Strong Voice Interview #42: Lea Lange

You founded JUNIQE, exited, and then started again with LUNARY. What did you learn from your first venture about leadership and energy - and what do you consciously do differently today?

When I founded my first company, I was only 24 years old, and for years I basically just worked. Back then, it felt completely right. Today, I’m 13 years older and a mom of two young boys (5 and 6). My energy level is very different now, and I also want to spend time with my kids.

I strongly believe that I need to protect my health and my energy in order to be a good entrepreneur and a good mother. I have set routines, I exercise regularly - and non-negotiably - I protect my sleep and usually go to bed very early, and I put my phone away on weekends. During my first startup, it was fundamentally different.

I also approach leadership differently: I no longer want to be involved in every detail, but I set very clear goals.

With LUNARY, you develop products for women in different life stages.
When did you first feel that women’s everyday lives are still underestimated - economically and socially?

I really only felt that during my first pregnancy. It wasn’t an easy one, but before that, I always thought being pregnant was something you just “do on the side” - and I acted that way for the first 25 weeks.

Then even more so when my first son was a few months old and I went back to working full-time. As a working mom of young children, you wear so many hats. And it’s incredibly important to take care of your own mental and physical health - through routines, nutrition, the right micronutrients, movement, and enough sleep.

You’re a founder and a mother. What does that combination feel like in your actual day-to-day life - beyond the polished narratives about “having it all”?

Most of the time, I see my flexibility as a founder as one of the key reasons I can balance my job and my kids. I can work when I want, from where I want, and I have full control over my calendar.

But there have also been moments in my entrepreneurial journey that didn’t go as planned - and where balance felt more like being torn in two. For example, when my second son was born, we were in the middle of the JUNIQE exit process. Just three days after giving birth, I was back on calls with potential buyers and the M&A agency. I would have wished for a different experience.

But overall, the positive perspective outweighs it: that I can build my structures in a way that works for my family, my business, and myself. I do think it’s important to regularly check in and ask whether everything still fits - or if something in your setup needs to change.

Is there a moment in your day when you especially feel how many roles you’re carrying at once?

My husband is away for work 2-3 days during the week. Those mornings are intense. And that’s even though I prepare as much as possible the night before.

I get ready before I wake the boys. Then I make breakfast, get them dressed, pack their bags, and “drive” them (yes, sometimes it really feels like I’m herding camels) to kindergarten and school - so I can be sitting at my desk, on time and in a good mood, before 9 a.m.

One morning a week, after school drop-off, I go for a run and really enjoy the quiet. I used to get on a train before 9 a.m. to travel to Berlin for meetings - I try to avoid that now.

How has your perspective on success changed since becoming a mother?

Completely. I used to think it was mainly about professional success - which, for me, meant building a large and successful company.

Today, it’s much more about balance and sustainability. I still want to build a sustainable business, but I also want to have enough time to enjoy a beautiful - and above all, low-stress - life with my family, and to take care of myself and my health.

Since my second child, I feel like time is just flying. So I try to be much more intentional about how I spend it.

What would you say to women who want to combine ambition, family, and personal expectations - and often feel like they’re not “enough” in any area?

First of all: I know that feeling.

I think the most important thing is to listen to what truly makes you happy and what you need - instead of thinking you have to build your life and your business in the same way others do.

It’s about finding your own balance (which is not easy at all) and building your life, your setup, and your structures accordingly.

And: trust the process. I’m a very impatient person, but it simply takes time - especially when you’ve just become a mom - to figure out how you want to shape this new phase of your life.

What’s always in your bag - and what should a bag be able to do today to truly support you?

I always have Carmex with me (I’m a bit addicted, unfortunately), my LUNARY vitamin D and Omega-3 (so I don’t forget them), and currently Pilates socks - in case I find time to go to a reformer class during my lunch break.

For me, a bag shouldn’t be too heavy, it needs to be a bit more durable (since it comes with me to the playground, etc.), and it needs to have at least one extra compartment for the things I need to find quickly.