Translating Visions...on a Slightly Smaller Stage

Ten years ago, Ruth Seidenberg left a successful career working in marketing and special events for MTV to spend more time with her two young sons. Now, the Syosset resident is in her third year in business as an interior designer, where she uses her project management skills and a creative flair to transform the residential spaces of her customers.

"I was with MTV for 15 years," explains Seidenberg, "and those were the beginnings of my working in a creative environment." As part of her role in the marketing department she would travel to local radio stations. "I did promotional events and appearances with the VJs," she recalls, "to get the cable affiliates excited about carrying the program."

"When I started there it was just a bunch of rockers-slash-businessmen who said, 'Let's see what we can do with this,'" recalls Seidenberg of when the cutting-edge music video network was still in its infancy. "They were guys who loved music and wanted to parlay it into something else."

In addition to being pioneers in video music, Seidenberg says they carried that progressive thinking into their employment practices. "They were among the first to offer flex schedules and telecommuting," she says.

Which worked out well when after eight years, Seidenberg decided she no longer wanted to work full-time. "I wanted to spend time at home," she says, "...to still work, and to be a mom, as well." Since the rigorous travel schedule of her marketing position didn't lend itself to a part-time situation, they came up with a creative solution.

"They basically created a job for me and started a new department: Special Events," she explains. As special events coordinator, she made sure all the different aspects of an event came together.

"I was a liaison... with the art director for the décor... and the production people for seating and lighting... to make sure that it was all going to work together. We did all kinds of parties and sales meetings... and the Video Music Awards parties."

After seven years working part-time, Seidenberg decided she wanted to devote more time to her kids. "My younger son was 5, my older one was 8," she says, "and I just I wanted to be there... to be part of that environment... to see them go to school, go on the field trips. I didn't want to miss that, so I gave up work entirely."

Years later, with her kids well into their teens, Seidenberg started thinking about going back to work. She wanted something that would continue to give her flexibility in her schedule, and it had to allow her to harness her creativity.

"I think once you're involved in a creative environment there's something about it," she says, "and I needed to find that... to go down that road again." So in 2007, after completing a course at Syosset's Metropolitan School of Design, she opened up shop as Ruth S. Interiors, LLC.

"There are a lot of parallels," Seidenberg points out in comparing her current and former careers. "Being able translate things from a vision to actuality is similar to what I did at MTV. Someone would say, 'This is the idea... how are we going to translate it so it makes sense to people?'"

An active member of the Syosset Chamber of Commerce, she has been involved in the committee to put on the Syosset Street Festival & Carnival. In a sort of bridge from her past to her present life, as the street festival was winding down this past Sunday night, MTV was hosting their Video Music Awards, the event Seidenberg was involved in during her early career.

Asked in closing what she found most difficult about being an interior designer, Seidenberg said without hesitation, "The waiting is the hardest part," referring to the period after the design is finalized, when she's just waiting for all of the pieces to physically arrive.

Although her choice of words is purely coincidental, what more appropriate way for the former "MTV-er" to close than with a well-known Tom Petty lyric?

For more information, contact Ruth Seidenberg by phone at 516-768-9075 or e-mail her at ruth@ruthsinteriors.com.