Rebecca (00:01.815)
welcome to the Champagne Lounge podcast. Today I'm joined by the wonderful Ellie Rowlands. Welcome to the show Ellie.
Ellie Rowlands (00:08.09)
Hi, thanks so much for having me.
Rebecca (00:10.071)
So I was going to say I was joined by a fellow Mudgee local, but I don't think I can say that given that I've been here 18 months and you've lived in this town your whole life.
Ellie Rowlands (00:20.058)
Yeah, well, I think they say that you have to be here 20 years to be local, but I don't know.
Rebecca (00:25.559)
I've got time then I've got some time to put in. Now, Ellie, you are a graphic designer here in town. And I would love to know, given that you've grown up in beautiful regional Australia, your whole life living in the same town, what is it about graphic design that's led you in the town, you know, has led you into doing what you're doing now?
Ellie Rowlands (00:37.082)
Great.
Ellie Rowlands (00:50.618)
I guess I've always been a creative person. So in my last year of school, it was 2019, didn't know what I wanted to do. I knew that I wanted to be creative, do something creative because I've always been creative. So since I was little and I also did an art class up to when I was in year 10, just across from my school, so it was easy to get to. It was great.
great little afternoon activity. And I did a graphic design based project for my body work in art, U12. And so I used Illustrator and Photoshop then and just fell in love with it. Just fell in love with the whole graphic design aspect. And yeah, so, but I didn't really focus on it much until 2021. I was doing a nine to five job.
doing a general art course as well, just through TAFE, and just doing little jobs for my family and friends. But in the middle of 2020, I was doing a nine to five job, and I had to leave due to an injury because of my disability. And that's when I really started to focus on it and focus on getting my business developed and started.
Rebecca (02:13.367)
So there's two things there and I would love to know more about that journey and getting into doing it full time. But you did just mention that you have a disability. So Ellie, you've been featured in the local magazine that I run here in Muddy, Midwestern Living Magazine. We did a member spotlight on you and you showed us all your favorite accessible locations in town. So tell us a little bit about what your disability is and how that affects you every day life.
Ellie Rowlands (02:43.898)
So I was born on Spina Bifida, so it's a condition where the baby's spine isn't really developed, it fails to develop. So there's different types of it, but I was just born with the type where you have to be in a wheelchair. So I use a wheelchair for mobility to get around town. And that was what was amazing about being part of that magazine was just to feature all my favorite shops that I can actually get into.
Yeah, it was really great to be part of that.
Rebecca (03:13.335)
Yeah, and I know a lot of people have loved that article that you wrote and that we shared those favourite spots. So you haven't, you've known no different really, your whole life you've been in a wheelchair. What was that like growing up for you and do you think doing life differently in terms of having the disability, did it allow, like has it fed your creativity to being a lot more creative because of the constraints potentially that you had at school or through mobility or not?
Ellie Rowlands (03:46.874)
So I did have a few issues with anyone with a disability would have issues growing up and at school, but I was lucky to not really have many issues at school. I was always treated the same. And that's what I really want to do part of my business. I want to work with anyone, any people who like whether you're in a wheelchair, whether you're not, it doesn't really matter. You're just a person. So.
I'm, yeah, I can, I want to work with people through every walks of life and yeah, just disability is very important to me, but it's also, you're just a person and I'm not, you know what I mean? Like I don't want to secret you because you're on a disability. Yeah, that's it. Yeah.
Rebecca (04:28.119)
Yeah, you don't want to be defined by it. Yeah, yeah, and I think that's what that's what I love and I love when we wrote the story for the magazine, your, your passion for inclusivity and accessibility for all, it just comes through absolutely everything you do, which I think is an amazing trait to have because a lot of people don't necessarily have that confidence to step up, speak up and ensure that everyone's included.
Ellie Rowlands (04:56.73)
Yeah, no, it's very important to me that everyone's included. Like I was growing up, so yeah, it's very important to me.
