Shemaine Doyle is the founder and managing director of the Brave marketing agency. She has over 20 years’ experience marketing food and beverage brands, having worked with Cuisine de France, Costa Coffee, Pret-A-Manger and others. She spent over a decade working in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). In 2021, she returned to Ireland and set up her business.
01 What was your earliest ambition?
To work in marketing
02 It’s our round. What are you having?
Always a glass of Prosecco
03 Social media platform of choice?
Instagram for personal, LinkedIn professionally
04 A mentor or someone that inspired you?
My mum, my business coach Jaime Gennaro and Lesley Byrne, one of my first bosses
05 If you could be born into another time and place, where and when would it be?
The 1800’s – the Bridgerton days
06 Favourite writers?
I spend more time reading kids books these days, so Julia Donaldson
07 A film you’d watch again tonight?
Pretty Woman
08 Is there an unsung hero you’d like to thank?
My mum, my grandmother and my mother-in law
09 Something that no longer happens that you miss?
Lunchtime brunches when I lived in Dubai
10 How physically fit are you?
I’d like to be fitter but I try to exercise and run a couple of times a week. I’m a better person for doing any exercise. I think it’s important as a busy professional to have some physical balance
11 Favourite ad?
Any of the John Lewis Christmas ads
12 What do you find most irritating in other people?
Just not being nice when you are nice to them
13 A brand to which you feel some loyalty?
Butlers. Love the coffee and chocolates
14 Someone you might be starstruck to meet?
I don’t want to meet anyone, I always make a fool of myself when I meet someone remotely famous so best avoided
15 Something that recently brought a tear to your eye?
Watching the Taking Care of Maya documentary on Netflix
16 Something that recently got your goat?
I was buying a dress and using a voucher to part pay and you would think I emptied my piggy bank of coins on the table such was the rudeness of the staff member
17 What would be your fantasy act of heroism?
Anything to help make sick kids better
18 You’ve won the Euromillions and disappeared. Where might we find you?
In New York at Christmas, shopping with my husband
19 Someone or something that strikes you as beautiful?
My kids – they are beautiful little miracles and I thank my lucky stars every day for them
20 “Here lies Shemaine Doyle…” Complete your epitaph…
“Shemaine was always able to make people smile”
