Meet some of the amazing guests (“Roomies”) at 11 Rooms — a playground for creatives, entrepreneurs, and digital nomads.
Who are you and what do you do?
I am a Creative Entrepreneur, living and working in downtown Toronto.
My main gig —- I help people create unique spaces with my curated vintage furniture line.
As a multi-passionate, I have several artistic facets of my personal brand, Sunday Creative. I own & run an Eclectic Loft Space for Photoshoots & Film, I Blog about Entrepreneurship, I create Social Media Content for Small businesses, and I offer Interior Design Services.
The most fun segment of my biz is what I call “Furniture Redux”. I re-invent Vintage items, using unexpected fabrics & finishes. My style is bold, quirky, & maximalist.
In my past life, I ran the family Interiors Business with my Dad, who taught me everything about resilience & innovation —- and who got me hooked on all-things-entrepreneurial and the charm of crafting your own life.
On the docket for this year: A Solopreneur-focused Podcast + Creation of New & Interesting Brand Partnerships. I’m in LOVE with my City, and I’m working on finding reasons for Toronto Creatives to gather, collaborate and commiserate!
What sparks your creativity?
I read a lot. Some books that have had a big impact lately are Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert and The Practice, by Seth Godin. They’re both really about how creativity is showing up. You have to have a practice of doing the thing. That’s the truth.
So I’m working on showing up, putting in the time, doing the thing, and calling out the good from it. Not all of it is good, of course. That’s why it’s hard.
Sometimes it feels like I wait for the magic to happen. Sometimes everything lines up and it really does feel like magic. And I think to myself “Oh, no! I can’t wake up and replicate the magic.” I’m trying to train myself out of that.
I know that I’m like a cat – I’ll always land on my feet. But some days things seem difficult and I think maybe all the fairy dust is gone. But then on a random Wednesday it all clicks and it’s all good again.
One thing I know for me is that, in order for things to show up – in order for me to bring the magic or – I have to work out. There’s a physical state I have to feel like I’m achieving that makes the magic possible.
What lights you up?
Throughout my career, I realized that I was in love with the business of being in business. It’s never been about my particular industry. Newness, learning, experimenting… that’s what I love. Creating something new, putting it out into the world. Something that’s never existed before, and now it does.
I feel like it’s valuable to put new things into the universe. The act of creation is exhausting but also rewarding.
What’s an important lesson that you’ve learned as an entrepreneur?
Opportunity comes. Sometimes not in ways you thought. When I started getting more visible on social as part of my vintage business, I realized that I’m the brand. Every post that showed me, and not just the vintage pieces, got more engagement. People wanted my opinion, wanted to talk to me. They find me approachable, and they relate to me and what I’m doing.
That’s part of agility… as you go along the path you see what comes up. You have to be able to recognize that and seize the opportunity.
What made you want to come to 11 Rooms?
I’m always trying to make places and things work friendly. I loved that 11 Rooms is a small place that’s got that hotel quality and that’s already work-friendly. So that you’re not the sad girl in the corner of the dining room on her computer… everybody is doing the same.
Working is fun for me. So coming to a place that’s unique and inspiring to do some work is really enjoyable. And 11 Rooms is just far enough away from home that it feels like a separate space.