When Alex MacMillan decided to start her own company she had a set of values she wanted to follow and a desire to build the kind of company that supported employees’ lives outside of work, be that a shorter work week or other benefits.
She knew the kind of company she wanted to build, she just had to land on a business idea that would allow that creation.
She found it, with Lovely.
It’s a relationship-strengthening product designed to help couples, no matter the length of their relationship, better communicate, listen and understand each other. It’s an analog product that sends customers a monthly box with a game or other activity.
After more than a year of pandemic isolation there is a world of couples hungry for this help that is somewhere between full therapy and self help books. MacMillan was able to sign up 150 couples to participate in a free pilot of the product.
She now has 40 monthly subscribers to Lovely and a 90% retention rate. Another 350 customers buy individual boxes. Now that she has feedback from early users and said she is confident in the product market fit she is focused on growth strategy.
MacMillan has a background in behavioral health and experience building and running a business. With Lovely she is able to marry those parts of her career and her innate interest in fostering healthy relationships.
“I wanted to build a company that put people first. I’ve had a career centered on people,” she said, adding that in past roles she has run into tension between traditional capitalist success metrics and her people-centered goal. “I had started a few years ago to really consider not just starting this business but a business that checks the boxes on motivations and expertise and a financial model that allows me to pursue running a company and building a team (in ways) that are most important to me.”
Technology/product: Lovely is an intentionally analog series of activities that mixes the best of couples therapy with the playfulness of a game to bring couples closer and aid in understanding. Each month a new personalized activity is sent to the couple based on their needs.
How it makes money: Lovely is a $25 monthly subscription. Boxes can also be purchased as single activities or as a four-pack.
Size of the market: According to the U.S. census there are 62 million married couples. However, Lovely can be used by the countless couples that are dating or living together. The company has found success with couples of all age groups and with or without children.
Competition: Traditional couples therapy, apps or self-help books.
Competitive advantage: Traditional therapy is expensive and has long waitlists. Apps put screens between couples and self-help books can be filtered through one party’s understanding and interpretation. Lovely was created based on founder Alex MacMillan’s experience working in behavioral health and her experience building personal and business partnerships. Lovely activities are based on doing the things and practicing the skills that create interest, possibility and play. To get people to feel differently, it often starts with changing routine and behaviors.
Business it could disrupt: Couples therapy and self-help apps.
Managers and their background: Alex MacMillan has ben COO/CFO of a social impact agency. Prior to that she was a researcher and program manager in behavioral health.
Investors: Bootstrapped to date
Capital sought: Considering strategic partnerships at this time
Ideal exit: The company started testing Lovely 2.0 in the workplace for teams and Lovely for families and children. As a result, MacMillan is focused on building out more ways to help people connect. Any exit of growth partnership will have to be with an entity focused on that work.
Closer Look
Company: Lovely
Headquarters: Portland
Founded: 2020
CEO: Alex MacMillan
Employees: 1
Web: thelovely.us
