AIBF Business Talk

Episode 207: Slow Burn, Smart Scale: How Store4U Built a National Brand | Paul Gamartin

“If you want something badly enough, you’ll find a way. The car has a reverse gear for a reason.” - Paul Gamartin, Founder & CEO, Store4U.

In this episode, AIBF CEO Elaine Carroll chats with Paul Gamartin, the entrepreneur behind Store4U, Ireland’s fastest-growing storage network. From insulation and energy to storage and tech, Paul’s story is a masterclass in staying curious, building strong teams, and scaling what others overlook.

We talk about funding challenges, customer-first innovation, and why slow, steady growth still wins in business.

Highlights:

• Origin story: from insulation business to inspiration on the Airdrome.
  

• Scaling slow: patience, planning, and smart risk-taking.
  

• Funding reality: how to grow capital-heavy ventures when banks say no.
  

• People fit: why the wrong hire costs more than no hire.
  

• Customer-first model: design the business around what people actually need.
  

• Tech edge: make it easy for customers without losing the human touch.
  

• Leadership lens: stay grounded, walk the seafront, clear your head, then go again.
  

• Networking done right: why your phonebook is still your biggest business asset.
  

Tune in for a grounded, no-frills look at Irish entrepreneurship, full of wit, wisdom, and lessons from a founder who’s built success one unit, one team, and one smart move at a time.

Episode 206: Strong Spine, Clear Strategy: How Pilates Performance Scaled with Purpose | Sarah McLachlann

“Do it really well, take no shortcuts and price it so people can show up three times a week.” - Sarah McLachlann, Founder, Pilates Performance.

In this episode, CEO Elaine Carroll talks with Sarah McLachlann about turning a personal recovery story into Pilates Performance. A studio and educator brand built on classical principles, customer care, and smart systems. We cover accessibility over exclusivity, planning for scale, and simple daily habits busy leaders can actually keep.

Highlights:

• Origin: from chronic pain to a practice that heals and performs.
  

• Access > luxury: price for frequency to drive real results.
  

• Principles first: keep the classical Pilates foundation intact.
  

• Customer-first ops: pick up the phone; personalise over templates.
  

• Work on the business: plan staff, space, and systems before demand spikes.
  

• Founder stamina: pace yourself; movement as a non-negotiable.
  

• Desk survival kit: sit right, move often; 10-minute AM/PM routines that stick.
  

• For would-be owners: decide early-a job you love or a business that can scale?
  

Tune in for practical, human advice on building a wellness brand that retains clients, protects the founder, and grows on purpose.

Episode 205: Sleep, Stress & Straight Talk: Building Sentro Labs with Science | Elaine Ellis

“Get sleep under control and everything else gets easier: energy, food, movement, life.” - Elaine Ellis, Co-Founder, Sentro Labs.

In this episode, CEO Elaine Carroll talks with Elaine Ellis about launching Sentro Labs, an Irish, evidence-led supplement brand focused on sleep, stress, gut and hormonal health. We dig into why transparency (clear dosages, cited studies) and Irish manufacturing matter, how Sentro scaled from one SKU D2C to nationwide stockists, and what TikTok Shop changed about growth.

Highlights:

• The origin problem: midlife overload, broken sleep, and building a product that tackles sleep and stress together.

• Transparency as strategy: published dosages, cited research, full traceability, Irish-made.

• Go-to-market: start D2C, prove demand, then add wholesale; why TikTok Shop became a real revenue engine.

• Category insight: the male hormonal health gap and Sentro’s traction there.

• Ops discipline: outsource logistics early to protect focus and cash flow.

• Founder sustainability: sleep first, strength training, batch cooking-burnout prevention in practice.

• What’s next: a weight-management line grounded in blood sugar & appetite control, not hype.

👉 Tune in for practical, evidence-driven tactics to build trust, ship better products, and scale smart.

Episode 204 : AIBF Business Talk: Leadership, Legacy & Giving Back with Adrian Godwin

In this episode of AIBF Business Talk, host Elaine Carroll, CEO of the All-Ireland Business Foundation, sits down with Adrian Godwin, Managing Director of Oaktree Financial Services - a name synonymous with trust, transparency, and community spirit.

Adrian shares his journey of building a firm grounded in genuine care for clients and a culture of teamwork. From the importance of protecting your own financial wellbeing as a business owner to leading with empathy, Adrian’s insights remind us that real success is about more than profit - it’s about people.

> “It’s not just about sell, sell, sell. It’s about listening to our clients.”

“Never be afraid to ask for help. Whether it’s in business or life, that’s how we grow.”

“If you don’t take your head out of the weeds and look over the field, you could miss what really matters.”

Adrian also talks about his upcoming Charity Gala Ball supporting ARC Cancer Support House and the Eating Disorder Centre Cork - two causes close to his heart.

> “We wanted to give back on a bigger scale this year. It’s about creating comfort and care for families going through difficult times.”

💫 Listen to the full conversation to hear how entrepreneurship, compassion, and community come together at Oaktree Financial Services.

🎧 Tune in now to AIBF Business Talk - where Ireland’s leading business minds share insights, ideas and inspiration.

👉 Want to support the cause?Get your tickets or raffle entries for the Gala Ball at www.oaktreefinancial.ie

Episode 203: Early Warnings, Duties & Rescue: A Director’s Playbook | Cathy Shivnan, CEA

“Keep your records in order. That’s the basis for every good decision and your best protection.” — Cathy Shivnan, Director of Insolvency Supervision, Corporate Enforcement Authority

In this episode, Elaine Carroll talks with Cathy Shivnan about spotting financial red flags early, understanding your legal duties, and choosing the right rescue route.

