Winter Series, Ruby Shields

Join us on this episode as we revisit  the fascinating world according to Ruby Shields, an emerging interior designer and sort of (at time of recoding) recent graduate from RMIT. Ruby shares her experience navigating the intense two-year associate degree in interior decoration and design, the pivotal moment that led her to follow her passion, and how her background in advertising has shaped her approach to interiors. Discover the importance of networking, continuous learning, and the blend of conceptual and technical skills in building a successful design career. Don't miss Ruby's inspiring insights and practical advice for new graduates stepping into the design world.

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Transcript

Speaker: 0:12

Welcome to Designing Success from Study to Studio. I'm your host Rhiannon Lee, founder of the Oleander Finch Design Studio. I've lived the transformation from study to studio and then stripped it bare and wrote down the framework. So you don't have to overthink it in this podcast. You could expect real talk with industry, friends, community connection, and actionable tips to help you conquer whatever's holding you back. Now let's get designing your own success for an hour and a half. So I've split it into two. So today I'm going to share with you part one of my interview and tune in again on Thursday where the second half drops and it just gets better and better. We get into our chat today with the gorgeous Ruby Shields.

0:50

I mentioned earlier in the week that I'm taking a little midwinter break when it comes to recording, editing, and publishing new interview series with designers. It does take a lot of work. I'm so happy to do that, but I am working really hard in the background to create all new things for the re release of the framework. The framework is currently being split into three courses, one for startup, one for existing interior designers who need help to Grow and scale their business and one for those who've gone through the scale process and are sustaining their interior design businesses. So that's a lot of work in the background for me. And I'm actually really loving it it's really great to be refreshing the content, refilming the videos and getting really stuck in and really excited. If you want to join the wait list for that, there is going to be an introductory offer, a big offer for these three courses. So head to the show notes and I will put a link directly to join the wait list. So you'll be the first to find the offer. Anyway, the first of my four. Re released interviews that I'll be sharing with you this week is my interview with the gorgeous Ruby Shields ruby and I sat down right at the beginning of Designing Success and she was one of the first people that I interviewed. I loved our chat together and at the time I was still testing what would work on the podcast, what people wanted. So I split her interview into two parts. Part A came out one week and part B came out a couple of days later and I have noticed in the download data, then not everybody listened to the second half. And it's actually not that long of an interview. So I thought, why don't I put them back together? Do a little reedit in terms of tidying up and doing some things that I now know how to do that. I absolutely did not know how to do when I launched a podcast nearly a year ago. So please have a listen. If you haven't heard Both parts of the original, or even if you did listen, I'm sure you'd pick out different things that resonate now because this conversation was such a good one. It was one that I absolutely loved. You can hear how well Ruby and I got along and she just brought so much joy and love of design and everything about her and her career trajectory is exciting. So please enjoy this interview with Ruby Shields.

Speaker: 3:05

Thank you for joining me today. Thank you for having me. I'm so excited to talk about my little journey. Yeah. I'm loving being able to contact and chat with so many evolving and emerging designers, soon after graduation and find out what that was all about for you and how it's been. When did you graduate?

Speaker 2: 3:24

So I've recently graduated from RMIT and I did the associate A degree of interior decoration and design. So essentially that 2 year fast track course between the bachelor, which is more of a conceptual degree. And then you have the diploma, which is more of a technical skill. So the associate really hones in those 2 aspects of those courses into 1. Yeah, so you get a bit of conceptual and you get a lot of technical as

Speaker: 3:52

well.

Speaker 2: 3:53

Perfect. I bet it didn't feel fast track. Two years is still two years, right?

Speaker: 3:56

Two years

Speaker 2: 3:57

is still two years, but you do essentially five courses per semester instead of the typical three or four. So it is like very intense. Great, but very intense.

Speaker: 4:09

And what was your original pathway into design like for you? Like, when did you make that decision to study it? What sparked that interest? Oh,

Speaker 2: 4:18

my

Speaker: 4:18

gosh.

Speaker 2: 4:18

So it was like a slow burn. Essentially, ever since I was young, I've loved making little houses. And when I got married, my maid of honor, my best friend for 25 years, got up and was talking about how Our relationship grew and how I needed to do interior design because that's where I needed to be in the world. And in her speech, she goes, and I just really hated you because every time we played, you always had the best damn house, whether that was sand, mud, or moss, you always created like a really beautiful little space, damn you. So yeah, really crafting that over the years, but the moment in which I was. It's really holy crap, I need to do this was. It was over lockdown. I had finished the Kelly Wurstler masterclass, which was just awesome. And I was going through and my husband and I have been renovating our house for five years. Don't really want to talk about five years, but it's a, it's realistic goal. We've been renovating for five years, so we were halfway through the renovation. I just finished doing this design masterclass with Kelly. I realized that at this point in my life, I was either going to be really absorbed into advertising moving up into that senior creative role. It comes with a really beautiful pay packet. So it was the pay packet and the ability to possibly have kids like a year down the track, or it was really cut that like umbilical cord and follow your dream. So I had this moment one night and I was like. You know what? Screw this. I'm just going to do it. I'm just going to do it. So I put together my portfolio and I sent it to my top, I've already studied RMIT. I feel like I should probably disclose that I'm very much a loyalist of RMIT. So I'd already studied there and I knew the course was really good. So I was like, I'll go to that one and I'll also do a couple more. So yeah, in one night my husband got home and I was like, I'm going to quit my job. I'm going to quit my job and I'm going to go back to university. And he was like, okay. I love this for you. This is great. I think you should really do this, but we should probably also have a conversation around it.

Speaker: 6:36

Everyone needs a practical husband crunching the numbers and looking at you like, okay I'm glad that you've done that, but let's rewind a little.

Speaker 2: 6:43

Yeah, exactly. So what is your, oh God, but anyway we made it work obviously. But yeah, that's my very obscure journey into actually really jumping on it and following my dream was that essence of, do I follow something that I'm good at and you don't have kids have a good pay packet, or do I jump the ship now and really follow the dream? What I was born to do,

Speaker: 7:10

which is so admirable because it's so easy just to take the road of I'm good at it. I can get paid easily for it and I don't have to stretch myself versus I'm going to go do the big brave scary thing. Take that road and see what comes out of it. And you mentioned advertising in that as something that you had to cut the umbilical cord from. So you have a. Past in advertising. Do you want to tell me more about, pre interior design Ruby?

Speaker 2: 7:38

Yeah, pre interior design Ruby. It's quite also entertaining is that advertising Ruby is under my maiden name, which is Ruby Boynton Boardman. So if you look under Ruby Boynton Boardman, you'll come up with published Ruby Boynton Boardman, awarded Ruby Boynton Boardman and a blonde Ruby Boynton Boardman. And then. I cut my hair really short, dyed it, changed my name to Ruby Shield. So there's just a very clean cut between those two people, which I find is really entertaining. But pre design Ruby. So it sounded advertising after finishing at RMIT at a global agency. And it moves quite fast. Everyone just knew that I could get a job done and I was just really efficient. So I was, a junior and then I was made creative for yellow Glen. So always sparkle on and just did all the social for that. But I was always in the kitchen. So we used to get magazines delivered every month and I would be the first in the kitchen to get the bell and the Vogue. And I'd beat women out of the way. I'd be like, no, they're mine. No, I never hit anyone just an FYI, but I'd always grab those and take them back to my desk and scurry them away. And when people would come to my computer, I'd always have an interior designer background and people would always ask me, I like this chair. What are your thoughts on this chair? There was always this trickle of go to Ruby for when you want like a lamp or a chair or something else. So it was always the go to for any interiors in the office. But Art Direction, I It was really helpful in regards to shoots and talent management and client management and pitching my partner and I. So when I say partner, you have a copywriter. So you have a word and a visual person. And that word person, you spend nine hours a day with so we worked really well together. But he would always come up with these really elaborate ideas. And then I'd be like, okay, so then how do we do this with all the visuals? But we were the pitch team as well. So there was one brief that came in and we turned it around in 24 hours. That was a rough night. But I think that deadline and that drive, like you're always chasing, whether it's awards or a really big idea. And I think that also comes into interiors as well, because you're always seeking that unique design, that little extra twist on something that makes it unique, that makes it stand out.

