The Story Behind Heart + Haven
Hello, dear friends. Before we dive in, I want to express my immense gratitude. Thank you for being here, for following along, and for being part of this new chapter—Heart + Haven. I never imagined I’d be here, sharing this dream, and connecting with incredible people like you.
As I embark on this new adventure, I thought it fitting to share my story, which in many ways is also the story of Heart + Haven. With my 30th birthday just a week away, it feels like the perfect time to reflect on the past year.
One year ago, in August 2023, I was at the peak of my career as a Marketing Director for a rapidly growing personal care brand. I managed a team of about ten employees and agency partners, and we worked tirelessly in the months leading up to our first nationwide rollout in America’s largest retailer. The launch was a huge success, and I even received a long-awaited salary raise.
I was incredibly proud of myself. Throughout my career, I had been working to find the perfect company, the perfect team, and to make an impact. To climb the ladder, get promotions, help a business scale, and make more money for the business and, in turn, myself.
But despite these accomplishments, something inside me began to shift. The money, the success, the relentless grind—none of it mattered as much anymore. I realized I wanted something deeper, something more aligned with my heart.
Before we go there, I want to preface this by saying there is nothing inherently wrong with that path. The job I was in truly was my dream job—an amazing team, a fabulous CEO; nothing about this work was toxic. But it was no longer in alignment with my heart.
This was such a hard pill to swallow. I had worked all these years and finally achieved everything I wanted, but something in my soul still didn’t feel right. Everything I had worked so hard for was crumbling before my eyes, and it was my choice to let it crumble.
I questioned myself—how could I be unhappy? I had it all; everything was good. But I couldn’t ignore it. So I finally decided to take a chance on myself.
For years, I’ve known I wanted to one day own my own business. So this was my opportunity to define how I wanted to show up in a new way. I started writing out words that I wanted my business to embody. Its funny, because the name for Heart + Haven came to me long before I fully understood what the business would look like, or the offerings it would include.
Post-It Note Exercise
When I began brainstorming the name for Heart + Haven, and what I wanted it to embody. These are still up in my office today.
Heart + Haven was born from my desire to blend my passion for beauty with my mission to support others in taking a chance on themselves—to start living from the heart and expressing their true selves in spaces where they feel seen, held, and heard.
Heart is defined as:
The core of something; the vital or essential part.
The emotional center or source of feelings, love, courage, etc.
Haven is defined as:
A place of safety or refuge; a harbor or port.
A place where one finds comfort, security, or sanctuary.
My mission is to offer a space where both individuals and brands can express the truest form of their soul. The name Heart + Haven reflects two pillars upon which this brand is built:
The Heart (Design + Marketing): Representing beauty, creativity, and the expression of your soul—this is where our marketing and design offerings come into play.
The Haven (Community + Retreats): Building community and my passion for creating safe, sacred spaces for connection, healing, and self-expression.
As I’ve navigated this transition, I’ve felt reassured that I’m on the right path, especially through the connections I’ve made. At this moment in time, so many people are eager to offer their gifts and show up in their work from a place of service, from their heart. My dream is to work alongside others on this path, helping to bring their ideas to life.
The past year has challenged me to my core, inviting me to redefine who I am, how I serve, what my values are, and how I show up in the world. It was a journey filled with moments of fear, but I’m deeply grateful that I took the leap and finally decided to bet on myself—because no one else was going to do it for me.
Here’s to a world filled with freedom, beauty, and community. I hope you’ll join me on this journey of living from the heart and building spaces where we all feel seen, heard, and held.
So much love to you,
Elle
P.S. – If you’re into astrology, I’ve been deep in my Saturn return—hence all these big life shifts. It’s been a major wake-up call, pushing me to create a life of freedom, creativity, and service. If you’re going through something similar, I’d love to hear about your journey.
