to your inbox. It's free! https://www.mrgaryfox.com/subscribe-1 --- Visit my partners Azure Communications: https://bit.ly/azureEE Nostra: https://bit.ly/3HHwSMo —- Music Credit: “Nobody Knows” by Andrew Applepie — used under royalty-free license.

In this episode of The Entrepreneur Experiment, Gary Fox sits down with elite performance coach Dan Lawrence — the man behind some of the world’s top athletes and executives, including boxer Conor Benn. From his roots in London to building a thriving high-performance business in Dubai, Dan reveals what it really takes to operate at the highest level — not just in sport, but in business and life. He shares the frameworks and systems that drive elite results: the four pillars of performance (training, nutrition, recovery, mindset), how to design your environment for success, and why clarity of vision and resilience matter more than motivation. This conversation is a masterclass in discipline, structure, and unlocking your next level — brick by brick, day by day. 💬 “The standard you walk past is your new standard. Consistency isn’t sexy, but it’s the secret.” — Dan Lawrence Show Notes — In this episode, we cover: 🔥 The one trait all elite performers share — resilience 🚀 How Dan built Perform365 to coach both world-class athletes and high-level executives 🏝️ Why he moved to Dubai — and how to design a lifestyle around growth 💡 The 4 Pillars Framework: training, nutrition, recovery & mindset 🧱 Why success comes from “laying bricks” not chasing outcomes 🧠 How to break through mental fog and set crystal-clear goals ⏱️ Systems for consistency: the “five-minute rule” and daily non-negotiables 💭 How to shift your identity and embody the traits of the person you want to become 👥 Building environments that elevate — “Environment dictates outcome” ⚡ Why recovery is a performance multiplier (and the one recovery tool that costs nothing) Links & Resources Mentioned: Perform365 — https://www.perform365.life/ Who Not How — Dr. Benjamin Hardy & Dan Sullivan Buy Back Your Time — Dan Martell How Champions Think — Dr. Bob Rotella Raise Your Game — Alan Stein Jr. The Growth Mindset — Carol Dweck Connect with Dan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/danlawrence365 ——  Subscribe to our newsletter for weekly inspiration on Business, Brain and Body, as well as exclusive events, courses and more, straight to your inbox. It's free! https://www.mrgaryfox.com/subscribe-1  ---  Visit my partners  Azure Communications: https://bit.ly/azureEE   Nostra: https://bit.ly/3HHwSMo —- Music Credit: “Nobody Knows” by Andrew Applepie — used under royalty-free license.

Is AI really coming for your job — or is that just the hype talking? Brian O’Rourke, co-founder and CEO of CitySwift, shares his grounded view on the real role of AI, the importance of founder-market fit, and why celebrating your wins along the way matters just as much as chasing the next goal. 🎙️ Catch the full story in Episode 367 of The Entrepreneur Experiment, where Brian dives deeper into building a data-driven company and surviving the startup rollercoaster. 💡 Enjoying this bite-sized wisdom? Don’t forget to follow The Entrepreneur Experiment to get every new Mentor Moment as soon as it drops. ——  Subscribe to our newsletter for weekly inspiration on Business, Brain and Body, as well as exclusive events, courses and more, straight to your inbox. It's free! https://www.mrgaryfox.com/subscribe-1  ---  Visit my partners  Azure Communications: https://bit.ly/azureEE  Nostra: https://bit.ly/3HHwSMo —- Music Credit: “Nobody Knows” by Andrew Applepie — used under royalty-free license.

