Based in NYC as well as the Catskills, Handyma'am operates as a "full service Handi-Company." Their home-repairs services range from simple fixes, like smoke alarm replacements and shoe rack repairs, to more intricate asks, like dimmer installations and baby gate reinforcements.
Handiwork, and a do-it-yourself attitude, have been tenets in Whitaker's life since childhood.
"My dad owns a hardware store, and my mom's father was a welder," Whitaker says. "So I learned really early that if you want something done, you might as well just do it yourself."
Whitaker's upbringing, combined with their extensive professional background in retail, interior design and set-building, provided a rich portfolio of skills and experience to draw from, and laid the perfect groundwork for founding a business such as Handyma'am.
"I started moonlighting as Handyma'am in addition to my full-time job, and the work just wouldn't stop; it was nights, it was weekends," Whitaker recalls. "And I said, 'okay, let's quit our job and start a business.'"
Though making such a leap may have been daunting for Whitaker, they say the 'floodgates opened' almost immediately: the business' influx of clients quickly necessitated expansions such as team additions and a dedicated company vehicle.
Today, Handyma'am keeps busy with an extensive roster of clients in both NYC and the Catskills, with many of these being returning customers. Amidst the fanfare and rave reviews, however, Whitaker would like to keep Handyma'am close to its roots.
"I think that staying small is what allows me as an employer to remain involved and active in how I run this business and how I manage my people," Whitaker says. "It allows me to stay human with my clients."
Speaking to the company's many returning clients as well as its tight-knit team, Whitaker states that their favorite part of running Handyma'am is "by and far the people."
"They're amazing. The clients are phenomenal, my team is phenomenal," Whitaker says. "I couldn't do it without them."
Click here to learn more about Handyma'am.