Episode 8: Norman Crowley

In Episode 8 of the 'Life and Leadership Podcast,' Bobby Kerr interviews Norman Crowley, a serial entrepreneur with a diverse business background. The episode unfolds at the Powerscourt estate in County Wicklow, where Crowley's current ventures are based. Crowley's entrepreneurial journey began in West Cork with a welding and engineering business he started as a teenager, which he sold by the age of 20. This early success was followed by ventures in software development, particularly during the rise of the internet, leading to the sale of his company, Trinity Commerce, to Aircom.

Crowley's business acumen continued to evolve as he founded Inspire Gaming Group, a company that began with premium rate text messaging but pivoted to gambling machines, resulting in significant growth and eventual public listing. Despite the financial success, Crowley admits to a persistent feeling of insecurity and impostor syndrome, even at the height of his achievements. He also briefly experimented with retirement in his 20s, only to find that the drive to work and create was intrinsic to his nature.

The conversation transitions to Cool Planet Group, Crowley's current focus, which is a conglomerate of companies addressing climate change through commercial solutions in energy, transport, and food. Crowley is candid about his commercial approach to solving climate issues, emphasizing the importance of profitability and innovation rather than altruism or guilt. He discusses the simplicity of his vision for tackling climate change by reducing energy consumption, transitioning to electric transport, and eventually adopting cellular agriculture for meat production.

Crowley's leadership style is described as direct and fact-based, with an emphasis on creating a supportive yet high-performance culture within his companies. He values progress and technological advancement, and he is unapologetic about the commercial nature of his climate change initiatives. Crowley also shares insights into his personal motivations and the influence of his father, as well as the impact of other entrepreneurs like Richard Branson and Elon Musk.