Ivy is a to-do list app that prioritizes wellness over productivity. Co-founders Tucker and Evan are former Wealthsimple and Shopify workers who were tired of being so exhausted by the end of every day that they couldn’t even take out their garbage! So they took aspects of their meditation and mindfulness practices to create Ivy. The app helps prevent burnout and overwhelm, which is unfortunately the norm for so many young Torontonians!
What is your business called and what does it do?
Both: Our business is called Ivy. It’s a mobile app that helps people practice mindful productivity. Our goal is to help people combat the effects of burnout, by making everyday to-dos (like doing laundry, taking the garbage out) exciting and rewarding.
What made you want to do this work?
Tucker: After dealing with the effects of burnout in my personal and professional life, I quickly realized that there are no fun tools to help make mundane everyday to-dos approachable. So many of the solutions that existed before Ivy were productivity tools that were focused on squeezing more productive hours of people, rather than help people focus on the few things every day that are important to them.
What problem does this solve?
Evan: So many people today – no matter how old they are – are faced with the problem that their to-do list seems so overwhelming, to the point of it feeling like a constant burden on their life. This is a clear sign of burnout, and our hope is that we can build tools that help people overcome that.
Who are your clientele/demographics?
Tucker: The majority of our customers are women. Some are new mothers who are going through a significant lifestyle change and need something that can help them prioritize their day and to keep them grounded. Others are students or young professionals that need a tool that helps them distance their personal life from work life.
How does your business make money? How does it work?
Evan: At the moment, Ivy is completely free to use. If Ivy delivers on its promise of helping people combat the effects of burnout, we hope people will consider it valuable enough to pay for sometime in the future.
Where in Toronto can we find your profession?
Tucker: You can visit getivy.co
What is the best question a prospective customer could ask a member of your profession when comparing services?
Evan: What’s different about Ivy compared to other productivity tools?
Our app is based off a 100-year-old productivity method called The Ivy Lee Method, where we encourage people to work on up to six things per day, and no more than that. This is why the method works:
– It’s six things. So you’re never really biting off more than you can chew. No more endless to-do lists to work through every day.
– It encourages optimism. With only six things every day, you can look forward to getting all (or most) of the things on your list done.
– It encourages you to get things done sooner. Because you’ll be thinking about how great it will feel to get all six tasks complete by the end of the day.
– It’s simple! The simpler the method is, the more likely you’ll be to stick with it.
What is the best part about what you do? What is the worst part?
Tucker: The best part is knowing that we have the opportunity to help people build new positive habits in their lives. The worst part is staying motivated and optimistic through all the ups and downs of building a business.
Evan: When you’re working on your own business, every idea that pops into your head needs to be treated with a little bit more respect and thought. The decisions you make right now have big implications on what your life will look like weeks or months from now — which can be good or bad.
What is your favourite joke about your own profession?
Tucker: People think starting a business is glamorous because you are your own boss. It’s really tough!
PAY IT FORWARD: What is another Toronto business that you love?
Tucker: Give – you can make an impact in all the causes you care about with just one monthly donation.
Evan: Flexday — we use them all the time. It lets us work in a variety of different locations around the city for a great price.