Harmonie Workshop

Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Lily Le, Co-Founder of Harmonie Workshop, located in Frisco, TX, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

Harmonie Workshop is a sustainable furniture brand. We collaborate with emerging designers to make modern and thoughtful designs at an affordable price point. Our first collection highlights Minimal, Japandi aesthetics that are made from 100% sustainable upcycle hardwood.

Our customers are eco-conscious young couples and professionals who are looking to spruce up their homes with well-made furniture designed with flair at a friendly price.

Tell us about yourself

I was born in Southern Vietnam. After getting my business degree in Melbourne, Australia, I worked in the financial industry, advertising, and finally wood manufacturing industry. My dream at a young age was to create my own brand, and I was very lucky in my last position that I got to travel a lot to different countries, experience different cultures, and found my passion and my edge. Right before the pandemic, my husband and I moved to the US and started furnishing our first home. That’s when I dived into intensive research about furniture in the US. What is on the market that matches our style? What price point would work for us? Are they made from sustainable materials?

The pieces we loved were mostly out of our budget, and what we could afford were either mass-produced from cheap materials or only looked good in pictures but lacked craftmanship. I started to contact the designer I had worked with before and co-create my own furniture and make them at our family wood workshops.

I enjoy the new product development process so much that an idea sparked in my head, and that’s when I started Harmonie Workshop. What motivates me every day is the joy of building creative, thoughtful, sustainable products that enrich our lives and potentially others.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

My biggest accomplishment so far is to get new furniture designs to customers’ homes and receive very positive reviews/feedback/ recommendations from real customers (not just from my friends and relatives 😊).

What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?

For me, it’s time management and balancing work-life. I started my business at the same time as having my baby. The to-do list is long and honestly sometimes endless at the beginning for a business owner. I always want to complete tasks as fast as possible, so quite often, in the first few months, I drained my energy, but my productivity did not improve.

I had to learn to break it down into smaller goals/tasks and set up a well-planned timetable instead of working as long as possible.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

My first tip is not to rush into it. Take some time to do a lot of research before starting. Open to learning from whoever is willing to share with you their experience, not just from a professional or a mentor. You will be surprised at how much you can learn from a peer who has similar goals.

The second tip is to be consistent. When a plan and schedule are set out, stick to it. Motivation is great, but consistency will be the key to helping to achieve your goals. It will be bumpy. You might have to change your plan multiple times, but that’s ok. That’s a part of the process.

Associate yourself with people with whom you share the same mindset, and join a group in your industry, either local and/or online, when possible to observe, understand and build the connection. Networking is an important skill that I continue trying to improve too.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://harmonieworkshop.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/harmonieworkshop/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/harmonieworkshop/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lily-le-39436849/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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