The  girl  behind  the  brand...

Hey, hi, how are ya!

My name is Shelby and I'm the girl behind the brand!

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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.

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OH, AND, PINEAPPLE DOES GO ON PIZZA!

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OH, OH, AND I PREFER RAIN AND OVERCAST!

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That's  all you need to know about me personally but...

What  Lead  Me  Here?!

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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.

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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.

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BAM. It hit me.

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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.

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I was hooked.

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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.

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So I made the jump to flooring company... and it was awesome!

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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.

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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.

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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?

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As I made my way home and filled my boyfriend in on what had happened, he promised everything would be okay.

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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"?

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The words truly haunted me.

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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.