Managing the entrepreneurship rollercoaster

You know you’ve made it as an artiste when you reach single-moniker status, á la Kylie, Beyoncé and Cher. But Mullingar’s own Bressie will prove he’s more than just a platinum-selling singer-songwriter-sex symbol when he delivers the keynote speech at a Dublin entrepreneurship event this Thursday.

Managing the Entrepreneurship Rollercoaster – knowing the ups and downs of a white-knuckle ride! is the brainchild of IT Tallaght's Synergy Centre, and will take place in the august surrounds of the House of Lords, Bank of Ireland, College Green.

While Bressie may be a surprisingly showbiz choice for an event of this nature, the Synergy Centre's manager Tom Rooney said the former Blizzards front-man is "nonetheless an entrepreneur who has had to develop himself and his career and overcome his own personal challenges".

“He has promised to share some very interesting stories and tips to the assembled entrepreneurs,” Rooney added.

The Synergy Centre runs an incubation facility for start-ups. Through his involvement with this, Rooney has seen that entrepreneurship can be a lonely place, with its good days and bad.

“You’ve got the good stage where you have the idea, then things become more doubtful as you become more aware of the challenges. Then you have to overcome those hurdles.”

The Entrepreneurship Rollercoaster event aims to recognise that this is the journey that entrepreneurs travel. Catherine Goodman of Goodman Associates will speak about the typical entrepreneur personality: impatient to run with their idea, yet self-doubting when they reach a difficult crossroads.

The event also aims to show that such challenges can be surmounted, and to reinforce the positive aspects of entrepreneurship, so there will be plenty of advice on hand from seasoned professionals who have “been there, done that and secured business success”, Rooney said.

The event is open to anyone who has started, or is thinking of starting, their own business.