OVER DEZE AFLEVERING
What's the best piece of advice Gavin Annon has ever been given? Regret is always harder to deal with than failure. Everything else follows from that.
In this episode of Workplus, host Richard Kirk sits down with Gavin Annon, Chief Sales Officer at Mount Charles Group, one of Northern Ireland's top ten employers with over three and a half thousand people across the island of Ireland. Mount Charles started thirty-eight years ago when Gavin's dad was turned down from the police for being a quarter of an inch too short. What followed was a journey from contract catering with no office, no money and no name, to one of the biggest companies in Ireland.
Gavin's own path was anything but linear. Business information technology at Queen's, a post-grad in chartered marketing, a stint as a professional DJ, and ten years with Tesco before the time felt right to join the family business. His advice to anyone trying to figure out what comes next is simple: don't be afraid of something that isn't normal, fail fast, try hard, and don't rush to find your path.
Whether you're a parent, teacher, young person, or budding entrepreneur, this episode is packed with honest, hard-won insight from someone who has seen both sides of the risk.
In This Episode:
— How a quarter of an inch changed the course of one family's story and created a business empire
— Why Gavin studied business IT, became a professional DJ and spent ten years at Tesco before joining Mount Charles
— Why he'd never recommend a rigid career plan to a sixteen year old
— What makes a great entrepreneur, and what Northern Ireland gets right about taking risks
— The five service lines of Mount Charles and how cleaning started because a cleaner didn't turn up one day
— Why hospitality is never just a stepping stone job
— The casual events team of 1,200 people and how it helps young people try before they buy
— Why Mount Charles has a fully dedicated learning and development team
— His advice to parents: let them breathe, give them the spark, and be there to catch them
— What is so good about work, from someone who has built a career on purpose
YouTube Chapters:
00:00 - Opening quote: regret is harder than failure
00:21 - Welcome to Workplus
01:00 - How Mount Charles started 38 years ago
02:19 - Gavin's career path: Queen's, DJ, Tesco and beyond
04:11 - Choosing business information technology at Queen's
05:24 - Advice for sixteen year olds: don't be afraid of something that isn't normal
06:57 - What makes a great entrepreneur
08:26 - What Mount Charles looks like today
10:45 - Jobs people don't know exist at Mount Charles
12:43 - Opportunities for young people at sixteen
14:23 - Why hospitality is never just a stepping stone
15:45 - The workforce challenge and how Mount Charles responds
16:02 - Learning, development and leadership academies
18:17 - Advice to parents and teachers
20:29 - Let them find their path
23:23 - What is so good about work?
Thanks for watching Workplus, the podcast that shines a light on the people doing good work across Northern Ireland.
Find more stories, resources, and tools to help guide the next generation at workplus.app
Know someone exploring their career options? Share this with a parent, teacher, or future leader.
Subscribe so you never miss a story
.
#careerdevelopment #entrepreneurship #NorthernIrelandCareers #WorkplusPodcast #hospitality #youthemployment #apprenticeships
🎧 Thanks for listening to Workplus, the podcast that brings real jobs into the light.
🔗 Find more stories, tools, and guides to help young people and returners explore meaningful careers at workplus.app
📩 Know someone who would find this helpful? Share it with a parent, teacher, or future changemaker.
🎙 Follow so you never miss a story.
🎧 Thanks for listening to Workplus, the podcast that brings real jobs into the light.
🔗 Find more stories, tools, and guides to help young people and returners explore meaningful careers at workplus.app
📩 Know someone who would find this helpful? Share it with a parent, teacher, or future changemaker.
🎙Follow so you never miss a story.
