Real Business Conversations with Kinore

About Real Business Conversations with Kinore

Dive in for the gritty truth from the trenches of business. No unicorns, no brands. Just hard-working people who built their business from the ground up. They share real life stories, challenges and solutions, plus the risks they've taken and how they stepped outside their comfort zone to find success. If you're running a business, join Larissa Feeney and get the inside track from others who have been down the road already. Click follow to get new episodes on the last Monday of every month. Real Business Conversations is produced by DustPod.io for Kinore Finance and Business Services.

Publisher

Kinore.com

Category

business · business

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

14 Aug 2024

Latest episode

28 Sept 2026

Latest episodes

28 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   28 Sept 2026

   The Business Case for Brand Building

   Real Business Conversations is a monthly podcast from Kinore, hosted by CEO and founder Larissa Feeney. Each episode is an honest, unscripted conversation with a business owner or expert about the real story behind building and growing a business in Ireland. Most of what we see and hear is forgotten almost instantly. One widely-cited estimate is that as little as 4% of advertising is remembered positively. So why do some of the world's biggest, most data-driven brands keep investing in it, and what is a brand actually worth to the bottom line of a business? This conversation covers the real difference between brand and marketing, why a strong brand can be worth up to a quarter of a company's total value, the risks of building a business around a single founder's personal profile, and the eighteen-month journey behind Kinore's own rebrand from Accountant Online. Joining Larissa is Ray Sheerin, former founder and Managing Director of Chemistry, one of Dublin's best-known creative agencies, who also worked with global agencies Ogilvy and Saatchi & Saatchi earlier in his career. A highly respected brand and marketing strategist, Ray guided Kinore through its own rebrand from Accountant Online, helping to define the company's tone of voice, core values and overall marketing strategy. SOURCES AND CITATIONS Books, research and people referenced by Ray and Larissa during the conversation. Les Binet & Peter Field, The Long and the Short of It: Balancing Short and Long-Term Marketing Strategies (IPA, 2013) – www.amazon.ie/dp/085294134X. The study Ray references as “the biggest study into effectiveness award-winning case studies ever undertaken”, comparing long-term brand building with short-term sales activation. Byron Sharp, How Brands Grow: What Marketers Don't Know (Oxford University Press, 2010) – www.amazon.ie/dp/0195573560. Byron Sharp directs the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute, which Ray cites for its work on marketing spend benchmarks. Ehrenberg-Bass Institute for Marketing Science, University of South Australia – www.marketingscience.info. The research institute behind the “excess share of voice” (ESOV) concept Ray discusses, and home to academics Byron Sharp and Jenny Romaniuk, both referenced in the episode. Rory Sutherland, Alchemy: The Surprising Power of Ideas That Don't Make Sense (WH Allen, 2019) – www.amazon.ie/dp/0753556529. Source of “logic never solved a persistent problem, because if it could have, it would already have done so.” Gerald Ratner, The Rise and Fall...and Rise Again (Capstone, 2008) – www.amazon.ie/dp/1906465290 Ratner's own account of the 1991 speech and its fallout, discussed in the episode as a cautionary tale about founder-led brands. Dave Trott – davetrott.co.uk, referenced for his UK advertising-spend statistics and his line that advertising is “the last legal unfair advantage we have over the competition.” He is the author of Predatory Thinking (Macmillan, 2013) – www.amazon.ie/dp/1447285344. THINGS WE SPOKE ABOUT The real difference between brand and marketing Why a strong brand can be worth up to a quarter of a company's value The risk of building a business around a founder's personal brand Inside the eighteen-month journey behind Kinore's rebrand Weaning the business off paid Google Ads in favour of organic content Ray's single best piece of advice for building a memorable brand GUEST DETAILS Ray Sheerin is a highly respected brand and marketing strategist with decades of experience helping businesses define their identity, sharpen their positioning, and drive long-term growth. Ray is the former founder and Managing Director of Chemistry, a very well-known Dublin creative agency which he led for 21 years until 2020. Earlier in his career he worked with global marketing giants Ogilvy and Saatchi & Saatchi. As the former founder and Managing Director of leading creative agencies, Ray has guided countless leadership teams through pivotal transformations, helping them articulate who they are, what they stand for, and how to connect meaningfully with their target audience. In 2023 he was awarded an Honorary Fellowship, the highest honour of the Institute of Advertising Practitioners in Ireland (IAPI), and he is a Chartered Director with the Institute of Directors. Ray played an instrumental role in shaping the identity of Kinore, guiding the team through their rebrand from Accountant Online. Over several months of strategic workshops, Ray helped define Kinore's tone of voice, core values, and overall marketing strategy. He brings invaluable expertise on the true power of brand building and why investing in brand identity is critical for long-term business success. Website: www.raysheerin.com ABOUT KINORE Kinore is an award winning and innovative online Chartered Accountancy service that takes away the worry and headache of running your own finance and related business services functions. https://kinore.com/ ABOUT YOUR HOST The host of this podcast is Larissa Feeney, CEO and Founder of Kinore, an award-winning online accountancy and business services firm based in Ireland. Larissa's journey is notable, starting in hospitality before transitioning to accounting, where she qualified as a Chartered Accountant. Driven by a vision to challenge traditional accountancy and leverage technology, Larissa founded Kinore in 2015, establishing Ireland's first online, remote-first Finance and Business Services company. Under her leadership, Kinore has received numerous accolades, and Larissa herself has been recognised with awards like 'Accountant of the Year'. QUOTES A brand is really what exists in the head of an individual – the best definition I've heard is that a brand is the promise of an experience. - Ray Sheerin The value of a brand can be anywhere between 15% and 25% of the total value of the business. - Ray Sheerin Logic never solved a persistent problem, because if it could have, it would already have done so. - Ray Sheerin What we did was a complete flip, which was 100% the right thing to do, but absolutely not the easiest thing to do. - Larissa Feeney Befriend somebody who is a creative thinker. - Ray Sheerin A brand will exist independent of marketing once it has been built. - Ray Sheerin KEYWORDS #BrandStrategy #BrandVsMarketing #Rebranding #Kinore #IrishBusiness

