AIBF Business Talk

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

Episode 197: Brows, Business & Breaking Limits with Munaza Gilmore | The Brow Movement

👑 “The Brow Movement isn’t just about beauty - it’s about confidence, joy, and possibility.” – Munaza Gilmore

Munaza Gilmore never set out to build a brow empire - but today, The Brow Movement is shaping confidence, creating products, and training the next generation of beauty pros. 💄

From her granny’s sitting room to Ireland’s Brow Queen, Munaza Gilmore turned resilience and a piece of thread into The Brow Movement, one of Ireland’s rising beauty brands. 💄✨

On this episode of AIBF Business Talk, Munaza shares:
✅ Starting a salon during Covid & finding joy in creativity
✅ The leap from social care worker to beauty entrepreneur
✅ Building confidence - for herself, her clients & her kids
✅ Creating products designed for every skin tone & community

It’s raw, real, and proof that passion can reshape your future (and your brows).

🎧 Listen now on Spotify – just search AIBF Business Talk

Episode 196: Financial Planning That Actually Fits You | David Devine, Platinum Financial Planning

“I’ve worked with people earning huge salaries… but still struggling to keep up with bills.”

For David Devine, that wasn’t a question of discipline - it was about wiring.

As the founder of Platinum Financial Planning & NeuroFinance™, David has spent years helping clients who think differently take control of their finances - without the shame, jargon or one-size-fits-all approach.

In this episode of AIBF Business Talk, the Wired for Wealth author and AIBF Wicklow Financial Services Company of the Year winner shares:

• Why money struggles are often about compatibility, not capability
  

• How his NEURO Method creates financial plans that stick - even for non-linear thinkers
  

• The connection between self-worth, stress, and spending
  

• Real client stories that prove a different approach gets different results
  

• His mission to train a global network of neuro-aware advisors
  

If you’ve ever felt “bad with money” - this might just change the way you see your finances.

🎧 Listen now on Spotify – just search AIBF Business Talk

 

Episode 195: The Road to Becoming Ireland’s Champion Coach Company | Mike Buckley, Kerry Coaches

From a humble jaunting car in 1957 to the pinnacle of luxury travel today - Kerry Coaches is now proud to be crowned All-Ireland Champion Bus and Coach Company of the Year 2025.🥇

In this episode of AIBF Business Talk, Elaine Carroll chats with Mike Buckley, who shares how his family business grew from small beginnings to a fleet of over 100 luxury coaches.

💬 “People said I was mad spending £23,500 on a mini coach in 1982.”
💬 “We were one of the first to offer proper luxury travel for golf tours.”
💬 “The way Kerry plays football - with pride and passion - that’s how we run our business.”

🎧 In the episode, Mike talks about:

• Starting from scratch after losing his father
  

• The rise of golf tourism and VIP travel
  

• Why family values still drive the business
  

• The future of greener transport
  

• And what it takes to build something that lasts
  

This is a story of pride, people and pure determination.

🎧 Listen now on Spotify – just search AIBF Business Talk

 

Episode 194: Tech, Strategy & Reinvention – The Dave Devery Consulting Story

"You don’t need to hustle harder, you need to think sharper." 💡

After 20 years running his first tech company, Dave Devery stepped away, took stock, and started again, this time on his own terms with Dave Devery Consulting.

On this episode of AIBF Business Talk, he chats with Elaine Carroll about:

• Walking away from a business he built over two decades
  

• Starting fresh as a fractional CIO -and what that actually means
  

• Helping business leaders avoid tech debt and make smarter IT decisions
  

• Why strategy beats hustle when you’re building something sustainable
  

• Advice for anyone thinking about making a big change
  

• What it means to be named AIBF Tipperary Entrepreneur of the Year 2025 🥇
  

From Tipperary to tech boardrooms, Dave’s story is honest, sharp and full of useful insight.

If you’re building, rebuilding or just rethinking things - this one’s for you.

🎙 Now streaming on Spotify | Search “AIBF Business Talk” 🔍

Episode 193: Lead Generation with Integrity - The Xsell Success Story | Edel Madden and David McCullough

“After a year or two, we pivoted into lead generation - and that’s been our core focus for the past 10 years. Now, we’re evolving again.”

In this episode of AIBF Business Talk, Elaine Carroll sits down with Edel Madden and David McCullough, co-founders of Xsell - proudly named All-Ireland Champion Digital Marketing & Lead Generation Agency of the Year.

After decades in big tech, they left the boardroom behind to build something better - a results-driven agency with values at its core and zero room for fluff.

In this episode, we explore:

✅ Why they walked away from corporate life
✅ How they’ve built a no-politics, high-performance team
✅ The “RACC” formula that’s helping clients win globally
✅ What makes their lead gen approach actually work
✅ Their take on AI, agility, and staying ahead of the game

🎧 This one’s for entrepreneurs who believe you can grow a business and do it your way.

Listen now on Spotify - search AIBF Business Talk