I’m Paige Wassel. WAS the Newsletter is your weekly dose of design inspiration, where we accept we can’t do it all ourselves.

This week, I’m featuring someone who’s been such a huge part of my world for the past year. I want to formally introduce you guys to my assistant /my right hand/the glue that holds my chaotic life together…Maren!

How It Started…

About a year ago, I hit a wall. Like full-blown, holy shit, “I can’t do all of this by myself anymore” kind of wall. Between my YouTube channel, the newsletter, the WAS home decor brand, and everything else I somehow signed myself up for, I was one person trying to do the job of five.

There comes a point where if you want to grow, you’ve got to accept help. So I did what any logical person in a panic spiral would do: I posted a job listing on Instagram.

I didn’t even know what I needed, except I knew it had to be someone super specialized. I had to find someone who could roll with the punches and pick up where I left off without a ton of explanation. Someone I could trust. (Spoiler alert: that’s not so easy for me.) I wanted a person deeply invested in design, video, content, and all the behind-the-scenes madness that keeps this brand moving. And they had to be local. I assumed this was a whole needle/haystack thing.

Seventy applications later (!!), I narrowed it down to three incredible people. And then I met Maren.

Why I Chose Maren

From the jump, I knew I needed someone scrappy. Not just talented—adaptable. Someone who could shift gears in a second and take initiative no matter what weird task popped up that day. Maren just got it, ya know? She’s been with me ever since… and she’s exceeded every expectation I had. Having her on the team has allowed me to expand in ways I didn’t even imagine a year ago, from taking on design clients to opening a vintage store.

What She Actually Does (aka Everything)

Where do I even start? Maren helps with:

• Editing and coordinating YouTube videos

• Running this very newsletter (!!)

• Project managing for my interior design clients

• Handling logistics for our WAS product line

• Managing inventory for our vintage store

• Uploading every single item into Shopify (OMG, bless her)

• Planning pop-ups, shipping coordination, sourcing, fabric selection, and even office supplies

And that’s just the short list.

She also stepped into the project coordinator role on a cool client job, realized she loved the interiors side of things, and now she’s managing multiple upcoming design projects. Talk about growth!

#Grateful

When I look back on what I used to handle all on my own, I kind of want to cry-laugh. Like, HOW did I do this solo?? The answer is: poorly, with no sleep, and zero balance. Social life? Never met her.

Now, because of Maren, I have room to breathe. To think. To create. She’s insanely trustworthy, endlessly helpful, and just…one of those people you want to keep around forever. So yes, I ask her regularly: What do you want to learn? Where do you want to grow? Because I want this to be a long-term thing for her, too.

Not Miranda Priestly

One last thing: I try really hard to create a kind, creative, healthy work environment. When I first started in this industry, it still had a lot of that Devil Wears Prada energy—super toxic, ego-driven, not cute. Assistants like me back then were treated poorly. I hated not feeling valued because I thought that was a terrible approach. That just wasn’t how I would roll.

I want everyone on my team to feel supported and appreciated, and Maren is no exception. She deserves all the good things, and then some. And thanks to her help, we’re continuing to grow. We’re planning on bringing in a junior design associate, an intern, and who knows what else?

Okay! That’s my take. Scroll on for Maren’s Q&A and get to know the badass behind the scenes. She’s just the best.

The Interview

Where are you from? What is your background? Tell us a little about yourself! 

I’m from the Atlanta suburbs! I was born and raised there and then moved to Utah for college. After my undergrad, I went to Vanderbilt to get my PhD in English. [OMG!!] I love baking, reading, and being outside. 

What did you study in college and why? Did you do any internships? 

I majored in English and History and minored in Gender Studies. My major was super interdisciplinary, so I really enjoyed being able to take classes in philosophy, political science, history, art history, creative writing, English, etc. And I loved it so much I decided to get a PhD in English—totally chill and casual. 

