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 Jun 02, 2021
Wednesday Jun 02, 2021
What is Up SharkNation!
In this episode Luke and Mark learn about Bitcoin and crypto investing from Kryptalk's Shane Talty. Shane has been investing in Bitcoin for years and runs a YouTube channel where he provides updates and insights on all things bitcoin.
Luke and Mark are looking to become investors in crypto but want to get a good grounding in the subject before they dive in. Shane provides his take on Bitcoin investing as well as his story of how he got involved.
Key Take aways:
1. Cryptocurrencies are volatile and investors should learn all they can about them before investing.
2. Like other investments, a long term view is helpful to manage emotions during down cycles.
3. There are a lot of exchanges out there but Coinbase have made it very easy to start investing, and because they are a publicly traded company they feel more safe than other exchanges.
4. There are trading strategies out there for "scalping" alternative coins in speculative trades but these strategies require special knowledge and don't suit the long term investor.
5. There may be a future where crypto currency is the defacto way to pay for things, but this is a long way off.
6. When Luke and Mark start investing they will be 'dollar cost averaging' - meaning they will be buying when the market moves up, down, or sideways, constantly. In this way they should be able to smooth out their return over time and avoid trying to "time the market.
If you would like to watch Shane in action his Youtube channel is here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9d0CqTAyAvOiOn4-UGUg1A
Book mentioned as a good resource to learn about Bitcoin: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bitcoin-Standard-Decentralized-Alternative-Central/dp/1119473861
For feedback: Luke@shark.ie
Wednesday May 26, 2021
Wednesday May 26, 2021
What is up SharkNation!
This week, Luke and Mark chat to waste tech entrepreneur John O'Connor on his growing waste management business (Kollect.ie) and how he is building a business that affects every household and business in Ireland.
The guys talk about alternative business financing strategies and how Kollect launched an IPO in Sweden's Nasdaq branded stock exchange. They talk about the benefits of going public so early and how it made them grow up as a business and focus.
Key takeaways:
1. Entrepreneurial success is not usually a straight line exercise: John talks about starting businesses in different industries - night clubs, gyms and even a Subway franchise, before he found the industry that worked for him.
2. A mix of skills is the key to effectiveness in a management team: John describes the three founders of Kollect and how they leverage their individual strengths to propel the business forward.
3. Grow up ASAP: The best thing about going public early on is John and the management team was forced to build a grown up business with a board, structures and controls. They are now set up to scale. They would have had to do this at some time in the future, but by doing this early they can get on with the task of growing the business.
4. Do something you are passionate about: There are so many problems to fix. Picking an industry that annoys you and making it better is a great way to generate opportunities for yourself. John has been scratching his own itch throughout his business journey and this has led him to building a disruptive business in an industry ripe for evolution.
You can learn more about John and Kollect here: kollect.ie
For Feedback you can reach out to the lads here: Luke@Shark.ie
Keep Moving Forward!
Wednesday May 19, 2021
Wednesday May 19, 2021
What is up SharkNation!
The sneaker/runner industry is a part of modern pop-culture.
Luke and Mark chat to an entrepreneur from a different generation. Someone who is at the very beginning of their entrepreneurial journey. Kevin started Sneaker Cleaner at the age of 17 and now 3 years later, he has a retail location in the heart of Dublin's most desirable shopping districts.
Sneaker Cleaner will also be featured in Ireland's high end retail store, Brown Thomas, as a product offering for their customers.
The guys chat about all things business and really dig into the mindset of the next generation of entrepreneurs in Ireland.
Key takeaways:
1. Find a mentor - Kevin mentions at least 3 business people who have been helping him in business and who have built successful businesses in the past (all three have appeared on the SharkPod).
2. Find a way to add value to your mentor's business - in Kevin's case, he used his audio/visual skills to help successful entrepreneurs with their business and gained invaluable experience as a result.
3. Collaborate big - try to find partners to help you grow. Kevin talks about partnering with some of the biggest product in the industry.
4. Pick a business with different angles to facilitate expansion: Kevin talks about different ways he might grow the business. From cleaning products to auctioning and mail order, there are all kinds of creative ways to make money in the Sneakers business and this is an element to keep in mind when you are starting your business.
Kevin's website: https://www.sneakercleaner.ie/
For feedback: Luke@shark.ie
Keep Moving Forward
Tuesday May 18, 2021
Tuesday May 18, 2021
What is up SharkNation!
