A Charlie Cook Live Series

Built in Kilkenny

Honest conversations with the founders and builders behind Kilkenny.

Tom Britton: Marble City Travel, Being Written Off & Becoming an Ironman

Tom Britton grew up daydreaming out the classroom window at CBS Kilkenny and failed his Leaving Cert the first time. Years later, he earned a pilot's licence at 17, only for a lazy right eye to end his dream of flying commercially. That setback forced a pivot into the travel industry. After borrowing money to launch his first business in the 90s, Tom went on to found Marble City Travel in 2005. In this episode of Built in Kilkenny, Tom sits down with Charlie Cook to discuss what happened when revenue collapsed from €5 million to €500,000 during the 2008 crash, the reality of refunding millions to customers during COVID-19, and how a health scare in 2015 sparked a journey to completing 49 marathons and the Ironman World Championship in Kona. 🔔 Subscribe to Built in Kilkenny: https://www.youtube.com/@charliecooklive?sub_confirmation=1 🌐 Official Website: https://charliecooklive.com 📱 Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/charliecooklive 🎵 Follow on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@charliecooklive ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- GUEST & BUSINESS LINKS: 🌍 Website: https://www.marblecitytravel.ie 📱 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marblecitytravel FB Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marblecitytravel 🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@marblecitytravel ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- IN THIS EPISODE, WE COVER: • Why traditional school did not fit Tom and how he found his path in business • Saving up for flying lessons at 15 and facing the medical diagnosis that ended his aviation career • Borrowing from the Credit Union to launch his first travel agency in the 1990s • Starting Marble City Travel in 2005 and surviving the 2008 financial crash • Travel disasters behind the scenes, including transport strikes in Barcelona and Istanbul detours • Navigating COVID-19, processing millions in refunds, and paying double bank fees • Going from a 2015 doctor's warning to running 49 marathons and qualifying for the Ironman World Championship ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CHAPTERS: 00:00 Introduction & Growing Up in Kilkenny 01:42 Daydreaming at CBS James' Street & School Struggles 04:00 Failing the Leaving Cert & Finding College Marketing 05:36 Working Bakery Jobs to Pay for Flying Lessons at 15 08:10 The Lazy Eye Diagnosis That Ended His Aviation Career 09:31 Pivoting into the Travel Industry 13:22 Borrowing Money to Launch His First Travel Business 14:04 Leaving Travel for Hotels & Realising He Was Unhappy 15:11 The Beginning of Marble City Travel (2005) 15:29 Why the Internet Didn't Kill Travel Agents 19:02 Petrol Bombs in Barcelona & Last-Minute Travel Disasters 24:54 Surviving 2008: From 5 Million to Half a Million Revenue 29:10 COVID-19: Refunding Millions & Double Bank Fees 33:03 The Post-COVID Travel Boom 34:27 Winning the TTG Awards & Building a Team Like an Orchestra 36:43 Expanding Marble City Travel into Carlow 38:31 Advice for People Who Don't Fit the Education System 45:46 Leadership: "If I Won't Do It, I Won't Ask The Team" 47:47 The 2015 Doctor Visit & Running a Marathon for His Dad 50:44 Reaching the Ironman World Championship in 2022 55:57 Why Small Daily Incremental Gains Build Empires 57:15 Final Thoughts ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Host: Charlie Cook Show: Built in Kilkenny Episode: Tom Britton: Marble City Travel E13 #BuiltInKilkenny #TomBritton #MarbleCityTravel #Kilkenny #IrishBusiness

