I couldn’t be more excited to share this piece with you as it’s so, so important to shine a light on why mentors are the new norm and how shared knowledge is lifting the Interior Design industry from the inside out.

Before I leap headfirst into unpacking of the some of the very best sources of up-skill available to you in early 2020 – let’s quickly look at the term ‘shared knowledge’.

As most of you know, Spreading Roomers is an official cheerleader for all things shared. I believe where the opportunity presents, we should all be mindful to pass on what we know – it helps stamp out the ‘race to the bottom’ and encourages more designers to VALUE their expertise.

BUT. That comes with a little caveat – ‘within reason’. Excessive ‘can we meet for a quick coffee’, would you mind if I ‘picked your brain’ and my personal favourite; ‘I’ve sent you a little DM’ whilst innocent to begin, can actually lead to exhaustion, time-loss and abuse of your hard work and good nature. We all want to help – but boundaries should be respected on both sides of this design fence ***tip (from the business coach in me) – this should apply to potential clients as well***.

In basic terms, if you want to be the beneficiary of substantive, curated, creative, tangible, concise and knowledge based learning – from an expert within the industry – you cannot expect it for free.

Don’t get me wrong; there are a bunch of extremely valuable ‘free’ resources out there thanks largely to the inter-webs and growing online communities. There will always be those willing to champion your business, or act as mentor or offer their learning’s in a ‘shared’ capacity – but at some point, and rightly so, they will need place value on said knowledge.

So – before you act you must conclude – WHAT DO I WANT TO ACHIEVE AND WHO CAN HELP ME ACHIEVE IT?

By identifying those within the industry that don’t just inspire you, but that also lift & value the industry, you immediately open yourself up to being a recipient of actual gold dust.

Today then, let me share with you why TWO of Australia’s most talented designers are doing just that and why it is good news for you.

‘Mentorship’.

I recently put a call through to Simone Haag. Simone hit my radar back in May 2018 when she appeared on TDF Talks - The Design Files Podcast. Extremely easy listening and the back-story of how she got to where she is now is something I feel more designers should listen to. Simone’s path was unconventional and without ‘traditional’ qualification – yet it is proof that your background in one arena (business & marketing) doesn’t curtail your successes in others (Interiors).

Here’s also the thing. Simone doesn’t prescribe to pigeonholing – as a Designer, Stylist, Editor, Writer & Curator (and mum) – she is simply Simone Haag. Got to love that.

Simone Haag | photography Amelia Stanwix for Bed Threads — *Simone Haag* *| photography* *Amelia Stanwix* *for* *Bed Threads*

I was super keen to find out more then about her Mentorship Sessions. Three of Perth’s Interior Designers - Helena Nikola, Sam Tatulli & Sarah Coghlan all made the pilgrimage over the sandbox to Melbourne to attend. That says something.

So – back to that phone call. We spoke for nearly an hour. Between you and I, I was 4 seconds from cracking a wine the conversation was so easy – but it was school run. Nonetheless, you get the picture.

I asked Simone “How long had you been thinking about running these sessions?”

“It was a split second decision actually. I know that sounds bad doesn’t it, but we were at the beach house and I thought, I’m just going to put it up on my IG stories and see what lands. I put it on Eventbrite straight after and it sold out overnight!”.

Now keeping in mind, not only did this mum of 3 (that’s right, 3) just sell out of her first Mentorship session, but she also decided to open up her own home. THAT HOME. I’m pretty sure I’d pay just to stalk. It’s unashamedly my MO. Still; opening up your own home, is a gesture so, so simple in nature – yet a completely untapped resource. I asked why? Why open up your home?

[ House Poynton by Simone Haag | Photography Derek Swalwell ]

“Well I’m slightly lazy really. If you can wake up in the morning and walk from your bedroom to work wouldn’t you do it?”. She makes a good point. “But in all seriousness; it was commerciality. We’d spent priceless hours & money on this renovation – poured our hearts into it, plus we had decided to stay in it rather than sell; we thought why not make business sense of all of it as well and offer the sessions in house?”

It’s genius really. From an outsider’s perspective, bringing people into your own home is the ultimate in accessibility. It brings comfort, and creates a sense of unity amongst those attending (plus I imagine countless inspo moments – my poor iphone would have melted).

[ Mentorship sessions in-situ | Photography Fi Storey ]

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Interior Design Mentor Simone Haag Spreading Roomers.png

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If you’re interested in what Simone covers during these sessions – here’s a quick glimpse.

Business model - HOW she charges, runs her business and processes (what? – unheard of),
Project wins and project losses (when it went wrong – what? Unheard of, AND how she remedied it),
Her unique approach to design
Her relationship with clients
And of course a virtual tour of those incredible spaces she pulls together (seemingly effortlessly).

All designed to provide an honest feedback & structure for the attendee, which ultimately gives back to the industry.

I asked Helena Nikola of HNIS – “What was your biggest and potentially unexpected (or not) takeaway of the day?”

“There wasn't one major thing, it was a wonderful experience and I am so grateful that Simone opened her home up to us. I was quite taken with Simone's honest accounts of her business journey, and what she learnt from her challenges. I was completely surprised by how honest and open she was, no question was out of bounds and It was so refreshing to know that there are others in the industry who are happy to talk about challenges, wins and fees!”