This is a bonus episode of the SharkPod that features the founder of Bitesize Irish, Eoin Ó Conchúir.
Bitesize Irish is a community that is aimed at helping people all over the world develop their Irish language ability. Their tagline is "Gaelige Gach Lá" (Irish everyday)
Luke chatted to Eoin Ó Conchúir about all things language learning including Luke's journey with the learning the language starting at age 30.
This includes the tools and tactics used by Luke to get a handle on the fundamentals of the language.
Eoin has his own podcast with over 100 episodes: https://open.spotify.com/show/75kbMRRV1mWcI6HFcFazJv?si=vGGQuYC-RH2Vr3ACyFw77A
And you can learn more about the work Eoin does at: https://www.bitesize.irish/
For feedback: Luke@Shark.ie
Wednesday May 12, 2021
Wednesday May 12, 2021
What is up SharkNation!
On this episode Luke and Mark sit down with Kevin O'Loughlin, CEO of Nostra (IT Outsourcing business based in Lucan, Ireland) to chat about the company's rise and how the business has thrived through Covid times.
Key Take aways:
1. If you want to build a €20,000,000 business you need to think long term.
2. Thinking of your business as a 30 year play changes how you make decisions and gives you clarity.
3. Dublin is one of the best places in the world to HQ your business - Kevin believes that Dublin has everything you need to succeed.
4. Employing people brings you joy and seeing your employees develop their careers at the company you built is very satisfying.
5. Recurring revenue gives you the benefits of the law of compounding and it is something to consider when designing your business.
6. The most promising niche in the IT outsourcing industry is in Security.
If you want to learn more about Nostra and want to explore career opportunities there, you can find out more information here: https://nostra.ie/nostra-careers
For feedback: Luke@shark.ie
KEEP MOVING FORWARD!
Wednesday May 05, 2021
Wednesday May 05, 2021
"What is up SharkNation!
On today's episode, the guys break down "How to Get Rich" according to Naval Ravikant.
Naval is an Investor/entrepreneur based in the Silicon Vally ecosystem.
He is the founder of AngelList, a platform that brings investors and entrepreneurs together.
He is known as a philosopher on all things business and produced a "tweet storm" about how to get rich. He then released a 3h+ interview where he explains his prescriptions.
Luke and Mark take what they think are the best and most actionable points from this interview and break it down for the SharkPod listeners.
Key Takeaways:
1. Accept business responsibility under your own name. Naval suggests that most people are hiding in the crowd. This is hard wired into the human brain as to fail in front of the tribe produced dire consequences. These day however the risks of danger are low and society rewards those who are the owners of initiatives
2. Play long-term games with long-term people. Naval prescribes looking for industries you can build long term relationships in. This will lead to compound effects in networking and will ensure that everyone involved knows that they should treat you well because they are likely to need you in the future.
3. Learn to sell, learn to build. Luke and Mark discuss Naval's suggestion that those that can do both are unstoppable and investors are really looking for a mix of the two traits in founders when making investments.
4. There is no actual skill called business. Naval takes the position that business skills can not be taught by watching. Luke and Mark discuss education and if they would be recommending university to their children.
5. Leverage. Naval talks about how to use leverage to get rich. Luke and Mark discuss leverage in the internet age and how to develop business ideas at scale.
If you would like to learn more about the How to Get Rich approach of Naval you can check out his full podcast here:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-TZqOsVCNM&t=3415s.
For feedback: Luke@Shark.ie
Wednesday Apr 28, 2021
Wednesday Apr 28, 2021
What is up SharkNation!
Today the guys cover a very important topic with their special guest Barbara Sheahan, Founder and MD of HealthCare Compare (hcc.ie) - the place to go when you need to figure out how to protect yourself and your family.
Luke and Mark talk about entrepreneurship with Barbara but the conversation really turns into a clinic on all things health insurance.
Key takeaways:
1. If you are in Ireland - get in early. The government penalises people who takeout insurance later in life.
2. Get a pro to help you out. During the pod Luke and Mark learn a lot about how the different plans work and how finding the right plan for you and your family can be a tricky undertaking.
3. Follow your passion. We talk about how Barbara has always wanted to create a successful business within the Health Insurance industry.
4. Health Insurance is opaque. There are plans that are not advertised on the insurers websites and these could be the best fit for you.
This is another episode that is more like a workshop, like the investing pods the guys did back in January 2021, this is another element in designing your lifestyle that you should take charge of.
