The Post: Podcast Studio Manager, Granite Exchange
The Post Holder: Colleen O’Hare
No two days are ever the same for Podcast Studio Manager Colleen O’Hare.
Give a brief outline of your career to date.
After school, I decided to pursue a career in the beauty industry, studying at Younique College of Beauty and Holistics. From there, I got some experience under my belt and then made the decision to open my own salon, The Beauty Room, in County Down. After starting a family, I decided to close the salon and focus on family. When I decided to go back to work, I saw a post for Granite Exchange and decided to apply for it, and I’ve been working here for four years now.
What was your favourite subject at school?
It’s always been music. I took singing lessons as well as piano and guitar lessons from a young age. I was always interested in music and looked forward to this class.
Did you go on to further/higher education, if so, what did you study and where?
Although I ultimately decided not to go to university, I was initially accepted to study music at Magee. However, I changed my mind, and decided to pursue beauty with Younique College of Beauty and Holistics. Since joining Granite Exchange, I’ve also completed a level 5 diploma in Institute of Leadership and Management and it’s been so helpful to my growth and development.
How did you get into your area of work?
My husband is the Financial Controller in Crash and JMK, which are also owned by Jonathan McKeown. He always spoke very highly of Jonathan and his great business ethics and how wonderful Granite Exchange is, so when I spotted a job opportunity with Granite Exchange, I applied. I was blown away by the facilities at Granite exchange, the bright and airy meeting rooms and the ultra-modern podcast studio are incredible. Due to the nature of the serviced office spaces, I get to meet new faces every day.
Is this what you always wanted to do?
I always thought I would be a music teacher, but I am so glad with how my career turned out as I absolutely love my job and can’t imagine doing anything else now. I get many opportunities to try new things – from sound checks for the podcasts to learning about a range of different topics from our different podcast hosts.
Were there any particular essential qualifications or experience needed?
I can’t remember if there were any specific qualifications needed, but I did run and manage my own business for four years which is a pretty solid grounding for running Granite Exchange, which is home to many small and growing businesses and entrepreneurs.
Are there alternative routes into the job?
I think I took an alternate route, however it just reinforces that if you see an opportunity that you really want just go for it and apply. You never know what will happen.
What are the main personal skills your job requires?
Mainly being a great communicator and highly organised. I am meeting new people every day from so many different backgrounds and career paths, so communication is a vital skill.
What does a typical day entail?
There is no such thing as a ‘typical day’ and that’s what makes my job so much fun – there is never a dull moment! Usually, I start the day checking emails and creating a to do list. There is one day a month that is dedicated to recording my favourite podcast in Granite Podcast Studio – The Public Eye – with Sarah Travers. I feel so privileged getting to meet and greet some of Northern Ireland’s top business people. I have met some truly inspirational people since we started the podcast journey 18 months ago. Just this month, we hit a collective milestone of over 200,000 downloads, and I’m so delighted.
What are the best and most challenging aspects of the job?
The best thing about this job is the amount of interesting people I meet and having an opportunity to learn so much. I love the variety of my role at Granite Exchange.
The most challenging aspect of the job would probably be trying to find enough hours in the day to get through everything. At Granite Exchange I have the luxury to be working four days a week.
Why is what you do important?
We all work as a team in Granite Exchange and everyone has an important role to play.
For me, it’s important that everything flows smoothly and remains organised, which is a huge part of my job. I always make sure that our customers have the best experience, whether they are business people who are hiring an office space or meeting room, a podcast host or guest. You need to be one step ahead of your customers and deliver an efficient and quality experience – this is what we strive to do every day.
How has Covid-19 impacted your business/role?
Our main business is hiring out serviced offices and meeting rooms, so our meeting rooms were severely impacted by the pandemic as face-to-face meetings took a hit on the head. However there were some positives as some of our new tenants had relocated to Newry thanks to remote working but still required a professional office space. Thankfully, we’ve now moved on from this, and are delighted to be operating in a more ‘normal’ world.
What adjustments have you had to make?
Initially, we did have to make a lot of changes to make the office a safe place for everyone to come back to the office. We installed all of the required measures. However we are now operating in a much freer manner.
What advice would you give anyone looking to follow a similar career path?
Have faith in yourself and just go for it.
If you weren’t doing this, what would you like to do?
As I already have qualifications in beauty, I would probably have returned to beauty therapy but I can’t see myself doing that again as I absolutely love my job.
What is the one piece of advice you would give to yourself on your first day?
Don’t panic or get overwhelmed. There will always be so much information to take in on the first day.
Describe your ideal day off.
My ideal day off would be heading off somewhere with my husband and three kids. I love spending quality family time together and we’re really blessed to live in a beautiful part of the world with so many family walks and activities close by.
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