My Weekend: 'I have clear boundaries between work and personal time'

Tell us a little bit about yourself and your work?

I’m originally from Santiago, Chile, but Europe has been my home for the past 24 years. This December, I celebrated my fourth year living in Cork.

I come from a big family back in Chile — I’m the third of seven siblings, and I have 10 nieces and nephews! Most of them are still in Chile. My family is my husband Andrew, his mum, sister, uncles, and aunts — and of course, our dog Pina completes our little pack.

This year has been particularly special for me. We celebrated our 15th wedding anniversary, I’ve had the honour of serving as the president of Network Cork, and it’s been three years since we started our own business!

My professional background is in Operations, eCommerce, and Sales & Marketing, where I worked for multinational corporations across EMEA.

But in April 2021, Andrew and I co-founded BBCS Consulting (www.bbcs.ie), helping small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) achieve sustainable growth by leveraging their existing resources.

Lots of people ask how we find working together. The funny thing is, we actually met in the Netherlands when we were both promoted to join the same new European team at Office Depot, which most people here know as Viking-Direct.

So, we’re used to working side-by-side, and because we each respect our areas of expertise, it’s really not difficult at all!

What is your ideal way to spend a Friday night?

We celebrate ending the working week by preparing a meal and talk. With this weather, we often opt for a curry and a glass of red wine, and we spend the evening discussing the week, books, news, and so on.

Lie-ins or up with the lark.. which is it for you?

I’m a morning person, so although we don’t get up as early on weekends, we still rise relatively early. We enjoy going for a walk on Saturday mornings, when everyone else is busy with children, sports, or shopping.

Does work creep into your weekend at all?

Coming from a corporate background, I pride myself on having clear boundaries between work and personal time. I’m good at switching off the phone, not checking emails, and so on. But being a business owner is something completely new to us, so inevitably, I find myself thinking about work or sometimes my laptop sits idle in the room I use as an office, tempting me to sneak upstairs and put in a bit of work.

If money was no object, where would you head to on a weekend city break? And who would you bring with you?

As we’ve already visited many European cities, if money were no object, I’d love to extend our trip to a long weekend in Montreal. My brother moved there just two years ago. I would definitely bring Andrew and Pina with me.

Closer to home, is there some place you like to head to recharge the batteries?

To be honest, we used to come on holiday to Cork when we were living in the Netherlands and the UK, so for us, living here is like living in a beautiful spot! We’re blessed with the stunning places we have within an hour’s drive. I remember 14 years ago, when we celebrated our first anniversary in Kinsale, I said, ‘Can you imagine having this on our doorstep?’ And now here we are.

One of our favourite weekend activities is walking, whether it’s a short stroll through Fota Gardens or a longer one like the Fuchsia Trail in Courtmacsherry. Our dog is ten years old, so she can’t walk more than 5km, which limits how far we can go. But one of our favourite walks is in Crosshaven.

Do you like to catch up with family/friends at the weekend?

Yes, Andrew’s mum and sister live in Dublin, so we try to visit every six weeks. His aunt and uncle live just seven minutes away from us, and we try to see them every other week for tea, scones, or cake and a good chat. They’re in their 80s, and we love listening to their stories or discussing current events. They’re incredibly interesting people and have lived in Cork for the best part of 45 years, so they have a wealth of stories to share.

Do you get to indulge any hobbies? Even as a spectator?

I’m a keen runner, though I haven’t been as active [in 2024] as I’d like to admit. I’m also an avid reader, usually getting through two or three books a month.

Since the pandemic, I’ve discovered audiobooks, especially for business books, and I love them.

And finally, something that not many people know, I’ve taken up knitting! I last knitted in junior school for a school project, but in 2020, I bought some wool online and the inspiration just came to me.

So now I knit while watching TV, which keeps me away from my phone and prevents me from having to ask ‘what did they say?’ — always a bit annoying.

Entertain or be entertained? If it’s the latter, do you have a signature dish?

I believe I’m a good guest, but I also enjoy hosting. I love inviting people over for a Sunday roast (lamb) or preparing a fancy dinner with prawns and avocado, followed by a main course of monkfish and chorizo.

We have so many places to eat out in Cork — where are your go-to spots for coffee/lunch/special meal?

My favourite weekend coffee spot is Rivers End Café in Crosshaven. And for a special meal, either Jacobs on the Mall or Market Lane, depending on the occasion.

Sunday night comes around too fast... how do you normally spend it?

We’ll relax with our feet up, reading for a while, and then watch a film or something light-hearted. We have a strict cut-off at maximum 10pm to begin our evening routine.

What time does your alarm clock go off on Monday morning?

6am if we hit the gym, or 6.45am if not.

Anything else you are up to right now?

As 2024 hasn’t been busy enough (hahaha), I’ve recently embarked on two new projects. I’m currently pursuing a part-time Lean Sigma Green Belt Certificate with MTU, and delivering the Leadership and Management Course for the Retail Sector at Cork College of FET — Bishopstown Campus