In this episode of The Entrepreneur Experiment, Gary Fox sits down with Jenny Johnston, CEO and owner of Azure Communications — a print, packaging, and marketing company based in Dublin. Jenny’s story is a masterclass in courage, negotiation, and belief. After joining Azure as CEO, she pulled off a leveraged buyout to acquire the business outright—without putting down her own capital. She shares exactly how she did it, from structuring the deal to getting bank funding and navigating the delicate transition from employee to owner. Jenny also opens up about her earlier ventures — from running a pizza franchise during COVID to launching a sustainable fashion brand — and the lessons they taught her about resilience, leadership, and trusting your gut. For anyone curious about buying a business instead of starting one, this is your essential guide to how it’s done. If you’ve ever thought, “I want to own a business but I don’t know where to start,” this episode will show you what’s possible when you back yourself fully. Show Notes: In this episode, we cover: 💼 How Jenny went from marketing executive to CEO and owner of Azure Communications 💰 The exact structure of her leveraged buyout—and how she financed it without personal capital 🏦 What Irish banks really look for in a business plan or loan application 🚀 Why buying an existing business can be smarter than starting from scratch 🍕 Her lessons from running a pizza franchise and fashion brand 📈 How she plans to double Azure’s turnover by 2028 and hit €100 million 👥 The power of networking, mentorship, and surrounding yourself with the right people 🌟 Why she believes ambition should never be apologised for 💬 “I didn’t personally pay anything to acquire this company. The bank funded it, and the business repays the loan. More people need to know that’s even possible.” — Jenny Johnston Links & Resources: Azure Communications — use code FOX20 for 20% off your first order: https://azurecomm.ie Connect with Jenny on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnstonjenny Connect with Jenny on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jennyjohnston.oneill?igsh=MXkxa3FvcTVxaGJqbw== Connect with Azure on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/azure_communications_?igsh=OXd5dTgxZmphenZj ——  Subscribe to our newsletter for weekly inspiration on Business, Brain and Body, as well as exclusive events, courses and more, straight to your inbox. It's free! https://www.mrgaryfox.com/subscribe-1  ---  Visit my partners  Azure Communications: https://bit.ly/azureEE  Nostra: https://bit.ly/3HHwSMo —- Music Credit: “Nobody Knows” by Andrew Applepie — used under royalty-free license.

What does it take to grow from one pharmacy to a nationwide network, and redefine what healthcare means along the way? In this Mentor Moment, Oonagh O’Hagan, founder of Meagher’s Pharmacy, shares how curiosity, courage, and a willingness to step outside your comfort zone can spark incredible innovation. 🎙️ Listen to the full conversation in Episode 374 of The Entrepreneur Experiment for Oonagh’s full founder story and her vision for proactive, people-first healthcare. 💡 If you enjoy these short Mentor Moments, hit follow or subscribe to The Entrepreneur Experiment for more weekly insights from Ireland’s top founders and creators. ——  Subscribe to our newsletter for weekly inspiration on Business, Brain and Body, as well as exclusive events, courses and more, straight to your inbox. It's free! https://www.mrgaryfox.com/subscribe-1  ---  Visit my partners  Azure Communications: https://bit.ly/azureEE  Nostra: https://bit.ly/3HHwSMo

In this episode of The Entrepreneur Experiment, Gary Fox sits down with Dan Murray, co-founder of Heights, the brain health and wellness brand redefining supplements through science and transparency. From building a startup after insomnia and burnout to scaling Heights to over £25 million ARR, Dan’s story is a masterclass in resilience, product integrity, and founder mindset. Dan doesn’t hold back-calling out the biggest scams in wellness, revealing how Heights earned credibility in a saturated industry, and sharing the truth about raising investment, building trust with scientists, and navigating toxic investor relationships. If you’ve ever wondered how to build a purpose-led brand in a crowded space—or how to rebuild confidence after failure—this episode is for you. Show Notes In this episode, we cover: 💊 The truth about supplements: why Dan believes most gummies and collagen products are “wellness junk food.” 🧠 The origin of Heights: how insomnia and poor nutrition led to a £25M brain health brand. 📚 Science meets storytelling: building credibility by translating research into consumer trust. 👥 Finding the right investors: why the wrong people can destroy your company culture. 🚫 Equity mistakes: how early founders give away too much—and how to stop doing it. 💡 The power of “hope is not a strategy”—the most annoying advice that turned out to be true. 🔥 Growth lessons: how Heights went from 0→10M in four years and doubled again in one. 🌟 Celebrity trust: how genuine users like Stephen Fry became Heights’ biggest advocates. 💬 “We can never regret this choice. If you make the wrong product decision, you bring the whole brand down.”– Dan Murray Heights – Smart Nutrition for Brain & Body Links & Resources: Get 20% off your Heights Order: https://bit.ly/48LyvEv Follow Dan Murray-Serter on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/danmurrays Listen to Dan’s podcast: Secret Leaders: https://www.secretleaders.com/ Recommended Book: The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle Connect with Gary Fox → https://www.instagram.com/mrgaryfox ——  Subscribe to our newsletter for weekly inspiration on Business, Brain and Body, as well as exclusive events, courses and more, straight to your inbox. It's free! https://www.mrgaryfox.com/subscribe-1  ---  Visit my partners  Azure Communications: https://bit.ly/azureEE  Nostra: https://bit.ly/3HHwSMo —- Music Credit: “Nobody Knows” by Andrew Applepie — used under purchased royalty-free license.

