SharkPod Podcast

What is up SharkNation! Luke and Mark are back after an 18 month hiatus and this time they are coming at you Live from the Las Vegas Strip. Luke surprised Mark with a trip to see U2 @Sphere in Las Vegas and they guys recorded their thoughts on Vegas, the American Dream, and all things U2. All with a selection U2 backing tracks. Brought you you by Artists Against Apartheid . For feedback: Luke@shark.ie

What is up SharkNation! On this episode Luke and Mark chat to Founder of "6 Figure Accelerator Program" and Co-Founder of Engagency, Adam Walsh. Adam has a mission - he wants to help students & 9-5ers create a second income stream through their own semi-automated social media marketing agency" He has been a digital Nomad for the past few years - spending most of his time in Bulgaria and Spain and visiting is home in Irelands a few times a year. The guys cover: 1. How Adam got started in selling on the internet - how he's never had a 'job' and how has always made his own way. 2. How Adam stated out building and marketing twitter pages (building an audience of 3 million+ followers). 3. How he started and grew his own Marketing agency - and how he chose automation over growth - now working 2.5 hours per week on the 6 figure business. 4. Why he started mentoring/coaching others via his 6 Figure Accelerator Program. 5. Taxes and why he chooses to live in Bulgaria 6. How Adam sees the 'social media funnel' and how to capitalise on different platforms audiences. For more info on Adam: https://www.the6figureaccelerator.com/join-program-now For feedback: Luke@shark.ie

What is up SharkNation! Emmet is co-founder and Chief Investment Officer of MyWallStreet, a Dublin based, leading investment education and execution app (4,000,000 downloads). Luke and Mark talk to Emmet about how he got started - his love for teaching and what it takes to build an app that will impact a billion people (even if he runs out of heart beats before that happens). Before you go on with the episode we wanted to point you to a great offer Emmet is giving our listeners - Emmet has launched the 'Horizon' project where he shows members what is in his personal portfolio as well as member only pitches on stocks he believes will beat the market. 'This Thursday, I will pitch one of the most certain potential long-term winners I’ve seen. This company is founder-led, unheard of by 99.9% of people, covered by only a handful of Wall Street analysts, is capital-efficient, pumps out cash and has an almost unmatched formula for growth. I’m looking forward to pitching it most especially because I’m looking forward to owning it. '" Emmet is offering listeners 35% off the regular price this week. Details here (https://web.mywallst.com/horizon/horizon-summer-sale-2022-250-off?_cio_id=aeba0601ce30ff9a02&utm_campaign=horizon-25%25-sale---go-live-email&utm_content=horizon-25%25-sale---go-live-email-v2&utm_medium=email&utm_source=cio). Luke and Mark are not affiliates here but believe it is an interesting thing to check out if you are serious about investing. For feedback: Luke@Shark.ie

What is up SharkNation! This is a follow up episode on episode #107 on "Becoming a key person of influence" launched in March 2022. Orla has helped people self publish books in 30+ genres and is now focused on helping people self-publish business books in their area of expertise. See a cool testimonial here: https://youtu.be/CxX37QcP2Y4 Key takeaways: 1. Publishing a book gives you legitimacy in your industry. 2. You can "skip the queue" these days and self publish. 3. People throw away business cards - it's harder to throw away books. 4. For a book to be successful, there must be real value being delivered. Luckily, you are likely sitting on a wealth of information and experience that people would pay for. For more information on how Orla can help you publish: https://orlakellypublishing.com/ For feedback: Luke@shark.ie

What is up SharkNation! Want to be excited about the work you do? Want to have a job with unlimited upside? Tired of having a fixed income career? Luke is launching a course on how to break into tech sales and earn your first €100,000 Luke pitches the idea to mark for the first time... To get invited to the beta - reach-out to Luke@shark.ie

What is up SharkNation! In this episode Luke and Mark breakdown Daniel Priestley's book "Key Person of Influence". Mark's rating 8/10 fins. Luke's rating 9/10 fins. On this episode you'll learn how to become a valuable thought leader in your industry - how to become the go to person and a sought after expert in your filed. You'll learn the steps in becoming a KPI: 1. The pitch: Who are you and what do you do? 2. Publish: You need to to publish for people to see you as a credible person in the industry - the book tells you how. 3. Product: What you know is valuable - make a product that ideally provides value and if it makes money for the buyer - even better. 4. Profile: How to own what people see when they Google you. 5. Partnerships: How to leverage your position in your industry to maximise your income. Luke also talks about a new product he's launching aimed at people trying to break into tech sales. For feedback: Luke@ Shark.ie

