Down To Business

According to the latest reports, 86% of community managers from 508 different companies said that community was critical to their company’s mission and future. But what are these virtual communities, and what will the impact be on businesses that fail to grow their own actually be? Amber Atherton is a British entrepreneur who is currently the Head of Strategic Communities at Discord & author of ‘The Rise of Virtual Communities: In Conversation with Virtual World Pioneers’ and she spoke to Bobby on the show.

While Ireland has developed into an international tech hub in recent years, we still have our fair share of artisans and craftspeople, plying their trade and honing their skills with tangible pieces of glass, ceramic, and wood. For this week’s Industry Review Bobby spoke to three people who embody that spirit, Tony Hayes, glassmaker & co-owner of The Irish Handmade Glass Company, Rosemarie Durr of Rosemarie Durr Pottery in Castlecomer, Kilkenny & Thomas O’Loughlin MD of The Wood Factory

Bobby spoke to Tom Dolan about his attempt to break the record for sailing around Ireland.

In the Executive Chair this week is CEO of Azets Ireland, Neil Hughes.

In the executive chair this week is Andy Cronin, CEO of Avolon.

Should managers have a creative side, and what can they learn from the likes of Pixar, LEGO, Disney and Friends? Bobby is joined by Adam Kingl, the author of Sparkling Success.

Bobby puts his cup of tea aside to talk coffee with Declan Kinsella of Creed Coffee Roasters in Cellbridge, Peter Sztal of Cloud Picker and Ruslan Mocharskyy from The Art of Coffee.

Bobby learns about the domestic Irish tourist market from Paul Kelly Failte Ireland CEO, and Dick Ridge of Pod Umna Glamping Village.

Chef John Relihan joins Bobby today to dispel your fears about cooking on an open-fire as BBQ season is just around the corner!

Trish Long, Vice President and General Manager of The Walk Disney Company Ltd, Ireland joins Bobby to discuss how the Make-A-Wish charity has changed many children's lives.

Joining Bobby to recap the biggest business stories of the day is Samantha McCaughern the Business Editor of the Sunday Independent, and Stephen O'Leary, the founder of Olytico.

Joining Bobby to recap the biggest business stories of the day is Linda Daly, Business Report with the Sunday Times & Bob Hoffman of Vista Executive Search.

The news of a budget surplus this week was greeted with much hope and enthusiasm about where we could deploy this money. To help Bobby make sense of what this means for the economy and where best to use this surplus is finance lecturer and economics columnist with the Sunday Times, Cormac Lucey.

Joining Bobby in the Executive Chair is Collette Gleeson, Managing Director at Comfort Keepers Ireland

For this week's Industry Review, Bobby was joined by a panel of experts to discuss how the interior design sector is faring is: - Jo Linehan, Sustainability Journalist, consultant & founder Gaff Interiors - Eva Byrne, Architect who specialises in House Consultations - Monica Daly of Lighthouse Interiors

Solitaire Townsend is the co-founder and chief solutionist of 'Futerra', who just won sustainability agency of 2023 from EDIE last week and she is also the author of a new business book called 'The Solutionists: How Businesses Can Fix the Future' - a handbook to becoming the type of business leader the world needs. She joins Bobby to discuss.

This week Bobby headed to County Clare's Milk Vending Machine, operated by Moo'ghna Milk, a business co-owned by John Vaughan and his wife.

If you have attended performances from the likes of Tommy Tiernan, Dave Chappelle, or Bob Dylan you will be familiar with 'Yondr', a US-based technology firm specializing in creating phone-free experiences. Sarah Leader joins Bobby to explain a little more about the company,

This week in the executive chair Bobby was joined by Paul McCann, CEO of Ergo.

Now this weeks saw the announcement of the 24 finalists in this year’s EY Entrepreneur of the Year Awards. This show has a long association with the programme, to talk about the awards Bobby was delighted to be joined by: · Louella Morton, Co-Founder & Co-CEO at TestReach · David Beggs of Pure Pharmacy · Roger Wallace, Partner Lead for the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™ programme

Now they are everywhere you go, staring at you everywhere you look. Adverts, and the mystical world of advertising has been fascinating, enthralling and sometimes even enraging audiences since the 16th century but just what goes into making a truly great ad? To answer that and so much more Bobby was joined by 3 of the industry’s brightest minds: · Charley Stoney, Chief Executive of IAPI(Institute of advertising practitioners in Ireland) · Vaunnie McDermott, Managing Director of Connelly Partners Dublin · Fiona Field, Managing Director of OMD Ireland

Revolut has listened to its users and upgraded its app to allow people to open joint accounts. This is just one of many new developments the online bank has introduced over the last few months joining Bobby to give his opinion was Charlie Weston, Irish Independent Personal Finance Editor.

For this week's out and about Bobby visited the Saint Tola Goat's Cheese Farm in Clare.

Joining Bobby to recap the biggest business stories of the day was: Gina London, CEO of Language of Leadership and Ciaran Hancock, Business Editor of the Irish Times.

In this week's report, Bobby visits a luxury handbag store with a twist. Paddy Coughlan of Designer Exchange on Exchequer St shows bobby around and explains the value of investing in pre-owned designer handbags.

This week Bobby was joined in the executive chair by Dermot Usher, the former CEO of SONAS Bathrooms and now owner of Cork City FC.