The Truth About Supplements & Building OCARA Wellness

Built in Kilkenny Ep. 12

What are we getting wrong about our health? Kilkenny pharmacist and OCARA Wellness founder Laura Hogan joins me for this episode of Built in Kilkenny. Laura has spent years working directly with patients as a community pharmacist, and in this conversation we get into what that experience has taught her about the way we approach our health. We talk about prevention versus treatment, stress and anxiety, the supplement industry, whether supplements actually work, why "natural" doesn't automatically mean safe, antibiotic resistance and the amount of health misinformation people are now encountering online. Laura also explains why she believes neurodivergence hasn't suddenly become more common, but our understanding and recognition of it has changed. Later, we discuss women's health, menopause and HRT, before getting into Laura's own journey from pharmacist to founder and how she created OCARA Wellness. Laura also tells the story of the feedback that made her realise something she'd created was genuinely making a difference. CHAPTERS 00:00 Introduction 00:12 Why Laura Became a Pharmacist 01:18 What Actually Happens Behind the Pharmacy Counter? 04:41 What Pharmacists See That the Rest of Us Don't 06:02 Prevention vs Treatment 07:27 How Healthcare Has Changed 08:58 Working in a Pharmacy During Covid 12:25 Stress, Anxiety and Modern Life 15:30 Should Under-16s Be Banned From Social Media? 17:14 How OCARA Wellness Started 19:30 What Laura Wanted to Create 21:06 Testing the First Product 22:17 The Feedback That Made It Worthwhile 23:14 Choosing the Ingredients 24:54 Finding a Gap in the Supplement Market 26:16 Regulation and Health Claims 27:19 Why Laura Wanted Her Own Business 28:23 Do Supplements Actually Work? 30:11 What Supplements Do People Actually Need? 32:20 Proposed Changes to Supplement Limits 34:07 "Natural" Doesn't Mean Safe 35:41 Natural vs Pharmaceutical 36:53 Sugar and Processed Food 39:06 Antibiotic Resistance 41:04 Why ChatGPT Isn't Your Doctor 41:39 Why Neurodivergence Seems More Common 46:16 Health Misinformation Online 48:35 Laura on Misinformation Around Supplements 50:00 The Gap in Women's Health Research 54:04 What's Next for OCARA? 54:58 What Would Success Look Like in Five Years? Built in Kilkenny is a Charlie Cook Live series featuring conversations with people doing interesting things in Kilkenny. Subscribe to Charlie Cook Live for more conversations from Built in Kilkenny. #BuiltInKilkenny #LauraHogan #OCARAWellness #CharlieCookLive New episodes regularly. — Follow the journey: charliecooklive.com TikTok: @charliecooklive Instagram: @charliecooklive #BuiltInKilkenny #Kilkenny #IrishBusiness #Podcast

Clive Barnes: The Reality of Making a Living as a Musician

Built in Kilkenny Ep. 11

Clive Barnes has spent his entire working life making music. He picked up the guitar at six, played his first gig at 12, and went on to build a career that has taken him across Europe, the UK and the US, playing with artists including Eric Bibb, Jim White and alongside names like Joe Cocker and Taj Mahal. In this episode of Built in Kilkenny I sit down with Clive to talk about what a life in music actually looks like. We get into teaching himself guitar before YouTube and the internet, becoming a session musician, the people and opportunities that shaped his career, and why he says the gig itself isn't really what a musician gets paid for. Clive also tells me about the late Willie Meighan and the impact he had on his career, what happened when the pandemic suddenly took music away from him, and how that eventually led to The Year Grunge Broke growing to nearly a million followers across Facebook and Instagram and becoming a published book. We also get into grunge, why Clive doesn't really think of it as a genre, Nirvana and the moment alternative rock became mainstream, The Year Grunge Broke band, and why after a lifetime of playing guitar he still feels like there's so much left to do. — Find Clive / The Year Grunge Broke — Website: https://www.theyeargrungebroke.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theyeargrungebroke Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheYearGrungeBroke YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheYearGrungeBroke Book: https://www.awaywithmedia.com/buy-books/entertainment/grunge — Chapters — 0:00 Intro 0:40 Practising, obsession and thinking about music all the time 1:12 Picking up the guitar at six 2:28 Learning guitar before YouTube and the internet 5:17 Training your ear and learning to listen 6:10 Hearing the key of a car exhaust 7:05 Playing his first gig at 12 8:53 Becoming a session guitarist 9:42 Getting noticed by Eric Bibb 10:26 The phone call that took him around Europe 11:17 How playing with Eric Bibb changed him 12:16 Willie Meighan and the Kilkenny music scene 13:32 How Willie connected Clive with Jim White 15:14 Why playing with Jim White is different 16:55 Has Clive made it as a musician? 17:32 The reality behind making a living from music 19:17 "It's the only thing I know how to do" 20:06 Cormac McCarthy and just keeping going 21:38 What does he still want to accomplish? 22:20 Feeling like time is running out 23:15 The reality of touring 24:02 How Clive describes his guitar playing 24:43 Getting into grunge 26:19 Does grunge actually exist? 28:02 The year alternative rock became mainstream 28:46 Why Smells Like Teen Spirit wasn't the beginning 29:03 Kurt Cobain, Mark Lanegan and a song you couldn't escape 30:01 How the pandemic affected Clive 30:44 Realising his entire identity was connected to music 32:19 How the pandemic led to The Year Grunge Broke 33:07 Growing the page from 4,000 to nearly a million followers 34:33 How social media posts became a book 35:07 Getting The Year Grunge Broke published 36:02 Choosing the 50 albums 36:40 Learning how to write 37:05 A second book is already written 38:09 Finding a different angle on Nirvana's Nevermind 38:25 Dave Abbruzzese and the book's foreword 40:47 The Year Grunge Broke band 41:38 Meet the band 43:19 Becoming almost telepathic after years playing together 44:14 Booking gigs in Ireland and the UK 45:34 Is Clive still getting better at guitar? 46:02 Why musicians need to listen to each other 47:19 The guitar Clive brought to the podcast 48:20 Does every guitar feel different? 49:33 Why he brings five or six guitars to a gig 50:14 What actually gives each guitar a different sound? 50:18 Why the band doesn't use traditional amps anymore 51:28 Playing Electric Picnic 52:22 Wrapping up — Built in Kilkenny — New episodes weekly. Subscribe so you don't miss one. Charlie Cook Live, Kilkenny, Ireland #kilkenny #ireland #music — Follow the journey: https://charliecooklive.com TikTok: @charliecooklive Instagram: @charliecooklive

