AIBF Business Talk

Episode 191: Care Without Compromise: The Better Care Mental Health Story | Neil Costello, BetterCare Mental Health Services

"I saw people struggling. I knew we could do better. So we did."

When Neil Costello couldn’t find the right support for his loved ones, he didn’t just complain, he built the solution.

On this episode of AIBF Business Talk, we dive into the powerful story behind Better Care, Ireland’s leading private mental health service. What started as one man’s mission during COVID is now a nationwide network offering everything from counselling and psychotherapy to ADHD assessments and psychiatry - all under one umbrella.

🔥 What you’ll hear:

• The “enough is enough” moment that sparked Better Care
  
  
• The growing pains of scaling care without compromising quality
  
  
• The reality of being a founder and a therapist
  
  
• Why doing it all yourself slows everything down
  
  
• The mindset shift that helped Neil move from burnout to breakthrough
  

💬 It’s raw, real, and incredibly relevant - especially for founders juggling purpose, pressure, and people.

🏆 A proud Business All-Star, Neil also reflects on the meaning of AIBF accreditation and the power of peer recognition.

🎧 Listen now on Spotify & all major platforms
🔗 Explore services: bettercare.ie

Episode 190: 🎧 The Truth About Beauty – How Totalcare Built Trust, Loyalty & a Growing Legacy | Dympna & Ben Fitzgerald, Totalcare

“We don’t do false. Not in beauty — and not in business.”

In an industry crowded with filters, fillers and fast fixes, Totalcare is doing something refreshingly rare: telling the truth.

This week on AIBF Business Talk, we sit down with powerhouse duo Dympna & Ben Fitzgerald, the mother-and-son team behind one of Ireland’s most trusted aesthetic and skincare clinics.

From humble beginnings to becoming a multi-award-winning business, Totalcare now runs a full-service clinic, a high-level training académie, and a distribution arm supplying quality skincare and equipment across Ireland — all while staying true to one simple promise: natural, honest, total care.

We cover:
✅ How Totalcare is building confidence — without the needles
✅ The secret to creating loyal clients (and students) for life
✅ What “no pressure selling” really means in practice
✅ Why their Académie is shaping the future of the industry
✅ Lessons in family business, leadership, and staying human in a clinical world

If you're in beauty, wellness or service — this is a masterclass in integrity, empathy, and doing business your way.

Episode 189: Dr. Briga Hynes, Teresa Lewis & Stephen Arkins on Global Growth, Agility & Opportunity – AIBF Summit Special

In this AIBF Business Talk Summit Special, we spotlight the launch of Navigating Global Markets – a groundbreaking report by the All-Ireland Business Foundation in collaboration with the University of Limerick and sponsored by Mauve Group.

Recorded live at Croke Park, this panel features Dr. Briga Hynes (Kemmy Business School, UL), Teresa Lewis (Mauve Group), and Stephen Arkins (KCC Group), who explore how Irish SMEs can compete and scale on the world stage.

🎯 In this episode:

• Key findings from Navigating Global Markets
  
  
• Barriers and enablers to international expansion
  
  
• Why agility, ambition and collaboration matter more than ever
  
  
• The overlooked potential of agri-businesses and regional firms
  
  
• What policymakers and business leaders must act on now
  
  

🎧 Insightful. Strategic. Timely. This is a front-row seat to the future of Irish enterprise on the global stage.

Episode 188: Annalise Murphy, Amee-Leigh Costigan & Conor Niland on High Performance, Pressure & Pivots – AIBF Summit Special

“There’s no point being afraid of losing. Set the goal, aim high and back yourself to get there.” – Annalise Murphy

In this AIBF Business Talk Summit special, broadcaster Ivan Yates chairs a powerful panel with three of Ireland’s top athletes – each bringing raw insight into what it takes to perform, pivot and push past limits.

Whether they’re chasing medals or mastering new arenas, Annalise Murphy, Amee-Leigh Costigan and Conor Niland open up about resilience, reinvention and staying driven when the stakes are high.

🎯 In this episode:

• How elite athletes deal with pressure, failure and big goals
  
  
• The power of mindset when stepping into something new
  
  
• Reinventing yourself beyond sport
  
  
• Lessons in grit, leadership and bouncing back
  
  
• Advice every business owner can borrow from the sporting world
  
  

🎧 Honest. Insightful. Seriously motivating.

This episode is your front-row seat to the mindset behind high performance.

 

Episode 187: AIBF Summit Special - Economist Dan O’Brien (IIEA) on Ireland’s Economic Future & Global Shifts with Ivan Yates

“We’re more connected to the US economy than Mexico. That’s not an opinion - that’s data." – Dan O’Brien

In this special episode of AIBF Business Talk, we take you inside the All-Ireland Entrepreneur Summit for an eye-opening session with Dan O’Brien, one of Ireland’s most trusted economic commentators, in conversation with Ivan Yates.

This isn't your average economic forecast.

Dan brings clarity (and a few surprises) on what’s really happening in global markets - and what Irish business leaders need to prepare for now.

📌 In this episode, you'll hear:

• Why geopolitics is back at the business table and what it means for Ireland
  

• How Trump’s trade threats could shake our biggest export market
  

• Why tech jobs in Europe are booming (quietly)
  

• What Irish businesses must know about China, defence spending, and the US election
  

• The AI moment and why it’s not just hype
  

🎙️ This is a front-row seat to a conversation full of takeaways and one you’ll want your team to hear.

 

Episode 186: 🎧Transforming the Way Farmers Do Business – How Darragh Scanlon and HerdFinder Are Driving Technological Change in the Agricultural Sector | Darragh Scanlon, HerdFinder

"Built by farmers for farmers"

Whether you’re from a farm, a startup, or just love a good founder story - this one proves that great ideas grow from familiar soil.

