#CUPDATES | Q&A with the Founders: Andy and Sandra-Lea

I wanted to do something different, to be in control of my life and do and live on my terms. As you might already know, I am a big fan of Elon Musk as an Entrepreneur and I am inspired by many great men, so I wanted to do something great in my life. I worked as a Surveyor for a local Civil Contracting company and I did that for about 10 years so basically all my working life until Luxey.

The major inspiration for the business for me was during the birth of Haven, almost 3 years ago. We nearly lost him during his birth and the whole process was so traumatic it changed me, my mind, my views, everything. I was this blank canvas that I couldn't recognise as myself. It was almost like the trauma wiped my entire brain and I was forced to start again my programming and beliefs around everything. I ditched everything in my life that didn't (and never) served me (friends, habits, thoughts) and rebuilt my brain. I also had this very clear understanding that life is so short and that I wasn't going to waste another single moment not doing something that wasn't important and had meaning. What I did from here was going to be great and nothing less. Previously, I had an earring business called Pebble+Fred which I started from scratch, learnt everything I know about business and supported our family while the babies were young. I am a trained Interior Designer by trade and my favourite thing to do on earth is speaking at events. I hope that's where life takes me next - to be a speaker.

Andy

Sandra-Lea

Anything fun really, nothing serious like plastic parts for plumbers (sorry if that offends any plumbers out there!). I would probably do product-based businesses, they are fun, you have control over the product and there is something very special about building something from scratch and not re-marketing an already existing product - I find that slightly boring. Whatever we do it will be fun and joyful and our customers would feel the same. I personally hope to by next year renovating homes and apartments, not myself, but with tradespeople and being a project manager for them. I absolutely LOVE creating spaces and my soul feels as though that is something it would like to experience, especially as it is totally different from cups. Maybe give my brain a break from cups. 

Andy

SL and I never fight. She's the boss ha ha ha

Sandra-Lea

Never really, if not at all ever? Andy and I have done this WHOLE ENTIRE business from our hearts and have done everything based on whether it felt right and we are so connected to that "gut-feeling" that all our decision are always aligned. We just know what's right. There is never any contentions.

Andy

The designing and the drawing of the products and making them come to life. I love my 3D printer - I love using that! - it's so good for my engineering brain. I also love seeing our containers turn up after months of work. It's the best feeling seeing them turn up and sitting in our car parks outside the warehouse. Best feeling! 

 

Sandra-Lea

Instagram Stories!!! Or the 3 hours I spend in DM's every night communicating with our tribe. Our tribe is SO funny and so cool and I'm blown away all the time with the power that is amongst them - it's actually incredible. So my favourite part is the tribe! Other parts I like are choosing the colours, collaborating with brands we think are awesome, creating pockets of joy within the business and executing ideas our customers have come up with, which I think is so fun. Giving the tribe exactly what they ask for is something I really love.

Andy

Take the relationship very seriously especially when you do everything together. Make sure you go on dates and make time when you are lovers and not business partners. Make sure you always do things that remind you of the love you have. And get yourself another warehouse away from SL - ha ha ha joking - but get yourself a different working space.

Sandra-Lea

Be on the same page and if possible, operate on the same operating system. Like I said before Andy and I are big manifestors and we don't ever read books on business or makes budgets or "goals". We don't even have a business plan! We just have very strong visuals of what we want to achieve, which means one of us isn't thinking the other is on a different planet while the other one thinks they need to follow all the steps in the book. AND Andy and I always spend an hour or so watching Netflix each night, we take our relationship very seriously.

Andy

Element Blue Middle Child for my water.

Sandra-Lea

Hmm. Guys, that's too hard! I think once it arrives Florence in the LittleLUX will be all my dreams come true!