In this Mentor Moment from episode 403 of The Entrepreneur Experiment, Aimee Connolly shares the behind-the-scenes story of building Sculpted by Aimee: from 19 months of figuring out formulation, logistics, and packaging on her own, to spray-painting roses gold for her first press drop. She opens up about what it really takes to bring an idea to life, the lessons learned along the way, and why embracing what you don’t know is the real superpower of every entrepreneur. 💡 “The difference between someone who becomes an entrepreneur and someone who doesn’t is knowing you don’t know everything, and doing it anyway.” 👉 Watch the full conversation with Aimee in Episode 403 of The Entrepreneur Experiment. ——  Subscribe to our newsletter for weekly inspiration on Business, Brain and Body, as well as exclusive events, courses and more, straight to your inbox. It's free! https://www.mrgaryfox.com/subscribe-1  ---  Visit my partners  Azure Communications: https://bit.ly/azureEE   Nostra: https://bit.ly/3HHwSMo

In this episode of The Entrepreneur Experiment, Gary Fox sits down with Steve Crosbie, former professional rugby player turned founder of Fad Saoil Saunas — one of the pioneers of Ireland’s sauna movement. After years playing for Leinster, Munster, and Connacht, Steve walked away from his dream rugby career at just 26. The transition from athlete to entrepreneur wasn’t easy, but it led him somewhere unexpected: into the cold Irish sea. Out of heartbreak and healing came Fad Saoil Saunas - a business that began with one barrel sauna at the 40 Foot and grew into a nationwide wellness brand. Steve shares how he rebuilt his identity, how sport shaped his approach to business, and why starting small (and freezing cold) can sometimes lead to the warmest success. If you’ve ever wondered what happens after the dream ends, this story proves that endings can be the start of something extraordinary. Show Notes In this episode, we cover: 🏉 The journey from professional rugby to retirement at 26 💔 How losing his identity in sport sparked a period of rediscovery 🌊 The idea that became Fad Saoil Saunas — and how it all began at the 40 Foot 💡 The lessons sport teaches that translate directly to entrepreneurship 📈 How timing, community, and consistency helped spark Ireland’s sauna boom 🧠 Rebuilding confidence, purpose, and self-belief after walking away from a dream career 💬 “Although my rugby was at its peak, a lot of other parts of my life were on the floor.” – Steve Crosbie Links & Resources Fad Saoil Saunas Website: https://fadsaoilsaunas.com/ Follow Steve Crosbie: https://www.instagram.com/stevecrosbie101/?hl=en Follow Fad Saoil on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fadsaoilsaunas/?hl=en —— Subscribe to our newsletter for weekly inspiration on Business, Brain and Body, as well as exclusive events, courses and more, straight to your inbox. It's free! https://www.mrgaryfox.com/subscribe-1  ---  Visit my partners  Azure Communications: https://bit.ly/azureEE   Nostra: https://bit.ly/3HHwSMo

