24 Stories Podcast

To finish season 2, we've brought a special episode to highlight some off the essential skills our guests think are necessary in their industries to succeed. There were some reoccurring themes throughout the season, so we've round up some of the ones that hit the nail on the head. There's certainly great learning from our guest. Thanks again to this season's sponsor Skillsbase.

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We finish the second series series of the podcast with music promoter Joe Kelly from The Good Room. Stephen talks to Joe about his extensive career in the music scene in Cork which began in the early 90s at the iconic Sir Henry's, to today hosting the much loved Live at St.Luke's.

Joe is a self-professed 'blow-in' from Galway who came to Cork in the late 80s to study at UCC, and he has never left. He started his career as a DJ at venues across Cork that led to him organising his own successful club nights with Denis O'Mullane including the very popular Mór Disco in Zoe’s and Telefunkin in Metropole Hotel. 

Those nights kickstarted a vibrant career in music promotion which has seen him either run or co own infamous Cork venue's such as the Bodega, The Savoy, The Pavillion & others that no longer exist today. Joe talks about the highs of booking some of the worlds greatest acts but also the lows when the businesses had to close like the Pavillion did in 2014. 

Joe has played a vital part in the music & culture scene in Cork and today he keeps doing it alongside Ed Callahan at the Good Room. Today they are the maestro's behind Live at St.Lukes, one of Cork's most unique music experience as well as the It Takes a Village Festival and several others that are too long to mention. 

They are also the team behind the Cork Podcast Festival - one of the first festivals of its kind in Ireland that makes a triumphant return this year. We have a lot of entertaining nights in Cork to thank Joe for over the years.

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President of Cork Business Association & co-owner of Herlihy Centra Group Kevin Herlihy is this weeks guest who looks back on the family business when his mother & father opened one of the first Centra's in Ireland to now owning 7 stores across Cork. The Herlihy Centra brand was started in 1980 by Kevin's parents who opened their first store in Bishopstown which is still in the heart of the community today.

Kevin's career started in hospitality industry having studied it in college, however while working abroad in France he received the call, it was time to come back, give a hand & buy into the family business. From there, the family opened a further 6 stores across Cork & expanded to introduce Herlihy Foods - which is in partnership with Musgrave Retail Partners Ireland. Today Kevin & his brother run the business operating 7 stores, employing over 300 people & aspire to open to a further 3 in the near future.

One innovative idea Kevin discusses is his introduction of a staff housing rental scheme in which staff moving to Cork who were without a home, would rent from Kevin via a letting agency. He began to work with Labrynth Recruitment in Croatia, to encourage employees to come & work in Ireland & who would be guaranteed a home during the course of their work. It's definitely something more businesses could consider to implement & to encourage the Government to assist in the process. As President of the Cork Business Association, it's something Kevin is very passionate about, to ensure business booms in Cork but that good staff are at the helm of these businesses.

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It's not everyday you can say you've created an artwork for a world renowned musician - but our guest Dr. E. Alana James can who was the creator behind the Zappa quilt! An artist & academic at heart, Alana has built a career combining both much to her success. Alana grew up in Colorado in the US in an academic household. However, it was an art teacher in high school who ignited her creativity & inspired Alana to pursue art, from there she continued into college to study fine art.

She always believed she wanted to be a famous, successful artist, yet her first taste of that success made her realise, that fame & being in the public eye was not for her. That fame came when she was introduced to Frank Zappa through a friend during a tour in which one of his stage requests were that of female underwear being thrown on stage to be made into a quilt. It was then Alana knew she was fit for the job & was commissioned after approaching Frank Zappa. The final artwork was Frank portrayed as the King Of Spade, created by the woven underwear of his fans, its popularity amongst fans was immense. Having received letters from fans & being approached on the street, Alana decided fame in the artworld was not for her.

She took a detour from art & went into the world of academia, earning a doctorate in Educational Leadership where she began to work with teens, homeless families, people in violence & drug abuse prevention through art. A move to Cork arose from a holiday in Ireland, when she landed she felt at home & 18 years later, the rest is history.

Since the move she set up her own business Doctoral Net creating webinars for Masters & Doctorate students which are distributed to universities throughout the United States - an innovative way of learning, introduced well before our days of zoom. Yet her love of art is still prominent in her life & she continues to create artwork & exhibit. It's our first insight to the interesting world of fine art & the business behind it all.

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With music comes great power are the wise words of Cork Opera House CEO Eibhlín Gleeson who gives a behind the scenes insight to the intricate, creative world of entertainment programming. The Cork Opera House is an iconic landmark Leeside with over 160 years in operation, Eileen & the creative crew are planning a bigger & better programme to celebrate another milestone.

Eileen comes from a very creative background, coming from a family of musicians & being a musician herself, knew a career in music was a must. She started her creative journey studying music in UCC where during her role in the Students Union she got her first taste of production & music programming when she established the first music week on campus showcasing the talented array of musicians in the university. That early role paved the way for a career in music & entertainment programming.

Her first role in the industry began with the INEC in Killarney working in marketing, the box office & gaining experience into the business of entertainment programming. This led to other succession to working in Edinburgh on the famous Fringe Festival amongst others, directing & programming entertainment from music to comedy & theatre. A return home however led to a role as CEO of the Chamber Choir of Irelandusing valuable lessons from previous roles.

However one of the most exciting stories we hear about Eibhlín's career path was a year spent in Washington DC working at the infamous Kennedy Center on a fellowship programme working with a $200 million budget. One of the highlights of the experience was having the opportunity to bring the Chamber Choir of Ireland to the White where they sang for the Obama's on St.Patrick's Day.

