Building a career through curiosity and initiative

When I joined Phorest in 2016, the company was still relatively small, with around 80 employees. Having recently moved from Canada to Ireland, I joined the small marketing team as a Blog and Social Media Executive, where taking initiative and trying new things were the order of the day.

Not long after joining, my direct manager went on parental leave, which meant stepping up quickly and taking ownership of projects. That early autonomy became a big part of my experience at Phorest. Rather than simply following a job description, I helped shape my role, took on new projects, and explored new ideas.

One of those early ideas eventually became PhorestFM, the company’s podcast. The project grew into a widely recognised industry resource and became a great example of the culture at Phorest, where people are encouraged to take initiative and ownership of their own growth.

Without a traditional marketing background, I’d describe my time at Phorest as a school in itself. Over the years, I was able to develop skills across content strategy, campaigns, lead generation and industry engagement, learning by getting involved and taking on new challenges along the way.

Today, I work as Global Education Content Lead, a role that supports business education initiatives for salon owners. Drawing on the strong industry relationships built through the podcast, I helped develop blended education programmes designed to help salons strengthen and grow their businesses.

During my decade-long career at Phorest, the company has grown from around 80 employees to more than 500. While the organisation has grown and matured, I believe the core culture has remained untouched.

At its heart are the company’s values: a growth mindset, Serbhis go Hiontach (Irish for excellent service) and a “can-do” attitude. I believe those values show up not just in how people work together internally, but also in how Phorest engages with the wider industry.

A major reason I have stayed at Phorest for so long is the support I’ve experienced, both professionally and personally.

I am a trans person, and during my transition, the company worked closely with me to make sure I felt supported. This included accommodating time needed for surgery and recovery, as well as adapting travel arrangements for company gatherings to prioritise my safety and comfort.

Phorest also supported me through visa sponsorship and later enabled me to relocate and work remotely from Canada, building the necessary infrastructure to make it possible. For me, these experiences reinforced the trust and care I feel the company has for its people.