I had the pleasure of attending another ASID/IIDA Wisconsin Interior Design Student Career Day this past Friday at American Family Insurance. The committee created a great schedule of presentations and activities to inspire students and prepare them for their professional careers.

Aga Artka and I teamed up for a presentation titled “Who Are You?” We gave students a structure for developing an “elevator speech” and tried to get them to think “out-of-the-box” in terms of what they can offer a future employer. Every designer needs to understand they bring more to the table than a design degree and design-related experience. It is their other unique skills and characteristics that will set them apart from the competition. And if you have a few minutes with a new contact, how are you going to communicate that? What can you say to someone that will make a good first impression and leave a lasting impression?

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Aga Artka and I headed to the University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point (my alma mater) today to continue our classroom tour. It was good to be back “home.” I enjoyed every minute of my Pointer education and hope we we were able to inspire some soon to be graduates.

Kudos to Amy Bourassa, Kaitlin Wolfe, Ella Frances Horner, and Ashley Hanseter for already reaching out to me via LinkedIn. Good luck building your network!

Aga Artka and I are on the school circuit sharing our experiences and motivating interior design students to take charge of their careers. A design degree provides a great foundation for professional success.

Embrace the knowledge you are gaining in the classroom, be proud of your past experiences, recognize your strengths, let your passions guide you, and grab hold of your future.

See highlights of our presentation to design students at Waukesha County Technical College in Waukesha, Wisconsin.

I have said it once, and I will say it again…come to the 6th Annual Milwaukee Fine Furnishings & Fine Craft Show September 30th - October 2nd at The Garage at the Harley-Davidson Museum. Support furniture, art and accessories that are Made in America. Meet talented craftsmen. Learn the unique story behind each piece of furniture. Have fun, look around, and maybe buy a piece or two…or make a connection with someone who can make the perfect something for your home.

Join us!

I hope to see you there!

Happy 2011 everyone! It is hard to believe we are tackling another year–the fear and excitement of what the future holds, the planning and organizing, the resolve to be better, stronger, faster, smarter, and healthier.

With this new year I continue to get used to my new name and hope my network will ease into the change as well. I got married in August 2010 and am now Jenny Schrank. While the business name remains Jenny S. Rebholz, LLC, you will see Schrank gaining momentum as I network under my new name. Rebholz or Schrank, the knowledge and expertise remains the same. The services and sparkling personality are alive and well too!

I hope to help my existing clients meet and exceed their business goals, reach out to new clients, and find new ways to share my knowledge this year.

Whatever your goals or resolutions may be, I offer my best wishes to all in 2011!

It’s Monday, and I am already looking forward to the weekend. This Friday is Milwaukee’s summer Gallery Night. It is one of my favorite events, and two of my favorite artists make a trip out on the town well worth it. Jennifer Espenscheid / The Soma Gallery and Jeremy Shamrowicz / Flux Design come together for a collaborative show: SomaFlux - Provocative to the Core - on the second floor of Swig (217 N. Broadway). Visit www.thesomagallery.com and www.thinkflux.com to learn more about my creative colleagues and be sure to stop by Friday night.

If your summer schedule is already full and you want a sneak peek, then stop by Swig this Wednesday, July 21st from 5:30-8:30 pm - The complete Gallery of SomaFlux work will be viewable @ www.thesomagallery.com after the party.

Keep an eye out for the 5th Annual Milwaukee Fine Furnishings & Fine Craft Show brochure on Gallery Night - the show comes to the Harley-Davidson Museum (at The Garage) October 2 & 3. It is another chance for you to see work from The Soma Gallery, Flux and many other talented artisans - www.finefurnishingsshow.com

When it comes to creative professions, you spend so much time being creative for others and focusing on their marketing efforts, you don’t always leave time for yourself. So, when you take the time to update your own materials and focus on your marketing efforts… you deserve a little pat on the back.

Tricia Shay of Tricia Shay Photography  - www.shayphoto.com - has an updated website and has joined the blogging world. So, if you haven’t been to her site in awhile or are not familiar with her work, check it out. Happy Blogging Tricia!

And then there is my friend, and the creator of my brand, Suzy Rohan. From Milwaukee to New York to Chicago, Suzy has been an entrepreneur long in the making. She has finally made the leap. From graphics to photography, she has an array of creative services to offer - www.lilyreddesigns.com. And of course she has a blog too… lilyredlife.blogspot.com. Best of Luck Suzy!

Who are your Creative Colleagues? Feel free to share them with us.

Julie Weber debuted her Confessions of an Interior Designer here at www.jennyrebholz.com.

Thank you Julie!

And while you will be able to follow her job search adventures and other words of wisdom on my site, you can also go direct to the source and blog with her at http://jewliweb.wordpress.com/.

Week 5: Stop Over-thinking the Outfit!

A woman always knows when not to go shopping. When she is broke, when she is bloated, or when she is having a bad hair day (nothing looks good when your hair looks horrendous). So, of course, two days before my first ‘post employment’ interview, I started to freak out about what to wear and decided… broke, bloated and while having a bad hair day, to go shopping.

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