After a year Eibhlín returned to Ireland to use her skills from the US to set up her own company supporting artists. The Opera House happened to be one of her clients &when a job opportunity opened, she took a role as general manager before becoming CEO where she remains today. It's an exciting insight to the entertainment industry, the tough work that goes on behind the scenes to bring an array of entertainment to audiences.

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We get a behind the scenes glimpse into the wedding industry with all it's whistles & bells from the with founder of Wedding Dates Ciara Crossan who for over 15 years, has helped fulfil thousands of people's dream wedding days.

From an early age Ciara knew the corporate world wasn't for her & the ultimate goal was to become her own boss, well that's exactly what she did! After completing a BIS degree in UCC, an Erasmus in Boston & a number jobs in global corporations, Ciara knew the office job wasn't for her. Instead she spent two years travelling the world on the advice from her father that she would earn a masters degree of life.

At 25 years of age, with ambition & determination she set up Wedding Dates, an online platform & software connecting couples, venues & suppliers together to create client's wedding wishes. In the early days Ciara contacted almost every hotel in Ireland getting clients on board, keeping in mind, this was pre-social media days & overtime with success she expanded the business to the UK market.

While the business has been met with challenges due to the complications of Brexit & the complete shut down of the industry of Covid, we hear valuable lessons in how to overcome obstacles in business. While there has been challenges along the way, Ciara has always had a fun spirit to the business carrying out quirky PR stunts where she was awarded for her accolades from running the Cork's Women's Marathon in her mother's wedding dress, to travelling all the way to Finland ina. campervan with friends, covering 7 countries in 7 days to partake in the Wife Carrying competition where Wedding Dates was crowined most entertaining couple. It's a fun, yet interesting insight to the world of weddings & the operations behind all the glamour.

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Franchising & building reputable retail brands the the focus of this week with Paul Gallagher, managing partner for Skechers Ireland retail. Since its introduction to the Irish market in 2010, Paul & his partners have been the driving force behind the brand here.

Paul has an extensive background in retail, kick-starting his career with Drummy's Shoes before becoming sales manager for Lee Cooper Jeans for the West of Ireland & later taking over Lee Jeans for Ireland. Having worked with these international clothing brands & in some cases introducing these big labels to the Irish market, he opened his own store Gasoline in Merchants Quay selling these well loved labels as well as the Gasoline label which was distributed in other stores across the country. With huge success he opened a further two stores in Patrick Street & Mahon Point Shopping Centre.

However, his business was hit with some difficulties, following the recession & with an increase of rent for retail units in Cork City Centre, Gasoline was one of many stores that closed their doors in Cork City. The current retail vacancies, accessibility of the city & options for businesses in the city at the moment & the need to boost the city & revitalise it, is something Paul is passionate about.

In 2016 Paul eventually sold the Gasoline brand to focus on Skechers which has expanding to 24 stores across the island & employs over 300 staff. Part of the ethos of the franchise in Ireland is giving back tot he community, sponsoring charity events, sporting events & teams. Tune in to hear the ins & outs of operating an international franchise & Paul's plans in the pipeline for the brand as well as his own ventures with SHUZ 4 U.

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Tourism branding is the talk of the table today with former CEO of Spike Island John Crotty who today, works with Cork City Council focusing on the economic development of the city alongside the 'We Are Cork' brand that focuses on business in the city with it's ethos to encourage people to live, work, invest, study & visit Cork.

Prior to his role in tourism John worked lived in the UK where he worked in retail under Sainsbury's as Customer Service manager overseeing 14 stores across Wales. But a move back home to Ireland & his love for business & history intertwined when he took on the role as CEO of Spike Island during it's relaunch in 2016.

It's safe to say, building, maintaining & promoting a tourist brand is one of John's forte, which is evident in his time atSpike Island where he spent 6 years launching the Island as a prime tourist attraction in Cork. Through agile marketing, it led to great success over the years, where Spike Island receiving Europe’s Leading Tourist Attraction & Irish finalist two years in a row. Over the years he was part of the team that transformed the island from a museum, to a concert hall, to hosting after dark tours to highlight the island's dark history.

Today he has aspirations to take his love for history & his experience at Spike Island & write a book on it's history. Stay tuned for it's release!

Advance talks with writing a history book on Spike Island.

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The proud new owner of Cork City Football Club joins one of their fans Stephen to talk about taking over the club, as City gear up for kick off in their first game of the season. Dermot Usher, an avid League of Ireland fan, bought the club this year fulfilling his goal to get involved in football.

Dermot's career however started with a number of jobs from a bank to telesales before he stepped into the family business Sonas Bathrooms which he took eventually over with his brother at the age of 23, following his father's passing. Sonas Bathrooms had paved the way as one of Ireland's premium bathroom providers due to their focus on customer experience, providing smart initiatives for both buyers & commercial providers from their home catalogue, to virtual showrooms & online tutorials. Over 30 years the company has seen the challenging times of the 2008 crash & the pandemic but Dermot saw it's turnover grow exponentially from €300,000 in his first year to almost €50 million today. He eventually sold the business but remains on the Board of Directors.

It was during his early retirement he was approached to purchase a number of clubs in the League of Ireland. During his time at Sonas he had sponsored a number of clubs but purchasing a club wasn't on the cards at the time. He eventually bit the bullet & bought Cork City Football Club this year. Although he's a Dub at heart, Dermot has great plans in the pipeline for City & has ambitious aims to build the club to a bigger & better scale as they return to the Premier Division this season. Tune in to hear more.

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We're rolling out the red carpet for this week's guest who you'll definitely recognise from your TV screens as actor, writer & podcaster Hilary Rose joins Stephen to give an insight to entertainment industry, the necessities to pursue an acting career & life behind the big screens.