Rebecca (05:02.327)
Good. Yeah. And it's important to, I love that we've been able to share that story. Now, going back to your graphic design, because you mentioned that you finished school in 2019 and you started your business more, you know, beginning of 2021, I think you said, which makes, you know, it's a very, it's a young time to start a business. I mean, I started my business when I was 21. So jumping straight into business and just having that short stint in employment.
Ellie Rowlands (05:10.522)
Mm -hmm.
Ellie Rowlands (05:21.114)
Yes.
Rebecca (05:29.847)
Some people look at me and go, what, you've never had a proper creative job? No, never had a corporate job, never really done a nine to five other than that one, one nine month stint after uni. What has that journey been like for you going from that nine to five into, I'm a hundred percent into my business.
Ellie Rowlands (05:50.458)
It was a lot different. Look, nine to five wasn't something I was passionate about. It was good to get out there and some money straight off of school was something to do, I guess. But I guess because of the injury that I had, I was on bed rest. So it kind of led me to just go, you know what? I'm not doing anything. Might as well start my business and do something that I'm passionate about instead of just sitting here and...
being sad and not doing anything and focusing on that, trying to turn a negative into positive.
Rebecca (06:20.811)
Yes, I love that. I think what I would love to sort of understand because I know a lot of business owners who have those side hustles or at home alone, maybe due to an injury, maybe just because they're very isolated and remote and regional and rural areas. A lot of the blocks of people is, well, how do I find clients and how do I find people and how do I get my business off the ground? Like what was some of the things that you did?
When you were on bed rest and obviously at home, not being able to get out and meet people, how did you go about starting that business and overcoming those blocks?
Ellie Rowlands (07:01.978)
YouTube was very helpful. I also did another course, I did a TAFE course and then I did a more course based on logo design and branding. So that was really helpful as well. But just YouTube and asking people I know that are also graphic designers, if like the financial side, I wasn't really sure about that. And people that I know they were really helpful in getting me started with that and.
giving me more of an understanding on how that side of business works, which is really helpful.
Rebecca (07:32.599)
having that support network to be able to ask those questions. So a peer to peer network.
Rebecca (07:40.206)
Yeah. Yeah. And I think that's, and I love that you've said that because what we're doing with the Champagne Lounge, and obviously you're a member of the Champagne Lounge and you were at my place for dinner when we did our business on Cook Dinner here in Mudgee last week. It's about being able to have those places to have those conversations and to ask questions and not feel like you're going to be judged for asking questions when you're just starting out and you don't know the answers. You need somewhere to ask them safely.
Ellie Rowlands (07:41.338)
Yeah, yeah, that's it.
Ellie Rowlands (08:09.086)
Yeah, exactly. It's so important to just ask questions if you don't know something like you're not going to be ashamed. Like you shouldn't be ashamed of not knowing everything in business. Like I didn't know. I still don't know everything. But yeah, just asking those questions is so important if you don't know, if you don't know something. Yeah.
Rebecca (08:25.143)
Yeah. Exactly. Exactly. And you know, and in terms of that customer journey, obviously you spoke through, you spoke to friends and family members who would be able to sort of start off the, everyone has their friends and family that start as their first clients and customers. What was it like getting your first client that wasn't a friend or family member?
Ellie Rowlands (08:43.706)
Yeah.
Ellie Rowlands (08:50.458)
It was scary. I got to admit. Yeah, it was, it was scary. It was, yeah, just learning as well. Like you learn as you go with the first client. So there was obviously a few mistakes that I had made, which is normal, but I've actually grown from that. It was scary to have that first client, but yeah, it was, it was definitely different to family and friends. You can't just...
go with the flow, you have to actually be professional and you know what I mean.
Rebecca (09:23.543)
put those processes in place.
Rebecca (09:28.663)
So for anyone that's just starting out in their business, what was probably the number one lesson that you learned taking on that first client? What would you do if it was anything? You said there was a few things that potentially went wrong. Are you able to share any of that and how you do it differently next time?
Ellie Rowlands (09:29.434)
Yeah, that's it.
