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EVERY WEEK, FORA gets inside the heads of some of Ireland’s top entrepreneurs to gain insights into what got them to the top of their trade. This week we speak to Stephen O’Reilly, co-founder of GROWN clothing.
Stephen O’Reilly likes to go sea swimming and compete in endurance races, but balancing that with being both a full-time firefighter and working in the business he co-founded is no mean feat.
As creative director and co-founder of GROWN, a sustainable clothing company, he relies on the rigid timetable of the Dublin Fire Brigade and daily meditation to keep him on track.
GROWN makes ethical clothing and was started up in 2016 by O’Reilly, Neil McCabe and Damian Bligh, all of whom are firefights.
The company plants a tree for every piece of clothing bought to help re-plant native Irish woodlands.
In our weekly Tools of the Trade series, we spoke to O’Reilly about jumping in, being competitive and steep learning curves.
What’s your main source of motivation?
The environment and my family. Unfortunately, everything man does and creates causes harm so there’s nothing really sustainable in the world. It’s been my goal at GROWN to raise awareness on how to protect the environment. We try and encourage people to buy less and buy better.
Together, myself and my co-founders Damian and Neil, have six sons, so they’re a really good driving force for what we’re doing today. If we leave this world in a better place than what we started with and leave a legacy for them, that’s the main motivator.
Who have you learned the most from?
My parents. My father started from humble enough beginnings, grew up in the Iveagh Trust flats in town and left school at 15 because he needed to provide for the family.
He’s now one of the senior management of a company with 1,000 employees. He worked his way up, went back to school, did his Master’s and he’s now pretty much one of the most senior members of the team.
To see that hunger and ambition and drive to succeed rubbed off on me. It showed where hard work and determination can get you.
My mum was a driving force as well. Her passion came from a very sporting family.
My wife as well, we’ve been together since we were 16. She’s senior management in her company too, so I’ve been surrounded by very powerful, strong women. I’ve learned a lot from that.
From a business point of view, my co-founders Damien and Neil – we all come from different backgrounds – also, Yvon Chouinard, the co-founder of Patagonia clothing. His ideas, focus and passion are incredible.
What was a big turning point in your life?
The birth of my son. It rocks you and puts things in perspective. I thought success was being busy and saying yes to everything and working every hour that was given.
When my son came along I had no choice but to stop and re-evaluate what’s important in my life and career. It hasn’t hindered me, if anything it’s given me more of a driving force.
How do you manage your time?
As well as being a co-founder of GROWN, I’m also a full-time firefighter and paramedic with the Dublin Fire Brigade. For me, they’re polar opposites. With the Fire Brigade, we have a yearly shift calendar so I know where I’m working for the rest of the year. It runs like clockwork and I enjoy that focus and structure.
GROWN is the opposite, it’s spontaneous and unpredictable to a certain extent. When I’m not in the Fire Brigade I give myself 10 minutes in the morning to meditate, to journal, to put down my goals and what I need to do in the day.
What’s the most important part of your daily routine?
My son wakes up at six o’clock every morning and I think that’s an important time to spend with him. No phones, no distractions, just one-on-one time with him as we get ready to start our day. It’s extremely important that he knows that he’s number one.
What tool could you not do without?
Unfortunately my mobile phone. I hate it but I love it. As the creative director in the company, I’m always trying to gather research and build networks with people.
How do you deal with stress?
I soon realised that I’m not going to be the best at everything. I think the biggest learning curve I’ve had is that hard work will always beat talent when talent doesn’t work.
How I deal with stress is planning. If I do plan and put hard work in and achieve certain goals, that will mitigate the stress levels.
My targets and goals have also changed regarding how I see stress and success. Success can be a handshake with someone, it doesn’t have to be profits, it can be a simple thing.
What ambitions do you still have?
For myself and GROWN, it’s to be a proud brand from Ireland and to be the face of change. It’s important that we help to restore the native woodlands of Ireland and tackle a bit of climate change.
What helps you switch off?
