Balancing the Grind With Rachelle Saevil, Founder & Creative Director at Saevil Row

Rachelle Saevil is the Founder & Creative Director at Saevil Row, a creative studio providing services across creative, art direction, logo design, brand development and more.

1) To kick things off, could you tell us a little about your career background and current role?

I’m the Founder and Creative Director of Saevil Row. We’re a bespoke branding and web design agency based in Sydney, with an International roaster of clients.

I’ve always been in the design space, having studied Advertising & Graphic Design at school in Toronto, Ontario and ever since I graduated in 2004 (totally dating myself here!) I dove straight into my career from there.

I started as an intern at a top Canadian Women’s magazine and worked at a few other publications before getting into advertising.

It wasn’t until I left my agency job in 2013 and moved to Paris, that I had the space to create my own business and, well, the rest is history!

2) What does a day in the life look like for you? Can you take us through a recent workday?

I love this question because no two days are ever the same and I’m grateful for that. I usually start my day around 6 am with a workout and/or a long walk in the morning with our puppy and a coffee.

I feel that’s like my morning meditation because it sets me up for the day ahead.

With the nature of our business being quite international, I’ll utilise this opportunity to take any client calls before heading into our office around 10 am.

We’ll start each day with a quick team status check before diving into our day’s schedule. And like I said, no two days are ever the same, so I might work on branding concepts before I pass that off to one of our designers or laying out a website for a client.

I do oversee all the projects, which keeps me connected to our work and the journey of our clients, which I love.

3) Does your current role allow for flexible or remote working? If so, how does that fit into your life and routine?

100% One of our brand values is flexibility and I live by that. In fact, the business has almost always been remote and has moved with me from Paris to Sydney.

With the nature of the business and client base, it works out well for us and I’m continuously grateful that our clients trust our vision and work that it doesn’t matter where we are, physically.

I also try and spend at least 1-2 months in Canada a year to be with my family and make that time to see clients face-to-face as well. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

4) What does work-life balance mean to you and how do you work to achieve that goal?

This is something I’m constantly working on because what it means and how I implement it don’t always go hand in hand.

To me, it means having a harmonious structure between the two and in my life, you can’t have one without the other.

Having a separate office space really helps with this, because when I’m home, I can turn off. Likewise, when I’m at the office, that’s my time to be creative and really be focused. But it is something I need to be mindful of and let go of the work things I can’t control, so I can be present in my personal life and relationships.

5) What do you think are some of the best habits or routines that you’ve developed over the years to help you achieve success in your life?

I’ve always been an early bird and find that my most creative and productive time is the morning. I acknowledge that and make it a habit of getting a good night’s sleep, so I can show up as my best the next day.

I also find my most productive weeks have been when I’ve actually planned out each day, so I can get into it, without feeling underprepared.

I also put a lot of emphasis on taking care of my health, so I always make sure I’m moving my body every day. It allows be the space to focus and let go of anything that’s been on my mind or stressing me out.

Above all, I try to be present when I’m in and out of work. Whether that’s with my team or my partner and family. It’s equally important to give them the attention and presence they deserve, to help strengthen those relationships.

6) Are there any books that have helped you improve over the years?

A pivotal book for me in the space of personal development and growth was a book called 20 Something, 20 Everything: A Quarter-life Woman’s Guide to Balance and Direction by Christine Hassler. I read this in my mid-20s and feel like it was foundational for my growth and journey.

Two other faves (I know we don’t have all day!) is Atomic Habits by James Clear, which focuses on building and maintaining positive habits and Do Less, Get More by Shaa Wasmund, which focuses on working smarter and not harder. Both great books that I’d highly recommend!

7) What is the number one thing you do to make sure you get the most out of your day?

Lately, it’s to be as present as possible throughout the day and take a moment to journal and acknowledge what’s happened – good and bad. Life flies by at such an extraordinary rate that it’s easy to let the moments pass by. I’m committed to doing and being better with each day and I find this really helps.

8) If you could read an interview about work-life balance by anyone, who would that be?

For some reason, Bill Gates popped into my mind – has he already done one? If not, I’d love to know!

9) Do you have any last thoughts on work, life or balance that you’d like to share with our readers?

I think it’s really important to be clear on your personal and work values and constantly check in on those. If you’re finding one aspect of is lacking, that’s where you can focus your attention. That, to me, is how you can achieve true balance and happiness.

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