Off the Fence with Purpose

A podcast for those seeking purpose in their work, whether staying in their current job or considering a career change. Hosted by communications expert Jim Walsh and Mettacomms data prophet Ellen Gunning Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Off the Fence with Purpose is a business podcast hosted by Jim Walsh, with 33 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Jim Walsh hosts Off the Fence with Purpose, a business show with 33 episodes published.

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  Episode #13

  Success comes from focus

  Oct 1, 202645 minS2

  What does it really take to be successful — and how can we make sure success doesn’t come at the expense of the rest of our lives? In this engaging episode of Off the Fence with Purpose , Jim and Ellen are joined by Maurice Cullen, a former senior executive with major international companies including Unilever, Avonmore, Vodafone and Zurich, and now a leadership and people-development specialist with Leadership Management Ireland. Maurice shares practical lessons from decades of experience helping managers and successful professionals become more focused, effective and fulfilled. At the heart of the conversation is a deceptively simple idea: success comes from focus. The conversation challenges listeners to identify the small number of high-payoff activities that genuinely make a difference in their roles — and to stop confusing being busy with being productive. Maurice explains why tackling the easiest items on a long to-do list can create the illusion of progress, while the most important work remains untouched. Explore how to take greater control of your time, protect your priorities, deal constructively with interruptions and learn to say “not now” without alienating others are all touched on. Maurice also explains why lasting change requires more than good intentions: new behaviours need time and repetition to become genuine habits. But this isn't simply a conversation about workplace productivity. It covers the broader idea of “life balance” , rather than the familiar concept of work-life balance. It will encourage people to think about their “ideal week” — both professionally and personally — and then ask themselves: How can I make next week one per cent better than this week? The conversation also explores stress, working from home, the importance of switching off, leadership in an age of AI, and why human interaction and communication may become even more important as technology advances. Thoughtful, practical and full of memorable stories, this episode offers a refreshing reminder that career progress doesn't necessarily require dramatic change. Sometimes, identifying what really matters, protecting time for it and moving one per cent closer to the life you want can make all the difference. The central message is simple: stop running on autopilot, decide what matters, and deliberately make space for it — at work and in life. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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  Episode #12

  An experienced entrepreneur at 18

  Sep 7, 202639 minS2

  The guest in this episode is Mac O’Brien an 18 year old entrepreneur who began building businesses when he was just 13. If you listen once you will want to go back and listen again and again.  His stories and the lessons learned for someone so young in business will keep you enthralled. He comes from an entrepreneurial family, his grandfather was the founder of Funderland which is said to be possibly the largest travelling Amusement Park event in Europe.   Mac began his business career at 13 by reselling sneakers and clothing, eventually moving into bulk buying and wholesaling. Then he moved into door-to-door window cleaning, where he knocked on approximately 4,500 doors and built a team of eight friends. He focused heavily on efficiency, reducing cleaning times from around 45 minutes to roughly 20 minutes and generating significant weekly revenue. Website development, came next offering local businesses free websites in exchange for recurring monthly fees. This evolved into his current AI-focused company, ACMR, which helps SMEs identify opportunities to use AI, automate processes and improve operational efficiency. Rather than relying on subscription software, Mac's approach emphasises building customised systems that businesses own as assets. He estimates that the business will hit its first million euros in sales shortly. A major theme is Mac's ability to identify knowledge gaps and turn them into business opportunities. He secured an early €3,000 AI consulting deal after meeting a group of solicitors and explaining how AI could improve their businesses. He subsequently built a team, including a technical co-founder, and expanded internationally to recruit talent. Mac is strongly focused on bootstrapping rather than venture capital, preferring experienced advisers and sustainable growth. He aims to build an Irish-native technology company before potentially expanding internationally. His ambitions extend beyond business, including robotics and eventually entering politics and going for the Irish presidency. Some of the lessons you will hear from Mac’s short but extensive careers are: Start early and learn by doing : Practical experience can develop valuable skills faster than theory alone. Turn skills into scalable systems : Mac repeatedly looked for ways to improve efficiency and create recurring revenue. Listen to experienced people : He believes conversations should be roughly 80% listening and 20% speaking, with strong follow-up questions. Identify genuine market gaps : His AI business grew from recognising that companies knew they needed AI but lacked the knowledge to implement it. Ambition requires focus —but balance matters: His intense commitment has driven rapid progress, though his 16–18-hour workdays also highlight the importance of considering sustainability and personal wellbeing. Mac’s enthusiasm is infectious Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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  Episode #10

