EE431 - €0->€4 Million in 4 Years

In this episode of The Entrepreneur Experiment, Gary Fox sits down with Cait and Cillian, the powerhouse duo behind Luxury Exchange - the Irish-born fashion resale platform that’s redefining pre-loved luxury. From humble beginnings selling designer pieces on Instagram between her shifts at Brown Thomas, Cat grew her side project into a business projected to do over €4 million in turnover this year. Joined by her fiancé and co-founder Cillian, the pair share a raw and inspiring look at what it really takes to scale a customer-first business - from running daily Instagram Lives to bootstrapping every aspect of growth with zero external funding. They open up about the early mistakes (hello, 10% commission), pivotal turning points like their first €6k live sale from a holiday home in Waterville, and the relentless work ethic that powers their mission today. If you're an aspiring entrepreneur or operator wondering how to build a cult brand through trust, taste, and total obsession with your customer, this one’s for you. ----- Subscribe to our newsletter for weekly inspiration on Business, Brain and Body, as well as exclusive events, courses and more, straight to your inbox. It's free! https://www.mrgaryfox.com/subscribe-1 --- Visit my partners Enterprise Ireland: https://bit.ly/EIreland Azure Communications: https://bit.ly/azureEE Nostra: https://bit.ly/3HHwSMo

In this episode of The Entrepreneur Experiment, Gary Fox sits down with Cait and Cillian, the powerhouse duo behind Luxury Exchange - the Irish-born fashion resale platform that’s redefining pre-loved luxury. From humble beginnings selling designer pieces on Instagram between her shifts at Brown Thomas, Cat grew her side project into a business projected to do over €4 million in turnover this year. Joined by her fiancé and co-founder Cillian, the pair share a raw and inspiring look at what it really takes to scale a customer-first business - from running daily Instagram Lives to bootstrapping every aspect of growth with zero external funding. They open up about the early mistakes (hello, 10% commission), pivotal turning points like their first €6k live sale from a holiday home in Waterville, and the relentless work ethic that powers their mission today. If you're an aspiring entrepreneur or operator wondering how to build a cult brand through trust, taste, and total obsession with your customer, this one’s for you. ----- Subscribe to our newsletter for weekly inspiration on Business, Brain and Body, as well as exclusive events, courses and more, straight to your inbox. It's free! https://www.mrgaryfox.com/subscribe-1 --- Visit my partners Enterprise Ireland: https://bit.ly/EIreland Azure Communications: https://bit.ly/azureEE Nostra: https://bit.ly/3HHwSMo

In this Mentor Moment from The Entrepreneur Experiment Episode 378, Luke Joyce shares how he’s transformed the traditional window cleaning business using technology, subscriptions, and automation. Luke reveals his vision to scale nationwide, break into the UK, and ultimately build systems that could apply to any home service — all while solving pain points and staying miles ahead of the competition. ----- Subscribe to our newsletter for weekly inspiration on Business, Brain and Body, as well as exclusive events, courses and more, straight to your inbox. It's free! https://www.mrgaryfox.com/subscribe-1 --- Visit my partners Enterprise Ireland: https://bit.ly/EIreland Azure Communications: https://bit.ly/azureEE Nostra: https://bit.ly/3HHwSMo

In this episode of The Entrepreneur Experiment, Gary Fox sits down with Timo Boldt, the visionary founder and CEO of Gousto, the UK’s leading homegrown meal-kit company. From humble beginnings hand-delivering recipe boxes and knocking on doors, to building a data-powered food business that serves millions of dinners annually, Timo shares his 13-year journey of grit, resilience, and customer obsession. He opens up about the early grind, raising capital without a single VC contact, harnessing AI to scale operations, and his mission to make healthy eating effortless. Whether you’re a startup founder, food enthusiast, or curious about building a complex, capital-intensive company, this episode is packed with real-world lessons on leadership, discipline, and creating meaningful impact. Show Notes In this episode, we cover: 🔥 How Timo went from cooking in his tiny flat to delivering millions of dinners annually 🚀 The scrappy early days—handing out flyers, door-to-door sales, hand-packing boxes 💡 Why customer obsession and continuous improvement power Gousto’s growth flywheel 📈 How Gousto uses AI in everything from logistics to recipe creation and personalisation 💰 The realities of scaling a capital-intensive food business (hundreds of millions raised) 🌱 Timo’s vision of Gousto as a future preventative healthcare platform ⚡ The underrated power of personal discipline: mindset, gratefulness, and fitness 💬 “The grass is greenest where you water it. Take care of yourself, obsess about the customer, build the best team you can—and great things will happen.” — Timo Boldt Links & Resources Gousto (now in Ireland)— Try the UK’s leading homegrown meal-kit service: https://www.gousto.co.uk/  Timo Boldt on LinkedIn — Follow Timo’s journey: https://www.linkedin.com/in/timo-boldt/  Book: Die With Zero by Bill Perkins ----- Subscribe to our newsletter for weekly inspiration on Business, Brain and Body, as well as exclusive events, courses and more, straight to your inbox. It's free! https://www.mrgaryfox.com/subscribe-1  --- Visit my partners Enterprise Ireland: https://bit.ly/EIreland  Azure Communications: https://bit.ly/azureEE  Nostra: https://bit.ly/3HHwSMo

