Nicole Sheavyn has gone from AWARD School in 2014 to creative at integrated agency Trilogy. She talks to The Communications Council about the value of upskilling and her dream of running her own agency.

TCC: How long have you been in the industry and in your current role?

NS: I have been in the business of designing about 13 years. I have been in advertising for eight of those.

TCC: What is the best thing about your job and being in the industry?

NS: The variety of people I get to collaborate with.

TCC: What made you want to get into the industry?

NS: At the beginning of my career I was always going to be an artist. I kind of fell into advertising after working in a few small design studios and just got motivated to learn as much as I could about it. Doing AWARD School back in 2014 cemented where I wanted to be heading and I have just tried to go with the flow from there.

TCC: What was your degree in?

NS: I have a BA Fine Arts and a BA Graphic Design and Communication.

TCC: What are your wider career goals?

NS: I have big dreams of eventually running my own agency/branding house.

TCC: Who do you look up to in the industry?

NS: I couldn’t say that I look up to anyone in particular, however there are people who I am immensely impressed by. I was lucky enough to hear some pretty phenomenal people in the business talk when I went on the AWARD Emerging Creative Directors course last year in Sydney. In particular Rose Herceg is one individual who I can say made the biggest impression on me. If you don’t know who she is….you should.

TCC: What are your main sources of career inspiration?

NS: I get my inspiration from absolutely everywhere, never one source.

TCC: What motivates you on both a daily basis and to keep striving towards your goals?

NS: The people I work with who are genuinely passionate about what they do and who strive to learn from each other and be open along the way.

TCC: What made you want to do the AdSchool Art of Persuasion course?

NS: I am a true believer in up-skilling and it was long overdue. Even people who have been presenting for years would benefit from this course, you can always improve in everything you do.

TCC: What was the best thing about it?

NS: That it is not just for presenting. You can utilise these skills for so much more.

TCC: What was the number one thing you were able to apply in your day to day work?

NS: The way I approach and speak to people on a daily basis.

TCC: What is your favourite project/campaign you’ve worked on to date?

NS: Currently we are working on a project that is allowing me to utilise my artistic skills.?The client is a bit of an art collector so it’s a perfect match client to creative wise. It hasn’t launched yet so I can’t really say what it is.

TCC: What’s your passion outside of work?

NS: Illustrating and painting, or repurposing things.