What is Up SharkNation! On this episode the guys chatted to Co-Founder of Pitchedit - Rob Halligan. PitchedIt provide tech founders with a platform to validate ideas, raise capital and connect with service providers who can help execute their vision, so they can launch better products, faster. Rob left his job in SFDC to concentrate on the business full time just one month ago. On the SharkPod we love chatting to entrepreneurs who have just taken the leap - we hope to have a followup episode in a few years to see how Rob's getting on. Key Takeaways: 1. Go all in: A wise man once said that no man can serve two masters. In order for people to invest in your idea - you have to be all in. 2. Scratch the itch: If you are working for a large company with a great salary and perks it can be easy to deny the urge to strike out on your own... for a while... in the end you're likely to do it anyway so why not now? As Mark Baker always says..."Nature vs Nurture... Nature always wins....". Make your plans - build out a worst case scenario 'come back plan' if the business fails and just f'ing do it! 3. Don't be afraid of complexity: Rob has a job on his hands... anything that has money involved will have regulations... Anything you build where a thriving community is key it will be difficult to build - but these difficulties build moats around your business - creating real barriers to entry for would be competitors. For more information on PitchedIt: https://pitchedit.co/ For feedback: Luke@Shark.ie

What is up SharkNation! This is a special cross over episode from the DubSpot Partner Podcast with special guest Nathan Paris - founder of On the Fuze - a company providing white labelling services for HubSpot marketing agencies so they can focus on winning business rather than hiring and scaling for their team. Nathan is based in Brisbane Australia, but serves clients all over the world. Key takeaways: 1. For international businesses - time zones matter. Nathan is based in Australia - not a great location to do business with the US - his primary market. So Nathan has hired most of his staff in Medellin, Colombia, in order the serve his customer base in the states more effectively 2. Do what you are good at - outsource the rest. If you are great at selling and finding deals but have no skill in execution - pay an expert to deliver for you. 3. The world is wide open - hire people in less expensive economies so that you can provide more value to your customers. Nathan built most of his team in South America - not just because of the time zone, but also because he could find better value talent on that continent when compared to Australia. For more information: https://www.onthefuze.com.au/about-us?hsLang=en-au For feedback: Luke@shark.ie

What is up SharkNation! On this episode Luke and Mark chat to to Lisa O'Reilly - Founder of LOR Property Solutions - about the great opportunities we all have to invest in property in Ireland. We discuss how Lisa transitioned from a Financial Controller working in the corporate world to launching her own business. She now builds property deals for investors to invest into and has raised more than 1 million euro in funding so far. Key Takeaways: 1. It's never ever too late to pivot - if you think you are doomed to climb the corporate ladder - think again. Lisa gave up a high level corporate job to chase her passion. 2. Ireland is the land of opportunity when it comes to property investing. You can generate yields like no where else in Europe. 3. Find mentors: Lisa mentioned she travels twice a month to the UK to work with her mentors there. She tells us about how powerful this has been for her journey so far. 4. Start with your own money and build from there. When you have a track record of success with a couple of deals - the market will want to invest in you. For more info on Lisa: https://lorpropertysolutions.ie/ For feedback: Luke@shark.ie

What is up SharkNation! Luke and Mark are back and they are breaking down the popular book from controversial Canadian clinical psychologist, psychology professor, and author - Jordan Peterson - "12 Rules for Life". Luke and Mark go through each rule laid out in the book and give their take. Key takeaways: 1. Act like a person who is responsible for helping you. Take responsibility for ensuring your own well being. 2.Ensure that your children will be liked by society - don't let them do things that make you dislike them. 3.Don't do what you hate. 4.Make sure that your own house is in order before you criticise others. 5.Present yourself to the world with confidence. Stand tall with your shoulders back. Always interested to hear your thoughts. Have you read the book? What did you think of it? For feedback: Luke@Shark.ie

What is up SharkNation! After a short hiatus Luke and Mark are back. On this episode Luke and Mark talk about their shared love of Irish band - U2. Listeners had emailed asking us why Mark's art (markbakerart.com) has been so heavily influenced by U2. The guys discuss their favourite albums, songs, performances and rants. And why they think the young people are missing out by not getting into the U2 back catalog. A lighter topic than usual but with some live music clips and a fly on the wall experience for the listener. For feed back : Luke@Shark.ie

What is up SharkNation! On this episode Luke and Mark break down 2021 and chat about their biggest wins and losses as well as lessons learned along the way. Key Takeaways: 1. Hindsight is 20-20: The guys reflect on their biggest wins of the year and some of the best decisions they made. At the time it's hard to see how small decisions will impact you. 2. Be careful how you spend your time - get an ROI: Luke discusses spending a couple of months during the year trading forex. He made money but the income vs time invested didn't make sense and the stress it caused was not worth the small profit. 3. There is no room for pessimism if you want to make money. Optimists are the ones who capitalise on opportunities. For Feedback: Luke@shark.ie

