Tiffany Lea Haendel
The epitome of value-based work, Tiffany invests her design skills and time not just in work, but in causes close to her heart.
What makes you feel proud?
Seeing tangible results and the effect of my work on others. In design, I love seeing the before and after of a piece, or seeing a completed design in action. In rescue work, I keep a list of all the cats I have personally saved, and even in the hardest of times, it helps me stay focused on the fact that without me, these babies may not have survived. I am most proud of my relationships and connections with people in the community and I love meeting new people and finding new avenues to impact OKC.
Who is the biggest influence in your life? Why?
Honestly, probably Emily Smart, my business partner. She is obviously a major part of my life and her maternity leave has made me realize how much I rely on her insight and opinion on a daily basis! She is both a business partner and a very dear friend, and I am especially proud that we continue to successfully navigate that fine balance with ease.
“In rescue work, I keep a list of all the cats I have personally saved, and even in the hardest of times, it helps me stay focused on the fact that without me, these babies may not have survived.”
What’s been the biggest obstacle in your life so far?
I feel like I went through a major personal renaissance in my early 20s, and coming out of the other side was a transformational experience. I lost my Father when I was 21, I had anxiety that was often overwhelming and crippling and I had an unhealthy relationship with myself and my own worth and needs. After a bad breakup, I started to rediscover who I am at my core and after a few years alone I came out the other side in the healthiest and most successful place of my life. I can’t advocate enough for therapy and, when necessary, medication, and I also think it is so important to be alone for some period of time. I don’t think I ever would have learned to stand on my own if I hadn’t spent a few years single and learning to meet my own emotional needs.
tiffany is one of 100 women we have featured in the inaugural issue of Hundred Magazine. To learn more about her and the other 99 women, buy the issue.
