Name Kirstin Jackson (Burnet)

AKA Ruaridh Jackson’s Other Half

AGE 28

FROM Aberdeen, Scotland

LIVE Glasgow, Scotland

ALL ABOUT BEING Independent – Creative – Bubbly – Cheeky – Driven

JANE OF WHAT TRADE/S Senior Landscape Architect, Gin Taster, Graphic Designer!

HOW IN THE WORLD DO YOU KEEP UP WITH LIFE Haha this is where I may not appear to be the most supportive rugby wife…! I have always been independent and travelled with uni, work and put my career ahead of my relationship knowing that one day we would be in the same place at the same time. I think Ruaridh is the one who is the dedicated and supportive husband!! Although rugby is a massive part of Ruaridh’s life (and mine!) I try not to let it dictate every aspect of my life as it can change at the drop of a hat. I am super proud of all his achievements and where his career has taken him. 

YOU’RE A GO-GETTER I am lucky having such a fab family, group of friends and work colleagues around me who are really supportive. They believe in me… which in turn makes me believe what I do is worth it!

ROLE I am Chief Gin Taster and the Graphic Guru for the company, making all of our ideas a reality. We are all creative so it is fun being able to bounce ideas off one another. We have some great new ideas – watch this space!!!

FAVOURITE WAY TO ENJOY A DRINK OR TWO I like to start with a large glass, lots of ice and a healthy measure of Garden shed Gin! That usually does the trick.

IDEA-DREAM-REALITY Well! Ruaridh had already moved up to Glasgow and was staying with the Grants until we found our own place. I got a phone call saying that we were going to have a business meeting after dinner as we were going to start making gin. I kind of laughed and thought “yeah good one – here’s the next big idea” but when I moved up, I quickly realised how serious they all were and I had to play catch up. It wasn’t until we had a bottle and we were receiving such good feedback that I believed that we were onto something special! 

CO-FOUNDERS & FRIENDS – CAN YOU SPILL THE DIRT Ha if you knew the kind of conversations we had on a daily basis, you’d understand that the word business partners is massively overshadowed by the word friends!! We all just want to have fun and create something that we can be proud of (but mainly just have fun!).

THEY SAY MORE HANDS MAKES LIGHT WORK Having 4 people with different backgrounds, interests and skills (and opinions!) really helps in creating a successful business! Everyone has their strengths. Luckily, we gel well together from a business point of view and that’s when the magic happens.

WHAT’S ON THE GARDEN SHED GIN AGENDA FOR THE FUTURE Continuing having fun making high-end products that we can be proud of, Glasgow can be proud of and that people would like to buy and share with others. We have started with gin, but there are other avenues we are looking to explore.

WHAT GETS YOU OUT OF BED Because I am a creative person, it has to be when an idea then becomes a product – that is extremely satisfying. (I still can’t believe that we have created a product that is on the shelves of bars and shops!!) And receiving such great feedback from professionals in the field – Max and I were like hypo kids after a meeting that went really well! It is so nice to be part of something so exciting!

LIFE AS THE OTHER HALF

DOTING WIFE OR INDEPENDENT WOMAN – WHAT’S YOUR SUPERPOWER For sure, independent woman. This has always been my passion – it’s how I get my kicks!

“Personally I think it is important to have your own focus, group of friends and own income. Rugby can take over your life from time to time and certainly dictate where you live etc, so it’s good to have your own interests outside of rugby.”

RUGBY HIGHS The girls – we are all in it together and because the boys are so close, us girls are a team too! (The freebies are also great!)

PROUDEST RUGBY FAN GAL MOMENT When Ruaridh got his first cap. I remember singing the anthem next to Katie (his sister) and we were a bumbling mess! Whenever I hear the bagpipes it gives me goosebumps!

BEST KEPT RUGBY LIFE SECRET When you marry a rugby player, you marry a sport, the girls and a whole team of great people!

WISE WORDS OF WISDOM I am still working out what I am good at and what I want to do with my time, but I am most successful when I am happy. So, if you can turn what you love into a career then you are on to a winner.

CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT Pineapples – our wedding revolved around my love for pineapples and brightly coloured gerberas. My dad and I spent an evening on the run up to the day carving out 30 pineapples for vases! We filled these and multi-coloured children’s Hunter wellies with zany tropical leaves and brightly coloured gerberas and scattered these all over the barn adding pops of colour throughout. THEN as if it was meant to be, the skies cleared and there was the perfect full rainbow! It was just so amazing. (Search for #kbandjacko for more snaps!)

HOW DO YOU GET YOUR KICKS I loooove being a multi-faceted businesswoman, including a designer. It is so nice to think that I have helped couples with their wedding packages and produced prints for people all over the world. I am self-taught – I love a pen and paper commission. It is so nice to step away from my laptop, especially after a whole day at it.

I spent A LOT of time on trains doing long distance with Ruaridh, so I have always carried a notebook in my bag. Kburnetdesigns all came about when my sister got married. I designed her wedding invitations which I really enjoyed doing and then that was it… word got around and since then I have been lucky to have done so many of my friend’s wedding stationary! After that I made Ruaridh, a print for finishing at Glasgow Warriors in 2014 before we ventured south to London. This one has led to creating my favourite KBespoke B&W Prints.

LIFE AFTER RUGBY WITH KMDESIGN :: It is very special to be a part of people’s rugby journey. These are also my favourites – Kbespoke B&W Prints – especially when they are in interesting shapes!

HAVE YOU FOUND THE WOMEN AROUND YOU TO BE A SOURCE OF INSPIRATION IN CREATING YOUR BUSINESS & CREATIVE VENTURES Yes! Oh my goodness yes! Two in particular – Tamsin (tamsinthomsonart) and Helena (theguidetogrowth)! They make me so happy! They are so successful and I have the utmost respect for them, both doing what they love and winning at life!

HAPPIEST WHEN The quicker you can get rid of negative vibes the better. I read a book (for those who know me know that this is a big thing! I would much rather doodle or catch up with a friend on the phone!!!) and it taught me many a life lesson – The life changing magic of not giving a f***! It’s brilliant!!

BEST ADVICE I have lots… but just start. Put pen to paper or whatever it may be and once you’ve started you will feel so much better about moving forward. Ask for help – people who have been through a similar thing will happily help! Believe – if you don’t believe then no one will believe in you! You’ll soon see that you’ve achieved a lot in a small space of time! Then don’t forget to celebrate (ideally with a Garden Shed Gin!!) and smile. 

WHERE WILL WE FIND YOU IN 5 YEARS Running after mini-Jacksons and continuing to do my thing!

PARTING WORDS

“Your smile is your logo, your personality is your business card and how you leave others feeling after an experience with you becomes your trademark.”

Jay Dansie

WHERE CAN YOUR NEW BFF’s FIND YOU

Website: kburnetdesign.com