Shopify Masters Podcast Summary

Episode: "I Scaled From Handmaking Each Piece to $10 Million in 3 Years"

Host: Adam Levinter
Guest: Pia Mance, Founder of Heaven Mayhem
Air Date: March 3, 2026

Episode Overview

In this energizing conversation, Adam Levinter interviews Pia Mance of Heaven Mayhem, an accessories brand that skyrocketed from Pia’s LA living room to a $10 million business in just three years. The episode unpacks the creative vision, operational hustle, and founder mindset that propelled Heaven Mayhem to cult status. Pia shares candid insights on building brand community, leveraging influencer and celebrity visibility, scaling production, and surviving the pressures of rapid growth—all delivered with authenticity and humor.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Vision and Foundations of Heaven Mayhem

• Brand as World-Building
  • Pia’s goal was to create more than a product, but a world people could belong to.
  • "It feels like something you belong to. I know the word 'community' is thrown around these days, but it truly feels like a community you’re a part of." (01:16, Pia)
• Brand Pillars
  • Product, content, community, and events are the central pillars.
  • “We really try to dive into what we can provide for our community… What more can we give them?” (02:16, Pia)

2. Brand Identity & Naming

• Distinctive but Logo-Free
  • Products are instantly recognizable without overt logos, thanks to a cohesive brand identity across content and design.
• Origin of Brand Name
  • Heaven Mayhem is an oxymoron reflecting the transformative feeling jewelry gives.
  • “When I feel like a mess, that’s mayhem. When I add jewelry, it’s heaven.” (00:00 + 03:30, Pia)

3. Launching the Brand & First Customers

• Grassroots Beginnings
  • Started with handmade necklaces sold via personal Instagram and direct outreach.
  • Pia personally DM’d anyone who showed interest, emphasizing relationship-building. (05:27–06:07)
• Organic Growth through Community & Influencer Seeding
  • Early credibility built as creators organically requested and promoted the product.

4. The Power and Myth of Celebrity Influence

• Celebrity & influencer moments gave a “halo effect” but weren’t the sole drivers of growth.
  • “Even today, the biggest celebrities in the world wear our product, and we don’t even see one extra unit sell that day…Nothing is that crazy about celebrity. It’s a really nice halo effect.” (16:35, Pia)
• A multi-pronged approach involving press, affiliates, and organic buzz proved most impactful.

5. Community: Events, Feedback, Product Co-Creation

• Immersive Experiences:
  • Heaven Mayhem hosts pop-ups, office coffee meetups, and "Girls Nights" solely for customer connection, not selling.
  • Product development is informed by direct input from the community at events and virtual feedback sessions.
  • “We’re designing for the people buying the brand, so why not listen to them to inform our next designs?” (17:25, Pia)
• Monthly Concept: “Conversations in Heaven”
  • Community members join Zooms to preview launches and give candid feedback.
  • Pia specifically asks, “What can I do better?” to invite constructive critique. (10:25–11:04)

6. Scaling Production & Preserving Quality

• Evolution from handmade to manufactured goods as growth demanded.
  • “It was just time to switch to a factory. And it was like the best decision ever because I could start putting these ideas in my head into actual products.” (12:49, Pia)
• Now partners with up to 10 manufacturers, each specialized by category (earrings, watches, laptop cases, etc.).

7. Turning Virality into Opportunity: The Becca Bloom Story

• A viral TikTok by Becca Bloom about buying a new laptop just for a Heaven Mayhem case exploded product demand.
  • Led to a strategic giveaway and sustained high sales for that category. (14:02–15:06)
• “Our laptop cases were already taking off, but [that moment] blew them up, and we honestly still can’t keep them in stock.” (15:06, Pia)

8. Media and Press

• Press placements in Vogue, Forbes, and major outlets viewed as additive but not business-changing.
  • “These tiny things multiply for your sales, but also just your brand perception.” (18:06, Pia)
• Key milestone: Forbes 30 Under 30 didn’t spike sales, but enhanced reputation and unlocked opportunities.

