Portia | Co-Founder, AYI & ADA
From Luxury Hospitality to the Art of Clean Living
My journey began in the world of luxury hospitality, where I spent many years working in prestigious hotels, developing teams, training staff and learning what it truly means to deliver exceptional standards.
Hospitality taught me something that has stayed with me throughout my career: true quality is found in the details.
I carried those principles with me when I established my own property and household management business, working within some of London's most prestigious residential properties.
Over the years, I have had the privilege of managing beautiful homes and overseeing teams responsible for everything from housekeeping and specialist cleaning to property maintenance and repairs.
And through that experience, I began noticing something.
Despite the extraordinary attention given to the design, materials and finishes within luxury homes, the everyday products used to maintain them weren't always receiving the same consideration.
I encountered hand washes that left marks or residues on delicate marble surfaces, and cleaning products with strong fragrances that weren't always welcomed by clients. Sometimes, a product could create an entirely new problem while attempting to solve another.
That was where I recognised a gap in the market.
I wanted to develop products with a greater emphasis on functionality, thoughtful formulation and simplicity.
Products that focus on doing the job they were created to do, without introducing unnecessary fragrance into the home.
Together with my daughter, I began developing the vision for AYI & ADA.
We chose to start with three everyday essentials: hand wash, multipurpose surface cleaner and floor cleaner.
These weren't random choices. They were products I had worked with, purchased, supplied and seen used countless times throughout my professional life.
They were the products I understood.
Our ambition is to grow the collection thoughtfully, introducing new products that serve a genuine purpose rather than simply expanding for the sake of it.
Although my experience comes from the world of luxury hospitality and ultra-high-net-worth property management, my vision for AYI & ADA has always been much broader.
I believe beautiful, thoughtfully developed everyday essentials should be accessible to everyone, not reserved for a privileged few.
My career has taught me that experience is never wasted. The knowledge we gain in one chapter of our lives can become the foundation for something entirely new.
AYI & ADA is an expression of that belief.
A combination of professional experience, a mother's vision and a daughter's inspiration.
Created with intention, designed with care and made for everyday living.
With love,
Portia
Co-Founder, AYI & ADA
The Art of Clean Living