Hilary's career in the entertainment industry kick started at 17 which saw her DJ'ing in Cork's infamous Sir Henry's, touring across the country & securing slots on radio. This helped fund her acting career on the side, but she eventually left to pursue acting fully.

She started off honing her improvisational skills on The Republic of Telly & hidden camera show The Fear. However it was The Young Offenders which gave her first break with the film & later TV series.

Since the success of The Young Offenders, Hilary landed roles in various TV series & it has opened many avenues in the entertainment industry. She has launched her own brand Live Wild which consists of lifestyle blog & podcast which features many people in the industry.

She provides great insight & knowledge into the world of entertainment, but also the importance of building a self brand as an actor, the characteristics needed to succeed in acting & how networking & self-promotion is vital to be seen.

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The rental market & an insight to the intricacies of insurance are the talking points with HomeHak founder Pat Drinan who founded the business in 2018. HomeHak is an innovative platform designed to connect Letting agents, DIY landlords and homeowners through online profiles when applying for a rental property.

However Pat's career began in the financial services which spanned for over 26 years & gained him the titles as Ireland's first financial lines under writer. During his career he worked across Europe, the US & UK with a number of insurance companies taking on roles at Chubb Insurance, Ace European Group, Royal Sun Alliance Insurance Group. A move back to Cork eventually led to a weekly commute from Cork to London but he ultimately made a decision to leave the insurance industry & in 2016 took on a new research role years with an Ireland based SME, researching ways to improve sustainability through increasing water and crop productivity.

HomeHak was born on the back of the difficulties in the housing market due to the shortage of housing supply & abundance of applications per property. The idea stemmed from his owns son's difficulties in securing adequate accommodation for college. To build the business in a new sector from his former experience, he took the opportunity to build new skills studying Digital Marketing Strategy at MTU. From there he has been building HomeHak with the idea was to connect Letting agents, DIY landlords and homeowners through an online profile where tenants can showcase their credentials for landlords with the aim for both parties to secure long-term tenancies.

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We look into the world of non-profit organisations in this episode with Sanctuary Runners founder Graham Clifford who is also kept busy with Translate Ireland & One Town One Voice where the vision of integration of communities is at its core. His passion for integration, diversity & inclusion stems from his lengthy career in journalism where he spent time working abroad reporting on different cultures & communities.

Graham's career in journalism started unintentionally when he landed himself a job as a reporter for Radio Kerry. A move to Australia saw him covering cultural projects & meeting different communities & cultures. A return to Europe saw him working for the BBC in the UK & freelancing for The Irish Times, The Independent & Radio 1 here in Ireland where he would report from across Europe & Africa. He recounts some of the interesting interviews he conducted over the years.

His journalism career eventually took the back seat so he could pursue his idea of Sanctuary Runners which uses running, jogging & walking to bring together asylum seekers, refugees, migrants and all Irish residents. The idea came following a trip to a refugee camp while working abroad, it was during a marathon he thought to use running as a bridge to build to bring people together. It proved a huge success & led to an expansion across Ireland with over 30 Sanctuary Runners up & running with plans for more in sight.

The success doesn't stop there, the runners have branched out to Sanctuary Swimmers & inspired a creative approach to integration through One Town One Voice national initiative which helps build community singing groups in towns across Ireland with a special emphasis on community integration, diversity and respect. The future is looking good for Graham & we're excited to see the future holds for his many ventures.

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This week is a deep dive into the world of marketing & it’s safe to say Stephen is in his element as he’s joined by Seamus Leahyof Invite Resorts, who has an extensive career in marketing & the hospitality industry. Seamus's colourful career saw him working for an array big companies throughout.

We get an insight to the operations & marketing strategies he’s executed for companies like Dairygold, golf retailer Cutter & Buck Europe as well as Scottish & Newcastle where he was responsible for chains such as Trabolgan, Pontins & Centre Parcs all the while lecturing at UCC. On a more local level Seamus was one of the masterminds behind Christmas at Fota Island Resort, leading a successful marketing campaign & providing the highly anticipated event in Cork. Here he spent 14 years as Director of Marketing at a role that seen him do a rebrand & host an Irish Open amongst other exciting events.

Today he is a cofounder of Invite Resorts with hotels in Killaloe & another in Sligo where he hopes to reignite his love of events. Suffice to say these two could’ve spoken about marketing for hours. There’s huge learning for anyone looking to improve their knowledge on the ins & outs of marketing. 

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Brand design & strategy are on the drawing board of this weeks episode as Stephen is joined by Deirdre Corcoran, founder of Chapter. They dive deep into the important role creativity plays in the corporate world & how it intertwines with marketing, branding & creating a clear vision in conveying the ethos, vision & mission of brands.

While art & creativity is often undervalued, Stephen & Deirdre discuss its necessity & vitality in business & the need for creativity to be appreciated on a wider scale. Deirdre's love of art & design ignited at a young age after a visit to Cork's famous St.Finbarr's Cathedral. It was the architecture, art, sculptors & design of the cathedral that left her fascinated & from there, it inspired her to tap into her creative talents.

Deirdre's original plans was to pursue a career in rowing having spent her school years competing professionally with Ireland with dreams to compete in the Olympics, however an injury in Leaving Cert year meant an early retirement. With her dreams shattered, she decided to study design at MTU which brought a new direction eventually led to a career in design working for likes of The Irish Examiner, The Irish Independent, the RTE guide, & the Supervalu brand.

