EE509: Mentor Moment: Dan Murray-Serter - Turn Your Customers Into Your Best Marketing

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

In this episode of The Entrepreneur Experiment, Gary Fox sits down with Niall McGarry, the founder of Joe.ie, Her.ie and Fabric Social, fresh from one of the most significant Irish founder exits of the year. After building Joe into one of Ireland and the UK’s best-known digital media brands, Niall started Fabric Social in the aftermath of the pandemic. What began in Ireland in 2021 became a UK-focused social-first creative agency that grew from roughly €2 million to almost €16 million in revenue and from 20 to 120 people in just 24 months, before being acquired by Publicis Groupe UK. This conversation is a deep dive into how Niall spotted the shift from follower-based social media to interest-based, trend-led vertical video, and how Fabric helped major brands like Curry’s and Subway show up with personality, speed and cultural relevance online. Niall also opens up about why he moved his family to the UK to crack the market, the difference between building a media company and an agency, how to know when it is the right time to sell, and why founders need obsession without becoming emotionally trapped by the business. If you are building a company, trying to understand modern social, or thinking about what it really takes to create and exit a business, this episode is packed with lessons. Show Notes In this episode, we cover: 🚀 How Niall built Fabric Social from 2021 to its acquisition by Publicis Groupe UK 📈 Growing revenue from roughly €2 million to almost €16 million in 24 months 👥 Scaling the team from 20 to 120 people during Fabric’s biggest growth phase 📱 Why TikTok, Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts changed the game for brands 🧠 The shift from follower-based social to interest-based algorithms 🔥 Why brands now need “platform specificity” instead of one personality everywhere 💬 Fabric’s approach to “community nourishment” and comment-led brand building 🛒 The Curry’s and Subway social media case studies that helped put Fabric on the map 🎯 Why Niall hired “mavericks” who understood meme culture, trends and tone of voice 🌍 Why moving to the UK was critical to building a bigger business 🏙️ Why Irish founders should not overlook London and the UK market 💰 How recurring agency revenue made Fabric a more attractive acquisition target 🧾 The difference between building a media business and building an agency ⏱️ Why the best time to sell may be when every metric is pointing upwards ⚖️ Why your business is not your baby, and why emotional detachment matters 🔑 The role of obsession, timing and problem selection in founder success “You need to create a degree of separation quite quickly and you need to keep clinical and controlled about it.” - Niall McGarry *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 & Resources Fabric Social – Niall McGarry’s social-first creative agency, working with brands including Currys, Subway, Ocado and Sky: https://fabricsocial.com/ Publicis Groupe UK acquisition announcement – Publicis Groupe UK announced the acquisition of Fabric Social in April 2026: https://www.publicisgroupeuk.com/news-and-views/news/publicis-groupe-uk-acquires-fabric-social-to-create-powerhouse-pr-social-and-influencer-offering/ Niall McGarry on LinkedIn – Founder of Fabric Social and previous founder of Joe.ie / Joe Media: https://www.linkedin.com/in/niallmcgarry/

What happens when the dream you've spent your entire life chasing comes to an end? In this Mentor Moment, Steve Crosbie shares how retiring from professional rugby at just 26 became the catalyst for building Fad Saoil Sauna. He reflects on the power of obsession, the importance of backing yourself through uncertainty, and why the skills you develop pursuing one dream can become the foundation for the next. Whether you're navigating a career change, starting a business, or simply trying to find your next opportunity, Steve's story is a reminder that reinvention isn't starting over - it's building on everything you've already learned. 🎧 Enjoyed this Mentor Moment? Listen back to the full conversation with Steve in Episode 454 of The Entrepreneur Experiment, where he shares the journey behind building Fad Saoil Sauna, Ireland's pioneering mobile sauna experience, and the lessons he's learned along the way. Follow and subscribe for a new Mentor Moment every week, alongside full conversations with world-class founders, creators and leaders.

In this special episode of The Entrepreneur Experiment, Gary Fox sits down with three of Ireland’s most exciting food and drink founders for a live “Recipe for Success” masterclass, brought to you with the Local Enterprise Offices and the National Enterprise Awards. Gary is joined by Denise Buckley of Sugar Plum Sweetery, Pat Falvey of Blarney Brewing Company and Active Brewing Company, and Ian O’Rourke of RYSE Chocolate to unpack what it really takes to build a food or drink brand in Ireland today. From viral TikTok moments and 900% growth to getting onto retail shelves, managing margins, building customer feedback loops, and staying agile beside global competitors, this conversation is packed with practical lessons for anyone building a product-led business. Denise shares how Sugar Plum Sweetery went from testing a viral Dubai chocolate bar with just nine moulds to making thousands of bars a day. Pat reveals how belief, vision and speed helped him move from property into brewing, including his ambition to build a sustainable Irish beer brand. Ian explains why early founders should “do things that don’t scale”, and how grassroots relationships with retailers can become one of your most valuable sources of data. If you are building a food, drink, retail or consumer brand, this episode is a tactical playbook on testing fast, backing yourself, getting close to your customer, and staying in the game long enough for momentum to arrive. 🎧 Show Notes In this episode, we cover: 🔥 The “recipe for success” behind three standout Irish food and drink brands 🍫 How Sugar Plum Sweetery turned the Dubai chocolate trend into 900% growth 📈 Why Denise believes attention to detail, obsession and customer relevance drive brand momentum 🚀 How a test batch of nine chocolate bars became thousands of bars a day 📲 Why TikTok Shop became a powerful commercial channel for Sugar Plum Sweetery 🏪 The plan to expand Sugar Plum Sweetery into 10 physical stores over three years 🍺 How Pat Falvey went from 20 years in property to owning a brewery three weeks after a chance lunch 💡 Why belief, vision and the ability to embrace change are essential founder traits 🏉 The thinking behind Active Brewing Company and functional non-alcoholic beer ⚡ How Ian O’Rourke is building RYSE Chocolate as a new “chocolate energy” category 🛒 Why getting into retail is only the first challenge — and why shelf position, rate of sale and relationships matter 📊 How small brands can use local store managers and independent retailers as real-time market research 🎯 Why “do things that don’t scale” is still one of the most powerful startup lessons 💰 The importance of understanding margin before scaling any food or drink brand 🤝 How Local Enterprise Offices helped the founders with grants, feasibility studies, machinery, brand development and connections 🌱 Why Irish brands can compete with global giants by being faster, more personal and more agile 📚 The books Ian recommends for early-stage founders: The Lean Startup and Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway 🧠 The final advice each founder would give to someone thinking about starting their own business Links & Resources Sugar Plum Sweetery: https://sugarplumsweetery.ie/ Blarney Brewing Company: https://www.blarneybrewing.ie/ RYSE Chocolate: https://rysechocolate.com/ Local Enterprise Offices: https://www.localenterprise.ie/ National Enterprise Awards: https://www.localenterprise.ie/awards/2026-finalists/