#FollowEverly
Orla McDonnell is a passionate entrepreneur and member of AwakenHub, dedicated to transforming the event planning and gifting landscape through her innovative business, Everly. Co-founded with Laura Downes, Everly is revolutionising how couples plan and manage their weddings. Inspired by the complexities and challenges of traditional wedding planning and gift-giving, Orla and Laura developed Everly to empower engaged couples with an array of advanced tools.
Describe yourself in 6 words or less:
Fun-loving, innovative, strategic, driven go-getter.
Tell us about your business and what inspired you to start it:
In January 2020, Laura experienced firsthand the lack of traceability and risks associated with wedding gifting. She came up with an innovative solution: a digital wedding post. She asked me to join as her co-founder in February 2020. As the world changed, we focused on controllable aspects, such as building our social media following and refining our business model with experienced mentors. At that time, Laura was running a wedding signage business that rented out wedding post boxes, while I had been managing digital marketing campaigns for an exclusive wedding venue hosting over 250 weddings annually. Together, we had a deep understanding of the customer journey, including their pain points.
Inspired by the complexities of traditional wedding planning and gift-giving, we developed Everly to empower engaged couples with an array of advanced features. Our platform allows couples to create personalised wedding websites, manage guest lists, and send digital invitations with built-in RSVP tracking. Additionally, Everly offers a sophisticated gift registry featuring selections from luxury retailers and renowned travel companies, allowing couples to curate their dream honeymoon experiences. This innovative approach caught the attention of industry leaders Sharon Harney and Dawn Conway of Cassidy Travel, leading to an exclusive partnership.
Tell us a little bit more about you:
I share a deep passion for dogs, having adopted a rescue dog this year. I am also a mother, married to Gerry, with two wonderful teenagers, Muireann (19) and Oran (17).
I've been working in retail since I was 14, starting in my family business and continuing throughout the UK and Ireland. My experience spans from traditional retail to banking and e-commerce. After experiencing burnout in my 40s, I decided to establish my own consultancy to help retailers and business owners with their marketing strategies.
When Laura invited me to join her in turning her idea into a business, I eagerly accepted. I've since put my own business on hold to dedicate my time and energy to working full-time at Everly.
Fill us in on your female founder journey:
I have made plenty of mistakes along the way, but I have reframed them as valuable lessons. These experiences have made me more resilient and determined to succeed. As co-founders from day one, Laura and I have been able to support each other both professionally and personally, sharing our life experiences.
We have encountered amazing people, especially women who go out of their way to help. We have had to learn a whole new language around raising funds and seeking investment. Sometimes, you'll meet people or apply for funding that isn't a good fit, and that's perfectly okay. Rejection is just a part of the journey. Keep going and build a strong support network.
How has being part of the AwakenHub community helped your business?
I recently joined AwakenHub in Louth, benefitting greatly from Denise's valuable support and guidance. I also had the opportunity to attend SheVentures in Lusty Beg, which highlighted the immense potential to tap into a wealth of knowledge, experience, networks, and investment opportunities. We are planning to raise our next round of HPSU funding starting in September and aim to connect with the Angels network.
Do you have an ‘ask’ which we can share with fellow #Awakenhubbers?
At the moment, my ask is to spread the word about our partnership with Cassidy Travel and any additional partnerships we establish in the coming weeks.
As a founder, what are your non-negotiables? What values or principles do you live by? Who or what inspires you?
Trust is one of my core values and is non-negotiable. I value honesty, transparency, and kindness. I appreciate directness—just be open and honest and skip the nonsense. It's perfectly fine if we aren't a fit, but please don't waste my time. Do what you say you will and be of service.
As we build our company, we strive for an inclusive workplace that respects different cultures, promotes work-life balance, and meets company goals.
I love the opportunity to give back and support those who are earlier in their journey. I know that I still have much to learn and always seek to understand more. I am inspired by leaders like Brené Brown, Tony Robbins, Oprah, Brendon Burchard, Steven Bartlett, and many other founders.
Where do you see yourself in 12 months and 5 years time?
In 12 months, I aim to continue in my current role while generating enough revenue to facilitate our growth.
In 5 years, I envision securing major commercial deals and achieving significant advancements in our technology. I aim to become an industry leader and an attractive prospect for a buyout.
If you attended SheVentures - how did you find this? How has it added to your founder or AwakenHub journey?
I found it incredibly insightful. I met amazing women and had the opportunity to attend sessions that were specifically relevant to our current needs as a company. The location was fantastic as well!
What are your top three tips for other women founders?
Don't take a "no" personally. Conduct a post-mortem to identify areas for improvement. Rinse and repeat.
Stay true to your North Star, as everyone will have advice on how and what you should be doing.
Never be afraid to ask for help.
What are six words to live by?
To be of service & live purposely.
Any question you would like to add or any comments on any of the above?
We are a pre-revenue startup and secured pre-seed funding of €100k in February 2024. We are an Enterprise Ireland client, using Ireland as a test market. Our ambition is to expand into the UK and US. We are seeking our next round of funding starting in August 2024.
