Archive for the ‘Retirement’ Category

Moving into Wisdom with Kevin Fahey, CEO of Essence of Leadership

March 18, 2025

Essence of Leadership - Kevin Fahey

Recently I have had the pleasure of meeting (virtually!) and doing some business with a very wise man, Kevin Fahey.

Each and every time we would have a chat he would leave me with some pearls of wisdom and when I learnt that this positive, always pushing forward, optimistic businessman was 75 I just had to ask him to come on my podcast.

Kevin is the CEO and Founder of Peer to Peer coaching company, Essence of Leadership.

Kevin came from a family farm, he went into the Irish clothing manufacturing industry and after a board room battle he found himself at home, unemployed.

Never a man to stand still Kevin started off a successful training company and was once labelled a Positive Psychopath by one of his clients. Like so many other businesses the recession that followed the Celtic Tiger crash, had him once again wondering where the next few bob was going to come from. 

He talks about very dark days and struggling at times to lift himself from the bed in the morning, but he did, one foot at a time.

Kevin reinvented himself, and with all of his collective wisdom and experience he remodelled his business following the simple principle that often the wisdom that we are searching for actually sits within us. He explains why and how peer to peer coaching is so powerful, in particular for business owners and senior managers.

As I have been very recently grappling with a big birthday number, we also chatted about ageism and moving into “wisdom” and based on his energy and drive I think I am just a young fella still!

Kevin talks so much sense and I hope you can take the time to listen to our chat – you will be better for it, I promise.

Greg

The Win Happy podcast is available on all podcast Apps and on Spotify.

Greg Canty is the Managing Partner of Fuzion, a Brand Communications Agency in Ireland with offices in Dublin and Cork.

Life and knowing what really matters

December 15, 2019

At one point the Dwyer family employed thousands of people in Cork city, manufacturing clothing and footwear in Dwyer and Co, the Lee Boot Company and in Sunbeam Wolsley.

The young Ted Dwyer, watched his father trying to cope with the painful collapse of his family business in what was a very traditional industry that fell due to automation and when manufacturing moved to other much cheaper countries.

I loved my recent chat with Ted, which I captured on an episode of my Win Happy podcast where he shares how these early humbling life experiences affected him and the family, how they influenced his career choice, his approach to business and to life and how he coped with the many ups and downs through five decades. He also cares passionately about people putting money aside so they can retire with pleasure when the time comes.

He also chats about his latest venture (which he started at the tender age of 70!) whereby he advises family businesses through the very tricky journey of succession.

I wanted to do a podcast with Ted for quite a while as he has a great story and is one of life’s gents and someone who is always generously there to share some of his ‘life’ wisdom.

I consider Ted to be a mentor of sorts as he is always encouraging me to slow down and to go fishing!

Ted is the former Founder and Managing Director of City Life, which has recently been acquired by Invesco.

Click here to listen to the podcast with Ted

Enjoy the show!

Greg

Greg Canty is a Partner of Fuzion Communications, a full service Marketing, PR, Graphic Design and Digital Marketing agency with offices in Dublin and Cork, Ireland

 

 

 

Never look a 70 Day FAS Gift Horse in the mouth!

August 4, 2011

Only another 50 days left!

Only another 50 days left!

Oh my God what an opportunity for the Minister for Education & Skills Ruairi Quinn T.D. and the government to take on a really straightforward issue and lay down a marker for all sorts of unnecessary excess, total extravagance and total waste.

What better way to show the Irish public that it is no longer going to put up with this rubbish and that the Irish “Gravy Train” is totally finished.

What better way to take on a ridiculously powerful union who are defenceless against something that is so blatantly wrong  and corrupt. The union officials who negotiated this 70 days retirement “acclimatisation leave” originally must have been astounded that it was agreed to – the bubbly was flowing that night!

When such a clear opportunity comes along to management to sort out something that  is so blatantly wrong they just have to grab it with both hands and display a little bit of mettle and lay down the smallest of markers. To not grab the opportunity would be a total catastrophe.

This is obviously a sad legacy from FAS that quotes of itself:

FÁS enhances the skills and competencies of individuals and enterprises in order for Ireland to further develop as a competitive, inclusive, knowledge-based economy. It strives to do this through the provision of tailored training and employment programmes that suit everyone’s needs.

(Oh my god … paper never refuses ink)

Ruairi & Co – this is easy …. accept the gift of the 70 issue and show us some mettle.. please.

It would be good for the country and for your PR!

Greg Canty is a partner of Fuzion