Highlights:
✨ The red flags you can’t ignore: sales slide, aged debt, supplier strain, rising costs, cash-flow squeezes.
✨ Monthly management accounts vs year-end: why “rear-view” finance puts you at risk.
✨ Directors’ duties in plain English, especially when insolvency risk appears.
✨ SCARP vs Examinership: which suits your size and the “reasonable prospect of survival” test.
✨ Restriction vs Disqualification: what they mean and how to avoid both.
✨ First steps when worried: pull the numbers, assess solvency, get specialist advice, act early.

👉 Tune in for practical, no-nonsense guidance to protect your business and yourself as a director.: 

Episode 202: The Wellbeing Advantage: How Energy, Capacity & Resilience Drive Performance

“Your capacity isn’t fixed. If it were, world records wouldn’t be broken.” - Dr. Janine van Someren

 

In this episode, Elaine Carroll sits down with Dr. Janine van Someren, founder of The Wellbeing Advantage, to explore how wellbeing fuels business performance.

 

Dr. Janine brings insights from her background in high-performance sport, psychology and leadership to show why wellbeing isn’t a perk - it’s a performance strategy. From burnout prevention to building resilience and smarter recovery habits, this episode is packed with practical takeaways for leaders and teams alike.

 

Highlights:
✨ How insights from elite sport translate to business success.
✨ The data behind wellbeing: What gets measured gets managed.
✨ Early signs of burnout and how to intervene before it’s too late.
✨ Why presenteeism costs more than absenteeism.
✨ Building resilience through energy management and capacity tracking.

 

👉 Tune in now to discover how small wellbeing shifts can deliver big performance gains - for you and your team.

Episode 201: Office Supplies, Big Ideas: The Rise of Purple Panda

 “You can’t do it half and half. If you believe in it, go all in.” - Gavin Kelly

In this episode, Elaine Carroll chats with Gavin Kelly, founder of Purple Panda - the 100% Irish-owned company delivering 20,000+ workplace products with next-day service and standout customer care.

Gavin shares how he went from Viking to launching Purple Hippo, why a bold name helped break into a crowded market, and how Purple Panda grew into a trusted partner for businesses across Ireland. He talks about financing challenges, building a strong culture, and expanding into the UK while keeping customer service at the heart of everything.

Highlights:

• The bold branding move that made people remember Purple Panda.
  

• Breaking into one of Ireland’s most crowded markets.
  

• How a culture of accountability drives team performance.
  

• Why customer service is the ultimate competitive edge.
  

• From financing hurdles to UK expansion - lessons in growth.
  

👉 Tune in now to hear Gavin’s story and discover how Purple Panda is reshaping office solutions in Ireland. >>

 

🎙 Episode 200: AIBF Business Talk hits 200 Episodes - 200 conversations, one mission — to recognise, support & connect Ireland’s finest businesses.

From the very first recording to our 200th conversation, AIBF Business Talk has been about one thing: shining a light on Ireland’s entrepreneurs.

In this special episode, host and CEO of AIBF, Elaine Carroll sits down with Kieran Ring, Deputy Chair of the AIBF Adjudication Board, to reflect on the journey of the All-Ireland Business Foundation and the businesses that have shaped its story.

They talk about what it means to be recognised as a Business All-Star, why entrepreneurs thrive in community, and how passion and resilience keep Irish SMEs moving forward even in uncertain times.

This episode is more than a milestone — it’s a thank you. To the hundreds of entrepreneurs who’ve shared their stories, to the AIBF community that keeps growing, and to everyone who believes in raising standards across Irish business.

Join us as we look back, celebrate the present, and set our sights on the next 200 episodes.

👉 Press play and be part of the story.

Episode 199: When Tradition Meets Innovation: The Story of Merenda’s Global Journey

Ronan Haslette grew up sweeping floors in his family’s Leitrim factory. Today, he’s leading Merenda, Ireland’s  only flexible wood veneer manufacturer, working with architects, designers and furniture makers across the world.

On this episode of AIBF Business Talk, Ronan opens up about:

• The reality of stepping into a second-generation family business
  

• How Merenda balances tradition with innovation and design trends
  

• Winning — and sometimes walking away from — export markets
  

• Why explaining the “why” keeps teams motivated through change
  

• How veneer helps save timber resources (32x less used than solid wood)
  

It’s the inside track on resilience, leadership, and building a business that lasts.

🎧 Tune in now on Spotify & Apple Podcasts — just search AIBF Business Talk. Click Here

Episode 198: From Thought to Action: Sofi Musleh on Leading With Diversity

💬  “Diversity isn’t just about difference - it’s about belonging.” – Sofi Musleh

This week on AIBF Business Talk, Elaine Carroll chats with Sofi Musleh, Global Head of Diversity & Inclusion and proud AIBF Business All-Star Thought Leader 2025.

Sofi doesn’t do buzzwords - she talks real.
👉 Why DEI isn’t a ‘nice extra’ but the backbone of healthy business
👉 What small companies can do today without big budgets
👉 The traps leaders fall into (and how to avoid them)
👉 How listening -  really listening - changes everything

From hospital wards to global boardrooms, Sofi has seen one truth: inclusion isn’t paperwork, it’s people.

🎧 Tune in for a straight-talking, practical, and inspiring take on building workplaces that work for everyone.

🎧 Listen now on Spotify – just search AIBF Business Talk