The idea for Chapter came following the birth of her son, it was a new chapter in her life, becoming a full-time mum & self-employed meant she could juggle both. While it wasn't easy initially, she developed clients over the years helping them understand who they are & to execute their mission & vision through multimedia.

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Get a behind the scenes look into life on & behind the screen with videographer, presenter & founder of the Vidacademy Judie Russell who has worked in the industry in over 10 countries & how businesses can benefit from creating simple yet effective video content.

While on a worldwide trip, it was a move to Hollywood to work with a friend in video production which kick-started her pursuit in videography - which took her back to her hobby as a young girl, shooting on her cam-corder. While job hunting for sometime luck struck when a job in Costa Rica opened up, where Judy presented online videos & produced over 100 minutes of YouTube content weekly from live shows to industry news stories.

After 5 years abroad broadening her skills, Judy returned to Ireland directing, producing, presenting & editing for SKY & familiar Irish TV shows such as “The Fear” & The Young Offenders. In 2015 she decided it was time to start her own company & that's when the Vidacademy was established helping businesses to create their own video content.

From listening to the podcast - you'll realise she never seems to stop with ideas & that's when she co-founded The Story Of - an innovative idea in embedding QR codes in gravestones to tell people’s life stories through pictures and videos. Anyone looking to create online content through video - this is a must!

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Growing up in a family with a renowned business in Cork meant one thing for Andrew Whitaker - it was inevitable he would join the family business of Johnson & Perrott. The family business has been in operation for over 230 years in multiple industries from hatchery, iron works & the motor industry & passed down through generations. Andrew started in the motor side of the business working in sales & spent time in the sister company of Avis which saw him move to Australia to gain a greater insight to the industry.

Coming from a family business led him to take a leap of faith to build his own business & make a difficult decision of leaving Johnson & Perrott. He created Culture Co-Working - a co-working space in Cork’s Marina, but with great success in growth, a new hub opened in the city.

He talks about growing up in an establish family business, the difficulties of leaving it to build his own & the challenges brought by Covid-19 & it’s impact on his business which was starting up at the time. We also hear how he got through those challenging times as well as the great support in the Cork business community in helping others when needed.

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We've a magical episode up our sleeve with magician & mentalist Liam Sheehan who is renowned in Ireland & across the globe for his tricks in the trade. It's not everyday you can say you've entertained Michael Jackson, but Liam can. He is famed for entertaining the king of pop during his stay in Cork which is what propelled his career in the industry of magic where today he performs in Ireland & around the world doing corporate & private events.

But his career in magic didn't start till later in life. He left school having failed his intercert, but despite having no qualifications he started a job in a factory, where he developed skills in sales & business. After years of working in business, he opened Cork's first BMX shop 'Super Bikes BMX'. After 12 years in business, he sold up & retuned to his former employer working back in sales.

But all the while during his business career, he knew he wanted to be an entertainer, something that resonated with him at a young age. On the side, he was learning the tricks of magic from notes from the masters in magic like Houdini & practising at home on fammily. Once he got his first corporate gig, he knew it was time to persevere & pursue magic full time. From there it escalated quickly to working at corporate events, earning a reputation for himself. The rest is history! Liam was kind enough to do some tricks in studio & we were simply amazed visit our Instagram account to see it live!

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Cork sustainable leisurewear OceanR is making waves across the globe creating sustainable products & clothing from ocean waste. The brand founded by Tom Cotter, formerly known as Rashr has been been in the making for 5 years but has grown exponentially on a global basis.

From what started initially as active wear, OceanR has become a sustainable clothing brand ambassador for luxury leisure resorts around the world, most notably for Necker Island, owned by businessman Richard Branson. Tom left school not knowing what he wanted to do while dealing with the loss of his best friend, but he eventually found himself working in water sports as an instructor - something his father had always been active in.

The economic crash of 2008 saw him move to Australia where he worked in a sailing school. There he learned the ins & outs of business through the friendly mentorship of his Aussie workmates. After a number of years, a return to Ireland was inevitable but met with hardships when his mother passed away soon after his return. She was highly supportive of his dreams to set up his business which over the years grew to what it is today.

OceanR is paving the way for sustainability sourcing ocean plastics which are reused as fabric materials, once the clothing has reached an end of life, its returned & the fabric is shredded & reused as stuffing for car seat interiors amongst other things. Ocean R is way ahead of its time when it

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This week on the podcast, Stephen is joined by popular Cork based content creator Shauna Doyle who joins us to give an insightful look into the world of online content creation. Shauna originally got into content creation while working as a makeup artist at MAC Cosmetics at Brown Thomas where she began uploading make-up tutorials. Through this she began to gain a following online and it wasn't long before she took the leap of faith to pursue online content creation full-time. 

But everything wasn't smooth sailing to begin with, as she found herself studying in a course she didn't enjoy. This led her to change direction to pursue something different after getting her degree. As she began to get more in content creation she decided to do a Masters in PR & New Media at Munster Technological University where she learned many of the skills she uses in her content creator role.

Shauna operates solely by herself, working around the clock as her own personal assistant, doing her own PR, marketing & content creation for clients. This episode is a great insight into the hard work behind the scenes of content creators and the growth of influencer marketing.

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A lifelong love of perfume, blended with passion & perseverance paved the way for Nora Irwin to create ARONAin 2017 after following in the footsteps of her cousin who worked in the fragrance industry in the US. This passion for perfume began over 40 years when her cousin would send home bottles of perfume from the US. Amazed by the bottle designs & endless scents, these fragrances had a long lasting impact on Nora who says she developed the skill to name almost any perfume by the scent alone.

