Rachel Shelmerdine - The Design Industry Whisperer.
- Isobel Arden
- Apr 14
- 5 min read
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Meet Rachel Shelmerdine.
In this interview, Mark invited Rachel Shelmerdine to create her own fantasy cultural year from the answers to some easy questions where there are no wrong answers. Enjoy her journey below.
Rachel Shelmerdine is a highly respected business advisor, leadership coach and trusted confidante to senior creative leaders and design businesses.
With more than 25 years immersed in the design industry, she has developed an exceptional instinct for understanding the dynamics, pressures and unspoken complexities that shape creative organisations and the people who lead them.
Rachel works predominantly with design firms, helping founders, senior leaders and teams navigate periods of growth, transition, challenge and change.
Whether supporting leaders who need to pivot quickly, strengthening fractured team dynamics, improving communication and trust, or helping creative businesses unlock their full potential, she is known for bringing clarity, stability and forward momentum to even the most complex situations.
Her clients value her rare ability to quickly identify the deeper forces affecting individuals, teams and organisations. Years of experience within the creative sector have given her a profound understanding of the culture, mindset and emotional realities of creative leadership. This allows her to cut through confusion, resolve tensions and help leaders and teams regain confidence, focus and direction with remarkable speed.
Alongside her work with businesses and leadership teams, Rachel also coaches senior creative individuals seeking greater confidence, stronger leadership presence, clearer career direction or support in navigating significant professional change. Her approach combines honesty, insight, strategic thinking and deep care for the people she works with.
Clients often describe Rachel as a catalyst for positive transformation — someone who creates immediate relief, renewed energy and lasting change. She is valued not only for her strategic insight and lived experience, but also for her unwavering commitment to helping creative people and businesses thrive.
Rachel’s work is rooted in real-world understanding rather than theory or jargon. She is known for giving practical, trusted advice with authenticity, directness and empathy — qualities that have led many clients to rely on her guidance for decades.
At the heart of Rachel’s work is a deep belief in the creative industries and the extraordinary people who shape them. Helping creative leaders and businesses become the very best version of themselves is not simply her profession — it is her vocation.
Rachel Shelmerdine's Fantasy Cultural Year ... with a magic wand and time machine to hand.
Mark introduced the idea of a “fantasy cultural year” - a way to get to know each new full member that's far more spontaneous than a traditional interview — allowing imagination, travel, culture and Rachel's creative vision to collide.
Rachel Shelmerdine’s journey begins not in her favourite place, but with her favourite building: the Minnesota State Capitol.
In this imagined moment, she’s sitting outside the Capitol on a warm June evening with a Negroni in hand, reading Room at the Top by John Braine—a sharp, post-war story of ambition and moral compromise (later adapted into a film starring Laurence Harvey). In her headphones? The hauntingly beautiful “She Remembers” by Max Richter, whose modern classical sound she’s recently discovered and fallen for.
First stop: South America
Rachel heads to Patagonia—a long-held dream. She’s drawn to the raw beauty of Argentina and Chile, and the sense that their design cultures deserve more global recognition. She imagines a slow, scenic journey—ideally by train—ending in Buenos Aires.
While travelling, she commits to a year of listening to just one genre: jazz—specifically the cool, expansive sounds of Miles Davis and his era.
In Buenos Aires, she’s treated to an unforgettable evening: a raw, authentic flamenco performance reminiscent of 1920s Spain—intense, rhythmic, and deeply emotional. Afterwards, despite being in Argentina, she cheekily opts for Italian cuisine—her favourite—ordering a seafood risotto.
Next: Italy
Inspired by that meal (and her love of all things Italian), Rachel flies to Venice. With personal ties to the country—having lived in Siena—Italy feels like home. Here, her cultural pick is sport: a thrilling match of Hurling, featuring a visiting Cork hurling team—a nod to her Irish heritage and the sport’s exhilarating intensity.
Then: Norway
She ventures north to the dramatic Lofoten Islands, fascinated by Norway’s reputation for happiness and its stark natural beauty. Here, she explores a futuristic gallery experience, stepping inside the world of Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec—immersing herself in the lively, slightly seedy atmosphere of Parisian nightlife, complete with visions of the Moulin Rouge and a hint of absinthe.
Back to London for a cultural week:
Armed with a time machine, Rachel curates her perfect lineup:
Concert: Early-to-mid 1970s Fleetwood Mac, during the era of Stevie Nicks.
Play: Equus by Peter Shaffer—ideally its original, shocking 1970s run (famously revived later by Daniel Radcliffe).
Musical: The Producers by Mel Brooks—a riotously funny favourite.
Opera: Madama Butterfly—a long-time wish.
Film: A classic Tit for Tat starring Laurel and Hardy—timeless, perfectly paced comedy.
She also fondly references Blazing Saddles and High Anxiety, praising Mel Brooks’ genius and the brilliance of Madeline Kahn.
Finale: Hero lunch
Back in London, Rachel’s ultimate companion is Andrew Graham-Dixon—her long-time intellectual crush. Bonding over shared passions like Caravaggio and Sicily (where she once lived), she imagines them as a kind of art-world power couple—perhaps a more moderate version of Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor.
Alchemy Inside website
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Mark Walmsley FRSA FCIM AGSM
Chief Culture Vulture
Arts & Culture Network
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