Team Member Profile: Meet Patrick
This week we are featuring our founder, Patrick Hayes, on the blog to learn a little bit more about who he is, his creative pursuits, and how he sees the world. We deeply value the team that we are creating here at Aberdeen, and find that every individual role in our company matters to the work we are doing.
ON DESIGN//
Q: What is your personal design ethos and how do you carry that through your work?
A: In short, I think my design ethos is simply to create beauty and to share that with the world in a way that reveals the nature of humanity, even in small ways.
Q: Which part of the design + build industry do you see having room for growth?
A: I feel as though contractor’s in our industry need to learn how to actively work to earn trust with clients; it’s on us to approach a project with integrity and be willing to have honest communication throughout the process, even if mistakes arise. Everyone has their own internal barometer of what’s right and wrong and I think contractors must hold ourselves and others accountable. Overall, I believe that we must act in a way that truly pursues people over profit.
Q: How do you remain curious and imaginative throughout each of your projects?
A: It can be difficult at times. Sometimes the best thing I can do for myself is simply to just walk away; to create space between me and a project so that I can come back to it with a clear mind. When I’m in a moment of creative block, it helps to engage in activities that excite me; going to art galleries, making something for the sake of it, thumbing through design magazines; giving myself space to realign to my own creativity.
Q: What part of the design process do you find most creative in practice?
A: Designing is the easiest language I know how to speak in terms of being creative;
.being able to bring something to life that didn’t formally exist. Creating something from nothing--being able to formulate an idea and then for it to become something tangible oftentimes through collaboration is the most exciting part for me.
Q: How do you marry both concept and execution in your projects?
A: I think that it is often compromise; aesthetic is one element to design but if you’re not creating with functionality and use in mind, aesthetic loses all value. It’s important to understand the constraints and limitations of the project in order to be able to design something that is really going to make a tangible difference.
ON MENTAL HEALTH//
Q: COVID-19 really made us reevaluate how our work lives and personal lives intersect. How do you separate the two and what practices do you implement to keep your mental health at the forefront?
A: That can be a tough one for me; truthfully, not much has changed about the way I work. We have always been a small team so there was some natural flexibility that we had in restructuring our daily lives however it was tricky in that our proximity to each other is crucial to the work being done in our shop. I think I personally struggle balancing it all; I work a lot and have multiple creative ventures, but I’m doing my best to not take work home and to learn how to take care of my own mental health.
Q: Oftentimes in the construction industry, deadlines, scheduling, and coordination can feel very all-consuming and demanding of immediate attention. How do you allow yourself space to move throughout this process in a way that is honoring to your own mental health and also give yourself the permission to remain present to this overall life experience?
A: I think it is crucial to understand what’s truly top priority and pressing at that moment when it comes to managing multiple projects. The tricky part is understanding that everyone’s deadline is important, but also giving yourself space to structure a schedule that is sustainable. It’s really just about being comfortable in the chaos and understanding that all of the work will get done.
Q: Why do you think the stigma behind mental health and work + life balance is just now being reexamined globally and in what ways do you hope to see our world shift in implementing new practices of self-care?
A: As a business owner, I have the responsibility to make space for my team and encourage them to truly take care of themselves, in whatever way that looks for them. I think it’s important to emphasize self-care while also allowing our team and myself to implement consistent mental health practices. Life is a holistic journey, and we have to take care of ourselves.
ON THE LITTLE DETAILS//
Q: What’s your enneagram and how does it resonate with you?
A: I’m a 3, first and foremost. It definitely plays into my difficulty balancing work/life at times. But having that awareness postures me to understand my own translation of success. I can enjoy success and working but it doesn’t have to be my entire identity
Q: Most frequented Nashville restaurant?
A: Locust in 12 South, hands down one of the best
Q: Favorite local music venue?
A: This might be ostracizing to say but--I don’t typically like live music. If I had to choose a venue, I would probably go with the Ryman for the sake of its overall vibe, the history of the building, the acoustics.. I love music, but I do usually skip concerts.
Q: Most Binge-watched show?
A: Friends or Saturday Night Live
Q: Your go-to comfort nostalgia movie?
A: Almost Famous
Q: Something surprising about you?
A: I’m an eagle scout
Q: What could we find you doing on any given Saturday afternoon?
A: Probably working; doing projects for my own house and experimenting with new techniques.
Q: And lastly, tell us something about yourself that you like, and why it’s an important part of who you are and how you exist in the world.
A: I like the fact that I am hard working and have a tenacity for life. I’ m not afraid of a challenge, I’ll take the risk and pursue it relentlessly even if I don’t necessarily have everything planned out. I just need to have the belief in an idea.