Almost 30 Years Tattooing

Ian Flynn · High Society Tattoo

Ian Flynn is the owner of High Society Tattoo Studio in Kilkenny, with almost 30 years in the trade. He started with a tattoo machine that had a pencil in it, drawing on paper to get used to the weight, back when apprentices made their own ink from powders and their own needles with soldering irons on a Saturday morning. In this episode of Built in Kilkenny I sit down with Ian at the studio. He tells the story of getting into tattooing in the mid-90s when it was a small, closed, protective world, his apprenticeship and the 17 years he spent working alongside the late Joe Myler, opening his own place in Kilkenny, and building a team of six artists. We get into the stigma tattooing carried and how it shifted, why the craft is far more disciplined and rules-based than its outlaw image suggests, what he makes of people buying machines online and going it alone, and the problem with AI-generated tattoo designs. It's a brilliant conversation about craft, respect, and protecting something you love. — Find Ian / High Society Tattoo — Website: https://hisotat.square.site Instagram (Ian): https://www.instagram.com/ian_flynn_tattoo Instagram (Studio): https://www.instagram.com/highsocietytattoostudio Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tattooireland TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hisotat — Chapters — 0:00 Intro 0:33 What brought him into tattooing 0:46 Drawing Guns N' Roses covers as a kid 1:19 The career guidance teacher who wasn't receptive 1:40 The apprenticeship with Joe Myler 2:35 What an apprenticeship actually looked like 3:13 A tattoo machine with a pencil in it 3:45 Making your own ink and needles 3:59 How hard it was to get in 4:31 The first tattoo, and finding his feet 6:10 The stigma: sailors, convicts and job worries 7:16 From "you'll never get a job" to everyone getting one 7:48 Trust, permanence and mistakes 8:29 The problem with machines bought online 9:23 His influences and styles 11:13 17 years with Joe in Waterford 11:30 Why he opened in Kilkenny 12:20 From a small studio to the current space 12:50 Building a team of six artists 15:27 Watching the other artists work 17:04 Why the experience matters as much as the tattoo 18:28 Why being booked out is a good thing 19:09 Trust and the leap of faith 20:11 What separates a good artist from a great one 21:43 Talking someone out of a tattoo 23:13 How to get into tattooing now 24:41 A self-regulating industry 27:07 What you can't learn from YouTube 29:46 How many tattoos he has 30:17 Which spots hurt most 31:03 Becoming protective of the craft 32:45 The soul of it, and memorial tattoos 34:14 What he'd say if his kids wanted one 36:09 Any regrets 38:54 AI and tattoo designs 42:52 The intellectual property problem 44:58 Wrapping up — Built in Kilkenny — New episodes weekly. Subscribe so you don't miss one. Charlie Cook Live, Kilkenny, Ireland #kilkenny #ireland #tattoo — Follow the journey: charliecooklive.com TikTok: @charliecooklive Instagram: @charliecooklive

