Money Talks: Chupi Sweetman – ‘My accountant sat me down and said 'you would be better off on the dole''
'My brother and I ran a little food business when we were maybe like 12 or 13, just a little country market,' she says on the latest episode of the Money Talks podcast.
'I started my womenswear label, properly, [when] I was about 14 or 15. I sold my first piece in Temple Bar when I was 15 and then opened my first stall when I was 16 – paid my way through school and college on that market.'
From there, Sweetman was scouted for a top design job, working across Dublin and London. Twenty years later, her namesake brand is her daily focus.
'You've got to be pragmatic and understand that you can't win every day,' she says, adding that entrepreneurship isn't a straight line.
'We've had some of the most incredible highs – we've also had some of the most incredible lows.'
On this episode of Money Talks, Sweetman opens up about her childhood and her dad's affair with my mum's sister. 'When Dad left, there was no money. And I genuinely mean no money,' she tells host Katie Byrne.
Yet her mother, writer Rosita Sweetman, never let her two children feel the financial strain she was under. 'I look back at the photographs really underestimating how poor we were, but we didn't feel it,' she says.
'How did she pay the mortgage? How did she put a roof over our heads? I really genuinely believe there was nothing I could have asked her for that she wouldn't have figured out a way to have gotten to.'
Sweetman also reflects on her long journey to parenthood, and the cost of undergoing fertility treatment. "I just thought you did IVF and had a baby. I was so naive. I thought you'd go do a cycle and then you'd get your baby... But each cycle in theory is about €5,500. Realistically, it's more like 10 [cycles]. So we were, it was about €45,000 having our daughter.
' I would've paid it 10 times over... she is absolutely priceless,' she says of her daughter Aya, who is now five. 'But also, how unbelievable that there's a price on it.'
Money Talks is available wherever you get your podcasts, with new episodes released on Wednesdays.
The content of this podcast is for information purposes and does not constitute investment advice or recommendation of any investment product.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Independent
3 days ago
- Irish Independent
Money Talks: ‘When Dad left, there was no money' – Chupi Sweetman on the impact of her dad's affair with her mum's sister
A snapshot of the philosophy of Chupi Sweetman, founder of bespoke jewellery brand Chupi, who was keen to take her first steps in the business world at a young age. 'My brother and I ran a little food business when we were maybe like 12 or 13, just a little country market,' she says on the latest episode of the Money Talks podcast. 'I started my womenswear label, properly, [when] I was about 14 or 15. I sold my first piece in Temple Bar when I was 15 and then opened my first stall when I was 16 – paid my way through school and college on that market.' From there, Sweetman was scouted for a top design job, working across Dublin and London. Twenty years later, her namesake brand is her daily focus. 'You've got to be pragmatic and understand that you can't win every day,' she says, adding that entrepreneurship isn't a straight line. 'We've had some of the most incredible highs – we've also had some of the most incredible lows.' On this episode of Money Talks, Sweetman opens up about her childhood and her dad's affair with my mum's sister. 'When Dad left, there was no money. And I genuinely mean no money,' she tells host Katie Byrne. Yet her mother, writer Rosita Sweetman, never let her two children feel the financial strain she was under. 'I look back at the photographs really underestimating how poor we were, but we didn't feel it,' she says. 'How did she pay the mortgage? How did she put a roof over our heads? I really genuinely believe there was nothing I could have asked her for that she wouldn't have figured out a way to have gotten to.' Sweetman also reflects on her long journey to parenthood, and the cost of undergoing fertility treatment. "I just thought you did IVF and had a baby. I was so naive. I thought you'd go do a cycle and then you'd get your baby... But each cycle in theory is about €5,500. Realistically, it's more like 10 [cycles]. So we were, it was about €45,000 having our daughter. ' I would've paid it 10 times over... she is absolutely priceless,' she says of her daughter Aya, who is now five. 'But also, how unbelievable that there's a price on it.' Money Talks is available wherever you get your podcasts, with new episodes released on Wednesdays.
