"It's about people getting together to ensure that everybody gets a satisfactory result."
Patrick Daly Tweet
Patrick Daly started when he was 14 years old with a food van for his summer holidays. Then went to Munich, Germany to live for 2 years when was 18. Worked as New Products Manager when he went back home to Ireland. Left there and started a search engine for finding a car, Autolink.
He started Sareo Healthcare and launched a medical mattress range for hospitals. Went from himself to about 40 people in one year and they were ranked number one in the space by healthcare agencies. Patrick was Young Entrepreneur of the Year in Ireland in 1999. He started Mediform Technologies to develop products and technologies, and also started Icon Global Innovations in the Netherlands 2 years ago.
He Invented SimCair Infection Control Medical mattresses and cushions for hospitals and home care and they are now scaling that. He travels a lot and he also helps other startups as a mentor and adviser.
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Table of Contents
We are thrilled to have you join us today, welcome to ValiantCEO Magazine’s exclusive interview! Let’s start off with a little introduction. Tell our readers a bit about yourself and your company.
Patrick Daly: I started when I was 14 years old with a food van for my summer holidays. Then went to Munich, Germany to live for 2 years when was 18. Worked as New Products Manager when I came back home to Ireland. I left there and started a search engine business for finding a car, and called it Autolink, That was one and half years before Google launched !! (Yeah! I should have kept Autolink :))
I started Sareo Healthcare and launched an innovative medical mattress range for hospitals. Went from myself to about 40 people in one year and we were ranked number one in our space by the healthcare agencies. I was Young Entrepreneur of the Year in Ireland in 1999. I started Mediform Technologies to develop products and technologies. Started Icon Global Innovations in Netherlands 2 years ago. I Invented SimCair Infection Control Medical mattress and cushions for hospitals and homecare and we are now scaling that. I travel quite a lot and I also now help other startups as a mentor and adviser. I mentor pro bono with www.risehelps.ca to help people. I wrote my first book “Just Start Up” last year. I am always looking to be involved in Innovation and something new.
2020 and 2021 threw a lot of curve balls into business on a global scale. Based on the experience gleaned in the past couple years, how can businesses thrive in 2022? What lessons have you learned?
Patrick Daly: I think businesses have to think laterally at all times, not just when we are thrown a curve ball. In business, and particularly in the startup and scale up stages, curve balls and surprises are part of weekly life. I think lateral thinking allows the business to have a range of products or services which could cover a few markets. It’s risk management I guess. If one product goes down, having other products/services to compensate is a good strategy. I know it goes against “niche” and “focus” theory, but I was never a believer in being stuck in just one box. Businesses need to think outside the box and think in advance I believe. “No point in closing the gate when the horse has gone”, so to speak.
The pandemic seems to keep on disrupting the economy, what should businesses focus on in 2022? What advice would you share?
Patrick Daly: Again think laterally. Use the resources you have to maybe adapt your products or services. What does your market and the market want. Figure that out and provide it. It may seem like marketing 101 and it is. But in my experience, it works. For example, we had and have SimCair Mattress Toppers for preventing pressure ulcers in patients in healthcare. But a secondary function and feature of SimCair was the ability to easily disinfect the sleep topper and thats as clinically proven to work. So, when Covid came along, we said let’s adapt our SimCair and make a version for people at home, in hotels, cruise ships and so on…basically we had a sleep surface which is a standalone or integrated mattress topper that allows the outside cover and the inside of a mattress to be cleaned and disinfected. This is a game changer in that it’s typically impossible to clean and disinfect the inside of our traditional mattresses. We are scaling that product up now and we need resellers around the globe. Lots of interest thankfully. This is just one example of adaptation to new circumstances.
How has the pandemic changed your industry and how have you adapted?
Patrick Daly: I guess I have answered this in the last question but I believe every industry has been changed. Our way of life and way of living has changed. All companies have had to adapt and are adapting as we go. Remote working is probably the most fundamental change resulting from Covid. I believe that’s a good thing. Quality and Quantity of life is necessary. If somebody can get the job and the work done in four hours, pay them for it. Why do they need to sit in an office for 8 hours and 5 days per week. Enhance their quality of life by making the job task driven and reward accordingly. I believe we all win by doing so.
