About
Curated Living with French Soul
About Curated Living with French Soul
Meet the Founder
I'm Mary Madore-Hickey — the founder of Merze.
For most of my life, I heard a quiet calling toward beauty, creativity, and a way of living that felt deeply my own. But life asks things of us first. So I climbed. I spent nearly forty years in corporate America consulting alongside CEOs and senior leadership teams. I worked hard, and I thrived. And when I reached the top, I discovered something many women discover quietly — it was not what I had imagined. Something deeper was calling. There was still another dream waiting. One who had been patient with me for a very long time.
That dream was Merze.
Why Merze
My daughter gave Merze its name from her three childhood imaginary friends. To her, they were simply playmates. To me, they came to represent creativity, love, and the way children see the world without constraint.
I was raised in a family that celebrated its Breton roots through language, food, and gathering. When I first walked through Provence, I felt something recognized rather than discovered. A Provence-inspired tablescape I designed was later voted Most Beautiful Table among thirty-six professional designers at the Connecticut Valley Garden Club. It was the moment I understood what Merze was meant to become.
Read the full story behind Merze Lifestyle →
Who Merze Is For
For women in every chapter — still climbing, at a threshold, or building something entirely their own. She does so much for so many that she forgets herself. Merze is where she returns.
À bientôt, Mary