At Be Visual Co, we pride ourselves on being a creative agency that supports female entrepreneurs and their work/life balance. Ingrid shares her love for design and why it’s important to get the balance right.

Describe a bit about yourself and what you do.

Hello! I’m the creative director and founder of Be Visual Co. I live on the North Coast of NSW with my husband and two sons. I love that I get to be creative every day as a job, strongly believing that being in your own flow is the key to happiness. We moved up north from Sydney a few years back and I adore the sunny life we have created.

What item can you not survive your day without?

Music. I can’t work or function without it! Spotify is my best friend but I also have a pretty large album collection. I’m always creating playlists and love discovering new music.

What made you want to become a Graphic Designer?

I have always been creative and felt drawn to technology – but I didn’t really believe in my talent to do anything with it as a career. I actually majored in PR and Journalism at Uni but almost failed those and got High Distinctions in the minor Graphics subjects I studied. My first real job was as a Publicist at an entertainment agency but they soon realised I couldn’t write a press release to save myself! Luckily for me, my boss at the time noticed I was naturally quite creative which presented a different opportunity. They’d been wanting to start a design business as a branch of the company and supported me to head that up – and I didn’t look back from there!

Ingrid Schroder Be Visual Co Creative DirectorWhat do you enjoy most about working at Be Visual Co?

I love running a small business and the flexibility that it offers. It’s plenty of hard work and can be hectic at times, but I have a solid support team and get to work with so many interesting people. I get a huge buzz when a client loves something I’ve created and that magic moment knowing I’ve helped their business.

What are the challenges of working from home?

The blurred lines of work and family and when to switch off. I’ve had to become disciplined with walking away from my computer and phone at the end of the day and being present with what I’m doing outside of work. Up until recently I’d been working in an office space set-up beside the kitchen but soon realised as my kids got bigger and noisier that we’d all go mad if I didn’t have a dedicated office. So being able to shut the door is a blessing! It can sometimes also be isolating working solo, so I love video calls to stay connected with the extended Be Visual team.

How do you (try to) achieve a work-life balance?

More than anything spending quality time with my family and being in nature. The beach is my happy place and I absolutely love swimming and surfing, so that’s an incredible outlet. I also find gardening so rejuvenating and will often step outside for a break during a work day to potter around.

What has been your biggest influence (person or experience) career wise to date?

That’s a tough one, but my parents were both successful small business owners so I think sub-consciously I always knew I’d run my own show someday. My Dad said he wished he’d started his own business sooner but funnily enough was the first to try talking me out of quitting my day job until I reminded him of this fact!

What advice do you have for a budding Graphic Designer?

Believe in your talents! If you have an inner voice to be creative, run with it and try not to get distracted by what other designers are doing. If you put the hours in your abilities and talent will grow exponentially.

Ingrid’s Top 3 tips on being creative in a corporate world

  1. Trust your instincts – even though business is a head game, there’s more heart in it than you realise and it’s crucial to listen to that inner voice especially when it’s your job to be creative.
  2. Pursue other creative outlets for inspiration – anything where you find yourself in the moment. I love drawing, photography and a bit of colouring in for grown ups!
  3. Don’t get disheartened or take things personally when your ideas get rejected. I often find my best work comes after being challenged to dig deeper, especially when I think there’s nowhere else I can go with a concept!

Ingrid's Top 3 tips on being creative in a corporate world

  1. Trust your instincts – even though business is a head game, there’s more heart in it than you realise and it’s crucial to listen to that inner voice especially when it’s your job to be creative.
  2. Pursue other creative outlets for inspiration – anything where you find yourself in the moment. I love drawing, photography and a bit of colouring in for grown ups!
  3. Don’t get disheartened or take things personally when your ideas get rejected. I often find my best work comes after being challenged to dig deeper, especially when I think there’s nowhere else I can go with a concept!