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Business Builders
I created Business Builders as a weekly interview series to have honest conversations with business owners, entrepreneurs, and investors about their journeys; their successes, setbacks, and the lessons they’ve learned along the way. As a growing business builder myself, I want to learn directly from my guests and share those insights with you. My goal is to provide listeners with practical takeaways, fresh perspectives, and real inspiration to help you on your own path to building and growing a business.
Business Builders
From Magician to CEO: How Ciaran McCormack Built a £300M Business
What can a magician teach us about leadership, resilience, and growth?
In this episode of Business Builders Podcast, Ciaran McCormack shares how his early lessons in crowd control and stage presence became the foundations for running one of Ireland and the UK’s most successful retail groups. From balloon animals to Apple, to steering a company through examinership and rebirth, this is a story about creativity, grit, and believing in possibility — even when everything’s on the line.
🎧 In this episode, you’ll learn:
– How a magician’s stagecraft became the foundation for leadership and communication
– What Ciaran learned moving from film school to Apple to the boardroom
– Why naivety can be a strength when stepping into your first CEO role
– How he led a company through examinership and came out stronger
– What it takes to scale from £17M to £210M without losing culture or drive
Whether you’re building a business, leading a team, or redefining what success means, this episode is packed with grounded, human insight on confidence, growth, and resilience.
🎙️ Host: Conor Kearney
👇 Listen & Subscribe
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