Name
Cathy Martin

Current position
Managing Director, CMPR and Belfast Fashion Week

Your first Job
I worked in a newsagents beside the City Hospital at weekends and evenings and then progressed to Stewarts supermarkets (now Tesco) where I worked on what was called the Chef’s Choice counter – a deli and self serve pizza bar - before working in American Madness, the very cool second hand Levi’s store in Belfast. I did all of these before I was 18 and loved it!

When


Where
Belfast

The Pay
I think it was around £3 per hour, but I can’t remember exactly. But it paid for all my own clothes and holidays from the age of 14.

The Perks
I got huge discounts in American Madness.

The People
We had a crazy chef at Chef’s Choice who’d come in and regale us in stories about his nights out with the boys. Also, the cleaner Kate was a huge character and I still think about her. A lot of fun.

The best
The talent coming in to American Madness was always a joy to look at!

The worst
I don’t remember any – I’ve always enjoyed working, to be honest.

Memorable moment
I walked in on a few people in the changing rooms at American Madness – once there was a couple kissing and another time a middle aged lady stealing jeans!

Life Lessons
I suppose I just learnt the value of money and how to earn it. It also helped develop people skills from an early age.