Speaker: 10:10

If you found more confidence in having like great interior design, Ruby and the skills that you got in advertising and art direction and bringing them into studying design and then moving forward in your career, like those skills like pitching and confidence with clients.

Speaker 2: 10:26

Yeah, I think I spent a lot of time beating myself up about it. So going back to that, that bravery of following your dream and being like, yes, I'm going to do the thing that I've always loved doing. You then have this essence of holy crap, did I just waste, eight years of my life doing something that I was good at, that I didn't love. And should I have been doing what I loved the whole way through? But then, really sitting with that and mulling over all of that whilst studying really presented itself as those transferable skills. So being able to present and be confident in your ideas is something that's really important. And transferable across into, interiors taking clients on a journey of where you started. You have a proposition or a problem from a client and advertising, and then you solve that problem by campaign. Essentially, it's. The same in interiors in regards to, they come to you with like their idea, and then you present that back to them in a story. I like to do stories. I like to tell narratives. That's just the way that I like to do it. But yeah, so just having that confidence and the ability to present and also weaving that into the management of clients, there are so many transferable skills. I think the best transferable skill though. Which I've realized in the last, after graduating was the ability to sell yourself.

Speaker: 11:54

For sure. And with advertising, it doesn't hurt either. Like my messaging is sharp.

Speaker 2: 11:59

Yeah, exactly. It's just it's amazing in the regards to, self promotion. Everyone that I've met with or had an interview with is Ruby, the way that you promote yourself is so good, or, you have a really strong personality and brand. And like you said, it does not hurt to have that strong essence. And, communicate that effectively. So I am thankful for my advertising background after being really hurt, like not hurt by it, but angry that I had, pursued that and not followed my dream. I think now that I can look at it and go, I'm actually really happy that I took a backwards route into interior design because it makes me better with all these other. pieces.

Speaker: 12:44

And you can't tell how it would have gone. Like perhaps, 18 year old you straight out of high school, straight into interior design, wouldn't have bravery, wouldn't have confidence, wouldn't have the aesthetic or design eye that you have, because that comes with maturity as well. You don't always just, For even if you love redirect, rearranging your room and reading magazines that doesn't make an interior designer. And a lot of what you've just explained to me are skills that you don't even learn in design. There's no design school class that's going to teach you the confidence that you need to sell yourself or how to craft a clear message or how to promote yourself, like you say, or so many of those other things and soft skills matter to just being in a workplace and understanding how to be with a client and how to communicate effectively. And we learned that in the workplace. You don't have that when you're 18, you're just like. All about yourself.

Speaker 2: 13:36

Yeah, exactly. No, you're so right as well. Like I'm studying alongside those 18 and 19 year olds and throughout, the course, I'm like, just promise me one thing that you'll just go out and you will experience life. There is nothing more valuable than you can have than going out, making mistakes, probably doing a career that you don't really. They want to do, and then using those skills and doing something else that you love. I really feel, I don't know, I feel really strongly about kids going from high school into university. I really feel like you need to go out and do something else for a while.

Speaker: 14:18

That gap year thing is so great. That whole, like I was encouraged as well to do a year traveling and travel was always important in our family. And valued instead of seen as like a waste of time, or you've worked this hard to get this result. It was like, this result will be there when you get back and a university will be there when you get back. And if you are traveling the world and you're seeing. You're inspired by galleries. You're inspired by cobblestone streets in the back alleys of Italy and that sort of stuff. You bring so much more when you come back than just saying, I did this little two week vacation over the summertime and I'm back into schooling. It's not enough.

Speaker 2: 14:55

And also I feel like travel just gives you so many more life skills as well. Like navigation, holy crap.

Speaker: 15:02

But you're right. It's the things that you don't know, like you don't notice, they just become. Acquired life skills as you mature and as you have different experiences. But yeah, I do think that if when you studied at RMIT, the first time, if you had just studied interior design, I think, I feel like you'd be a different kind of designer, or I feel like something about what makes you and what makes you enter the design world as you would be totally different.

Speaker 2: 15:29

Oh, I feel like you're so spot on there. No, no word of a lie. I honestly think that, yeah, young, even going back to the start of uni I looked at my works, I was, arranging and putting together my portfolio and they were beige, beige and brown. And I was like, Oh girl, we've come a long way from beige and brown.

Speaker: 15:52

For sure. I talked about that on an early episode of the podcast, but just around, when you. Exit design school your portfolio isn't always the best representation of you because often it has been curated throughout the learning throughout the time that you've been studying and by the time you leave. You no longer connect with what it was that you created for your portfolio, because that was all part of just getting a bit of aesthetic and a bit of an eye for what you love. You're better off to come out of it, look at the structure of how it was put together and stay up all night, like that deadline and get passionate about what it is you want to present to the design world and make a whole new one, just like to show off what you can do instead of just follow the paint by number sort of stuff that happens.

Speaker 2: 16:39

Although I must admit though, the last couple of assessments that I did, I wouldn't change for the world. I went back to them, like you said, and I was like, maybe I should change a little bit. And I was like, you know what? I actually really loved them. Like I can't change them because they're really good. And then I tried to like half recreate one. And I was like, Oh, this is awful. I think it was good because my teachers also, Were they, it took them a while to understand who I was, I feel because you've come across from, a high deadline push, push, push office environment that I took them more as colleagues than I did teachers know I still 100 percent respected them. That's not the. But I talked to them at a level of, this is what I'm thinking. Are you okay with like where I'm at with this? And then they'd give me feedback and I'd go, okay, but then I'm going to push it to this level. So there was like an understanding of them not going, okay. So with Ruby, she'll answer the brief, but she'll answer the brief in her own kind of way. And we're just there to like slightly guide her through rather than feeding her along, which is, was amazing. And I wouldn't change that for the world. So I'm very grateful to them.

Speaker: 17:53

Helps you create a design language and a way to communicate after the fact as well, which is perfect. And you mentioned like those latter portfolio pieces. I agree at the end. Yes, absolutely. Most people are ready to keep those ones. It's more like the things you did at the beginning that, that linger on, you keep them in for volume. But you really need to, just like negative space is a valuable thing in design, cutting like weight off your portfolio is important. Don't keep it there just because you want it to look like more jobs. If that job does not scream the language of Ruby, don't keep it there. Like it's the beige and brown. Yeah. You're just going to attract clients that are like, we love that early work. You're like not sure about it.

Speaker 2: 18:33

No, I put it up on one of my stories on Instagram recently and everyone was like, what is this? This is not you. It's good content.

Speaker: 18:41

If you're ever farming for content in a few years time, you go back to the original thing and just keep on dragging it out there for a bit of fun. We're talking about color and pattern and things. Bold color and patterns come through loud and clear in your aesthetic. What are your tips for designers who maybe aren't sure about moving from that sort of beige and brown? They're keeping in that coastal or very Safe space about leaning in to their own flavor, and like the use of color.