Tech journalist Andy O'Donoghue fills me in on the industry of space tourism, and how it's a good story for Ireland.

While you might not recognise James Burstall but you would have been glued to some of the big TV shows his production company has produced. From The Masked Singer to Wurzel Gummidge, his company Argonon productions has been behind them all. He is also a writer and a thinker. His latest book, The Flexible Method: Prepare To Prosper In The Next Global Crisis, draws on our experience of living through the pandemic and offers companies suggestions on how to prepare for the next big shock

Mentalist Keith Barry chats to Bobby about the power of suggestion and the subconscious when it comes to business.

Joan and Lorcan join bobby to discuss the biggest business stories to hit the headlines this weekend.

Now many of us are guilty of having a sweet tooth, so many in fact that the global chocolate market is valued at over $100 billion. Joining Bobby to discuss the many facets of the chocolate business is: · Simon O'Keeffe, Head of Sales of Lir Chocolates · Aisling Walsh, Marketing Director, Butlers Chocolates · Mary Healy, Director & Co-Owner of The Chocolate Garden

Joining Bobby in the Executive Chais is Ronan Foley, CEO of Gallagher Ireland.

In recent weeks we have been reading a lot about a potential economic collapse but if the most recent data is to be believed, the bleakest of potential future scenarios is likely to be averted. Joining Bobby to discuss the state of the Irish economic landscape is economist, Jim Power.

Since hanging up his Leinster, Ireland, and Lions jerseys, Jamie Heaslip has knuckled down and completed a Masters in Business and championed startups, particularly in the tech area. He joins Bobby to discuss his latest venture 'Limbo' and to chat about adjusting to life after professional sport.

The importance of the Agrifood sector in Ireland cannot be overstated. It’s Ireland’s largest and oldest indigenous industry, employing 14% of the workforce in rural Ireland. But how have our farmers been faring over the past couple of years and what challenges lie ahead for the farming & the Agri sector as a whole as we strive to move to greener pastures? Eoin Lowry, Head of Agriculture at Bank of Ireland joins Bobby to discuss.

Joining Bobby to take a look at some of the big business stories that are making the news this morning is Ciara McDonagh of Healy Communications & Ian Curran, business reporter with the Irish Times.

Joining Bobby in the Executive Chair is Terry McCartney of Belmont Court and Motel.

Sean Magee is a singer-songwriter from Fermanagh and is now a well-established musician and performer in his own right, playing a wide mix of styles with tonnes of energy. He joins Bobby for a chat and a singsong.

Bobby takes a look at some of the businesses that call Enniskillen home. He is joined by Sarah McHugh, Museum and Heritage Manager at Enniskillen Castle, Noelle McAloon of Enniskillen BID, Genny Brown of Yoga Ocean, and also Joe McGirr of the Boatyard Distillery.

Friend of the show and one of Ireland's most well-renowned and beloved chefs, Neven Maguire, took time out of his busy schedule to come up from Cavan - where he runs his award-winning 'MacNean House & Restaurant' - to chat to Bobby about how he is getting on as well as his relationship with the wonderful town of Enniskillen.

To get a better sense of Enniskillen as a town and a place to do business Bobby was joined on a walking tour by local entrepreneur and founder of 'Enniskillen Taste Experience', Mark Adams.

Bobby takes to the water with Barry Flanagan an architect turned tour guide who is the owner of Erne Water Taxi.

Joining Bobby to discuss the biggest business stories of the day was Caroline Reidy of the HR Suite and Doug Keating of Avalon.

Bobby was joined on his trip to Enniskillen by Fermanagh native Nathan Carter.

Joining Bobby in the Executive Chair this week is Connor Heaney, MD and Co-Founder of CXC Global.

Jeweller, Paul Sheeran - the man behind the opening of six luxury watch ‘boutiques’ on the ground floor of the new Chatham & King development off Grafton Street - welcomed Bobby to show him around the new retail offering in Dublin city center and to chat about his beginnings in the industry.

For some they are a place of solitude, for others a world of the mythic and the mythical, somewhere to let your imagination run wild but for everyone, a museum can offer a little slice of heaven. To discuss the trials and tribulations of running a museum Bobby is joined by: - Gill Cousins, Director of The Hunt Museum - Tom O'Rahilly, Director of The Leprechaun Museum - Catherine Toolan, Managing Director of Diageo Irish Brand Homes / The Guinness Storehouse

As a nation we always seem to punch well above our weight and that was no different this week when it was announced that six Irish business people were named in Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe list. One man who can take at least a little credit for the success of the next generation of Irish entrepreneurs is co-founder of the ‘Junior Entrepreneur Programme’, Jerry Kennelly. Jerry has spent the last 13 years turning the classroom into the boardroom helping over 100,000 Irish children start businesses - he joins Bobby to discuss.

For any leader, be it in the field of business, the military, or any professional organization, knowing how to lead and what style will work best for you and your team can often be the biggest hurdle. Neil Jurd is a global expert in leadership development and author of ‘The Leadership Book’ - he joins Bobby to discuss.

It's St Patrick’s Day weekend, Johnny Sexton going for the all-time record of points scored in the championship, his last home game, and last 6 Nations game, and the team is vying for a first-ever Grand Slam decider in Dublin - it couldn’t get any bigger than this. Ireland will be lining out against England later on today and the eyes of the nation will be watching. Ireland and Munster Rugby Legend, Marcus Horan joins Bobby to discuss.