OK - so this is kinda interesting, and just another facet of the business that I never thought about. This new designer actually lives in Dallas, TX. (I know!) She does most of here work here, how ever that works, I'm not sure. We talked today to figure out how we could make it work, and God bless the internet, email, and computers. She's going to email me a "to do" list as she compiles work. This will include estimates, invoices, checking on orders, drafting, etc... I will do the work, and email it all right back to her, where she can print everything off on her letterhead and no one's the wiser that the work is being done here in little ol' Maple Grove. She seems nice, referred from a friend of mine, and she has a little boy too, so she understand the hours I'd like to keep (or the lack there of.) She's not coming back to MN until July, but we'll meet then, and hopefully have already done a bunch of work for her by that time. Maybe I'll even buy her lunch!
NLJ
Showing posts with label Designers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Designers. Show all posts
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Full Circle
So I made special attention not to work this past weekend. I know it doesn't sound that hard, but it really was. OK, I admit I checked my email, and sent a fax or two, but mostly, I did nothing. And guess what? The world didn't end! I can't believe it either. I had work to do, I opted to wait until Monday morning to do it, I got it done before my meeting, and we all survived. I was able to hang out with The Boy all weekend, and to laze around Sunday afternoon with The Dad and watch a movie (my new favorite, Jason Bourne). Balance. That's the name of the game.
Ran into another friend at IMS yesterday who said she just gave my name to someone, and she's just sure that they'll call me. Seems like a lot of people are getting my name out, and it sounds like people are talking about me, but the phone has yet to ring. I did get another job from one of my friends who is a designer. This one is a great story. She used to be my intern at my old job, and when she left us, she just went head on (like she always does), and started her own biz. Now that people, is guts. I couldn't be prouder. She's busy and now really busy, and I'm going to help her out for a change. Everything comes full circle.
I'm heading over to the 20,000 square footer later this morning....I don't even know what to expect. I've never seen anything like this before. Come back for a recap.
NLJ
Ran into another friend at IMS yesterday who said she just gave my name to someone, and she's just sure that they'll call me. Seems like a lot of people are getting my name out, and it sounds like people are talking about me, but the phone has yet to ring. I did get another job from one of my friends who is a designer. This one is a great story. She used to be my intern at my old job, and when she left us, she just went head on (like she always does), and started her own biz. Now that people, is guts. I couldn't be prouder. She's busy and now really busy, and I'm going to help her out for a change. Everything comes full circle.
I'm heading over to the 20,000 square footer later this morning....I don't even know what to expect. I've never seen anything like this before. Come back for a recap.
NLJ
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
I (Heart) New York
Well, that was interesting. I had a lunch meeting with that other designer that called last week. The one referred to me from "Tim." (In the mean time, I've discovered his identity, and thanked him profusely.) This designer though, is a designer, a weaver, a glass blower, a set designer, a ceramic artist, a therapist...the list goes on and on. She's done everything from helping with the set design of the CBS Morning Show, to children's high end play houses. Here's the kind of person she is, she was really excited to work with me because I'm an Aries. Now there's part of me that really thinks that's cool. I'm not a freak about it, but I'm a girl that reads her horoscope. I don't really follow it, but if it says something exciting might happen that day, I'll keep an eye out.
She's one of those people that are uber creative, and that have a million ideas floating around in there head. It was more a meeting of the minds, than her hiring me to do anything in particular. She's worked with some of the most famous designers there are, so that gives her amazing credibility along with the Parsons schooling. Right now she's into helping start up businesses, like showrooms or furniture stores. Neither of us were completely sure on what we could do for each other, but we're going to work on it. I think she'll come up with something. She really cracked me up. I haven't met anyone like her before. I told her I've been to LA, San Fran, and Chicago's design centers, but alas never to New York, but, I said, I'll get there. She said, "I'll getchya there." So, hey, I'm going to New York.
NLJ
She's one of those people that are uber creative, and that have a million ideas floating around in there head. It was more a meeting of the minds, than her hiring me to do anything in particular. She's worked with some of the most famous designers there are, so that gives her amazing credibility along with the Parsons schooling. Right now she's into helping start up businesses, like showrooms or furniture stores. Neither of us were completely sure on what we could do for each other, but we're going to work on it. I think she'll come up with something. She really cracked me up. I haven't met anyone like her before. I told her I've been to LA, San Fran, and Chicago's design centers, but alas never to New York, but, I said, I'll get there. She said, "I'll getchya there." So, hey, I'm going to New York.
NLJ
Friday, February 29, 2008
Anyone Need a New Toaster
I understand that everyone else out there who is working is very busy, and I'm sure they're meaning to call me, and I understand all of that. But when I say I'll wait for your call, I mean, literally. I am sitting here, waiting for your call. My phone does not leave my side. Only when I'm in the shower, I guess.
Well, its paid off. Yesterday, while sitting and waiting, my designer called and we're meeting tomorrow to go over the project so I can work on it next week. I know, you say, "Nicki, tomorrow is Saturday. You do not work on Saturdays." Well what the hell do I care? I'll meet her at 3 am in some dark alley in North Minneapolis at this point. Besides, she's leaving town Sunday and don't I just look like the most accommodating little peach to her?
Then it paid off again. I got ANOTHER call today, from ANOTHER designer previously unknown to me. She was referred to me from "Tim," and he's told her all about me. All of that is well and good, except I don't know anyone in the industry named "Tim." So "Tim" if you're out there, I owe ya one! Anyway, she seems nice, a little crazy, hopefully in a good way. She studied design at the Parsons New School For Design, which is very prestigious. I didn't even know there were prestigious design schools until I was done with my school. I actually learned more about the field working in it, than in all of the classes I took. But seems to be that's the way it usually goes. So yeah, we're having lunch next week to swap stories and see what we can do for each other. She also calls herself a product designer. The first thing I think of there is toasters, but who couldn't always use a better toaster?
