A couple times a year, I'm lucky enough to be invited to dine in the magical Culver City backyard of Lisa Chester Schroeder and her husband, Denny. A lovely, warm, and gregarious couple, they never cease to amaze me and my man with the multiple courses of deliciousness (some of which has been purchased during one of their many international jaunts), accompanied by more than a few bottles of wine and hours upon hours of conversation. Ubiquitous at these dinners are artists, writers, designers, inventors, and, like any skilled hostess, Lisa assigns the seating, so you can't simply cozy up next to your partner and casually kvetch about the traffic on the 10 or your annoying new co-worker - your curiosity and amity concerning the unknown are mandatory elements of the consummate experience.
As Southern California mainstays for a long while, Lisa and Denny are close friends with many contemporary artists, so they've an enviable art collection, and having worked with Herman Miller in several capacities for nearly two decades, Lisa is a fount of knowledge about the company and its inner workings. Naturally we couldn't wait to chat with Lisa about the ultimate deities of design, Lisa's own rescue cats, and what she cannot go without during her travels in our SHAPERS Q+A*! Enjoy! ~Rebecca
Could you tell me a little bit about your job as a global account manager with Herman Miller? How long have you worked with the company?
I am fortunate to be entering into my 18th year at Herman Miller. While working here, I have had many different roles. Over the past 4 years, I have been leading the Western US as the Director of Sales for our Healthcare team. Many people don't realize that Herman Miller has been providing solutions to the Healthcare industry for 50 years. It all began with Robert Propst. Providing solutions that can enhance the experience of the caregiver, the patient and the family members is incredibly rewarding.
I imagine you have at least a handful of interesting anecdotes, having worked with Herman Miller for so many years. Would you be able + willing to share one of these unforgettable stories with Lily Spindle?
Yes, I do and yes, some of these I can not share. But some I can. What is interesting about your question is the way you asked it: "unforgettable stories". After an employee has been with Herman Miller for 20 years, we become known as a Water Carrier. In Native American societies, the water carrier plays an essential function that helps a tribe survive. Former CEO, Max DePree, introduced the concept of water carriers to Herman Miller in 1987, and described them this way in his book, Leadership Jazz: “The tribal water carrier in this corporation is a symbol of the essential nature of all jobs, our interdependence, the identity of ownership…” Part of the role of the Water Carrier at Herman Miller is to pass along stories to the newer employees within our organization. One of the reasons we use stories is that this is a way we as humans can more easily learn.
Here's a story for you that you may not know:
In 1954, Charles and Ray Eames designed a home for Max DePree and his family in Zeeland, MI. After residing there for approximately 20 years, he was contemplating selling the home. Word got around town that he was considering the sale. At the Herman Miller company picnic, one of our employees asked if he could purchase the home. However, Max had not decided yet, if he would sell, but if he would, he would give the first option to buy to him. The DePree family sold the home and the Herman Miller employee, Rynbrandt, purchased it in 1975. Herman Miller purchased the home back in 2010 with plans to restore and preserve it.. The side story goes that Max began looking through old photos of the home to assist Herman Miller in the restoration. As he spotted pieces of furniture that had been in the home, but had since been passed along to his family, he began calling his children to give it back in an effort to place back to its original "home".
Charles and Ray Eames, posing with their chair bases. Photograph: Eames Office
Collage of a room display for An Exhibition for Modern Living, 1949. Photograph: Eames Office
You are, as far as I'm concerned, a gastronome of significant proportion. Your dinners last for hours upon hours, replete with multiple courses, many bottles of wine, and a buzzing table of artists, writers, designers, and entrepreneurs. Did you ever consider making beautiful, delicious food your full-time passion?
Rebecca, yes, I have pondered this in the past. However, at my age now, I enjoy simply providing my gift of cooking for friends and families. I began cooking at 4. When I was 6, my father told me that I should be a "food taster" in a restaurant. Back then, food critics and chefs were really not on the radar of my family in my small town.
I have a dear friend that is a chef and caters beautiful meals, upon my retirement, I would love to work for her.
Are you a morning person or a night owl?
Morning. I get up most days between 4-5 am.
You and your husband, Denny, have quite a few rescue cats. What are their names and where are there most beloved sleeping spots in the house?
Nambe-on top of the cat tower
Sir Stirling-on top of Nambe
Julia Alexander-In the Eames aluminum chair
LBC (little black cat)-under the Eames sofa
Mija-on an orange pillow on the Eames sofa
Name your favorite Herman Miller design and describe it using three words.
Eames Molded Fiberglass Chair
-Comfortable
-Classic
-Sleek
It seems like you travel a lot (like A LOT a lot) for your job. What are the things you never travel without?
-My coffee press and Peet's Coffee (two things, but they go together)
If you could have lunch with one famous person, living or dead, who would it be? And where would you dine?
Julia Child in my backyard.
*Lily Spindle's SHAPERS profiles the people whom we consider to be remarkable movers and shakers, doers and dreamers, trailblazers and big thinkers, the people who are doing things a little bit differently and unconventionally, with immense heart, passion, and authenticity in what they do. Artists, designers, writers, philanthropists, iconoclasts, artisans, heroines, voyagers, and all kinds of extraordinary extraordinaires will be interviewed in our SHAPERS series.