Speaker 2: 19:09

Yeah, I think Kelly Wessler in that masterclass was really good in regards to, there's a couple of, I'm going to take one of her tricks, which was turn to your wardrobe and whatever colors that you see consistently throughout your wardrobe use those colors to inspire your interiors. And whether or it's like, what looks good on you? What do you love wearing? Is it that red dress? Or, that little scarf that has a little pink in it, maybe introduce those into the interiors. But I feel like it is a tough balance. You can do color just through accessories. Which I feel like, if you're worried about that like fully committing to a bold color within an interior, you can always just add those colors through those, changeable pieces and then move them around. If you don't feel like if you feel like there's too much color takes them out. Take them into a different room, add something else until you really feel an essence of what is your vibe? Vibe's a really crappy word, but vibe is a really good word in describing things. I always hate using it. I'm like, what are you vibing?

Speaker: 20:22

I'm like, I don't know what to do. Really good advice for clients. I often tell my clients who can't articulate. And what they're looking for in terms of saturation of hue or colors, I'll be like, tell me what's in your wardrobe. Talk to me about this side of the color wheel or that side. And if they don't understand, then we go back to talking about what's on the hangers upstairs. And what does that feel like inside of the wardrobe? And also you can speak with your clients as well about being brave and trusting the designer to use it. Even so much as a wallpaper, but to use a little bit more color, knowing that those are interchangeable pieces that if they panic. They can afford to change the cushion back out or, so it's a good place to begin to start experimenting with color.

Speaker 2: 21:08

A hundred percent. And I feel you never, you can commit to a wall color because painting is the worst job in the entire world. And I will never paint again. That's a lie. Of course I'll paint again, but it's just like a really crappy job. You can always paint over a wall, try it out, experiment. See if you love it, live in it for a little while. I always just encourage people to live in it because the first time that you paint it or that first time that you walk into a room, it's going to be overwhelming because you're not used to it. And that's okay, but just be in it for a while. Absorb it. Add some of your favorite pieces back in there and see if that changes your feelings of the color. And then if it gets, a couple of weeks or a month down the track and you're like, I really cannot stand being in that room, then just, you can always just paint it again.

Speaker: 21:54

I wish more people understood that it's only just paint, and you can have layers and layers of a story of. Previous paint colors and things like I love just paint it. We can always paint it a different color. And, I think it holds too many people back when working with people, hearing them talk about maximizing resale and this and the other. And you think you're not selling this house maybe for 13 years. Why would you want to live in beige? We're living with hogs, breath, Bristle for another 13 years, because you think it'll help your market price. Just paint it. Let's go. Because you want to give it a fresh lick of paint to sell the house. You want to just paint it and put it, paint it all white. Then that's fine anyway. If only people would just let us go nuts, right? So you were a finalist for the Dulux 37th color awards this year and subsequently the student winner for 2023. What was that whole experience like and how, what did that acknowledgement mean to you?

Speaker 2: 22:50

Okay, this is 100 percent fangirling out on Joolux, but I knew going into this course that there was two awards that I really wanted. One was the Joolux color award, and one was the excellence award at the end of the year for being like the top student. So I pushed really hard with all of my projects. I only Use Dulux throughout every interior that I did, I only ever used Dulux in my house as well. So I'm a Dulux loyalist. And I told the girls that recently, cause I was like, Oh, there's another color award, but I just can't do it because I just can't, I can't go against you. Yeah. And it got me for life. But so yeah, so I really wanted that award. So I used Dulux throughout all of my interiors and then that boutique hotel one that I did I ultimately didn't think that would be the one that would be the winner, but I think it's because it's such a different rendering style. And it, there's so much work that's gone into that. I went back over it and it literally took me two weeks to do those renders, like all hand painted and like getting the dual acts colors and actually applying them on the paper and, washing them down. So it had that wish washy feel of the water color in there. So when that email came through, I immediately sent it to my teacher and I was like, Oh my God, Del, I've effing done it. Oh, and she wrote back. I know Ruby. I've already seen it. We're so proud. We're all jumping to join you. Which is my response from all of my teachers is always, yes, Ruby, we know, Ruby, we're very happy for you. I'm like, come on, give me a little bit more than that. But yeah, I just, I couldn't, I was just happy being shortlisted. Or being a finalist, quite frankly. So going there that night, I, there was people that were talking to me and they're like, Oh, so what's your interior? And I was like, Oh, it's the one that's like the bit wacky one. That's all hand colored. Cause I assumed that they'd choose one of the more polished renders from the students. I didn't think that they'd choose. So I'm like, Oh yeah, it's just the wacky one. The one that looks like it's a bit hand painted. That's my one. They're like, Oh, yeah, that's really interesting. Later on that night, after I won the award, they came over to me and they were like, we knew exactly what one it was because we're the ones that picked it, but they were the judges. And I was like, Oh, my gosh. But yeah, I think going up onto that stage and, I was like, Oh, my God. I don't know if you've seen the speech. I only ever posted it in a story, but I literally got up on stage and I said, I can't tell you how much this means to me because. To go through that whole career of advertising and, following a dream and then not knowing if you should be following your dream and then feeling guilty that you're following your dream and you're not helping out on the mortgage and paying things. And then you've literally given everything up just for this and color means so much to me because it's such, it's so important in this world and everything's so dark or it's so white and bright and it's just. Color just gives so much passion and joy and love and I just love it so much that to win that award. Yeah. Was amazing. And I just, I would never take that back.

Speaker: 26:14

Amazing story. And it's I think it shows so much, how we can sometimes doubt ourselves and think, Oh, mine's wrong because it's, watercolor, like I've hand painted it or all of a sudden you're looking at everyone else's, not mine doesn't. It's round peg, square hole. Oh no. That's actually the moment where you go, it's not oh no. It's what makes it go, oh yeah. Like that's actually the reason that you win is because things aren't, not taking away from the other entrants. I'm sure at that particular student winner is amazing. And the students come up with the most incredible work, but when something stands out, I guess my point is to illustrate. That's not always a bad thing. Like when something is recognizable or obviously different. That's what actually what we love about interior design, right? What sparks our interest and what makes you go.

Speaker 4: 27:00

I

Speaker: 27:01

see what you're doing over there.

Speaker 2: 27:03

Exactly. And I'm one of the girls from my course works to do like works in bunnings and works in the paint section. And she messaged me one day, all in caps. She was like, Oh my God, Ruby, someone just came in and showed me your interior, like the boutique hotel. Because she wants to paint her son, the mystique color on the ceiling.

Speaker: 27:25

I

Speaker 4: 27:26

can't

Speaker: 27:28

believe. Pinch me moment, isn't it? Way, way back at the start of my career, I won a Julex competition as well, but it was more, it was a mood boarding competition and part of the prize was 150 liters of Julex paint. And I am sad to report to Julex that we have just. Use the last can of paint inside of our house, but we have no more spaces to paint and we just painted a giant knotty pine wall in the center of the home. I'm out of paint. I'm looking for more mood boarding competitions, if anyone from Dulux is listening, because I'm also a loyalist and yeah, we've just run out. So it took us four years, three or four years to, to use 150 My gosh!

Speaker 2: 28:15

There you go. I'm so jealous. Even when, so after the whole final scene, everyone messaged me and they're like, so what's the award? What did you win? What is it? And I was like, oh, I haven't even looked into that. I was just happy walking home with my award that said I was a color fight, like a color winner.

Speaker: 28:34

Sounds like it was a really good night though. Did you enjoy yourself? And Network and meet a whole bunch of people.

Speaker 2: 28:39

Yeah. I, cause I, I was silly because I didn't think that I was actually going to win. So I started. Keeping up on the drinking of the blue cocktails. And I was like, it's fine. I don't even need to get up on stage. And then when people started to get up on stage and do speeches, I was like, Oh shit, I might not be as fine as I thought it was. I should have, I didn't know that we were doing speeches. Okay. Maybe I should. Oh gosh. I was fine. I think it was just all in my head of, It doesn't matter. I'm not going to win. I may as well just use the night to have fun, to meet people, to, live life.

