In this installment of our Women's History Month series, we decided to feature the team members who work behind the scenes. Through their answers, we hope you learn more about the collaboration and creativity that is at the heart of Rottet Studio's success, and how these two women work together to facilitate a path forward.Melody is the Executive Assistant to Lauren Rottet and has fourteen years of experience in office management and streamlining business operations. She was heavily involved in all aspects of the DMJM Rottet transition to Rottet Studio and now wears many hats assisting with the company's branding, public relations, accounting and business development initiatives.Ruthie is the Marketing Assistant and one of the newest additions to the Rottet Studio team. She recently graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Johns Hopkins University, where she earned her Bachelor's degree in English. Prior to joining Rottet Studio, she held internships in finance, fashion and publishing where she honed her strong visual and written communication skills.Describe the Rottet Studio brand. How has it evolved over the years and what direction would you like to see it go next?Melody: The Rottet Studio brand is highly respected and understood to be one of the leaders in our industry. Lauren has worked tirelessly to ensure that her unique brand is scalable to expand into new market verticals. For example, in 2008, Rottet Studio expanded into hospitality after previously only working in the corporate space. Again, in 2012, she pushed the envelope and pursued hospitality by river and ocean with Viking Cruises. For the foreseeable future, I would love to see Rottet Studio taking it 40,000 feet in the air and beyond!What is your favorite part of your job?Melody: Well, there’s never a dull moment, that’s for sure! I love to solve very difficult challenges that are daunting and almost impossible - it's like figuring out an intricate puzzle. Although I have countless moments I am proud of, my biggest accomplishment was the launch of Rottet Studio with Lauren Rottet. I played a vital role in helping her company come to life. Sometimes I think back on it and wonder how on earth I did it. I was very young and eager! Without Lauren's trust and confidence in me, I wouldn't have had the opportunity to make such an impact on the company's success.Ruthie: I love how creative I get to be, and that my job description continues to evolve with each project and challenge. I feel like I'm constantly operating on two different levels. On one hand, I’m involved in marketing strategy and brand direction which requires higher-level, “big picture” design thinking and pushes me to find new ways to innovate. On the other hand, I’m also responsible for taking ownership for these projects from end-to-end – designing and writing new collateral, and coordinating with vendors on all the details from start to finish. At this stage in my career, it’s truly rare to be able to propose solutions that I believe in, and then have the resources to execute them and watch them come to life.How has your experience in a creative environment shaped how you work today? Though you don’t work in a design capacity at Rottet Studio, do you still find opportunities to be creative in your role? How so?Melody: By working so closely, Lauren and I have created a bond that exemplifies the three I's: instinctive, intuitive and imaginative, which translates into creative ideas. In my role as troubleshooter and problem solver, I enjoy operating at my highest levels of creativity. Constantly I am given opportunities to develop creative solutions to complex challenges like finding one date, one hour, for 10 executives and making it happen. On a broader level, my role is not only about keeping track of a million moving parts, but also being able to envision where Rottet Studio is headed, the most efficient way to achieve those milestones, and what it's going to look like when we arrive. It's not about being two steps ahead, it's about being a mile ahead and knowing when to take a right!What's the best piece of career advice you've received?Melody: Look into your heart and see what it is that makes you happy. Always ask for increasing responsibilities and help drive the mission of a company forward. It is my goal to add value and contribute to the bottom line. Never be intimidated, think and act like a business owner and entrepreneur.Ruthie: The best advice I ever received was during my internship in the Executive Office at Goldman Sachs. A member of the Management Committee, who was speaking to a small group of associates, said:"I know many of you are concerned with the question of work/life balance. It doesn't exist, so you can all stop worrying about it. What does exist, however, is your short sacred list of priorities for yourself and your life. Nobody on the planet can tell you what your priorities are or how to order them - they're yours, and you don't have to defend or justify them. On the other hand, the consequences are also yours. If you're expecting someone else to police them for you, you will suffer. Always enforce your own priorities, and own their consequences."What would you tell your younger self?Melody: I would tell my younger self to prepare for the challenges you will undoubtedly face. Don't be afraid to come up with your own ideas. Learn to accept constructive feedback and learn from your mistakes. Look for a mentor and listen to their advice. Be patient with others, honest with yourself and drive your own path to success. Lastly, buckle up and enjoy the ride. There are so many wonderful things to learn in this industry. Embrace the metamorphosis to the new, worldly woman you will become.Ruthie: “Busy” is not always better. Resist the urge to fall into a pattern of talking about how busy you are or how much work you have to do. You don’t get brownie points for failing to juggle the basic demands of daily life, be it as a student or a professional. From here on out, your workload and the time pressures associated with it will only increase, and your decisions will impact more and more people. Your greatest asset is remaining calm and focused in moments of crisis, so don’t let people see you sweat.How has your transition from school to full-time employment been? If Rottet Studio is your first full-time employer, what are some unexpected challenges and rewards that you’ve experienced in your first job?Ruthie: Honestly, the most important and surprising lesson I’ve learned since graduating last May is that there’s so much that I still don’t know – and that’s a good thing! Learning should continue even - and especially - after your formal education ends. A college diploma doesn’t necessarily or automatically confer the skills that you need to succeed in a work environment, like communicating clearly to multiple stakeholders or managing competing deadlines and expectations.The first step in filling those knowledge gaps is having the self-awareness and humility to admit what you don’t know. Even though I’ve only been with Rottet Studio for six months, I feel like I’ve already learned so much about so many different focus areas – not just in architecture, but art history, design theory, business development, photography, and event management, as well.What does diversity in leadership mean to you?Ruthie: Diversity has become a buzzword that a lot of businesses advocate in theory but not in practice. To me, diversity encompasses the broadest swath of experiences that one can identify with - race, gender, and ethnicity, as well as diversity of thought and background. So many workplaces fail to recruit and retain a diverse employee base, which is often reflected in a lack of diversity in senior level management. Luckily, we don’t have that problem at Rottet Studio. As a young minority woman, it’s incredibly empowering for me to work in an office that mirrors the communities that it serves, especially at the highest levels of the organization.Mentorship is crucial to professional success and longevity, but many studies have shown that women in the workplace are more reluctant to pay it forward and have a harder time finding mentors than men do. Do you think this dynamic holds true in the design industry, as well?Melody: Before my time at Rottet Studio, I worked in home healthcare. I was surrounded by an office full of senior level women who had worked their way up the ladder. These women have played a heavy role in my career growth, more so than I think they know. In my early twenties, it was hugely influential and inspiring for me to be working with these nurturing, successful women who really took me under their wings and saw something in me. They embodied the notion that there are no boundaries, even when you start at the very bottom, and I'm truly grateful that they invested their time and energy in me.Ruthie: I've observed this dynamic in other industries, and it's a shame that some workplaces still allow the middle-school cattiness to permeate their culture. However, I think the collaborative DNA of our company, and the design industry as a whole, fosters mentorship by nature. I feel very fortunate to have had a string of dedicated mentors, male and female, who are invested in my potential to grow. Kyle, the Director of Marketing, has been an incredible mentor. I am beyond grateful that he takes the time to identify and understand my career interests, encourages me to think outside of the box, and defends the value and validity of my ideas. Working in such a positive environment has only reinforced the importance of paying it forward and helping others as a mentor when my time comes.