a day in the life

Name Christopher Ferry

Age 35

Hometown

Derry

Job title

Owner

Describe what your job involves: My goal is always to make people laugh. We sell Northern Irish humour products, mainly greeting cards. One of the most important aspects of our business is marketing – publishing engaging content that gets eyes on Ferry Clever. I oversee all ideas and design work, online orders, and the running of our city centre store. We have three members of staff – two who work in the shop and another who is in charge of our 29 stockists across the North West.

DESCRIBE IN DETAIL A DAY IN YOUR WORK:

I start off my day by completing all online orders and getting them to the Post Office as soon as possible. When I arrive at work, I make sure the shop is fully stocked and reorder products that are running low. Then I move on to the creative side of things, coming up with new designs for products or working on our marketing plan.

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR MOST MEMORABLE DAY AT WORK?

It’s difficult to narrow it down to one day because there have been a few amazing moments. Visits by celebrities, being asked to present one of my products to former US President Bill Clinton, partnering with Moonpig, becoming an official Derry City FC merchandiser, and scooping two awards at the North West Business Awards all stand out for me. It’s been a fantastic journey so far and I’m excited for even more.

WHAT IS YOUR GREATEST ACHIEVEMENT?

Opening my own business for sure. I’m proud I’ve worked hard to make it a success. It’s not easy running a local business and I feel so grateful for all the support I have received from friends, family, and local people here in Derry.

WHAT IS THE BEST ADVICE YOU HAVE EVER BEEN GIVEN IN WORK?

When Phil Coulter visited, he told me, ‘’Chris, hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard”, which is bang on. That’s always stuck with me.

WHAT ARE THE MOST SATISFYING/FULFILLING ASPECTS OF YOUR JOB?

Easy - making people laugh. I love meeting new people every day in the shop, and I love them leaving with a smile on their face.

WHAT QUALITIES/SKILLS ARE MOST IMPORTANT FOR YOUR ROLE?

As I have sizeable duties to handle, planning and patience are essential to make sure the business runs effectively. Outside of that, being creative and thinking outside the box are important when it comes to getting engagement online and bringing more customers to both our website and shop.