A 26-year-old former St Paul’s High School pupil from Newry now runs a global marketing company from Sydney, Australia.

Christopher Steele founded The Founders Lab, which helps founders, personal brands, coaches, consultants and expert-led businesses grow through social media, content strategy, short-form video, paid advertising and lead generation systems. He recently travelled to the Philippines to meet his team.

Steele’s path began in his family’s business, Customised Gifts, which sold handcrafted personalised gifts from kiosks in shopping centres, including Buttercrane in Newry. Both of his parents built the business through hard work and word of mouth.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, when Steele was 17 and working in the kiosk, he noticed footfall dropping. He began researching social media and online marketing in an effort to help the family business. Applying what he learned led to a surge in online orders, to the point where they had to temporarily stop accepting new ones.

Steele then started approaching other local businesses, often facing rejection, but he persisted. He compiled spreadsheets of gyms across Ireland and Northern Ireland and contacted them individually for feedback. A few early opportunities gave him the confidence to continue.

Over seven years he built a remote team and now serves clients worldwide. He says that focusing on solving problems and creating value tends to produce opportunities, while chasing money alone often leads to struggle.

He encourages young people not to feel pressured to have a perfect plan. Steele, who says his own school grades were not what he wanted, believes results do not define a person’s future. He sees the present as a strong time for young individuals from places like Newry and across Northern Ireland to build meaningful projects.