OC: TELL US ABOUT THE NATIONAL GRID AND WHAT YOU DO.

LA: The National Grid is a Graphic Design Studio built to design and refine your brand.

We are a team of fiercely talented designers who pour everything we have into creating beautiful brands and assets for people who understand the importance of good branding.

What do I do? Too much to list! But one description I heard that I loved was ‘Lara is the glue that holds TNG together’ ; )

OC: HOW DO YOU DEFINE SUCCESS?

LA: Success is doing the right thing, at the right time, in the right way – and enjoying the rewards and recognition from that.

OC: WHAT SACRIFICES HAVE YOU HAD TO MAKE TO BE A SUCCESSFUL ENTREPRENEUR?

LA: Multiple; Constant Hard work (even on holidays and honeymoons!), a lot of hours, a lot of sleepless nights, a fair dose of anxiety from time to time, living frugally to reinvest into the companies … to name a few.

OC: WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY?

LA: My delicious little boy James, amazing Husband David, my beautiful parents, swimming in the ocean, the feeling you get after a Bikram yoga class, sharing a delicious meal with friends, painting and illustrating, seeing a clients face light up during a pitch or presentation – as their dream becoming a tangible reality starts to dawn on them – the feeling of ‘Nailing it’ professionally – all make me very happy

OC: TELL US ABOUT A HIGH POINT IN YOUR CAREER

LA: TNG had SEVEN logos published in Gestalten’s  Los Logos this year: Los Logos is the authoritative reference on contemporary logo design – worldwide.

What was magical is that all of us had a concept published, which shows that the crew at TNG are different, diverse, ahead of trends and are recognised on a global platform for their creativity, quality and style. That’s a real high for me.

OC: NOW TELL US ABOUT A LOW POINT

LA: Twice I have had to let staff members go. Hiring is an awesome feeling, Firing is one of the worst feelings in the world.

OC: WHAT DID YOU NEED TO KNOW TO GET OUT OF THERE?

LA: Trust what your intuition is trying to tell you – every-time, don’t force a round peg into a square hole, allow people to do what they love and their energy will thrive, and ALWAYS check references.

OC: TEA OR COFFEE?

LA: Both! Tea first thing, Coffee late morning (and sometime repeatedly through out the day depending on how much my little man or self conscious mind has disrupted my sleep the night before ; )

OC: WHAT HABITS HELP YOU BE SUCCESSFUL?

LA: Enjoy your work, prioritise your tasks at the start of each day, take responsibility for your successes – and your failures. Take time to reward / treat yourself – preferably out in nature.

OC: HOW DO YOU GENERATE NEW IDEAS?

LA: Getting out in nature. The ideas and answers are everywhere; in the sky, the water, on the ground, amongst the flora and fauna.  Mother nature knows best.

OC: IF YOU HAD A CHANCE TO START YOUR CAREER OVER AGAIN, WHAT WOULD YOU DO DIFFERENTLY?

LA: Absolutely nothing. It hasn’t been easy, but every trial and tribulation has established and strengthened the foundations of where we are today and it has been worth it.

OC: IF YOU COULD SHARE ONE PIECE OF BUSINESS ADVICE WITH OTHERS, WHAT WOULD IT BE?

LA: Doubt the doubts and get out of your own way. We use the expression “Balls out” here quite a lot and I love it on two counts. It represents – although coming from a place of vulnerability (ie. you are naked) – you are not afraid to get out there and just DO it!

OC: GIVE US 3 WORDS OTHER PEOPLE WOULD USE TO DESCRIBE YOU

LA: Bossy ; )
Driven
Enthusiastic / Positive
(I know, I know – that’s four! ; )