Speaker: 29:16

Double bonus. You got to do both. Exactly. Yes. Winning. You are also one of two Victorian designers in the KBDI Kitchen Bathroom Design Institute finalists. And the kitchen nominated is so gorgeous. I've been falling down a rabbit hole checking it all out. All that marble and curves. I love it. Oh. Can you take me through that project and just your general approach to work.

Speaker 2: 29:42

Yeah so that project I actually got to work with a mentor so we had Heidi Smith from Grey Cooksend to be our mentor. She was quite loose in her brief, which was really great because it meant that you could take it anywhere. So we all got the shell of the warehouse. And I like to do a lot of research and in depth development before before even starting a project. So I researched all the background of Fitzroy and how it had the first train line that the warehouse was an old boot factory. And I was like, Oh, I really like that. And then, Fitzroy just has that element to it that it's a bit grungy, that it's lots of color, that there's lots of eccentric people there. So that was 1 of the roots and I was like, what if I did like a chameleon's dream and then focusing on the client as well. They were both creative. So our made up client was Kelly who worked in toys. So as a product manager. And then you had Jeremy who worked as a graphic designer, and then we had a little eight year old Oscar who loved playing Lego and really liked comics. So when I looked at all of those, I was like, Oh, so it's quite colorful. I, massaged it into being quite colorful. Maybe they didn't like color, but I made my client like the joys of university university clients. I researched them. I researched the area and then I presented two different concepts. So one was the imperfect house, which was established around the thought that because they're all creative, you never feel like something's missing. Perfect. So it was all raw materials, rough edges a really mineral earthy palette. And then the other one was the chameleon stream, which was essentially just the basis of that we continue to change who we are throughout our lives. And we're all chameleons and these creative powers that each of those people had that lived within the house needed to be expressed. So that was like the whole concept behind it. Luckily

Speaker: 31:51

for Color 1 1. Yes. I love that the university gave you clients with like realistic budgets and jobs and things. If you ever notice that like HGTV or I think it's House Hunters. I always watch it. It's he like studies. I don't know. He studies bugs for a hobby and she like does this, like neither of them have paid like jobs that would pay any money and they're shopping for an 8 million home. And he thinks, Oh, I love that. There was like a little bit of a realistic, could feasibly live in Fitzroy fit the demographic of the urban, it works instead of sometimes you say it's hard to connect with people. Clients or like university briefs when you can't believe that person would be in that situation or that is a real family.

Speaker 2: 32:36

Through or yes, but also, I feel, because coming from that advertising background, we always had to make up target audiences. So I've always had This crazy imagination of making up these clients and these people that live within this world. So I really really like honest, all of these made up people into. So even when we did group assignments, I was always doing the target audience. People like, this is really, what are you, where is it? Ruby, you've gotten really specific again. I'm like, yeah. So then they like to have a cup of tea with one sugar and that's how we're making the house sweet. No,

Speaker: 33:15

but again, with that messaging thing and those transferable skills, this stuff is really important for informing your ideal client and really understanding. Because our clients don't always have the language and the articulation for what they want in the design brief and when they're talking, I feel like coming from advertising, you can suction that out or really get that out of them in a way, ask a few questions, redirect, really get down to you're so specifically I do know how they drink their tea. Now we can get on with designing the kitchen to boil the kettle.

Speaker 2: 33:46

Exactly. And then it goes into, the whole kitchen design. I was like Oscar, the son really liked cooking with his dad. Jeremy really liked to have big kind of family functions of everyone coming over and it being quite an open space. So that's why essentially when you walk up the stairs, the kitchen was the focal point. So then when all the family kind of came, they were greeted by that. And then there was the bar area that was. In between the dining and the kitchen. And then that beautiful little concave stone, it was so sculptural and it was the probably least functional thing in that whole design, but I just couldn't help myself. Because my husband's a builder. I like to get him to overlook he's a carpenter, sorry, overlook all of my designs and ensure that what I'm producing is functional. Anyway, so I showed him that and he came in and because I wanted to join two bits of marble together, he was like how that's my ability right there. Don't know if you can do, it's leave me alone. Just tell me that it can be done. But it's probably a pipe dream.

Speaker: 34:52

I love the practical side of things again. And you're like, look, you can have some input, but just basically tell me if this is going to crush a visit, imaginary Oscar or not. And if not,

Speaker 2: 35:03

We're going ahead. Exactly. And I think he's slowly learned that I just need the, okay, no, or yeah, but it'll cost a lot of money. So now everything that, when I produce to him, he's yeah, it'll cost a lot of money. I'm like, cool. Okay. Going ahead, doing it. So going back to it. So Oscar really liked cooking. So all of the, ovens and stove tops are quite low. And not, high up one of those, the ones that are integrated into the wall. And then I wanted to ensure because I quite like washing your dishes and then putting them straight into the dishwasher. So I did the dishwasher right next to the CNC marble drying rack. So then you could just rinse off and then put it into the functionality 101. And then always having the triangle in the kitchen. So you've got the sink, the fridge, and then the stove. I just think that really brings it together. Oh, and the integrated spice shelf in that kitchen, which I had to document because my teacher was like, all my teachers really liked pushing me in regards to, they knew I could do the easy part, but they'd always go, all right, Ruby. And then this is what I want you to do. To, test yourself. I was always down for it, but that integrated spice shelf. Holy crap. I think I nearly cried over that a couple of times because just, and I wanted to do all the details of how the stone met the lemon and then how the stone was patent matched to the other. And then how this, the copper rods go through anyway, it was a lot.

Speaker: 36:36

All these things are so worthwhile though. And they're the things behind design that people don't. Think about, and it's you think that I just. glued on a spice rack from Westfield and made it happen, but it's none of that. And it looks so effortless and it makes cooking so wonderful inside of that kitchen and all of those things. And that's the stuff that should be celebrated. And I think it's great that they pushed you to get in like to those details and the technical side, because. That's where you get that kind of sense of pride from the finished. Cause you're like, it's not just the end picture. There's a lot of heart and soul and tears that went into designing how it performs and the functionality and the considerations for the family.

Speaker 2: 37:17

Oh, a hundred percent. And I think you're so right in regards to looking back at that project. That's one of the ones that I went back to and was like, Oh, what could I tweak? But then just looking in that kitchen, I was like, there is I have gone in and done so much work in regards to making sure. Everything, worked and all of the little details in there really represent the rest of the narrative throughout the house. So I just, I couldn't. Yeah, I just couldn't do it.

Speaker: 37:43

I feel like they need to have a place where you can shop student work and just put your budget behind it and make these things come, renders come to life so that people can just go in and say, love this kitchen for me. I'm not in Fitzroy. I'm over here in Elwood, but I'm into it. And We're going to pay for it and just execute it. It would be amazing if we could do that. Cause wouldn't it be great. And I think it would be helpful for the client too. They're just shopping a catalog of stuff they can see right in front of them. And in a dream world, maybe I have all these ideas. Yeah.

Speaker 2: 38:18

So how would you say, I'm down with that.

Speaker: 38:22

We should definitely do it. I've got a couple of ideas as I go and I'm speaking to different people. If only I had enough time to execute all the entrepreneurial stuff that comes up in my brain that I can't do it all. How have you changed in confidence and delivery from walking into design school versus walking out? Obviously graduated, not flipping the desk and just failing. But how do you think you're different now?

