Paddy Dunning joins Unfiltered with Sarah Jane Foster to share the entrepreneurial mindset behind some of Ireland's most iconic creative and entertainment businesses.
From bringing Michael Jackson to Westmeath and building Grouse Lodge Recording Studios to creating The Button Factory, The National Wax Museum, The Irish Rock 'N' Roll Museum Experience and now the world's largest moving statue, Paddy shares the lessons he has learned from a lifetime of creativity, risk-taking and innovation.
He opens up about entrepreneurship, reinvesting profits, spotting opportunities others miss, the future of music, the impact of AI, and why some of the best businesses are built by solving problems nobody else sees.
Whether you're a founder, creator, entrepreneur or someone with a big idea, this episode is packed with practical lessons on vision, perseverance and building things that matter.
IN THIS EPISODE YOU'LL LEARN
• How to spot opportunities others overlook
• Why the best businesses solve missing problems
• The importance of reinvesting in your vision
• How Paddy built multiple iconic Irish businesses
• What Michael Jackson was really like in Westmeath
• Why musicians need new revenue streams
• The future of AI and creativity
• How to think bigger when building a business
• Why legacy matters more than success
• The mindset behind building the world's largest moving statue
TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Michael Jackson In Westmeath
04:09 Inside Grouse Lodge Studios
06:01 How Musicians Actually Make Money
10:40 The Best Advice Paddy Ever Received About Money
13:18 Building Ireland's First Sound Training College
15:42 The Story Behind The National Wax Museum
18:00 Lessons From Tourism & Business
18:45 Why He Built The Button Factory
19:46 Creating The Irish Rock 'N' Roll Museum
22:49 The Giant Project Explained
25:35 Building The World's Largest Moving Statue
27:40 How The Giant Will Transform Cities
29:31 The Future Of Music & Technology
30:14 Why Creators Should Embrace AI
31:32 Legacy, Giving Back & Impact
32:56 How Paddy Switches Off
33:44 Final Thoughts
FOLLOW UNFILTERED
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/unfilteredwithsjf/
YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/@unfilteredwithsjf
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@unfilteredwithsjf
FOLLOW SARAH JANE FOSTER
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/sarahjane_foster
YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/@sarahjanefoster
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@sarahjane_foster
Website
https://sarahjanefoster.com
JOIN THE GREEN ROOM
https://www.sarahjanefoster.com/vault
Get exclusive founder insights, business lessons, content strategies, podcast takeaways and behind-the-scenes access from Sarah Jane Foster.
SPONSOR
This episode was sponsored by Apache Pizza Mullingar.