She Built Golf Events Just for Women

Lucy Condon · VenueGolf

Lucy Condon is the founder of VenueGolf, an overnight golf events company built exclusively for women. She spotted a gap at mixed golf events, where a handful of women would turn up, the prizes never ran, and there was no social side, and built the thing she wished existed: women travelling from all over Ireland to play, stay, and meet each other, with a €2,000 prize fund and a gala dinner. In this episode of Built in Kilkenny I sit down with Lucy at Sullivan's. She tells the story of advertising her very first event with no idea if anyone would book, and filling all 80 places. We get into how she got the hotels on board, the morning an event was rained off and how she handled it, building the whole thing around a demanding full-time career, and why she made it women-only. She also raises thousands for animal rescue charities at every event. It's a brilliant story about spotting a gap and backing yourself to fill it. — Find Lucy / VenueGolf — Website: https://www.venuegolf.ie Instagram: @venuegolf_for_women LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucy-c-28a84082/ — Chapters — 0:00 Intro 0:22 What VenueGolf is 0:48 Spotting the gap at mixed events 1:55 A safe space for women who just want to play 2:07 Bringing solo women in from the cold 2:41 25% returning customers 2:48 Golf is still a male-dominated game 3:30 From idea to action 4:15 Getting the hotels on board 5:00 The first event: 80 women, sold out 6:15 What the day actually looks like 7:45 The morning it rained off 9:30 The skills she brought from 27 years in hospitality 10:30 Her husband on the first tee 11:15 Three courses and expanding 12:30 Taking it abroad 13:15 The awards and the recognition 14:45 The women's network 16:00 Juggling the business with a full-time job 17:30 Why women-only 19:00 Could men and women compete together? 20:30 Giving back: animal rescue charities 22:00 Her advice for anyone sitting on an idea 23:30 Learning social media from scratch 24:30 What's next — Built in Kilkenny — New episodes weekly. Subscribe so you don't miss one. Thanks to Sullivan's Taproom for the venue. Charlie Cook Live, Kilkenny, Ireland #kilkenny #ireland #golf — Follow the journey: charliecooklive.com TikTok: @charliecooklive Instagram: @charliecooklive #BuiltInKilkenny #Kilkenny #IrishBusiness #Podcast

I Lived Life When Life Was Real

Alberto Kupper · Musician & Vocal Coach

Alberto Kupper is a musician, bass player and vocal coach from São Paulo, Brazil. He arrived in Ireland in September 2005 with a bass in one hand and a suitcase in the other, moved to Kilkenny on Christmas Day, and has built a life in music here for over 20 years. In this episode of Built in Kilkenny, Alberto tells the story of begging his father for a year for his first bass, an amplifier made from a car speaker in a wooden box, teaching himself entirely by ear, and the three years spent driving a top vocal coach to and from the airport — three years that accidentally transformed his voice and his life. We get into what a vocal coach actually does, why he says most of the vocal coaching market is a scam, coaching Stevie Mulrooney (last week's guest), and what a man who's spent 40 years on his craft makes of AI writing songs. He finishes on the bass, obviously. Looking for vocal coaching, or bass or guitar lessons in Kilkenny? Get in touch through the channel and I'll pass you on to Alberto. — Chapters — 0:00 Intro 0:31 Christmas Day 2005: arriving in Kilkenny 1:13 A musician since 1996, never a "proper job" 3:27 Growing up in São Paulo 5:15 Why bass: "the bass picks you" 6:05 The Iron Maiden intro that started everything 7:47 Begging his father for a year 9:47 A car speaker for an amplifier 10:30 Waking up at night to check the bass was there 11:24 Teaching himself entirely by ear 12:55 Ten years to get out of the bedroom 16:18 How the singing started 17:53 The vocal coach of the soap stars 20:10 Three years as the driver 22:49 The technique that changed his voice without him knowing 24:18 The band where nobody could sing 26:28 Antisocial, and fine with it 28:09 Thin Lizzy on illegal cable TV 31:25 A wedding in Belgium and a one-way detour 32:54 Disappointed by Dublin 34:12 Moving to Kilkenny, working immediately 36:21 Building the coaching by word of mouth 37:00 What a vocal coach actually does 39:45 The diaphragm, explained 41:22 The busker and the certificate 43:36 When talent doesn't match ambition 46:13 How often does a kid like Stevie come around? 47:47 Keeping the demons away from Stevie's voice 49:23 What Stevie has to watch out for 51:49 AI and music: "I lived life when life was real" 55:43 Social media, or the lack of it 57:15 One last piece of advice 58:44 Alberto plays us out — Built in Kilkenny — New episodes weekly. Subscribe so you don't miss one. Charlie Cook Live, Kilkenny, Ireland #kilkenny #ireland #music — Follow the journey: charliecooklive.com TikTok: @charliecooklive Instagram: @charliecooklive #BuiltInKilkenny #Kilkenny #IrishBusiness #Podcast