  How fluent French kickstarted a career for Denis Donohoe

  Jul 28, 202654 minS2

  For Denis Donohoe being bi-lingual paved the way for a career that brought him from Ireland to Asia through the UK and Eastern Europe and back to Ireland. It is a career that involved various management and marketing roles in the world of cosmetics, confectionary, football and charities. To land his first major work placement he used his love and fluency in French to target French companies in Ireland and found himself in Vichy, a brand  the International company L’Oréal. He rose through the ranks as Deputy General Manager Ireland, General Manager Poland, Deputy Regional Director-East Europe and Nordic Countries, Regional Director-Asia and Managing Director -UK & Ireland. However as the final logical move was a senior role in head office in Paris, probably the first non-French person to achieve that status he decided to return to Ireland, mainly as he had a young family at the time. Before returning he had a short stint as Global Head – Wholesale and Distribution with Crabtree and Evelyn in London where he helped develop the company’s international network of distributors. Back in Ireland he did an MBA and was the lured by an Executive Search person to apply for a job as Commercial Director of Lir Chocolates. Helping to double  Lir’s export sales in two years earned the company nominations in every Irish export awards  in 2019. However spending three hours every day driving from Dublin to Navan and back was a key issue in making another career change when an Executive Seach person entered his life again. Knowing that he was a lifelong supporter of Shamrock Rovers FC he was brought in as CEO of the football club and there  learned to the intricacies of event management. The benefit of becoming known and networking then led to a place on the board of a charity, Village Counselling Service in Tallaght, County Dublin. In between he bought and then sold a beauty salon in Dalkey, Co. Dublin.. One key lesson Denis has learned in his career is to under promise and over-deliver. If you don’t perform the consequences cascade everywhere, he says. You are adding pressure on those you report to who may have to report to someone further up the management ladder and perhaps your peers/colleagues who may have to have to take on additional work to put right the non-delivery. As he says that the closer you get to the top of an organisation the greater the pressure to deliver. A great example from Denis in how to have respect for your colleagues came in his move to Poland where his Polish was non-existent. But to ensure that his Polish colleagues who had no English or French were not at a disadvantage he did an intensive course in Polish. This episode provides an intriguing look into the workings of a global organisation and how how being adaptable  can help you move up the corporate ladder and switch careers if circumstances change or luck comes calling. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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  Episode #9

  Chemistry’s loss was Guaranteed Irish‘s gain

  Jul 9, 202634 minS2

  If there was one word to describe Brid O’Connell it is energetic. Her energy is palpable in this episode of Off the Fence with Purpose as she describes her career and the many lessons learned upon the way. Having studied Applied Chemistry at the University of Limerick and working as a Biochemist for two years she pivoted into marketing and brand development as CEO of Meath Tourism. This was followed by a period running her own company called Welcome Marketing , working primarily in the area of Strategic and Economic Development and delivering marketing and PR services in the tourism and retail sector for private and public bodies. Then she became CEO and Executive Director of Guaranteed Irish where she says she has worked hard at punching holes in people’s perception of the organisation. In a free-flowing conversation Brid speaks energetically and enthusiastically about her learnings in business throughout her career. Some highlights: ·     Celebrating people around you is an investment in yourself. ·     Be generous in spirit when dealing with people ·     Studying is not necessarily learning. ·     Either you are all in or you are not in. ·     Leadership is about purpose. ·     There is more to life than a job and a pay packet ·     If you are happy in your work success is around the corner ·     If you are searching for a career look for something that you have a real interest in ·     And if you fail, fail fast, learn from it and move on. She has great admiration for Irish companies seeking to break into new markets, particularly the US. She saw this at first hand earlier this year spending St. Patrick’s Day in Washington. There she witnessed the strength of the Irish–American relationship and the extraordinary goodwill that exists for Ireland. Brid was particularly impressed with the input of An Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Irish public representatives who put in a gruelling itinerary on behalf of Ireland.   The conversation also covered change in the Irish public service and the need to move away from the ‘blame’ culture. If you want to learn from someone who brings energy, enthusiasm and a get it done attitude to their career this episode is for you. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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  Episode #9

  Chemistry’s loss was Guaranteed Irish‘s gain

  Jul 9, 202634 minS2

  <p>If there was one word to describe Brid O’Connell it is energetic. Her energy is palpable in this episode of Off the Fence with Purpose as she describes her career and the many lessons learned upon the way.</p><br><p>Having studied Applied Chemistry at the University of Limerick and working as a Biochemist for two years she pivoted into marketing and brand development as CEO of Meath Tourism. This was followed by a period running her own company called Welcome Marketing, working primarily in the area of Strategic and Economic Development and delivering marketing and PR se...

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