In this Mentor Moment, tech founder Sean Blanchfield, best known for building and scaling Demonware (acquired by Activision, now part of Microsoft), PageFair, and now Jentic, shares his take on the age-old question: are entrepreneurs born or made? From being the “willing geek” in college to helping shape Ireland’s startup ecosystem, Sean reflects on how curiosity, environment, and sheer drive shaped his journey, and why he still looks for that same entrepreneurial spark in every hire. 💡 Hear the full conversation in Episode 404 of The Entrepreneur Experiment Podcast. ——  Subscribe to our newsletter for weekly inspiration on Business, Brain and Body, as well as exclusive events, courses and more, straight to your inbox. It's free! https://www.mrgaryfox.com/subscribe-1  ---  Visit my partners  Azure Communications: https://bit.ly/azureEE  Nostra: https://bit.ly/3HHwSMo

In this episode of The Entrepreneur Experiment, Gary Fox sits down with Connor Martin, founder of The JAQ Group, home to the viral fragrance brand The Essence Vault, as well as Thomson Carter and Liquid London. From selling wax melts at a Saturday market to building a £60 million e-commerce empire in just five years, Connor’s story is a masterclass in resourcefulness, experimentation, and resilience. He reveals how he turned a £16,000 credit card experiment into one of the UK’s most successful fragrance groups, scaled during COVID by pure instinct, and rebuilt after nearly losing everything in a logistics nightmare. Connor also shares how he applies ruthless efficiency, “fail fast” culture, and first-principles thinking to stay ahead in the hyper-competitive DTC world. If you want the real playbook for bootstrapping, scaling, and surviving e-commerce chaos, this episode is unmissable. Show Notes In this episode, we cover: 💡 How a bottle of CK One sparked a lifelong obsession with fragrance 🧪 The £16,000 credit card gamble that launched The Essence Vault 🚀 Turning a weekend market stall into £800k/month during COVID 🧱 Building from zero marketing experience to £60 million in revenue ⚙️ How failing fast and “implementing before finishing the module” became his superpower 📉 The moment a shipping disaster nearly destroyed the business overnight 🧭 Why Connor runs his company without forecasts — and how it works 📈 Lessons from scaling, burning out, and rebuilding stronger 🎯 How The JAQ Group keeps innovation alive across multiple brands 🌙 His next move: launching a sleep optimisation brand built around his own daily struggles 🧠 Mindset gems on speed, decision-making, and compounding effort “Knowledge is nothing without implementation — and vice versa.” – Connor Martin Links & Resources The Essence Vault: theessencevault.co.uk Thomson Carter: thomsoncarter.com Liquid London: https://liquid.london/ Book Mentioned: Black Box Thinking by Matthew Syed ——  Subscribe to our newsletter for weekly inspiration on Business, Brain and Body, as well as exclusive events, courses and more, straight to your inbox. It's free! https://www.mrgaryfox.com/subscribe-1  ---  Visit my partners  Azure Communications: https://bit.ly/azureEE  Nostra: https://bit.ly/3HHwSMo

