In this inspiring episode of The Entrepreneur Experiment, Gary Fox sits down with Charlene Flanagan and Niamh Ryan—the powerhouse duo behind Ella & Jo, one of Ireland’s fastest-growing beauty brands.

From a single product and two simultaneous pregnancies to a global business stocked in Boots, Dunnes Stores and over 400 pharmacies, their story is anything but ordinary. Charlene and Niamh open up about how they built Ella & Jo from the West of Ireland, how they define success on their own terms, and why authenticity, connection, and community are at the heart of everything they do.

Whether you’re a solo founder, aspiring entrepreneur, or building a business while juggling parenthood—this episode will leave you fired up, grounded, and full of ideas.

Show Notes:
In this episode, we cover:
💡 The serendipitous start to Charlene & Niamh’s partnership
👩‍🔬 From skin clinic and bridal makeup to co-founders of a global beauty brand
🧴 How a single brush cleanser idea turned into an award-winning product range
🌍 Building a global brand from the West of Ireland
💬 Why your business doesn’t have to be born in Dublin, London, or NYC
👩‍👩‍👧‍👦 Growing a business while growing a family—simultaneous pregnancies and startup hustle
🧘 The importance of defining your own version of success
🌟 How coaching and self-acceptance helped shape their leadership styles
📦 Behind the scenes of product development: the 9-month launch timeline
🤝 The role of trust, community, and social media in scaling Ella & Jo
🧠 How to stay creatively inspired while managing the demands of entrepreneurship

Links & Resources:

💻 Ella & Jo Website: https://ellaandjo.ie
📸 Charlene Flanagan Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/charleneflanagan_
👩‍⚕️ Niamh Ryan Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/niamhryan_skin/
🛍️ Buy Ella & Jo at Boots Ireland: https://www.boots.ie/ella-and-jo
📚 Going for Growth – Women entrepreneurs programme: https://goingforgrowth.com/

---
Visit my partners:

Enterprise Ireland: https://bit.ly/EIreland
Azure Communications: https://bit.ly/azureEE
Nostra: https://bit.ly/nostraee

In this Mentor Moment from Episode 355 of The Entrepreneur Experiment, Barry Napier shares hard-won wisdom on how founders need to evolve as their companies scale. From letting go of control to building a culture of trust and accountability, Barry reflects on how he went from “hard work and chaos” to leading with clarity and self-awareness.

If you're a founder feeling the weight of doing it all, this is a must-watch moment on what it really means to grow — not just your company, but yourself.

Full Episode: The Entrepreneur Experiment Episode 355

In this episode of The Entrepreneur Experiment, Gary Fox sits down with John Purdy, co-founder of Ergo and a seasoned leader who has helped shape the Irish tech landscape over the past three decades.

From launching Ergo in 1993 with just a handful of people to scaling it into one of Ireland’s top IT services companies, John shares the highs, the hard decisions, and the philosophies that guided him through it all. John shares a rare behind-the-scenes look at how he scaled Ergo without external investment and spun out an eventual unicorn, Fenergo, along the way. He opens up about the emotional and strategic decision to step away as CEO after 28 years, and what he’s doing now to give back—both to founders and to causes close to his heart. If you're building a business or figuring out what comes after success, this is the playbook.

Show Notes:

In this episode, we cover:

🚀 Growing Ergo from a printer repair business to €200M+ in revenue

📊 How John bootstrapped and resisted outside investment for decades

🏗️ Spinning out Fenergo—now valued at €1.2 billion

🔁 Why he stepped down as CEO and how he let go without meddling

🧠 What he looks for before joining a startup board or investing

🔥 The brutal honesty of what it takes to scale and survive the “messy middle”

🤝 How personal values define great founders

💬 "The team that got me the last trophy won’t get me the next one." — John Purdy quoting Sir Alex Ferguson on leadership and succession

Links & Resources Ergo Technology Group: https://ergotechnologygroup.com/
Connect with John Purdy on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnpurdy
Book mentioned: Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl
Recommended Podcast: The Tim Ferriss Show

Visit my partners
Enterprise Ireland: https://bit.ly/EIreland
Azure Communications: https://bit.ly/azureEE
Nostra: https://bit.ly/nostraee