What is up SharkNation! In this episode Luke is starting to worry about his weight gain and sets up a 10 week challenge to get back to his sub 100kg - optimal weight. Final weigh in will be 7th March 2022. Luke and Mark chat about the plan, the tools, and the method Luke has used in the past to achieve a 10kg weight loss in under 10 weeks. The goal is to achieve body fat reduction and even if Luke doesn't get down to under 100kg - a reduction from 19.9% BF to under 17% will be considered a win. You can follow Luke's Progress on the Shark.ie website under the blog section. Where Luke will share all his starting stats, graphs and before and after photos. Luke will also share the training plan if you would like to follow along. For feedback or to send encouragement: Luke@shark.ie Full plan for the challenge on our blog: https://www.shark.ie/post/how-to-lose-a-gut-in-10-weeks

What is up SharkNation! We made it to 100 episodes! Thanks to all our listeners and guests over the past 2 years, it's been a great experience and we hope to continue to deliver content that helps our audience to "Keep Moving Forward". On this special episode Luke and Mark sit down with Mark's business partner - Niall O'Kelly,Partner in Darwin Hawkins. Mark and Niall started their finance recruitment business, Darwin Hawkins, just over 3 years ago and have built what they believe to be a lasting brand in the space. Niall, like Mark, is a qualified chartered accountant (training in PwC) and it was Niall that first suggested recruitment as a career path for Mark. Key takeaways: 1. Entering a tried and tested industry, but do it your way, and do it well. This is perhaps a lesson that is lost on the millennial generation that look up to the Zucks and the Bezos' of the world and think they have to re-invent the wheel to be a success in business. The majority of successful businesses are built on the back of real life experience in an established industry. Niall and Mark learned the business by working at successful recruitment firm, this helped give them the know how and the network to go out on their own. 2. There is no perfect time to launch your business: Niall and Mark have weathered the initial covid storm and continue to grow the business. Timing is important but action trumps timing. Waiting around for perfect conditions is not the way to move forward. 3. Burn the boats - go all in: Lots of people start businesses as side hustles with the safety net of a corporate job - Niall and Mark went all in, leaving their secure jobs behind and grinding out the first 6 months in the face of adversity. With no way back - no boats to flee upon they were forced to build a lasting business that is now growing rapidly. For more information on Niall: https://www.darwinhawkins.com/about/meet-the-team/ For feedback: Luke@shark.ie.

What is up SharkNation! On this episode Luke and Mark chat to Ruaidhri (Rory) Prendergast, Entrepreneur, Coach, and Author - The Game Changer Formula. The book is not just a look back on Ruaidhri's entrepreneurial journey, but also his experience sailing across olthe Atlantic Ocean and developing an "Operating System" for living a full and effective life. Key takeaways from the Game Changer Formula: 1. The Power Vision: In order to build a map to where you are going in life, you need to have a clear picture about what you want. 2. Priming yourself for success: The book describes, in detail, how to build a 'mindset manual' that allows you to set intentional focus for the day. 3. Decide on the vision, then back engineer the actions: If you have a clear vision 15 years from now, all you need to do is back engineer the actions to take every 5 years, every year, every month, every week, every day, and you should be able to achieve your goals. 4. Accountability is key: The book describes the power of accountability and how you should leverage this to achieve your vision for your life. If you'd like to learn more about Ruaidhri and take advantage of the free training he provides businesses owners and startup founders, you can learn more here: https://roryprendergast.com/learning/. For feedback: Luke@shark.ie

What is up SharkNation! Today on the podcast Luke and Mark chat to Paddy Finn, CEO - VIOTAS. VIOTAS was born from a desire and drive to lead the development of smart grid technology and accelerate the use of renewable energy worldwide. In order for green energy (like wind or solar) to work effectively, there must be a system in place to manage down time and ensure balanced output of energy to the masses. VIOTAS solves for this and also allows their customers to earn income in the process. Key takeaways: 1. Starting a company in a competitive landscape is fine as long as you offer a better service. Paddy mentioned there were perhaps 10 competitors already in Ireland when they started the company. 2. It's a big world out there. You should think about how your product or service can serve customers in different territories. 3. Passion is key to enjoying your work. Paddy talks about the staff at the company feeling like they are solving a problem worth solving, this helps drive them forward during tough times. 4. Relationships are as important as good ideas. Paddy talks about the close ties the firm has with regulators and other state bodies, this helps allow the company to evolve in lock step with the government regulations. For more information on VIOTAS: https://viotas.com/about-us/ For feedback contact Luke@shark.ie

