Meet Eileen Haly | Parent Coach & Kid/Teenage Mentor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Eileen Haly and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Eileen, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I had a very checkered history of employment, I worked in Banking, Fashion and personal styling. I teamed up with a make up artist and began running teenage courses, as a mum of 4 girls I could see there was a need to support teens in the areas of self esteem, peer pressure, anxiety to name a few. After a couple of years running these courses around Cork city I really wanted to focus on young people and mindset.
That is when Jumpstartyourconfidence was born. I spent 2 years doing courses to support my idea and writing programmes I could use in schools. I got a break in a local school to try this out and it went great. I then set up one to one sessions in the city and I am still running these. I then trained as a Parent Coach so I could support parents also.
I am very grateful that I found my passion and was in a position to follow through with it.
Jumpstartyourconfidence is well known now and I work with approx 1000 kids a year between the ages of 8-18.
I truly believe we need a lot more investment in prevention and unfortunately we are not close to providing it. The number of kids who need support at a young age but cannot get it. Many of these kids will go on to battle with their mental health – this really is unacceptable. Prevention is key – Jumpstartyourconfidence is my way of supporting as many kids as I can.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Jumpstart is now a part of me, I am passionate about it and love what I do. I have a natural report with young people and them seem to get that – I had my own struggles growing up and I think this helps me to really ‘see’ the kids I work with – that is essential. It was not easy getting started but every bone in my body knew it was the right path for me. I kept plugging radio stations until I became their ‘expert’ on certain topics (this was my most successful form of advertising) I contacted schools over and over again until finally I was asked to run a workshop for 120 14 year olds, the feedback was wonderful so this kick started my work in schools.
Because I did not have College education, I believed for quite a while that this would hold me back. At times there were people who questioned this but I learned to let people judge my work on the kids evaluations This always worked
Then I started working privately and offering one to one sessions which is my main focus today. I love working with a client, building a trusting relationship with them and seeing them move in a positive direction, maybe learning to love themselves a little bit more, maybe learning how to deal with difficult issues at home, learning that they have many strengths, academics is not the only strength that matters (unfortunately many kids and parents believe this to be the case)
I then trained as a parent coach and my very proud moment was when I published my parenting book during Covid 19, called The Parent. This is a very simply written, practical book which takes from my experience as a mum of 4 and my experience working with young people for over 15 years.
I would like the world to know that Parenting is one of the most challenging jobs out there yet in my opinion the most important, what can be more important than raising the next generation. The Parent helps to remind us of the important daily things that really matter when raising kids, which can be so easily forgotten in this fast paced, materialistic world we live in. We can only do our best and we will mess up but if we focus on our own four walls (our immediate family) and let the opinions of others outside, we won’t go far wrong.
Every child/teen has strengths and they are all different – we, as parents, need to really try to ‘see’ and accept what these strengths are even if they are not the strengths we had hoped they would be. Accept, See & Believe in your child

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I would start with a swim sauna in Oysterhaven, one of my favourite spots. Brunch afterwards in the Priory, Riverstick. Home and dinner chatting and catching around the fire. Visit Blarney Castle, 5 mins drive from my home and go for lunch in Lea’s in UCC. Trip around the shops in Cork city, coffee in Dulce cafe, dinner Issacs restaurant.
Then head of too Crookhaven for couple of days in West Cork. Walk Barleycove Beach , eat in the Crookhaven Inn, run by my close friends Emma & Freddy, wonderful fresh food served daily. Walks alone Barleycove Beach (unspoilt and beautiful) .
I could spend days in West Cork travelling between Barleycove, Crookhaven,Schull, Bantry, Glengarriff, the list goes on and one.
We are a very close family so I would always have a get together with my family, lots of great food, vino and laughter.
Finally once the weather goes our way, a trip to Youghal Beach for a long walk by the sea

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
One very special friend encouraged me from the beginning. I did not excel in school (at all) so not many people believed I could do this, but she always did. My husband and kids also were hugely supportive. We all need those people in our lives who believe in us. I was very lucky to have them in my life.

Website: www.jumpstartyourconfidence.com

Instagram: @jumpstartyourconfidencecork

Linkedin: Eileen Keane Haly

Facebook: Jumpstartyourconfidence

Other: my book The Parent available on Kindle, or for purchase on my website