After 30 years in retail management, Catherine Hearns launched MyComfort.ie in 2023, to provide sustainable, ethically made migraine relief products inspired by her own health with hemiplegic migraine and related conditions. Her retail experience gave her strong business skills, while health challenges prompted a career shift from retail to entrepreneurship. She actively markets via social media and uses automation tools. Catherine also engages in mentoring startups and has completed a female founder program, emphasising tenacity and local support for entrepreneurs.

1. Could you share your background and career path before starting your own business? 

I spent 30 years in retail management and operations. I started working at 13, I became a trainee manager at 19, and I was managing stores by age 22.  

I do look back fondly on retail – it’s a hard job, yet it gave me a great set of skills for running my own business. I’m also a continuous learner and have achieved several QQI level 6, HR, training, learning and evaluation, employment law, to name a few and a Diploma in Business Management. 

2. How did you become involved with Pfizer, and as Migraine Consultant, what are some of your key responsibilities? 

During my role as Board member of Migraine Ireland, I gave a talk with two other people on Chronic Illnesses, and from that I was approached, and I am delighted to be the Irish Migraine Consultant with Pfizer. It involves quarterly online meetings with Migraine consultants internationally. It’s a very collaborative process and I really enjoy it as I feel that my input is in some way giving back to other sufferers of chronic illnesses. 

3. In what ways have your personal health challenges influenced your professional journey? 

Stress has played a huge part in exacerbating my illnesses. I have a rare subtype of migraine called hemiplegic migraine. I had heart failure at 46, diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy. depression and anxiety played a big role throughout my adult life. I also have colitis, thyroid and fibromyalgia.  

Admitting health issues has always been a huge burden, as I never wanted to stand out and being in middle management, showing ‘weaknesses cannot happen. My health was impacted hugely by my job, negatively. However, my health battles have now brought MyComfort to a reality. 

4. In 2023, you launched your business MyComfort.ie. What inspired the initial idea, and how did you begin developing it?

After my last role, I left due to health issues and an unhealthy work environment. I knew, leaving that job, that I was finished in retail. Health dictated my exit and my future. The strain of this escalated my migraine condition that had been under control for nearly 6 years. I did a self-care course, and it was a throw-away comment from another lady about having nowhere to go for a toolkit. I spoke with my husband Declan afterwards and said about the comment, and he said, ‘Why don’t you do it?’…That evening, we picked the name and the first product.

5. What products or services does MyComfort currently offer, and how have these evolved from your original vision? 

I’m glad you asked—ethics and sustainability are central to MyComfort’s vision for providing migraine relief.  When I was designing the mask, I spent eighteen months meticulously making sure every single element felt right, starting with the materials—our main fabric is ECONYL®  regenerated yarn, which is wonderful because it’s a circular material that dramatically cuts down on crude oil use. Extending this philosophy to our business is essential, so we partnered with a family-run manufacturer whose facility operates entirely on solar energy and guarantees all employees receive a living wage. We pay attention to logistics too, using An Post for fast delivery across Ireland to reduce our carbon footprint, and we make sure all our packaging is sustainably sourced.  It is this holistic commitment—from the careful choices in our supply chain and manufacturing, right up to our goal of achieving BCorp certification—that ensures our eye-mask is impactful for the person using it and kind to the world around us. 

6. Your business addresses migraine relief with a strong emphasis on ethical and sustainable practices. Could you highlight some of the key sustainability and ethical initiatives you have implemented? 

MyComfort was born out of frustration. As an avid eye-mask wearer, I was consistently disappointed by the lack of quality, comfort, and durability in products on the market. This personal pain point drove me to design the best eye mask on the Irish market. After a year and a half of dedicated effort—designing, sourcing the finest raw materials, and prototyping five different versions—I created our hero product: The Multiway Eye-Mask. This European design-registered and patent-pending mask is engineered to address various health conditions, including migraine, sinus, and menopause, by offering both cold and heat therapy. 

7. How have you approached marketing your products, and which channels or strategies have proven most effective? 

For customer acquisition, I am building a multi-channel model. For Marketing purposes, we are very active on Instagram, Facebook, and we’re slowly building on TikTok. We have created a WhatsApp business which is connected to Meta and of course, my online store MyComfort.ie.  

Instagram has proven to be the most effective platform; Facebook is very slow and not very interactive. I use the Meta Business Suite, and I love Canva! The new updates are fantastic. It’s such a necessary tool for any new brand. I use Klayvio, the free version, for newsletters. This has also had updates, which literally create the newsletters for me because it’s integrated into my WordPress site. Marketing automation is a must for every small business.  

8. Have you engaged with any organisations supporting entrepreneurs in Ireland, especially those focused on female founders? What were some valuable insights or advice you gained from these groups, and how have you applied them in your business? 

I recently completed the CatalyseHer programme from INCO a Visa programme aimed for Female Startup founders. This was the first Irish cohort. I have to say I really enjoyed this programme. It was interactive, gave great modules, and we had to do ‘Homework’ each week, with the aim of completing a business model. Meeting the other founders, I really enjoyed it because this can be a lonely vocation! The business model as it’s a working document, I found it had really changed since my first attempt at creating one, over a year ago. It highlighted how far I have come as a business and the changes I have implemented that have been pivotal for my brand.  

9. You recently took on the role of a start-up mentor. What does this role involve, and what key advice do you offer entrepreneurs just beginning their journey? 

The Startup Mentor is on pause; it’s not transactional, because my health is so up and down that I have not yet begun. However, I love to help. I am still concentrating on doing the groundwork for MyComfort, but I have people reaching out to me all the time. I set up The Start Up Collective, this group meets every 2 weeks, and it’s a wide variety of Start-ups and small businesses. My concept was to create a round table of businesses that can help and support each other. So far, it has been productive for many businesses that are involved. We have over 30 in the group at the moment. 

Advice for entrepreneurs? Have tenacity, stay strong, and look for support from your local enterprise office. Get used to the word no, but once you have a solid idea and believe in it, keep at it. Apply to programmes such as New Frontiers, which are designed for entrepreneurs to validate ideas.

10. Are you a fan of any other people, companies or programmes in the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion space, particularly in Ireland? 

My Son Jordan! Jordan is my eldest, just turned 30, and he is trailblazing his way in the publishing sphere. He is part of the Queer community and runs a publishing and events business called SMUT Press along with his friend Jack. Based in London, he runs queer events, and they are very popular, with the next night selling out in 24 hours. He is a photographer by career and is also a drummer and DJ. He has such a skill set that I am in awe at how brilliant he is. We are so proud of him, his accomplishments and how wonderfully caring he is to everyone. He is very passionate about everything he does and has worked super hard these last 4 years building SMUT press and events. Now it’s starting to gain momentum, and it can only accelerate and become a huge part of the London Gay community.