Ep 11 | Lee Mayer
How This Entrepreneur Raised $58 Million to Revolutionize the Interior Design Industry
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Lee Mayer is the co-founder and CEO of Havenly, an online interior design company that makes interior decorating services more accessible and affordable to all.
In 2013, Lee had just relocated from a small NYC apartment to a larger home with considerably more space in Denver, Colorado. Overwhelmed by all the furniture and decor choices to be made, Lee was frustrated by the lack of quick, simple, budget-friendly interior design options that were available to her.
As someone who never thought of herself as an entrepreneur, especially growing up with certain cultural expectations from her Indian family, Lee tried to convince all her friends to start an online interior design company to solve the problem. After spending months in an empty home, Lee, encouraged by her sister Emily, quit her lucrative career in finance and the two started the company together. Neither of them had interior design or tech backgrounds but were confident that there was a need in the market.
The humble beginnings of Havenly have now evolved into a dedicated team of over 100+ vetted interior designers who filter through 400 furnishing partners and millions of products. Under Lee’s leadership, Havenly has raised $58 million dollars in funding from top tier investors and is now the leader in the world of online design while many competitors have struggled or even failed to stay afloat.
Show Notes
How Lee’s upbringing and cultural expectations of her Indian family impacted her career trajectory [2:25]
Lee shares how she never thought of herself as an entrepreneur & how her own narrative for becoming a tech founder changed [6:00]
Before taking the leap to start her company, Lee walks through how she thought through financial security and leaving her lucrative career [13:33]
Lee opens up about the early days of Havenly, mistakes she made along the way and what she thinks held her back [18:30]
The importance of not taking anything personally in business and blaming yourself for failures [24:35]
How to change your perspective on success and live a more purpose driven life [27:50]
Lee’s experience raising $58 million dollars from venture capitalists & how she dealt with 140 no’s [29:14]
How to overcome imposter syndrome and deal with the naysayers [40:40]
Lee walks through the silver lining of her divorce and how it pushed her to ask for help which benefited both her personal & professional life [44:53]
How Lee manages her family life and a high growth business & why the partner you select in your life is one of the most important decisions you'll ever make [48:38]
Follow Lee:
Personal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leeathavenly/
Havenly Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thehavenly/
Website: https://havenly.com/
