Catching up with… Mercury Mosaics’ Mercedes Austin
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.
Catching up with … Harrison Contracting’s Sharon Milton
The Director of Facility Maintenance for Harrison Contracting muses on the best time to get things done, the craziest thing that she has ever heard about on a jobsite and the trait she admires most. What’s the most cherished item in your office? My husband
Catching up with… Lido Lighting’s Yvette Ludwig
The Vice President of National Accounts on the power of patience, getting things done and why “Miami Vice” is still the best binge-watching going right now. What is the most cherished item in your office? Our dog, Holly. She has a giant dog bed in
Catching up with… Scheiner Commercial Group’s Lisa Macneir
The Director of Business Development muses on her perfect workday, the shows you need to binge-watch now and why it’s important to see where the road leads you. What’s the most cherished item in your office? Our new Jura coffee maker (don’t try one, you
Catching up with… Bureau Veritas’ Lynelle Grimes
The Senior Vice President of Bureau Veritas talks about the importance of measuring, capturing and documenting everything, the beauty of staycations and why it is always best to stay in the moment. What’s the most cherished item in your office? My extra-large computer monitors. I
Catching up with… Cuhaci Peterson’s Jade Nunes
The Regional Manager of Business Development for Cuhaci Peterson talks about the most cherished item in her office, a typical day and the best advice she ever received. What’s the most cherished item in your office? I have a University of Arizona branded Hard Hat
Conversation with Zebra’s Amie Tesler
The Director of Business Development for Zebra on the power of ’80s music, the beauty of New York City and why day skiing should be a required duty. What’s the most cherished item in your office? My coffee mug. I think that’s pretty self-explanatory. What’s
Our conversation with Collaborative Design Strategies’ Cynthia Hirsch Ortiz
The founder of Collaborative Design Strategies on the power of caffeine, beating cancer and why one of the joys of life is to never stop learning. What’s the most cherished item in your office? My wedding picture and the baby photo of my son. It
Sitting down with.. Rogue Architects’ Greg Mooney
The Director of Business Development muses about life as a St. Louis sports fan, his favorite time of day to get things done, and why dealing with your mistakes (and failing) makes you a better person. What is the most cherished item in your office?
Sitting down with Triad Retail Construction’s Donna Coneley
The VP of Business Development for Triad Retail Construction on her favorite time to get things done, why the “Golf Channel” is the perfect background noise, and why if it’s rock n roll, it has to be the Rolling Stones. What’s the most cherished item
Sitting down with… H2 Hospitality Group Sean Holmes
The President of H2 Hospitality Group talks about the best Irish coffee and radio station, what a typical day looks like and that time he had to help remove a “sleep walking” naked political figure from the lobby of a hotel. What’s the most cherished
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