Meet Cindy Aviles

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Cindy Aviles a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Cindy, we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.
My passion for design began during my upbringing alongside my grandfather, a multifaceted artist -poet, singer, painter and sculptor. His unique sandblasting technique over glass adorned the grandest buildings and homes for 50 years, proudly serving Panama’s design community. My mother, an Interior Designer, and another influential figure in my life, mastered my grandfather’s sandblasting technique. She reimagined and modernized ways to showcase her art and craftmanship in spaces across Ecuador and Panama and I was always around, enjoying her creativity.
My journey began with the study of Architecture in my birthplace, Ecuador, fueled by a fascination with the world of construction. Intrigued by urbanism, my initial goal was to contribute as an urban planner, making communities more attractive. Upon moving to Miami in 2000, my studies expanded to include Interior Design, driven by a deep-seated interest in spaces and aesthetics and their impact on our lives.
In 2014, I ventured into the world of high-end mobiliary, lighting and accessories as an independent procurement agent for international clients. This was where I found my calling. In 2015 I joined a multinational group as an architectural sales agent for construction and remodeling finishes, this was an amazing experience for me in the corporate world & one I will cherish for years to come. Those wonderful seven years allowed me to contribute to major projects, from luxury homes to high -rise buildings and hotels. The experience was both enriching and rewarding, connecting me with amazing trade professionals and helping them bring their visions to life.

Along the way, after a period of self-awareness while overpassing a very difficult moment in my life, my dream took root – the vision of my own company, I had so much more to give, to create, to design. In January 2023, I felt it was time and with the support from my family, my husband and wonderful boys I founded Blue, a studio offering multiple design services.

During my last years at the corporate world, I also discovered that creating happy moments for others brought me joy. I’ve always liked to entertain, so I started doing some experimental marketing, creative events and workshops with great success but most importantly, my own satisfaction. I knew I wanted to do more of this and be able to use my knowledge and experience to promote products for different companies in a creative manner, therefore, when I launched my studio, I called it: BLUE DESIGN & CREATIVE SERVICES.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I consider myself a dreamer, an enthusiastic, and this period of my life I call it, my DO IT ALL! period. When I launched my studio, multiple opportunities knocked on my door, I didn’t know where I was going so I took them all.
At this moment I am running an Interior Design business, taking mainly residential projects and enjoying every experience. At the same time, I represent an artistic line of custom rugs, founded by a very talented artist and friend. I am in charge of developing design concepts with her for interior designers in Miami and being a liaison between the brand and the trade. I chose to represent this product because of the passion behind, the craftmanship and to keep my connections with the trade alive. Besides these two rolls, I am collaborating with an architectural magazine in the development of a revolutionary platform for the trade, this opportunity has taken me to amazing projects and to meet incredible professionals in the industry. I am forever grateful I was able to jump into this project at a very early stage because the forecast is really promising, it is called The Architectural Authority magazine, and you will know more very soon.
I am exhausted already, and we are still not finished lol! I am also doing creative workshop for the trade when time allows me, i have put together a unique format and methodology and offer my services to brands I truly connect with.
My other personal project is the formation of a community of interior designers, during the past fifteen months I’ve been actively creating learning sessions & recreational activities for a group of entrepreneurs in the design industry that I proudly call COLLAB GIRLS. The mission of this group of professionals is to support each other, network, grow together and give back to the community through community service. On October 2023 we started the renovation of Live Like Bella Childhood Cancer foundation. This collaborative pro-bono project has been the best experience of my career. Our goal is to have at least one collab project a year & help others cheer up through renovated spaces utilizing our interior design skills, individual talents and strong connections.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Besides my passion for design and artistic background. I am forever grateful of the knowledge acquired during my years as an architectural sales agent for the A&D community. I took the role seriously and attended every training with the purpose of becoming an expert. I became very knowledgeable of the different products and services we provided that gave me a tremendous advantage and confidence when I jumped into the entrepreneurial world and started managing my own projects. Also, most of my previous experiences have been managing important client relationships. I connected with top personalities of the industry at different times and cultivated wonderful friendships. I consider that one of my strengths, I love to develop long term relationships, close deals, design sales & marketing strategies, I really enjoy doing presentations to explain technical information. All of these skills that now come natural to me were super scary eight or nine years ago. So, I feel confident that when I made my decision of flying solo, I was fully trained and ready!

My advice to those who are starting their journey to where they want to be, is to never stop learning, to always look for new information, to keep yourself current & to find ways to stay motivated. Mentors, exercise, books, all of these will keep you away from procrastination and add value to your career. Always move out of your comfort zone. The road is not easy but when you are focused, you will accomplish your goals and be really proud that you never gave up!

Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?
COLLABORATION ABOVE COMPETITION, this is my motto! and YES, I am always looking for folks that would like to COLLAB. I founded a non-profit organization dedicated to do pro bono activities.

COLLAB GIRLS Design Community is a collective of talented interior designers committed to giving back through community service.

Gary Chapman wisely noted, “Each person has the potential to make a positive impact on the world. It all depends on what you do with what you have”. I believe in the transformative power of design to create a positive change in our communities.

By transforming spaces, we can touch lives and most of the time for the better. Envision the joy a child feels entering a hospital room adorned with love – using color, fabrics, murals, and more to momentarily replace pain with a smile and a sense of hope.

I am fortunate to have many talented friends in the design community who’ve joined me in this mission. Together, we are confident we will achieve incredible things and positively influence countless lives.

I extend an invitation to anyone in the design community interested in joining us on any of our collaborative projects, whether you’re an Interior Designer or Supplier. There’s always an opportunity to contribute. Let’s COLLAB for a good cause.

Contact Info:

Image Credits
Photography & Videography AJ Torres Lens®

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