Episodes

  • AI Takes Over The Podcast

    AI Takes Over The Podcast
    Nov 27 2024
    Things get meta on the podcast this week as Jim Fitzpatrick dives into AI with industry leaders Catriona Campbell of EY and Tom Gray of Kainos. Not only do they explore and explain the huge challenges and opportunities that AI presents to business, but Jim takes a mind-bending detour down the AI rabbit hole with an AI podcast within an AI podcast. Angela McGowan joins the discussion as they unpick what's vital for everyone in business to know, and to ask. No humans were harmed in the making of this podcast, though some machines were definitely involved.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
    Show More Show Less
    37 mins
  • World's Biggest TV Show and a Field of Dreams in Banbridge

    World's Biggest TV Show and a Field of Dreams in Banbridge
    Nov 20 2024
    Game of Thrones is one of the biggest TV shows ever made so you would expect a tour based around one of its key studio locations to be world class. And it is. The challenge for Sam Harding, the relatively new managing director at the Game of Thrones Studio Tour, isn’t the product or experience. It’s location – nestled in the countryside near Banbridge in the middle of Northern Ireland. What his offer lacks in obvious logistics – though Belfast and Dublin are within easy reach - is made up for in authenticity: the experience is here because this £40 million attraction is built around the studios where key parts of the show were made over several years. The old linen mill that had fallen idle was first reborn as studios and then when filming stopped as a visitor attraction containing many original sets, props, costumes and artefacts from the show. The financials have been challenging but Sam is on a mission. Bringing years of international experience to bear he has an ambitious plan now underway: cutting costs, raising revenue and building those visitor numbers. Find out how on this week’s podcast.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
    Show More Show Less
    46 mins
  • Taking a bite of the food business

    Taking a bite of the food business
    Nov 13 2024

    Thana Thammavongsa was working for a mapping company in Coleraine when her career took an abrupt turn off the planned route and into the unchartered territory of running her own catering business. Three years later and she was taking a lease on premises in the town to see if her healthy Thai and Vietnamese street food concept would play well with a permanent base. Now more than a decade later she's driving off the map again with new business producing instant noodles under her Whoosh brand. Along the way she's sought help from the Go Succeed business support programme and Joanne McLaughlin joins the chat, along with former participant - and Trading Up regular - Melanie Harrison.



    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
    Show More Show Less
    32 mins
  • Ski bum to clothing king - How Matt Creighton took off with Bleubird

    Ski bum to clothing king - How Matt Creighton took off with Bleubird
    Nov 6 2024
    We don’t all get to take ourselves to the top of a mountain for inspiration. But for Matt Creighton, it worked. As a keen skier, he’d taken a job after university as a seasonaire in the Alps. The problem he faced was the paltry pay. In order to allow for a bit of beer money he began screen printing T-shirts to sell to his mates in the ski resorts. His side hustle has since developed into a serious activity and outdoor lifestyle clothing brand selling into 300 independent outlets across the UK, Ireland, mainland Europe and even North America. They’ve begun opening stores - not just their Belfast base, but also franchises in Ballymena, Cookstown and now one to come in France. In some ways the skills and model is old school - building relationships with independent retailers - but it’s paying off with Bleubird also securing distribution deals from other brands who want to use their sales network and benefit from the “dual market access” from their Belfast base. But the brand also sells direct from its website, though ensuring it never undercuts its loyal retail base. Matt and his two business partners have done it all to date without any huge borrowings. So maybe grab your fleece or hoodie and come for a jaunt to the outdoors with Matt on this week’s episode.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
    Show More Show Less
    37 mins
  • A student loan & an illegal pitch - Pete Boyle's remarkable story

    A student loan & an illegal pitch - Pete Boyle's remarkable story
    Oct 30 2024
    Pete Boyle began with a student loan and an illegal pitch on Belfast’s Royal Avenue. He built a retail business that’s made him many millions and that enabled him to buy a reservoir near Belfast (because he loves kayaking) and turn it into a tourist and leisure destination. Meanwhile he’s been growing a property development business with a focus on transforming old buildings. Pete Boyle speaks frankly about his highs and lows; his great passions and his pet hates. It’s an episode packed with real learnings from someone who has built a business empire from the ground up. From the challenges of managing growth, to the demands of turning a bricks and mortar business into clicks and mortar operation; to the frustrations of dealing with red tape and bureaucracy - Pete shoots from the hip.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
    Show More Show Less
    48 mins
  • Brexit and Bubbles - JN Wines' James Nicholson

    Brexit and Bubbles - JN Wines' James Nicholson
    Oct 22 2024
    The journey begins in 1977 with a Ford Cortina in Crossgar and makes important stops in Dublin and London with foreign destinations now on the horizon. James Nicholson, founder of JN Wines, shares his incredible entrepreneurial journey from selling wine out of the back of his car to building a multi-million pound business. The episode explores the ups and downs of running a business, the challenges of navigating Brexit, and the importance of Northern Ireland's unique dual market access. James also discusses his passion for horse racing, sharing insights into the industry's future amidst the rise of online betting. This episode is packed with valuable lessons for aspiring entrepreneurs and anyone interested in the world of business, wine, and even horse racing.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
    Show More Show Less
    42 mins
  • Jailhouse Spirit - John Kelly of McConnell’s Irish Whisky

    Jailhouse Spirit - John Kelly of McConnell’s Irish Whisky
    Oct 15 2024
    John Kelly of McConnell’s Irish Whisky: It looks like a typo, but it’s central to the brand - McConnell’s Irish Whisky. Spot the issue? This week on Trading Up, Jim goes in search of an explanation for the missing “e” as he meets the man who has helped breathe new life into a brand that was once one of the biggest names in whisky/whiskey from Belfast to Boston but had gone out of business in the prohibition years before being resurrected in A Wing of Crumlin Road Jail. From the challenge of building a distillery in a listed Victorian jail to the task of building a 21st century brand and managing a major visitor attraction, McConnell’s CEO John Kelly distills the issues this week.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
    Show More Show Less
    34 mins
  • Wellies on the farm and a suit in the office - Rob Heron from EY Northern Ireland

    Wellies on the farm and a suit in the office - Rob Heron from EY Northern Ireland
    Oct 8 2024
    When he’s not wearing wellies on the family farm at the weekend or trainers as he pounds the pavements prepping for his latest marathon, Rob Heron wears the title of Managing Partner at EY in Northern Ireland. A diverse skillset and decent fitness level is useful for the boss of a firm in rapid growth mode. EY in Northern Ireland has ambitious plans to more than double its 950-strong workforce in the next five years. On this week’s episode Jim explores what this 'big four' firm does - it’s not just accountancy and audit any more. From data, tech and AI consultancy, to running the Entrepreneur of the Year programme there’s a lot to discuss. Meanwhile, Jim and Rob explore some of the themes and insights that have emerged in the first few months of Trading Up episodes.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
    Show More Show Less
    39 mins