EE520: Thomas Carty - From 300 Boxes to Nationwide Retail | How He Built Thirst

This is one of the most personal founder stories we’ve recorded on The Entrepreneur Experiment. Danny Buckley is the co-founder of ADHD Now and a 2026 EY Entrepreneur of the Year finalist. But the company exists because of a far more personal story. Danny spent much of his life struggling with distraction, emotional dysregulation, anxiety and a lack of structure without understanding why. His wife Simone believed he had ADHD. Danny dismissed it. Then life changed completely. After years of serious health challenges, Simone became critically ill. The day before she died, she told Danny that life was short, that he needed to stop inflicting suffering on himself, get help for his ADHD, understand who he was and back himself. Danny eventually followed her advice. His diagnosis at 32 gave him a new understanding of himself, but getting there exposed another problem: accessing ADHD assessment and support was extraordinarily difficult. Danny saw an opportunity to change that. Together with his co-founders, he built ADHD Now around a simple idea: people should be able to get answers in weeks rather than wait years. We unpack how they found clinical capacity, built the technology and processes, generated demand, scaled the team and created a service that expects to see 13,000 patients in 2026. But this conversation goes far beyond business. Danny speaks openly about grief, becoming emotionally available for his son, sobriety, faith, asking for help and learning to live with structure and discipline. We also explore why ADHD appears so frequently among entrepreneurs, how hyperfocus can become both an advantage and a liability, and why Danny eventually had to recognise that not every exciting business opportunity deserved his attention. His personal framework is beautifully simple: desire, hard work and help. And each morning, he returns to his Three Cs: Connection. Compassion. Contribution. This is a story about what happens when you finally understand yourself, accept what you cannot control and put your energy into what you can. As Danny puts it: “Life is short. Enjoy the life you’ve left.” IN THIS EPISODE Danny’s experience of living with undiagnosed ADHD The final conversation with his wife Simone that changed the direction of his life Why he travelled to the UK to receive his ADHD diagnosis How diagnosis brought structure, discipline and emotional awareness into his life Why getting a diagnosis is only the beginning Turning his own experience into the idea for ADHD Now The stranger Danny met outside the hospital who would later back the business How ADHD Now went from idea to launch in a matter of months Recruiting clinicians when the healthcare system was already at capacity Using technology and systems to reduce friction for patients Why private providers may form part of the solution to healthcare waiting lists The relationship between ADHD, hyperfocus and entrepreneurship Why Danny bought two bakeries while scaling a healthcare company Learning when ADHD-driven curiosity becomes distraction Danny’s formula of desire, hard work and help His Three Cs: Connection, Compassion and Contribution The moment at EY Entrepreneur of the Year when Danny finally felt proud of himself Why he rejects the idea that founders have to be miserable to succeed Faith, fatherhood and redefining what success means Why “action removes anxiety” Our Sponsors: Nostra: https://bit.ly/nostra26 Azure Communications: https://bit.ly/azure26 🔗 Links & Resources: ADHD Now: https://adhdnow.com/ie Danny Buckley on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/danibuckley90 Danny Buckley on LinkedIn: https://ie.linkedin.com/in/danny-buckley-84840b2a0 Book recommendation – Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss: https://amzn.to/4dshO2a Follow The Entrepreneur Experiment: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/entrepreneurexperiment/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@entrepreneurexperiment Podcast: https://www.mrgaryfox.com/podcast

Building a trusted brand rarely comes from one viral moment. It comes from showing up consistently, solving real problems and earning people’s attention over time. In this Mentor Moment, Laura Dowling shares how she built credibility by making complex health information easier to understand and creating content that genuinely helped her audience. It’s a valuable lesson for any founder or creator trying to grow a brand: trust compounds, consistency matters and meaningful impact will always outlast a temporary spike in views. 🎧 Listen back to Laura’s full conversation in Episode 466 of The Entrepreneur Experiment for more on her journey from pharmacist to educator, entrepreneur and trusted voice in women’s health. Follow and subscribe so you never miss a Mentor Moment. *Our Sponsors * Nostra: https://bit.ly/nostra26 Azure: https://bit.ly/azure26  Follow The Entrepreneur Experiment: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/entrepreneurexperiment/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@entrepreneurexperiment

