Turndown Service with Our Founder Jess Davidoff

Feb 24, 2022

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When you meet Jess in person, you will honestly feel like she has absolutely nothing else going on in the world aside from sitting and chatting with you. It’s as if time stops and everything else in the world pauses aside from what she’s focused on right at that moment. I’ve never met anyone with such a chill, present vibe, who also has so much going on in her life. To say Jess is busy is an understatement, but I’ve never heard her say no to a friend. She just has this magical way of finding the time - for her family and friends, for Cove, for her clients at Easton Rae, for herself, and especially for her son Asher. She’s definitely the embodiment of “sprezzatura” - the meticulous planning that goes into making something seem effortless. Read on for some of her favorites.

What’s your favorite (hidden) oasis?

I love the jetty at Morgan Park - the inspo behind our first fragrance. It’s a 5 minute walk from my parents’ house and I’ve been walking down there since I was in middle school to hang on the beach, walk the jetty, or just watch the sunset. My favorite place of all time is Montauk. I lifeguarded out there the summer after my freshman year of college and I’ve spent every summer out there ever since. It’s pure magic! When I get that first glimpse of the Atlantic Ocean from Route 27, time just seems to slow down…
What oasis is on your bucket list?

I’d love to take my son on a safari to watch the great migration in the Masai Mara and to visit the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust elephant orphanage and would also love to do a dive trip to the Maldives with my husband!
What book are you currently unwinding with?

I’m currently unwinding before bed with From Cradle to Stage by Dave Grohl’s mom, Virginia Hamlon Grohl. I love rock and roll - actually I love all kinds of music, but this book is awesome because it gives you insights from the moms of some of the greatest musicians about what their now-rockstar children were like growing up. As a mom, it’s fascinating!
What five songs make up the sound track of your life?
- Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd - Pink Floyd is my dad’s favorite band and this song makes me think of and cherish him.
- Forgot about Dre by Dr. Dre - I didn’t fall in love with 90s hip hop until I was in my late 20s/early 30s when I was doing my first gig as a turnaround CEO. I basically had to restructure an entire company, which meant terminating a lot of good people. It was so hard, and I’d pump myself up every morning on my commute with Dr. Dre, Wu-tang, and Eminem. I still listen to that playlist, which starts with “Forgot about Dre” any time I need to get amped up.
- Everlasting Light by The Black Keys - I remember listening to this song (and the whole Brothers album when it first came out) on repeat as I’d ride the 6 train between my apartment on Madison and my now husband’s apartment on Mulberry. It makes me think of that special time when we first met. We then played it at our wedding as we walked down the aisle together after our ceremony as husband and wife.
- Buffalo Soldier by Bob Marley - Bob Marley might be my most played artist. This isn’t even my favorite song, but it happens to be my 3 year old son Asher’s favorite song. He asks to play it almost every day, and knows all the remixes (Stephen Marley’s is his favorite :) and he sings it while strumming on a little ukulele and it just makes me smile.
- Brighter by Rufus du Sol - This song makes me want to get up and dance and reminds me of a summer I spent driving around Portugal - total bliss!
What do you wear at home?

I work from home most days now so I usually don’t really change out of my day clothes when I transition into my night routine. I also feel like I’m WAY more productive when I “get ready” in the morning, which usually means a long dress because they are SO easy and SO comfortable or jeans/jean shorts and a tee-shirt. I really don’t change out of my day clothes until bedtime and I LOVE pajama sets or extra long t-shirts and sweatshirts.
Where is your favorite hidden space in your home?

My favorite place is the rocking armchair in my son’s room. It is SO comfortable and I’ve spent so many happy moments in that chair, reading to my son, breastfeeding him, or just staring at him while he’s sleeping. I also picked out really cool art pieces for his room - a piece of 2 lions called Wild Love by Noé Two and a custom commissioned Elephant piece by Dom Pattinson, and love looking at them when I sneak in there to take calls midday!
What is your personal “turndown routine” that helps you transition from day to night?

For me, the end of the workday always starts with a great playlist, an even better glass of wine, and cooking and singing with my son. We’ll often eat and then after dinner, we’ll watch a show together (right now it’s vintage Disney classics like The Three Caballeros) while I catch up on work or lay in my Higher Dose sauna blanket. We then read 3 books and he’s off to bed. I’ll usually do a bit more work to wrap things up for the day and will end the night with a book or a little ASMR and a CBD Gummy if I really need to chill out!
What is something you do just for you?

I’m learning how to play the electric guitar!!! I bought myself a Fender for my 38th birthday and it’s one of those things that I’m not good at at all, but it brings me so much joy!
Tell us about one of your favorite maxi dresses or jumpsuits.

I'm actually in love with the dress I'm wearing in this picture. I bought it for my son's 1st birthday party, which was actually the last party I hosted before the COVID lockdowns. It was actually a pretty epic party - great music, SO many great friends and family, and strong punch ;) Every time I wear it, it makes me smile :)
Why focus on “hidden spaces”?

I feel like especially now where so much of our lives are on public display through social media, it’s kind of a treat to focus on things that are hyper-personal that no one will ever see and to remind people to do things that are just for them. I also believe that when things are feeling the most chaotic in my life, what will totally calm me down is to focus on the tiniest organizational tasks - making my bed, cleaning out my purse, organizing my calendar or to-do list, and so I wanted to create products for those spaces that were not only hyper-functional, but also beautiful to remind people to celebrate the small things (and themselves) whenever they can.
Since 2020, people have been spending more and more time at home. What advice would you give them to create a separation between work-life and life-life?

I definitely don’t think it’s possible for your work-life and your life-life to be totally separate, but I do feel like a lot of times people have tendencies to let their work creep into their personal time. After nearly 2 decades of being an entrepreneur, I can assure you that your inbox will never stay at zero, your to-do list will constantly be growing, and none of your projects will ever be “perfect”. So I basically force myself to prioritize life-life over work-life. Even though I’ll be in the middle of a project, I’ll force myself to pause at 4:30 to walk my son to his basketball class and cheer him on, or to stop emailing (even though I might be thiiiiiisssss close to inbox zero) in order to make dinner or have lunch with my son. I 1000% realize this is a luxury and a privilege of being my own boss, but I’ve worked super hard for the privilege and actually started out bartending at night while trying to get my first company off the ground!