In preparation for grad school, I didn’t really have any traditional internships, but I worked as a research assistant and teaching assistant for various professors, which is kind of the closest thing you can get to interning for a PhD. A lot of what I did gave me a ton of experience with archival research which became the basis of my dissertation, and is a skill I still find really useful.

What did you originally want to do once you graduated? Has that since changed?

So much! When I graduated college, I was dead set on becoming a professor. I was publishing articles, going to conferences, teaching, the whole nine yards. As I progressed through grad school, though, I started to feel very disconnected from academia.

For me personally, I really didn’t like that it often felt isolated, individualistic, and bureaucratic. I really started to feel quite trapped. I realized I wanted to have a job where my livelihood and work wouldn’t be at the whims of a department, hiring committee, publishers, or anyone else. So naturally, I took the plunge into the freelance world—so really a night-and-day difference from my original plans.

What made you decide to apply for a job with me? Was it at all what you were expecting?

About a year ago, I was honestly feeling extremely lost and super depressed about my career–I was staring down the barrel of teaching college students how to close-read The Great Gatsby and grading essays written by ChatGPT for the next forty years, and I realized that that future wasn’t for me. But I really had no idea what to do instead.

So during the last year of my PhD, while my schedule was flexible, my husband and I moved to LA and I started looking into different jobs and potential career paths. During that time, you posted that you were hiring an assistant, and I immediately applied. I tried not to get my hopes too high–it’s kind of exhausting to do that when you’re looking for jobs–but ngl I was really hoping you’d reach out.

I had no idea what to expect, but I was (and still am ofc) such a fan of all things WAS, and I was super excited to see how things worked behind the scenes. Every day and week is so different. I’ve truly learned so much and am just as excited as I was a year ago, if not more so, for the future. 

What are some of the main things you do for me/WAS? What projects do you love the most?

I’d say that I do a lot of oscillating between small, granular details of WAS and larger, broader project management. Because it’s such a small team, I kinda just help out with whatever you’re working on–which is always a ton! I help produce the newsletter and do research/sourcing for YouTube videos, I help coordinate the production of WAS products and assist on shoots, and I’m driving all over LA connecting with vendors and manufacturers. But I also enjoy helping organize the broader scope and schedule of WAS products and content. 

I’ve really loved being a part of the WAS product process. It’s super fascinating and fulfilling seeing something come to life from the ideation phase all the way to shipping it out to customers, and everything in between.

How would you describe your personal interior style? 

I feel like I gravitate towards a mix of English countryside, California craftsman, and Japanese influences. I want my space to feel cozy and approachable, but also colorful and refreshing. I love mixing patterns and colors, interesting/vintage furnishings, and incorporating plants. I’m super inspired by movie sets and kinda just want my place to feel like something out of The Taste of Things or Amélie—a little bit whimsical and fun but also grounded. I don’t want to be stressed about everything being super orderly and organized, I want it to feel lived-in and home-y and warm. 

Some shots of my home that I’ve been working on!

Where do you see your career headed now that you have worked for WAS Studios for almost a year now? What would you like to do?

I feel really lucky that I’ve been able to gain experience in project management, production, operations, prop styling, product design, and interior design this past year.  I’m definitely still learning, but I would really love to step into more design-focused roles in the coming months and years, whether that’s interior design, brand design, or product design, it’s all so fascinating to me.

And lastly, if someone wanted to get a job at WAS (we will be hiring soon!), what advice do you have for them?

I think being self-driven and a creative problem solver are really important on a small team like WAS. Like I mentioned before, everyone does a little bit of everything, so a willingness to take on small and big tasks alike is crucial. And if you don’t have any interior design experience (like me), being able to show how you’d be able to provide value to the team with your unique experiences and background will really set you apart.

Bottom line, Maren is living proof that when you allow yourself to put your faith in someone, you’re paid back in spades.

And academia’s loss is design’s gain.

 xx,
P