Meet Ellyse

Ellyse is the kind of founder who can build a national brand before lunch and still pause long enough to froth her matcha in the right vessel.

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She is our HBIC, yes. The brain behind the baseline sentence. The woman who can smell a story before it’s fully cooked and insist we turn up the heat. But she’s also the mom who melts when Theo sings Rihanna’s “Stay” off-key in the kitchen. The reformer devotee. The iced latte loyalist. The pesto evangelist. The spicy garlic chili crunch strategist who believes a good roux and a good reason can change everything.

Underneath the brand decks and bold claims, she’s listening for grit and now we are listening to her story. This is Ellyse.

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What’s a small, ordinary thing that brings you a disproportionate amount of joy?

Theo singing Rhianna 'stay' (it's a new development in our world)

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‍Morning person or night owl? And how does that show up in your work?‍

Morning ish. But also depends on all the magical things that each season may be throwing in my backpack. Is Theo sleeping? Is my brain buzzing with ideas? Am I feeling the weight of new endeavors or am I just in peace mode. I've been attempting to be less 'let me fit myself into a tidy box and more so accept where my brain and bod are in that moment. presence ya dig?

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‍What’s your current hyper-fixation?‍

HEALTH! Life is short, doing what I can with what I got.

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What does your perfect “no work allowed” day look like?

• morning body movement (reformer with Sara is the dream)
• coffee adventure with the boys
• frolicking while the weather is nice
• a good nap for mister Theo man
• fresh out of the box dinner cooked by Sam and I after bedtime and eating in the backyard (w/ a glass of natural chilled white)

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Coffee order, tea ritual, or something else entirely?‍

COFFEEEE! Iced latte with whole milk and a splash of vanilla or more recently (transcendence) also love a frothy matcha with the one and only pistachio milk OR fresh iced green tea in the afternoon.

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What’s a belief or mindset that’s quietly changed the way you work or live?

That as much as I may want to plan my life away, I just don't have the control I once thought I had. At first this was slightly terrifying, but the more I have allowed myself to ride the waves (because yes there are many), and really have a deep belief that things will unfold just as they should.

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‍What’s something you’ve intentionally unlearned in the last few years?‍

Thinking everyone needs to like me. EEK — what a concept. The lover, caregiver, people-pleaser, yes-woman in me had a hard time letting that go for a long time, especially while helping people build their lifelong dreams. Along the way, the edges around my time, energy, and brainpower started to dissolve.Moral of the story? Just try to be a good person, good the people will always find their way back to you.

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‍If strategy were a physical space, what room would you naturally build first?‍

The kitchen. Food, words. My two forever loves. It all begins with a good rue and a good baseline sentence.

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What’s something you believed about yourself early in your career that you’ve now outgrown?‍

That having all the answers make you a better thinker. Instead, I have now adopted the mentality that exploring, tinkering, playing (and yes - failing) has made me much more well rounded in my approach to life and work.

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When you’re building messaging, what are you actually listening for underneath the words?‍

Why someone has decided to flip their lives upside down to do the thing. Starting a business seems shiny and fun. And yes it is, but before that season hits, its a grind. It's hard and grueling and defeating and scary and a roller coaster ride. The start up mode needs grit and THAT is where the story really lives.

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When did you first realize your brain worked differently, that you weren’t just “good with words,” but could see the architecture behind them?‍

When I created my first business (with my mom, at 6) I must have known then that in order to sell clothes (Sister's Store), there had to be a reason behind it. Why would my customer one the phone (fake phone + mom customer) want to buy said dress. It was the storytelling at the very beginning (with a side of imagination) that got me here.

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If you had to describe your strategic brain as a flavor profile, what would it be and why?‍

Spicy garlic chili crunch. A full mix of unexpected flavors that have now become everyone's go to. I love the idea of bringing surprising things into one big bowl and turning it into something that brings some actual heat into what can otherwise be a bland dish of meh.

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What is it about everyday objects, dishes, linens, vessels, that feels almost sacred to you?

Curating a moment. Life is full. Time is - who knows what - but I find that when I give myself the permission to take a few extra minutes to choose the dish, plate the item, froth the milk in the vessel, the moment gets a bit more sacred and time slows just a tiny tad.‍

If your life had a signature table setting this season, what would it look like?

Greens, fruits, swiss chard!! Using all the colorful fresh, bold hues as table elements (currently how you will find my kitchen). ‍

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What’s your version of “I made this from scratch” in the kitchen and in your career?

Kitchen = pesto. It's become a bit of a cult fave around these parts. Career = well, my girl ENC. Started as a solo endeavor with no clear idea of where she would land and Seven years later, a team of 6 and a brand that has reached national clientele. I think it's safe to say "I (and now we) have made that from scratch."

Theo time! Has becoming a mom changed how you think about legacy, both in work and in life?

1000%. At the end of the day, Theo does not care if I land a big client or make a million dollars (but yes to both). He looks at me with wonder and excitement for the world around him. He is curious and loving and HE is my daily forever reminder, that THAT version of me, and how I show up for him AND my team and clients will make the legacy last. ‍

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What’s something about this season that no one prepared you for in the best way?

People talking about us in the best way. Perhaps it's my humble roots, perhaps I will forever have the 'who, me??' complex. But entering a season where some of the coolest visionaries are seeking us out feels like a pinch AND ALSO a fuck yeah, well deserved.‍

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What’s the invisible detail you obsess over in messaging that most people would never notice?

But did you get goosebumps? ‍

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If you had to give a TED Talk on something wildly niche, what would it be?

Care more. In a world of so much, everything, coming back to the core concept that caring about your people can honestly solve any problem you may be facing.

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This or That

Heavy ceramic mug or delicate glass teacup? the heavier and thiiiiccccer the ceramic the betta.

Pesto from scratch or chips and salsa? OMG how dare you ask me such a hard question!! mmmm eeeee i think i'm gonna have to say chips and salsa (till i die)

Clean outline or messy brainstorm wall? Both! she a right and left brain energy

Structured routine or flow with the Theo rhythm? Both! we're working with a toddler after all. routine makes the flow feel more available.

Strategy deck or manifesto? Strategy leads the manifesto

Early morning brain or late night clarity? I've decided my prime time is 830-12

Salted butter or olive oil drizzle? Olive oil always

Moodboard first or words first? WORDSSS (come on)

Gut instinct or research rabbit hole? Guts baby. got me to year 7

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