The weekly podcast from Luke Curry and Mark Baker, discussing all things business, tech, creative, health, and general lifestyle advice. Each Wednesday join the brothers in-law, as they interview an eclectic range of guests from blue collar grafters to multi-millionaire investors, each with their own stories to tell, and lessons learned along the way. If you have a side hustle, want to start a passion project, or just want to hear some great career and life advice, this is the podcast for you.
Episodes
Wednesday Aug 11, 2021
Wednesday Aug 11, 2021
What is up SharkNation!
On this episode, Luke and Mark sit down with CEO of Black Mirage (a cyber security firm in the US) to chat about how you can protect yourself form potential attacks.
The guys also get the inside scoop on the hacker world, how it works, who is involved and what's at stake.
Carson's firm helps businesses protect themselves from bad actors by staging attacks to reveal weaknesses.
The key takeaways:
1. Cyber attacks can affect everyone online so you had better figure out how to protect yourself.
2. Hacking groups can be well organised, like military units.
3. There are certain unwritten rules about hacking - infrastructure is supposed to be off limits
4. There is a great business opportunity in the space if you can build (or hire) the required skills.
For more info on Black Mirage:https://www.blackmirage.sh/
For feedback: Luke@shark.ie
Wednesday Aug 04, 2021
Wednesday Aug 04, 2021
What is up SharkNation!
***This is not financial advice - it is meant for education purposes only***
Luke and Mark talk about 'getting your money right' and building an investment strategy to make the most of the income you're generating.
Luke acts as a guide and breaks down the simple steps a 35 year old would need to take to generate an investment pot of €1m+ in 20 years.
Key takeaways:
1. Everyone should do the math on the €1m investment pot, and what it takes to get there - Luke and Mark describe the the platforms and assets you might use to build and manage your portfolio.
2. As with all income - it's not how much you make but how much you get to keep that matters. So the guys discuss possible tax strategies and how someone might choose investments that won't attract unnecessary taxes.
3. You need a long term mindset - "time in the market beats timing the market'.
4. There are alternatives to ETFs to give a portfolio broad market exposure. Investment trust might be a way for some investors to build their fortune.
5. There are great resources out there - For portfolio ideas see http://www.lazyportfolioetf.com/. Books recommended on the podcast include Unshakable - Tony Robbins. Master the Trade - John Carter and Principles - Ray Dalio.
For Feedback: Luke@shark.ie
KEEP MOVING FORWARD!
Wednesday Jul 28, 2021
Wednesday Jul 28, 2021
What is up SharkNation!
On this episode Luke and Mark sit down with Journalist, Podcaster, and Entrepreneur - Peter McCormack from the "What Bitcoin Did" podcast.
Peter's podcast has reached over 1,000,000 downloads per month and he has also been sharing earning stats on his income report on his website where he shows how he built his podcast income to well over $200k per month.
The guys cover a huge amount of topics on the podcast but here are the key takeaways:
1. Bitcoin is a paradigm shift in finance - banks are in trouble - governments are in trouble - it may be the biggest disrupter of our time.
2. Bitcoin means different things to different people. Some people see it as an opportunity to break away from central governments - some people see it as a store of value with built in scarcity, others a way to buy drugs online (Peter tells us about how he got into Bitcoin while trying to buy drugs through the infamous Silkroad back in 2012).
3. If you're passionate about something - give it a go. Peter started podcasting only a few years ago and now he flys all over the world interviewing Presidents of countries and well known tech personalities like the Winklevoss twins.
4. Time wealth is more important than money. Peter talks about his job in the city and the fancy cars but also the long hours and endless commutes. Peter gives Luke and Mark a snapshot of a day in the life for Peter now, which involves doing what he wants most of the time!
To learn more about Peter and listen to his podcast: https://open.spotify.com/episode/7lS3lnf7taMiptieVXnB3Z?si=20a775b08938439c
For Feedback: Luke@shark.ie
Keep Moving Forward
Wednesday Jul 21, 2021
Wednesday Jul 21, 2021
What is up SharkNation!
This week Luke and Mark sit down with Cathal Noone - Founder and Managing Director of RandDtaxcredits.ie.
Cathal has built a software platform to help companies claim back tax here in Ireland and beyond.
R&D tax credits are big business in Ireland - while working as a Director in a Big 4 accounting firm PWC, Cathal helped his companies claim back a total of almost €1,000,000,000 in tax.
Cathal was frustrated with the in efficiencies he saw in the process and built a webapp to automate a lot of the process and cut costs for clients by up to 50%.
