EE435 - From €1M in Debt to 1,000 Clients: Inside Ireland’s Quiet Tech Giant

Jul 24, 2025

Kevin O’Loughlin, founder and CEO of Nostra, shares his inspiring journey from being €1M in debt to leading a tech giant that serves over 1,000 businesses. He discusses how a recession led him to self-reflection and the importance of personal discipline in his comeback. O'Loughlin highlights the transformative power of AI in enhancing efficiency while retaining company values. He also emphasizes daily meditation, visualization, and the need for robust cybersecurity, offering profound insights for entrepreneurs navigating uncertainty.

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INSIGHT

Personal Vision Drives Business

Personal vision defines business vision: Kevin’s goal to help a million people guides his company.
A clear why ensures all actions align towards meaningful impact.

ADVICE

Begin AI Adoption at Top

Start your AI adoption by having the leadership team use it regularly.
Use AI to solve top business challenges and improve research and efficiency.

ANECDOTE

Long-Term Client Loyalty

Kevin recounts signing long-term clients like the Talbot Hotel and Avalon Aerospace.
He highlights expanding IT services globally and managing large infrastructure moves.

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In this episode of The Entrepreneur Experiment, Gary sits down with Kevin O’Loughlin, founder and CEO of Nostra, one of Ireland’s leading IT services and cybersecurity companies.

From being €1 million in debt and living on pasta, to building a company helping 1,000+ businesses across Europe, Kevin shares the deeply personal story behind his mission to impact a million lives.

This is not your typical tech founder story. Kevin reveals:

- How a recession forced him into radical self-reflection.

- Why personal discipline became the foundation of his professional comeback.

- The systems, vision boards, and daily habits that guide him.

- How he's using AI to empower teams and scale his company—without compromising values.

If you're an entrepreneur grappling with uncertainty or looking for clarity on how to scale with purpose, this episode is a must-listen.

Show Notes:

In this episode, we cover:

🧨 How Kevin built Nostra out of a financial crisis and €1M in debt

🧭 Why his vision to “help a million people” fuels every decision

💻 The truth about modern cyberattacks - and why most companies aren’t prepared

🧠 Why daily meditation and visualisation are key to his success

📊 The practical ways Nostra uses AI to drive efficiency, reduce costs, and make better decisions

📈 Why consistent, boring growth beats big risky bets - and how he plans to build Ireland’s largest company

🔐 The single piece of IT advice he gives every business owner

⚡ The two internal mantras that guide company decisions: “What’s the right thing?” and “Would you sell it to your family?”

Resources & Mentions:
Nostra – Kevin’s company providing managed IT and cybersecurity services: https://nostra.ie/

Whoop – the health tracking device Kevin and Gary both swear by

Simon Sinek’s “Start With Why” – the framework that shaped Kevin’s personal mission

[ChatGPT / Copilot] – Kevin uses AI daily to summarise emails, research problems, and automate planning

Enterprise Ireland – early supporter in Nostra’s hiring and UK expansion

Datto – the company Kevin recommends for off-site immutable data backups

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