In this episode of The Entrepreneur Experiment, Gary Fox sits down with professional heavyweight boxer and Thirst co-founder Thomas Carty to unpack how he built one of Ireland’s fastest-growing hydration brands while pursuing a career in professional boxing. The idea began with Thomas’s own search for a convenient electrolyte product to support his training. When the brand he relied on stopped shipping to Ireland, he decided to create his own. Within just ten weeks, Thomas and his business partner had developed and self-funded their first 300 boxes—but producing the product was only the beginning. After pharmacies, health shops and supplement stores refused to stock them, Thomas loaded the boxes into his car and began selling them one at a time to coffee shops and saunas across Dublin. Today, Thirst works with more than 20 distributors and is stocked across Ireland in hundreds of cafés, vending machines, gyms, forecourts and major retail groups. Thomas shares the reality behind that growth: the uncomfortable early sales, the importance of moving quickly, how founder-led content helped build trust and why the right business partner allowed him to balance building Thirst with training up to 11 times a week. If you have an idea you’ve been waiting to launch, this episode is a practical masterclass in product development, distribution, founder-led marketing and getting started before everything is perfect. 🎧 Show Notes: In this episode, we cover: 🥊 How Thomas’s Olympic ambitions led him into professional boxing 💡 The sauna conversation that sparked the idea for Thirst 🤝 Finding a business partner with complementary skills ⚡ Developing and self-funding the first product in just ten weeks 📦 Starting with 300 boxes across three flavours 🚪 What happened when pharmacies and supplement stores refused to stock the brand ☕ Creating a new route to market through coffee shops and saunas 🚗 Driving across Dublin to sell one box at a time 📱 Using social proof and founder-led content to build trust 🎙️ The podcast appearance that created a major spike in sales 📈 Growing from one distributor to more than 20 🛒 Designing packaging specifically for convenience and retail 🏪 Expanding into hundreds of cafés and vending machines across Ireland ⏱️ Why speed has become one of Thirst’s greatest advantages 🧠 Balancing a growing company with 11 boxing and training sessions each week 📓 The physical diary Thomas relies on to manage his life and workload 🌍 Why export—not launching a canned drink—is the next priority 📣 Why social media remains the most powerful free tool available to founders 🚀 What Thomas would do differently if he were launching Thirst again 🔥 Why blind faith and hard work form his personal formula for success 💬 “The secret sauce is graft. There’s no secret.” – Thomas Carty 🔗 Links & Resources: Thirst: https://thirstlife.com Thirst on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thirst.life Thomas Carty on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_thomascarty Thomas Carty on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-carty-775516162 Book recommendation – Relentless by Tim Grover: https://timgrover.com/relentless/ Our Sponsors: Nostra: https://bit.ly/nostra26 Azure Communications: https://bit.ly/azure26 Follow The Entrepreneur Experiment: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/entrepreneurexperiment/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@entrepreneurexperiment Podcast: https://www.mrgaryfox.com/podcast

The biggest opportunities in your career rarely arrive with a perfect plan. In this Mentor Moment, Mark Breen, founder of Safe Events Global, shares how saying yes, staying open to unexpected opportunities and being willing to follow where the work led helped shape his career. It’s a powerful reminder that progress is not always linear. Sometimes, the next step only becomes clear after you take it. 🎧 Listen back to Mark’s full conversation in Episode 463 of The Entrepreneur Experiment for more on his journey, the growth of Safe Events Global and the lessons he has learned along the way. Follow and subscribe so you never miss a Mentor Moment. *Our Sponsors * Nostra: https://bit.ly/nostra26 Azure: https://bit.ly/azure26  Follow The Entrepreneur Experiment: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/entrepreneurexperiment/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@entrepreneurexperiment

