Bio: Jenni Falconer is a Scottish radio and television presenter. She appears on the ITV daytime show This Morning, and was a regular presenter of the National Lottery Draws on BBC One. In January 2020, Falconer will be the new host for Smooth London breakfast and hosting on Saturday mid-mornings.
Can you tell us how you got to where you are today?
To get to where I am today, it took determination. I got the opportunity to work in television because of a number of factors – but one of them was the fact that I was pro-actively knocking on doors. I believe if you want something enough, you will work hard to get it and my enthusiasm and desire to work in TV paid off because I did get the chance but it didn’t just fall into my lap.
I fell in love with the idea of working in TV after appearing as a contestant on a game show when I was 18 – I spoke to the producers of the show and they rolled their eyes and told me very few people make it. So, I knew I had to create the opportunity. I did work experience, knocked on doors and before long was invited to audition at BBC Scotland….I got the gig and have been working in the industry ever since.
What drives you?
First and foremost, I have a job I enjoy – more than that, I love it. My alarm might buzz at 4.15am every morning, but I look forward to the day ahead. I host the Smooth Radio breakfast show Monday-Friday and am also on air on Saturday mornings from 10am. I play great songs, work with a brilliant team and most days get to enjoy a run home after I finish!
I also am lucky to do other jobs which fit in around my radio work. With so much variety and meeting so many different people, for me work is a happy place. Also, working for over 25 years in this industry has helped me find the courage to try new business opportunities. I recently c-founded a brand called Kollo – a health supplement I was keen to create as it supports me as a keen runner. I would never have had the confidence to do something like this without the experience I have had in my career to date.
What are some choices you’ve made that made you who you are?
My career started at 18 – I had to choose between continuing with my university studies and accepting a job in television. It was a difficult decision as it felt like a fork in the road, with everything I had been building towards at school down one path and the gamble, the TV career, down the other. I took the gamble. It was exciting and terrifying at the same time, but it turned out to be the right choice for me. Looking back, I have had many occasions where there is a choice, we all have, but I love the excitement, the opportunity to try something new…it might be a scary choice to make but can lead to wonderful life experiences. Even if they don’t work out, you have a great story to tell and a lesson to have learnt from. Even the day I met my now husband….I was invited to the National Television awards…I almost didn’t go because I had been working all day and was set to fly to Spain to film early the next morning. But I thought, come on, you never know what might happen….18 years later, we are married with a 9-year-old daughter!
What is something you believe in? Do you have a personal story?
I believe that you should be nice to everyone…there is a phrase ‘it’s nice to be important, but it is more important to be nice’. There are some people who don’t abide by this rule and seem to flourish in their career, however for me it is about making friends along the way. I love my job and it is enjoyable largely because of the people I work with.
What is something that you are working on that you are excited about?
After more than 25 years in TV and radio, it is exciting to be the founder of a new business. I never thought it would be possible to create a product, bring it to market and turn it to an in-demand health supplement. It’s not only loved for its beauty benefits – as a keen runner, to have a product that can benefit athletes and aid their recovery after exercise is something I am hugely proud of. We are a small team – me, my husband and our friend – and between us we have had to start from scratch, learning everything about setting up a new business and it all started with a chat in our kitchen one day. A couple of years later, here we are….selling a great tasting, premium, liquid marine collagen sachet with 10g of collagen in every daily dose. I am so proud of our business and incredibly excited about the future.
What makes Kollo different?
Well, we wanted to create a collagen supplement that would benefit people recovering after exercise and help protect their joints, then we learnt about all the amazing benefits, which for us were bonus side-effects! Improved, more hydrated skin, thicker hair, stronger nails, boost to the immune system, improved gut health, easing of menopausal symptoms, helping reduce skin irritations, the list goes on.
We launched In April 2020, initially with 7g of collagen in every sachet, however soon realised that actually (whilst 7g was sufficient to notice the benefits) our clinical studies highlighted that the optimum results are with 10g. So, we were brave and decided to cut back on our profit and instead increase the dose of collagen to 10g to make it an even better product but still at a competitive price. We have created a product that our customers love – they love the benefits, the flavour and the fact that they receive their Kollo on subscription.
Is there something you want our readers to know?
If you would like to try Kollo, then go to Kollohealth.com, you can follow me on Instagram @jennifalconer and you can catch me on Smooth Radio daily.
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