Key Takeaways:
1. Build a business with an undeniable benifit for your customers ("sign up with us - save 50%").
2. Business development is key in the early stage of new ventures - building partnerships and looking for innovate ways to bring your product to market have to be central parts of your strategy.
3. A STEM education can give you a process driven mindset and transferable skills - setting you up for success in later life.
4. Don't be afraid to compete with incumbents in the market (like the Big 4, in this case). They will often take years to change and you can carve out your piece of the market before they have time to act.
5. Automation is coming for the accounting business.
If you would like to learn more about the R&D Tax Credits or Cathal's platform you can see more info here: https://www.randdtaxcredits.ie/home
Or reach out to Cathal directly here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cathalnoone/
For feedback: Luke@shark.ie
Keep Moving Forward!
Thursday Jul 15, 2021
Thursday Jul 15, 2021
What is up SharkNation!
On this episode of the SharkPod, Luke and Mark break down the popular book "Principles" by Ray Dalio.
Dalio ran the biggest hedge fund in the world (Bridgewater) for decades and now, after retiring from running the day to day, he spends his time sharing his learnings through books, podcasts, and his YouTube channel.
The focus of 2021 for Luke was to "get his money right" and start to build a real investment strategy. Luke came across Dalio's investment advice while reading Tony Robins' book "Money: Master the Game" where Ray share's with the world his investment strategy.
Key Takeaways:
1. You need a goal, a mission, a vision to go after. One of Dalio's principles is "Do what you set out to do". He believes that following a dream helps to create a successful life.
2. Everything is a machine. Dalio's sees the whole universe, the economy, the company and the individual as interlocking machines. This take allows him to design investment strategies and company designs to create his desired outcomes.
3. Embrace reality and deal with it. Dalio sees himself as a hyper realist and claims that in order to become successful, you must not worry about what should be and only what is.
4. There is a 5 step process to produce successful results. This simple step by step approach has allowed Dalio to build a very successful career - the guys listen in to Ray explain the steps to the listeners.
Luke and Mark would recommend this book to any entrepreneur or business person. It's a real treasure trove of advice.
Link to book:https://www.amazon.co.uk/Principles-Life-Work-Ray-Dalio/dp/
For Feedback: Luke@Shark.ie"
Thursday Jul 08, 2021
Thursday Jul 08, 2021
What is up SharkNation!
Andy Mackin is the CEO of Mackin Group, an international company that provides both health and safety consulting and talent solutions for companies all over the world.
Andy started the business after a 21 year career in the Irish Navy.
The company has huge ambition and is aiming to generate €75 million per year in revenue by 2025, and €110 million by 2030! Andy shares his vision of ringing the bell at the New York Stock Exchange when the company goes public!
Key takeways:
1. Andy was almost 40 years old when he started the business - it's never too late to pivot to a new career.
2. He found that scale was achieved quickest by going global. Andy talks about opening offices in 18 states in the US, as well as offices in the far east and Africa.
3. Relationships compound over time and it's extremely important to maintain these relationships as you scale.
4. Stay open minded - the Talent side of the business grew from a suggestion from an existing customer and is now a huge part of the Group.
5. Get up early - sleep quicker... :)
For more info on Andy and the business: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mackinconsultancy/?originalSubdomain=ie
For feedback: Luke@shark.ie
Wednesday Jun 30, 2021
Wednesday Jun 30, 2021
What is up SharkNation!
On this episode, Luke and Mark chat to Entrepreneur and former contestant from BBC's 'The Apprentice' - Pamela Laird. Pamela is the founder and CEO of the Moxi Loves, a beauty product business that provides innovative, waterless, and sustainable products.
Moxi Loves is stocked by some of the the biggest retail operations (Boots, Pennys and national pharmacy chains) in Ireland and the UK and will soon be available in Australia also.
The guys dig into Pamela's experience competing on 'The Apprentice' in the UK and also her appearance on the 'Dragon's Den' here in Ireland.
Key Takeaways:
1. Distribution is key but not the most difficult part of the FMCG business. Pamela speaks about how important the product is as well as the packing and over all branding in being stocked by leading retail companies.
2. Working with a distribution company will help you get your product into retail chains but you will need to build up your own capacity for sales and marketing in order to keep momentum. There are risks involved with using distributers as they can become very important to your business, thus giving them a lot of negotiating power.
3. Build your brand to sell - Pamela tries to allow the Moxi Loves brand to be independent from her personal brand. In this way she is building a business with performance not tied directly to her, allowing investors or buyers to evaluate the business on its own merits.