Speaker 2: 38:47

I think I'm weirdly enough more confident in myself. So walking in, I got quite confident in myself in advertising, and then I lost some confidence. And then stepping into this, I was like, Oh, I know after the first semester, I was like, okay, I know I'm good at this. I know I can do this. And then as we progressed, it changed more. And I was like, okay, now I can definitely do this. I still lack a heap of confidence, even though every time I meet someone, they're like, you're so confident. And I'm like, I come across as confident, but deep down, we all suffer at the imposter syndrome of you're not good enough. You should be doing better. But I think it was where the confidence really struck and I realized what an impact I had created was I really wanted to do a An affirmation circle after our last class at uni, where we went around and we told everyone in the class, we were only a class of six. So we're quite small. Even our teacher, we got our teacher involved as well. I really wanted to do a words of affirmation of where you started and where you ended and what we admire about that person. So we all ran around. Some people, started crying. I was 1 of them in expressing, some of the girls of just the way that they grew over the course was amazing. And then it got to me and there was. One guy in our class, there was two guys, but one guy that was really spot on he turned to me and he said, I think the one thing that you are really good at that you need to improve in is actually believing in yourself that you are a really good designer, because it's not until you actually know that and that you believe in that, that you will be that really good designer. And that it still makes me tear up now. Cause I'm like, Oh my God. But it was just that thought of going, I believe in you. Everyone in this class believes in you. You don't believe in yourself. And it will hold you back and it will hold you back. And I was like, Oh my God, this is coming from a 20 year old. Like what am I doing with my life? But then, it went around and the girls in the class were like, we wouldn't be at the level we are. Without you in our class because you have continually pushed us and made us question and one of the girls was like, I wouldn't be confident using color now because I had you to fall back on and teach me how to grow and I was like,

Speaker: 41:16

I love baby Dr. Phil and all your friends.

Speaker 2: 41:18

I wanted to do it for the other girls because I thought. And other boys in the class because it was really important for them to see how much they've grown in such a short amount of time being so young, but then it actually turned completely on me. And I was like, Oh my God, I was not ready for that. I thought I was just going to get love having you in our class Ruby. Cheers. Bye. See you later.

Speaker: 41:41

I love that. And it's so hard to see. The change that you're making and the metamorphosis you're going through when you're going through it. So I have an online course for interior designers. A lot of them started in January and we're of course, in July. So we're smack bang in the middle of the first year of their running their own businesses. And. I can see growth in them. They can't see because they're like every day I'm putting one foot in front of the other. And I feel like I'm, I'm not flooded with clients yet, so it's not working or something's happening. But I'm like, we couldn't even have hold this conversation six months ago because your end of the conversation would need to be propped up all the time. Like you wouldn't know how to bring back a response and we're six months in and I couldn't be more proud. And I love dialing in because I, it's 40 different businesses that I'm so instrumentally part of watching that growth. And I know if we have an affirmation circle in December, I'm a cry already. I know that's yeah. But when you're in it, you can't always see that. Like you, you're not seeing growth. You're feeling like nothing's happening. You're feeling like it's not a big deal. You will be pushing the people around you in ways that you didn't notice with

Speaker 4: 42:52

things like, you're just like, Oh exactly.

Speaker 2: 42:54

So we think that's really changed my confidence in walking out and going, if I could make an impact on those six people, what impact could I make more so in the design industry? And I think it's just also, my teachers believe in me so affirmatively and my friend group believes in me so affirmatively that it's now I've got to have that confidence because I've thrown myself out there so much that I need to continue that.\

43:23

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Speaker 2: 44:01

We talked about

Speaker: 44:02

before, that responsibility that you sometimes feel when you take a step back from the mortgage payments and the, the stuff at home, then you almost feel, I feel myself as well, heavily okay I've decided to give this, it goes to this bit of work and I'm going to make it work because I feel like I look back and I have to. If I don't do this, I have to go work at Foodworks or something. Yeah, exactly. Exactly. You got to make it work. If you say you're going to do it, and that's what you're going to do, grab your briefcase, you're back to advertising, like off

Speaker 2: 44:31

you go. Oh my gosh. I nearly said that the other day. I was like, maybe I'll just go back to advertising. Maybe no one wants me in this design world. Maybe I'll just go back to advertising. And then my husband was like, are you really? And I was like, no, I don't want to go back. I just really don't want to go back. And you'll probably say it

Speaker: 44:45

more than once. So right over the course of the day, when things get tough, they'll always be Ruby over there, threatening to return to advertise.

Speaker 2: 44:52

I'll just

Speaker: 44:53

go make some campaigns.

Speaker 5: 44:54

Unlike many of my guests, you don't actually run your own business. And I just wanted to explore that a little, because it's important that emerging designers know that running a business or an interior design business is, it's not for everyone. It's bloody hard work, and it's not your only option out of, graduate, start a business. There's plenty of businesses that Operate within the interior design space already that are looking for talented designers to go and work with them. What made you decide on that current situation of not having a business and working for someone else? Can you talk me through that?

Speaker 6: 45:27

There's a master plan behind all of this, but I really want to work for the top designers and architects within Melbourne because I have so much more to learn. I think I just want to absorb as much as possible because there's so much out there to absorb, instead of coming out of this, I don't necessarily want to go in to make it having my own business and then make mistakes. And, we just got drilled into at uni quite a lot of You'll have to put lots of money forward to, float you yourself within the business. And I was like, I'm just, I'm not ready to do that because one, I want to learn more and two are just not financially stable to, Finance myself into having an interior design business. Yeah, so it's mainly just focused around really learning from the best in Melbourne, absorbing as much as possible, understanding the way that they work. We just there's so much out there that you can't walk away thinking that you've got enough. To start something in my regards. I'm sure there's a lot of other people out there that are super confident into doing that. And feel like they can do that. And kudos to them because that's amazing. But for myself, coming back to that whole confidence thing of actually not really being super confident. I just, yeah, I just want, really wanna work for people who are amazing, which then falls into me working one day a week at Wawa architecture slash interiors. So at the moment we're really pushing our, their interiors at the moment, which is amazing. And I'm going to be a part of that. So yeah, we just really need to bring all of that to life. And pushing that out

Speaker 5: 47:08

there into the universe, very fun playing with other people's money. It is not as fun when you play with your own, when you start a business. And that can be said of like interior design in general, like when the client picks up the budget, for example, and then we just. Go and get to design our dream thing and impeach yourself that you even have this for a job where you're shopping with other people's money. But I think it's not a silly thing at all to come out of school and think, three, five years, what do I want to give it? Maybe the time will never be right to go into business for yourself. And in turn, maybe you will find yourself five, six years in thinking, okay, the sorts of caliber of jobs that I've been allowed to play with by working with bigger names and big names in, in the architecture and interior space means that you then catapult yourself into that arena. So that when you start, you don't start at ground level, you don't start graduate with no experience and no cashflow. And you really, you hike up that hill when you do it that way. And that is Enticing and exciting for some of us that really love that challenge, but there's nothing wrong with not doing it that way too. And I guess that's one of the reasons that I wanted to talk with you today, because I've talked to lots of newly graduated or people still studying and people with different journeys. And this pathway is a very valid and important pathway to explore because it's not small businesses, not for everyone. You don't want to be a You shouldn't have a business just for the sake of having a business because you work harder than you ever do for someone else. Like it's really full on.

Speaker 6: 48:42

But then in saying that seven years. I've given myself seven to 10 years of absorbing as much as possible. Then I really want to start my own business. So after I've absorbed as much as possible, learned as much as possible, made mistakes, learn from those mistakes. Cause I'm definitely going to make mistakes. And it really nutted out the areas in which I really love. Really don't love or what I can develop on, then I'll push out and do my own thing because there is nothing more than I want in this world than to have Ruby Shields design like that. That is my forever end goal. And I want to be in, Vogue 50, like that is. That is my benefit on

Speaker 7: 49:28

that.

