Meet Emily O'Halloran 

One of the things we really love about coworking are the different types of people we get to meet, network and collaborate with.

Coworking spaces often have incredible talented humans under one roof, and this month we catch up with Emily from Thrive PR and ForkingYum on Instagram to talk about all things coworking, the fantastic opportunities of collaboration that has risen from sharing a workspace, and her future plans for ForkingYum.  

Tell us a bit about yourself and what you do.

Hi! My name is Emily and I am an Account Executive at Thrive PR! We are lucky to be part of Generator's awesome network, based in the Stanbeth & Excelsior location in Britomart, the heart of Auckland City. I have been at Thrive for 18 months, this is my first job since finishing university 2 years ago and I LOVE it. 

Thrive is the biggest independent public relations agency in Australasia, which means we have all the resources and benefits of a large international agency, but the agility and adaptability of a boutique independent. We know the New Zealand market, and we collaborate everyday with our fellow Thrivers in Aussie, setting global best practice in the campaigns we deliver, sharing insights and key learnings across our five offices in Auckland, Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Gold Coast.

Having such a strong presence in New Zealand and Australia is a huge advantage for our clients, and also for our team! For example, I've been lucky enough to spend lots of time in the Melbourne office with our Aussie counterparts, which is SUPER cool!   

What is your side hustle ForkingYum all about?

@ForkingYum is an Instagram account, which I run in my spare time, my "side-hustle". I LOVE eating food, making food memories and sharing food experiences with the people I love. Originally, I created the account because I needed the space to share said food experiences - I wanted to create a digital photo album where people could come and be inspired, where they could learn new recipes, cooking skills and kitchen hacks, and where they could find the best spots to eat in Auckland, and in Wellington where I studied at Uni.

I preach a life of balance, mindfulness, intuition and positivity. Since recovering from an eating disorder, I have learnt a lot about what I believe young people want to see on their social feeds, and why they're frustrated with what they are seeing. I want to cut through the mess, through the negativity and pressure, keep it real and continue to build a community where people feel empowered and inspired to become the best, perfectly imperfect versions of themselves. 

The account grew by accident, as people started to really engage with my story, and now I have 10,500 people following my journey. My Instagram has become a huge passion of mine as I continue to explore the amazing world of food, more specifically New Zealand's epic restaurant scene, and grow my little ForkingYum community! My Instagram has also given me a space to meet new friends and connect with like-minded people with similar foodie passions - a bit like coworking, I guess!

What are your favourite things about coworking?

In a coworking space, you will constantly find yourself being inspired in new ways. Whether it be chatting to a person from a tech start-up while you wait for your morning coffee, or relocating to a breakaway space to brainstorm with your team for an afternoon - nothing is boring, or stale, or stagnant. It's exciting, there's a buzz in the air, an energy created by people working on exciting things who want to connect, learn and share experiences. Coworking allows for the ultimate in collaboration, in connecting with new people, in learning about all the awesome things people are doing and creating, and in flexibility. 

What is one big piece of advice you would give to someone thinking about joining a coworking space?

Jump outside of your shell and meet new people! Go to the quiz nights, the BBQs, the charity breakfasts, the happy hours. Really engage with your fellow coworkers, take every opportunity to soak up all the amazing things people can teach you! Be a sponge!

What would we find you doing outside of work?

Scrolling through Urban List, Concrete Playground, Denizen and Zomato hunting down Auckland's latest "hot spots", food collabs, researching local brands and international products, following chef and celebrity announcements, I'm totally obsessed. Auckland is a foodie city and just THINKING about all the places to explore gives me goosebumps of excitement! We are so lucky! Then obviously, once I've finished my research, you'll find me ticking my way through my weekly "To Eat" list with my friends and family.  

If you could eat only one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be?

This is TOUGH. I think I would have to go with Mexican... Fish Tacos... Corn Chips and Guacamole - yep, YUM! Oh, and a Margarita because, duh.

What are your plans for ForkingYum in the next year or so?

I signed with Johnson & Laird at the beginning of this year, which I know will bring lots of exciting opportunites, working with amazing brands! I would love to write columns in magazines, host a podcast series, maybe even write a book - watch this space!

If you could share an office space with anyone in the world, who would it be and why?

Some inspiring #GIRLBOSSES - Jennifer Lawrence, Michelle Obama, Jameela Jamil, Ellen DeGeneres, Beyonce, Meryl Streep, Adele, Emma Watson, Kim Kardashian (don't judge me - it would be FASCINATING) Also, Liam Hemsworth for obvious reasons (just look at him).  

Do yourself a favour and check out Emily on ForkingYum - but beware, you might find yourself drooling endlessly over the delicious treats!