[ Newtown Residence by HNIS | Photography Dion Robeson ]

It’s hard not to love this woman! With only 5 spaces left in the next Mentorship session on March 4 / 5 this one is a total no-brainer (red eye Perth, you got this!). With tickets at a modest $300 (insane!) i can also confirm this may be the last session for a little while. I can honestly say, from our chat on the phone – this is something special.

You can register your interest by directly emailing melissa@simonehaag.com.au.

Next up - ‘Masterclass’ and the wonderful Lauren Li.

Lauren is the gifted Interior Designer behind Sisalla Interior Design Studio, by far one of my favourite businesses to follow. Lauren is so incredibly talented and I learn with each and every post she shares with her insta-audience. She is also a columnist for The Design Files & now also runs bespoke Interior Design sessions in-house at The Apartment by Sisalla.

[ The Apartment by Sisalla | Photography Tess Kelly ]

Lauren is one of those truly rare individuals who thrive on sharing knowledge with others. Without hesitation; and we have been in contact for a few years now thanks to the ‘gram’ – Lauren believes in lifting the industry up from the inside. She is generous and passionate, but keen to ensure the knowledge is robust, actionable & above all else relevant.

I shot Lauren a DM recently before she flew across to Copenhagen. It simply read, “I am pulling together a blog about sharing in the industry. I’d love to include Sisalla in the piece?”. She replied, “Oh thanks Deb, we’d love to be included. What a fabulous idea!”. Done deal.

So; I asked – “How did this all come about?”

“I really enjoying connecting with other designers and so it was a natural progression to start offering studio sessions to help other designers. When catching up with interior designer friends, we would talk about how to charge, fee structures and share contacts. All of the things that they just don’t seem to teach at design school and in commercial architectural practices. I started to get asked by emerging designers and also more established ones for advice so we set up our studio sessions. They have been very successful for us, and have taken on a life of their own. I think as well as learning, they are such a beautiful way to network amongst like-minded designers.”

[ Mt Martha Barn by Sisalla | Photography Tess Kelly ]

The Interiors space in general is crowded – let’s be honest; and I can tell you, that it’s never been easier to launch a business thanks to social media. But – this doesn’t suggest all businesses are created equally; and herein lies (in part) a huge issue within the industry – moderation.

If you can style a wall and call yourself a Stylist do you? If you help design a friend’s home straight out of school can you charge the same as a seasoned designer has worked the last 5 years achieving? I still take on limited intake of private clients needing business coaching in the industry because it’s more about tailored goal setting and action plans – but where does a working Interior Designer seek guidance?

“The interior design industry is quite closed, which is unfortunate as there are the right clients out there for everyone. I believe that if we share knowledge, we can provide the best possible service for our clients, which lifts the whole industry.” - Lauren.

I couldn’t agree more. Again; I feel you can get a really accurate gage on the quality of these sessions by those who attend them. Two highly respected Perth Interior Designers – Jane Ledger and Megan Prentice flew over to Melbourne late last year to attend Lauren’s 3 day intensive Masterclass; it immediately confirmed that Sisalla had something incredible to offer.

I called the lovely Jane who I know well to enquire further - “You are already so accomplished, and polished in all that you do. What was the motivation for you to make the trip to Melbourne to attend these sessions?”

[ Cottesloe Residence by Jane Ledger | Photography Jody D’arcy | Stylist Lisa Quinn-Schofield ]

“Ha! If only. I can tell you there are days when I feel far from accomplished and definitely unpolished! And I think that’s the whole point - no matter what stage of business you’re at or how many years experience you have, you never stop learning. Continuous learning and investing in your own development is especially important for ‘lone-ranger’ designers who are often running their business solo or with a small team. Making the decision to join Lauren’s master class was a no-brainer for me. I’d admired her work for such a long time, plus I knew that meeting up with like-minded designers all facing similar challenges in their design practice would be invaluable. A lot of us are re-inventing the wheel when we don’t need to. It was just so good to talk frankly with peers and share experiences. There’s no downside for me. Whatever you take out of a session, it all just means we’re improving our processes and serving our clients better. That’s a win all round I’d say.”

Sisalla is what I call a thoroughbred of Interior Design and yet, as with Simone, is completely accessible to those around her. It actually excites me to see these women in industry champion knowledge sharing by actually including it as part of their business model.

A quick breakdown of courses available at Sisalla include:

1. Software for Interior Design + Ivy Workshop

2. Sketchup for Beginners

3. May Master Session

4. Start your Interior Design Business

5. Interior Design Career Pathways

6. Mega Trends Stockholm

7. Get Published

8. Sketch up Intermediate

9. How to Run Your Interior Design Studio.

Calling shotgun publicly on “get published”!

“I’m a big believer in investing in education and I really enjoy learning new skills. I have a Diploma of Interior Design from RMIT and a Bachelor of Arts in Interior Design from Swinburne, so it’s six years all up, but learning never ends really. I also hold a Cert IV in Training and Assessment that gave me the skills to be the best teacher I can be in my sessions. Yep, that is me sitting in the front row - I’m a total square.”

Testament that these kind of resources are truly an investment piece for you business.

With 2020 only just beginning, I have a feeling there will be more and more quality resources available for those within the industry to learn from others in the industry. By booking these sessions, and backing your own, you too contribute to the positives in lifting the industry from the inside out.