Ruth Medjber has 2020 all mapped out. The award-winning music and portrait photographer was covering Glastonbury for the BBC, had an exhibition in Australia and was touring in the US. In March, however, it all fell apart. However, using some of the entrepreneurial zeal she inherited from her parents, the Dublin photographer launched an online store and a range of t-shirts. However, it was her series, Lockdown Portraits in a Window, that caught international attention and landed her a book deal with Penguin Random House. In this podcast with Alison Cowzer, Medjber talks about pivoting her business as a result of the crisis, and about the impact of Covid-19 on the creative industries. Medjber, who trades as Ruthless Imagery, also talks about touring with Hozier, the importance of developing an online following, why artists should never be too proud to take a job, and the racism and sexism she encountered in her career.
“Do we have a viable business? It will probably be September before we know. That is a scary place to be. But the alternative is not opening, and that is not what we want.”
As the co-owner of Fire Steakhouse & Grill in Dublin’s Mansion House and Sole Seafood & Grill on South William Street, Padraic O’Kane runs two of the city’s largest restaurants. Shuttered for three months, both will reopen on Monday, but, due to social distancing, capacity at both will be reduced by 40 per cent. In this podcast, O’Kane talks about the economics of the restaurant business in the world of Covid-19 and outlines a range of measures to help the embattled hospitality sector – from Vat reform to new rental agreements. Plus, as the man who brings American football to Dublin each year, he talks about the impact of the pandemic on Irish tourism.
As managing partner of professional services firm KPMG, Seamus Hand has spent the last three months helping his clients – and his own firm – navigate through the crisis. In this podcast, he talks about the impact of the lockdown on different sectors of the economy and called for innovative policies to get liquidity to cash strapped businesses – including a zero Vat rate for some firms. Hand, who took over as managing partner last year, also spoke about why consumer confidence is key to a quick economic recovery, the opportunities for Ireland in a post-Covid-19 global landscape and the importance of learning lessons from this crisis.
For the past 26 years, Julian Erskine has been the senior executive producer with Riverdance, helping to turn a Eurovision interval act into a global touring phenomenon. One day after his retirement at the end of May, he sat down with Sam Smyth to discuss his Riverdance journey – from managing world tours before mobile phones and the internet to driving Michael Flatley and Jean Butler to the airport in the back of his Fiat Punto. In an in-depth interview, the acclaimed theatre producer also talks about the decision to remove Flatley from Riverdance, the finances and logistics of stage shows and why the Covid-19 lockdown offered him the opportunity to retire without feeling any guilt.
“There is very frequent evidence that the business community are distrusted by the general public, and a certain part of the political system exploits that”
Long before he was a panellist on Dragon’s Den, the businessman Gavin Duffy worked in radio, recruitment and communications. Two years ago, he ran for the presidency, a decision which, looking back now, he admits failed in “quite a spectacular fashion.” In this podcast, he tells his former Dragon’s Den investor Alison Cowzer, that he is a firm capitalist, but that he also believes it is time to change the nature of the relationship between the economy and society. He argues that Covid-19 has accelerated that realignment for the better, but that the crisis will also hit business hard – particularly the Irish high street. He offers communications advice for businesses in this crisis, and says that, after months of high tech, people will now want high touch.
Norman Crowley has set his global climate change business on a path to double revenue every year – although he acknowledges a nine-month setback from Covid-19. Speaking to Thomas Hubert from his base in Co Wicklow, he explains the rationale behind the formation of the Cool Planet Group, which raised €30 million from French investors earlier this year. The Crowley Carbon energy efficiency business at its centre now serves international clients from Google to Glanbia, and is preparing to license out the software providing the brains of the operation. Meanwhile, an assembly site is under construction at the Powerscourt Estate to manufacture million-dollar luxury electric cars. As the Greens are set to enter government here, does Crowley expect a policy boost to his business? His answer is a definite “no”.
Long before he was a panellist on Dragon’s Den, the businessman Gavin Duffy worked in radio, recruitment and communications. Two years ago, he ran for the presidency, a decision which, looking back now, he admits failed in “quite a spectacular fashion.” In this podcast, he tells his former Dragon’s Den investor Alison Cowzer, that he is a firm capitalist, but that he also believes it is time to change the nature of the relationship between the economy and society. He argues that Covid-19 has accelerated that realignment for the better, but that the crisis will also hit business hard – particularly the Irish high street. He offers communications advice for businesses in this crisis, and says that, after months of high tech, people will now want high touch.
Since it opened seven years ago, Dublin’s Forest Avenue has developed a reputation as one of the country’s finest restaurants. But its success – and the demands of the industry – has also had an impact on the couple behind the eatery – John and Sandy Wyer. Fearing burnout and operating in an “unworkable industry”, the couple were looking at ways to reinvent themselves and their business – and Covid-19 has given them a chance to do just that. Within days of the lockdown, they had transformed their property into a high-end food store, a move that allowed them to retain staff, maintain relations with suppliers and keep paying the bills. In this podcast with Sam Smyth, they talk about their journey to date, why Forest Avenue is “full of contradictions and juxtaposition” and how they prefer happy customers to awards.
David Maxwell, the chief executive of the fast-growing Mexican fast casual food brand Boojum, is part of the Save Our Restaurants Coalition, a group of restaurateurs that have developed a package of proposals aimed at salvaging the industry from the Covid-19 crisis. The group has tabled a package of tiered remedies to address what it believes are three main issues – labour costs, occupancy costs and debt repayment. The first two are essentially asks upon the state, while the third will require buy-in from banks. So, just exactly what are the group looking for, and will they get the state and lenders to back the proposals? Maxwell takes Ian Kehoe through the issuers and the detail.
“I hope people see me as not only a professional golfer but as an entrepreneur. An entrepreneur with networking capabilities who will bring value to my stakeholders.”
Stephanie Meadow is one of the world’s top female golfers – playing on the LPGA Tour in the US and representing Ireland at the 2020 Olympics. She moved from Jordanstown, Co Antrim to South Carolina in the United States when she was just 14, to pursue her love of golf. Since then, she has broken college golfing records, turned pro and moved into the top 50 in the world rankings. But Meadow is much more than just a golfer. An accounting graduate, she negotiates her own sponsorship deals, manages her schedule, does her own marketing and is her own agent. In short, she is a self-employed entrepreneur. In this in-depth podcast, Meadow talks about the business side of golf, her role in representing her sponsors such as Investec, Immedis and ATA. She also talks about the impact of Covid-19 on her season, and the importance of growing female participation in sport
Even after stepping down as governor of the Central Bank in 2015, Patrick Honohan has remained an articulate voice on Irish economic policy. This has been evidenced with his interventions on the current crisis, warning the government against virus loans to domestic businesses and dismissing the notion of helicopter money. In this podcast, he argues Ireland is in a much better position to weather this crisis than the last. However, he remains worried about the potential impact of the crisis on domestic banks and the future SME debt burden, while also warning on the difficulties of relaunching an economy.