In this episode of The Entrepreneur Experiment, Gary Fox sits down with Ciara Troy, founder of Oishii Sushi, to uncover the 19-year journey of building Ireland’s most recognisable sushi brand. From her first Saturday market in Greystones to supplying nationwide through Lidl, Aldi, Tesco, and Spar, Ciara shares the grit, resilience, and fearless naivety that kept her going through long days, cashflow struggles, and van deliveries at dawn. She opens up about the pivotal lessons learned along the way: from cutting sushi rolls by hand on chopping boards to investing in her first machines, from maxing out family credit cards to securing Enterprise Ireland support, and from nearly burning out to carving out “Mummy Mondays” to balance entrepreneurship with family life. If you’re an aspiring founder or a food entrepreneur wondering how to scale a product from a kitchen table to a nationwide household brand, this episode is packed with raw insights, honest reflections, and the strategies Ciara used to grow Oishii from a tiny market stall to a 75-strong team serving fresh sushi across Ireland. Show Notes In this episode, we cover: 🍣 How a semester in Tokyo inspired Ciara to start Oishii Sushi 🛒 Testing at local markets before breaking into Dublin shops with barcoded trays 🚐 The early years of 4am sushi-making, van deliveries, and scraping by on petrol money 📊 The “trays per man hour” Excel sheet that showed her the path to profitability ⚙️ Tiny improvements—like piping wasabi instead of hand-filling—that transformed efficiency 💳 Surviving cashflow crises, credit card debt, and the importance of family support 👩‍👧‍👦 Introducing “Mummy Mondays” to balance growing a food brand with raising three children 🏭 Scaling from a small kitchen to a purpose-built Dublin 12 facility with 75+ staff 💡 Why COVID was a turning point, forcing Oishii to shift from van sales to centralised distribution 📈 How Oishii went from 30% retail coverage to nationwide partnerships with Ireland’s biggest chains 🌱 Future of food: functional ingredients, protein-rich meals, and balancing wellness with convenience 💬 “Be patient with the results but aggressive with the action.” – Ciara Troy Links & Resources Oishii Sushi Website: https://oishiisushi.ie/ GS1 Ireland – Barcodes for Food Products: https://www.gs1ie.org/ The Spade Enterprise Centre: https://www.spade.ie/ ——  Subscribe to our newsletter for weekly inspiration on Business, Brain and Body, as well as exclusive events, courses and more, straight to your inbox. It's free! https://www.mrgaryfox.com/subscribe-1  ---  Visit my partners: Azure Communications: https://bit.ly/azureEE  Nostra: https://bit.ly/3HHwSMo

In this Mentor Moment, Colin Harmon, founder of 3FE Coffee, reveals why consistency beats occasional brilliance when it comes to building lasting brands. He shares the lesson that changed how he thought about coffee forever: customers don’t need the “best cup ever” - they just need it never to be bad. By raising the floor instead of the ceiling, Colin built trust, scaled his business, and turned 3FE into one of Ireland’s most iconic coffee names. Listen to the full conversation on Episode 400 of The Entrepreneur Experiment. Show Notes Why Colin shifted focus from chasing perfection to building consistency The compliment that redefined his business: “It’s never sh*t” How raising the lowest standard creates long-term trust with customers Why brands should aim to be like Guinness: reliably good, every time The challenge (and opportunity) of standing out in a saturated market Resources & Links 3fe: https://3fe.com/ 3fe on instagram: https://www.instagram.com/3fecoffee ——  Subscribe to our newsletter for weekly inspiration on Business, Brain and Body, as well as exclusive events, courses and more, straight to your inbox. It's free! https://www.mrgaryfox.com/subscribe-1  ---  Visit my partners  Azure Communications: https://bit.ly/azureEE  Nostra: https://bit.ly/3HHwSMo

In this episode of The Entrepreneur Experiment, Gary Fox sits down with Colin Meagle, serial entrepreneur, venture builder, and founder of Continuous Ventures. Colin has built, scaled, and exited multiple businesses: from creative agencies to international tech ventures, and now operates out of Dubai, where he helps founders and corporates spin up disruptive businesses at scale. Colin shares his candid insights on what it really takes to spot opportunities, harness talent, and scale globally. From exiting Irish agencies to launching a venture studio in the Middle East, Colin talks about why saying no is a superpower, how to avoid AI-driven obsolescence, and why Ireland must think bigger if it wants to compete on the global stage. If you’re a founder, investor, or anyone curious about building in fast-changing markets, this episode is packed with hard-won lessons on talent, focus, and disruption. Show Notes – In this episode, we cover: 🌍 Why Colin moved to Dubai and how it reshaped his entrepreneurial vision 🚀 The evolution from running agencies to building a global venture studio 💡 How to spot patterns, talent, and opportunities others miss 🤖 AI disruption: which industries are safe—and which are already gone 🔑 Why saying “no” is one of the most powerful skills for founders 🏗 The difference between building vs. running a company (and why Colin prefers one over the other) 📉 Why traditional VC is contracting and how venture studios are changing the game 🇮🇪 Colin’s honest take on Ireland’s entrepreneurial ecosystem—and what needs to change ⏳ The importance of 60-month windows when building ventures 🧠 Why judgment, creativity, and EQ will define the winners in the AI era “Failure is a currency. You should be failing every single day. That’s how you develop the reflexes to succeed.” – Colin Meagle Links & Resources Continuous Ventures: https://www.linkedin.com/company/continuousventures/about/ Follow Colin on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/colinmeagle/ —— Subscribe to our newsletter for weekly inspiration on Business, Brain and Body, as well as exclusive events, courses and more, straight to your inbox. It's free! https://www.mrgaryfox.com/subscribe-1 --- Visit my partners Azure Communications: https://bit.ly/azureEE Nostra: https://bit.ly/3HHwSMo