4. The UK is a great source for investment for Irish Entrepreneurs. Getting involved with UK based shows (like The Apprentice) can help you build your profile there.
5. Momentum is the hardest thing about this business. New products, new markets, and finding new customers who are loyal to your brand in the long term is difficult when competing with some of the biggest companies in the world.
For more information on Moxi Loves: https://moxiloves.com/
For Feedback: Luke@shark.ie
Keep Moving Forward!
Wednesday Jun 23, 2021
Wednesday Jun 23, 2021
What is up SharkNation!
This week on the podcast Luke and Mark sit down with property Entrepreneur and Podcaster Gavin J Gallagher. Gavin is a property developer that built up a fortune during the Celtic Tiger, only to lose it all after the property crash of 2008.
Gavin not only shares his story about how he got involved in property and how he build a €65 million portfolio in just a few short years, but also the subsequent fall to a negative net worth after 2008.
Gavin tells the guys about what it was like during the the Celtic Tiger era in Ireland and how a winning streak in the property market led him to over-leverage his position while chasing his dream of getting to a €100M in assets.
After years of dealing with the banks after the financial crisis, Gavin became interested in sharing his story and the lessons he's learned along the way with the the next generation of 'would-be' property entrepreneurs.
Key takeaways:
1. Whatever you do in property - mindset will be a major factor in how you perform in the long term.
2. Investing in property gives you leverage. You can amplify your gains (and your losses) by using debt to fund your property vision. This is what makes it an attractive area to build a business.
3. Creativity is an important element of investing in property successfully. If you can see the potential in a project that others can't, you will be able to the acquire property and increase its value with your creativity, leaving others behind.
4. Hubris is a real risk once you become successful. Becoming addicted to the affluent lifestyle can cloud your vision of risk and lead to overextension.
5. If you are going to invest in property, pay someone to help that knows what they are doing.
If you are interested in learning more about Gavin you can listen to his podcast "Behind the Facade" here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1Nc4DcZiTGK85SVOdo3245?si=fd5530e6f8d34311
You can also follow him on Youtube here :https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5L1ZJriImk
For feedback: Luke@shark.ie
Wednesday Jun 16, 2021
Wednesday Jun 16, 2021
What is up SharkNation!
On this episode, Luke and Mark chat to Daragh Jordan and Erik Jentetics - Founders Grafton Digital.
Sometimes the podcast recordings take place at very interesting times in the growth curve of a business. Daragh and Erik are just 20 years old and are taking their company to the USA to chase growth opportunities.
Luke and Mark had grown up with the vision of moving to the States and starting businesses there and it is great to hear these young guys acting on a similar vision.
Key takeaways:
1. It's never too soon to start. Daragh and Erik started the business 3 years ago when they were just 17.
2. When you start early you have a lot of time to pivot. The guys have already pivoted away from social media marketing to focus on their core business of app and web development.
3. There is nothing stopping you from doing business with the world's biggest economy.
4. You can take bigger risks when you are young because you have a lot time to make up for mistakes made.
5. Try to work in an industry where you get access to the 'back - end' of businesses, you'll quickly learn which businesses are profitable and which ones to avoid when starting your own business.
You can learn more about the guys here: https://graftondigital.com/.
For feedback: Luke@shark.ie
Keep Moving Forward!
Wednesday Jun 09, 2021
Wednesday Jun 09, 2021
What is up SharkNation!
This week Luke and Mark sit down with serial entrepreneur, Ronan Cunningham to talk about leveraging innovation to start businesses.
Ronan started off his career in Law, but after being let go he found himself participating in a course in UCD focused on applying innovation to business problems. Ronan took an idea from the course and spun it into his first business. FootTee - a football based golf game. The business took off from the start and it has led Ronan to build other 'experience' businesses including his latest venture, Zero Latency - a virtual reality business - based in Dublin.
Key takeaways:
1. You don't have to start a business in a field you already work in, Ronan was new t the experience business but took action after extensive research.
2. It's never too late to pivot. Ronan talks about how people get on a certain track in life and feel like the only way to succeed is to continue on the path you are on. He uses the legal profession as an example. Ronan's career is proof that this is not have to be the case.
3.Double down on what works. Ronan laments not expanding faster on his first business once he found product-market fit.
4. Leverage other people's great ideas if possible. Ronan's new venture is a franchise from an Australian based company. By working with them, he is leveraging their R&D dollars and applying a winning model to the Irish market.
For more information on Zero Latency: Zerolatencyvr.ie
For Feedback: Luke@Shark.ie
Keep Moving Forward!