We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Kelly Lockwood Padgett a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Kelly, thank you so much for joining us. You are such a positive person and it’s something we really admire and so we wanted to start by asking you where you think your optimism comes from?
It’s not easy to wake up happy everyday, to stay positive, if I’m being truthful. With everything that comes with owning your own business compounded with the weight of the world and life’s curve balls, it can be really easy to forget optimism and go back to bed. And some days that’s exactly what I need to do – go back to bed. However, I don’t stay there long. I give myself the breaks I need and then remind myself of the incredible, wonderful, beautiful life that I’ve been lucky enough to create.
My thought lately is that as long as most of my days are filled with joy rather than focusing on the negative, I’m winning. I work on my optimism everyday by finding the little things that bring me joy. Whether it’s walking the dogs around the neighborhood, going out of the way to get a really delicious latte downtown, or wearing my favorite lipstick in my bathrobe while I design my ideal bathroom space – whatever it is – I really try to incorporate what makes me unique and happy in everything I do. At the moment a lot of my happiness happens to come from my job creating wonderfully unique ideas and bringing them to life for my clients.
I read somewhere that the key to finding a job that you love is to do the thing that you would do for free and I firmly believe in this. I still take on projects that inspire me even if they’re not necessarily the most profitable because they not only fill my soul creatively, but it’s my way to give back a bit and do what I love. I like to think I can spread my joy that way, even if it’s on a small scale.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
My company is called Wood & Locks. Having launched in 2021, my team and I have been working with clients, agencies and brands across the world bringing to life captivating moments of joy. Broad statement, I know. We’re a collection of “MacGyvers”, a space where creative problem solvers and designers come together to help forge deeper connections. Maybe someone wants to make their tiny home dreams a reality or maybe a brand is launching a new product and want to make a statement for their customers. Regardless of the ask, every design has a story to tell and our collection of craftspeople is the creative quill, so to speak.
This past year has had a lot of firsts from reviving a vintage truck for Amazon’s Arlington headquarter’s Banana Stand, to a Jetson-inspired airstream camper at Burning Man. Our wheel house is vast and because of that, we believe there is a solution to every problem. You want a limousine that has a flame thrower in the front and a hot tub in the back? Sure thing. One-of-a-kind sustainable tiny house to live off grid? You got it. We love the beautiful and the weird, because, well, we are too. So as we move into another turn around the sun, we’re excited to continue to push the boundaries of what is possible.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
When in doubt I try to follow these three guidelines: 1) Find my North Star, 2) Listen to my gut and, 3) Never stop learning.
Every New Year I sit and think about my North Star, the guiding light that keeps me grounded and excited for the coming months. Taking the time to reflect on where I’ve been, what I’ve accomplished, however big or small, and the lessons I’ve learned from mistakes along the way, all help me focus on what I truly want for the upcoming year. This is a practice I’ve incorporated and highly recommend for anyone looking to continue growing, learning and reevaluating. It’s important to recognize the journey, from all directions, and to not be so hard on yourself when things don’t go as planned. The map may change as life has its unexpected moments, but as long as I maintain connection with my North Star, I know I can’t go wrong. Find your direction and hold on to it not matter the obstacles – there’s always a work around, even if it you get lost along the way.
Secondly, as a recovering people pleaser I have countless moments I look back on where I knew I wasn’t make the right move, that I wasn’t listening to my gut. For whatever reason I lived like this for awhile and ignored my intuition by saying yes to situations that did not serve me. It was a complete game changer when I realized this and was fed up with always pleasing others instead of putting myself first. If your gut is telling you something is off and it doesn’t feel right, listen to it. It’s never wrong.
And lastly, if you stop learning, you stop growing. The world is vast and forever changing. Don’t be the one that gets left behind because you refuse to change. You can do this.
Who is your ideal client or what sort of characteristics would make someone an ideal client for you?
I would love to have a client that has a brick and mortar space, a pension for sustainability and a creative flare for pushing the envelope; Ideally we would have a blank canvas where we can manifest together a creative moment which my client can grow into and live at their highest vibration.
For instance, an old carriage house turned loft with space for creation and congregation would be an incredible opportunity I would throw my entire heart and soul into. Maybe I’m that client, who knows? Perhaps I design my own studio and live-in space this year? What I do know is that this year will take me into the new and exciting on-of-a-kind projects and I can’t wait to see how that unfolds.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://woodandlocks.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/woodandlocks/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wood-locks/
Image Credits
Oceans & Pines Photography, Toastworthy, The Buzz Gypsy Wandering Bar