In this episode of AIBF Business Talk, we meet Darragh Scanlon, 27-year-old founder of HerdFinder - Ireland’s #1 dedicated cattle marketplace - and winner of the AIBF Young Innovator of the Year, proudly sponsored by Little Learners.

Named one of Ireland’s Top 30 Under 30 by the Sunday Independent, Darragh shares how he spotted a gap in the agri-market and turned it into a fast-growing platform helping thousands of Irish farmers buy and sell livestock - without the noise, distractions, or hassle.

We cover:

✅ Why farming needs digital tools that actually work on the ground
✅ The “lightbulb moment” that started it all
✅ Building a tech product from scratch - while working full-time in M&A
✅ The steep learning curves (and smart pivots)
✅ Why traction > perfection, and grit > glossy funding decks

It’s a real-deal startup story — built in boots, not brogues.

About the All-Ireland Business Foundation

The All-Ireland Business Foundation (AIBF) is Ireland’s national body for recognising and supporting business excellence. We are the accrediting authority behind the Business All-Star marque — Ireland’s Symbol of Trust — awarded through a rigorous audit of reputation, performance and customer trust.

Since 2014, we’ve impacted over 5,000 businesses, with 750 currently accredited.

For more information please visit www.aibf.ie here.

 

Episode 185: Small Business, Big World - How Mauve Group Helps Irish SMEs Go Global - Joanna Hart

 “Going global doesn’t need to be overwhelming - not when you’ve got the right partner.”

In this inspiring episode of AIBF Business Talk, CEO Elaine Carroll chats with Joanna Hart, Director at the Mauve Group, a company empowering Irish SMEs to expand internationally without the usual red tape.

Joanna breaks down the real challenges facing Irish businesses - and shares practical, proven solutions that make international hiring, compliance, and scaling simpler than ever.

💬 “We’ve done it ourselves. We’ve walked the walk. That’s why we can help others do it smarter.”

Here’s what you’ll learn:

• Why small companies have more global potential than they realise
  

• How HR tech is transforming international expansion
  

• The power of Employer of Record (EOR) models to reduce stress and cost
  

• Real-life stories of businesses who scaled fast - and smart
  

• The role of partnerships, automation and support in long-term success
  

This episode is a masterclass in future-focused business strategy - with a speaker who’s not just advising companies but actively helping them grow.

👏 A big thank you to Mauve Group, the proud sponsor of AIBF’s Navigating Global Markets research, launching at the All-Ireland Entrepreneurs Summit in partnership with the University of Limerick.

🎧 Tune in now and discover how Irish businesses are stepping confidently onto the global stage.

Episode 184: Not Just a Gift Card - How One4All Became a Business Power Tool - Terry Spence

What if a gift card could do more than say “thanks”? What if it could drive loyalty, boost morale, and keep money flowing in the Irish economy?

In this episode of AIBF Business Talk, AIBF CEO Elaine Carroll chats with Terry Spence, B2B lead at One4All, the powerhouse behind Ireland’s favourite multi-store gift card.

Terry pulls back the curtain on:
🟢 The surprising origins of One4All (hint: it started with one missed Christmas voucher)
🟢 Why €1,500 tax-free rewards are a no-brainer for Irish employers
🟢 How digital gifting is transforming recognition in a remote-first world
🟢 What companies can do today to boost retention without big salary jumps
🟢 The future of workplace rewards (and a big tech upgrade coming soon 👀)

🎙️ Terry doesn’t just talk rewards - he lives and breathes what great recognition looks like in modern business.

 You can meet the One4All team in person at the All-Ireland Entrepreneurs Summit on May 30th at Croke Park - they’re joining us as a AIBF partner.

Episode 183: Shane Cradock – Your Mindset Is Your Greatest Business Strategy

🧠 “Your Inner Voice Is Running the Show — Time to Take Back Control”

What if the loudest critic in your life... was living in your own head?

In this gripping episode of AIBF Business Talk, Shane Craddock joins Elaine Carroll to share the hard-earned wisdom behind his bestselling book The Inner CEO - and why true leadership starts between your ears.

💬 “Your inner voice isn’t you. But it runs your day. Until you learn to lead it.”

Shane and Elaine Carroll dive into:

✅ Why “true success is an inside job”
✅ The power (and danger) of your inner voice
✅ How vulnerability and courage shape real leadership
✅ The surprising reason belief isn’t everything
✅ What Shane would tell his 20-year-old self (hint: think bigger)
✅ A preview of what he'll share live at the All-Ireland Entrepreneurs Summit

Whether you're leading a company, a team or just trying to lead yourself better — this is an episode that hits home.

🎧 Listen now

📍 Catch Shane live at the All-Ireland Entrepreneurs Summit, May 30th at Croke Park.

Episode 182: From Startup to Global Success: How Jason Keely Is Changing the Game for Irish Brands

"Every brand has a voice. But not every brand gets heard." 🔊

That’s where Jason Keely steps in.

In this inspiring episode of AIBF Business Talk, Jason — founder of VS Direct and No Limit Branding — shares how he’s helping brands cut through the chaos with smarter, sharper marketing.

🔥 His approach? Not just louder ads. But real strategy. Real targeting. Real results.

Inside the conversation: 

✅ How Jason grew two powerhouse brands by thinking differently
✅ Why triggered digital ads are changing how we reach customers
✅ How his team helps companies get measurable returns, not just promises
✅ What it really takes to build trust with big names like Marks & Spencer, Virgin Media, and Aramark
✅ The honest highs and lows of leading, innovating, and staying grounded

Today, Jason isn’t just building businesses — he’s helping brands find their voice in a busy world. 🌍

🎧 If you’ve ever felt like your brand deserves more — more recognition, more connection, more impact — this is your episode.