What Junior Dragon’s Den Taught Me at 17

One of the biggest early moments in the Martin Hurls journey was appearing on RTÉ Junior Dragon’s Den in 2014.

At that stage, I was only 17. I had already started building Martin Hurls, but I was still very young and still learning on the job. The chance to go on Dragon’s Den came about through a friend who worked in the Bank of Ireland, who were sponsoring the series. He suggested that I should pitch and apply. I went for it, and from there I made it through the selection process from around 100 candidates down to the final 10 who appeared on TV.

Even now, that still feels like a big thing looking back.

I remember being very nervous. I was only 17 and I knew I was stepping into something far bigger than anything I had done before. It was not just making hurls in the workshop anymore. It was cameras, judges, pressure, and knowing people all over the country could be watching. It was a brilliant experience, but I would be lying if I said I was not nervous.

I did not get the funding I was looking for on the show, and at the time that was disappointing. But looking back now, Dragon’s Den gave me something just as valuable in a different way. It opened doors. It brought people into my world who had never heard of Martin Hurls before. New contacts reached out, I met mentors along the way, and I started to realise that the business had more potential than I had maybe thought.

That same year brought another big moment for me. After appearing on Dragon’s Den, I was shortlisted for Ballymena Young Business Person of the Year. The final took place in the Ballymena Braid Town Hall. There were four candidates and I was announced as the winner on the night. That was the first award Martin Hurls ever won as a business, and it meant a lot.

I still remember how proud I felt standing there with my mother and father there to watch it. At 17 years of age, getting that recognition gave me a lot of confidence. It made me feel like I was doing the right things in life and that the work I was putting into the business was worthwhile.

When you are young and trying to build something, there is always a bit of doubt in the back of your head. You wonder if people are really taking you seriously or if they just see it as a wee hobby. Dragon’s Den and the Ballymena award gave me a lift at exactly the right time. They did not suddenly make the business easy, but they gave me belief and momentum.

That is probably the biggest lesson I took from that whole period. Not every win comes in the form you expect. I did not get the funding on Dragon’s Den, but I got exposure, confidence, contacts and a push in the right direction. Sometimes the thing you think is the main prize is not actually the biggest gain.

For me, 2014 was a turning point because it was one of the first times I felt that Martin Hurls was no longer just something I was doing quietly in the background. It was starting to be recognised. People were hearing about it. And maybe most importantly, I was starting to believe in it more myself.

All these years later, I still look back on that time with real pride. It was nerve-racking, exciting and unforgettable, and it played a big part in shaping the road that came afterwards.

Written by Emmet Martin, founder of Martin Hurls

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