This week’s Mentor Moment dives into how Nadia Adan built her brand through bold, disruptive content, and why testing, learning, and finding a repeatable format is the secret to scaling on social media. Michael Corcoran shares why standing out often means doing the opposite of everyone else, and how brand storytelling, even with its raw ups and downs, is what truly connects with audiences. 🎧 To hear the full conversation, search for Episode 396 of The Entrepreneur Experiment. 🎟 Early bird tickets for EE Live @ The Sugar Club — November 30th: https://luma.com/6bwymzzt?fbclid=PAVE... —— Subscribe to our newsletter for weekly inspiration on Business, Brain and Body, as well as exclusive events, courses and more, straight to your inbox. It's free! https://www.mrgaryfox.com/subscribe-1 --- Visit my partners Azure Communications: https://bit.ly/azureEE Nostra: https://bit.ly/3HHwSMo (https://www.youtube.com/redirect?even...)

In this solo episode of The Entrepreneur Experiment, Gary Fox takes us behind the scenes of the very first Entrepreneur Experiment Retreat — a transformative five-day experience in Marbella, Spain that brought together a select group of founders to focus on their body, brain, and business. Gary shares how a spontaneous idea in 2024 turned into a fully-fledged founder retreat, what went into designing the experience, and why moments of stillness, movement, and shared learning can create huge momentum in business and life. From sunrise workouts and deep-dive masterclasses to shared dinners and accountability sessions, this is a blueprint for any founder looking to reset, realign, and reimagine what’s possible. If you’ve ever thought about joining a founder retreat, running one yourself, or simply carving out space to think — this one’s for you. Show Notes In this solo episode, Gary covers: 🔁 Why “done is better than perfect” sparked the idea for the retreat 🌅 The three pillars of the retreat: Reset, One Problem, Vision 🤯 What even 24 hours in a new environment can do for your next 24 months 🧠 The "Hot Seat" method for solving founder problems (without excuses) 📍How Barry Napier (Cubic) set the tone with a €500M lesson in roadmaps ⚡️ Why accountability, peer learning, and curated energy matter 📈 The importance of becoming the face of your business 📌 Why your retreat starts when you get home — not when it ends 🥂 Behind-the-scenes moments from Padel tournaments to seaside visualisation exercises “Knowledge without action is useless. The retreat was about turning what we’ve all learned into real-world traction.” – Gary Fox Resources & Mentions 🎟 Early bird tickets for EE Live @ The Sugar Club — November 30th: 👉 The Entrepreneur Experiment Sugar Club Event Tickets (Nov 30th) Barry Napier – CEO of Cubic 📍Finca Naundrup, Marbella – Retreat location 🧠 Visualisation Challenge – Write a letter from your future self —— Subscribe to our newsletter for weekly inspiration on Business, Brain and Body, as well as exclusive events, courses and more, straight to your inbox. It's free! https://www.mrgaryfox.com/subscribe-1 --- Visit my partners Azure Communications: https://bit.ly/azureEE Nostra: https://bit.ly/3HHwSMo