For more information on HealthCare Compare: hcc.ie
To connect with Barbara : linkedin.com/in/barbara-sheahan-89076872/
For feedback: Luke@shark.ie
Keep Moving Forward!
Wednesday Apr 21, 2021
Wednesday Apr 21, 2021
What is up SharkNation!
Today Luke and Mark chat to one of Ireland's most successful arts of the past 2 decades - Eoin O'Connor (https://eoinoconnor.com), Artist/entrepreneur.
You are probably familiar with Eoin's work if you are living in Ireland as his paintings have been licensed by some of Ireland's most important retail chains.
Luke and Mark chat to Eoin about his rise in the Irish art world and how he always had sustainability in mind when it came to earning a living through his art.
This should be required listening for anyone serious about turning 'pro' as an Artist as it lays out the steps taken for Eoin's success, as well as a repeatable model other aspiring artists can follow.
Key takeaways:
1. Start out to be a professional. Eoin stated to sell his work as early as possible, going 'door to door' to retail outlets to get noticed.
2. Think distribution. Where can your work we sold most effectively? In Eoin's case, this was national retail chains in Ireland.
3. Don't be afraid to put yourself out there. Eoin describes setting up for the first time at the Art showcase in the RDS and feeling nervous when he seen the other exhibitors. After selling out all of his paintings, he grew in confidence.
4. Scale up. Eoin mentions his studio - his gallery and his business development relationships with national retails in Ireland. He mentions his hired staff that help him deliver on a huge amount of daily orders.
5. Get online. Selling direct to consumer cuts out the middleman and allows you to bank a bigger margin. Eoin leverages Shopify and Facebook ads to reach is international audience and manages orders through his full time team.
For more information on Eoin see:https://eoinoconnor.com/
Eoin's insta:https://www.instagram.com/eoinoconnorartist/
For feedback: Luke@shark.ie
Wednesday Apr 14, 2021
Wednesday Apr 14, 2021
What is up SharkNation!
This week on the SharkPod Luke and Mark sit down with Rónán Ó Dálaigh - Founder and CEO of Thriftify.
Thrifitify helps charities get the most out of donated goods by providing an online platform for them to sell directly to the public.
By bringing technology to the industry, Thriftify hopes to ensure that the retailer gets the best price for their donated items while the public gets the chance to shop sustainably from the comfort of their home.
Biggest takeaways:
1. Entrepreneurship can be done in a way that makes the world a better place.
2. Some of the biggest opportunities in business are in sustainability. As people become more concerned about climate change, equality and equity, there will be opportunities to build companies with these principles in mind.
3. Even if the generation of maximum profits for the company is not the only goal, you can still raise funding if you need it to scale. During the pod they discuss how Rónán had to adjust his vision of the company only slightly in order to raise the capital they needed to expand.
4. Build something with passion. When it comes to building a business, being passionate about the the problem you are solving will drive you to put in the work necessary to make the project succeed. Instead of jumping on the latest business fad, find a problem you are passionate about solving and see where it leads.
5. Sustainability as competitive advantage. In the future, as regulations change, those companies that are sustainable by choice and strategy will have a distinct competitive advantage.
You can follow Rónán on insta: https://www.instagram.com/ronanodalaigh/
Thriftify: thriftify.ie
For feedback: Luke@shark.ie
Keep Moving Forward!
Wednesday Apr 07, 2021
Wednesday Apr 07, 2021
What is up SharkNation!
On this episode of the SharkPod - Luke and Mark meet with Paul Devaney of Irish 7 Summits.
The 7 summits challenge involves climbing the highest mountain peak on all 7 continents.
Paul and his group of amateur mountaineers have managed to climb 6 of 7, with only one remaining - Mount Everest.
During the chat they cover:
1. How Paul, having no background in mountaineering growing up, got involved with such arduous challenge.
2. How Paul started to tick off the various climbs and a discussion on which ones were the most challenging and where someone should start if they would like to take in this challenge for themselves.
3. They discuss what is involved in getting ready for these expeditions and the sacrifices that need to be made when chasing this goal.
4. They talk about Paul's first attempt at climbing Everest and how that ended in disaster (avalanche).
5. How his second attempt at climbing Everest also ended in disaster (earthquake) and the rescue that he was involved in during the aftermath.
6. They talk about going back to Everest, Paul's final peak of the 7 summit challenge, and how he will prepare when he goes back.
And much more.
For more information on the 7 summits check out:https://irishsevensummits.com/stats-seven-summits/
For feedback: Luke@shark.ie
Keep Moving Forward!