Speaker 5: 49:29

As I say, just pop it on that vision board. You can actually rub out that Dulux competition. Now there's a bit of space. You've got something else that you can pop up there instead. I think it's a great plan and it's one that people, really should be considering what's right for you immediately and whether or not it's a little bit of pause and a little bit more, cause this is the education piece. Like we spoke out at the top of the conversation around this is. Not your gap year so much, but this is your life experience. This is your interior life experience where you can maybe, as you say, you're going to make mistakes and maybe not learn so publicly like I, like when you fall on your butt and it's your own business, you're like, that didn't work and everybody knows it. Oh let's try again.

Speaker 6: 50:10

Yeah. And it's also, I just, I bloody miss working with a team, like going back to when I was talking about advertising, you've got your copywriter there. You've got your partner there for nine hours a day that you can go. I like this. What are your thoughts on that? And they go, nah, that's crap. Let's do it this way. Like working within a team and having those different conversations. Opinions and ideas is just, I bloody, I miss, I cannot tell you how much I miss being in an environment in which people working together towards something. Like I just.

Speaker 5: 50:43

When you have your own business, you're often just sitting in your own office or studio and you work work. And it's one of the major. Things that I like that I love about the framework is that community connection collaboration piece, because we have weekly zoom calls and that's nowhere near enough. Like we meet in person, but we're going to the design show on Thursday together. And that's, so things like that, they make a difference because it is such a big. Challenge, as you said before, but there's no, you're not going to be in a position where you're hiring for at least three to five generally, like very few designers are hiring people around them and a team that are collectively going after that one thing in the first six months, like that's just not happening. So that's why you look at those statistics of small business. And I think it's 76 percent of small businesses don't last past three years. Because you've gone crazy in your office on your own, like you're talking to a houseplant, like you're so upset and isolated. We're back in lockdown here. And it has to change. I feel so strongly about bringing people together just to see that it's normal to cry about something or to have imposter syndrome. And if you don't know that, unless you have those conversations, if you're not. Able to dial in on a Thursday and say, this is how my week's been for me. Even if that's not about design, but it's just about community and connection that you suffer so badly. That's where you just. Fail to have a love for it after a while, because you're by yourself. And

Speaker 6: 52:09

can

Speaker 5: 52:11

you just imagine thinking

Speaker 6: 52:12

with your own thoughts all the time?

Speaker 5: 52:14

I don't have to, I sat in my home office for so long before I had framework is to hang out with all, built community around. The networking events are great, but they're not every night. My former life in corporate. Life was in travel and, negotiating with airlines. And every night of the week I was in the city, with airlines and other suppliers and other things. And that's all the way from being the travel agent, right up to senior leadership that happened. And I now feel very much like where are my orders and who is bringing the bubbles? Like I do nothing. I'm just working and then I got to go back to my house and it's very different. Yes, wherever we can make it like. I think it's really important because there is a huge risk to mental health and other things just staying in your office and please, if anyone wants to reach out, you can be my, faux workmate for the day. I'll always get on Voxer or I love to have a voice memo or a chat because I know it gets Really hectic some days, just working on your own.

Speaker 6: 53:19

Yes. Yeah, no, I totally I'm all for you with that because it is so important just to get mental health and then having those community and those people that you can rely on is just so important.

Speaker 5: 53:33

Bouncing ideas get better when they're shared and people, too many people are like, that's my idea. I can't possibly tell anyone in case they take it. It's they could take the exact thing that you want to put out in the world and they'll still never do it as good as the person who birthed it in their brain, or just they'll never do it your way anyway. So I wish there was less fear about somebody picking up and running with your. Inception of an idea and more sharing because they do. Honestly, you would know this from advertising ideas just get better and better. The more people can help shape them and make them what they actually are. When they're publicized, they never started out like that. How many boardrooms have you been in where

Speaker 7: 54:12

it's

Speaker 5: 54:15

and it does not look

Speaker 6: 54:16

anything like it ends up looking. It's the same as interiors, you go, that was the idea, then there was the execution and then the client somehow got in there and then touched a little bit and then that was what was published and you're like, Oh, damn it.

Speaker 5: 54:31

Very different. All the client's sister in law had a say somewhere along the line and you're like, hang on a second, why are you choosing the marble? I don't remember. We don't, what is this? Sorry. So you've done, what do you think you've done differently so far? We've obviously just talked about the difference in your journey, going and working with someone else rather than starting a business, but is there any risks or like a unique approach that's paid off so far for you?

Speaker 6: 54:55

I think that the only kind of really thing that's paid off is to continue to test myself, like that whole integrated spy shelf and never going, never settling for something and always going. What could I do? How could I take that and do it differently? Or what I ended up saying is like, how do I do that? But like Ruby shields of sometimes I used to love when, cause I did my course online and in uni slash through lockdown, sometimes I'd get dressed up and I'd put on a different, completely new outfit with groovy earrings and red lipstick some days and do my head differently instead of the computer and just. Think about it in a different way. And I think just always, pushing yourself or thinking about it with just that added, but what would they think, or, with a

Speaker 5: 55:47

different personality. Certainly remember what lockdowns were like in, in Melbourne and the personas and getting dressed up matted and putting that sort of. Masking almost that professionalism into the day so that you could do different, come on, half the time we were like in our day pajamas and then night pajamas, we remember, I never forget. But I do believe that's a great way because it continues to challenge that what would Ruby Shields do to this or what do I want this to be if it represented me? I am my brand and my brand is I like, what can I do? So it's bringing those lenses to everything that you do is a different approach. Not everyone can do that. Not everyone is trying to do that. And not everyone is trying to. Keep things cohesive and evolve. That's a balance, right?

Speaker 6: 56:34

Yes. It is such a balance. And then I think also of just going back to that more graduate role of what have I done differently so far? Is I've just pushed myself to continually be at events and openings. Like the amount of people that I have introduced myself. To and engaged with has done wonders for me at the point of which I have now graduated. Yeah. So the network has grown exponentially. It's like networking is essentially still working. And I think I have that. There's a lot of people out there that are afraid of networking and I can completely understand that but I think also advertising gave me that ability to just walk into a room and network.

Speaker 5: 57:20

I know the value of networking too, like I believe that it, I feel a little bit personally that my, Days of networking. They're not done. They're just very intentional and very, I have three children under seven. I have a past career that had me networking every night of my twenties, thirties and beyond. And so for me, it can feel tiresome where it should be feeling exciting. And I'm now living out in the Macedon Ranges. It's an effort, like I've got to catch a regional train into the city. It's only 45 minutes, but it still feels very okay who's looking after the kids? What's going on? So I do it, but it is intentional for me in that I would probably, say less than 10 times a year I'm at a networking event. I love every single one of them when I am. And I think it's really great. If I were in that, So if you're newly graduated or about to graduate or still studying space, and I didn't have children, I'd be like, get me on the train. Things are different, aren't they? It just depends where you're coming at it. But I love that you said that force yourself to do that. And my message would be to anybody who's introverted and using that as an intention not to go, please don't because you don't have to know how to work a room, the room will work you. Oh, be in the room where they, where the people are and it will happen. So please

Speaker 6: 58:37

go. And my always, my favorite tip to that is always comment on something that they're wearing because I love fashion though. So I instantly go, Oh, I love your shoes. They're great. And then I'll go, Oh, thank you. They're from blah, blah, blah. And then the story. Yeah, there's a story and then you can attach yourself to that story and then weave something in of I like to go off shopping too and then weave that in. And, I always find. Outfits are the best way to

Speaker 5: 59:07

go. Now I've given away my trade secrets. If you could hand every design graduate one piece of advice on their way into their own career, what would you give them?

