Meet Fionn O’Hare | Entrepreneur/ Bodybuilder/ Hospitality Worker

We had the good fortune of connecting with Fionn O’Hare and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Fionn, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
As a child, I struggled with learning difficulties impacting my literacy and numeracy skills during my early school years. However, at secondary school, I began to feel that my life and career path needs were not being met by regular education and that I would need to find a way to move into and be in control of my adult life. I guess it was then that I first decided that I wanted to become an entrepreneur and run my own business.

Having made that decision I left school a year early and decided to acquire skills, such as fitness and hospitality, that could help me find regular employment. The aim was to not only cover my living costs through my earnings but also save money for setting up my own business.

I’ve since read that many successful entrepreneurs had a hard time at school and this is what inspired them to build a business of their own rather than take further study into existing professions.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I had a passion for business before I knew what business to build! I tested the waters with an online business card idea, and though I eventually shelved this I learned so much from the process and am really proud that I backed myself financially to give this a go. This experience also affirmed for me that being in business is what really lights my fire, inspiring me also to do all kinds of supportive study towards it that I never would have pushed through at school. A chance conversation with some female friends I was on a trip with in Europe then gave me the next idea. My friends were complaining about swimwear and how uncomfortable most was for them, and not made for ‘real bodies’. So we brainstormed a bunch of design elements that would remedy this, and the idea grew from there. My aim now is to be a successful entrepreneur running an international e-commerce clothing brand, based on ethical quality principles. I’ve utilised my connections to commission sketches, paid for them to become CAD drawings, am being mentored by a fashion design professional, have a draft business plan and some funding meetings upcoming. I’ve also grown my financial literacy which, strangely after hating maths, I actually really enjoy and understand!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I live in Sydney, Australia and my first recommendation would be the iconic Bondi Beach, It really is a beautiful spot, yet very close to the city which gives it a cosmopolitan vibe with heaps of interesting people, gorgeous scenery (!) and lots of great cafes and bars. The Beach Rd Hotel there is a local classic and along with drinks and yummy pub food you also get a great mix of people from the Bondi surf lifestyle – and there’s even a nightclub on the top floor on weekends. Another favourite place for a beverage is the Beresford Hotel in Surry Hills. This is a much more urban vibe – and great pizzas! For a relaxed afternoon, Coogee Beach is another beautiful spot which I love as much of my childhood was spent there.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I want to give a shoutout to the book ‘Total Recall’ by Arnold Schwarzenegger for its rags-to-riches theme that inspires me to dream big and gives me the courage to keep walking each step to get there. ‘Losing My Virginity’ by Richard Branson is a classic entrepreneur story that I also want to shoutout for helping me to learn more about the business world. A big shoutout to my awesome family for supporting my journey practically and emotionally, especially because they are more artistic rather than business-orientated but they believe in me making my own decisions in the direction I choose. Another shoutout to my coach and mentor Joseph Ralph for turning me into a gym junkie, giving me my first job, and kicking my arse when I need it!

The gym and bodybuilding in particular really saved my self-esteem which had taken a beating at school. It helped me build physical strength and also strengthened my will. I now apply this discipline and positivity to my business endeavors.

Instagram: @fionnohare4

Image Credits
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