Ellie Rowlands (09:50.074)
I, the printing side of things really I'm not a big fan of. Like when I first started, there would be a few issues with the printing side of things. So I have definitely learned with that just to double check, even triple check everything before you send it off is so important. And just, yeah, looking at the finer details, even asking your client, look, is everything spelled correctly? Is everything all good before I send it off? Which is,
something I like the hard way, but I definitely know now to do that.
Rebecca (10:21.623)
Yeah, I think we've all been there. We've had people check things and I know firsthand from doing the magazine and my background in journalism that the best intentions in the world, if you read things as they're supposed to be read, not necessarily how they're written on the page. So to get all those different checks on those things is vitally important before you do hit the print button.
Ellie Rowlands (10:46.458)
Yeah. Very.
Rebecca (10:46.903)
And so in terms of graphic design, obviously graphic design can cover all sorts of areas and niches and specialities, but what is your happy place in the graphic design world? What do you like creating?
Ellie Rowlands (11:04.41)
So I specialize in branding and wedding stationery. So it's kind of a mix between that. I love creating both. It's kind of like choosing your favorite child. I like creating both. I guess you're more creative doing wedding stationery because you get to, I don't know, it's just different. It's a lot more creative as branding's creative as well, but just celebrating with.
couples like talking about their love story and how they met is also very special just to hear those little things on how the couple met is really special and that can also be integrated in the design as well. So yeah, I like that side of it and branding, I like to also be creative. Sometimes clients would give me creative freedom, which is also sometimes not a good thing, sometimes a good thing, but...
It's good when they give me a brief to follow, which is, yeah, so I kind of like doing both.
Rebecca (12:08.599)
So in terms of jumping onto those, those briefs, there are obviously two very different types of client. You know, one's very much a, you know, I'm gonna use this once, then it's gonna be for my wedding. And it's, you know, almost like I get to be a lot of fun with it too. And the other side is, I'm gonna get my logo designed and it's gonna be printed on everything for a really long time. Have you developed, you know, your own briefing process to help clients?
Ellie Rowlands (12:24.698)
Yeah.
Rebecca (12:36.119)
in briefing you and I know when I used to work in the video world, we used to do reverse briefs where I would ask them what they wanted and then I'd create the brief and send it back to them and say, is this correct? So how have you navigated that for people that sometimes, particularly for a wedding, they don't know what to ask for or you know, maybe most people only do it once, right? So how do you help them in deciding what they need?
Ellie Rowlands (13:06.362)
So I have a questionnaire that I would send to both my branding clients and my wedding stationery clients just to see what their style is and what, like just to give them a bit of background on themselves and also their kind of style. So what kind of colors they like, what font cells they like is really important to know. And also the background in branding and the background of their business that can also be integrated in the design as well. This is little moments. So yeah.
The questionnaire is definitely very important when briefing with those clients and getting to know them a bit more and understanding what they do and do not.
Rebecca (13:47.575)
I love that. And have you got a favorite? I know you said you've done multiple, you know, you've done a number of different weddings over the years. We've got a favorite design that you've created or a favorite story that you've been able to be inspired by that you can share.
Ellie Rowlands (14:03.866)
I have done a few branding clients that are support workers, which is obviously close to my disability. So I've been able to design logos with people in wheelchairs, which is not as easy as you would think, being in a wheelchair, it's quite difficult to draw. But that was really special. And also for weddings, I did weddings for my sisters last year.
Rebecca (14:17.623)
Cool.
Rebecca (14:30.871)
Beautiful.
Ellie Rowlands (14:33.466)
So that was, that was kind of my favourite, so I'm a bit biased, but that was, yeah, really special to do that for them.
Rebecca (14:36.407)
You can be biased to your sister's weddings. That's all right. Did they pay you accordingly though or was that your gift to them?
I love that, that's beautiful. And in terms of your logos for clients, has there been any standout ones that you've loved doing and for what reason?
Ellie Rowlands (14:47.034)
it's my victim. Yeah. I am now their favourite sister, so...
Ellie Rowlands (15:01.306)
Definitely the ones with support workers. There was one I did for in Mudgee recently for Spina Flow. And that was really special. She just getting to know the client as well. And just we worked together for months and months. And that was a highlight just to see my logo on the door, which I thought was really cool. And I've also got a client in Maitland that have
just opened up their store with my logo on it. So those kind of moments like that, just to see your logo in real life is really cool.
