Over the coming weeks we'll be interviewing each of the eleven finalists taking part in The AIB Start-Up Academy. This week we caught up with Gail Condon, founder of Writing for Tiny, to find out what it's like to be part of an Irish start-up and the key pieces of advice she has been given so far in her career. Founded in 2014, Writing for Tiny is a new children's book publisher. They make personalised books to help parents communicate changes with their children. Each book is hand stitched and made in Ireland. What prompted you to start your business? When I left school I wanted to have a career where I cared for children, but I also wanted to use my creative side. I studied Speech and Language Therapy in Scotland, but after a few things happened I decided to come home. I then started a new degree in Children’s and General Nursing in UCC. It wasn’t the plan, but it must have happened for a reason. I met the love of my life through my work as a nurse and we now have Rosie. So life’s twists can surprise you. After I qualified, I worked as a paediatric nurse in Cork University Hospital and Crumlin Children’s Hospital. I started to use my drawings to communicate with children there. They were just simple little doodles that I had been drawing for as long as I could remember. I used these personalised drawings to explain a procedure or to explain their condition to their siblings. A hospital is an insanely boring place for a child and it can also be a very confusing experience for them. I believe that if you include a child in a decision, inform them (within reason), then you take away a lot of the fear. So that is why I started with my books. I went back to college in Trinity and studied Speech and Language again while working part time in Crumlin as a nurse. In the end, I won a place in the Trinity Business Incubator and it took off from there really. What research did you undertake before starting out? I am constantly researching and more importantly, I am always learning. That is one of my favourite things about being a start-up: you learn so many skills that you would never have learned if you had not taken the leap. What did you do to make you stand out from the competition? Personalised books are not a new concept. I received one from my godmother when I was young. I remember the girl in the book with my name was blonde and tall….so that must have struck a nerve! But nobody personalises the way we do. We don’t just add your child’s name and a friend’s name. We do so much more. Children’s books have a tendency to have a white hero with the perfect nuclear family. That exists of course, but what about the little girl whose Dad isn’t around, or the little boy who is mixed race, etc. We also add siblings, grandparents, and pets. Whomever you may want in your book and if you want something outside of our system, just let us know and we will do that for you too. We also hand sew and hand bind every book ourselves. Our other USP is helping parents and children communicate milestones, changes, and worries in a creative way. Our books help children and parents find the words. What has been your biggest barrier since starting up Writing For Tiny? Probably trying to get our name out there and trying to reach the right people. Once people know about us and realise how different we are, they engage with us. Advertising and marketing are so important, but so expensive for a start-up like us. I have many fun and creative ideas for marketing Writing for Tiny so I do what I can on our budget. Have you had many mentors?  I have had loads of great advisers. The local enterprise office and Trinity (in particular John Whelan) have been a huge help. I also took part in New Frontiers in DIT and of course The AIB Start-Up Academy. What has been your greatest moment since starting up? There have been a few great moments, one of which was being recognised by The AIB Start-Up Academy as a finalist. But the best moment so far was having my own ‘Tiny’ to write for. Rosie, who is now 15 months old. She has given me so much more drive and ambition. And your worst? There was one day when I lost about 20 hours worth of illustrations in a flick of a switch. My laptop battery gave up and Adobe Illustrator does not autosave. I had not saved as I went for some unknown reason. It was gone forever. I cried into a tea towel and started again. What’s the bravest decision you have had to make in business so far? I think the bravest thing for any start-up is just the decision to do it. Name three things you have learnt at The AIB Start Up Academy? Sean Weafer has been a sensational mentor. I would hang on his every word! I wish he could talk to me through a microphone in my ear from a secret control tower. Johhny Ryan on design model thinking was amazing. He is so engaging. I obviously have a keen interest in design, so that workshop was excellent for me. We designed a new umbrella. It really got us asking ‘why?’ and ‘so what?’ Bobby Kerr visited us and we had an informal session with him. One question that I was keen to ask him was how he felt when he merged with Insomnia. He lost all of his work on building his own brand. He was very pragmatic and simply replied that Insomina had a better message, and that it was a bitter-sweet move. I will remember that if I take on a partner. What are your three pieces of advice you would give to somebody starting off? Don't do it just for the sake of being an entrepreneur. I have heard people saying that they want to be an entrepreneur. I don’t understand that. Love what you’re doing and solve a problem, don’t invent one. Take advice. You may not want to hear some of it, but it's important that you listen to the people who are trying to help you. Mind yourself. Work hard, but try not to make yourself unwell, or worse still…boring! What Fortune 500 company would you MOST like to be in charge of? The toy company, Mattell. Only because there isn’t a children’s book publisher on it….yet! I would change a lot as CEO of Mattell. I recently watched a documentary on Fisher Price, which were acquired by Mattell. They have fantastic toys. I would focus on Fisher Price and put Barbie in the bin. Barbies are a ridiculous toy in my opinion... sorry if I've offended any fans of hers. What Fortune 500 company would you least like to be in charge of and why? Any company that takes advantage of people or is wasteful and thoughtless with the world’s resources. What are your “cheats” or “hacks” for making life easier in the business world? Don’t be afraid to call instead of email, or better still meet face to face. Have a sense of humour. You might meet the odd brick wall but I have found that people, even when doing serious business, like to laugh. Be kind. There is no need to be unfair. Who would you prefer to face off with in a fight to the death: Bill Gates or Donald Trump? Keep in mind that the winner keeps the loser’s business… Bill Gates. I would do very well if I had access to that many developers and that much software. I wouldn’t want to kill him forever, so I would simply use the money I make to freeze him and bring him back to life when I need business advice.