9. Product Extension Strategy

• Every new product framed as an accessory, aligning with brand identity.
• Drops of new products (e.g., laptop cases, eyewear) spur extraordinary loyalty and repeat purchases among community members.
  • “Every single time we drop a new product, our returning customer rate is, is through the roof.” (22:32, Pia)
• Loyalty also driven by exclusive “gift with purchase” campaigns (23:00–24:00)

10. Channel Strategy: DTC, Wholesale, and Retail

• DTC is 80% of business, vastly more profitable than retail/wholesale.
  • Retail valued for marketing/brand alignment more than revenue.
  • “We kind of think about retail in a few different ways—not just sales.” (24:29, Pia)
• Early days: $3 cost per acquisition via self-managed ads. (24:39–25:07)
• Expanding into affiliate marketing (“Shop My”) yields strong, measurable results.

11. Team Scale & Female Empowerment

• Grew from a solo effort to a nimble, all-female team (~10 people) divided across operations, e-comm, branding, and influencer/content.
  • Pia remains involved in both marketing and operations for oversight. (26:15–27:10)

12. Founder Lessons, Challenges & Mindset

• Fast growth brings mistakes: e.g., supply chain mishaps (2,500 mispackaged sunglasses).
  • “I make mistakes every day. I think I always say, done is better than perfect… But, at the moment, I'm looking to slow down my decision making.” (27:49, Pia)
• Burnout and stress are real; perspective is key.
  • “It’s not that deep. We’re actually not saving lives. So if I am going to be tearing my hair out all night over this shipment that hasn’t arrived yet…I just kind of remind myself…wait, chill, we’re not saving lives.” (28:50–29:53, Pia)
• Resilience:
  • “If I'm really stressed right now, think to a moment six months ago when I thought I couldn't do it and I did it.” (30:02, Pia)

13. The Role of Place: Why LA?

• LA’s culture and networks were pivotal; access to stylists, influencers, and celebrity adjacent moments was “only possible because of this city.”
  • “Yet LA is the place where businesses flourish… There’s such an underlying hustle and drive that a lot of businesses really propel in LA.” (30:55–31:51, Pia)

14. Looking Ahead

• Excitement for upcoming launches based directly on community demand and engagement.
  • “Categories that…have asked for again and again and again. They’re finally coming, and I think that’s what we’re really excited about.” (31:55, Pia)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Brand Essence:
  • "When I feel like a mess, that's Mayhem. When I add jewelry, it's heaven." (00:00, Pia)
• On Community:
  • "Community is everything because community is essentially just the people around the brand... If you don't have these people, you don't have a brand." (08:05, Pia)
• On Celebrity Impact:
  • "We have some units online that are slow movers and the celebrity wears it and we still sell five a week. Nothing is that crazy about celebrity... Every tiny bit helped a lot. But I wouldn't say one single thing was our silver bullet." (16:35, Pia)
• On Mistakes:
  • "Done is better than perfect. Get it done, just do it. And that has helped us so much." (27:49, Pia)
• On Perspective:
  • "It's not that deep. We're actually not saving lives... I just kind of remind myself, like, wait, chill, we're not saving lives." (28:50, Pia)

Important Timestamps

• 00:00 — Pia on “Heaven” vs. “Mayhem” and the feeling behind her brand name.
• 03:30 — Naming the brand, the meaning behind “Heaven Mayhem.”
• 05:27–06:51 — Early growth, grassroots marketing, and direct customer connections.
• 08:05–11:04 — Building active community and co-creating with customers.
• 12:49–13:56 — Scaling production, switching from handmade to factories.
• 14:02–15:06 — Becca Bloom’s viral TikTok and the laptop case sellout.
• 16:24–17:45 — The limitations of celebrity/influencer impact.
• 18:06 — Effect of press and PR on perception vs. sales.
• 22:32–24:00 — Driving loyalty and repeat buying through product drops and exclusive promotions.
• 24:29–25:07 — Omnichannel mix and profitability.
• 26:15–27:10 — Team growth and structure.
• 27:49–30:02 — Major founder lessons, accepting mistakes, and managing burnout.
• 30:55–31:51 — The unique entrepreneurial energy of LA.

Final Thoughts

This episode is a blueprint for modern, community-centered brand building. Pia’s story demonstrates that deep customer connection, consistent brand experience, adaptability, and founder authenticity are bigger levers for scale than any single “silver bullet” like celebrity endorsement or viral PR. Her willingness to share mistakes and vulnerable moments offers invaluable perspective for fellow entrepreneurs. If you want insight into what really powers a breakout DTC brand, this episode delivers.