AIBF Business Talk

Hosted by All-Ireland Business Foundation

Business

Website RSS feed LinkedIn

Episodes

100

Latest episode

Oct 2026

Language

About the show

AIBF Business Talk is an original podcast brought to you by the All-Ireland Business Foundation. In each episode we talk to innovators, entrepreneurs and leaders to bring you practical lessons and actionable insights that you can apply to your business and in your daily life.

Listen to episodes

60 recent

October 23, 2026Episode 25245 min

Episode 252: Beyond the Bottom Line: Dylan Walsh on Growth, Innovation and Taking an Irish Business Global

What does it really take to scale an Irish business, embrace innovation and expand into international markets? In this episode of AIBF Business Talk, Elaine Carroll, Co-CEO of the All-Ireland Business Foundation, sits down with Dylan Walsh, CEO of Celtic Dynamics , to explore the realities of entrepreneurship, the challenges of business growth and the opportunities emerging in energy efficiency and sustainability. With Celtic Dynamics expanding beyond Ireland into markets including the UK and Mexico, Dylan shares the lessons he has learned about taking a successful business into unfamiliar territory. "It's like starting a company from fresh," he explains, highlighting the importance of building relationships, finding the right people and allowing time to establish trust in new markets. The conversation also explores how AI and automation have transformed Celtic Dynamics. By streamlining its energy audit processes, the company has significantly reduced turnaround times, allowing its engineers to spend less time on administration and more time delivering value to customers. But for Dylan, some of the biggest lessons in business have come from people. "I think that was the biggest thing that I found is like people have secret skills that, you know, can be developed in the most random ways." From employees discovering unexpected strengths to the difficult decisions that come with leadership, Dylan reflects on the importance of creating an environment where people can grow alongside the business. He also challenges how business owners think about sustainability and energy costs. "Whatever you save on energy goes straight to your profits." Sharing practical examples from Celtic Dynamics' work, Dylan explains how energy audits, available grants and smarter investments can uncover significant savings for businesses. Having achieved Business All-Star accreditation for three consecutive years, Celtic Dynamics continues to focus on customer trust, innovation and sustainable growth. And as Dylan points out, growth brings responsibilities beyond financial performance. "You have to watch your cashflow and your people's wellbeing, like as top priority." From international expansion and AI to leadership, profitability and the hidden opportunities within a business, this episode offers valuable insights for Irish entrepreneurs looking to take their next step. Listen to the full conversation with Dylan Walsh on AIBF Business Talk.

October 19, 2026Episode 25153 min

Episode 251: Are You the Leader Your Business Needs? Shay Lynch on Why Great People Stay

“My goal is to help you become the leader the business needs, not the leader you are.” It's a question every business owner should consider. You've spent years building your business, solving problems and making decisions. But could your leadership style be holding your people back? In the latest episode of AIBF Business Talk, Shay Lynch, Founder of Future State Performance , joins Elaine Carroll to explore why some businesses struggle to retain talented employees while others create teams that want to stay and grow. “Do you want to be the engine or do you want to be the leader?” Shay believes many business owners become so involved in day-to-day operations that they leave little room for their employees to take ownership. And sometimes, the cost of not listening can be enormous. During the conversation, Shay shares the story of an employee at a large multinational whose ideas had repeatedly been ignored. “Management doesn't listen, so it's not gonna work.” When Shay encouraged her to speak up again, one of her ideas was tested and implemented. It went on to save the company £15 million a year. Within 12 months, she had progressed from her original role to supervisor and then manager. The talent had been there all along. Someone just needed to listen. But good leadership isn't just about listening. Shay also challenges business owners to rethink how they respond to underperformance. “You have to train them before you blame them.” Before questioning an employee's ability, have they been given the training, guidance and support to succeed? And when it comes to retaining talented people, Shay believes recognition matters just as much as opportunity. When asked whether money or recognition is more powerful, his answer is immediate. “Recognition every day of the week.” His advice to business owners is simple. Get to know your people. Understand their strengths. Give them responsibility and stop trying to do everything yourself. He even recommends creating a stop-doing list to identify tasks that could be delegated. Because the goal isn't to build a business where everyone depends on you. It's to build one where people have the confidence and freedom to succeed. Perhaps the real competitive advantage isn't simply hiring great people. It's building a business where great people want to stay. Listen to the full conversation with Shay Lynch, Founder of Future State Academy, on the latest episode of AIBF Business Talk. About the All-Ireland Business Foundation The All-Ireland Business Foundation (AIBF) is Ireland’s national body for recognising and supporting business excellence. We are the accrediting authority behind the Business All-Star marque — Ireland’s Symbol of Trust — awarded through a rigorous audit of reputation, performance and customer trust. Since 2014, we’ve impacted over 5,000 businesses, with 750 currently accredited. For more information please visit www.aibf.ie here.

