EE 413 - No Plan B: The Unfiltered Truth About Starting Over in Dubai
In this episode of The Entrepreneur Experiment, we dive into Conor McHugh's remarkable journey from finance to founding Alchemy Search in Dubai. Drawn by tax-free incentives and sun-soaked opportunities, Conor shares how he navigated the cultural complexities and business challenges of the Middle East over seven years. His story weaves through personal transformation—from KPMG in Guernsey to a soul-searching travel adventure across Asia that sparked his entrepreneurial awakening. With candid insights on managing multicultural teams, overcoming financial pressures, and respecting local business practices, Conor offers invaluable advice for anyone considering the leap into international entrepreneurship. Whether you're curious about expat business opportunities or seeking inspiration to take your own calculated risk, this conversation reveals the grit and adaptability required to succeed far from home. 🎧 Show Notes: In this episode, we cover: 🌍 Conor's decision to leave London and build a business in Dubai's tax-free environment 🔄 The career pivot from finance at KPMG to recruitment entrepreneurship ✈️ How a year of international travel triggered his entrepreneurial mindset 🤝 The importance of the Irish community network in Dubai 💼 Managing multicultural teams and navigating business relationships in the Middle East 💰 Financial challenges and the realities of invoice collection across cultures ⏱️ Understanding different cultural approaches to timelines and commitments 🧠 Overcoming Western entitlement mindset when operating internationally 🌱 The evolution of Dubai's business landscape over seven years "A sense of entitlement, often carried by those from Western cities like Dublin or London, can be a hindrance to success in the Middle East." - Conor McHugh --- Visit my Partners Enterprise Ireland: https://bit.ly/EIreland Azure Communications: https://bit.ly/azureEE Nostra: https://bit.ly/nostraee
--------
1:12:34
EE 412 - Scarcity, Strategy & Secrets: How Trevor Built an Elite CEO Network
In this special Dubai-recorded edition of The Entrepreneur Experiment, Gary Fox sits down with Trevor McFarlane—CEO and founder of EMIR, the ultra-exclusive intelligence and advisory network serving the region’s top CEOs, ministers, and government officials. Trevor shares the incredible story behind building EMIR from scratch—starting with a borrowed ballroom at the Burj Al Arab and a fake guest list—to now curating powerful, private briefings for over 400 regional leaders. This episode is a masterclass in the psychology of influence, the power of elite curation, and why being “hard to access” is a business strategy. Trevor also offers a piercing macroeconomic analysis of what lies ahead globally, from Trump 2.0 and AI to population booms and climate migration. Whether you’re a founder, strategist, or just a curious mind—this one will leave you thinking. 🎧 Show Notes In this episode, we cover: 🎩 How Trevor built a high-trust, invite-only CEO network across the Middle East. 🧠 The psychology of selectivity: why scarcity builds value. 💼 Turning elite briefings into board-level influence (and the risk that comes with it) 🌍 From geopolitics to geoeconomics: why the next 25 years will divide the world 📉 The real danger of AI: widening inequality 📈 Opportunity in adversity: where Trevor sees business potential in climate migration and demographic collapse 🏠 A surprising Airbnb idea involving abandoned Japanese islands 🇮🇪 Trevor’s blunt take on Ireland’s economy, inequality, and global tax pressures Quote of the Episode 💬 “What we’re selling isn’t just intelligence—it’s trust, access, and success.” – Trevor McFarlane 🔗 Links & Resources EMIR Official Website → www.emirintelligence.com Book mention: The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene Visit my Partners Enterprise Ireland: https://bit.ly/EIreland Azure Communications: https://bit.ly/azureEE Nostra: https://bit.ly/nostraee
--------
1:23:56
EE 411 - How This Irish Founder Took On the Opioid Crisis—and rang the NASDAQ Bell - Gareth Sheridan Story
In this episode of The Entrepreneur Experiment, Gary Fox sits down with Gareth Sheridan, the relentless founder and CEO of Nutriband Inc — a pharmaceutical company tackling one of the most controversial issues in modern medicine: opioid misuse. What started as a college thesis and a dining room stacked with questionable Chinese vitamin patches has since become a NASDAQ-listed company pioneering safer drug delivery systems. Gareth walks us through his raw, rollercoaster journey — from painting houses to fund his dream, to being duped in a million-dollar pump-and-dump scheme, and how he clawed his way back to ring the NASDAQ bell on October 1st with $6.6 million in fresh funding. If you're an entrepreneur with ambition (and a high pain tolerance), this episode will teach you about resilience, smart capital strategy, and how to build billion-dollar businesses the hard way — brick by brick, and patch by patch. 