Armagh I Podcast armaghi

At the tender age of fifteen it was clear to Libby Clarke that sales was the route for her, however, a change of product was on the cards.
In the fourth and final episode of our Female Entrepreneur series, in partnership with Tarasis Enterprises – Supporting Female Entrepreneurs – we speak to the Portadown businesswoman who explains how property was not her first dabble in sales.
Growing up with a farming background, cattle was always Libby's first passion and she recalls selling her first property at fifteen.
Following Libby's father's retirement, the keen saleswoman took on a role with the then branded Joyce Estate Agents in 2002.
Fast forward to 2010, Joyce Clarke was born following a buy out of the business.
Libby explains the process as a "seamless transaction" and tells us how some of the team are key to the success of the business.
Cash flow, IT systems, long hours and mortgage changes are all part of normal working life - not to mention a farm at home which Libby manages herself.

It is not always clear what the future holds. Plans are laid down and ideas cultivated but life often has a way of reshaping those plans.
This is the third episode of our four part series, in partnership with Tarasis Enterprises, Supporting Female Entrepreneurs.
In 2019, Benburb-based beautician Sinead O’Donnell was hard at work laying the foundations for her own brand of self-tanning products. Then, in 2020 with the onset of the Covid Pandemic her world was suddenly upended with the untimely and tragic passing of her beloved father, Patrick Hughes.
Despite her incredible heartache, Sinead was acutely aware that her dad would not have wanted her to put paid to her new venture. So, with his devotion to her in mind, she decided to dedicate her line to his memory and thus PH20 Tanning was born.
Two years on, Sinead has continued to develop her line. PH20 is currently being stocked by over 5o retailers, secured by none-other than Sinead herself, and is set to launch a new and exciting product in the very near future.
With her sunny disposition, radiantly positive outlook on life and her quiet grit and determination it is patently clear that this female entrepreneur has a glowing future in business ahead of her.

What do you need to start a business? Qualifications, money, a business plan? Not according to long-standing Armagh based hairstylist and salon owner, Petra Carroll.
Petra's is the second episode of our four part series, in partnership with Tarasis Enterprises, Supporting Female Entrepreneurs.
'Conventional' would not be the word to describe Petra. Her route to business, whilst not perhaps a stereotypical journey, is a reassuring one. She demonstrates that the key to success is intrinsic. It’s something she believes we all hold.
Petra champions those around her and places huge emphasis on the importance of the help and support she has received across her years in business. This support is something she is now keen to provide to those coming next, her team and her customer base.
Through shamanic healing and ‘energy medicine’ Petra has a zest and love for life that is nothing short of infectious. She has found a balance between business and pleasure that has allowed her to see life through a new lens.
Her advice to fledgling entrepreneurs, also a tad unconventional, is perhaps some of the best and most actionable advice for anyone thinking of starting out on their own.

Most people can say that they have inherited something significant from an elderly relative, but few can say they have inherited a passion. Emma Stinson, of Richhill Co. Armagh, has inherited just that from her beloved Grandfather Jackie Stinson, saddler and restorer extraordinaire.
This is the first of our four part series, in partnership with Tarasis Enterprises, Supporting Female Entrepreneurs.

For all intents and purposes, Sean Cavanagh is a son of Tyrone – a former county captain, three All-Ireland medals, five All-Stars; the list of accolades goes on.
So much so, he says his parents' home is like a sporting monument; his own home, you would struggle to tell he played football at all.
But strangely enough, Sean says his affinity – certainly off the sporting fields – lies on the Armagh side of the River Blackwater...
Listen to Sean's story in business and how he keeps growing, despite the many challenges he faces – including a fire in his Moy premises within months of going out on his own – and how he balances his life between home and work - it certainly hasn't been easy! 

In 2019 Martin Carvill was on a life support machine battling for survival against oesophageal cancer.
Three years later, almost to the day, since Martin underwent surgery, he won the singles championship title in the Banbridge and District Darts League.
During the previous decade the world-class dart thrower was at the top of his game - a regular on the World Darts circuit and competing well in events like the Dutch, Belgium and Czech Opens, along with winning countless tournaments and trophies around Ireland as well as in Newry, with whichever team was lucky enough to have him.
One of the only people who believed he would ever play darts again – especially at the level he had done – was Martin himself.
Martin has been practising Mindfulness for 20-odd years and in the last 10 of those he developed a keen interest in Buddhism.
It’s an on-going long and painful road back from the cancer that ravaged his body, but there’s no better man to overcome that obstacle than Martin, as the two words that fuel his life are ‘belief’ and ‘fear’ – the former a force that he says has helped him succeed in the darts world and in his recovery, and the latter the thing that he feels holds people back from reaching their goals.
For this week’s podcast, Martin talks about his journey, since his cancer diagnosis and after the miraculous surgeries that couldn’t have been done a few years earlier.
He battled through the doubts both from within and from fellow darts players when he decided to give up drink in 2016… But the biggest battle was still to come.
Martin explains how Mindfulness and Buddhism has helped him through the  challenges he has overcome.
He tells us all about his darts career and how he and other top dart players really need sponsors to come on board for the little it costs them in relative terms.