October 12, 2026Episode 25039 min

Episode 250: AI Can Do the Work. But Does It Know What Good Looks Like? Tara Elzingre on the Value of Human Thinking

“If you don’t know what makes a good poster, AI is not going to make you an expert in it.” It’s a message that might make a few business owners stop and think. At a time when AI promises to make everything faster and easier, Business All-Star Tara Elzingre, Founder of Tara Elzingre Consultancy , believes we’re overlooking something important. Technology is only as good as the person using it. In the latest episode of AIBF Business Talk, Tara shares her journey into entrepreneurship and why Irish businesses need to think carefully about how they use AI. Her interest in technology began at just seven years old, when her father built his own computer. Years later, after managing 23 Holland & Barrett stores, working in recruitment and navigating motherhood, Tara built a business helping others understand AI. And one of the biggest mistakes she sees? Trying to do too much, too quickly. “I always tell them they need to start on one problem.” Rather than chasing every new AI tool, Tara encourages business owners to identify one task that could be done better. Her advice is simple: “Do not give over your critical thinking to AI.” But perhaps one of the most powerful moments in the conversation comes when Tara discusses AI replacing employees. She questions why businesses would let decades of experience disappear instead of exploring how people’s roles could evolve. “20 years of you investing in someone, walking out the door, instead of considering what role they could play with AI.” What if the real opportunity isn’t replacing people, but giving them more time to do what they do best? Tara shares the example of an optician who has been in business for 40 years. He doesn’t want technology to replace the personal relationships he’s built. He wants it to handle the repetitive work so he can spend more time with his customers. And that’s perhaps the biggest lesson from the conversation. AI can help businesses work faster, communicate better and create new opportunities. But it can’t replace the experience, judgement and relationships that make a business unique. The businesses that succeed with AI won't necessarily be the ones using the most technology. They'll be the ones who understand what makes their business valuable in the first place. Because AI can change how we work. But it shouldn't make us forget why people choose to work with us. Listen to the full conversation with Tara Elzingre, Founder of Tara Elzingre Consultancy and Business All-Star 2026, on the latest episode of AIBF Business Talk. About the All-Ireland Business Foundation The All-Ireland Business Foundation (AIBF) is Ireland’s national body for recognising and supporting business excellence. We are the accrediting authority behind the Business All-Star marque — Ireland’s Symbol of Trust — awarded through a rigorous audit of reputation, performance and customer trust. Since 2014, we’ve impacted over 5,000 businesses, with 750 currently accredited. For more information please visit www.aibf.ie here.

October 5, 2026Episode 24947 min

Episode 249: Once a Moffatt, Always a Moffatt”: The Leadership Story of Sheila Moffatt

