CEO Corner: Season 3, Episode 3

“If you don’t adapt, you’re dead.”

What does it actually take to build and keep a hospitality business alive?

In this episode of CEO Corner, Noel Anderson – publican, industry advocate, and co-founder of Grand Slam Bars (The Bridge 1859, Lemon & Duke, and more) – joins Sarah McGrath with a masterclass in operator mindset:

bouncing back from liquidation
settling a TV3 defamation case
bootstrapping Grafton Lounge, Lemon & Duke, The Bridge 1859
and navigating policy shocks, energy costs, and shifting customer behaviour

All without losing sight of people, product, and profit.

Noel shares his raw, unfiltered story of resilience: losing everything at 23, starting again with €60k, scaling iconic venues with rugby partners, battling insurers during COVID—and why cash flow and culture beat almost everything else.

Listen on:

Spotify – https://open.spotify.com/episode/6GL7….

Apple – https://podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/i-was-….

Thank you for being a loyal listener, and we hope you find our interview with Emma useful. If you enjoy the episode, please consider sharing it with your network and leaving a review. Your support means the world to us.

Watch Now:

(Please ensure you have accepted Cookies in order to view the video content below.

CEO Corner, With Sarah McGrath

Each month, we deconstruct world-class industry leaders, asking them about their leadership style, the psychological drivers behind their success and how they became who they are today. This platform is for those who want to gain tips and insights from the best of the best and for those who enjoy hearing other success stories.

Sarah McGrath is a Partner and Co-Owner at 360 Search Recruitment Service in Ireland and the UK and a Co-Owner of Vy Nutrition.

Sarah helps ensure senior professionals get access to their employer of choice and obtain their desired objectives while building their careers. She works with some of the most prolific entrepreneurs within Financial Services.

Sarah holds a Degree in Business, a Four-Year Diploma in Nutrition and a Degree in Psychology. She is passionate about organisational psychology and corporate well-being, advising and speaking at many industry associations.

