I’m Marta Pawlik, Co-Founder of LAIK, a boutique holiday-let and property design company transforming homes across the Lake District. Marta blends her eye for interiors with a practical, hands-on approach to renovation. With a background in criminology and a passion for hospitality, she leads Laik’s creative direction, turning tired properties into sought-after stays that feel both stylish and personal.
Company: LAIK Ltd
We are thrilled to have you join us today, welcome to ValiantCEO Magazine’s exclusive interview! Let’s start off with a little introduction. Tell our readers a bit about yourself and your company.
Marta Pawlik: I’m Marta Pawlik, co-founder and director of Laik, a holiday-let management and design company based in the Lake District. I was born in Poland and moved to the UK as a teenager. I studied criminology at Northumbria University, but my path took a different turn when I discovered a passion for property, interiors, and hospitality. My partner Niall and I started Laik after renovating a flat in Kendal, and it grew from there.
Today, Laik manages a collection of design-led holiday homes across the Lakes. We offer full-service holiday-let management, interior design, and renovations. We focus on quality, personal service, and making each stay feel thoughtful and unique. It’s a small team, but we’re hands-on, and we treat every property like it’s our own.
How do you personally define success, and how has that definition evolved throughout your career?
Marta Pawlik: In the early days, success meant staying afloat, getting bookings, paying the bills, and building something from scratch that actually worked. It was very practical and survival-focused.
Now, success is more about consistency and balance. It’s making sure every guest has a great experience, every property is looked after properly, and our team feels valued and supported. It’s about being proud of the quality we deliver without burning ourselves out in the process.
I used to measure success by how busy we were. Now, I look at how smooth things run when I am not involved in every little detail. That shift, stepping back while the business still performs well, feels like real progress.
What lasting impact do you hope to leave through your business, and what steps are you taking to build that legacy?
Marta Pawlik: I want Laik to be known for raising the standard, not just in how holiday lets look, but in how they’re managed, maintained, and experienced. There’s still a lot of inconsistency in the short-term rental world, and I’d like to leave behind a model that proves you can scale a hospitality business without cutting corners or losing the personal touch.
We’re building that by staying true to our values. We keep the portfolio intentionally small so we can do things properly. We reinvest in properties, in our systems, and in the people who run them. We’ve also started working more closely with local suppliers and reinvesting into the community, which is important to us.
The other part of the legacy is showing that design matters. A holiday home doesn’t need to be expensive to feel considered and comfortable. Thoughtful renovation, good styling, and a bit of care go a long way. If Laik can help shift the mindset around that, even just in our region, that’s something I’d be proud of.
Beyond financial success, what initiatives – whether in mentorship, sustainability, or social responsibility – are you most proud of?
Marta Pawlik: One thing I’m proud of is our partnership with the Lake District Foundation. We introduced a £2 donation option on each booking, and the funds go directly toward local conservation projects, supporting biodiversity, habitats, and trail maintenance in the national park. It’s a small amount per stay, but it adds up, and it keeps guests connected to the place they’re visiting in a meaningful way.
We’re also committed to working with local trades and suppliers whenever we can. From joiners and cleaners to artisans and furniture makers, we try to keep the money and opportunity within the community. It helps build long-term relationships and supports the local economy, which is especially important in a tourism-driven area like the Lakes.
On a smaller scale, I’ve had the chance to mentor a few younger people looking to get into property or design. Sometimes it’s just a coffee and a conversation, but I know how helpful that can be when you’re just starting out. Those kinds of quiet, behind-the-scenes contributions matter just as much as the big ones.
What lessons have you learned about leadership that you wish more entrepreneurs understood early on?
Marta Pawlik: One of the biggest lessons is that leadership is not about doing everything yourself, it’s about building trust and giving people the space to do their best work. In the beginning, it feels natural to micromanage because you care so much, but that approach will cap your growth and wear you out.
You have to get comfortable with letting go of some control, even if things aren’t done exactly how you’d do them. If you hire the right people and communicate clearly, the results are often better than if you tried to handle everything on your own.
Another important one, consistency matters more than big moments. It’s how you show up every day, how you treat your team, and how you solve problems that defines the culture of your business. People don’t need grand gestures. They need clarity, support, and a sense that their work matters.
Lastly, take care of yourself. Burnout doesn’t make you a better leader. Being calm, clear-headed, and present does. That’s something I learned the hard way, and I wish more entrepreneurs kept it in mind from the start.
Looking ahead, how do you see your industry evolving, and what role do you hope to play in shaping its future?
Marta Pawlik: I think the holiday-let industry is heading toward a more professional, experience-driven model. Guests expect more now: better design, smoother service, more thoughtful details, and the old model of just handing over the keys and walking away doesn’t cut it anymore.
There’s also a bigger push for sustainability and local connection. People want to feel like they’re part of the place they’re visiting, not just staying in a generic rental. That means businesses like ours need to think beyond convenience and start building properties and experiences that reflect the community and the environment they’re in.
My role in that is to keep raising the bar, through design, through service, and through how we treat both guests and owners. I want Laik to be the proof that you can run a thoughtful, high-quality holiday-let business without going corporate or losing your values. If we can help shift expectations in the industry while still staying grounded in what makes the Lake District special, then we’re doing something right.