This Mentor Moment with Mary Sadlier (from Episode 398) dives into why digital is the great equaliser for entrepreneurs. Mary shares the art of getting products on and off shelves, why persistence matters, and the hard truth that nobody’s coming — unless you ask the right questions. A powerful reminder that value creation and resourcefulness win in business. —— Subscribe to our newsletter for weekly inspiration on Business, Brain and Body, as well as exclusive events, courses and more, straight to your inbox. It's free! https://www.mrgaryfox.com/subscribe-1 --- Visit my partners Azure Communications: https://bit.ly/azureEE Nostra: https://bit.ly/3HHwSMo

In this episode of The Entrepreneur Experiment, Gary Fox sits down with Paul Buckley — the fiercely honest and deeply reflective founder behind C2O Group. From nearly going pro in golf to blowing his savings in a poker room, to scaling and selling one of Australia’s fastest-growing engineering companies, Paul shares his rollercoaster journey through ambition, burnout, and bold reinvention. You’ll hear how Paul built EPS Group Australia from the ground up, scaled it to $84M in revenue in just three years, and exited in a major acquisition — only to find himself mentally and emotionally depleted in the aftermath. What followed was a two-year reset, a $14M relaunch, and a second act that’s bigger, sharper, and backed by one of the world’s leading private equity funds. If you're a founder who's exited (or wants to), this episode is your blueprint for navigating what comes next — the highs, the regrets, and the resilience it takes to start again. 🧠 Show Notes In this episode, we cover: 💡 Starting with Nothing: From selling Christmas trees out of a van in Cork to leading billion-dollar infrastructure projects across Australia 🏌️‍♂️ Sliding Doors: What it felt like to lose to Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry — and walk away from golf for good 💸 From Broke to Boardroom: Blowing $30k in 7 weeks... then managing 30+ workers on a $3.5B desalination project in Victoria 🚀 Scaling Fast: How Paul co-founded EPS Group Australia and scaled it from $0 to $84M turnover within 3 years 🧨 Burnout After the Exit: The emotional toll of selling his company and staying on through a high-pressure earnout 🧱 Rebuilding From Scratch: How Paul raised $14M to acquire two businesses in the US and Australia — and build C2O Group 2.0 🧭 What He’d Do Differently: The tax incentives, legal lessons, and partnerships he wishes he'd understood the first time around 👨‍👧‍👦 On Legacy: Why he won’t hand the business to his kids — and what succession means to him now “It brought me to the lowest point in my life by far… I was totally broken, barely able to stand up. It probably took me 12 months — probably 24 — to get my feet back underneath me properly.” — Paul Buckley Links & Resources C2O Group: https://c2ogroup.com/ Follow Paul Buckley on LinkedIn —— Subscribe to our newsletter for weekly inspiration on Business, Brain and Body, as well as exclusive events, courses and more, straight to your inbox. It's free! https://www.mrgaryfox.com/subscribe-1 --- Visit my partners Azure Communications: https://bit.ly/azureEE Nostra: https://bit.ly/3HHwSMo

When everyone else is chasing trends, mentalist and hypnotist Keith Barry goes the opposite direction. In this Mentor Moment, Keith reveals how leaning into long-form content—when everyone else was focused on short-form Reels—helped him go viral and land major event bookings. He also shares how he uses platforms like LinkedIn in unconventional ways to connect with decision-makers and why valuing yourself, your energy, and your unique approach is key to standing out. 🎧 This bite-sized insight is taken from Episode 397 of The Entrepreneur Experiment Podcast, where Keith shares his full journey and business lessons. If you want to hear more from Keith, listen back to the full episode now. ———— Subscribe to our newsletter for weekly inspiration on Business, Brain and Body, as well as exclusive events, courses and more, straight to your inbox. It's free! https://www.mrgaryfox.com/subscribe-1 --- Visit my partners Azure Communications: https://bit.ly/azureEE Nostra: https://bit.ly/3HHwSMo (https://www.youtube.com/redirect?even...)