In Good Company with Cathy Martin

“I owed about half a million that I didn’t have”: What business risks are worth it?

Serial entrepreneur Mark Dowds has built million-dollar companies, worked across Belfast, Toronto and Silicon Valley, and backed startups that went on to become global giants. But when he reflects on the moments that have really shaped him, it’s not the successes he points to — it’s the failures and personal challenges, from building a product years before the market was ready, to being diagnosed with cancer in the early years of his current business. Driven by wanting to make a difference in the world, Mark founded Responsible — a company focused on reducing waste in the fashion industry. He joined Cathy to talk about balancing life and business, learning from failure, and what risks are really necessary to grow a business. See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

How BPerfect’s Brendan McDowell went from a £500 stall to a multi-million pound beauty giant

Brendan McDowell is the founder and CEO of BPerfect Cosmetics - one of Northern Ireland’s biggest beauty success stories. He started BPerfect in 2012 with just £500 and a small eyebrow stall in the Kennedy Centre in Belfast. In 2017, Brendan turned down a Dragons’ Den investment of €80,000 at the same time he was trying to get his brand in the shops. He joined Cathy to talk about about how he grew his company from a stall to what it is today, his top tips for entrepeneurship and balancing a business with over 400 staff with family. See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

The reality of burnout in your 20s: “I ended up with shingles”

Jordan Graham is a Belfast-based entrepreneur who ‘accidentally’ built one of Ireland’s most recognisable food marketing agencies. He launched Sugar Snap in February 2023 after the startup he was working in collapsed - since then, the agency has attracted clients like Belfast favourites Juice Jar and Orto Pizzabars. Graham suffered from shingles due to extreme burnout as he was working as a full-time marketing manager in one of Northern Ireland's fastest-growing food and beverage brands while studying for his degree. See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

NI financial expert reveals the payment form to avoid: “People lose track and forget what debt they have”

Jenny McGreevy is the founder of Refresh Debt, a business to help people at their most financially vulnerable. In 2007, while many were riding the wave of the housing boom, Jenny believed a crash was coming. What followed was the launch of refresh debt in the midst of the recession. Jenny joined Cathy Martin to talk all things debt, including ‘financial infidelity’ and what it means, what debts should be avoided, and the stigma around money in Northern Ireland. You can get in touch with the Refresh Debt team on their website: https://refreshdebt.co.uk/debt-management-ni/ See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

How to transform setbacks into start-up success: NI Olympic swimmer Conor Ferguson

Conor Ferguson is an Olympic swimmer who’s faced heartbreak by the narrowest of margins – missing out on the 2016 Rio Olympics by five hundredths of a second, and Tokyo in 2020 by four tenths. Despite setbacks, he qualified for the Olympics 2024 in Paris and competed in the 4x100m Medley Relay. He’s turned what some might perceive as adversity into innovation, now co-founding Athlete Hub – a tech startup using AI to help athletes optimise every part of their performance. See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.