90. Damian Beausang: From A Bar in Cork, To A Life in Perth

"From a night in a Cork bar with a mate and a one-way ticket, to running one of Perth's biggest scaffolding companies. Thirty-seven years on Damian Beausang still calls Ireland home." Damian Beausang landed in Perth in 1988 almost by accident, choosing Australia over America on a whim after a big night out with his cousin. What started as a working holiday turned into a life: a wife, two kids, deep roots in the local GAA scene, and a business, Access Engineering Group, that now employs around 100 people across scaffolding, powered access, rope access, and engineering. In this episode, we talk about:🇮🇪 Leaving 1980s Ireland during the unemployment years, working construction in London, and landing in Perth just after the America's Cup win🏗️ Building Celtic Scaffolding from a single ute and lockup into Access Engineering Group, and why every business owner needs an exit strategy from day one👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 How meeting his wife and having kids became the real catalyst for growing the business⚰️ A workplace tragedy in 2011 that changed how Damian leads, and what the company learned from it🎧 Coaching the Australian ladies' Gaelic team to a World Cup win, and why he still weighs up a return to Ireland every few years🤝 Networking advice for newcomers to Perth, from GAA and the pub to Irish groups online This is a conversation about emigration, building something from nothing, and staying connected to home while putting down roots eighteen thousand kilometres away. Whether you're Irish in Perth, running a trade business, or just weighing up a big move of your own, there's plenty here to take something from. 🎧 Now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube.