Weismark Carves Her Niche as ‘Handy Honey’
Ilana Weismark specializes in helping women with “fix it” jobs, adding creativity and an element of safety. She previously taught Hebrew at AJA among other languages around the world.
After 37 years with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and now with the AJT, , Jaffe’s focus is lifestyle, art, dining, fashion, and community events with emphasis on Jewish movers and shakers.
Ilana Weismark left the education world to enter a traditionally male space to handle “pesky home repairs for fabulous ladies who don’t have a “honey” to handle reliable professional ‘fix-it’ jobs.”
Weismark explained, “I’m a DIY kind of person. I have always enjoyed working with tools, building with wood, crafting solutions, and upgrading spaces. I love assembling furniture, hanging art, creating more storage space with shelves, installing blinds, changing air filters, and tackling the other tasks most homeowners don’t want to spend their precious free time on. These jobs are often too small for handymen to take on but are essential in making a home functional and beautiful.”
Weismark adds a continental touch with her European background. She grew up in France and lived in London until her 20s before moving to Israel, where she met husband, Adee, who is from Nashville. She was a language educator and taught English in France, French in England, French in Israel, and Hebrew in Atlanta at Atlanta Jewish Academy from 2009-2012. After leaving the education world, she ran her own home company, Ooh La La Home Staging, where she worked for nine years before selling the company to intern with a fine cabinet maker, and then learning to weld.
Four months ago, she launched Handy Honey LLC, and never looked back, helping clients with a wide variety of tasks — from changing light bulbs to increasing pantry space with wire shelving, hanging bikes, assembling furniture, hanging artwork, changing air filters, and installing vinyl window frosting to add privacy to a front door.
She specializes in helping female heads of household, divorcees, widows, single women, and female college students who need a little help and feel more comfortable having a woman come into their home. If she is hired for a task that requires more heavy lifting, she has an assistant to help. Handy Honey took off on Jewish Women of Atlanta’s Facebook page and from there on, grew through word of mouth.
Weismark added, “I love what I do. Making the lives of my clients easier and empowering women is my favorite thing about this business. My ‘sweet spot’ is assembling furniture and working on anything that requires a woman’s touch. With my background in home staging and design, I have an eye for detail and know what looks good and what doesn’t. My clients trust me to not only get the job done, but to ensure it’s done with care and precision.”
The idea for Handy Honey came from a girlfriend who shared how she wished there were more women in the handy-person field. Women often feel more at ease inviting another woman into their home to handle the things a male partner may typically solve. Some things Weismark does not do: painting entire walls, changing or hanging very high chandeliers, plumbing or electrical repairs, or heavy-duty projects.
Instead of charging by the hour, she charges by the task and has a minimum of $150 per visit. She shared, “This way, my clients can make the most of my time on-site by compiling a list of tasks to be completed during a single visit. I like to take my time to ensure the work is done right, and this pricing method allows me to focus on delivering quality results without watching the clock.”
Handy Honey is more than just a business — it’s a way to combine Weismark’s passions for creativity, problem-solving, and helping others. She said, “I find so much joy in knowing I’ve made someone’s day easier by taking care of tasks that have been lingering on their to-do list. I believe in empowering women and creating spaces that feel both functional and beautiful. Whether it’s a small fix like replacing a doorknob or a larger project like installing a storage solution, my goal is always to leave clients with a smile on their faces and a home that works better for them.”
For more information, please call 770-312-6723 or visit www.handyhoney.net.
comments