In this episode of The Entrepreneur Experiment, Gary Fox sits down with Jeff Dodds, CEO of Formula E, the electric motorsport championship that has grown from no established fan base to more than 400 million fans worldwide. Jeff takes us inside the rapidly expanding business of global sport and explains how Formula E is combining close-combat racing, world-famous manufacturers, sustainability, social media and entertainment to build the next generation of motorsport. He shares the unconventional story of how he moved from leading Virgin Media O2 into Formula E, what he discovered during his first month as CEO, and why he keeps a game of Snakes and Ladders behind his desk as a reminder of the realities of running a scale-up. Jeff also reveals the leadership principles that shape Formula E’s culture, including the three qualities he looks for in every team member: energy, optimism and accountability. He explains how obsessive behaviour can become a competitive advantage, why leaders must focus on what they can control, and how Formula E uses immediate post-race debriefs to turn lessons into action. From managing his energy while travelling for six months of the year to balancing competition, training and recovery, this is a fascinating conversation about leadership, performance and building a global sports platform. For founders, CEOs and anyone trying to scale an ambitious organisation, this episode is packed with practical insights. Show Notes In this episode, we cover: 🏎️ How Formula E grew to more than 400 million fans worldwide 💰 How the business of global sport actually makes money 📱 The role of creators, social media and entertainment in growing a sport 🔥 Why obsessiveness can become a competitive advantage 🪜 Jeff’s “Snakes and Ladders” approach to leading a scale-up ⚡ The three traits behind high-performing teams: energy, optimism and accountability 📝 Formula E’s “I like, I wonder” post-race debrief system 🔋 How Jeff manages energy, travel and recovery as a global CEO 🚀 Why first-mover advantage still matters in business Links and Resources Connect with Jeff and Formula E Formula E official website (https://www.fiaformulae.com/) Formula E on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/formula-e/) Jeff Dodds on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jedodds/) Formula E on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fiaformulae/?hl=en https://www.youtube.com/@FIAFormulaE *Our Sponsors * Nostra: https://bit.ly/nostra26 Azure: https://bit.ly/azure26  Follow The Entrepreneur Experiment: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/entrepreneurexperiment/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@entrepreneurexperiment

ou don’t need a huge budget to prove that an idea can work. You need creativity, resourcefulness and the willingness to start. In this Mentor Moment, Ryan Casey, founder of C11 Recovery, shares how he began building the brand with limited resources by creating recovery boxes, tapping into his network and finding smart ways to test demand before scaling. It’s a practical lesson in building momentum without waiting for perfect conditions, using partnerships to create opportunities and proving the concept before making bigger investments. 🎧 Listen back to Ryan’s full conversation in Episode 462 of The Entrepreneur Experiment for more on the story behind C11 Recovery and the lessons he has learned building the business. Follow and subscribe so you never miss a Mentor Moment. *Our Sponsors * Nostra: https://bit.ly/nostra26 Azure: https://bit.ly/azure26  Follow The Entrepreneur Experiment: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/entrepreneurexperiment/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@entrepreneurexperiment

In this episode of The Entrepreneur Experiment, Gary Fox sits down with Stephen Cluskey, CEO and co-founder of Mobility Mojo. At 18, Stephen broke his neck in a freak accident and was paralysed from the neck down. After years focused on rehabilitation, a six-hour wait for an accessible taxi inspired his first business and ultimately led to the creation of Mobility Mojo. Stephen shares how the company survived with just €237 left in the bank, adapted when Covid shut down the hospitality industry and evolved into a global workplace accessibility platform used by major organisations. This is a powerful conversation about resilience, purpose, product-market fit and why the people who survive are often those most willing to adapt. 🎧 Show Notes In this episode, we cover: 🔥 The accident that changed Stephen’s life at 18 🎯 Using small goals to navigate recovery 🚕 The inaccessible taxi experience that sparked his first business 💶 Reaching just €237 in the company bank account 🌍 The conversation that transformed Mobility Mojo’s business model 🦠 Pivoting when Covid shut down the hospitality industry 🏢 Building a global workplace accessibility platform 📈 Raising investment and winning major enterprise clients ♿ Why accessibility goes far beyond ramps and bathrooms ⚖️ Combining social impact with a profitable business model 👥 The importance of team, perseverance and adaptability 💬 “It’s not the strongest that survive; it’s those that adapt.” – Stephen Cluskey *Our Sponsors * Nostra: https://bit.ly/nostra26 Azure: https://bit.ly/azure26  Follow The Entrepreneur Experiment: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/entrepreneurexperiment/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@entrepreneurexperiment