“I never thought it would be what it is today.” Three children walked into Sheila Moffatt’s first Irish dancing class in North Mayo. That small class became the Moffatt School of Irish Dancing. More than 35 years later, the school has grown across Mayo, producing world champions, developing future teachers and passing a love of Irish culture from one generation to the next. Today, several dancers who grew up through the Moffatt School are preparing to take the next step towards becoming teachers themselves. But Sheila’s story isn’t really about dancing. It’s about seeing potential in people, opening doors, staying the course when success doesn’t come quickly - and building something far bigger than you ever imagined. In the latest episode of AIBF Business Talk, Sheila joins Elaine Carroll to talk about the journey from those first three dancers to building one of Ireland’s best-known Irish dancing schools. And there are some powerful business lessons along the way. Early in Sheila’s career, she struggled to access the training she needed to become a qualified teacher. She travelled from Mayo to Dublin each week before eventually finding people who were willing to support her. She never forgot what that felt like. “When I got my exam, I did say in my head at the time, I’d never block anybody.” That decision became part of the culture she created. Today, 11 dancers who grew up through the Moffatt School are preparing to become teachers themselves. “Every one of the 11 of them has come into me as a baby… and now they’re in their early 20s and they’re preparing.” What does it take to build people, not just performers? For Sheila, success isn't simply about coming first. World titles are part of the Moffatt story, but she believes progress looks different for every child. “Sometimes if a child can place fifth or sixth in a big competition, that’s as big an achievement as the child who comes first.” Her philosophy is simple: “Everybody gets equal praise, every child has potential.” And perhaps that's one of the biggest lessons for any leader: People don't all need the same thing to succeed. There is also the importance of creating an environment where people feel they belong. “If they feel happy and safe and content with you, they will grow and you will develop their confidence.” That philosophy has become part of the Moffatt culture: “Once a Moffatt, always a Moffatt.” But behind the success stories are years of persistence. Sheila’s teams spent years finishing second at world level before finally breaking through. “They were second and second and they kept going and going.” And when the breakthrough finally came: “To actually see them achieve it then was huge.” How do you keep going when you’ve come so close, but success still hasn’t arrived? That question sits at the heart of Sheila’s story. Because perhaps her biggest lesson is the simplest one: Never lose sight of the people at the centre of what you're building. From the four-year-old walking into class for the first time to the dancer standing on a world championship podium, Sheila remains deeply involved in the lives of her dancers. “For me, the centre point will always be…the child.” And behind all of it is something even bigger than competition or winning. “Because to me, what we do, we pass on the culture of our country. And if we can instil that love into a child, it will continue.” From three dancers in North Mayo to world champions on the international stage, Sheila Moffatt has spent more than 35 years building something she never originally set out to create. Her story is a reminder that sometimes the biggest businesses, careers and legacies don't begin with a grand plan. Sometimes they begin with three children, a passion, and the decision to simply keep going. 🎧 Listen to the full conversation with Sheila Moffatt, founder of the Moffatt School of Irish Dancing, on the latest episode of AIBF Business Talk. About the All-Ireland Business Foundation The All-Ireland Business Foundation (AIBF) is Ireland’s national body for recognising and supporting business excellence. We are the accrediting authority behind the Business All-Star marque — Ireland’s Symbol of Trust — awarded through a rigorous audit of reputation, performance and customer trust. Since 2014, we’ve impacted over 5,000 businesses, with 750 currently accredited. For more information please visit www.aibf.ie here.

