BOSS WOMAN 030 OATH AND STONE DESIGNS
AN OLD FASHIONED WITH TRISH FROM OATH & STONE DESIGNS
What is your drink of choice?
Coffee and an Old Fashioned.
Tell us a little bit about yourself?
I’m Trish – Creative Director and Graphic Designer at Oath & Stone, Border Collie Mum and classic 90’s Sandra Bullock tragic. I’ve lived in Canberra since I was 9, and despite my best efforts to move to Melbourne (where I was convinced Ihadto be to climb the corporate ladder in the graphic design world), Canberra has happily been my home for 25 years.
Tell us about Oath & Stone and how it came to be?
I started Oath & Stone 3 years ago, while I was working full time in the marketing team of a superannuation fund. I’d head to the coffee shop in my lunch hour to make phone calls and have meetings, then would come home and continue working until 2am on some nights. Within a year I had enough in the pipeline to leave my job full time, and I’ve been working from home for the last two.
How can we support Oath & Stone?
Tell your friends! When I started the business, I made the decision to invest my energy into people whose company I really enjoyed, and whose businesses I really believed in. The majority of my work comes from word of mouth, and like-minded clients introducing me to people who they think will be a great fit for the studio. The result is a long-term relationship where my clients can pick up the phone and know that I can fill in the blanks for them, as well as the opportunity to create truly enjoyable and meaningful work.
Any advice for those wanting to turn their dream into a reality?
It’s really easy to say “follow your bliss” and “burn the boats”, but as a classic Virgo my advice is, make a plan. There’s a lot to say for being decisive and not procrastinating on a dream, but if you’re wanting to build a business where you can work for yourself, you can’t pay your rent in bliss and Instagram likes. Establish why you want to make your dream a reality. How will it help you, and the people you’re serving? How will it benefit you financially, and fulfil you emotionally? If you want to make your dream full time, make a spreadsheet and work out how much you need to make a month to cover your expenses and replace your income, and when you have 3-6 months of that amount in the bank, think about making the leap (if that’s what you want).
