In the Land of Creative Entrepreneurs.

The age-old dichotomy between a creative career or a corporate one has arrived to a very blurry stage in this day and time. Creatives are no longer boho-chic individuals who wear floral patterns and stress over font choices. Business owners do not speak in monotonous formality and walk around in suits. This is due to the fact that entrepreneurial spirits and visionary creatives make up a big slice of the current SME world. The point of this reflective piece is to help shed some light on how pushing your creative limits does not have to curtail your business-savvy efforts and vice versa. The struggle is real and even Steve, Elon and Mark had to be as technical as they were creative.

First things first, creativity is not everything. In the industry and the circles that we run in, creativity is the main pillar of what we do. From structurally designing 37,000 square feet residences to personally curating the tiniest of accoutrements in our clients’ living rooms, we at Concept Me will champion the importance of creativity until no one’s listening. However, this curation of accessories and the constructive civil work would not exist if there was no client to be dealt with. And so, comes the battle of Maintaining Creativity vs. Running a Business.

The second prophetic statement made here is: Business management is not everything. So, what is?! Rationally speaking, it would be ideal to say balance is the solution. Realistically speaking, we at Concept Me have recognized that maintaining creative integrity whilst managing clients and securing new business in the architecture and design industry comes at the cost of long work hours, constant negotiations and (let’s face it) potential burnout. The results are highly rewarding however.

Across her 13 years in the field, Nina Parvaresh - Concept Me’s Creative Chief & Managing Director - has recognized the importance of staying on top of your creative game. Thus, creative vision and unbound expression are key. They are not to be compromised. The entrepreneurial fire burning within Nina like an arsonist’s best crime has kept her motivated to handle clients, their overwhelming requests and their miniscule comments. More than a decade later, her ability to creatively choose the right tile cut and fabric texture has not swayed her from growing her business. So, how does Nina do it?

Prioritize creative vision because it’s your main competitive advantage.

Lose the perfectionist attitude! Manage your time and delegate tasks that you cannot (or do not have time) do.

Expect the work load to grow and do not allow yourself to be overwhelmed in your head.

Stick with your gut and remember why you are doing this.

Remember that creativity is abstract and hard work is what brings it into tangible fruition.

Design the way you do business, manage clients and organize tasks in a creative way.

Fear of failure will only hold you back - so expect it and work against it!

Communicate. Communicate. Communicate.

Clearly communicating with your clients, suppliers, project managers, design team, collaborators, bankers and every other member of your process is your ultimate weapon. This buys you the time and energy to choose that perfect tile cut and conceptualize a new architectural monolith whilst being the owner of a business that grows. It’s in the motion and the action. Now, go get creative; get the business booming - or you know, we’ll get creative for you!