He Sang to 55,000 People at the Aviva

Stevie Mulrooney · Singer

Stevie Mulrooney is 10 years old, from Kilkenny, and he's already sung Ireland's Call to 55,000 people at the Aviva Stadium. In this episode of Built in Kilkenny I sit down with Stevie and his dad Seamus at Sullivan's. Stevie tells the story of the Late Late Toy Show, being surprised on stage by Peter O'Mahony and Bundee Aki, the phone call from Josh van der Flier that led to the Aviva, and everything since: touring with Phil Coulter, the Aldi ad with Kevin the Carrot, hosting his own radio show on KCLR, and recording at Steinway Hall in London with pianist Dominic Ferris. Seamus joins us to talk about watching his son walk out in front of 55,000 people, and how the family keeps life normal for a kid with a serious gift. And Stevie finishes with a song. — Find Stevie — @seamusmulrooney8600 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@seamusmulrooney8600 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/seamiemul/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@steviemul8 — Chapters — 0:00 Intro 0:28 A crazy two years 0:51 The Toy Show and meeting the two giants 1:26 How he got on the Toy Show 1:55 Singing as long as he can remember 2:22 Mam spotted the talent 3:18 Meeting Alberto 4:24 The call from Josh van der Flier 5:26 Walking out at the Aviva 6:13 The cold, the wait, and the moment 7:20 Radio: RTÉ, 2FM, BBC Breakfast 7:55 Three shows with Phil Coulter 8:14 The Aldi ad with Kevin the Carrot 8:38 Stevie's Call: his own radio show 9:12 Hurling advice for TJ Reid 9:43 Sport: rugby, hurling, martial arts 10:11 Acting camp at the Watergate 11:17 Favourite music 12:04 Dad Seamus joins us 12:30 Magic shows and always wanting an audience 13:26 Watching the Aviva as a dad 15:02 Handling the attention 15:43 Keeping him grounded 17:07 Recording for charity 18:07 Dominic Ferris and Steinway Hall 18:58 Learning piano 19:19 What his friends think 19:33 Stevie's advice 20:26 Quick-fire round 21:46 Stevie sings 23:27 Ireland v Australia — Follow the journey: charliecooklive.com TikTok: @charliecooklive Instagram: @charliecooklive #BuiltInKilkenny #Kilkenny #IrishBusiness #Podcast

