Down To Business

Joining Bobby in the Executive Chair this week is Peter Jelkeby, Country CEO and Chief Sustainability Officer with IKEA Ireland and UK.

Tim Grover, CEO of Attack Athletics has had the unique privilege of calling the likes of sporting superstars such as Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant as his former clients. He is a towering authority on the science of physical & mental strength - he joins Bobby to discuss.

According to recent figures, Ireland is among the countries with the highest internet use in the world, amounting to over six hours every day per person.If you couple that with the fact that the rate of shortsightedness is estimated to rise by 50% by 2050, our eye health has never been more important.With this in mind, Bobby wanted to speak to some people in the business of eye care to get a sense of things.Joining Bobby is:Liz Grennan, Clinical optometrist with Optilase and Member the Council of Optometry IrelandStephen Olwell, Optometrist and Director of Stephen Olwell Opticians in LongfordMike Wyley, MD of Dixon Hempenstall on Suffolk Street here in Dublin

Joining Bobby to discuss the decreasing number of EV car sales in Ireland is Philip Nolan, motoring correspondent with the Irish Daily Mail.

Are you a board member of a company and thought about how psychology impacts your decision-making? Social and organizational psychologist, Dr. Wieke Scholten, believes we don't pay enough attention to this aspect of our professional lives - she joins Bobby to discuss.

Bobby is joined by broadcaster, Norah Casey & Ciarán Hancock, Business Editor with the Irish Time to look at the business stories from the morning papers.

Sitting in the Executive Chair this week is Kim Swan, Managing Director of Aircoach.

For this week’s Industry Review, get your green thumb ready, we’re looking at garden centres in Ireland. Bobby is joined by Rachel Doyle, Founder of the Arboretum, Oliver Schurmann, Co-Owner of Mount Venus Nursery and Tig Mays, Co-Owner of Howbert & Mays.

Bobby is joined by Steve Hearsum, author of No Silver Bullet: Bursting the Bubble of the Organisational Quick Fix to discuss the difficulties you can have in business management.

With the advent of hybrid working, it’s important to look at the commercial property sector to see if it is still worth investing in. Bobby is joined by Colm Lauder, real estate capital markets advisor, Principal at Lingard Capital Advisers and columnist with the Business Post to discuss.

For this week’s Out & About, Bobby is down for the Cáis Irish Cheese Awards talking to both Siobhán Ni Ghairbith, Treasurer of Cáis and owner of St Tola Goat Cheese and judge and cheese writer Patrick McGuigan.

Bobby is joined by Louisa Meehan of Woodview HRM and Stephen O’Leary, founder of Olytico to look at the business stories that are making the morning papers.

Sitting in the Executive Chair to talk to Bobby this week is Frank Walsh, Founder of 123ink.ie and 123ink.se.

Bobby talks to Fiona Harold, life coach, business mentor and author of multiple books such as ‘Be Your Own Life Coach’ about her life and career.

For this week’s Industry Review, get your sweet tooth ready, because we’re looking at the world of chocolate around Easter. Bobby is joined by Karen and Natalie Keane, sisters and founders of Bean and Goose, Gráinne Mullins, founder of Grá Chocolates and Mary Healy, Director & Co-Owner of The Chocolate Garden.

This guest has written an article that compares running an SME in the countryside to being a contestant on Squid Game, where they struggle to survive. Are things really that dire for businesses in rural Ireland? And what can be done to help? Stuart Fitzgerald, CEO of Fitzgerald Power and Strategy Columnist for The Currency, joins Bobby.

This week, Bobby visits Naoise Barry and his company, Seaweed and Saltwater: a camper rental and camper sales business. He checks out a converted camper Tesla!

Bobby is joined by Rebecca Harrison, MD of Fishers of Newmounttownkennedy and Declan Ralph, Retail Development Director of BWG Foods to look at the business stories that are making the morning papers.

Bobby is joined by Marine Tanguy to discuss her new book ‘The Visual Detox: How to Consume Media Without Letting it Consume You’'. Together they discuss how the imagery we see every day shapes our wellbeing and how to combat information overload.

Joining Bobby in the Executive Chair is Billy Hann, CEO of Dublin Bus.

For this week’s industry review, Bobby speaks to three people in the honey business to find out what it’s like for beekeepers up and down the country.They are: Emma Finn of ‘Bees on the Roof’; Eoghan Mac Giolla Coda of ‘Lannleire Honey’; and Pat McCormack of ‘Farmhouse Bees and Trees’.

The UK is talking about banning Zero-hours contracts but is this bad economics? Bobby is joined UK Economics Editor, David Smith to discuss.

We are a nation of tea & coffee drinkers and usually, that means the hot kind. But cold brew coffee is also incredibly popular elsewhere in the world, so why not here in Ireland? Dee Schronder & her husband Jeff are the founders of Goodbrew, a company that specialises in cold brew coffee - they join Bobby to discuss.

A recent survey commissioned by Peopl Insurance, showed considerable interest in the idea of pay-as-you-go car insurance cover - but is this the right way to go for insurance and how would it work in reality? Geraldine Herbert Motoring Editor with the Sunday Independent joins Bobby to discuss.

Cameron Herold is a business consultant, top-selling author, and speaker who is going to be in Dublin for the Wealth Summit on May 15th - he took some time to chat with Bobby about his writing, his business career, and some of the lessons he learned along the way.

Sitting in the Executive Chair this week is Catherine Toolan, the Managing Director of Diageo Irish Brand Homes.

Bobby is joined by Sophie Williams, author of ‘The Glass Cliff’ to discuss the phenomenon and the leadership roles women have in business.

