The girl behind the brand...
Hey, hi, how are ya!
My name is Shelby and I'm the girl behind the brand!
I mix ginger ale with my red wine.
But, I prefer white...with ice..
I will try to make you laugh.
And, I LOVE Cilantro.
OH, AND, PINEAPPLE DOES GO ON PIZZA!
OH, OH, AND I PREFER RAIN AND OVERCAST!
That's all you need to know about me personally but...
What Lead Me Here?!
Well, I noticed at a young age how important design was to my emotions. I remember rearranging my bedroom every couple of a months and being so excited to show off the new layout to who ever I could drag up the stairs to see it.
My passion for interior design really became prominent while I was working in luxury fashion. The apartment building I lived in was being renovated, and everyday when I walked in the lobby door something was different. I had an opinion about everything... The colours they chose, the flooring, the lighting, everything.
BAM. It hit me.
I had always loved creating beautiful and functional spaces for myself, why not pursue this passion!? So, I enrolled myself in school and started working in a furniture showroom.
I was hooked.
Eventually, I wanted to grow and move into a more corporate position within the industry. A place where my thirst for knowledge and technical details could be quenched. But one where I could still be a key contact point for clients. Because, let's face it, I love people.
So I made the jump to flooring company... and it was awesome!
I was so happy with everything happening in my professional life, so excited to grow and learn with this company. But, one day everything changed. It was a normal day in the office, around 2pm on a Friday. I was asked to come and have a conversation, little did I know, my employment was about to be ended without cause.
Grasping the orange envelope I had been given with my last cheque inside, I packed up my belongings, filled my boss in on the tasks I had been working on. Walked around saying my goodbyes and then caught a streetcar toward my apartment.
An empty feeling came over me.
What had just happened?
Could it be a mistake?
How will I pay my bills?
How will I explain this during job interviews?
Without cause? What does that even mean?
I was filled with worthlessness.
Was I not good enough for corporate Canada?
As I made my way home and filled my boyfriend in on what had happened, he promised everything would be okay.
I had no idea at the time, but that was the moment the direction of my career was starting to pivot. I tried for months to secure a new position with similar pay, hours, duties and so on. But, my confidence had been shaken. I would stumble when discussing why I was no longer at my previous position during interviews. I had never even been written up, how could I possibly explain my employment had been "terminated without cause"?
The words truly haunted me.
It's funny to think back on now because all of these things that felt so soul crushing, were actually slowly pushing and guiding me in a completely new direction. And, while it didn't happen right away, these were the moments that lead to Novak Design Co. being conceived.