LACEY M. CONWAY, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF HOMESERVICES OF AMERICA, ON DECISIVE LEADERSHIP, CULTURAL AWARENESS, AND THE SMALL RITUALS THAT QUIETLY SHAPE SUCCESS.
BY ANETTA NOWOSIELSKA
What is one tool, habit, or ritual that has become indispensable to how you lead and make decisions? My father once gave me a piece of advice I still return to constantly: “Don’t be afraid to decide.” People lose enormous amounts of time circling uncertainty and overanalyzing every possible outcome. I’ve found that when you lead with both instinct and intellect, decisions become far clearer, and momentum matters.
What is a recent discovery—whether a book, platform, or idea—that has meaningfully shifted your perspective? I’ve been drawn lately to the creative independence happening on platforms like Substack and Patreon. There’s something refreshing about hearing unfiltered voices again, writers, thinkers, and artists speaking directly to their audiences without the polish or caution that often comes with larger platforms. The honesty feels sharper, and the ideas feel more alive.
How do you personally stay ahead of change in an environment that is constantly evolving? Honestly, my 18- and 15-year-old-sons keep me culturally fluent. They’re tapped into shifts in media, style, language, and technology long before most adults notice them. Seeing the world through their lens keeps me curious, adaptable, and probably far younger in spirit than I deserve to be.
Is there a place that consistently sharpens your thinking or restores your focus? Daily, it’s the gym. It clears my head almost instantly. But the place that truly resets me is Tulum. My family has been going there for years, and even as it has evolved, it still holds a certain magic. Fly-fishing in the lagoons, yoga in the mornings, exploring the ruins, there’s something about the rhythm of the place that restores clarity and perspective.
What is one piece of technology or innovation you find yourself returning to more often than expected, and why? Two, actually. My Kangen water system, which lets you customize the alkalinity and filtration of the water, and embarrassingly enough, the Maps app on my iPhone. I genuinely don’t know how any of us navigated cities before it. It’s probably the least glamorous but most indispensable technology I use every day.
Outside of work, what inspires you in a way that might surprise people? Horses, without question. I grew up riding Saddlebreds, later moved into hunter/jumper, and now play a bit of polo. There’s a discipline and emotional intelligence around horses that I’ve always been deeply drawn to. Anything involving horses, I’m immediately interested.
