Roisin Hogan is the founder and creator of Hiro by Roisin chilled healthy meals. The meals range from 100 calories to 236 calories per portion, are carb-free and available in SuperValu stores across Ireland. Hogan’s first job was as an accountant with Ernst & Young, which she quit to launch Hiro. She appeared on BBC’s The Apprentice with Alan Sugar two years ago and made it to the semi-finals.
01 When are you happiest?
Reading a good book on holidays with a cocktail. For everyday happiness it would be walking my dog on the beach on a great brisk, dry Irish day
02 Apart from loved ones, what’s your most treasured possession?
Peace of mind. I don’t always have it but when I do it’s awesome
03 Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn?
Traditionally LinkedIn from my accounting days but I now love Twitter
04 What’s the worst job you’ve ever done?
I was an invigilator for college exams and I had to catch people cheating
05 Your favourite writers?
Michael Lewis, Jane Austen and JK Rowling’s Harry Potter
06 Last music you bought?
Best of Talking Heads
07 A film you’d watch again tonight?
Fargo. Love the Coen brothers’movies with their dark sense of humour
08 What do some people think about you that isn’t true?
People often ask if I wear contacts as my eyes are an odd colour
09 What keeps you awake at night?
Waking up at 3am and wondering if people will like my products. It sets off a chain of thoughts that prompts me to get up and put together a list of to-dos
10 Which word do you overuse?
Awesome
11 Your favourite ad?
Dove’s Choose Beautiful campaign, simple but powerful
12 Your favourite gadget?
Definitely my Kindle, it goes everywhere with me
13 A brand experience that disappointed you?
Finding out my car was affected by the VW emissions scandal
14 What living person do you most admire?
Professionally, Bethenny Frankel. She had an idea for a great product in an industry she knew nothing about and turned it into a company worth over $100 million. She capitalised on all her strengths and is a straight-talking and funny person
15 Most embarrassing experience?
Getting fired in front of 10 million viewers on The Apprentice on BBC1
16 Someone or something that strikes you as beautiful?
My niece Rose, she’s the family’s first grandchild and incredibly beautiful
17 In what other era would you like to have been born?
The Wild West. I’m fascinated by the Gold Rush and land grabs in the US
18 Best advice you’ve heard?
The harder you work the luckier you get
19 What would be your fantasy act of heroism?
Curing disease, it would mean saving so many people
20 You’re on Death Row, what’s your last meal?
Definitely my Hiro prawn miso noodle broth!