Teaching Kids Across Ireland to Read Music

Ciara O'Connor · Ceoil Cliste

Ciara O'Connor is a secondary school music teacher who spotted a gap: kids arriving at school unable to read music, and teachers who didn't feel equipped to teach it. So she built Ceoil Cliste, a hands-on programme that travels to primary schools all over Ireland making music fun, and a set of resources to help other teachers do the same. In this episode of Built in Kilkenny I sit down with Ciara at Sullivan's in Kilkenny. She tells the story of growing up playing music from the age of five, busking and playing weddings as a kid, training as a teacher, and the moment in Australia that gave her the idea. We get into knocking on school doors when emails got nowhere, the TikTok that hit 500,000 views and sold out her whole year, burning herself out, and being nominated for business awards in her first year. It's a brilliant story about backing yourself, spotting a gap, and just going for it. — Find Ciara / Ceoil Cliste — Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oconnorsmusicschool/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ciara_oconnor_ — Chapters — 0:00 Intro 0:31 Why music matters (and the recorder everyone hated) 1:04 The idea, and the lightbulb moment in Australia 2:06 Growing up playing music from age five 3:04 Studying music and training as a teacher 3:50 Following her father into teaching 4:23 Why music is like learning a language 5:33 Reading sheet music at five, and how Ceoil Cliste started 7:04 What Ceoil Cliste means: the smartness of music 7:16 Inside the classroom: Super Mario and making it fun 9:40 From idea to actually doing it 12:30 Knocking on doors when emails failed 13:07 The TikTok that hit 500,000 views 13:26 Selling out the whole year 14:12 Coping with the chaos, and hiring 14:45 Travelling the country and burning out 15:57 Teaching the teachers: the resource shop 17:01 Summer camps 17:51 Where it's going next 18:50 Running, marathons and Everest Base Camp 19:22 Starting kids young 20:03 Getting into secondary schools 21:30 Local support and award nominations 22:24 The moments of doubt 23:37 Advice for anyone sitting on an idea 24:37 Music, family and the violin 25:23 The song that got her through 25:48 Imposter syndrome and what she's achieved — Built in Kilkenny — New episodes weekly. Subscribe so you don't miss one. Charlie Cook Live Kilkenny, Ireland #kilkenny #ireland #music — Follow the journey: charliecooklive.com TikTok: @charliecooklive Instagram: @charliecooklive #BuiltInKilkenny #Kilkenny #IrishBusiness #Podcast

I Walked Out the Back Door of School

Declan Buggy The Irish School of DIY

Declan Buggy left school with no qualifications and taught himself trade skills in his parents' shed using his late granddad's old tools. Today he runs the Irish School of DIY, teaching people all over the country how to do it themselves. In this episode of Built in Kilkenny I sit down with Declan at his place in Castlecomer. He tells the story of teaching himself to build furniture as a kid by robbing motors out of broken washing machines, bunking off school to make and sell tables, his apprenticeship as a farrier cut short by injury, and the moment he realised he could build a business teaching people the simple skills tradesmen were charging a fortune for. We get into going from a one-man renovation business to camps and courses all over Ireland, women-only DIY classes, getting young people into trades, writing a book, and the honest reality behind the polished Instagram, the graft, the scrambling, and the luck. — Find Declan / The Irish School of DIY — Website: https://www.theirishschoolofdiy.ie/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theirishschoolofdiy Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_irish_school_of_diy/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/The-Irish-School-of-DIY-61583998376152/ — Chapters — 0:00 Intro 0:30 What is the Irish School of DIY 1:14 Leaving school, horses, and becoming a farrier 2:48 Making hurls 3:33 Teaching himself in his granddad's shed 5:05 Bunking off school to sell furniture 6:47 The renovation business and his uncle's leg-up 11:54 The smoke alarm job that sparked the idea 14:31 No plan, just go for it 15:39 One video, 10,000 followers in a week 16:17 Starting with schools 17:36 Growing fast: camps and courses all over Ireland 19:37 The honest reality behind the Instagram 21:38 Learning to take on staff 22:08 The age groups and the red tape 25:42 Adult and women-only courses 27:15 Today FM, the Farmers Journal, and writing a book 28:29 What's next: franchising the school 29:40 The hardest part 31:45 Advice for anyone sitting on an idea 32:26 The song that got him through — Built in Kilkenny — New episodes weekly. Subscribe so you don't miss one. Charlie Cook Live Kilkenny, Ireland Built in Kilkenny — honest conversations with the founders and builders behind this city. No gurus. No overnight-success stories. Just real people talking about what it actually takes to build something. New episodes regularly. — Follow the journey: charliecooklive.com TikTok: @charliecooklive Instagram: @charliecooklive #BuiltInKilkenny #Kilkenny #IrishBusiness #Podcast