NLJ
Well, its paid off. Yesterday, while sitting and waiting, my designer called and we're meeting tomorrow to go over the project so I can work on it next week. I know, you say, "Nicki, tomorrow is Saturday. You do not work on Saturdays." Well what the hell do I care? I'll meet her at 3 am in some dark alley in North Minneapolis at this point. Besides, she's leaving town Sunday and don't I just look like the most accommodating little peach to her?
Then it paid off again. I got ANOTHER call today, from ANOTHER designer previously unknown to me. She was referred to me from "Tim," and he's told her all about me. All of that is well and good, except I don't know anyone in the industry named "Tim." So "Tim" if you're out there, I owe ya one! Anyway, she seems nice, a little crazy, hopefully in a good way. She studied design at the Parsons New School For Design, which is very prestigious. I didn't even know there were prestigious design schools until I was done with my school. I actually learned more about the field working in it, than in all of the classes I took. But seems to be that's the way it usually goes. So yeah, we're having lunch next week to swap stories and see what we can do for each other. She also calls herself a product designer. The first thing I think of there is toasters, but who couldn't always use a better toaster?
NLJ
Thursday, February 21, 2008
I Got a JOB
Turns out she likes me. Yes! Let's all just take a collective, deep, cleansing breath. One job down, not sure how many more to go. The meeting actually went really well. Sounds like I can make her life easier, and she can make my life a little more fulfulled.
One of the many benefits of being your own boss, is that fact that I can wear what I want to wear. And we at Paperwork Design, do not wear dress pants. Those days of ugly, ill fitting, bad fabric dress pants are gone. So I went to Anne Taylor Loft the other day and bought a new, preppy outfit to wear to this interview. This is going to be the new signature look of PD. I bought a pair of very dark, stylish blue jeans. Yes jeans. This is what we wear at PD. Nothing worn looking, nothing with holes, but nice, bootcut, dark, denim jeans. With stretch. Along with a classic, button down, white oxford shirt, and a kelly green sweater. Topped off with leopard print heels and a spray of Coco Chanel perfume, and there you have it. Its preppy and very tailored looking. This gives off the idea that you're organized and smart, but also have a slight edge and not overly trendy. I knew it was right when I took off my coat and she said that she loved the green, and it was her favorite color.
I'm really excited about working with the designer I met today. She seems to be a smart, interesting, and classy woman. It sounds like she has enough money that she doesn't need to work, but she said she still does because she loves it and because she's good at it. She doesn't work a lot, maybe 1 or 2 clients at a time, only because she can. She made one thing very clear to me also. The one thing that is her highest priority, is her privacy. She's been in the biz for 25+ years, and hardly anyone knows who she is, and that's the way she wants it. She has no desire to get published or be on the front page any design magazine. She feels she owes that to her clients, who trust her enough to come into their homes. She feels it belittles them, and disrespects them to talk about this job with that budget. I was told that if I'm asked what she's working on or who her client is or anything about her business, I am to say that I don't know anything. I found this to be very cool and very interesting. Designers, by nature, love to talk and to talk about they're work and what they're doing and who they're working for. Especially if its a big name, local celeb. Well, I still don't know who this client is that I'll be working for, but they have a 20,000 square foot home. And in 11 years, I've never worked on a house of that scale. Whoa. She must be doing something right.
NLJ
One of the many benefits of being your own boss, is that fact that I can wear what I want to wear. And we at Paperwork Design, do not wear dress pants. Those days of ugly, ill fitting, bad fabric dress pants are gone. So I went to Anne Taylor Loft the other day and bought a new, preppy outfit to wear to this interview. This is going to be the new signature look of PD. I bought a pair of very dark, stylish blue jeans. Yes jeans. This is what we wear at PD. Nothing worn looking, nothing with holes, but nice, bootcut, dark, denim jeans. With stretch. Along with a classic, button down, white oxford shirt, and a kelly green sweater. Topped off with leopard print heels and a spray of Coco Chanel perfume, and there you have it. Its preppy and very tailored looking. This gives off the idea that you're organized and smart, but also have a slight edge and not overly trendy. I knew it was right when I took off my coat and she said that she loved the green, and it was her favorite color.
I'm really excited about working with the designer I met today. She seems to be a smart, interesting, and classy woman. It sounds like she has enough money that she doesn't need to work, but she said she still does because she loves it and because she's good at it. She doesn't work a lot, maybe 1 or 2 clients at a time, only because she can. She made one thing very clear to me also. The one thing that is her highest priority, is her privacy. She's been in the biz for 25+ years, and hardly anyone knows who she is, and that's the way she wants it. She has no desire to get published or be on the front page any design magazine. She feels she owes that to her clients, who trust her enough to come into their homes. She feels it belittles them, and disrespects them to talk about this job with that budget. I was told that if I'm asked what she's working on or who her client is or anything about her business, I am to say that I don't know anything. I found this to be very cool and very interesting. Designers, by nature, love to talk and to talk about they're work and what they're doing and who they're working for. Especially if its a big name, local celeb. Well, I still don't know who this client is that I'll be working for, but they have a 20,000 square foot home. And in 11 years, I've never worked on a house of that scale. Whoa. She must be doing something right.
NLJ
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