What is Up SharkNation! In this episode Luke and Mark break down the Ryan Holiday best seller - The Obstacle is the Way. 'The Obstacle is the Way' is a book about being ruthlessly optimistic and rational in life. We tend to get easily dejected, disappointed, and frustrated by our failures and eventually give up too easily. The author argues that with a simple change in our perspective and attitude, what seems like challenging obstacles to become once-in-a-lifetime opportunities. The book is build on the concepts of stoicism but uses modern examples to illustrate points to the reader. Key takeaways: 1. The book gives the reader a good grounding in stoicism and allows the reader to reflect on how this philosophy can help them navigate life. 2. Perception is key. How you see obstacles will determine the action you take. Lost your job? How can you see this as an opportunity? 3. Action is Key. You must continue on the path no matter the challenges in your way. It's the staying power that produces the most impressive results in life. You must not get rattled, angry, or upset by setbacks. 4. Amor fati. Love everything that happens to you and meditate on your own mortality. By accepting what is, and putting events into the context of your own mortality you will be able to be proactive rather than reactive. Luke and Mark give the book an 8/10 For feedback: Luke@Shark.ie

What is up SharkNation! On this episode, Luke and Mark go deep on the business of YouTube with veteran Irish Youtuber and Entrepreneur, Paddy Galloway. Paddy has built a business around not only growing his own YouTube channels, but also consulting for some of the world's biggest YouTubers like Mr. Beast. Paddy shares the basics of the Youtube business and explains why some people succeed but also why most people fail to capture an audience and grow a business on YouTube. Key takeaways: 1. Start now - Paddy explains how it could take up to 3 years to figure out your approach to building a YouTube audience 2. You can learn and improve - Paddy helps some of the biggest YouTubers in the world grow their views by the millions. If those experts have something to learn - so do you. 3. Skip getting a 'real job' after collage to satisfy other people. If you have a passion and think you can make a living in it, then go for it. 4. Guarantee results, if you can: Almost no business will commit to giving you an ROI. If you're like Paddy and can deliver value - commit to it and stand out from the crowd. For more on paddy: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClga3ybuyyjpvqsh-cf3DvQ. For feedback: Luke@Shark.ie

What is Up SharkNation! In this episode Luke and Mark chat with Ireland's Premier Caricaturist - Niall O'Loughlin (caricatures.ie). Widely regarded as one of the ‘best in the business’ and the most well-known caricaturist in Ireland, Niall enjoys sell-out exhibitions and has appeared on numerous Radio and TV shows including the Saturday night and Late Late show and completed commissions for many well known celebrities from both Ireland and abroad. Mark has known Niall for many years and Niall was a mentor for Mark when Mark was breaking into the art business. They have stayed in touch, had numerous joint exhibitions, and in this episode Luke and Mark talk to Niall about his career path and building a successful art business in Ireland. Key takeaways: 1. Improve constantly: Niall mentions repeatedly during the podcast that constant improvement is the best way to stay relevant and growing as an artist and as business person. Warning... Mark and Niall get quite technical! 2. You'll have to take risks: Niall talks about leaving a steady job to pursue being an Artist full time. Through trial and error he developed a niche in weddings services and this is still the foundation of Niall's business today. 3. Talent is not enough - you need exposure: The Late Late Show is the biggest talk show on Irish TV - after Niall was featured here his business took off. You need to get seen and come up with creative ways to reach new audiences. 4. Know what pays the bills: Niall enjoys all different kinds of painting but he focuses on caricatures as the core part of his business. For more info on Niall: caricatures.ie For feedback: Luke@shark.ie

What is up SharkNation! Today on the SharkPod Luke and Mark chat to Alan Coleman - Founder and CEO of Wolfgang Digital. In 2007, Alan fell in love with AdWords and applied for a job in Google. He believed then, as he does now, that Google was the best marketing opportunity the world had ever seen. So, when he didn’t get the job, he decided “fekkit I’m going to do this for myself”, and he started digital marketing agency Wolfgang Digital on his kitchen table. Fast forward to 2021 and: - Wolfgang has been awarded status as Google's No 1 Search Partner and No 1 Shopping Partner in EMEA. - Wolfgang has won Best Large Integrated Agency in Europe, twice. - Wolfgang has won Best SEO Agency in the World! Key Takeaways: 1. You gotta hustle: The agency lives off its reputation today but in the beginning cold outreach was the only method to get the first customers in the door. 2. Legitimacy matters - Alan mentions the business took off once they had a real office address included on their website. 3. Sell ROI: If you can make money for your customers - and prove it - you'll be fine. Focus on this ability first. 4. Look after yourself: Alan moved to a 4 day week to help him enjoy life more and give himself time to explore other interests. One of these became the Wolfgang Reforest Mission - to restore Ireland's devestated natural forestry... And reintroduce Wolves to Ireland! For more info on Wolfgang: https://www.wolfgangdigital.com/?gclid=CjwKCAjwzt6LBhBeEiwAbPGOgTcM2ga-5bYd0tl12cW26x3hhOlgPbBf0-7y5hKPKi4L0fxfDgOLzxoCB8gQAvD_BwE For feedback: Luke@shark.ie