Conor is a Masters graduate in Design Innovation. He’s been making and selling products since he was a teenager.

In an interview with Conor, Conor Cogan talks about how he made a self-made career as a craftsman with his business, Beardedman Ireland.

Be Inquisitive

Speaking with Conor, Conor admitted to always having an inquisitive mind which drove him to eventually become his own boss. “When you work for yourself, you can kind of work on your own basis and your own time” and also stated that he’s never worked well under standard 9 to 5 as he has “never really suited [it].”

He said, “Everything is completely bespoke[…]we rarely make the same thing twice.”

Don’t Be Afraid To Have Fun

Conor says, “When a customer comes to me and says, ‘oh can I get a bottle opener with this logo’ and I say ‘well okay, grand that’s no worries. But can you tell me some more about the brand and we can figure put something much more interesting that actually sells better’. Then I have fun in making and doing something different and then it means that you hopefully get bigger returns, bigger orders, bigger re-orders and also it elevates the whole experience.”

Catch the full interview below to find out more about Conor and Beardedman Ireland.

What about you?

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Homework

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By Conor Lynch , Mubeenah Waheed, Christopher Conroy-Wood