From Hoof to Good Luck

Anne Healy · Biddy's Good Luck Horseshoes

Anne Healy turns genuine worn Irish horseshoes into good luck gifts that get sent all over the world. In this episode of Built in Kilkenny I sit down with Anne, founder of Biddy's Good Luck Horseshoes. She tells the story of leaving her job at AXA in 2019 to chase an idea people told her was mad, how a 30-second video filmed in her back garden during COVID turned the whole business around, and what it's like being trusted with pieces that carry huge personal meaning, from weddings and new babies to horseshoes passed down from people who've died. We get into the centuries-old Irish tradition behind the lucky horseshoe, why every piece is unique, building a family business, winning Network Ireland Businesswoman of the Year three times, and her advice for anyone sitting on an idea they're too scared to start. — Find Anne / Biddy's Good Luck Horseshoes — Website: https://www.biddysgoodluckhorseshoes.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/biddysgoodluckhorseshoes/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/goodluckhorsesshoe/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@biddysgoodluckhorseshoes — Chapters — 0:00 Intro 0:44 The Irish tradition behind the lucky horseshoe 1:49 Life before: AXA, horses, and family 3:37 The wedding horseshoe that started it all 4:14 Where the name Biddy's came from 4:43 Leaving AXA in 2019 to go for it 5:52 The people who said she was mad 6:02 Lucky breaks: Nationwide, Ireland AM, and 75,000 followers 7:05 Being trusted with pieces that carry real meaning 8:14 From hoof to finished piece, and learning to outsource 11:01 The COVID pivot that changed everything 13:26 Working as a family business 14:38 The awards, and why she applied for them 16:08 The stories behind the horseshoes 18:48 What's next: the US, corporate, and hotel wedding gifts 22:51 Her advice for anyone afraid to start — Built in Kilkenny — New episodes weekly. Subscribe so you don't miss one. Charlie Cook Live Kilkenny, Ireland — Follow the journey: charliecooklive.com TikTok: @charliecooklive Instagram: @charliecooklive #BuiltInKilkenny #Kilkenny #IrishBusiness #Podcast

What Most People Get Wrong in Interviews

Decky Casey · Ace That Interview

Decky Casey has spent nearly two decades helping people through job interviews. A year ago he turned it into a business, Ace That Interview, while still working full-time in the HSE and raising his daughter. In this episode of Built in Kilkenny we get into his story: from working in bars and studying social care, to senior healthcare roles in Ireland and Australia, to building a side business in the evenings and weekends. We also cover the practical stuff: the biggest mistakes people make in interviews, why how you perform on the day matters more than your qualifications, the STAR method, cleaning up your social media before you apply, and what AI is doing to the job market. His mantra: preparation plus confidence equals results. Decky is also running a free webinar on Saturday 20th June, 10am to 1pm, for anyone who needs help with job interviews. No cost, no sign-up fee. — Find Decky / Ace That Interview — Website: https://www.acethatinterview.eu Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/acethatinterviewirl/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61575168924948 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/declan-casey-570879120/ — Chapters — 0:00 Intro 0:23 From bars to social care: Decky's early career 2:03 Coming back from Australia, into the HSE 3:09 Balancing a full-time job, the business, and family 4:04 Where the idea for Ace That Interview came from 6:05 Helping people informally before it was a business 8:14 What makes the service different 10:09 The client who landed a CEO role 11:16 The biggest mistakes people make in interviews 12:47 Why scripted answers fail, and the STAR method 15:45 Decky's top advice for anyone preparing 16:23 Your social media footprint and your CV 20:38 What AI is doing to the job market 24:07 How he prepares people, and the free consultation 26:30 Practical interview-day tips 28:47 Giving back: free school talks and the June webinar 31:09 Preparation plus confidence equals results 33:28 Advice for anyone on the fence about starting 36:03 Protecting the brand, and what's next — Built in Kilkenny — New episodes weekly. Subscribe so you don't miss one. Charlie Cook Live Kilkenny, Ireland Built in Kilkenny — honest conversations with the founders and builders behind this city. No gurus. No overnight-success stories. Just real people talking about what it actually takes to build something. New episodes regularly. — Follow the journey: charliecooklive.com TikTok: @charliecooklive Instagram: @charliecooklive #BuiltInKilkenny #Kilkenny #IrishBusiness #Podcast

