4 minute read
CAPITAL WOMAN ENTREPRENEUR
YOU ARE ENOUGH. LEA MARIE
BY NICOLE HEROUX WILLIAMS I PHOTOS BY NSP STUDIO PHOTOS BY MERCEDES TEPPER, MARK DAVIS, GREG ORTIZ
If some people had a hammer, they would quite possibly smash their thumb. Many folks have been there. Done that. Got the t-shirt. However, give THIS lady pictured here a hammer and there will be a very different result!
Have you ever watched HGTV and drooled over the beautiful results that these television contractors get? There you are, sitting in front of your TV or computer in your perfectly fine home and see all kinds of dreamy designs come to life. Of course, they cost a fortune, are created by these master construction people and designers who are TV worthy, and charge prices that are out of reach for most of us. So, you look around your house feeling that you could never get the kind of things that you just saw on the show. You think you must settle for things the way they are. Well, not so fast, Capital District. We can still aspire to have this level of beautiful work done in our own homes right here in the 518! We too can have someone who is just as TV worthy, just as talented, and just as professional as what we see on TV. By the way, we also do not have to spend a fortune to get quality work done on our homes. not only can command a hammer and other tools to renovate almost anything, but she is also even a model. This multi-tasker is brains and beauty all in one. She can create your dream renovation at a reasonable price. In one of the pictures shown, she is wearing an awesome custom creation from 22 Shades of Gray. In some of the others, she is hard at work creating a beautiful new
bathroom, a kitchen, and the results of some landscaping work that she had completed.
She was formally the owner of Jadas Jumping Beans Daycare, which operated in Albany for 15 years. She then became a fitness instructor, personal trainer, nutrition coach and owner of Downtown Studio FIT. This was a unique Albany-based Fitness and Wellness Studio which provided a wide variety of daily group exercise classes along with the opportunity for individualized training and nutrition coaching services, at an affordable rate. The landlord of the building closed his business down due to the COVID pandemic and sold the building to a major conglomerate. This made the space no longer available to Lea. However, you can’t keep a good woman down, and especially not this one.
As we know, when one door closes, another one opens. Lea Marie’s Custom Creations, Flooring and Designs began last year as ‘side work’ because of the loss of income and businesses closing due to the pandemic. Word got out and it became a full-time business within 2 weeks! Lea is completely self-taught in construction. She worked on her own home for 10 years prior to offering her services to the public. She enjoys what she does, and the results are amazing! She takes pride in giving people quality solutions at an affordable price. She keeps costs down by working alone and not having the overhead of using subcontractors.
This mother of 4 does everything from full demos and rebuilds to patio installs and fencing. She meets with her clients to discuss their projects
Another option for contacting the business is by calling Lea Demonia at (845) 849-4863 to discuss your next home improvement project. She is very easy to work with, keeps her customers informed throughout the process and always brings her professionalism and expertise to the table.
As for Downtown Studio FIT, Lea is actively searching for a new location so that she can start that up again too. This lady is a true entrepreneur, never shying away from a challenge, and a great role model. Her journey shows that hard work really pays off and that you can turn your talent into a business. She is an artist, so construction allows her to express her artistic side and to make a living off it at the same time. She feels like it is arts and crafts for adults. It makes her happy and she enjoys making her customers happy.
At one point, she had posted some pictures of herself online that her daughter had taken. After being seen online, she was asked to shoot with other photographers in the industry. Lea enjoys modeling because she feels that it is empowering for herself and for other women. She feels that a woman can do anything but that not all women believe that, nor do they feel secure in that thought. In her free time, she typically spends time with her family, but she also has horses and loves to go riding. This busy lady is quite the inspiration.