In this Mentor Moment, economist Stephen Kinsella joins Gary Fox to break down the patterns behind economic booms and busts - and why the seeds of the next crisis are often sown during the good times. Stephen explains the theory of financial instability, the role of credit, and how euphoria can quickly turn to fear. He also explores what could trigger Ireland’s next major economic shock and how global forces shape our future. If you’re a founder, investor, or simply curious about what’s coming next, this is essential listening. To listen to the full episode with Stephen, look for episode 363.  ----- Subscribe to our newsletter for weekly inspiration on Business, Brain and Body, as well as exclusive events, courses and more, straight to your inbox. It's free! https://www.mrgaryfox.com/subscribe-1    --- Visit my partners: Enterprise Ireland: https://bit.ly/EIreland  Azure Communications: https://bit.ly/azureEE  Nostra: https://bit.ly/3HHwSMo

In this episode of The Entrepreneur Experiment, Gary Fox sits down with Dean Klatt, the Australian founder of Seed Golf, who built a global direct-to-consumer golf brand… from Carlow. Dean shares the story of how he reverse-engineered premium golf balls, bootstrapped his way to international markets, and took on billion-dollar brands without a cent spent on advertising in the early days. From wind tunnels in rural Ireland to handwritten letters to YouTubers, this episode is a masterclass in strategic thinking, resourcefulness, and challenger brand building. If you’re a founder aiming to disrupt a traditional industry or simply love a good “from zero to one” story, this is a must-listen. Show Notes In this episode, we cover: ⛳ The unconventional path from golf distributor in Australia to founder of Seed Golf in Ireland 🚀 How Dean designed a high-performance golf ball using university labs, 3D printing, and wind tunnels 🧠 The strategy behind creating a digital-native, direct-to-consumer brand 🌍 Going global from day one: leveraging Irish brand identity and organic word-of-mouth 🎥 Why early influencer marketing worked without a budget — and how they seeded (literally) the market 🏗️ The two-year product development phase and how Dean overcame self-doubt 🎯 "If the big brands zig, we zag" — building a challenger brand with authenticity 🏆 Winning Golf Digest awards 3 years in a row and what that means for future growth 🛍️ What makes golf balls the perfect D2C product: consumable, shippable, repeatable 💬 "Our customers were giving away the golf balls they bought just to tell others about us — that’s when I knew we were onto something." – Dean Klatt 🔗 Resources & Links Seed Golf Website: https://seedgolf.com/ Follow Seed Golf on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/seedgolfco Peter Finch Golf YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/peterfinchgolf ----- Subscribe to our newsletter for weekly inspiration on Business, Brain and Body, as well as exclusive events, courses and more, straight to your inbox. It's free! https://www.mrgaryfox.com/subscribe-1  --- Visit my partners Enterprise Ireland: https://bit.ly/EIreland Azure Communications: https://bit.ly/azureEE  Nostra: https://bit.ly/3HHwSMo

In this bite-sized Mentor Moment, DC Cahalane shares how a late diagnosis of ADHD transformed his understanding of himself — and his work. From battling procrastination to embracing what he once saw as flaws, DC opens up about the mental health rollercoaster that led to a powerful realization: ADHD wasn’t a limitation, it was a lens. He unpacks why traditional productivity hacks failed him, how understanding brain chemistry changed everything, and why every founder — diagnosed or not — should read Faster Than Normal. 💡 A must-listen for anyone navigating self-doubt, burnout, or that feeling of being “all or nothing.” This is your reminder that the way your brain works might just be your superpower. 🎧 Listen to the full episode: Episode 364 – Inside the Venture Capital Brain --- Subscribe to our newsletter for weekly inspiration on Business, Brain and Body, as well as exclusive events, courses and more, straight to your inbox. It's free! https://www.mrgaryfox.com/subscribe-1  --- Visit my partners Enterprise Ireland: https://bit.ly/EIreland Azure Communications: https://bit.ly/azureEE Nostra: https://bit.ly/3HHwSMo  

In this episode of The Entrepreneur Experiment, Gary Fox meets Anthony Gallagher - the man behind Petstop, Ireland’s most successful independent pet retailer. From sweeping floors at Penneys to nearly selling his dot-com startup for $42 million (before it all collapsed), Anthony’s story is packed with lessons on grit, resilience, and building something that lasts. He shares how he bounced back from financial ruin using pure hustle, delivered pet food himself during lockdowns, and quietly scaled Petstop to €40 million in annual revenue—all while competing head-to-head with global giants. This is a masterclass in staying the course, putting people first, and never underestimating the power of showing up - week after week, store after store. Show Notes: In this episode, we cover: 🐾 How Anthony grew Petstop to €40M without external takeovers 💥 The $42M dot-com deal that collapsed overnight 📦 Using his son’s communion money to pay staff - and bouncing back 🧠 Competing (and winning) against multinationals like Maxi Zoo 🏪 The importance of location in retail—and why he still visits every store 🚚 Scaling delivery by literally driving orders to customers 🔁 Building a team with 20+ years’ loyalty 🐕 Why launching private-label brands like Nádúr changed the game 💡 How being “too early” can kill a great idea (and why timing is everything) Resources & Mentions: Anthony's business: https://www.petstop.ie/  Private-label brand: Nádúr Lifestyle pet range: Alice & Co Irish-made treats company backed by Anthony: Green Treat: https://green-treat.com/  ----- Subscribe to our newsletter for weekly inspiration on Business, Brain and Body, as well as exclusive events, courses and more, straight to your inbox. It's free! https://www.mrgaryfox.com/subscribe-1    --- Visit my partners Enterprise Ireland: https://bit.ly/EIreland  Azure Communications: https://bit.ly/azureEE  Nostra: https://bit.ly/3HHwSMo

What do you do when your business is on the brink of collapse? For Gary Lavin, it meant getting in his car and personally selling into 3,500 stores in 18 months. In this raw and honest moment, Gary shares how fear became his biggest motivator, why most people skip the hard (but essential) work of selling, and how doubling your store count can double your business — if you're willing to do the legwork. This is a must-listen for any founder struggling to grow or hesitant to sell. ----- Subscribe to our newsletter for weekly inspiration on Business, Brain and Body, as well as exclusive events, courses and more, straight to your inbox. It's free! https://www.mrgaryfox.com/subscribe-1  --- Visit my partners Enterprise Ireland: https://bit.ly/EIreland Azure Communications: https://bit.ly/azureEE  Nostra: https://bit.ly/3HHwSMo

In this episode of The Entrepreneur Experiment, Gary Fox sits down with Lorraine Heskin, the trailblazing founder of Gourmet Food Parlour, one of Ireland’s most successful independent hospitality groups. Lorraine shares her journey from selling Irish foods on the streets of Manhattan to opening a tiny 25-seater café off a side street in Dun Laoghaire - without investors, key money, or a culinary background. She reveals how she grew a brand that now spans restaurants, catering, corporate hospitality, and even cross-country expansion, all while maintaining a fierce loyalty to her team, her customers, and her values. This conversation is a masterclass in brand-building, resilience, and trusting your instincts - especially when the world tells you otherwise. Whether you're in food, retail, or simply thinking about taking the leap to start your own business, Lorraine’s story will light a fire under you. ----- Subscribe to our newsletter for weekly inspiration on Business, Brain and Body, as well as exclusive events, courses and more, straight to your inbox. It's free! https://www.mrgaryfox.com/subscribe-1    --- Visit my partners: Enterprise Ireland: https://bit.ly/EIreland  Azure Communications: https://bit.ly/azureEE  Nostra: https://bit.ly/nostraee