September 28, 2026Episode 24837 min

Episode 248: Respect, Hard Work & Have Fun: The Principles Behind Marathon Group

When Francis Roach and Michael Fitzgerald began talking about setting up a bus company more than 30 years ago, their idea was unusual. They wanted to build one without owning the buses. “We were setting up an Uber for buses. We didn’t know it back then,” Francis recalls. Not everyone was convinced. “We went to several banks who told us we were mad as a bag of cats.” So, they started anyway. “On a shoestring, we started it off in September 1995.” More than three decades later, that idea has become Marathon Group, spanning coach hire, sports travel, major event transport, logistics and safety solutions. In Episode 248 of AIBF Business Talk, Francis joins AIBF Co-CEO Elaine Carroll to reflect on the risks, relationships and people behind that journey. The early Marathon model was simple. Hire buses from operators, find the work and give customers a better overall service. “The first two or three years, we were very poor at maths, but the concept was working.” Then customers started asking for more. Day trips led to sports travel. By 2007, Marathon had secured rugby tickets for the World Cup in France. “We went from hiring buses to hiring planes.”Major events followed. From early concert work at Oxegen and Slane, Marathon developed the experience to manage increasingly complex transport operations. At a recent event at Palmerstown House, the team moved almost 10,000 people from nine different locations in a single day. Yet for the passenger, it should all feel simple. “The key of it all came back to the customer experience.” Behind that experience are the people Francis credits with Marathon’s longevity. His philosophy comes down to three principles: “Respect, hard work and have fun.” Some relationships with operators, suppliers and event personnel now stretch back more than 20 years. “Relationships are what builds your business ultimately.” That culture has helped Marathon Group earn recognition as an AIBF Superteam for 2026. For Francis, the recognition belongs to the people whose work customers rarely see. “This recognition for me is for them, in that the unseen work that goes on.” That same respect extends to customers when things go wrong. Buses can run late. Stops can be missed. Mistakes happen. “When that happens, we put up our hands.” Francis believes those moments can define a relationship just as much as the good ones. “The relationship with the person who’s giving out is as important as the one who’s praising us.” After three decades in business, Francis also sees his own role differently. “My job now in the business is risk management.” Every major event involves judgement. How many buses should Marathon order? How many tickets should it buy? How much should it commit to flights or hotels before knowing exactly what demand will be? “Too many buses, I’m losing money. Too little buses, we’re turning opportunities away.” “Entrepreneurs will always bring it to the line of risk.” But one of Francis’s biggest lessons has been learning to let go. A self-confessed micromanager, growing Marathon meant changing how he led. “I had to change my style.” “The journey for me probably over the last 15 years has been that transformation from micromanaging everything to building systems, empowering people, training people.” Technology has played a part in that change. But Francis remains clear about where investment matters most. “Anytime you train your good staff, it’s an investment. It’s not a cost.” It is a lesson shaped by more than 30 years of changing markets, recessions, major events, calculated risks and relationships that have lasted decades. And if Francis could go back to the young entrepreneur starting Marathon in 1995? His advice would be simple. “It’s going to take a lot longer than you think. Stick with it.” Listen to the full conversation with Francis Roach of Marathon Group on the latest episode of AIBF Business Talk. About the All-Ireland Business Foundation The All-Ireland Business Foundation (AIBF) is Ireland’s national body for recognising and supporting business excellence. We are the accrediting authority behind the Business All-Star marque — Ireland’s Symbol of Trust — awarded through a rigorous audit of reputation, performance and customer trust. Since 2014, we’ve impacted over 5,000 businesses, with 750 currently accredited. For more information please visit www.aibf.ie here.

September 18, 2026Episode 24736 min

Episode 247: Letting Go to Grow - Juliana Erkkonen on Building Abhaile Solar & Electrical