Irish Independent
3 days ago
- Irish Independent
Money Talks: Chupi Sweetman – ‘My accountant sat me down and said 'you would be better off on the dole''
A snapshot of the philosophy of Chupi Sweetman, founder of bespoke jewellery brand Chupi, who was keen to take her first steps in the business world at a young age. 'My brother and I ran a little food business when we were maybe like 12 or 13, just a little country market,' she says on the latest episode of the Money Talks podcast. 'I started my womenswear label, properly, [when] I was about 14 or 15. I sold my first piece in Temple Bar when I was 15 and then opened my first stall when I was 16 – paid my way through school and college on that market.' From there, Sweetman was scouted for a top design job, working across Dublin and London. Twenty years later, her namesake brand is her daily focus. 'You've got to be pragmatic and understand that you can't win every day,' she says, adding that entrepreneurship isn't a straight line. 'We've had some of the most incredible highs – we've also had some of the most incredible lows.' On this episode of Money Talks, Sweetman opens up about her childhood and her dad's affair with my mum's sister. 'When Dad left, there was no money. And I genuinely mean no money,' she tells host Katie Byrne. Yet her mother, writer Rosita Sweetman, never let her two children feel the financial strain she was under. 'I look back at the photographs really underestimating how poor we were, but we didn't feel it,' she says. 'How did she pay the mortgage? How did she put a roof over our heads? I really genuinely believe there was nothing I could have asked her for that she wouldn't have figured out a way to have gotten to.' Sweetman also reflects on her long journey to parenthood, and the cost of undergoing fertility treatment. "I just thought you did IVF and had a baby. I was so naive. I thought you'd go do a cycle and then you'd get your baby... But each cycle in theory is about €5,500. Realistically, it's more like 10 [cycles]. So we were, it was about €45,000 having our daughter. ' I would've paid it 10 times over... she is absolutely priceless,' she says of her daughter Aya, who is now five. 'But also, how unbelievable that there's a price on it.' Money Talks is available wherever you get your podcasts, with new episodes released on Wednesdays. The content of this podcast is for information purposes and does not constitute investment advice or recommendation of any investment product.
RTÉ News
03-07-2025
- RTÉ News
US multinationals to increase employee numbers in Ireland over next year
60% of US multinationals that are members of the American Chamber of Commerce Ireland plan to increase employee numbers here over the next year. The findings of a new survey carried out by the American Chamber also show that a further 32.5% of US companies say they will maintain their current workforce levels. Ahead of an event in Dublin today to celebrate US Independence Day, AmCham surveyed its members current views on Ireland as a destination for growth and further investment. The companies included in the survey, which was carried out in the last week, represent around 52,000 of the employees within US multinationals across the country. 9 in 10 survey respondents say their corporate headquarters have a positive view of Ireland as an investment location, while 68% already have plans to invest in Ireland over the next 5 years. However, almost a third point to housing as the most important challenge to overcome for their company to invest and expand here. Just over a quarter, 26%, say cost competitiveness is the most important challenge, while 10.5% say skills shortage is the number one challenge. Other challenges include delays and complexity of the planning process, supply chain disruption, and the need to enhance R&D tax incentives. The CEO of the American Chamber says Ireland is "a strategic hub for innovation and global decision-makers in major American corporations". Paul Sweetman says almost 7.5% of Ireland's entire population is employed, directly or indirectly, by US multinationals. "On the flip side, Ireland is the 6th largest source of FDI into the US and Irish companies are employing almost as many people in the US as US companies are employing in Ireland." "It truly is a genuine two-way economic relationship," according to Mr Sweetman. He says while the geopolitical backdrop of trade, tariffs and uncertainty are "unquestionably causing challenges for our members," he says AmCham sees "a real and emerging optimism that the business community is ready to get moving through accelerating innovative projects and strategic investments". "The single biggest factor that will impact Ireland's long-term growth will be our own national competitiveness, a factor wholly within our control."
