We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Maya Hawthorne a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Maya, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. So, naming is such a challenge. How did you come up with the name of your brand?

Philosophy has been a long interest of mine. A comedy series that aired from 2016 to 2020 reawakened my love of philosophy. The series finale had me crying, feeling fulfilled, and asking myself many questions about what I wanted out of life and how I should carry it out. That rollercoaster of emotions and thoughts is exactly what it’s like being an entrepreneur for me. I landed on The Good Space as a play-off the show’s name but allowed myself an additional week of naming just to be sure. The Good Space just felt right and all-encompassing of how I wanted people to feel with my desk in their home office.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I graduated from Michigan Technological University with a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering technology in 2020. I struggled to get a job in my field at that time. After some time of unemployment, someone recommended entrepreneurship. I didn’t know the first thing about being an entrepreneur, but I had to try something. So, lots of ideas got thrown around by people, and I landed on selling desks! Being an engineer, I enjoy working with my hands. I have a love for woodworking, DIY projects, helping people, and sustainability. So, I wanted to build a company that allowed me to grow in those areas. The Good Space sells electrical height adjustable desks. We do custom desk orders, but our main product is VISION. VISION has a butcher block style birch worksurface with a quick-install base. The work surface is sustainably sourced from Michigan forests and hand-finished by myself with a locally made clear finish that is eco-friendly. Building up an environmentally conscious company is extremely important to me. As my company grows, I wish to work with and learn from more entrepreneurs and businesses that have sustainable practices.

As previously stated, I love helping people. In fact, my code name in a sisterhood organization I joined in college was Non-Profit. I want to help my customers beyond providing a beautiful and long-lasting office desk. So, I offer ergonomic advice on social media and The Good Space’s website. Setting up a height-adjustable desk in your office is just one of the many steps you can take to have a healthy and productive workday. Office ergonomics plays a huge role in ensuring my customers feel good in their space.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

I love to research. I can stare at a computer screen for hours researching an issue. I’m talking about past the third page of a Google search, which either helps or hurts me at times. In this, I’ve been able to find different avenues and opportunities for growth as an entrepreneur.

I listen to a multitude of podcasts. Specific ones that come to mind that have helped me gain confidence in navigating my entrepreneur journey and allow me to ask myself more questions are A SIP with Issa Rae and The Product Boss with Jacqueline and Minna. Little Fish Accounting has helped me in navigating the financial aspect of my business.

Webinars have also helped me. I frequently watch webinars from the Michigan Department of Treasury, US Black Chambers, and Tory Burch Foundation on a multitude of topics such as taxes, marketing, and small business operations.

Okay – so how did you figure out the manufacturing part? Did you have prior experience?

The work surfaces of The Good Space’s desks are made at a local mill. There’s a dedicated room for applying the finish and sanding the work surfaces in my home. When I knew what the product for The Good Space was, I knew I didn’t want to build the work surface. I do various personal woodworking projects that take me forever to complete. Finishing wood is my favorite step in the process. So, I was fine with paying someone else to do that. Luckily, a family friend owned a millwork business. In the search for a height-adjustable base vendor, I searched for a company that was innovative and pushed industry standards.

Lessons learned from manufacturing this product: plan ahead and be flexible. There were a few times I had to pull an all-nighter or alter a plan because things never go as planned. A person I frequently go to for business advice suggested I send out samples of my product. The week before he suggested this, my work surface storing rack broke. There were 5 worksurfaces resting on this rack that fell to the floor. Only one of the work surfaces was damaged. So, it got cut down to samples to send out. These are samples of the finished desk that are made into various items such as a pen holder, business card holder, etc. People can go to The Good Space website to order a free material sample.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://thegdspace.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thegdspace/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thegdspace
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-good-space-llc
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXnyu5ggqrANkDvU6OVxK3g
• Other: Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/TheGDSpace Tiktok https://www.tiktok.com/@thegdspace

Image Credits
Ben Perfect Jared Sutherland