Zero Fillers, Zero Funding, Zero Salary

Odhrán · Second Self Life

Zero fillers in the product. Zero outside funding. Zero salary since September. In this episode of Built in Kilkenny, Charlie Cook sits down with Odhrán, co-founder of Second Self Life, a premium protein brand built from scratch in Kilkenny with his partner Amy-Leigh. They had enough money saved to go to Australia. They put it into a business instead. Manufacturers laughed them out of the room. Their Belgian partner told them their formula wasn't ambitious enough. They made three sales in January. And they kept going. This is the real story of building a clean supplement brand with no funding, no safety net, and no shortcuts. 00:00 Intro 00:23 Who came up with the idea 01:09 Breaking into a 60 billion dollar industry 02:12 Clean ingredients and why the big brands use fillers 03:24 Choosing the right ingredients 04:56 The Belgian manufacturer who said "not ambitious enough" 05:56 Leaving the 9 to 5 07:27 We were going to go to Australia 08:06 The product was supposed to be ready in September 09:31 What tipped you over the edge 10:45 Constantly learning 11:14 Market research advice 12:30 The Eton Mess flavour 14:06 Bootstrapped with no funding 14:31 First batch arrives in January 15:02 Mortify yourself 16:33 Learning meta ads the hard way 17:39 The Wild Tales partnership 19:23 How the cafes are receiving it 20:32 Distribution over profit 22:00 The pricing and why it costs what it costs 24:33 Tasting it live 28:48 What's next for Second Self Life 30:09 Helping Irish farmers 31:25 Working together as a couple 33:44 The dark early days 34:22 Social media comparison trap 36:06 Moving back home at 25 40:35 Advice for anyone thinking of starting Built in Kilkenny — honest conversations with the founders and builders behind this city. No gurus. No overnight-success stories. Just real people talking about what it actually takes to build something. New episodes regularly. Follow Second Self Life: Website: https://www.secondselflife.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/secondselflife TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@secondselflife — Follow the journey: charliecooklive.com TikTok: @charliecooklive Instagram: @charliecooklive

The Man Who Brought Brewing Back to Kilkenny

Dan Smithwick

For over 300 years, two brewing families called Kilkenny home. Then it all disappeared. In this first episode of Built in Kilkenny, I sit down with Dan Smithwick — descendant of one of Ireland's most famous brewing families — to talk about how he brought brewing back to a city that had lost it. We get into: - The 300-year history of Sullivan's and Smithwick's - The horse bet in France that cost a family their brewery - What it was like watching the last brewery in Kilkenny close in 2013 - Reviving Sullivan's from nothing in 2016 - Building a beer now sold across the US, Europe and Australia CHAPTERS 00:00 Intro — brewing has come back to Kilkenny 01:09 1702 — Sullivan's, before Smithwick's and Guinness 02:42 Two big brewing families, one city 03:34 Growing up with the nostalgia of a lost brewery 04:37 The famine soup kitchens and the Breweries Club 06:07 Daniel O'Connell and the woman who built Sullivan's 07:41 The Deauville horse bet that ended Sullivan's 09:00 James Smithwick buys the trademarks 10:38 Walter, going public, and Guinness taking over 13:29 2012 — Diageo closes the last brewery in Kilkenny 15:32 The starting gun — deciding to revive Sullivan's 17:57 Building the export footprint in upstate New York 22:45 Building the Sullivan's Taproom 25:48 The hard times and bootstrapping 27:14 Carrying the Smithwick name 28:35 The first pint of Sullivan's at Langton's 29:34 Sullivan's in Cape Town, Finland, all over the world 30:53 The brewery build — purpose-built in Hungary 35:42 What he'd say to anyone following their dream Okay, so — Follow Sullivan's: Website: https://sullivansbrewingcompany.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sullivanstaproom TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sullivanstaproom — Built in Kilkenny is a series of honest conversations with the founders and builders behind this city. New episodes regularly. Subscribe so you don't miss one. Follow the journey: TikTok: @charliecooklive charliecooklive.com #BuiltInKilkenny #Kilkenny #SullivansBrewing #IrishBusiness #Podcast

View full playlist on YouTube →