Rebecca (15:34.775)
I can imagine that just seeing it in real life, being able to stand in front of it and be like, that actually came to life and a few months ago, it was an idea in my head. How incredible is that? Ellie, how do you celebrate those milestones?
Ellie Rowlands (15:44.922)
Yeah, yeah, it's wild.
Ellie Rowlands (15:51.674)
I think it's really important to celebrate. Look, when I first started, I would just, you know, go brush it up and go, yeah, it's cool. Okay. But it just boosts your motivation and your confidence. I think just gives you a sense of purpose. Like I think just what I have been celebrating so far in my business is just completing a project and before the deadline, getting good testimonial from a client or even learning a new skill.
celebrating just the small little things is just so important, especially with, I spoke about this at the dinner, but imposter syndrome, which if people don't know is to explain it is when you don't think you're good enough in your job. And then you get those moments, you get those testimonials from clients to go, you actually did a good job, good job. And yeah, just builds your confidence and yeah.
Rebecca (16:45.143)
It reinforces it a lot, doesn't it? I remember years ago, and I wish I could remember who told me to do this and I can't. So I can't give them the credit for it. But I do have on my phone now as a result of this conversation, a folder, screenshots of all the testimonials or nice text messages or little messages on a Facebook post that are that, you know, thank you for doing that. You've done a great job with that.
Ellie Rowlands (16:52.122)
Thank you.
Rebecca (17:11.063)
so that on the down days, if I'm having a really bad time, I can just open that one folder and go, huh, that's why I do what I do. Like I can get through the rough day and you know, there are people out there that really value the work that I'm doing and the impact that it's having. So start taking those screenshots, Ellie.
Ellie Rowlands (17:21.05)
Mm -hmm. Yeah.
Ellie Rowlands (17:31.962)
I'll do that from now on.
Rebecca (17:32.695)
I love that. Natalie, I don't let anyone leave the Champagne Lounge podcast without asking them what they love about being part of our wonderful community. So what do you enjoy about being part of the Champagne Lounge?
Ellie Rowlands (17:48.282)
As a freelancer and a small business, it obviously has its positives, being able to work flexibly and being able to follow your passion, but it can also be really isolating and lonely. So just having those, like being a part of the champagne lounges, being great. Like when I first had the call with you, I didn't want to ask any questions. I just wanted to be part of the group immediately. I was just so excited. So just having those, someone to talk to.
I think is really important and being a part of Wine Wednesday also sometimes I'm just sitting there and listening to everyone else but when you have questions or something you don't know everyone put you in and supports you even in your struggles but when you have those small wins as we just spoke about everyone just gathers together and it's like a little community. Yeah, I just love being a part of it.
Rebecca (18:40.023)
And we love you being part of it too. Like I am, I love that there were two, the dinners that I host, when you're listening to this, I host them at my home, in either Sydney or Mergey when I can, multiple times a quarter. And not always for members, doors are welcome to anybody who wants to come along and have dinner, but yourself and Alison, who was also a new member and also quite new to town and new to starting her business, also a graphic designer. So lots of similarities.
Both of you said it was about that space, that safe space to have those conversations and just have that team that you don't have when you're at home working for yourself, which I think is a beautiful thing. And I love that you've really blossomed into that and come out of the, out of your shell and doing some awesome things. So well done, Ellie. Like, and take another one off your box being first podcast episode today, which I think will be one of many in the future. I think you nailed it. Thank you so much for coming on the show. I'm going to link to your.
Ellie Rowlands (19:28.538)
Thank you.
Ellie Rowlands (19:35.322)
It's hard budget.
Rebecca (19:37.271)
website and to your social media. So anyone looking for a graphic designer that specializes in accessibility and inclusivity, go hit up Ellie. She's, she'd love to hear from you. So thanks for coming on the show Ellie.
Ellie Rowlands (19:53.274)
Thanks for having me.
Rebecca (19:54.487)
Perfect.