What advice do you wish you received when the pandemic started and what do you intend on improving in 2022?
Patrick Daly: I wish I was advised that it would have lasted this long and that it would have such an impact. But nobody knew. We have learned lessons though. These pandemics have been around for a while. SARS, MERS and more, and recently COVID. We need an aligned global strategy and policy for handling these pandemics and outbreaks. Needless to say, Prevention is Far better than cure!
Online business surged higher than ever, B2B, B2C, online shopping, virtual meetings, remote work, Zoom medical consultations, what are your expectations for 2022?
Patrick Daly: I expect this will continue to grow rapidly. Remote Working is here to stay and frankly I think that’s a good thing. It’s easier. I’ve spent many many hours of my life on aircraft and in airports. I very much prefer remote working. It’s just more efficient and easier and more cost effective. There is one caution though. Face to face meeting and having some fun as a team are, in my view, an important part of creating and maintaining a successful business. As far as B2C and online sales, we just need to make sure logistics and delivery networks can keep up, and at a realistic cost!
How many hours a day do you spend in front of a screen?
Patrick Daly: I’d prefer not to say 🙂 My optician may not be too happy. I am always communicating with someone somewhere. I now shut down on weekends though. One of my posts on LinkedIn recently was “Discipline is Necessary!…..Unless it’s Five O’Clock on Friday :)”
The majority of executives use stories to persuade and communicate in the workplace. Can you share with our readers examples of how you implement that in your business to communicate effectively with your team?
Patrick Daly: I was born and raised in Ireland, and apparently we are good storytellers ?;) But, yeah, being able to tell a story and sell a story is very important. Every single human being is selling something everyday. That’s just a fact of life. If we can tell a story and engage our team or our audience while doing so, I guess it makes the experience more enjoyable and fun. It’s important to enjoy!!
Business is all about overcoming obstacles and creating opportunities for growth. What do you see as the real challenge right now?
Patrick Daly: In our business I see funding and scaling as a challenge because we have such demand for our SimCair and DreamCair mattress topper products which I mentioned earlier in this interview. We already have strong interest from investors but we have to choose the right investors and stakeholders. That’s crucial for me. I’d prefer to slow down a little and get that piece right. I am confident the right investors and supporters will come along. They may be reading this article right now and will contact me. That’s the way it goes sometimes.
In 2022, what are you most interested in learning about? Crypto, NFTs, online marketing, or any other skill sets? Please share your motivations.
Patrick Daly: I love learning. If I don’t learn something new each day, I ask myself why? Live and Learn!
A record 4.4 million Americans left their jobs in September in 2021, accelerating a trend that has become known as the Great Resignation. 47% of people plan to leave their job during 2022. Most are leaving because of their boss or their company culture. 82% of people feel unheard, undervalued and misunderstood in the workplace. Do you think leaders see the data and think “that’s not me – I’m not that boss they don’t want to work for? What changes do you think need to happen?
Patrick Daly: The game has changed for many industries. For me it’s not about titles such as “boss” and “employee”. It’s about people getting together to ensure that everybody gets a satisfactory result. For example, if someone has 20 hours per week to work and they have a needed skill, then let them provide that skill and get paid accordingly for it. The person with the skill wins and the business wins. In my view, the whole ballgame needs to change and go in that direction. Like I said earlier, we need quality of life and quantity in life. I realize there are professions and businesses that cannot function without on-site workers, but we all need to think laterally to find solution that works for all. I believe it can be done. Where there is a will, there is a way.
On a lighter note, if you had the ability to pick any business superpower, what would it be and how would you put it into practice?
Patrick Daly: I’d create a “problem dissolver”…. Entrepreneurs are problem solvers, but I think we need a “problem dissolver”. Maybe I’d create a new language which would spin the problem as an opportunity instead … lol
What does “success” in 2022 mean to you? It could be on a personal or business level, please share your vision.
Patrick Daly: That’s an easy one! Achieving what you set out to achieve, even if you had to change track a few times in getting there.
Jerome Knyszewski, VIP Contributor to ValiantCEO and the host of this interview would like to thank Patrick Daly for taking the time to do this interview and share his knowledge and experience with our readers.
If you would like to get in touch with Patrick Daly or his company, you can do it through his – Linkedin Page
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