But plans for a perfumery were on hold all those years while she ran Irwin's shop with her husband providing electrical goods to people in Youghal for over 40 years & going. Throughout the years, the business has experienced the evolution of technology, seeing the introduction of VCR's to mobile phones & advancements in gaming devices - they continued to keep up with the market & continue to do so today. continued to evolve alongside it, selling the some of the first VCR's, mobile phones & gaming devices at the time. All the while Nora's love for fragrance lingered in the background.

This episode focuses on the importance of following your dreams while gaining lifelong lessons on keeping up with the growing markets & maintaining a steady business.

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Minister for Reform & Public Expenditure Michael McGrath joins us this week to look at his early life growing up in Cork & what eventually led him to take a seat at Dáil Éireann.

Micheal grew up in Passage West & shares fond memories with his family, reminiscing on his working days as a caddy on the golf course alongside his brothers & father. His interest in finance prompted him to study Commerce in UCC, where he qualified as a chartered accountant.

He spoke of his early career at KPMG to his role as financial controller at RedFM from its inception before returning to his alma matter UCC with a role in finance. However, his love of politics had a strong hold on him & he eventually took the leap to become a Cork City Councillor in 2005. With a strong desire & determination to pursue politics even further, he became a TD with Fianna Fáil in 2007.

During his time in the Dáil, he has seen the financial crash, his party lose their power in Government, the unexpected coalition with Fine Gael & The Green Party where he gained his first ministerial role. He discusses how the parties worked together through the pandemic & continue to do so during challenging times of the cost of living crisis. Tune in to hear how he & the party had to rebuild its credibility following the financial crash, how social media trolls can bring challenges for TD's & his hopes to become Minister for Finance in the coming party reshuffle on the 17th December.

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For over 50 years, Tony O'Connell has been capturing people across Cork & beyond through the lens of his camera from creating memories at weddings, to up close & personal portraits of Lord Mayor's & Taoiseach's & even the Royal Family on their visit to Cork in 2011. Tony set up his photography shop on Kyle street in 1972 with his wife, the very same month they married.

Prior to this, he served in the brotherhood with the Franciscans whom he credits for his values in business today, which is 'to look after one another & help people whenever you can'. His business saw two recessions & a brief closure before reopening & relocating to North Main Street. These stumbling blocks failed to stop him & he has huge gratitude for the sense of community amongst businesses in Cork for helping each other through difficult times.

On top of running his business, he has spent over 60 years with Cork City Sports where he started working at from the age of 13 handing out leaflets before becoming Chairman today, fundraising for the event which celebrates its 70th anniversary next year. Now a the age of 76, he has no intentions of slowing down, he continues to photograph businesses & charities helping whenever, while also photographing his love of the Irish landscape.

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If Cork people are known for anything, it's the instant desire to declare 'I'm from Cork' on first meeting someone & secondly to state you how great Cork is. Our guest is no stranger to this, as Stephen is joined by the Head of Visit Cork Seamus Heaney who has over 30 years experience in the hospitality industry.

He oversees both leisure & business tourism for Visit Cork, where he has been promoting the city & county in all its glory since 2016. He first began training in hospitality sector at locations around the country before settling back home where he worked as a hotel manager for over 20 years.

In 2000 he set up a catering company providing for greyhound stadia across the country & in 2007 set up Cork Convention Bureau. He has no desire to leave the tourism industry & continues to strive to put Cork on the international map as a prime attraction for business or pleasure...or both!

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Sales management, skills training, the importance of customer engagement & writing are the focal point of this weeks episode with founder of Golden Apple Training & author Eleanor O'Kelly-Lynch. A career in sales was never on Eleanor's agenda, initially teaching & writing were her goals.

Eleanor began teaching at the RTC in skills training (now MTU) but her passion for radio led her to taking on a role in marketing & customer service at the pirate radio station ERI seeing the station evolve into Radio South before becoming what we now it as today - 96FM. During her time in radio Eleanor was responsible for maintaining strong connections with customers, creating campaigns, promotions & competitions, ultimately intertwining the station & customers with the listeners.

Her career changed as her passion for teaching & writing inevitably resurfaced which led her to establish Gold Apple Training where she trains customer service to stations across Ireland. On the side, she finally got to write & publish her first book 'The Girl With Special Knees' which she is proudly launching this week. You can buy 'The Girl With Special Knees' online & in select bookstores.

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We're back with a brand new series & to kick start the series we're joined with the CEO of The Kilkenny Group Evelyn Moynihan. The Kilkenny Group in over 50 years in operation, it has become an emporium for the finest of Irish craft and design building a strong ethos in supporting local Irish artists, craftspeople, jewellers & designers.

Evelyn took over as CEO of the company in 2021 after holding executive roles in the marketing & branding department. She has an extensive background in business from 15 years in Musgrave Group and roles for Guinness with Diageo. We get an insight into understanding the customer pshyche, the importance of developing strong customer communication & building brands over time.

Hear how The Kilkenny Group managed to build it's expand during the recession & persevere through telesales & e-commerce during the pandemic as well future plans for global expansion in the US & UK. It's not one to be missed!

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With the Irish Podcast Awards coming up, which we're nominated for the Bullseye Award, we thought to bring you a special throwback episode to share some of the useful tips from our guests. As you know, Stephen finishes each episode with two questions for our guests on building a brand. The first is what tip would they give to a business & the second is what tip they would give to an individual. So tune in to hear some of the wise words!

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With the Irish Podcast Awards coming up, which we're nominated for the Bullseye Award, we thought to bring you a special throwback episode to share some of the useful tips from our guests. As you know, Stephen finishes each episode with two questions for our guests on building a brand. The first is what tip would they give to a business & the second is what tip they would give to an individual. So tune in to hear some of the wise words!

