WEALTH November 11, 2026 0 Comments

How Facing Relentless ‘No’s’ Became the Secret Weapon Behind Oac Snack’s Unexpected Rise to Market Dominance

Ever wondered why some founders seem to bounce back from rejection like it’s just a light tap on the shoulder, while others fold under the pressure? Jayne Ronayne and Sarah Sexton, the duo behind Oac Snack, have cracked that code through fire-tested experience—and trust me, it’s not just about having a tough skin. From her past gig with Talivest to Sarah’s humble beginnings hawking energy balls at farmers’ markets, they’ve learned that rejection isn’t the end of the road—it’s the roadmap itself. Chatting with Dave Burke on Business Plus Talks, they unravel how viewing a “no” as a “not yet” has fueled their ambition to scale from a Cork kitchen to an international snack sensation. Seventeen months in, these two aren’t just shaking the snack industry—they’re schooling us all on resilience and vision in the process. Curious? Dive into their journey and see why embracing setbacks might just be the secret sauce for scaling big. LEARN MORE

One of the biggest lessons Oac Snack founders Jayne Ronayne and Sarah Sexton have taken from their previous entrepreneurial ventures is how to handle rejection.

The pair discuss their latest business venture with Dave Burke, host of Business Plus Talks, in association with Nostra, reflecting on the challenges of starting a business and their ambitions to build an international brand.

Eighteen months into their joint venture producing and selling snacks, Ronayne and Sexton have brought different experiences and skillsets to the partnership, but share a common ambition to create a business with the potential to scale internationally.

That shared vision was a key factor in their decision to work together. Ronayne previously founded and led HR analytics firm Talivest, which was acquired in 2022, while Sexton began making energy balls during maternity leave, selling them at farmers’ markets before going on to establish the popular Cork bakery Bean Brownie.

When the pair first met, ostensibly to discuss coffee and what the future might hold, they quickly established that building a scalable business would be central to any potential partnership.

While their experiences as first-time entrepreneurs were different, both had learned the importance of taking rejection in their stride.

“We chatted about what is a ‘no’ and just how easy it is this time around to accept a ‘no’ and to be so open to not seeing it as rejection, or a negative,” Sexton says.

“What’s learned from the first time is that it’s a learning opportunity, it’s a little tweak that you can fix so that’s a huge part of the second time journey.”

The ability to view setbacks as opportunities to learn rather than reasons to give up has become an important part of their approach to building Oac Snack, as the founders look to turn their shared ambition into an international business.

Dave Burke speaking to the Oac Snacks founders Jayne Ronayne and Sarah Sexton.

Business Plus Talks, in association with Nostra, drops every Wednesday, and all previous episodes from Series 1 & 2 are available on all major podcast platforms.

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