2. 

   31 Aug 2026

   Closing the Gender Ambition Gap

   Real Business Conversations is a monthly podcast from Kinore, hosted by CEO and founder Larissa Feeney. Each episode is an honest, unscripted conversation with a business owner or expert about the real story behind building and growing a business in Ireland. For decades, ambition itself has not been evenly distributed. Women were once nine times less likely than men to say they wanted to grow a business beyond themselves, and there was little support built to change that. This conversation traces how one piece of research turned into a nationwide movement: the peer-to-peer roundtable model behind Going for Growth, its rural counterpart ACORNS, and Back for Business for returning emigrants, along with what today's data says about ambition, role models and scaling a business. Joining Larissa is Paula Fitzsimons, founder of Fitzsimons Consulting. Paula was Ireland's national coordinator for the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor for twenty years and has designed and led some of the country's best-known peer support initiatives for entrepreneurs, including Going for Growth, ACORNS and Back for Business. THINGS WE SPOKE ABOUT The gender gap in start-up rates and growth ambition How one GEM statistic sparked Going for Growth Why peer-to-peer roundtables break psychological isolation Bringing the model to rural Ireland through ACORNS Supporting returning emigrants through Back for Business GUEST DETAILS Paula Fitzsimons is the founder of Fitzsimons Consulting, specialising in entrepreneurship and growth. She was the national coordinator for the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) research project in Ireland for twenty years and served on the global board as President of the national teams for several years. Paula has designed and implemented tailored peer support programmes for entrepreneurs, including Going for Growth, now in its 18th cycle with more than 1,100 ambitious female entrepreneurs having taken part, supported by Enterprise Ireland and KPMG. She also designed ACORNS, now in its 11th year with over 600 rural women involved, supported by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, and Back for Business for returning emigrants, supported by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Paula was appointed to the SME and Entrepreneurship Taskforce by the then Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment in 2020. Website: www.fitzsimons-consulting.com | www.goingforgrowth.com | www.ACORNS.ie Social Media: Paula Fitzsimons (LinkedIn) ABOUT KINORE Kinore is an award winning and innovative online Chartered Accountancy service that takes away the worry and headache of running your own finance and related business services functions. https://kinore.com/ ABOUT YOUR HOST The host of this podcast is Larissa Feeney, CEO and Founder of Kinore, an award-winning online accountancy and business services firm based in Ireland. Larissa's journey is notable, starting in hospitality before transitioning to accounting, where she qualified as a Chartered Accountant. Driven by a vision to challenge traditional accountancy and leverage technology, Larissa founded Kinore in 2015, establishing Ireland's first online, remote-first Finance and Business Services company. Under her leadership, Kinore has received numerous accolades, and Larissa herself has been recognised with awards like 'Accountant of the Year'. QUOTES What's your vision for this business? Not just what's your vision for you, so that it's bigger than you. - Paula Fitzsimons If you could see a woman who was a successful businesswoman, then you'd believe that you could do it. - Paula Fitzsimons It broke down that psychological isolation and that feeling that you were the only one with imposter syndrome. - Paula Fitzsimons No matter who he put a mic under, they were able to talk, and that's the way it should be. There's no favourites. - Paula Fitzsimons The role models are there. They have to have the aspiration, the belief, the dedication, and then the support, as well as natural talent and hard work. - Paula Fitzsimons KEYWORDS #GoingForGrowth #FemaleEntrepreneurs #ACORNS #BackForBusiness #Kinore

3. 

   27 Jul 2026

   The Process Blend

   Most founders stay stuck in survival mode because they confuse passion with strategy. True growth requires moving past the initial excitement and implementing the tight operational discipline that keeps a business alive. This conversation examines the difficult transition from survival to scaling a manufacturing business in a hyper-competitive market. The dialogue highlights the strategic necessity of supply chain control and the power of focusing on core competencies. Joining the conversation is Stephen Bell, Managing Director of Bell Lane Coffee. Stephen brings deep expertise in navigating regulated manufacturing markets, building direct-trade relationships, and successfully steering a business through the difficult teenage growth phase that every scaling company faces. THINGS WE SPOKE ABOUT Operational discipline as the primary driver of business longevity. The danger of dilution: focusing on core competencies to win. Building resilient supply chains to control costs. Managing the teenage years of a business without heavy debt. The role of financial literacy and cash flow management in scaling. GUEST DETAILS Stephen Bell is the Managing Director of Bell Lane Coffee. He has successfully transitioned from a technical expert into a CEO, scaling his roasting business through a direct-trade model and avoiding the pitfalls of retail expansion. Stephen is an expert in navigating regulated manufacturing markets and maintaining operational discipline. Company Website - www.belllane.ie Social Media:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephen-bell-85265538/ ABOUT KINORE Kinore is an award winning and innovative online Chartered Accountancy service that takes away the worry and headache of running your own finance and related business services functions. https://kinore.com/ ABOUT YOUR HOST The host of this podcast is Larissa Feeney, CEO and Founder of Kinore, an award-winning online accountancy and business services firm based in Ireland. Lasissa’s journey is notable, starting in hospitality before transitioning to accounting, where she qualified as a Chartered Accountant. Driven by a vision to challenge traditional accountancy and leverage technology, Larissa founded Kinore in 2015, establishing Ireland's first online, remote-first Finance and Business Services company. Under her leadership, Kinore has received numerous accolades, and Larissa herself has been recognised with awards like 'Accountant of the Year'. QUOTES Passion gets a business started, but tight operational discipline is what actually keeps it alive. - Stephen Bell You have to fail to succeed, and you understand that. - Stephen Bell When you're spending your own money, you learn very quickly. - Stephen Bell KEYWORDS: #BellLaneCoffee #SpecialtyCoffee #BCorpCertification #DirectTrade #WholesaleCoffee

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

25,402

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

1 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

9 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 44 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

45

Social presence

0

YouTube

76

Engagement

32

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Guest appearances

Does not typically book guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.