Time for my favorite part of the week, ICYMI!!!
ICYMI ₊♡₊˚ 🍒・₊✧ ₊
♡ This Week’s Mantra: You can do anything, but you can’t do everything.
♡ This Week’s Quote: “The key to meaningful work is in the decision to keep returning to the efforts you find important. Not in getting everything right every time.” - Cal Newport.
♡ This Week’s Quick Read: Having witnessed one of the most moving, beautiful 10-year vow renewals in Italy last week for a couple who have been tested to the fullest in sickness and in health, I felt compelled to share this post by Marc Randolph, the Co-Founder of Netflix, about his definition of success, which he posted on LinkedIn a few years ago.
♡3 Questions To Ask Yourself This Week:
♡ What is your definition of success?
♡ Who in your life helps you get there?
♡ Who in your life distracts you from that?
♡ This Week’s Long Read: This Modern Retail article about the troubling status of DTC brands. PS it’s not pretty.
♡ Founder Feature: This week, Pia Mance, founder of Heaven Mayhem and host of “Pia’s Pod” is joining us to break down her growing accessories empire, how she successfully launches new categories, her top 10 current favorite products, her 2024 trend in’s and outs and more. Plus you can win a Heaven Mayhem watch…!
♡ Designing your Dopamine Menu: I heard about something called a dopamine menu on TikTok the other day and immediately started my own, which I talk about in length on Payton Sartain’s podcast, Note To Self, that just dropped. It’s a way to stop bad vices like overconsumption or searching for validation on social media and instead do something pleasure-able, healthy and inexpensive that gives you a sense of simulation.
This Week’s Mood Board
♡ Heaven Mayhem Founder Pia Mance ♡
MS: PIA MANCE, welcome to HSR ICYMI. Let’s start with your elevator pitch…
PM: I’m Pia, I’m the founder and creative director of the accessories brand Heaven Mayhem. I’m also the host of the podcast "Pia’s Pod." When I’m not working, I love being by the ocean, learning about health and wellness, spending time with my husband, and being a Hot Smart Rich girl!I’m also the host of podcast, Pia’s Pod. When I’m not working, I love being by the ocean, learning about health and wellness, spending time with my husband and being a Hot Smart Rich girl! ♡
MS: Heaven Mayhem has become almost cult-like. If you had to distill how it’s taken off without any marketing dollars down to three main reasons, what would they be?
PM: 1) The earrings truly speak for themselves! They’re unique, good quality, lightweight, and most importantly, elevate every outfit. In my humble opinion, once you see how good you look and feel in them, you’ll never have naked ears again. 2) We truly value the input of our customers and are constantly improving based on their feedback. We are very community-focused and always try to involve our customers in product development and behind the scenes. I think this makes our customers feel really connected to the brand. 3) We have amazing customers and IT-GIRLS. Our incredible customers and well-known IT girls such as Hailey Bieber, Lori Harvey, and Matilda Djerf (to name a few) share such amazing Heaven Mayhem imagery, and it is the best marketing I could ever dream of!
MS: You’re about to launch a totally new category, WATCHES (something you’ve done after belts from jewelry). What are your top tips for taking risks in a new category? What are the things you did to make sure you knew it was what people wanted?
PM: When it comes to new product designs and launches, I trust in my vision and direction. I definitely love to listen to feedback from friends and customers, but at the end of the day, Heaven Mayhem’s identity was created by me, and if I truly believe in it, it’s a risk I’m willing to take. Candidly, I didn’t do any market research to make sure it was something people wanted; I just knew it would be! I always say I can feel it in my bones, and when a product or idea really lights me up, I just know it will be a hit. Expanding to watches just made sense to us as a next move! It’s a classic and timeless accessory that you cannot go wrong with and aligns with our ethos of elevating every outfit. I have been wearing mine for months, and it’s been so nice having friends, followers, and people on the street ask me where my watch is from.
MS: How do you find inspiration for a new category? Everything from the product to the creative to the launch strategy?
PM: I get a lot of inspiration from vintage pieces, not just the way they actually look, but the idea that vintage is ‘always cool.’ It’s timeless and can be passed down through generations—I have vintage hand-me-downs from my grandma that I will pass on to my daughters. I like to lean on this concept when ideating new concepts and categories; if it’s timeless, I know it will slot into the Heaven Mayhem ethos. I am also always making pieces with myself in mind, creating something I know I will personally be obsessed with. On a micro level of ideating launch strategies and campaigns, I really try to think ‘outside the box.’ I’ll take some inspiration from Pinterest and often look to brands in different categories, such as beauty or even alcohol, to see what they’re doing. I never look sideways at other accessories or jewelry brands, and I love the way the beauty industry markets products. Lastly, I ask our community—we have the coolest community with the best ideas, and they inspire a lot of what we do!
MS: You are an internet and IRL IT girl. What are the top 3 tips you have to always look put together like you do!
