About Cara
Stop joining the dots. Start drawing the map.
Most small businesses already have the ingredients for strong marketing — they’re just scattered across WhatsApp threads, half-finished ideas, customer questions, reviews, and the thing you keep meaning to fix on the website. I pull it together, draw the map, and turn it into a clear message people understand quickly, with a plan you can actually deliver. And I’ll always push for true colours over borrowed ones: marketing that sounds like you, shows the real value of what you do, and makes it easier for the right customers to see you and choose you.
I’m Cara Hickey, a marketing consultant with 17+ years’ experience across Ireland, the UK and North America, in food, beauty and wellness. I’ve worked in-house and alongside small teams, so I understand what it’s like when marketing has to happen between deliveries, client work, staff rotas and whatever fire pops up that day.
My approach is simple: high standards, practical execution, and work that earns trust — not marketing that looks busy.
“The most powerful person in the world is the storyteller. The storyteller sets the vision, values, and agenda of an entire generation that is to come.”
— Steve Jobs, Apple Founder
My Work
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![Bold imagery for Instagram Menu Carousel with Street Frites logo and image of mexican taco gourmet tray]()
Street Frites Opening
CHC worked with Street Frites, a new fast-casual concept bringing Belgian-style frites to Dublin’s City Centre. The idea is simple - restaurant standards, street pace.
In a saturated and competitive media and eatery market, success hinged on the ability to tell a story that’s as compelling and well-crafted as the food itself.
In the first month of launch the no-cost content and PR strategy netted just under 192k views and 2.6k followers.
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![Laptop sits on wooden stool with the newly designed Hartwood Joinery home page displayed on screen]()
Hartwood Joinery
I worked with local joinery business Hartwood Joinery on their website redesign, switching to a user-friendly and design-led platform,
As part of this CHC also delivered and implemented a lead generation campaign on Google Ads, to push the new site, and the business, to customers in the midlands region.
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![A smartphone showing the screen while a DCS Reel plays showcasing Steaks Sauces and Sides Class]()
DCS Digital Marketing Strategy
Since 2023, I’ve been working with Dublin Cookery School on revitalising the digital experience.
Follow a difficult period for the food business and a change in ownership, it was important to reengage with food lovers, and grow the audience beyond its existing customer base.
We have seen consistent improvements across all metrics with reach, engagement and conversion all improving YoY.
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![Imagery of website and branding]()
SLN Brand Development
Creation of new website & brand look and feel for science-focused nutritionist Sarah Louise Nutrition.
It was important to draw a distinction between SLN and other nutritionist, with a more serious tone, bringing in the importance of science in development of nutritional and training plans
Values
Throughout my career, three core values have shaped my approach and contributions
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I am a natural brand and business builder. The ability to create is what drew me to marketing
Create ideas, new products, new concepts, beautiful design.
And I like to work with brands that share the same creative streak - whether is a new dish for a menu or a revolutionary product.
Let’s make the world a more interesting place than we found it!
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I believe in addressing the overlooked problems, never settling for the status quo. With an inquisitive mindset, I constantly search for issues, propose effective solutions, and then design captivating campaigns to communicate that solution to the market.
Continuous improvement is the basis of excellence. Don’t settle for the way things have always be done, interrogate if they can be done better.
Do the work, improve the process, and share the results!
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What do we add to the world? I believe we should all look to give something of value to someone each day.
My track record speaks for itself. From achieving growth to meeting financial and brand targets, I pride myself on my ability to cultivate relationships, lead dynamic teams, and ensure timely and effective project delivery.
I won’t just give you ideas that someone on your stretched team has to action, I’ll set you up for seamless progress into the future
Recent Accreditations
Learning is never complete.
I don’t collect courses for the sake of it. I pick training that makes client work cleaner: sharper briefs, better decisions, less wasted effort.
Most small businesses don’t need louder marketing. They need clearer thinking and systems that hold up when things get busy.
AI for Business | UCD Professional Academy
Earlier this year, I completed Artificial Intelligence for Business with UCD Professional Academy. This course is designed to make AI practical: what it is (and what it isn’t), how it’s being used across industries and functions, and what the opportunities, risks, and implications look like in real business settings. It’s interactive and grounded in case studies, discussions, and debate.
For clients, this supports two things: choosing the right AI applications without getting pulled into hype, and building smarter ways of working that save time while protecting quality.
Design Thinking for Strategic Innovation | Trinity Innovation & Enterprise (Trinity College Dublin)
I completed Design Thinking for Strategic Innovation with Portal, Trinity Innovation & Enterprise.
This programme strengthens how I approach strategy: human-centred thinking, better problem framing, and practical tools for turning messy business challenges into something you can actually act on.
In practice, it means we spend less time decorating symptoms and more time fixing what’s underneath, so the messaging lands and the marketing performs.
What My clients say
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Cara possesses an exceptional level of expertise in brand development. She has a deep understanding of how to create a strong and cohesive brand identity that resonates with the target audience and captured the essence of my brand. Cara has a keen eye for design and user experience, which ensured the website is visually appealing, intuitive to navigate, and optimised for performance. One of the qualities that sets Cara apart is their ability to understand their clients' specific needs and translate them into tangible results. They always took the time to listen attentively to my ideas, goals, and concerns.
Sarah, Sarah Louise Nutrition
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Cara has been instrumental in transforming the online presence of our business. From website design to Google ads Cara not only simplified the entire process, she completely took charge. The results are exemplary. Thanks to CHC we are in a great position for solid growth in 2026. I would highly recommend to any new or established business.
Rory Lennon, Hartwood Joinery
Let Me tell your story
Not sure? Book a call so we can chat through your business and see how CHC can help you