Speaker 6: 59:18

Oh, okay. So total disclosure has been thinking of this one because there is so many little nuggets and I think that just also comes from life experience and then, following this and graduating. Networking is one. Because to network, to get your face out there, the amount of people now that I can walk into a room and they go, that's Ruby Shields. I go out with one of my close friends Alessandra, and every time we go to a design event, they'll always go, Oh, hi, you're Ruby Shields. And then we walk away and she goes, you're so famous. And it's not famous. I just turn up to lots of events and always comment on their outfits. But I would just say that networking is so important because it establishes that community and those people that you can hopefully rely on in the future. That's important. My next piece of advice is always do something different. I feel like it's hard when you are second guessing who you are, especially being so young and going into university. You're always like, I'll just stick with what I've seen on Pinterest, or I'll just stick with what I've seen in the magazines. Just take that and do something different and make a mistake because making a mistake means that you learn what you don't like and what better place to do that than at uni.

Speaker 5: 1:00:41

It's not, you're not falling on your bum again,

Speaker 6: 1:00:43

you're not falling on your bum. You might get a pass or, because you've done something different. Like we were talking about the Juleps thing, maybe you get like a HD because you've tried something different and you've, pushed yourself to do a blue ceiling with green walls and nothing in between.

Speaker 5: 1:00:59

Your tutors as well as your future clients will be just as bored at seeing the same two or three US designers emulated in your way. Yes, you've got a voice behind it. Yes, you've got a way, but that's not a difference. And that does it it really will help you in good state to show that you have. We say it all the time. You either have it or you don't. And the quickest way to show that you have it is to step out of the shadow of the things that you you shouldn't be gurgitating the things you admire. Cause that's not designed. That's just showing me your version of shame again. That's not exactly designing. And I love that advice because even if it just makes one listener sit back and think, okay, I'm not going to show anyone, but I am just going to practice on a mood board and see what I can pull out of my brain. If I was just trying to challenge myself to do something different. Exactly. And then it goes back to the whole lockdown thing and put it on a different outfit and call yourself a different name and see what design comes out because maybe that might lead to something that's a little wild, but you go, Oh, I don't like also sitting on your designs. The amount of times that I have worked, Stupid amount of hours looking at the same computer, looking at the same design and then walking away going, that was really ugly. I hate all of that. I could have done that better. And then the next day you get up and you look at it and go, actually, all I need to do is tweak those three things. I do it with clients as well. Like probably letting my trade secrets out now, but when I have my zoom calls and my other consultations, I will pretty much do. 80 percent of the work in the follow subsequent 12 hours from the conversation while creativeness is flowing and I'm feeling good and then I will not look at it for eight days. So I don't want the client to think I just do something overnight when it's larger X amount and it's actually a big job. It is a big job. I just would not put it down and stayed up till four in the morning while my kids were asleep being like, I'm getting it done. I'm getting into it. But yeah, I won't look at it for a full seven days and then I come back and do this. The 20 percent difference. And then it's another seven days. And then I come back and I do the final editing. Basically I come back and I remove what I need to remove. And I think about it more logically, and I think about it in relation to the brief and I look at it with fresh eyes. So it is a really good tip that lots of people don't do is don't. Delete anything or tear it up. Cause you're in a moment.

Speaker 6: 1:03:21

Oh, exactly. And I still have all of my old sketches and stuff in a big portfolio that's stuffed in a cupboard. And I hope five years down the track, I could pull those out and go, Oh, that's a good one. I'm going to recreate that at some stage. Cause I don't, I feel and it's the same sometimes in advertising as well, the first ideas that you have, the really good ones, and then it's just because that you've come up with them first that you go Oh, I won't use them because they're my fitness. I'll keep trying. And then, you get down that track and it's not as good as what you first thought. But going back to your thought, your comment on that, you do the first 80 percent in the first, day, I came across this really great quote recently, and it's all about self worth. And it was like, I'm charging you for the 10 years of experience that I've had, not the one hour that I did it in.

Speaker 5: 1:04:11

The pricing model right there. And that's the reason I never really doubt that. And don't charge hourly because what I shouldn't be penalized. Cause I can get your job done in 45 minutes. That's just because of that's the five years behind me and 500 jobs before you, that makes it 45 minutes. But the very first one. Took me 45 hours to choose four cushions. Like exactly it is, it evolves.

Speaker 6: 1:04:36

Yeah, it is. That's so true.

Speaker 5: 1:04:39

Can I ask where you go when you need to we talked about colleagues and other things, but just like support and workshopping issues that come up in the design industry and all that sort of stuff. Like where are you going to get support with that?

Speaker 6: 1:04:52

So I have a good little support network which we call ourselves design squad. And it's literally myself, Alessandra, and Bridget, and they both did, so Alessandra's coming on your podcast. They both did design school and I met Allie over Instagram, and then we created this really strong relationship. So now, now whenever we go to events, people are like, you're here. Where's Allie? Oh, Allie's okay, cool. Like we've just developed this really strong relationship. So I rely a lot on those two in regards to thoughts and what if I did this? And what do you did that? And, They're my support network in that regards in a more professional support network. I have a couple of interior interior designers in Melbourne that I rely heavily on for like professional advice. And one in Sydney, and then I also have my mentor, which is Ara, who's the director at State of Kin in Perth. So I have a really strong little network of people that I rely on and go, okay, so what do you think about this? And they go, It's never about design. It's always just about opinions or like thoughts that I've had where I need someone else's guidance. And then creatively I rely a lot on my husband because he is a high end carpenter. So he's worked for Madison architects and we would McKenzie and just finished a job with Kennedy Nolan. Like he comes with this really amazing brain that is just focused on details. So he'll never talk to me about color because color is my thing, but he'll always come to me and advise me on what detail I'm doing and how I could elevate that. Or, it's always probably a shadow line here, or what have you mixed that marble and you did the junction there. It's like that element. So I get a lot of

Speaker 5: 1:06:51

that from him. And is he waiting in the wings for the, in seven years, will he work

Speaker 7: 1:06:56

for Ruby Shields?

Speaker 5: 1:06:57

A hundred percent. He will, he's going to go. His name's not on the door, but he can come.

Speaker 6: 1:07:01

No, he will, because we just, if when we've been doing our house together, I think it's just really showcased how we work together really well as a team. And even in day to day life, but also working life, there's no one else I'd rather be with than him working on the tools. Talking shop.

Speaker 7: 1:07:20

In your opinion, what is the best part of working in the design industry?

Speaker 6: 1:07:25

I think the people and the ability to just have amazing ideas. Like what, what else is better than creating a home for someone that they get to wake up in every day and go, this is my home and I'm really proud of it. But yeah, I think it's just, I just I love the design industry just based off the creativity that you can have. I think that's why I've always stuck in a creative career is that I will never be able to lose that one need to make a living. Make things and create things that are beautiful. But I think this just gives it another level of being able to create something that someone would cherish and love. And that will feel like it's their own that's just so

Speaker 5: 1:08:07

special.

Speaker 6: 1:08:08

It

Speaker 5: 1:08:08

feels like you've been led into the ideas factory and you're allowed to play with all the things you just say only a few people allowed in the front door, but everyone that gets in there, all your ideas are good ideas and you can just do whatever you want. And yeah, it's pretty fun.

