Tomás and Julie O’Leary: Making time work for them
Three years after Tomás and Julie O’Leary launched their watch line, Told & Co is coming to Cork, writes .
Time is precious. It is valuable and special.
So when it comes to time, it’s no surprise that this well known Cork couple manage it well.
Between work and raising their three-year-old son, Jamie, it’s little wonder Tomás and Julie O’Leary have much time for anything else.
But they do, and that something is their luxury watch brand, Told & Co, which is now three years in operation. And what a three years that has been.
Those years have seen Tomás and Julie welcome their son into the world, relocate to the South of France when an opportunity arose for Tomás to play rugby for Montpellier Hérault, move back to their hometown of Cork, start new jobs, appear in RTÉ’s Dancing With the Stars, and all this while managing their thriving watch business.
“We had hoped to have the business up and running in the summer of 2015, but there were a number of delays. That September, our son Jamie was born and our business launched six weeks later. It was an extremely hectic time.
“I can remember once the baby was sleeping, I would try to get good shots of the watches up on Instagram, portraying luxury and glamour when the reality of life at that time, real life was slightly different,” said Julie.
The couple had just arrived home from the UK and Tomás was back playing with Munster rugby and as Julie says it was a fantastic learning curve.
“A year later, I was finally coming to terms with the being a mother and a small business owner and Tomás arrived home one day and said we were moving to the South of France.”
Today, things are much more settled and the couple are back in Cork. They have just announced major news in relation to the company, signing a deal with leading Cork jewellers, Keanes.
This is just another milestone for the company, which is so close to both Tomás and Julie’s hearts.
Tomás said his grandmother used to say you could always tell a gentleman by his watch and since then, he has always had a keen interest in timepieces and started his own “modest collection”.
“I probably didn’t develop my individual fashion style and confidence until my early 20s. I think Irish men have rediscovered their flair for fashion and take pride in how they express and present themselves,” he said.
For Julie, the passion for Told & Co is just as apparent and she also has always had a keen interest in fashion and business.
Growing up, she always loved watching the high-end luxury watches in James Bond movies.
“My Dad inherited his watch from his father and he still wears it to this day. A good watch is timeless, it is a great investment,” she said.
“I have always loved fashion and when I was growing up my mother Maria was my style icon. We were always dressing up in her clothes and reading her fashion magazines.
"She most certainly passed her love of fashion on to my two sisters and I. My younger sister, Louise is a fashion designer and over the years has worked with some amazing designers in New York and London.
“I have always had a keen interest in watches. I remember saving up at the end of my first summer job, I bought a watch,” added Julie.
Julie believes watches are a statement piece and can add a huge difference and complete a look. When a guy is suited and booted, the timepiece is the perfect finishing touch, she says with pride.
“Our watches offer a beautiful luxury feel at a very attainable price. We have given our offering a lot of thought; not only is the product high end, our packaging is also top class and we really stand behind our brand,” added Julie.
While in London, Julie worked for Irish fashion designer, Orla Kiely, and she learned a lot about the fashion business while she was there.
Also during their London stint, the couple lived close to another Corkonian, Alan Duggan, whose extensive entrepreneurial experience and determination they say was exactly what they needed to get Told & Co off the ground.
Alan and Tomás began to attend watch fairs together, where Told & Co’s first collection and aesthetic began to take shape.
Julie said: “We wanted a classic minimalist style but also wanted to offer something a little unique to our brand.
"The monochrome TC15 & TC19 styles are really popular, they are a beautiful luxury Swiss made model with 41mm case and come with different mesh, leather and NATO canvas styles that are suitable for day and night.
"Our TC25 (blue) and TC29 (green) face watches add a more casual style that adds an interesting colour pop to any look. The green colours reflect our Irish roots.”
They found a Danish watch manufacturer that had over 100 years in the industry and chose them to produce their first collection.
“The rest is history, I guess, it was so exciting to see the project come to life. It was surreal to see our first orders coming through and seeing people actually wearing our watches,” said Julie.
This month, Tomás and Julie will celebrate Told & Co’s third year in business. The couple are really enjoying it and say they make a good team.
Tomás is the creative side of the operation and Julie, with her Masters from Smurfit Business School, is the business side of the firm.
"We have travelled to some great places together as a result of the business. When Jamie was five months old, we travelled to Dubai for a meeting with the Duty Free out there as a potential stockist. It was a great experience, it was early days we were only learning but it was a fun experience,” said Tomás.
“We really admire couples who set up businesses together, it is a huge financial risk and I think there is limited financial support for entrepreneurs in Ireland,” he added.
Tomás is also the ‘face’ of the brand and is often seen modelling the watches online.
For Julie, being in the spotlight doesn’t come as easy.
“There is something about selling yourself and putting yourself out there, that I find difficult. Tomás has been in the spotlight for so long now through sport and has developed a thick skin.
As a business owner, I find it difficult to push myself out there, despite the fact that I know we have a fantastic product offering,” she said.
Running a business can be difficult at times, they admit but they try and put the phone away in the evening after work and enjoy family time.
Julie and Tomás started dating when they were both in first year at UCC. At that stage, Tomás was hoping to pursue a rugby career full-time and Julie was studying to become a nurse.
Tomás started a full-time contract with Munster Rugby and later realised his ultimate dream of playing for Ireland.
Tomás’ rugby career took the couple to London for three years before they spent a year in Montpellier in the South of France in 2016 and 2017. It was there that Tomás ended his rugby career.
He recently started a new finance recruitment role at Morgan McKinley while Julie returned to work last November in a business development role for Cork company, Healthcare 21.
She has wonderful things to say about the founders of the company Owen Curtin and Tara Kearney, who she describes as her mentors.
“Owen is a fantastic entrepreneur, his energy and enthusiasm for business and for life is infectious. He has been a great mentor and is really supportive of Told & Co.
“Tara is a seriously impressive operator, she is a straight-talking, young, successful businesswoman who juggles babies and work effortlessly. It keeps me motivated working with a great team,” said Julie.
When not at work or dropping and collecting Jamie from Montessori, the couple are completely focused on growing the Told & Co brand.
They have had a fantastic few years, with rugby stars such as Brian O’Driscoll and Conor Murray already fans of the watches.
“We are really excited to feature our original collection in Keane’s. It is the right time to get the brand out there and the perfect outlet to showcase them,” said Julie.
“Keanes is the perfect outlet for us to partner with and showcase our watches. The Keanes’ prestigious name and reputation is ultimately where we want to be.
“Their selection of luxury timepieces, knowledge and expertise is extremely impressive,” added Julie.
Told & Co watches are available in Keanes Jewellers in Cork City. Watches start at €185.
“We guarantee you won’t be disappointed,” added Tomás.
You can browse the full Told & Co collection at www.toldandco.com; or for latest updates, follow on Instagram and Facebook.
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