People do business with people… it’s a truism we hear time and time again. In addition to offering the right product or service at the right price and in the right time frame, so much commercial success boils down to rapport, and the individuals involved in the process.
As we buckle down to the final quarter of 2024, The IMAGE Business Club celebrates a new season, in a bigger, new location, and with an evening where we delve into the intricate topic of personal brand… Because, while so much of what we do on a daily basis can be strategized, delegated or machine-led, ultimately, it’s how we show up in business that can become the game-changer.
On the evening of Wednesday, August 28, we’ll hear from communications expert Natasha Fennell, co-founder at Stillwater, to learn about the very real power of personal brand; how and when it pays to get political; and how to identify, develop and communicate our own unique USP. Natasha will lead the event in a workshop bound to trigger plenty of self-development.
We will also chat with Audrey Hamilton about how she found her niche in the world of visual arts and then extended beyond galleries into a hugely successful fashion business. We’ll hear about Audrey’s perspective on personal brand, and how it has helped accelerate her position as one of Ireland’s most identifiable creative entrepreneurs.
The evening, hosted by IMAGE contributing editor Melanie Morris, will take place at The Dublin Royal Convention Centre and will include even more opportunities for our members and guests to network together, meet the IMAGE team and engage with our speakers over delicious cocktails. There’ll be plenty of opportunities to meet our speakers, plus a prize on the night and a gift bag for everyone on departure.
This event is one not to be missed by anyone keen to learn the powerful soft skills of personal brand and the stealth effects that personality and community can have on your career.
Schedule
6pm – 7pm: Network over cocktails and canapés
7pm – 8.30pm: An information conversation with our experts
8.30pm – 9pm: Meet the speakers and network further over cocktails
Gifts & Prizes
Each attendee will receive a gift from VOYA Dream Crème Restorative Night Cream (worth €73!).
The night cream of dreams that leaves skin visibly glowing, VOYA Dream Crème works to hydrate and soften skin while you sleep. The hydrating properties of Laminaria Digitata (seaweed) improve skin’s firmness, helping to reduce the appearance of fine lines, while argan kernel oil leaves skin feeling nourished and smooth.
Photo: Eoin Holland
Plus, we have two exciting prizes up for grabs — a piece from Audrey Hamilton Art and another from Audrey Hamilton Apparel (AHA).
Audrey Hamilton is known as a pop art artist for her quirky colourful and expressive pieces, and her apparel brand takes this to a whole new level of bold. Stemming from a self-taught artist, her apparel line is an extension of her creativity and a transition into a clothing designer.
AHA Apparel celebrates creativity, acknowledges high-end fashion, and delivers a unique style that captivates individuality. The collection is manufactured to the highest quality in Portugal using world-class technology and printers and is far from the mass-produced loungewear and streetwear that tend to dominate the market today.
When & Where
When: Wednesday, August 28 at 6pm
Where: The Dublin Royal Convention Centre, 1 Le Pole Square, Ship Street Great, Dublin 8
Tickets
Business Club members receive one complimentary ticket to this event. A limited number of tickets are also available to the public on a first-come, first-served basis for €75. Each attendee will enjoy cocktails, delicious canapés, a gorgeous gift bag and the chance to win two fabulous prizes.
Join the club for €243 ex.VAT now to claim your complimentary ticket!
Already a member? Claim your complimentary ticket here.
Places to this event are available on a first-come first-serve basis and are limited.
Please book early to avoid disappointment. If you cannot attend the event, we kindly ask for a minimum of 48 hours’ notice.
Meet the speakers
Natasha Fennell, Leadership & Communication Advisor, Stillwater Communications
Natasha is a leadership advisor and communication expert. She’s also a qualified executive and career coach. Over the past 20 years, she has become Ireland’s go-to person for senior executive communications, using Stillwater’s unique story-led approach.
Her work spans across designing narratives for business strategy and change, to coaching for pitching, presentations and media interviews. Natasha also delivers masterclasses, workshops and in-demand keynotes on Storytelling for Business, The Art of Confidence at Work, Personal Brand, Political Intelligence and Communicating with Excellence.
Her background includes working with RTÉ, Ireland’s national broadcaster, and political communications. Natasha’s approach is thorough and highly practical, and she instils long-lasting confidence in all her clients.
Advocate for Women at Work
Natasha has always been an advocate for women at work and has driven change at the highest level across organisations and industries. In recent years, she ran the presidential campaign for Senator Joan Freeman, directed the campaign for a female candidate in the Trinity College provost elections, and co-authored an international bestseller, The Daughterhood, with Róisín Ingle.
Her current work with women includes developing female CEOs and helping them create and deliver their personal brand strategy. She’s highly sought after by female senior leaders to help them develop their narrative, create their messaging and coach them for delivery. She frequently coaches broadcasters, retired sportswomen and actors to help them transition to their new careers.
Audrey Hamilton, Artist & Founder of Audrey Hamilton Art and Audrey Hamilton Apparel
Audrey Hamilton is an Irish artist and streetwear designer. She is the founder and creative director of the Audrey Hamilton brand, which includes Audrey Hamilton Art and Audrey Hamilton Apparel. She is a busy woman, but above everything, her most important job of all is being a mum to her daughter Beau.
Audrey has always been creative growing up, but her artistic capabilities came to fruition serendipitously while living in Los Angeles. She put a paintbrush to canvas in the summer of 2017 and painted her first and most iconic piece to date, ‘Posh Pig’. Little did she know ‘Posh Pig’ would capture the hearts of so many, and catapult her into a career as a pop art artist. With each new piece, it wasn’t long before her passion for painting was complemented by her passion for business. In 2018, upon returning back to Ireland, Audrey Hamilton Art was launched.
Over the following six years, Audrey Hamilton Art grew from a handful of original pieces to over 75 captivating artworks. Her eye-catching pop art pieces quickly went from ‘nice-to-have’ to ‘must-have’ with customers in all parts of the globe. Her most recognisable artworks are her ‘Pop Art Animals’ in addition to her ‘Faces’ and ‘Abstract’ Collections.
While continuing to build a successful art print business, as well as a brand, her passion for entrepreneurship came to the forefront. Not one to shy away from a new creative endeavour, in 2020 she decided to expand her artwork medium to fuse her art with fashion in the style of premium oversized streetwear sweaters. Audrey Hamilton Apparel was launched in late 2021, offering her iconic artwork on the ‘ultimate statement sweaters’. Echos of her 2018 beginnings soon followed as her apparel line quickly became synonymous with quality, expression, and recognisability.
Her success lies not only in her talent, or her founder-led marketing approach, but also in her ‘New Work’ release model. Audrey’s followers and customers will tell you that her rarity in releasing new work makes each piece more special. Upon launching Audrey Hamilton Apparel, slow fashion was at the forefront of her intentions, so with this, she controversially declined to follow the seasonal fashion model, and instead kept the apparel in the same premium space as her artwork, releasing one limited new sweater every eight weeks.
Speaking about her business, Audrey said, “Putting the time and effort into a small business is the only way to make it a success. It’s not easy, and it’s not glamorous, but it’s incredibly rewarding. I’m fortunate to have incredible customers who have followed and supported my journey and brand from day one. I really do owe so much to them.”
