Today felt like an important milestone in the program because, for the first time, our consulting project became much more than an assignment. Up until now, my teammates and I have spent our time researching Carrigart through articles, reports, and class discussions, slowly piecing together an understanding of the village from thousands of miles away. While that research has been incredibly valuable, there is only so much that can be learned from reading. Meeting Erin McLaughlin, the Ireland Site Director for All People Be Happy and our liaison in Carrigart, gave us the opportunity to hear directly from someone who knows the community better than anyone else. It was exciting to finally put a face and a voice to the project we have been preparing for over the past week.
Before our meeting, my group spent a great deal of time preparing. Since we will be traveling to Carrigart in just one week, we wanted to make sure we were asking questions that could not simply be answered once we arrived. We focused on understanding who Carrigart’s main visitor groups are throughout the year, what Erin believes are the town’s greatest strengths, and what she sees as its biggest economic challenges. We also wanted to learn how Carrigart is currently marketed. As the member of my group responsible for evaluating Carrigart’s existing marketing presence, I was especially interested in hearing what marketing efforts have worked well in the past, which ones have not, and where there is room for improvement. Preparing these questions made me realize that understanding a community requires understanding the people who call that place home and listening to what they believe is most important. Listening to Erin speak made me even more excited for our trip to Ireland. Throughout the meeting it became clear how much pride the residents have in Carrigart and how committed they are to preserving the character of their village while also helping it grow. That perspective changed the way I have begun thinking about our project. Rather than searching only for problems that need to be solved, I think our responsibility is to identify the strengths that already exist and determine how those strengths can be highlighted and expanded upon.
Later in the day, our lunch discussion with Pitt Business Entrepreneur in Residence Joe Pietropola gave me another perspective on the work we are preparing to do. Joe shared stories from his own professional journey and the experiences that shaped his career. What fascinated me most was how his career developed over time. It was not the result of one carefully planned path but rather a willingness to accept new opportunities, continue learning, and remain adaptable whenever unexpected experiences presented themselves. As someone who is just beginning college, it was reassuring to hear that even successful professionals did not have every detail of their future mapped out from the very beginning. One lesson from Joe’s talk has stayed with me more than anything else. He emphasized that success in business is built just as much on relationships as it is on technical knowledge. Knowing how to analyze information and solve problems is certainly important, but listening carefully, asking meaningful questions, and building trust with others are what allow those solutions to make a real difference. As I thought back to our conversation with Erin earlier in the day, I realized that those skills are already becoming an essential part of this consulting project. By the end of today, I found myself even more excited for what lies ahead. In only a week we will finally be in Carrigart, meeting the people whose stories we have only just begun to learn, and I cannot wait to see how everything we have learned in Pittsburgh comes together once we arrive in Ireland!
