Elisa
Founder of Maman Bakery
Tell us a little bit about yourself!
I am the co founder & owner of Maman, mother of 2, a freelance consultant and interior designer. I love to create beautiful products, events and spaces.
When did you start Maman? What made you want to launch your business?
Before I opened Maman, I felt that I was doing a little bit of everything, but nothing whole heartedly. I had a 9 to 5 job in PR & Marketing, wedding planning on weekends and had a side hustle catering sweets along with interior decorating - all my passions. When looking for a ‘career’, nothing spoke to me as I wanted a job that encompassed everything I loved. I wanted to create a world for myself where I could combine all my passions: food, baking, coffee, interior design, branding, events, friends & family. There was really no job, so I had to invent it.
What are you most passionate about?
It truly is about the people. Bringing them around a table and sharing quality time together. All in a beautiful setting that evokes childhood memories and a notion of comfort for soul & mind.
Where do you gather inspiration from?
Above everything my own childhood and mom because she is the strongest, most beautiful person I know and helped me in so many ways to get where I am today. Her and Martha Steward my all time hero!
In aesthetic terms I am all about the preservation of what has been and giving pieces a new life for a new generation. I love to hunt for old treasures and re-decorate places, always a wild miss-match of vintage pieces, textures and neutral colors that complement each other and create some sense of peace and calm.
What is your favorite holiday tradition?
That will most definitely be the decorating part. Especially now that I have children. I have been collecting decorative pieces over the years and always bring them back for the season. This on it’s own as a tradition and something to look forward to each year.
And if we have the best chefs working with us at Maman now, I am still really passionate myself when it gets to baking cookies and cakes for my family. It gives me so much peace and joy, a form of meditation. Unfortunately, as an entrepreneur and mother of two there is little spare time as you can imagine, but during the Holiday Season I try to make it a point and carve out the extra time to be with my family and to host gatherings with friends.
What advice would you give to your younger self?
My biggest piece of advice when starting your own business in any industry, is to identify your weaknesses. We all have our strengths, and often times it is very easy to point those out and know exactly what you excel at, but it is also very important to identify your weaknesses and what you are not good at. For examples numbers were never my thing and we would have closed down within a week of business if I had anything to do with the books, so I ensured that I had someone to cover me in that department. Identifying your own business weaknesses, and then, ensure you have help and support in those areas. Don't think that you can do it all yourself.
What quote or saying do you try to live by?
Quote I live by: ‘I am going to make everything around me beautiful, and that will be my life’ Elsie De Wolf
