In ELLE.com’s month-to-month sequence Workplace Hours, we ask individuals in highly effective positions to take us by their first jobs, worst jobs, and every little thing in between. This month we spoke to actress, mannequin, entrepreneur, and mom of two Shay Mitchell, who is just not solely celebrating 5 years of her journey model Béis, however a just-launched youngsters assortment. (Béis interprets to “beige,” after a beige bag Mitchell used to journey with.) “It actually is my first child,” she tells ELLE.com of her firm, which focuses on practical baggage. “Each single element, from the design to the fashions we guide for our advert campaigns, I oversee.” It’s exhausting to consider she nonetheless has time to run her tequila seltzer model, Onda, too. Right here, Mitchell talks variety in Hollywood, what’s all the time in her bag, and why Drake is her secret fan.
My first job
I labored at a café in Vancouver known as Coco Loco. They served sandwiches and occasional, and I may by no means work out the way to get the rattling espresso machine to work—it was this elaborate Italian espresso maker and I all the time messed it up. I believe my wage was $7 or $eight an hour. I’m nonetheless scarred from that have. Folks would are available in with the craziest espresso orders. Now, my order is tremendous easy as a result of I understand how exhausting it’s for the baristas.
My worst job
Bottle service. I hated it. It wasn’t the job as a lot because the scenario—navigating crowds, coping with actually troublesome prospects after they’re intoxicated, and so forth.—however the cash was superb. You’d go away with nice ideas, however you by no means knew what you have been entering into on any given night time.
On variety in Hollywood
I bear in mind getting the audition for Fairly Little Liars, and the character of Emily within the guide had strawberry blonde hair with freckles and a very reasonable complexion. After I first booked the half, everyone was like, “What? You don’t appear to be the woman subsequent door.” However I believe, nowadays, I am the woman subsequent door. That didn’t deter me again then. I used to be going to go for it regardless, as a result of I didn’t wish to look again with regrets.
How I transitioned out of the leisure business
There was all the time a whole lot of downtime on the Fairly Little Liars set whereas I waited for the following scene, so I began a weblog, which stored me busy between takes. From there, I wrote a guide. After which, throughout our breaks from filming, I might journey, so I created a YouTube channel that documented my journeys. When Shaycations took off, my pals would always ask me for suggestions and packing recommendation.
The ability of self-documenting
I used to be all the time that woman with the digicam. Like, on the membership, I’d have the digital digicam. I’ve means too many images on my cellphone and on my laptop computer. Documenting has all the time been essential to me, in order that I can bear in mind the expertise and share it with others, to allow them to go and expertise it too. It felt egocentric to do in any other case. I used to be like, that is too good to only preserve to myself. My journey to India remains to be considered one of my finest items of content material.
Why I began Béis
I’ve all the time recognized that there was an entrepreneurial aspect to me, and I all the time needed to get into enterprise, however I had by no means been to high school. I’ve had experiences with baggage the place wheels would fall off and I’d get offended at myself for not spending extra money to get a greater bag. After I knew it was time to start out my very own firm, I observed there was an enormous hole out there: you both had tremendous costly firms with loopy luggage that weren’t even practical, and on the opposite aspect of the spectrum, you had reasonably priced luggage that have been ugly and never well-made.
Principally, I needed a line of reasonably priced luggage that had all of the perform I may dream up and look actually good on the similar time. The worth was actually essential to me, as a result of I understand how costly touring is—I don’t need the luggage to interrupt the financial institution since you ought to be capable of spend that cash on the experiences you’ve gotten. It’s an on-the-go model, whether or not you’re occurring a hike, to the fitness center, or to the grocery retailer. I wish to present completely different equipment for all of these various things, so everybody can have the bag that makes them really feel at house after they’re not at house.
What’s all the time in my bag
My cosmetics case for on-the-go touchups. After I’m touring, I take advantage of our recyclable tote due to the performance—sure compartments simply make every little thing really easy. I do know precisely the place my passport is and precisely the place I put my snacks and water bottle.
Greatest profession recommendation I’ve ever obtained
Work with people who find themselves smarter than you. My complete motto in life is “I’ve this one life. What do I wish to do?” I by no means wish to look again and want I had achieved one thing. So whatever the expertise or lack of expertise I’ve when it comes to design, enterprise advertising, all of it, I simply needed to [launch Béis]. I introduced individuals onto my crew that have been smarter than me and had far more expertise and have been specialists in their very own fields. That’s one thing I’ve by no means been afraid to do.
How I steadiness work and household
I take time to myself as a result of I’ve an unimaginable crew round me. There’s no means I may do what I do with out the assistance of individuals—every little thing from childcare to my crew, my publicist, my agent. I owe all of it to them.
Most stunning Onda fan
My primary buyer is Drake—and it has nothing to do with me. He discovered it on his personal and pays for it, will get it delivered, and travels with it. He has Onda on him always!
This interview has been edited and condensed.
Deputy Editor
Claire Stern is the Deputy Editor of ELLE.com. Beforehand, she served as Editor at Bergdorf Goodman. Her pursuits embody vogue, meals, journey, music, Peloton, and The Hills—not essentially in that order. She used to have a Harriet the Spy pocket book and isn’t ashamed to confess it.
