Today we got the opportunity to visit the Irish Design Center, which is an Irish gift shop located in Oakland. The owners of the shop, Tom and Maura, taught us about the history of both Ireland and their shop. They source all of their products for sale from Ireland, 90% of them actually being hand-crafted in Ireland. They both are extremely invested in their business and impact on the community, ensuring that they offer a welcoming environment for everyone.
One thing I found particularly interesting is that Tom is actually of Italian heritage. His wife, Maura, is Irish, and he has poured his heart into learning the culture and history of Ireland and has a strong passion for the business. They visit Ireland multiple times a year to ensure they are portraying what actual gift shops look like in Ireland, which really shows how much they care about the customer experience and creating a sense of community, especially for people of Irish heritage.
Tom and Maura also take their business beyond the constraints of being a gift shop and invest their time in many community events. They host bands, workshops, and dinners inside their shop, and they also participate in different festivals such as the Irish Festival and Picklesburgh. Participating and hosting events like these helps their business to thrive in different seasons and keep their shop active and engaged in the community.
Backtracking on our day, before we headed to the Irish Design Center, we had lunch with Brian Schultz, director of global experiences. We learned lots of valuable information regarding different global experiences and why they are great opportunities to gain experience in the real world. You are exposed to things that you would not naturally see in your home country, which helps you to develop certain skills that companies specifically look for, such as leadership and adaptability.
We have our last day of class tomorrow before we leave for Ireland on Monday, and we are super excited to begin applying what we have learned into our real-world consulting project for Carrigart!