When Juliana Erkkonen and her husband Donal decided to start their own business, there was a feeling that the time had come to take the chance. “If you want to do something in life, life is actually very short. And you might as well try it, because what do you have to lose?” In the latest episode of AIBF Business Talk, Elaine Carroll sits down with Juliana Erkkonen, Co-Director and Head of Customer Relations at Abhaile Solar & Electrical, to talk about building a family business, creating a better customer experience and learning to let go as the company grows. Originally from Finland, Juliana moved to Ireland in 2003 with plans to stay for just six months and learn English. More than two decades later, Ireland is home. “I discovered an amazing country and amazing people. I just fell in love with it.” Juliana came from a career in social care leadership, while Donal had more than 30 years of experience as an electrician, including time working in renewable energy. Together, they saw an opportunity to combine two very different strengths. “The combination was there in terms of Donal’s technical abilities and his experience, and then my side… my skills are a lot in customer service.” Coming into the renewable energy industry without a technical background also gave Juliana a different perspective on what customers were experiencing. “Because I had to learn so much about the industry, it’s maybe easier for me sometimes to explain to customers simply what it is and what it’s not.” She quickly recognised how overwhelming the language and technology could become. “What actually matters to the customer… and to communicate that in a way that they understand it.” That focus on people and service has remained central as Abhaile Solar & Electrical has grown. But growth has brought a new challenge. Letting go. “We created this, what I call, our little baby. And then when you start giving it to the world and to other people… that was first quite difficult.” As the workload increased, Juliana realised that trying to manage every part of the business herself was no longer possible. “You can’t do the bookkeeping and the marketing and absolutely everything and the finance side of it, and ordering materials and scheduling… you can’t do it anymore.” The next lesson was learning to trust others. “Bit by bit, trying to delegate and let go of the control. I think letting go of control is probably harder for me than I thought it would be.” Today, Juliana and Donal are deliberately thinking about what the next stage of Abhaile Solar & Electrical should look like. Demand has grown. The team is growing. And rather than chasing growth for its own sake, their focus is on protecting the service and customer experience that helped build the business in the first place. “We will keep growing, but a little bit controllably, hopefully.” And if Juliana could go back to the beginning and give herself one piece of advice? “Don’t worry about absolutely everything so much. Just do it, just one step in front of another.” From moving to Ireland for six months to building a family business here more than two decades later, Juliana’s story is one of taking a chance, finding her own place in a new industry and learning that building a business also means knowing when to let go. Listen to the full conversation with Juliana Erkkonen of Abhaile Solar & Electrical on the latest episode of AIBF Business Talk. About the All-Ireland Business Foundation The All-Ireland Business Foundation (AIBF) is Ireland’s national body for recognising and supporting business excellence. We are the accrediting authority behind the Business All-Star marque — Ireland’s Symbol of Trust — awarded through a rigorous audit of reputation, performance and customer trust. Since 2014, we’ve impacted over 5,000 businesses, with 800+ currently accredited. For more information please visit www.aibf.ie here.

September 14, 2026Episode 24635 min

Episode 246: Coming Home to the Family Business - Michael Hennelly on Building the Next Chapter

Michael Hennelly had opportunities to join the family business years ago. Looking back, he knows he wasn't ready. “I wasn’t mature enough 20-odd years ago to go into the family business. I’ll hold my hand up and say that.” In the latest episode of AIBF Business Talk, Elaine Carroll sits down with Michael Hennelly of Hennelly Finance to talk about building his own career before joining the family business, working alongside his sister Ruth, and bringing his own experience to a business his mother started more than 26 years ago. Hennelly Finance began after Michael’s mother was made redundant. When other companies started approaching her about similar roles, she asked herself a simple question. “If these people are chasing me and they think I’m good enough, why can’t I do this for myself?” She did exactly that. “She started with a blank page… really no clients, just a phone and a paper and away you go.” Michael took a different route. He spent more than 25 years building his own career, including 13 years with New Ireland and later working with Aviva, where he gained exposure to financial advisers across the country. “What it gave me was a really good understanding of what the really good people do well with their clients and what gives a client a high probability of getting a good outcome.” One lesson stayed with him: take ownership. “You take ownership… you don’t pass it on. You make sure it goes from start to finish. After years of watching advisers work directly with their clients, Michael increasingly wanted to do the same. “For 20 years, I was looking at these people saying, ‘I’d love to be doing that. I would love to be sitting in front of clients as well.’” When his mother began stepping away from Hennelly Finance, the time was finally right to join Ruth in the family business. But Michael wasn't coming in to replace what had already been built. “They’ve built some business here. They really have.” Instead, he saw an opportunity to bring more than two decades of his own experience to the foundations already in place. “It’s not taking away from what’s been done here. It’s about adding to it.” More than 26 years after his mother started Hennelly Finance from a blank page, Michael and Ruth are now helping to build its next chapter - holding onto the values that built the business while bringing their own experience to where it goes next. Listen to the full conversation with Michael Hennelly of Hennelly Finance on the latest episode of AIBF Business Talk.

