Lee Mayer, CEO, and founder of Havenly, started an online platform with her sister to make home design accessible, personalized, and fun. Havenly offers convenient and affordable interior design services to help bring your personalized home vision to life.
WHAT WAS YOUR INSPIRATION FOR STARTING YOUR COMPANY?
I was motivated by solving a pain point that I thought was pretty prevalent, it’s hard to design and decorate your home. I thought that there had to be an easier way to shop for your home. In particular, I was inspired by the idea that a lot of models were being democratized allowing greater access to services once considered a luxury to all people. I thought that home design was a really compelling category to think about making accessible and delightful.
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE WOMEN WHO ARE WANTING TO START THEIR OWN COMPANY?
Find good friends and mentors to help support you on the journey. Nothing’s better than having people who will help make this path less lonely.
WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO?
The one I’ve been on right now is – one foot in front of the other. Everyone has a lot of things they need to do, particularly in times of uncertainty, but when life gets overwhelming, remembering to just do the next most important thing helps everything feel more manageable.
WHAT IS YOUR GREATEST PET PEEVE?
People who talk slowly!
WHAT DO YOU WEAR THAT MAKES YOU FEEL STRONG?
It can depend on the day! Generally, I like to wear things that are comfortable but stylish, I almost always dress up for work, because it makes me feel put together and ready for the day.
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE SOMEONE WITH A BROKEN HEART?
Like so many other things, time inevitably heals all wounds.
WHAT IS ON YOUR NIGHTSTAND?
A glass of water, a kindle, and an iPad.
WHAT GIVES YOU GOOSEBUMPS?
The thought of building a large business that employs a lot of people that love their jobs.
WHAT IS YOUR BAD DAY BACKUP PLAN?
A glass of wine with my husband or a friend.
HOW DO YOU DEFINE SUCCESS?
Being able to be impactful in a meaningful way, whether it’s building a big business that creates a lot of jobs, rethinking how our educational systems work, or just make a lot of people very very happy.
BEST ADVICE YOU HAVE EVER RECEIVED?
Be bold.
WHAT MAKES YOU FORGET TO EAT?
I always forget to eat when I’m busy. Any day that’s packed with meetings and has a lot of to-dos, I’m guaranteed to forget to eat lunch. I almost never forget dinner though, I love food too much.
WHAT 3 THINGS WOULD YOU GRAB IN A FIRE?
My dog, my husband, and the kids.
FAVORITE WORK OF ART?
Probably Guernica. I think I was struck by its starkness, it’s lack of color and its size – it made me feel the devastation of war, without a literal depiction. It’s also probably one of the first works of Picasso that I specifically remember seeing in person.
FAVORITE BOOK?
This is not a question that I can answer – I have so many. But in times of stress, you’ll always catch me reading a murder mystery by Agatha Christie.
To learn more about Lee Mayer and Havenly check out their website and follow them on Instagram:
