This month we are catching up with Veronica O’Reilly, a Raw Food Gourmet Chef based in Wicklow Town & a member of the Servants of Love, Catholic Community of Men and Women. Veronica is the chef at Healthy Habits Café, Irelands’s First Raw Café at Quarantine Hill in Wicklow Town. Thank you for taking the time to talk to us Veronica!
What led you to starting your business? Healthy Habits Café was started in response to some of our members having a health challenge. After various medical treatments we discovered that diet had a significant role to play in health. Because of what we learned, we wanted to offer our experience to others who are looking for better health.
How did you raise the start-up funds you needed? Our company S.O.L. Productions Ltd. provided the funds.
What was the most significant lesson you learned in starting your business? One of the best lessons I learned was to just ‘Go For It!’ Take on board all the information you can but don’t get bogged down in having the perfect answer to everything at start up stage.
What’s the best book you’ve ever read, business or non-business?How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie.
Who is the entrepreneur you admire the most? Steve Jobs
What have been the biggest challenges in your business to date? The constant changing food regulations.
What has been the proudest moment in your business so far? One of the proudest moments was to be awarded Best Menu Initiative for the Year 2010 by Paolo Tullio.
What was the best piece of business advice you ever got? Keep it simple.
Can you recommend a good time management technique for other entrepreneurs out there? Make a list of jobs to be done and cross them off as you do them.
What magazine do you never miss each month? like the food magazines like Easy Food, Food and Wine and Get Fresh.
What is your favourite film? A Man for All Seasons
What is your favourite ad? I love the Euromillions ad with the old lady.
What advice would you give aspiring entrepreneurs thinking of starting a business? If possible get some work experience in a similar or somewhat similar business.
What do you like to do when you’re not running your business? I like reading and painting.
Have you found the self-employed formula for a work/life balance? It’s not about the work it’s about your attitude. Work is a means to an end the important thing is the purpose. Find out why you are working?
What’s your website? Healthy Habits Café & Store, Quarantine Hill, Wicklow Town
http://healthyhabs.com/
Do you have a Facebook page?www.facebook.com/healthy-habs
Are you on Twitter?@rawbuddy
How has Wicklow CEB helped you and/or your business? The Wicklow CEB has helped us with training programmes and advice. I particularly like the Network sessions.
If you could start up all over again, would you do anything differently? I would research equipment more and buy just what was needed.
Veronica and her team not only operate the Healthy Habits Café in Wicklow Town, but also run an online shop through their website, where you can pick up all sorts of juicers, relaxation DVDs, health & raw food books, tips, supplements and even seeds and berries.