September 8, 2026Episode 24541 min

Episode 245: Invest in Yourself First - The Advice Rob Haran Gives Everyone Starting Out

When people ask Rob Haran what they should spend their first bit of money on when starting out, his answer isn't equipment, a van, or a website. "There's no point investing in machinery. There's no point investing in a van. There's no point investing in anything if you're good at nothing. So invest in yourself." In the latest episode of AIBF Business Talk, Elaine Carroll sits down with Rob Haran, Managing Director and Founder of the Haran Group , to talk about starting a scaffolding business with nothing but a pickup truck, growing it into a group of specialist businesses, and why the first investment anyone should make is in themselves. Rob's own career is the proof. He began as a scaffolder with a single-cab Ford Ranger, a silage pit for storage, and his father helping him load it by hand. "We literally handballed the scaffolding onto the Ford Ranger, we went off, we put up what we could for the day and we loaded for the next day." He never lost sight of what came next. "What I wanted after the Ford Ranger was a truck, what I wanted after the truck was a forklift... there's always something you need after, if you have ambition." That same principle - build the competence first, and the opportunities follow - is how Rob explains the growth of the wider group. When staff numbers rose and training costs followed, he became a qualified instructor himself before ever opening a training centre to the public. That approach has taken the business a long way from its beginnings. Founded in 2007 with just three employees, Haran Group has expanded beyond scaffolding into machinery, safety training, welding, calibration and temporary works design. By 2024, the Group had invested more than €1 million into the business, with plans for further expansion and growth across the West and Midlands. What started as one scaffolding business had become a wider group of specialist services - each new arm growing from a capability Rob first saw a need for. "I never grew up thinking I was going to own a training centre... I just adapted the idea of in-house training, I utilised my yard, I utilised my equipment." It's also how the welding and calibration side came about - not from a business plan, but from Rob putting in the work to learn a skill he didn't have, with help from someone he'd never met. "Anytime I've reached out to anybody and I've been open and honest in what I want to do, they can see the honesty there... it's always going to be a win-win." For Rob, hiring is no different. Qualifications matter, but attitude is what he looks for first - because attitude is what makes someone willing to invest in themselves in the first place. "You can always get trained... but if you don't have the right attitude, you're not going to go very far." His full advice to anyone starting out, or thinking about what's next, comes back to the same idea. "Start training as something. See if you like the job you're in... once you become a competent person in anything, the doors of opportunity will open up for you." From a Ford Ranger to a group spanning scaffolding, training, welding and calibration, Rob's growth has been built one skill at a time. Listen to the full conversation with Rob Haran of the Haran Group on the latest episode of AIBF Business Talk. About the All-Ireland Business Foundation The All-Ireland Business Foundation (AIBF) is Ireland’s national body for recognising and supporting business excellence. We are the accrediting authority behind the Business All-Star marque — Ireland’s Symbol of Trust — awarded through a rigorous audit of reputation, performance and customer trust. Since 2014, we’ve impacted over 5,000 businesses, with 800+ currently accredited. For more information please visit www.aibf.ie here.