🎧 Show Notes: In this episode, we cover: 💊 The origin story of Nutriband: from a college idea to fighting the opioid crisis 🚗 Why Gareth was a millionaire on paper but driving for Uber in Florida 🏥 How transdermal patches can replace pills and even injections 💸 Getting duped: the brutal truth about OTC markets and a $1.5M illusion 🧠 Learning to think like a public company CEO (before even listing) 🔁 Why he rebuilt the same company… twice 🧱 Gareth’s unique strategy: acquiring IP and talent using stock instead of cash 🛑 How he said no to $80 million in funding offers — and why 🔔 Manifesting the NASDAQ bell: “It was never if, only when.” ⚖️ The shady side of Wall Street: naked shorts, phantom trades, and SEC investigations 📈What it takes to build a billion-dollar business the unconventional way 🔗 Links & Resources: Nutriband: https://www.nutriband.com/ Follow Gareth Sheridan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/garethsheridanntrb/ Watch the GameStop story: Dumb Money (IMDb): https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13957560/ --- Visit my partners Enterprise Ireland: https://bit.ly/EIreland Azure Communications: https://bit.ly/azure EE Nostra: https://bit.ly/nostraee
--------
1:40:13
EE 410 - Building a Team of Owners: Founding Fitt Meals’ The Unorthodox Way
In this episode of The Entrepreneur Experiment, Gary Fox meets with Eoin Cantwell, founder of Fitt Meals. Eoin shares his remarkable journey from running a busy sports club to creating one of the UAE’s most innovative meal prep businesses. Eoin candidly discusses how he bootstrapped Fitt Meals, his approach to radical transparency with open book management (🤯), and how he empowers his entire team by sharing profits and insights. If you’re an entrepreneur looking to scale your business, enhance your team’s engagement, or understand the power of collective responsibility, this episode provides deep insights into a unique business model and leadership style. 🎧 Show Notes: In this episode, we cover: 🔥 The moment Eoin realised the opportunity in healthy meal prep 🚀 How Fitt Meals grew from renting a kitchen at night to operating a state-of-the-art facility 💡 Why Eoin believes in radical transparency and open-book management 📈 How profit-sharing with employees transformed Fitt Meals’ culture 🌍 The challenges and opportunities of scaling a logistics-heavy business 🔑 The critical importance of teaching your team the ‘why’ behind decisions 🏋️♂️ The balance between company growth and maintaining team culture and morale 💬 “A company of owners will always outthink the owner of a company.” – Eoin Cantwell Resources Mentioned: • Scaling Up by Verne Harnish • The Great Game of Business by Jack Stack • HeyGen AI for multilingual communication --- Visit my Partners Enterprise Ireland: https://bit.ly/EIreland Azure Communications: https://bit.ly/azureEE Nostra: https://bit.ly/nostraee
--------
1:35:40
EE 409 - From Teacher to Airline Tycoon: The Story of Pádraig Ó Céidigh & Aer Arann
In this episode of The Entrepreneur Experiment, Gary Fox sits down with Pádraig Ó Céidigh, a name synonymous with Irish entrepreneurship and business leadership. Best known for founding and scaling Aer Arann, one of Ireland’s leading regional airlines, Pádraig shares his journey from humble beginnings to building an airline—despite having no aviation experience. He reveals the key moments that defined his career: remortgaging his house to buy an airline, negotiating with Aer Lingus, securing multimillion-dollar aircraft deals, and eventually selling his business. Beyond aviation, he opens up about the personal cost of success, his near-death experience, and the philosophy that guides his life today. If you're an entrepreneur, this episode will change how you think about risk, vision, and what it really means to build a business with purpose. 📌 Show Notes: In this episode, we cover: ✈️ How Pádraig went from teacher to airline owner—without aviation experience 💡 The mindset shift that allowed him to scale Aer Arann from a small regional service to a multimillion-dollar business 📉 The biggest challenges of running an airline (and why profitability was harder than it looked) 🎯 Why a clear focus on one word—safety—transformed his business strategy ⚖️ The cost of entrepreneurship: health, family, and personal sacrifices 📖 His perspective on wealth beyond just money and how he defines success today 📚 His book, ‘The Purposeful Decision Maker,’ and the lessons inside 🚀 His next chapter: mentoring, investing, and new business ventures 🔗 Resources: 📖 The Purposeful Decision Maker – Pádraig Ó Céidigh’s book 📚 Recommended book: The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel --- Visit my partners Enterprise Ireland: https://bit.ly/EIreland Azure Communications: https://bit.ly/azureEE Nostra: https://bit.ly/nostraee
This is your journey to learn from the best—world-class entrepreneurs, elite thinkers, and peak performers who have mastered success in business, body, and brain.
Every week, I sit down with extraordinary founders to explore how they build thriving businesses, maintain peak physical health, and cultivate sharp, resilient minds.
This isn’t just a podcast; it’s a blueprint for a new kind of founder—one who balances ambition with wellness, hard work with mental fitness, and success with purpose.
Together, we’ll discover the habits, systems, and strategies they use to create their unique formulas for success.
Join me as you learn how to build like a founder, train like an athlete, and think like an artist—so we can all find our formula for success.
The Founder Formula = Profitable Business + Fit Body + Healthy Mind.
New Zealand