Marketing Information

Media Reviews

• Irish Tatler Magazine ‘An inspirational tale of how one woman overcomes staggering odds after her marriage ends. Funny, intimate and at times disarmingly honest, a great way to spend an evening.’


• Image Magazine: ‘Highly readable with an enchanting insight into Italian culture.’


• Social & Personal Magazine ‘After a particularly shaky start in Italy, the businesswoman summons the courage to make a go of it, against all odds. The account of what happens next is told with warmth, humour and disarming honesty.’

Media Coverage

• The Independent - How Ciara finally learnt to fly solo http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/how-ciara-finally-learnt-to-fly-solo-26855263.html


• Writing.ie - Going Solo on Lake Como: Marketing 101 http://www.writing.ie/resources/going-solo-on-lake-como-marketing-101/


• Live interview with Joe Duffy


• Appearance on TV3 Midday Show


• Social Diary coverage in RSVP monthly magazine


• Featured in Article ‘Renaissance Women in the Gloss http://lookthebusiness.ie/renaissance-girls-2/

Reviews

Wonderful read, once you start, you can't put it down, you feel as if you are actually in Italy experiencing the life of this courageous girl Ciara. Laughing at the ups and crying at the downs. I really enjoyed Ciara's attempt at learning Italian and laughed out loud at tribulations it brought when she made mistakes. You feel as if you are part of her whole journey, identifying with many of her adventures and willing her to succeed. A must read for anyone who has taken risks in life, who has been knocked down but climbed back up, a real Carpe Diem story.

Author Biography

Ciara O'Toole is a fun-loving entrepreneur who splits her time between Como, Italy and Dublin, Ireland. She has worked in senior marketing and strategic roles with L'Oréal, Johnson & Johnson, Red Bull, Diageo, The Irish National Lottery and Social Entrepreneurs Ireland. In 2004 she founded The Cat's Pyjamas Strategic Marketing consultancy which she ran for ten years.

Ciara holds a private pilots licence for single engine aircraft on land and sea, having started her flight training in Como on seaplanes. She did her first solo flight on water and her second solo flight on wheels, which is a bit of an odd thing to do and not necessarily recommended. She completed her PPL flight exam in Ireland with an IAA flight examiner and repeated her flight ground school training at the National Flight Centre in Weston before taking her written exams, as she couldn't be sure she hadn't missed anything while doing her ground school through Italian in Como! She then almost immediately completed her seaplane flight test in Como.