Cork Creative

From beards to business, in this episode of Cork Creative, we sit down with Colin Murphy, the founder of West Cork Beard Company. 

Colin shares the journey of how he transitioned from an English teacher in Spain to a successful entrepreneur in Ireland. He talks about his initial struggles with business operations, the inspirations drawn from the West Cork landscape, and his passion for creating high-quality beard products. Colin also discusses product development, sustainability efforts, the role of social media in his marketing strategy, and his future vision for the company.

In the final podcast episode of 2024, Leika Hartjes, the Wandering Goldsmith, shares her journey into jewellery-making and the evolution of her unique style. Leika discusses her creative process, from finding inspiration in nature and personal stories to choosing materials and balancing traditional techniques with modern trends. She also opens up about the challenges of running a creative business, the importance of following your joy, and how social media has impacted her connection with her audience.

Angela Newman, artistic director and cast member of the theatre group Hysterical Histories, explains how their immersive dinner theatre approach was inspired, the group's creative process and making history stick by pairing poignant moments with clever comedy.

In this episode of the Cork Creative Podcast, host Geraldine Hennessy interviews Orla Kelly, founder of Orla Kelly Publishing. Orla shares her journey from self-publishing her son’s story to establishing a thriving business that helps others bring their books to life. She explains the benefits of self-publishing, her unique approach to supporting authors, and insights into the publishing process. Orla also discusses industry trends, common challenges, and how her personalised approach makes Orla Kelly Publishing a standout in the self-publishing world.

In this episode, we talk with the talented duo behind Mummyhead Studios, Justin Walter and Kristie Davison. They share their unique creative journeys, how the Smashing Pumpkins played a key role in bringing them together and how Mummyhead Studios came to be . We explore their diverse and captivating work, collaborations with industry masters, and insights into the evolving landscape of the film industry.

In this episode, chocolatier Niamh O’Reilly discusses her path into working with chocolate and opening up her own chocolate business, Hungry Crow. She discusses the challenges of the business world and rising raw material prices, taking an ethical approach, listening to her customers, recreating the classics with her unique twist, her hopes for the chocolate industry and just doing it.

We chat to serial entrepreneur, creative strategist and AI advocate Catherine Tobin about her love for business and taking the leap into launching her first entrepreneurial venture, the importance of taking learnings from all your endeavours, keeping things simple, the juggling act of having three businesses on the go and finding your tribe.

In this Cork Creative Podcast, Geraldine chats to Cecilia Scholte Lubberink about her journey from poetry and art to opening Le Chéile Arts, a beautifully curated craft shop in Dunmanway. Born from a need for local artists to have a space to showcase their work, Cecilia chats about how the success of a pop-up shop led to the establishment of a permanent store. She emphasises the importance of local art, the collaborative nature of her business, and striving for a work-life balance.

In the latest Cork Creative episode, Patrick Kiely revisits the show's first guest, Caragh Bell, to discuss her journey and recent projects. Since her last appearance, Caragh has published another book, Mosaic, and her next, Fortuna, is due out in August. She has also started a school podcast series, the SHSS podcast. She shares her experiences with self-publishing and her future plans, including a PhD and potential screenwriting projects.

In this episode, we chat to illustrator Kerry O’Callaghan about her journey into children’s illustration, diversity and representation, her collaborative process and gaining confidence in her work.