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It's the season finale of the 24 Stories Podcast & there's no better way to celebrate episode 24, than to bring you something special! The tables have turned & Stephen is in the questioning chair with producer behind the scenes Elaine asking the questions on what exactly inspired him to start the podcast to highlight the success of local Cork businesses & get an inside scoop to their careers & how they built their brands. We reflect on what stories on stories that resonated with us & what we have learned from our guests. A special thank you to all our guests, for coming on to to the show, for telling the backgrounds stories & the career highs & lows & how persistence is the key to success. To our listeners - we hope you've enjoyed season 1 as much as we did making it, we have some special episodes coming soon & we will be back for season 2. Stay tuned!

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Problem solving, team building & creating a proactive business are the topics of this week as Stephen is joined by occupational psychologist Martin Brennan of Proactive Management. Martin has over 40 years experience in HR & training and started his business in 1987 & from the get go targeted big global corporations from Pepsi Cola, to Telus & Pfizer.

He has developed, delivered & validated training interventions for national & international clients, in areas such as Management Development, Coaching, Personal Development, Team building, Training and Change Management.

Coming from a family of 14, he took great inspiration from his mother, who in her own right became CEO of the family following the passing of his father at a young age. Martin credits his mother for instilling the skills in him today, which he uses everyday in his own business & that's team management, understanding different dynamics of individuals of the team & coming together in conflict resolution.

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We have our youngest entrepreneur on this show this week. At just 17 years old Emma Coffey was inspired to start her very own atleisure brand Final Bend.

The idea came from her love of athletics where she was a successful pole vaulter, however an injury led to early retirement, but allowed her to pursue Final Bend while keeping a connection to the athletics community. Keeping in mind, this was while she was still in school! What started off as a side project has grown from strength to strength & it's safe to say, it's all down to Emma's drive & hard work.

She never gave up on on her dreams & continued to build the brand, while maintaining part-time jobs & attending college. It was during the pandemic when she was out of work that she really gave Final Bend her all. Now at 21 now, she works full time for Final Bend & has many plans in the pipeline for the future. We can't wait to see what's in store!

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The mastermind behind the secret recipe of one of Cork's most infamous spiced beefs Tom Durcan joins us this week. From trading as a butcher as a young boy to setting up shop at Cork's English Market where he has had over 40 years in business.

Tom Durcan Meats has built it's brand on the success of it's product & what Tom says is down to doing the right thing & not cutting corners. Tom's meats have reached the shelves of shops on a national level, the plates of many restaurants & the doorsteps of homes across the world from Italy to even Hong Kong. But how did he reach such highs & what does the future hold for his business? Tune in to find out!

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Crowley's Opticians has a long & rich history in Cork where it's called 26 Grand Parade home for over 100 years. Conor Crowley & Paul McSherry join Stephen today to talk about the success of this homegrown business. The store was originally called Rundel's where Conor's father had worked before taking over in 1970 & changing the name Crowley's which we know & love today.

Conor is a skilled optometrist & in the early days of the trade he would hand craft glasses for client's in the workshop with very limited designs available. Today the advancement technology has created a huge expansion in the business with science advancements in lenses & more fashionable frame designs.

Crowley's success, legacy & brand is very important to Conor & he has brought in a huge team to ensure the ethos of the business remains after his retirement & that's where Paul & the rest of the team have come in to ensure this. Crowley's has even branch outside of Cork with a new store in Newbridge with a plan to fly the Crowley flag (with Cork colours) high above stores across Ireland.

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Ever thought about a career change but couldn't follow through? Maybe you're seeking a promotion but don't have the courage to go for it! Well this week's guest Julie McCall is the woman for you. Julie is the founder of Alive Coaching, a positive psychology coach & trainer with years of experience in the business world helping CEO's, managers & employees overcome obstacles in their careers & helping them be "the best they can be".

Ever heard of walking coaching sessions or meetings? Well Bill Gates is famous for coming up with his best ideas while walking & Julie has incorporated this method into her coaching - yes that's right, walking coaching sessions to keep the body & mind active & engaged. Every client is different, but she uses proven coaching techniques & models to the needs and requirements of each individual to help them achieve their goals.  

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It's all about branding & promotion this week with Michelle Johnson of ASA Brands, a family inherited business for almost 40 years. Growing up, Michelle was surrounded by marketing & branding when her father worked in marketing for Ford for 20 years before setting up ASA Brands with his wife Judith in 1984 helping clients promote their business through brand engagement with Ford being one of their clients.

Today Michelle & her sister Caroline are at the helms continuing the business ethos, exploring new avenues with innovative ideas to get brands recognised & connected to their employers & consumers. 24 Stories is all about how businesses build their brands, so tune in on how ASA Brands was but how it helps other brands do the same.

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From starting a career as a bricklayer at 16, to eventually building a gym & well known brand, Luke Dennehy founded Dennehy's Fitness & Health with his father in the early days of the recession - probably one of the most difficult times to even consider starting a business. But the brave moved proved to be successful, as they have branched to over 4 locations cross Cork.

But his time in business has come with great challenges along the way, especially when his busiest gym in Douglas Village was victim to the devastating fire in 2019 & just before the big re-open Dennehy's was hit yet again with the closure due to the pandemic. However as Luke puts it - "if you don't have obstacles you're not progressing" & that mentality has worked i his favour with the opening of 4th gym in the newly developed Penrose Wharf, could there be a 5th gym in the future? Tune in to find out!

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It's a colourful episode as we're joined by well known local commercial designer & digital illustrator Jason O'Gorman who has over 25 years of experience in graphic & motion design. Over the span of his career he has seen the evolution of design from the early days of printing to the new digital era.

