Mateship Mondays - Zoe from The Design Order

Okay, when I'm not espousing the virtues of all my lovely suppliers through my Meet the Maker interviews, I want to share the stories of my many business buddies. Through my own adventures into small business, I have been lucky enough to meet and rub shoulders with all manner of inspiring women, doing all manner of inspiring things. While every biz is different, even when in the same industry, all these biz babes are all following their hearts and pursuing their passions in all manner of creative fields. Graphic Design, Fashion, Food, Relationships, Interior Design, Art, I could go on. Call me a voyeur, but I love to hear their individual stories, the reasons they are doing what they do, their wins, their challenges, their plans, and of course their favourite songs! By sharing our stories and our hard won wisdom with one another, I believe we can encourage others to both take leaps of faith and to feel like they're not alone. And if not; what a brilliant resource of girl boss businesses I'm putting together. First up is my interview with Zoe Scott - founder and head Graphic Designer at The Design Order. If you're looking for a brand overhaul for your own small business, Zoe is your gal! Her team at The Design Order have a client roll that includes: Australian Museum, Absolut, Northern Beaches Credit Union, Embellish Inc and loads more. Read on: What is your name and what is the name of your business: Zoe Scott and my business is: The Design Order How long have you been operating your business?: Around 9 months - since October 2018   What is the mission statement of your business:   We believe that great design can change the world. That’s why we create awesome brands and websites for businesses that want to do good in the world.   What products do you produce and who are your ideal customers?  / What services do you provide and who are your ideal customers?   We help small business owners achieve big things, by creating for them – stand out brands, awesome websites and amazing user experiences.   My ideal customers are business owners who are 2-5 years in. They have a viable business and are at the stage where they need to uplevel both their brand and website to better connect with more of the “right” type of clients. They most likely have a DIY brand behind them and need a professional to help them strategically nail their visuals to better align with their target market.   What are your favourite aspect of running your business:   OOOh! What a great question! I feel so lucky to be doing what I am right now with my business. My top 5 fave things would probably be:  

• I am in charge of my own time,
• I get to spend the majority of my day doing something creative (which I LOVE),
• I get to meet and network with so many other inspiring business owners
• I get to continually drive learning and self development
• I get to travel a lot for business seminars and workshops

Where do you find inspiration for your creations / or what is something you do regularly that inspires your creativity?:   I aspire to live a creative life because I believe it is the one thing humans have over anything else on this globe. I love that quote by Einstein "Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited, whereas imagination embraces the entire world, stimulating progress, giving birth to evolution."   So most of the things I do help to keep the creative juices flowing. I research a lot, read a lot and spend as much time as I can in nature – whether at the beach or in the bush. I also spend a great amount of time on Pinterest as well as scouring the net for awesome art, photography and design so my cup is often full of new ideas or things to trial.   Oh and I LOVE LOVE LOVE going on adventures. If there is one way to bring creative spark into your life travelling is IT!   Why do you do what you do?:   Hmmmm. Time to dig deep! I do what I do because it is the perfect trifecta for me in terms of my skills and likes.  Creativity with a touch of research, strategy and organisation. That’s me to a tee!   What are you most proud of?   My family. My resilience. My unwavering enthusiasm and my ability to keep getting up every time I fall.   What have you got in the pipeline for the remainder of 2019 / early 2020?:   Oooh! Something VERY exciting actually which will be a great resource to small business owners far and wide. I’m hoping to launch before the end of the year – so stay tuned!   What is something about you that not many people know?:   Random Zoe fact - I have figured out the best way to eat cereal is out of a mug with a teaspoon. Try it. You wont be disappointed!   What do you do in your spare time?   I have two small kids, so my “spare time” is pretty much filled keeping them alive, educated and loved! Most of my non work hours are, at the moment, spent raising two mini humans and being the best role model for them that I can possibly be. So I do a lot of drawing, colouring in, cupcake baking (and decorating of COURSE), playdates, story reading, scooter riding and backyard ball games. We also do a lot of bike riding, kite flying, beach visiting and adventure walking when I get my way.   If I have spare time to myself I am normally, drawing, house planning, drinking red wine and lunching with friends if I can!   What is your favourite song atm (I’m always looking to add some new music gold to the Creative Finds Spotify playlist!)   These three are on heavy rotation atm: Starlight – Safia Dreaming – Clea Knife Edge – Matt Corby Thanks for taking the time to answer these questions. I love learning more about my fellow biz babes and their raison d'être. x Anytime !