Mahshed, Woman of Influence
Mahshed, owner of PaperOcelot Studios, is a brilliant business woman who has cultivated an expansive clientele from across the globe. She is an absolute delight to collaborate with and champions other entrepreneurs. Mahshed has created a beautiful, distinctive, flourishing business in Saskatoon.
On the process of discovering and refining her craft…
This is a tough one, because I feel like I’ve been discovering and refining my craft my whole life -and I’m still discovering and refining it to this day. With every new project and client, I learn something new about what I’m capable of and find a new process or material that I love. I get hyper focused and want to try all the forms of creative expression. I find it's helped me to create the best possible product for my clients, but most importantly it has connected me with the artisans & small business owners that I work with. I have a better understanding of what goes into their process and have an appreciation for their skill & craft.
Mahshed has created a niche brand of handmade, custom designed stationery. They are thoughtful, infinitely crafted and reveal a desire for personal connection in a world of automation.
Why did the words “You can’t sell wedding stationery.” push you to change a hobby into a business?
I feel like so many of my life's major moments have been because someone told me I can’t do something. “You can’t go to art school” “you can’t be a designer” “you can’t keep switching your focus” “you can’t have your own business” “you can’t sell wedding stationery”. It’s almost like a magic word that unlocks something inside me, flicks a switch, fuels a fire. Makes me want to try harder, do my best and see how far I can go. That was the magic spell for me “You can’t sell wedding stationery” because it really made me evaluate why I was being told that. Was it because my work wasn’t good enough, was it because I wasn’t good enough? Or was there something more to it, something worth uncovering.
Shifting from the corporate world to entrepreneurship, how has this supported your mental health and wellness?
One of the things that fills me with joy when working with couples or entrepreneurs is the love I see for each other or their business. That love is lost in the corporate world. And I didn’t realize that I needed to have that in my clients until I stopped working for a corporation. Working with passionate people fuels and inspires me. When I meet a couple who are so in love or a small business owner who is so passionate about what they do - this gives me life. I could spend all the late nights creating for them and never work a day!
Mahshed has a unique strategy when it comes to social media. She does not follow the rule of putting herself front and center yet she has had overwhelming success.
Her philosophy for online…
This is always difficult, social media really puts pressure on us to put ourselves out there. To put yourself on stage, to be your brand is what we are told is the key to social media success. It's a tough one, but for me, I’ve always strived to create the best work I can so when people see it, the first impression is “wow, that’s a strong piece of work” and then second is “oh, that’s a PaperOcelot piece”. My brand is also the people and business I work with. I want my couples and my clients to be the stars of the show. I want their story, translated through my work, to be center stage. I am most active on social media when I’m uplifting others, cheering them on or celebrating their wedding.
What is the one word you want people to grasp when they think of you?
I’ve heard “hard-working” or “creative”, but it doesn’t feel like me, I don’t feel like I deserve those words.
But “relentless” fills me with emotion, it makes me think about all those times that I was determined to fight on and not give up despite all that was against me. Even though the word can sound harsh sometimes, it also sounds powerful and it fills me with strength. I want people to feel that when they think of me and my work and I hope it can fill them with strength too.
We would love for you to support Mahshed and here’s where you can find this incredibly talented woman.
