The Inside Word with Tara Mangini
I recently had the pleasure of chatting with Tara Mangini of Jersey Ice Cream Co., and she shared a wealth of wisdom from her experience starting, scaling, and then actually scaling back her design business.
Tara and her partner Percy Bright are known for their unique approach to transforming old homes, in which they temporarily move into the home to get to know the space inside and out, allowing their intuition to guide the renovation process. The result is a striking balance of function and beauty that brings out the soul of the home.
→ Click here to listen to Tara’s interview on the Imprint podcast
Image by Tara Mangini
What words would you say best describe you?
Humble, authentic, funny.
What’s the best life or career lesson you’ve learned?
The big lesson in everything seems to be the power of trusting yourself.
What's your proudest achievement?
There are things I should say, like when the TV show aired, or the New York Times article, but … nothing hits like the early success. When Design*Sponge featured our house, it was like we won the lottery — just an unreal feeling.
What’s been your best decision?
Quitting that job 15 years ago and just getting off of that track super early, which led me to moving to Philly, which led me to meeting Percy, which led me to being completely available to do anything in the world.
Who inspires you?
I'm back in the city, which is very energising for me. I'm just feeling inspired by human interaction and the possibility of what's next.
What are you passionate about?
I'm passionate about trying to create a life that I like on a day-to-day basis, that feels fulfilling. That’s the top of the pyramid and then all the other stuff fills in.
What dream do you still want to fulfil?
My current dream is to buy something in the city. That, and maybe a brief stint on Broadway or a brief singing career when I'm 55 or something.
What are you reading at the moment?
On my nightstand is “Fleishman Is in Trouble” which they made into a Netflix show, and a copy of “Jitterbug Perfume” by Tom Robbins. Also “A Heart That Works” by Rob Delaney — it's about his son who died, and it's just really beautiful.
What are you listening to?
I feel like my Spotify Wrapped is the exact same as it was last year: Beach Boys, the Zombies, ELO, David Bowie.
What piece of advice would you give to your younger self?
I would give her a big hug and be like, don't be afraid to be a weirdo. Don't be afraid to be the one singing Barbara Streisand, even though everybody's making fun of you. And you have no idea what's coming. So just go for it, really. Go for it.
You can catch my full conversation with Tara on the Imprint podcast here.