Sea swimming. I do it all year round, it’s my number one way of getting out of my head. When I feel overwhelmed I go to the coast, I do a bit of sea swimming in the Forty Foot or the Vico and just jump in and recharge. I can’t recommend it enough.
How do you respond to failure?
Being a competitive person I never took it very well. I swam competitively for ten years, completed Ironman races and marathons and I’d still worry if I wasn’t faster or better than the person in front of me or I didn’t win.
The last two years, with my son and with more reflection on what’s important in life I’ve been dealing with it a lot better.
In business and life, if you’re not failing you’re not taking risks and you’re not trying hard enough. I nearly welcome failure now. It shows you’re pushing limits and learning from it. Without failure, you’ll never succeed.
What differentiates your company from the competition?
We’re willing to fail. We have a clear concept of how we wish to be seen and perceived. GROWN is not just a name, it’s an instinct for growth – it’s in our nature.
We believe our profits will come from our passion, our customers are like-minded people. We’ve turned down work with big companies and organisations because they didn’t stick to the guidelines we set for ourselves.
What quality has helped you stand out?
Openness, passion, hard work and honesty. I’d talk to the wall if it’d talk back to me. I find it very easy to engage with and connect with people. If I believe in a project I’ll give it everything. It’s got me where I am today.
Written by Zuzia Whelan and posted on Fora.ie
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Seriously, why bother.They are only ego boosted humans.
Your brother Bill wouldn’t be impressed with the comment Mike!!
I’d meet with my fans for the cost of a few jars in Mulligan’s in Poolbeag Street
Fiver to meet the cast of tallafornia any takers!
A fiver? I couldn’t do it for less than €100 and a pair of earplugs.
Can I pay a fiver to avoid them?
Why is tyson considered a hero? He is a drug addicted, woman abuser and convicted rapist. What a lovely man.
Eamonn, all the druggies and women beaters want to meet their heros too :)
Bono’ s misses and kids must be broke if he charges that much.
He didn’t charge anything, your having a go at him for zero reason. It was charity auctions, if it had been just €100 euro raised Bono et al would have still honored the commitment
You obviously didn’t read the article.
28k to meet Bon Jovi? What’s he going to do…ask you for the receipt before he comes out of his dressing room? I wouldn’t open the curtains to see him if he was standing in the garden.
Imagine what would happen when its pay up time and u said to Tyson….. “Now u know I’m paying in butter vouchers” haaaaa,
If and a big IF money wasn’t an issue I think I’d love to hang out with bill c for weekend. I’d say he is great fun-imagine going pulling a few Sheila’s with him,oh the crack would be 90
I’m kind of glad Bono earned the most amount of money, being all about Charity I’m sure he was glad too. Makes you proud to be Irish :-)
You could make yourself a handy ?200 meeting the cast of fair city! I believe that’s what they’re paying to meet people these days..:)
Some people have far to much money and not enough sense.
Celine Dion has gone really downhill, she’s playing in a tapas bar in Malaga called Los Vegas these days apparently.
They’re all pretty cheap compared to Warren Buffet, he has being offering himself for an annual charity lunch for the last 12 years now. The auctions happen on ebay and are open to all. Back in June a man paid a cool $3.46m to have lunch with him, up on the previous years $2.6m. He’s raised over $14m for charity since he’s being doing it.
And Bono can only get $161,000, pah !
As long as it’s charity,,,,, then the more the better.
How much would the single, or married men, that post here pay to spend the the day with the lovely Michelle Hennessey? What do ya mean Michelle’s booked out? Alright then I’ll spend the day chilling with that Bono lad then Mr agent…….
Wouldn’t spend anything nor waste my time on this sort of trivial nonsense
Or night
Hw much would anyone pay to spend the day with Enda..?
Hey, it’s a way of making money. You’d do it too if someone offered you 20k to spend time with you. An odd business, but a business all the same.
Oh and editors, it’s ‘Las Vegas’
CHARITY.
The bit about Diddy was brilliant. Just brilliant. Well done Mr/Ms Business Insider.
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