Born in Cork into a farming family in Whitechurch, TJ Hegarty started farming at a young age and considered a career in veterinary medicine. Before going to college, however, TJ took a year out to decide what he really wanted to do.
He eventually chose agricultural science at University College Dublin (UCD), initially expecting to work in the agricultural sector. But TJ always had an entrepreneurial streak and wanted to build something of his own.
“I was never meant to work in a job for someone else. I always wanted to build and do my own thing,” TJ says.
Although TJ struggled with maths he did well in his Leaving Certificate. What started as a side project giving maths grinds to students in Blarney, Whitechurch and Glanmire has since grown into Breakthrough Maths, a global online education company.
Founded six years ago, the firm now employs 18 people and expects to reach 10,000 students. The company provides weekly online maths grinds for primary school, Junior Certificate and Leaving Certificate students.
Breakthrough Maths classes cover key exam topics from scratch, with students tested in every class and parents receiving feedback on their progress.
Prior to starting Breakthrough Maths, TJ was working with the Kerry Group, an experience he values for the training and skills it gave him.
“I set up the maths grinds school as a side project in my free time and as soon as it began to build traction and I could see the runway ahead, then I swapped over,” TJ says.
One of his early students was Fionn McCarthy, who achieved a H3 in higher level maths after receiving grinds from TJ and developed a love of the subject. Fionn has since completed a Master’s in Mechanical Engineering at MTU.
TJ also believes his time at UCD gave him much more than a qualification. The people he met and the opportunities he took on helped shape his outlook and gave him skills he would use later in his career.
“A college degree is not what you learn. It is in the experience itself. Join as many things as you can, because you never know who you are going to meet. Some of my first teachers were friends I met through the horse racing society,” TJ says.
Large operation
As part of his degree, TJ spent six months working on a 3,000-cow dairy farm on New Zealand’s south island. Working alongside people from different backgrounds gave him a real insight into teamwork and the day-to-day running of a large operation.
“I went to New Zealand, and this was an unbelievable experience. There were 10 or 15 people working there, it was a huge operation. Animals come and go but the business drives on. You learn how a team functions and how important it is to work together. That was a phenomenal experience for me,” TJ says.
Another important influence was farmer Bill O’Keefe, who TJ met during his third year placement at Moorepark. Rather than simply discussing farming, their conversations encouraged TJ to think about business and what he might build himself.
“Bill genuinely inspired me, encouraging me to think about starting a business. I was sent down to him for my third year placement, but we ended up talking more about entrepreneurship. Bill had me listening to audiobooks on the drive down every day.
“He’s unbelievable at getting people inspired, and he really got me thinking about what I could build myself,” TJ adds.
For students filling out the CAO, TJ advises keeping an open mind. Choosing a course is important, but it does not mean having to stick to one career for the rest of your working life. He believes a broad degree can leave plenty of options open.
“What Leaving Cert students pick now could be completely irrelevant in five years’ time, but you can’t worry about that. Pick something broad, and then you can narrow it down as you finish university. You are not defined by anything,” TJ says.
He also encourages students to get out and see the world, meet people and gain experience beyond the classroom.
“Go and see the world, because you never know what you are going to see. There is a great phrase I remember: ‘20s are for learning, 30s for earning.’ Go out and get experience.”
For TJ, a strong work ethic is just as important as qualifications. It is something he looks for when hiring people, regardless of their background or where they studied.
“All I want to see is work ethic, no matter where you work. Get out into the real world, get work experience and show your work ethic. Get as much good experience as you can,” he says.
See breakthroughmaths.ie