PM: I always plan my outfits ahead of time. I take pictures of every outfit I try on and like, then organize them in my notepad. This way, instead of scrambling at the last minute, I can simply refer to my trusty notes app for outfit inspiration. I’ll do this if I’m working with a stylist for a trip or just planning an outfit for a dinner out. Of course, I wouldn’t ever leave the house without earrings; they just make you look READY—put together, elevated, chic, and timeless. Earrings have become my personality at this point. Lastly, I love a lip liner. When I have it on, I just feel ready. I am always grabbing Makeup Forever - Anywhere Caffeine these days.
MS: Top 3-5 trends that are OUT and what are you predicting for up and coming trends?
OUT
Having ‘naked ears’ is OUT. We’re all about having a capsule classic wardrobe with essential, good quality pieces and adding statement earrings for a bit of flair and elegance.
Logos are done! No one wants them anymore.
Dieting and restricting—not for me!
Activewear as a regular outfit—it’s so out. We need to dress up more, trust me, it feels amazing!
IN
Watches!! They’re already big and have been for decades, but they’re about to have a huge moment.
Flip Flops—I love them. I don’t care what anyone says, the square-toe Havaianas will always be my go-to.
A laptop case—us HSR girls are always with laptops in hand, and I do think having a chic laptop case will be a big trend.
Pilates Apps (been in for a while!)—Pilates by Bryony is my top choice.
Timeless dressing—keeping pieces for a long time rather than chasing a trend.
Meat!! Maggie and I are truly in our meat era.
Creating timeless pieces that will last a lifetime in your wardrobe, as opposed to chasing trends.
MS: Go to uniform and meal to reduce decision fatigue
PM: My uniform: starting with my watch—the Heaven Mayhem icon watch, earrings, and this sculptural necklace. A pair of vintage Levis, my loafers, a white tee, and my Birkin. For me, that is my uniform!
My Meal: Goop Kitchen always! I love everything from Goop Kitchen—the Pesto Pizza is my all-time favorite!!!! I wish I could add extra extra parmesan, and the meal would be complete.
MS: Current Mantra
PM: “Done is better than perfect.” I don’t take credit for coining this but it’s words I live by everyday.
MS: What’s a tech startup / app that you’ve recently found to help save you time or money
PM: I love Monday.com for work - it has helped both myself and the team project manage Heaven Mayhem. I can’t start my day without looking at it. I love the ‘Tally’ app to tick off my non-negotiables. For example, I love to dry brush; I know it makes me feel great, so I tick it off on ‘Tally’ each day.
MS: What does it mean to you to embody being Hot Smart Rich?
PM: Being a confident, independent woman who knows how to take care of herself. I am always inspired by Maggie’s self-care and work-life balance, and I think that’s the epitome of Hot Smart Rich. You have to live life and enjoy it too!
MS: Where should we send our audience to get more of Pia?!
PM: You can always shop on HeavenMayhem.com! Our Watches launch on July 18! I also post on TikTok: @piamance, Instagram: @piamance, and have season 2 of Pia’s Pod coming out soon!
Pia’s Current Top 10
Watch (Launching 7/16) | Earrings | Skincare | Dry Brush | Yoga Set | Electrolytes | Beyond the Mat Podcast | Belt | Pants | Tank Tops | Chicken Sausages
Consumer News
♡ the brands, people, places, things that have captured my attention ♡
Celebrity loved-label Heaven Mayhem enters watch category (from WWD)
♡
L Catterton acquires Naomi Watts’ Stripe Beauty - (from TradedVC)
♡
David Beckham joins Prenetics as a strategic investor & co-founder - (from Prenetics)
♡
Fashion and Tennis have long been successful partners. Can beauty join the game, too? - (from Glossy)
♡
How expensive can fragrances get - (from Glossy)
♡
Did Brandy Melville quietly open up a new store called St. George? - (from Glossy)
♡
Samsung launches smart ring and ultra watch to challenge Apple - (from Bloomberg)
HSR Updates
♡ everything fun and exciting in the land of HSR ♡
Maggie talks VC and Angel Investing on the Note to Self podcast
♡
Eat Deux teamed up with Deux Moi on July 10th with their ANON PLS cookie dough launch!
TYSM, I♡U!!!!
To enter this week's giveaway which is a HM watch (!!!!), you must be following Heaven Mayhem and comment a watch emoji and your favorite time of day on their latest post to enter to win.
If this email was forwarded to you? Sign up here.
Become a Paid Subscriber of ICYMI!
This week I’m sharing:
My Detailed Travel Itinerary To The First Stop on My Italian Summer With Lucky #3
How Pia Started Heaven Mayhem (And The Shockingly Low Amount of $ She Used) And Her Biggest Success Hack!
The UK’s Top 5 VC Funds Behind Your Favorite Consumer Brands
Subscribe to ICYMI to read the rest.
Become a paying subscriber of ICYMI to get access to this post and other subscriber-only content.
Upgrade Translation missing: en.app.shared.conjuction.or Sign In
A subscription gets you:
- Weekly startup, venture, & consumer brand insights
- Ability to post comments and engage with the community
- Business case studies & experienced POV