This week’s industry review is taking a look at DJ’ing in Ireland. Bobby is joined by 3 DJ’s, Mark McCabe, Aoife Nic Canna and Robbie Kitt.

A survey this week is suggesting that 59% of those surveyed indicated that they were willing to forego pay rises for flexibility. To discuss this, Bobby is joined by Chris Kane, author of ‘Where’s my Office?’ and Rossa Mullaly of Sigmar Recruitment.

This week Bobby is talking to the Co-Founding Director of the Winding Stair, Elaine Murphy in the bookshop / restaurant in the heart of Dublin city.

Bobby is joined by Rebecca Harrison, the managing director of Fishers of Newtownmountkennedy and Doug Keatinge, Head of Communications at Avolon to look at the business stories that are making the morning papers.

No Crows are a dynamic world music orchestra from Sligo's diverse music scene, formed in 2005 via a casual session in Sligo’s famous ‘Shoot the Crows’. Eddie Lee & Steve Wickham joined Bobby to chat and to play us out of what was a fantastic first edition to the new roadshow series ‘Open for Business’.

Joining Bobby in the Executive Chair is Richard Kennedy, CEO of Carbon AMS.With thanks to Eversheds Sutherland – Ireland’s largest and most established global law firm.

Bobby is joined by TD Dara Calleary, Minister of State for Trade Promotion, Digital and Company Regulation to discuss the Family and Care referendums, the general health of business in Enniscone, and more.

On the face of it, a seaweed bath is nothing more than a tub filled with hot seawater and seaweed, but to leave its description at that would be to do it a grave disservice as thousands of people consider it to be the ultimate bathing experience. Bobby went out & about to Kilcullen’s Seaweed Baths to find out for himself.

Easkey Britton began surfing at the age of four up in Rossnowlagh in Donegal, now holds a PhD and is passionate about women’s rights. Her new book ‘Ebb & Flow: Connect with the Patterns and Power of Water’ discusses how water has the power to heal, inspire, and offer meaning to us. She joins Bobby to discuss.

Bobby chats to some people living and working in the Enniscrone area to get a sense of how they and their businesses are faring.They are:Beatrice Timlin, Facility Convenor of Enniscrone Golf ClubJohn Shiel, Chair of Enniscrone Golf ClubMaeve McCormack, co-ordinator of Sligo Women in Business Network Niall McAllister, co-founder of Quick Crop Louise McDonnell, founder of SellOnSocial.Media Agency & host of the ‘Social Media Take Away’ podcast

David McGowan burst into our national consciousness with his plans to turn a jumbo jet into a glamping attraction back in 2016. Since then, we have seen him talking about his ‘day job’ in an RTÉ documentary on his funeral business - he joins Bobby for a catch-up.

Broadcasting out of Enniscrone Golf Club as a part of our new roadshow series ‘Open for Business’, Bobby is joined by Dr. Edel McSharry, Head of the School of Nursing, Health Sciences and Disability Studies at ATU St Angelas & Paul Deering, executive editor of the Sligo Champion to look at the business stories that are making the morning papers.

One of the aspects of the ‘Open for Business’ roadshow is that Bobby will be looking at the life and relative well-being of a town by examining the way the town functions from a business, planning, and retail perspective. Planning expert, Conor Skehan & Retail Consultant Eddie Shanahan join Bobby to take a look at what’s working for the town and what, if anything, can be improved.

The Down to Business crew will be in Enniscrone in Sligo next Saturday, March 9th for their new roadshow ‘Open for Business’. As part of each of these shows a dedicated 'Town Health Check' team will accompany Bobby to assess what’s working and what isn’t. Conor Skehan, planning expert & retail consultant, Eddie Shanahan join Bobby to discuss.

Joining Bobby in the Executive Chair is Jeffrey Long, MD of Java Republic.

With rising costs, supply chain delays, a spiders-web of red tape, and the ever-growing push to move to green energy, the haulage and freight industry has a lot to deal with at the moment.So for this week’s Industry Review, Bobby wanted to gauge just how the sector is juggling all of this.Joining Bobby is:James Quinn of James Quinn TransportEugene Drennon, former president of The Irish Road Haulage AssociationPaul Toner, Managing Director of Toner Transport & Logistics Aidan Flynn, CEO of the Freight Transport Association of Ireland

'Real to Reel: Garech Browne & Claddagh Records' by James Morrissey is a new large-format hardback book together with a vinyl box set that celebrates the life of Guinness heir Garech Browne and his quest to preserve Ireland’s musical and spoken-word heritage with Claddagh Records. James joins Bobby to discuss.

'The Smooth Company' was founded by Aine Kennedy after she spent eight years working in the beauty industry. Bobby took a trip out to Grafton Street to chat with her and her grandfather, Billy Kennedy about the success of the 'Smooth Stick', a specially formulated premium hair styling finishing wand designed to help keep all baby and broken hairs in place all day long.

Bobby is joined by Caroline Reidy of the HR Suite & Lorcan Allen, Business Editor for the Business Post to look at the business stories that are making the morning papers.

Joining Bobby in the Executive Chair is Peter Lantry, the Managing Director of Equinix - Ireland’s largest supplier of data centres.

With rapidly advancing technology - the conversation rarely lands on industries that largely rely on working with your hands? Bobby talks to Kyran O’Grady of Wicklow Thatching Services, Isaac Jackman, Owner of ‘Isaac Jackman Shoe Repairs’ and Colm Bagnall, co-owner of Bushy Park Ironworks to discuss how they’re faring.

Bobby goes to the Hospitality Expo in the RDS and talks to Neven Maguire as well as other hospitality people about the state of the sector today.

Bobby talks to economist Dan O’Brien about how Irish people are some of the most indebted in the world.