Book the full series of 5 Powerhouse Business Breaks here for the investment of €100. The 2026 Powerhouse Business Break series includes:
Powerhouse Business Break: Business Growth & Strategy – Pricing with Confidence
Date: 12th February 2026
Time: 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
This Business Break is all about stepping into your role as strategic leader of your business not just chief doer of everything.
Together, we’ll explore how to:
- Price with confidence
- Understand the real value you create
- Move beyond “guesswork pricing”
- Tackle the mindset blocks that keep your prices too low
- Understand your customers better
- Turn customer insights into practical decisions
- Focus on the right customers and the right offers
- Align your strategy with what your customers actually need
- Work on the business, not just in the business
- Make time for strategy and planning
- Identify growth priorities (and what to say no to)
- Build habits and structures that support sustainable growth
You’ll leave with clarity, frameworks and practical next steps you can apply immediately in your own business.
Amanda Zahringer is a board chair, strategist and international dealmaker with over 20 years’ experience at the sharp edge of global business. She currently serves as Chair of the Supervisory Review Board of the Advertising Standards Authority for Ireland (ASAI), bringing deep expertise in governance, strategy and responsible business.
Amanda built her career as a dual-qualified international corporate lawyer and Big Six law firm partner, leading high-value, complex transactions and advising multinational boards in London, Madrid and Dublin. She has held senior executive roles in major financial institutions, guiding strategy, transformation and growth at global scale.
On stage, Amanda is known for her energy, clarity and real-world insight. She blends legal, financial, strategic and boardroom experience into crisp, actionable guidance on:
- High-impact business and growth strategy
- Pricing and value
- Strategic decision-making and prioritisation
- Leading with confidence in complex environments
Expect a session that is stretching but practical, you’ll be challenged to think bigger about your business, while leaving with grounded, usable tools you can apply straight away.
Powerhouse Business Break: Networking
Date: 16th April 2026
Time: 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
This Powerhouse Business Break is all about you and the women around you – a relaxed, structured space to get to know the businesswomen within the Powerhouse network and learn from each other.
Instead of a traditional “front-of-room” talk, this session focuses on conversations, connections and shared experience. You’ll meet women at different stages of business, hear real stories of wins and challenges, and leave with contacts you actually want to follow up with.
Powerhouse Business Break: Sales & Marketing; Social Media That Sells
Date: 11th June 2026
Time: 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
This Sales & Marketing Business Break focuses specifically on social media as a driver of sales and brand loyalty.
You’ll hear from Shemaine Doyle, an experienced brand and marketing strategist who has spent over 20 years driving growth for major food and beverage brands such as Costa Coffee, Cuisine de France and Pret a Manger. Now back in Ireland, Shemaine runs Brave Marketing Agency, working with food, retail and lifestyle brands to turn sharp strategy into measurable results.
Known for her high-energy, action-orientated speaking style, Shemaine blends strategist, coach and practitioner – helping businesses to be bold without being reckless, simplify their plan and focus on work that truly moves the needle. Her expertise spans brand storytelling, customer-centric campaigns, innovation on a budget, retail strategy and high-impact workshops.
In this session, Shemaine will explore:
- Creating content that converts into sales – what to post, where and how often
- Building a community, not just a follower count – turning followers into loyal fans
- Crafting a brand people remember – how to be distinctive in a crowded feed
- Practical tips for small teams and tight budgets
You’ll leave with concrete ideas, simple frameworks and content prompts you can use immediately in your own social channels.
Event Schedule (10:00 AM – 12:00 PM)
- 10:00 AM – Welcome & Introductions Settle in, meet fellow participants and get clear on what you want to take from the session.
- 10:10 AM – Expert Session with Shemaine Doyle Social Media That Sells: practical strategies to create content that converts, nurture a community and build a memorable brand online.
- 11:00 AM – Open Forum Q&A An interactive session with Shemaine where you can ask specific questions about your own channels, content and brand challenges.
- 11:20 AM – Networking Activity & Opportunity Sharing Structured networking to share insights, swap ideas, find potential collaborators and expand your Powerhouse network.
- 11:50 AM – Closing Remarks Key takeaways and next steps to keep the momentum going after the event.
