EE519: Mentor Moment: Mark Breen - Opportunities Rarely Arrive Planned

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

In this episode of The Entrepreneur Experiment, Gary Fox sits down with Matthew Collins, founder of The Sibly Food Co, the Irish snack brand that began with a €143 food shop and a stall at a local Christmas market. Matthew shares how he went from making brownies, rocky roads and cheesecakes in his parents’ kitchen to building a brand stocked in approximately 800 outlets nationwide. Along the way, he taught full-time, baked through the night, delivered products shop by shop and even packed Sibly’s first Aldi pallet under his uncle’s carport. He reveals the pivotal decisions that transformed Sibly from a college side hustle into a national food business: leaving teaching, finding a business partner with complementary strengths, moving away from short-shelf-life cheesecakes, winning a Grow with Aldi contract and reinvesting everything back into the company. Matthew also breaks down the reality of scaling a food brand, from pricing and distribution to shelf space, rate of sale, hiring and protecting product quality as volume increases. With Sibly recently producing 32,000 pots in a single week and targeting €3.5 million in sales this year, this is a practical masterclass in building a consumer brand one shop, one customer and one small improvement at a time. For founders building a food business, consumer brand or bootstrapped company, this episode is packed with honest, practical lessons from someone still deep in the journey. 🎧 Show Notes In this episode, we cover: 🎄 How a €143 food shop and a local Christmas market started Sibly 🍫 Finding the gap between bland “healthy” snacks and heavily processed sweet treats 🏠 Growing the business from Matthew’s parents’ kitchen and a purpose-built unit in their front garden 🎓 Baking and delivering at weekends while working full-time as a teacher ☎️ The phone call that convinced Matthew to leave teaching and commit fully to Sibly 🤝 How he identified his weaknesses and found a business partner with experience in sales and finance 💶 Why Matthew was initially undervaluing both his products and himself 🚐 Building distribution through cold calls, shop visits and door-to-door selling across Cork and Kerry 🍰 Why Sibly moved away from cheesecake pots to focus on scalable, longer-life energy balls 🛒 Packing the company’s first Aldi pallet under a carport and winning a Grow with Aldi contract 📦 What happened when an order for two pallets quickly became four and then six 📈 Growing from approximately 1,000 pots a week to between 6,000 and 8,000 almost overnight 🧠 Why Sibly’s first major hire gave Matthew the headspace to pursue bigger opportunities 🗺️ The importance of building distribution geographically rather than expanding everywhere at once 🏷️ Understanding rate of sale and why getting onto a shelf is only half the battle 🥣 Why clean ingredients and consistent quality have become central to the Sibly brand 📱 Building consumer demand through community, social media, sampling and word of mouth 🏪 Growing to approximately 800 outlets across Ireland 🚀 Producing 32,000 pots in a recent week while maintaining the same product quality 💰 Sibly’s targets of €3.5 million in 2026, €5 million in 2027 and close to €10 million by 2028 🌍 Why Matthew wants to saturate the Irish market before pursuing international expansion 🔁 The power of compounding and moving the business forward by a millimetre every day 💬 “Compounding sounds fancy, but it’s pushing it a millimetre forward every day.” – Matthew Collins 🔗 Links and Resources Connect with Matthew and Sibly The Sibly Food Co website (https://thesibly.ie/) The Sibly Food Co on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/siblyfoodco/) Matthew Collins on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/mattzzer/) Learn more about Grow with Aldi (https://www.aldi.ie/grow) Books Mentioned How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie (https://harpercollins.co.uk/products/how-to-win-friends-and-influence-people-collins-classics-dale-carnegie) The Heart’s Invisible Furies by John Boyne (https://shop.penguin.co.uk/products/the-hearts-invisible-furies-by-john-boyne) Shoe Dog by Phil Knight The Secret by Rhonda Byrne (https://www.thesecret.tv/products/the-secret-book/) *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

Most people don't fail because they lack information. They fail because they never act on it. In this Mentor Moment, Connor Martin, founder of The Essence Vault, shares why rapid implementation has been one of the biggest drivers behind his company's extraordinary growth. From testing ideas quickly to challenging conventional thinking around customer acquisition and scaling, Connor explains why speed beats perfection every time. If you're an entrepreneur, creator, or someone who finds themselves stuck in planning mode, this episode is a powerful reminder that progress comes from action, not another course, book, or podcast. 🎧 Enjoyed this Mentor Moment? Listen back to the full conversation with Connor Martin in Episode 452 of The Entrepreneur Experiment, where he shares how he built The Essence Vault into one of the UK's fastest-growing fragrance brands and the mindset behind scaling at speed. 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

In this episode of The Entrepreneur Experiment, Gary Fox sits down with Michael Corcoran, former Head of Social at Ryanair and co-founder of Slice Social Consultancy, for a no-fluff masterclass on the state of social media in 2026. Michael breaks down why social media has become more fragile, more volatile and harder for brands to win on, but also why there is still a massive opportunity for founders who think differently. From the death of follower-first thinking to the danger of building your business on “rented land”, Michael explains why the brands that win are not the ones copying trends, chasing outrage or posting more for the sake of it. They are the ones with a clear strategy, a sharp point of difference and the discipline to build memorability over time. Gary and Michael dig into what strategy actually means, how founders can find their “aha” moment, why functional messaging rarely builds a brand, and how small businesses can use creativity to punch above their weight. If you are a founder, marketer or creator trying to build a brand in a crowded market, this episode is your playbook for standing out, being remembered and refusing to play the same game as everyone else. 🎧 Show Notes: In this episode, we cover: 🔥 Why Michael believes social media is on “fragile ground” in 2026 📱 Why followers matter less than attention, creativity and memorability 🏗️ The danger of building your business on rented land 🧠 What strategy actually means without the corporate fluff 💡 How to find the gap, problem or opportunity your brand can own 🥤 Why a protein brand should not just make workout and recipe content 🎯 The difference between creating impressions and making an impression ⚡ How Liquid Death reframed the water category by behaving like an energy drink 📈 Why founders need to look at company, category, customer and culture 🏋️ Why functional claims rarely build brands: emotion does 🧓 The overlooked opportunity in the “grey market” for health, wellness and protein brands 🎬 The Moneyball lesson every small brand needs to understand 💰 How time, budget and team shape your social media execution 🚀 Why small brands must think, behave and execute differently to win 💬 “You don’t build brands with function. You build brands with emotion.” – Michael Corcoran Links & Resources Michael Corcoran LinkedIn: https://ie.linkedin.com/in/michaelrichardcorcoran Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mc_so_me/ Slice Social Consultancy https://www.instagram.com/slice_social_consultancy/ *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 Mentioned in the episode (not affiliated) No Bullsh*t Strategy by Alex M H Smith “Liquid Death” (brand) Moneyball https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1210166/ Join Gary’s weekly newsletter: https://bit.ly/40TgDkq