IN STUDIO - UPCOMING GUESTS

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On Air: May 2, 2017

What makes a good Irish pub? Recently, we spoke with two experts in the Irish pub business to find out the ingredients for an authentic and successful pub. Donal Ballance is an Irish pub consultant and former Guinness brand manager, and Darren Fagan helps reproduce the setting of traditional Irish pubs as Senior Project Manger at the Irish Pub Company.

Darren and Donal have both worked with the the Irish Pub Concept, a boutique project within Guinness that seeks to promote the brand by building a shrine to the beer and its Irish heritage. Darren claims the Irish pub is a “romantic idea of Ireland and what Ireland is” that recreates Irish practices of socializing around the world. They both believe an authentic Irish pub can be replicated outside of Ireland through careful design and innovation. In North America alone, there are approximately 3500 Irish pubs, 1500-1800 of which were developed by or inspired by the Irish Pub Concept.

The Irish Pub Concept builds the Irish pub experience through far more than a tap list of Irish beer, but rather the unique design of traditional pubs in Ireland. Irish pubs began as small rooms inside people’s homes, and today retain the same elements of intimacy in their commercial design. The Irish Pub Concept recreates this intimate atmosphere through twisty, curved spaces, back bars, and separate, private areas for conversation.

In terms of the beer, Guinness remains an iconic ambassador of Irish culture, and the frothy stout continues to draw many to Irish pubs around the world. Guinness is unique in more than just taste, as a hydrogenated beer that requires specialized storing and pouring. Bartenders often receive specialized training in serving Guinness to ensure its quality.

However, recent trends in fast casual dining and the rise of microbreweries are changing other aspects of the Irish pub menu. Darren notes Irish pubs are emerging from the “cocoon of everything Irish” to include competing stouts, local breweries, and ciders. Traditional fish and chips are appearing alongside artisanal cocktails and small plates. Both Darren and Donal credit these innovations with keeping Irish pubs relevant in the 21st century.

To hear our full interview with Darren Fagan and Donal Ballance, download the Innovation Navigation podcast.


On Air: April 24, 2017

We recently talked with author and business leader Sarah Robb O’Hagan, who has a strong record of reinventing brands in the fitness sector.

Sarah was once an athlete herself, but realized she could better utilize her competitive nature and passion for fitness in the business world. She is the author of recent book Extreme YOU: Step Up. Stand Out. Kick Ass. Repeat, which provides people of all ages with the tools to discover their strengths, take big risks, and deal with failure.

From 2008-2012, Sarah served as global president of Gatorade, where she led the company from shrinking market share through a major repositioning and business turnaround. In our interview, Sarah described how she learned to “stop chasing the competition” and refocus on the brand’s core consumer: athletes. This consumer-centered innovation inspired a new wave of Gatorade product development to address the many beverages and supplements athletes need for energy, hydration, recovery, and protein.

Sarah is now the CEO of indoor cycling company Flywheel Sports, which boasts forty studios across the United States.

Flywheel is part of a larger shift in the fitness industry, away from “big gyms” to boutique studios that offer specialty classes such as cycling, barre, boxing, and pilates. Over the last five years, big gyms have been flat or in decline and boutique fitness has grown 400% percent. Sarah argues boutique fitness is often more customer-centered, “instead of trying to cater to the masses like a big gym, there are different offerings that appeal to different kinds of motivation.”

Sarah also believes boutique studios like Flywheel have a unique ability to build a devoted customer base. Sarah notes the Flywheel customer is not the casual spinner, rather, “Flywheel is for athletes. It’s fitness for extremists. Flywheel is not trying to be all things to all people.” She defines the Flywheel following as “the community of the most intense, competitive cyclists on the planet.”

Flywheel’s classes are structured to harness this competitive zeal. Each bike allows riders to track their performance against pervious rides and compare with other members of the class.

Sarah argues that technological innovation was key in creating Flywheel’s niche in the cycling market: “Flywheel was the first company to take something that existed (indoor spinning) and bring technology to it. Every bike is wired with technology, so the inductor is saying push to this output. And at the end, you get a screen with all of your results.”

Technology will also be critical for Flywheel’s future innovations, which will provide more “fitness occasions” in the form of streaming content. However, Sarah maintains the community and competition of traditional Flywheel classes will not be lost: “a lot of the innovation that we’re bringing, streaming content, our at home offering, will be aligned around this idea of you being able to compete with others in our community, compare your performance with others in our community.”

To learn more about boutique fitness and Sarah Robb O’Hagan, download the Innovation Navigation podcast.


On Air: February 21, 2017

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On Air: February 20, 2017

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On Air: February 19, 2017

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On Air: January 18, 2017

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