In honor of Women’s History Month in March, we are kicking off a Houzzer Profile series to celebrate female leaders at Houzz. Lisa Rambo is the vice president of Marketplace Operations at Houzz. In her role, Lisa ensures we’re creating a positive experience for Houzz Shop customers, sellers and vendors. Outside of work, Lisa is all about family. She enjoys spending time with her daughter, Sloane, and her two dogs, Bernie and Lucy, and visiting family spread all over the country.
How did you hear about Houzz? Seven and a half years ago, a former colleague reached out to let me know that Houzz was building out a team to launch our local advertising platform. My background was in advertising for small-to-medium sized businesses, so it was a natural fit. I hopped on the website and was amazed with what Houzz was doing and remember thinking that this was a company that could truly disrupt the industry.
How has your role changed? About two and a half years into my career at Houzz, our marketplace was just getting started, which brought with it a variety of new opportunities. I thought it would be interesting to launch something unique under the Houzz umbrella and grow a new team, so I raised my hand to be a part of its development. For the first year, I balanced my role on our advertising team with my work supporting the launch of our marketplace. As the Houzz Shop grew, I dedicated more and more time to it and ultimately turned my focus to it full-time.
What do you enjoy most about your role? Hands down, it’s the team. We’ve created something really special with the people we’ve hired. They care about the success of the company and those around them which creates a very collaborative environment.
Who inspires you professionally? My dad. He’s retired now, but was always such a hard worker. One of the main things I learned from him is how important it is to value the people you work with and to take care of them. You have to create an environment that will help everyone succeed.
Do you have any advice for the next generation of female leaders? First, work hard. It’s basic, but you have to be able to put the time in to strengthen your leadership muscle just like anything else.
Two. Don’t be afraid to take chances and step outside of your comfort zone. But then work hard to quickly own your role.
Three. Ask for help. I’ve found that by reaching out, you’ll find great partners across the business.
Finally, “when the spotlight shines, always be tap dancing”. I learned this from one of my mentors and it has always stuck with me. You never know when the next opportunity will come your way or when the spotlight will shine on you, but when it does, you better already be performing so that you can take advantage.
How do you manage work/life balance? A few years ago, I decided to have a baby on my own and it was the best decision I’ve ever made. There are definitely days that are amazing and days that are super tough, but I focus on being my very best self at work and go home to be my very best self at home. I really try not to let that notorious “mom guilt” in. You have to give yourself a break and know that you are doing the best that you can.
When do you do your best work? I do my best work when I’m collaborating with other leaders on the team. When we’re working together to improve the business or tackle a challenge, we tap into everyone’s different skill sets and experiences to achieve really important milestones.
How do you use Houzz at home? I buy products from the Houzz Shop, of course! Most recently, I bought a black and white flatweave area rug and nesting coffee tables. I also used the Houzz Sketch tool when I was designing my daughter’s nursery to see how all of the products would look together. Originally, I thought I wanted bright colors, but then I realized I liked the look of black and white, with pale pink accents. One of my favorite prints hanging on her wall says, “Let her sleep, for when she wakes, she will move mountains.”