He founded Dynamite Studio in 2013 & with big brands both nationally and internationally. His passion is creating captivating visual communications that inspire, engage and positively impact people. Aside from working with clients, he expresses his won designs under JOG Cork where creates witty illustrations for the craic with Cork at the forefront of his pieces blending the culture, slang, landmarks & landscapes with quirky pop culture characters. Tune in to hear how he balances between clients & his own creative artwork.

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When it comes to forecasting your business Noella Carroll has the answers and this week we look into the world of SME's, how they can plan, forecast, finance and grow your business.

After 25 years working in finance for multi national organisations such as Logitech, Gilead & EMC Noella returned to the SME sector in 2019 when she founded Pinnaklo with an aim to help businesses succeed with their growth. Pinnaklo is designed around the concept that people need to be the pinnacle of the organisation, they need to be cared for, motivated and looked after.

Noella inherited an entrepreneurial mindset from her parents. Her mother opened a hairdressers in Bandon in the 60's while her father was a grocer in Millstreet who introduced the first whipped ice-cream machine to the town! Unfortunately after her father's passing, her family moved to Cork city where her mother continued the family business ways and opened a shop serving the local community. So taking care of business is instilled in Noella.

On top of running her own business, she is also a proud member of Cork Chamber and Network Cork and lends her knowledge as a business mentor with LEO Cork City. There's great learning for this episode, no matter where you are in your business, Noella has a tip or two!

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We are delighted to have President of Cork Chamber and CEO of Cognate Health Paula Cogan looks back on her long established career in business from starting off in the hospitality & tourism industry to eventually transferring into the health sector. 

Paula worked on well known tourism projects with the Cork County Council before beginning a lengthy career in hotel hospitality which led to a senior executive role at The Doyle Collection Group as Director of Sales and Marketing for their Irish and international chain of hotel from her time at Jury’s hotel in Cork and what it was like to reopen it as The River Lee hotel.

After over 20 years in hospitality she made the move to the health sector as CEO of Cognate Health which is a leader in Occupational Health Physicians providing services to businesses across the country. Paula gives an insight to life at Cork Chamber over a tough two years for business and her hope to resume face to face networking in 2022. This episode is a great insight to building a brand, maintaining a presence & being innovative in challenging times.

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We're kicking off the new year with a long time friend, local legend, DJ, radio presenter, music promoter, journalist, youth worker & businessman Stevie G. The list goes on! Stephen & Stevie's friendship goes way back to the early days of the infamous Sir Henry's where Stevie became a household DJ at the legendary venue bringing Hip Hop, RnB & Soul to the clubs of Cork & all over the country.

He has been a sole trader since day one bringing his passion for music to the forefront in everything he does. He's pursued many avenues from writing his own music column for the Evening Echo and he was regular contributor to the U.K.'s Blues and Soul, the longest running black music magazine in the world.

On top of that he presents Black on Red at Cork's RedFM which celebrates it's 20th birthday this year! Stevie has brought many big names to Cork over the years from Kanye West & 50 Cent & has opened for Hip Hop royalty such as Jay-Z & Destiny's Child. If that wasn't enough he hosts gigs for younger generations & is working on many youth projects in Cork through music & podcasting. We could go on, but tune in now!

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Cork City FC legend John Caulfield joins Stephen this week sharing amazing stories from the pitch. He's had huge success both as a player & manager for Cork City FC & was part of the team that won the 1992–93 Premier Division, the 1997–98 FAI Cup, three League of Ireland Cups and eleven Munster Senior Cups. Not to forget he holds a club record for the most appearances with 455 under his belt.

On top of that he shares a goal record of 129 with Pat Morley. Following his retirement from the pitch he eventually became manager of his beloved Cork City & led the team to victory in the Presidents Cup & FAI Cup. After 6 years he left his duties & made a move to Galway United where he remains today.

He has many stories from his time on the pitch which he reflects on in his new book 'Rebel Heart'. Tune in now to get a glimpse into his glory days at the Cross.

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You know it's Christmas in Ireland when you turn on your radio & there it is...Christmas FM - one of Ireland's most loved radio stations that makes the airwaves once every year. Since it first aired in 2008, it has gained millions of listeners both here in Ireland & with the Irish diaspora tuning in from abroad. Not to forget the millions of euro raised for charity. Stephen sat down with founder Walter Hegarty during one of the 24 Story conferences to see how it all began. Tune into this special bitesize episode!

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The week we take to the stage with Trevor Ryan of the Montfort College of Performing Arts, who has almost 40 years on stage. Oh no he doesnt! Oh yes he does! Trevor’s love for the arts began at 12 years of age when he joined the Montfort College of Performing Arts.

But his career path took a different turn when he began working in a bank before making a new change taking on a role at Shandon Travel introducing new J1 adventures for students across Ireland. However, his love for theatre always remained which made him a regular on the Panto stage. This love for acting eventually led him to become the resident co-writer and director of the Cork Opera House Panto.

Around 10 years ago Trevor’s career took a full 360 when he went back to his roots and became a partner and joint artistic director of the Montforts alongside Eileen Nolan who established the business in 1962. This is a fascinating story of how a childhood dream merged with a successful business career to help bring the Montforts from a school with 400 students to 1800 students.

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Public Relations is all about your message, your audience & the channels. Who are the people you need to speak to & where would you like to see it appear? That's the daily task of this week's guest Ann-Marie O'Sullivan who has been working in PR for over 30 years.

Ann-Marie founded AM O'Sullivan PR after taking over the reins of her father's former PR company. Ann-Marie & her team specialise in strategic communications with a particular focus on crisis and issue management which saw her lead the communications campaign for major events that made both national & international headlines.