Speaker 6: 1:08:22

I love that. And then going back to the people within the industry, I think we've got some of the best minds, and to be able to work alongside them, hopefully one day is my dream. Or even collaborate them with them in some sort of way. It's just amazing to be able to do that. Flack studio does the library and the plinth, you can go there and you can experience all of their design books and have that essence of community. That's awesome. And then all of the showrooms and, openings that they have and experience their furniture and have those conversations with the makers is also just so good. I just, I love

Speaker 5: 1:09:01

it all. Makes me so excited. It's so good. Is there anything that you think within the industry needs to change? Always

Speaker 6: 1:09:09

sustainability and always how can we do it better? How can we do it better for the environment and better for, the people that are going to live within it? There's such so the job that Pat just finished was finding infinity, Kennedy, Nolan and wilderness building group. And essentially they retrofitted 15 apartments to net zero. So essentially if we can do that across all the apartments in Melbourne. And literally have no electricity bill because it's all, passive house principles and solar power. That would be amazing. Can you just imagine how much cleaner it

Speaker 5: 1:09:49

would be? Our house is passive, like it's built, it's the only house that's sideways on the block but it's built with passive heating and cooling and it's amazing given how old it is and what sort of went on but it does get a few strange looks of people like you're facing the wrong way. It's no, it's fine. We're getting the winter sun. It's facing the right way,

Speaker 6: 1:10:05

you guys are facing the wrong way.

Speaker 5: 1:10:08

But we do get a lot of questions from the post. You're like, where is your front door?

Speaker 6: 1:10:14

It's where I want it to be. And it's the same as, interior places. If we can just do that one step further and, research and understand what the ethos is and the environmental, concerns and values of that company, then we can bring that into, what we are specking for the client. Yeah, and I, it's hard though. And I can totally, cause I, one of the projects that I worked on was a tiny house and I did it one level up with making sure that it was like about 40 rating and everything within it had a sustainable element. And that's a lot of research and it's a lot of going back and forth and going. But this looks, like this, but that looks really pretty, but that doesn't have, this is my gosh. Yeah. So it's just a balance, but, breathe architecture, put out that really amazing resource and Fiona Lynch has done the AI that's researching how we can spec, materials that are sustainable. So there is platforms out there in which that we can use. To do it. It's just actually doing it. Yeah. So it's the time money factor that we all will come down to at the end of the day.

Speaker 5: 1:11:31

Definitely hope. And I think that there's also scope to change things in some of the less. Substantial ways. But look, you talk about fast fashion, fast interiors, like not everyone's using an interior designer for a start. So then maybe if the every person who's maybe not thinking of using a designer could just start thinking about how and why they're making purchases. So that those purchases don't, aren't a springtime interior look, a summertime interior look. If you're buying holiday decor, hold on to it till next year because the same holidays are coming. Just seeing it's very difficult to watch and know that On one hand, I'm having a conversation with someone who says your price is outside of my scope or this, this isn't for me, or I can't afford this, but I'm watching you spend four times that in a 12 month period, trying to get it right. Not using it, a trade supply account or discount, not understanding how great design saves you money. And I'm watching that going over and over. And yet still you're saying to me, Oh, but I couldn't possibly just have a one hour consultation with me. And it can feel. That means that there's scope for us to educate as well. And for us to get out there and continue to say, Hey, pop it in a box and put it in the roof, bring it back out next holidays. Or here's three things you can do that don't damage the environment, but do update your, swap with a friend or think about really obvious and easy things that you can do to minimize that footprint.

Speaker 6: 1:12:57

It's you can buy a crappy, not a crappy, but a well made couch and get it reupholstered. And then, three years down the track, you might go, I really hate that color. It's cheaper to reupholster than it is to buy a new couch. And

Speaker 5: 1:13:11

they made them better back then anyway. If you're going to upcycle and look at our furniture manufacturing pot, let's not go onto another massive two hour tangent, but yes, you can absolutely. And then you've got a customizable piece as well. That you can't. Oh,

Speaker 6: 1:13:25

totally. On fashion as well. I had these pair of shorts, high waisted shorts, that I had for seven years in my wardrobe. And Pat hates how I hoard clothes. And it's not hoarding, it's just called like keeping safe for that time that you really want to use them. Anyway, and I think this falls into interiors as well is that I like to scurry and go through all the Paris fashion week street looks and the Copenhagen fashion street looks and just see what they're doing. And then I'll go back to my wardrobe and work out what I can do. That is probably way low key than what they're doing. So there was this really beautiful Gucci. Catwalk that was on, I think it was 2021 and it was all beige and she had high waisted shorts. And I was like, Oh my God, now those high waisted shorts come out all the time. The other week I was wearing them. It's just If you stick to something, and like you were saying, if you put it up in the, in the roof in a box, you'll bring it down five years later and it'll, it's just like the two thousands are coming back in. But no one should be wearing load wasted jeans full stop. No,

Speaker 5: 1:14:33

not the first or second time, but it's, that's one of those things that I think. We can not put emphasis on our own, not privilege, but our ability to curate. And I can go to the Campbell market and spend, two hours there and come home with hundreds of dollars of. Perfectly chosen quote fashion or interiors or antiquing. I get so many messages. How do you do that? How do you find it? But it's about having that eye. So then I know not to buy something. And then I also recognize the furniture brands that are worth reupholstering, or I actually know when something is labeled at St. Vinny's for 295. And I know that it's on eBay for 865. That's A learned skill that I guess we take for granted as designers and actually think that everybody thinks like that, but it's just like the visual interpretation of an idea. We see that in our brain, but the every person hires us because we can see it. So it's actually not that normal. Now, what are you looking forward to career wise for this year? So we've spoken about lots of your plans for seven and 10 years. What for the rest of the year, what's on your radar? What are you looking forward to?

Speaker 6: 1:15:44

I'm looking forward to probably working on my first job, which I am totally banking on and actually having that experience firsthand of not, not being your own renovation or not being your uni project or just overseeing someone else's, like your friends, purchasing, like actually working. From floor plan to full kind of render. This is where we're going working with a team essence. I'm just so looking forward to that there. I don't think I have my name in for any more awards. I've toned down on that. But it would be halfway through the year. You've got time. True. Like I'm coming back for dual locks 20th, 38th. All right. Like they know I've got another two projects. But yeah, I think that's what I'm just most looking forward to is actually having a job, finally having that stability again and, turning one day a week into a full time job would just be amazing.

Speaker 5: 1:16:47

Amazing. Now, how can my audience connect with you if they want to come along and follow the journey of Ruby Shields? Oh my gosh! They

Speaker 6: 1:16:53

can come along and follow at rubyshields. com. Underscore design, can't forget the little underscore there Pat and I will be ramping back up on our renovation, which is Pat and Ruby underscore Reno. So they can come along on those two journeys. My design page just features a lot of, out and about where to shop, what inspiration I'm getting. And then they can come along the journey if they really want to work with me. Turn along to www. interiors.

Speaker 5: 1:17:26

Perfect. Thank you so much for your time today, Ruby. It's been such a pleasure to chat and to hear all about what's next for you. Thank you. Thank you. I've so totally enjoyed it. Wasn't that such an amazing chat with Ruby? I loved hearing how her previous life has informed her study journey and where she's off to next, as much as I would love to have her inside of the framework and work on launching, scaling an interior design business of her own, I really respected and loved that she is honest about her journey, that she is into learning from others, that she does have a plan, you don't need to execute that plan immediately straight out of design school. So cannot wait to see what's around the corner for her. And thank you Ruby for your time. That wraps up another episode of Designing Success from Study to Studio. Thanks for lending me your ears. Remember, progress over perfection is the key. If you found value in today's episode, go ahead and hit subscribe or share it with a friend. Your feedback means so much to me and it helps me improve, but it also helps this podcast reach more emerging and evolving designers just like you. For your daily dose of design business tips and to get a closer look at what goes on behind the scenes, follow at oleander underscore and underscore finch on Instagram. You'll find tons of resources available at www. oleanderandfinch. com to support you on your journey. Remember, this is your path. Your vision, your future, and your business. Now let's get out there and start designing your success.

1:19:07

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