What if the key to performing at your best isn't working harder—but recovering better? In this episode of The Entrepreneur Experiment, Gary Fox sits down with performance coach Dan Lawrence to explore the science behind sustainable high performance. Drawing on years of experience working with elite athletes, founders and executives, Dan explains why recovery isn't a reward for hard work—it's what makes peak performance possible. They discuss the hidden cost of chronic stress, the importance of sleep, nutrition and movement, and why the world's highest performers treat recovery as seriously as training. Dan also shares practical strategies to improve focus, resilience and long-term performance without burning out. Whether you're building a business, leading a team or simply trying to perform better in your everyday life, this conversation is packed with actionable insights you can start applying immediately. *Our Sponsors * Nostra: https://bit.ly/nostra26 Azure: https://bit.ly/azure26  Follow The Entrepreneur Experiment: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/entrepreneurexperiment/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@entrepreneurexperiment

In this episode of The Entrepreneur Experiment, Gary Fox sits down with Emmet Savage, co-founder of MyWallSt, to talk investing, AI and the reality of building a business over the long term. Emmet shares the framework he uses to identify exceptional companies, why the best investors often do less, and how early bets on companies like Netflix and Tesla shaped his approach. He also reveals how MyWallSt went from being close to collapse after 12 years in business to generating the equivalent of 12 years of revenue in just 12 days. This is a conversation about patience, conviction, optimism and staying in the game long enough for everything to change. 🎧 Show Notes In this episode, we cover: 🔥 Emmet’s formula for success in business and investing 📈 How he identifies companies with long-term growth potential 🧠 Why emotion can help and hurt investors ⏳ The power of buying well and holding for decades 🚀 His early investments in Netflix and Tesla 🤖 Whether AI is a bubble or a generational opportunity 🌌 Why space and Rocket Lab excite him 💰 How MyWallSt achieved 12 years of revenue in 12 days ⚠️ Why hustle culture gives founders the wrong message 🌱 How optimism and persistence kept the business alive 💬 “The route to success is one mistake after another, staggered by the occasional blistering winner.” – Emmet Savage *Our Sponsors * Nostra: https://bit.ly/nostra26 Azure: https://bit.ly/azure26  Follow The Entrepreneur Experiment: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/entrepreneurexperiment/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@entrepreneurexperiment Links and Resources Emmet Savage and MyWallSt MyWallSt: https://www.mywallst.com/ Learn by MyWallSt: https://www.learn.mywallst.com/ Prophet by MyWallSt: https://www.mywallst.com/prophet_landing Emmet’s investing journey: https://www.mywallst.com/chief-investor-letter Investicon 2026 Investicon takes place in Dublin on 27 August 2026, bringing together leading investors to share the companies and investment themes they believe have the greatest long-term potential. Tickets and event information: https://www.investicon.ie/ Listener discount mentioned in the episode: Use the code GARY200 for €200 off.

Success isn't just about what you know - it's about who you surround yourself with. In this Mentor Moment, Jenny Johnston, founder of Azure Communications, shares why the strongest careers and businesses are built on genuine relationships. From asking for help to creating opportunities for others, Jenny explains why generosity, trust, and investing in your network can open doors that talent alone never will. Whether you're building a business, growing your career, or looking to expand your circle, this conversation is a powerful reminder that your network is one of your most valuable assets. 🎧 Enjoyed this Mentor Moment? Listen back to the full conversation with Jenny Johnston in Episode 458 of The Entrepreneur Experiment, where she shares the story behind building Azure Communications into one of Ireland's leading communications agencies, the lessons she's learned as an entrepreneur, and why relationships remain at the heart of lasting success. Follow and subscribe to The Entrepreneur Experiment for a new Mentor Moment every week, plus full conversations with world-class founders, creators and leaders. *Our Sponsors * Nostra: https://bit.ly/nostra26 Azure: https://bit.ly/azure26  Follow The Entrepreneur Experiment: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/entrepreneurexperiment/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@entrepreneurexperiment