Madelaine Mayer: The Interior Designer Who Spent 20 Years as an Architect Before Choosing Joy

Episode 1203 of A Well-Designed Business®

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1203: Madelaine Mayer: The Interior Designer Who Spent 20 Years as an Architect Before Choosing Joy

Today with Madelaine Mayer:

Today with Madelaine Mayer, licensed architect, certified interior designer, and founder of ADROIT Architecture & Interior Design in New York City, we are getting into what it really means to bet on yourself when everything you have built says you should stay put. Madelaine spent nearly 20 years in commercial and institutional architecture before making the leap to interior design — and the story of how she got there, and what kept her tethered so long, is one a lot of people in this audience are going to recognize.

We talk about the sunk cost trap, the expectations we inherit from the people who love us most, and the permission we withhold from ourselves when our credentials start to feel like an obligation instead of an asset. Madelaine also gets into how that 20-year technical foundation now gives her a genuine competitive edge in the complex, code-heavy world of New York City residential renovation — and what it looks like to build a company culture intentionally, from scratch, when you know exactly what you don’t want it to be.

More About Madelaine Mayer:

Since founding ADROIT Architecture & Interior Design in 2022, Madelaine has earned a reputation for infusing complex New York City residences with boundless joy, innovative problem solving, and ineff able style. Drawing inspiration from her extensive travels, contemporary art, and architectural history, Madelaine wields a keen eye to create deeply personal and practical interiors alongside fun and memorable client experiences.

Madelaine has been featured in numerous publications, including Architectural Digest, House Beautiful, Apartment Therapy, and Real Simple, and was awarded the Apartment Therapy Small/Cool Best Vibe award for her own home in 2023.

With over 20 years of experience in New York City, Madelaine is a licensed architect, certified interior designer, LEED and WELL accredited, and a faculty member at the New York School of Interior Design. She earned her Masters in Architecture from the Georgia Institute of Technology and her Bachelors in Architectural Studies and Art History from Hobart and William Smith Colleges.

Ah Ha Moments with Madelaine Mayer:

“There are pressures, internal and external. Sometimes they serve us, sometimes they don’t. Sometimes they serve us until they don’t. And then our job is to recognize the gift that they gave us, but then to break free and listen to the inside voice that’s calling you to do the next thing.” — LuAnn Nigara

“Just because something is difficult to achieve, just because something is perceived as elite or having a high barrier to entry, that it therefore has a higher value and it’s better or more appropriate or more applicable. And that’s just not true.” — Madelaine Mayer

“You literally have to decide to be excellent as the boss every day. How do I show up in the inside of my business that no one else sees?” — Madelaine Mayer