Smooth Scaling

Join Marie Donnellan, CEO of Platform94, as she navigates the exciting but complex world of international business scaling. Featuring real-world stories, insights, and advice from entrepreneurs, experts, and industry leaders, Smooth Scaling delves into the highs, lows, and lessons of growing an international business.Whether you’re scaling your own business, supporting others, or simply curious about the journey, this podcast is your go-to resource for inspiration and actionable strategies.Tune in to explore the opportunities, challenges and innovations shaping the future of scaling.

Smooth Scaling is a business podcast hosted by Marie Donnellan, with 16 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Marie Donnellan hosts Smooth Scaling, a business show with 16 episodes published.

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  Smooth Scaling

  Brightbeam: Scaling at the Speed of AI

  Jul 10, 202646 min

  In this episode of Smooth Scaling, Marie Donnellan sits down with Brian Hanly, co-founder of Brightbeam, one of Ireland’s fastest-growing AI companies. Brian shares the story behind Brightbeam’s rapid growth, its expansion into international markets, and how the company is helping organisations move from AI ambition to real-world implementation. The conversation explores leadership, scaling, data, customer trust, and why businesses need to act deliberately in a time of extraordinary technological change.

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  Episode #4

  Scaling Through Complexity with Brenda Dooley

  Apr 24, 202638 minS2

  <p>In this episode of Smooth Scaling, Marie sits down with Brenda Dooley, Founder and CEO of AXIS The Reimbursement Experts, to explore the scaling journey behind one of Ireland and the UK’s leading reimbursement strategy firms.</p><p>Brenda shares how she built a highly specialised business from a clear market gap, the shift from boutique consultancy to an international scaling company, and the people, systems and strategic thinking required to support that growth. We also discuss innovation in healthcare, the future of reimbursement, AI, and why mission-led businesses can scale with both purpose and ambition.</p>

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  Episode #3

  Scaling Influence: The Galway Founder Building a Global Beauty Movement

  Mar 2, 202655 minS2

  <p>In this episode, Marie is joined by Nancy Costello, Founder & CEO of The Belle Brush and the driving force behind Belle Hair and Invisibelle.</p><p><br></p><p>Named Image Young Business Woman of the Year 2025, Nancy has built a standout Irish beauty brand with significant global reach - selling over 500,000 award-winning products worldwide and growing a powerful e-commerce business supported by millions of online viewers.</p><p><br></p><p>From Galway to a global audience, Nancy shares the reality behind scaling a consumer brand - the early challenges, differentiating in a saturated market, building community at s...

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  Episode #2

  From Soil to Stock Exchange: Scaling Senus into a Global Environmental Intelligence Leader

  Feb 14, 202632 minS2

  <p>In this episode of Smooth Scaling, Marie sits down with Eoghan Finneran, co-founder of Senus, formerly FarmEye, a company that has grown from rural roots in Roscommon into a leading player in agri-tech and environmental intelligence.</p><p><br></p><p>Senus has mapped over 3.5 million acres for soil health, building what it describes as Europe’s largest geo-tagged soil health database, and now operates internationally across 16 countries. In December 2025, the company listed on Euronext, reaching a market capitalisation of approximately €13 million.</p><p><br></p><p>Marie and Eoghan discuss the evolution of the business, scaling environmental data into...

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  Episode #1

  Season Two: Scaling with Intent

  Feb 9, 20269 minS2

  <p>Season Two of Smooth Scaling opens by setting the scene for the year ahead.</p><p>In this short episode, host Marie Donnellan outlines what scaling businesses are facing for the year ahead. Drawing on insights from the 2026 Business Outlook Report, she explores key themes including international expansion, cost and margin pressure, lean growth, AI adoption, leadership bandwidth, and talent challenges.</p><p>Season 2 will feature practical, honest conversations with founders and scaling leaders, many from the SCALE by Platform94 regional community, sharing real experiences and insights from their own scaling journeys.</p><p>The episode also pays tribute to...

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