August 31, 2026Episode 24430 min

Episode 244: Growth Without Compromise - Why the Customer Always Comes First

When you’re an independent business competing against major international players, it can be easy to focus on what they have that you don’t. Bigger budgets. Bigger teams. Bigger reach. For Vicky Kelly of Kelly Hearing Specialists, the answer was not to try to compete on size. It was to focus on what they could do differently. “We knew we could never outspend these big, massive companies. So we very quickly and very early on said to ourselves, we’re never going to be able to do it. So let’s do what we’re good at.” In the latest episode of AIBF Business Talk, Elaine Carroll sits down with Vicky to talk about building Kelly Hearing Specialists alongside her mum, growing an independent family business and why trust and relationships have remained at the heart of everything they do. Vicky and her mum had worked together in the hearing industry for almost ten years when the decision to go out on their own came quickly. “Mum very quickly made a decision…I think it’s now or never.” Within a week, they had the keys to their first premises. Having worked within a large corporate hearing company, they believed there was room for a more personal approach. One where patients were given time, listened to and treated as individuals. One patient experience in particular showed Vicky just how much that could matter. A man returned for his first follow-up after receiving hearing aids and began to cry. Every night, his wife would pat him on the leg before they went to sleep. He had always thought it was simply a pat. Then, for the first time, he heard what she was saying. “She’d always say, ‘Good night, I love you.’ But he always missed that.” It became a defining moment for Vicky. “I remember thinking, that’s what I want to do… Mum makes such a difference to people’s lives.” That personal approach became the foundation of Kelly Hearing Specialists. Rather than trying to match the spending power of larger competitors, Vicky and her mum focused on what they could control. “We’re clinicians and let’s be the best clinicians we can be. And let’s give people the best experience and the best, honest advice.” Three years later, Kelly Hearing Specialists has grown to more than 30 clinic locations. But Vicky is clear that getting bigger cannot mean losing what made the business different. “We’ve always said growth cannot come at the expense of the customer’s experience.” The business has also achieved Business All-Star Accreditation for three consecutive years and has been named Business All-Star All-Ireland Independent Audiologist of the Year 2026–27. For Vicky, that recognition represents something at the centre of their journey. “For us, it’s an external validation of the work that we’ve been doing. It absolutely represents the trust that our patients and our partners have in us.” From one clinic to more than 30 locations, their growth has been significant. But the principle behind it remains simple. Give people time. Listen. Build trust. And never allow growth to come at the expense of care. As Vicky puts it: “If you be yourself, be honest, build trusting relationships with people, there’s nothing that’s going to compete with you.” Listen to the full conversation with Vicky Kelly of Kelly Hearing Specialists on the latest episode of AIBF Business Talk.

August 24, 2026Episode 24334 min

Episode 243: You Can’t Grow a Business Without Learning to Let Go

For many entrepreneurs, starting a business means doing everything yourself. But what happens when the business begins to grow? For Donna McCullagh, Founder of Foundry HQ, that is when one of the hardest lessons begins. “You can’t really go to that next level if you’re not supported in some way, shape or form.” In the latest episode of AIBF Business Talk, Elaine Carroll sits down with Donna McCullagh to talk about her journey from side hustles to building Foundry HQ, and what she has learned about growth, leadership and letting go along the way. Donna had always wanted to run her own business. But it was during COVID that she began seriously exploring how she could build a career around her family and create something for herself. After training in web development, she launched McCullagh Digital alongside her sales career before eventually leaving the security of a salary behind. “What’s the worst that can happen? We can go and get a job.” What began in web design soon expanded into virtual assistance and online business management, eventually becoming Foundry HQ, where Donna and her team now support other businesses behind the scenes. That experience has given Donna a unique view into the realities of entrepreneurship. “I see the inside of plenty of businesses as well, and I see we’re all the same. We all have the same issues. We all have the same worries.” It is a side of business she believes we need to talk about more. “We probably should talk more about the downside and not the highlight reel.” And when it comes to moving beyond that difficult growth stage, Donna is clear about the mindset shift founders need to make. “It’s delegation. 100% it’s delegation.” Giving up control is difficult when you have built the business yourself, but Donna believes learning to trust others is essential if you want to move forward. That same belief in support extends beyond your own team. “What I’ve found now as a business owner is its community over competition. There’s plenty of business for us all.” Donna has also seen first-hand how external trust can influence growth. After asking clients why they chose Foundry HQ, she discovered her Business All-Star accreditation had played a role. “They basically all came back and said, ‘Well, you had the accreditation badge in your signature.’ And it was what made us make that decision in the end.” From taking the leap into entrepreneurship to learning to delegate, Donna’s journey is a reminder that building a business does not mean carrying it alone. Sometimes growth begins when you finally allow other people to help you build it. Listen to the full conversation with Donna McCullagh, Founder of Foundry HQ, on the latest episode of AIBF Business Talk.

Is this your show?

Claim this listing to keep it up to date, reach guests who want to pitch you, and manage bookings with Guestify.

Claim this listing

More Business podcasts