- 12:00 PM – Close
Facilitator: Nicola Doran, CEO, County Carlow Chamber
This Business Break is ideal for you if:
- You’re posting on social media but not seeing the sales you’d like
- You want to stand out online without a huge marketing budget
- You’re ready to move from “random posting” to a more strategic, confident approach
- You want to learn alongside other ambitious women and build your support network
By attending, you’ll gain:
- A clearer sense of what to focus on in your social media
- Practical tools for creating content that converts
- Ideas to grow a loyal community around your brand
- New connections with women who understand the realities of running and growing a business
Powerhouse Business Break: Networking
Date: 13th August 2026
Time: 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
This Powerhouse Business Break is all about you and the women around you – a relaxed, structured space to get to know the businesswomen within the Powerhouse network and learn from each other.
Instead of a traditional “front-of-room” talk, this session focuses on conversations, connections and shared experience. You’ll meet women at different stages of business, hear real stories of wins and challenges, and leave with contacts you actually want to follow up with.
Powerhouse Business Break: Financial Empowerment & Literacy Strategy
Date: 12th November 2026
Time: 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
This Financial Empowerment & Literacy Strategy Business Break will focus on:
- Money mindset & how to master it Move from fear to confidence in your financial decisions and learn to see money as a tool – not a stressor.
- Understanding the numbers (jargon-busting) Get clear on the key figures that matter in your business, what they mean, and how to use them day-to-day.
- Scaling & funding Learn from the experiences of female entrepreneurs who have scaled – including via exports – and explore practical options for funding growth.
You’ll leave with simple frameworks, questions to ask your accountant or adviser, and next steps to strengthen your financial foundations.
Sinéad Cullen is a catalyst for values-led wealth and purpose-driven planning. With over 20 years in financial services, she has guided individuals, families and business owners through lifetime financial planning with a human-first, values-led approach.
As former Head of Wealth & Financial Planning at NFP Ireland, Sinéad built a high-performing consultancy, launched a lifetime planning proposition and helped scale a purpose-driven advisory model. She has been recognised as 2024 Top Producer, led the team that won Pension Broker/Financial Advisor of the Year 2023, and has been nominated for Women Mean Business Awards.
A Certified Financial Planner, Chartered Tax Adviser (CTA), Qualified Financial Adviser (QFA) and MSc in International Business graduate, she blends sharp technical expertise with coaching savvy and real-world empathy. On stage, Sinéad is energetic, practical and memorable – delivering tools you can use the very next day. Passionate about financial literacy and women’s financial independence, she equips audiences to make confident decisions, create momentum and turn clarity into action.
Event Schedule (10:00 AM – 12:00 PM)
10:00 AM – Welcome & Introductions
10:10 AM – Expert Session with Sinéad Cullen: Financial Empowerment & Literacy Strategy
11:00 AM – Open Forum Q&A
11:20 AM – Networking Activity & Opportunity Sharing
11:50 AM – Closing Remarks
12:00 PM – Close
Facilitator: Nicola Doran, CEO, County Carlow Chamber
This Business Break is ideal if:
- You feel unsure or anxious talking about money in your business
- You want to truly understand your numbers – not just hand them over to someone else
- You’re thinking about scaling, exporting or seeking funding and want to be prepared
- You value learning in a supportive, practical environment with other ambitious women
You’ll gain:
- A stronger, more confident money mindset
- Clarity on the key numbers to track and why
- Insight into real-world scaling and funding journeys
- New connections with women who understand the realities of running and growing a business
Investment & Booking
You can purchase the full series of 5 Business Break sessions here for €100, giving you sustained support, learning and networking across a range of key business topics throughout the program
Spaces are limited so early booking is strongly advised.
Location: Enterprise House, O’Brien Road, Carlow
The Powerhouse Network is supported by Carlow County Council’s Local Enterprise Office and our partners in Carlow Library Service, County Carlow Chamber, Carlow Kilkenny Skillnet, and Southeast Technological University a dynamic community built to empower women entrepreneurs and professionals by offering the connections, tools, and inspiration needed to succeed. As part of the South East support ecosystem, Powerhouse works to foster a space where women can develop and grow their businesses, increase turnover, and address sustainability goals. The Powerhouse Network is a dynamic community dedicated to empowering women entrepreneurs and professionals by providing the tools, connections and inspiration to excel in their careers and businesses.
As part of the wider regional support ecosystem, Powerhouse helps women to:
- Grow their businesses sustainably
- Increase turnover and impact
- Build meaningful, long-term connections
Through peer learning, networking and strategic collaboration, Powerhouse creates a space where women share real experiences, learn from each other and move their businesses forward together.
