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Trading Up

Trading Up

Written by: The Irish News
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About this listen

 Trading Up hosted by Jim Fitzpatrick and produced in association with EY, delves into the real businesses, personal stories, and remarkable journeys of entrepreneurs. Discover insights on risk, resilience, and business growth from diverse founders and leaders in businesses big and small across various industries. Tune in weekly for inspiring entrepreneurial learnings.

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The Irish News Economics Leadership Management Management & Leadership
Episodes
  • Building a £20M E-commerce Brand: The Kukoon Rugs Story

    Building a £20M E-commerce Brand: The Kukoon Rugs Story
    Jan 21 2026
    Join Jim Fitzpatrick as he interviews Paul and Clare Vallely, the brother-sister duo behind Kukoon. Learn how they scaled a rug business from local market stalls to a £20 million turnover global brand. This episode dives deep into the realities of modern e-commerce, exploring the shift from eBay to building an independent brand amidst the high marketing costs of Google and Amazon. Discover essential insights on successful rebranding, the surprising value of physical retail stores for building trust, implementing advisory boards to navigate business crises, and taking a stand on humanitarian issues.

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    1 hr and 9 mins
  • Economic Inactivity, EV Wars, and Regime Roulette: Navigating the 2025 Landscape

    Economic Inactivity, EV Wars, and Regime Roulette: Navigating the 2025 Landscape
    Jan 14 2026
    Jim Fitzpatrick and Richard Ramsey explore the shifting dynamics of Northern Ireland’s economy with employment falling and economic inactivity hitting a new grim record high. They examine the political deadlock over Stormont's multi-year budget and the impossibility of proper government in its absence. Turning to car sales for some insight, they discuss why Tesla sales have more than doubled in NI despite a European decline, while Chinese giant BYD has seen fivefold growth. Globally, the discussion turns to "Regime Roulette," analysing the US incursion into Venezuela for its vast oil reserves and Jerome Powell's high-stakes stand for Federal Reserve independence against the Trump administration. The Fed may seem far away, but its independence is a vital pillar of the global economy. The duo provide their usual critical insights into the intersection of global headwinds and local consequences.

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    52 mins
  • The Business of the Arts: Claire Murray and Scaling Success at the Lyric Theatre

    The Business of the Arts: Claire Murray and Scaling Success at the Lyric Theatre
    Jan 7 2026


    Join host Jim Fitzpatrick on Trading Up as he welcomes Claire Murray, Head of Development and Marketing at the Lyric Theatre, to deconstruct the "business" of show business. Claire discusses her transition from the high-stakes world of FMCG marketing at Coca-Cola and Heineken to steering the financial and creative success of Northern Ireland’s premier self-producing theatre.

    Celebrating the Lyric's 75-year history, this episode explores how corporate strategy can sustain cultural institutions. Claire details her implementation of flexible pricing models that significantly boosted ticket yield and the theatre's vital earned income, which now accounts for two-thirds of its turnover. Beyond the stage, the discussion highlights the arts as an economic engine, using "soft power" to attract inward investment and enrich the civic life of Belfast and Northern Ireland. This is an essential listen for anyone interested in marketing, entrepreneurship, and the symbiotic relationship between culture and commerce.

    Just as a master welder in the Lyric's scene shop carefully joins steel to build a set, this episode illustrates how Claire Murray fuses corporate marketing with artistic vision to build a sustainable future for this vital cultural institution.


    Disclaimer

    Brought to you in association with EY. The views and opinions expressed by guests on this podcast are their own and do not reflect the views or positions of EY or its other member Firms. EY proudly sponsors the Trading Up podcast but does not endorse or take responsibility for any statements made by individual guests. The Trading Up podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only and does not constitute professional advice.



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    58 mins
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