Mosaic Artist. Chief Idea Baker. Founder. CEO. Is there anything Mercedes Austin cannot do? We caught up to her to chat about what a typical day looks like, the crazy thing that ever happened on the job, and much more.

What’s the most cherished item in your office?

The wall of colorful tile samples.

What’s your favorite time to get things done?

Between 8 a.m.– 10:30 a.m.

What’s the soundtrack that plays in the background of your office?

Coffee Shop Essentials—really good behind the scenes music.

Name the band you cannot take off your playlist.

Billy Joel

What does a typical workday look like?

Heading into a brightly lit office, collaborative work sessions in our conference room, phone calls, offsite meetings, evening inbox scheduled for sends the next morning and on hustle days—strength training.

What’s the craziest thing that has ever happened to you on a job site?

Being challenged I would not meet an installation deadline (rightly so, I used to install all of our tiles one by one before we had mesh). We now sheet mount 80% of our tile. I worked overnight to prove to the GC that my scope of work would not hold up the construction schedule. As a result, we have since innovated with mesh mounted tile patterns to create jobsite efficiency with our tile patterns.

What are you binge watching right now?

So Help Me Todd, Season 1.

What’s the coolest thing you have done since the pandemic hit?

Reestablished my work as a mosaic artist with Mercedes Austin Art, and built the sister brand Mosaic Candy Shop alongside leading Mercury Mosaics being a steadily performing company.

What has this experience taught you?

As a creative, you can both embrace the business and the artistry side of your work. You don’t have to be one or the other.

Favorite comfort food?

Red Grapes & Truffle Potato Chips.

Best advice you ever received?

“Find something you’re passionate about and stay tremendously interested in it.” — Julia Child

Biggest influence in your life?

My husband. He has taught me that it’s okay to be me and that it’s important to take care of myself. In the early years of Mercury Mosaics, I slept in our shipping department two nights a week just to “keep the train in motion.” I was an emotional wreck. Although I thought I was “hacking the matrix and saving time,” I was really wasting time, making irrational decisions and damaging my well-being.

Today, with self-care, I’m a much more effective leader and as we’ve all learned in the last few years, personal well-being is more important than ever.

What trait do you most admire?

Willingness to learn. I respect people who can see a vision and not be afraid to get out there and build toward it, learning along the way, communicating, collaborating, failing and continuing until they have reached the vision.

What advice would you give your younger self?

Don’t try to get everyone’s approval. It’ll never happen. If you stay true to yourself, your sense of who you are is key. Dignity is worth far more than outside sources and fuels the peace of mind you’ve been seeking. You’ll eventually surround yourself with like-hearted people and things work out better than you were even anticipating.

Trust in yourself. Be kind. Do the most good. Keep coloring on walls and use tiles instead of markers.