If you're starting a business, or already have a business, there's a great deal of learning from Ann-Marie in how to protect your brand

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We're onto a new chapter this week. With almost 40 years in business, we take a deep dive into the world of print, design & publishing with Frank Kelly of Lettertec. There's no doubt the art of printing has evolved over the decades, but Frank is a master of the trade.

He's seen the changes & challenges from the introduction of computers, kindles & digital printing but he has always adapted & remained innovative. He set up shop in Carrigtwohill in 1983 & has gone on to became one of Ireland's leading design & print specialists with publications in the education & medical sectors.

But it doesn't stop there, he eventually set up his own publishing services 'Self Publish Books' for authors & poets, publishing hundreds of books a year building up quite a library for himself. Tune into an interesting & insightful & story from a long standing, local business.

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There's a saying "every piece of jewellery tells a story" & this week we tell the story of of one of Cork's finest jewellers with Audrey Lehane from Azure Jewellery. Audrey discovered a passion for the art of jewellery design while working in the fashion capital of the world in Paris, during which time she was working for Beamish.

It was here she developed great connections with French jewellers & decided to build a hobby into a business. She set up Azure Jewellery in 2014 designing & making exquisite jewellery, bridal jewellery and bridal hair accessories, all of which are handcrafted in their studio in the heart of Cork City.

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Calling all coffee connoisseurs this week as Rob Horgan founder of Velo Coffee joins Stephen in studio. It's a perfect blend of discovering his first ventures with cafe Velo, to branding out and building Velo coffee roasters after just two years. This lead him to brew some of Cork's favourite coffees.

But his daily grind doesn't stop there, Velo Coffee Roasters has reached the shelves of global grocery stores such as ALDI and the Velo website sees deliveries to homes worldwide. So sit back, pour yourself a coffee and hear how Rob did it all!

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Gain an insight on how to research your market well, form a plan, take action and ultimately grow your business in this week's episode! We dive deep into the world of market research with Colette Quinn of Real Insights, looking at the role it plays in driving growth within a business.

Colette has over 20 years experience at home & abroad as a market researcher working with global brands, such as Coca Cola, Unilever and Gillette. She has managed big research projects as Market Research Manager with Vodafone Ireland, Head of Consumer Insight at Musgrave Retail Partners Ireland Ltd and with companies of all sizes since setting up her own agency Real Insights in 2004.

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Sports strategist Maeve Buckley joins Stephen in studio where they dive deep into her role in the world of sport having worked on major sporting events such as the Ryder Cup as all as some of the biggest sporting organisations across the globe from Barcelona to Real Madrid, FIFA to UEFA and the FAI to name a few.

Her career has seen many highs, from the time she orchestrated Cristiano Ronaldo's first ever game with Real Madrid against Shamrock Rovers in Tallaght Stadium with tickets selling out within a minute. Her continued success led to her to start her company Leading Sport that specialises in sports strategy, sponsorship and events consultancy where she still works with leading names in sports and events.

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It's another special bitesize episode for you this week and a throwback from the second 24 Stories conference in September 2019. In this episode Stephen speaks to CEO & Co-Founder of Gym+Coffee Niall Horgan on building Ireland's largest and most recognisable athleisure brand. The brand started in 2017 as a small community but has since expanded to a global scale reaching the shores of America, Australia & beyond. Tune in to hear the Gym+Coffee story began.

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We have a special bitesize episode for you this week and a throwback from a 24 Stories conference in September 2019. To kickstart the very first Throwback Story: Stories From The Conference we have Lesley Giltinan: founder of Lean with Lesley who is an expert in health, fitness and wellbeing. Even better, Lesley has a passion to share her knowledge and experience of over 20 years. She was ahead of her time when it came to online workout class when in September 2018 Lesley launched the LeanWithLesley App which allows people everywhere to train through the unique LWL training method. She has continued success with her team of coaches who work with over 500 people at her Lean With Lesley classes in Cork City every week. Tune in now to hear how she grown her tribe

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We have a very colourful show this week with honorary Corkonian Stephen Jiang who from the age of 14 moved here from China on his own, without a word of English might we add! His story is as vibrant as his business Fervor + Hue - a quirky & colourful interior design brand.

From day one he was a hardworking teenager balancing school, learning a new language & working throughout school & college all the while his family were back home in China. He fell in love with Cork, and in love with a Cork woman (who is now his wife) so he was cushioned comfortably in the city.

After years of hard work in multiple businesses, he realised it was time to set up shop & that's when Fervor & Hue was born from passion & colour. He tells Stephen how he built his brand from one shop, to expanding up to 80 retailers all the while connecting his roots in China & Cork. This episode is not to be missed!

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Things are getting a bit cooler this week with Bill Cremin, founder of Cool Running Events, who specialises in pop up events - some on the level of extreme & others on the verge of terrifying! Bill - a self confessed fan of adrenaline sports & extreme events talks to Stephen about how he built the brand that expands from Cork on Ice to his ties with The Nightmare Realm & we get a glimpse into his new plans on the horizon to create Ireland's longest zip-line.

But the business & brand has had some obstacles along the way, with soaring insurance rates, Bill says the future of Irish activities & tourism is at stake & some businesses will take a final blow if issues are not solved now!

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The 24 Stories Podcast is a new tribe for storytellers in Cork. A community founded by Stephen Ryan; a well known marketer in Cork whose aim is to bring marketing professionals, students, graduates & businesses together to learn more and be inspired. We have a special lineup of entrepreneurs from small to big businesses who are here to tell their inside stories of how they built their brands.

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