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.