We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Collette Flowers. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Collette below.
Alright, Collette thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. One of the things we most admire about small businesses is their ability to diverge from the corporate/industry standard. Is there something that you or your brand do that differs from the industry standard? We’d love to hear about it as well as any stories you might have that illustrate how or why this difference matters.
At Mata Hari House, we provide a place that is both artfully outfitted and designed but is also customizable. I wanted to create a space that doesn’t require a bunch of heavy lifting for the clients but feels sleek and homey. Each room has a unique vibe to it which mixes 1920’s Deco feels with the contemporary modern styling. The Tea Room brings out an Art Nouveau atmosphere with blush pinks and cherry blossom ceilings. Our English Parlor room is moody and warm with a touch of classic Ralph Lauren tartan texture. The venue feels more like a home versus a warehouse or typical venue space.
Each room can be utilized in interesting and festive ways. Rather setting up grazing tables, dessert rooms, gifting areas, or even cool brand activations, Mata Hari House offers a unique experience for guests to enjoy.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers
Like many others, I began my business out of Covid. I felt there was a serious need to bring together community and a space that felt more intimate in this newly structured world. My background is in advertising and creative direction. I worked in events and experiential brand activation for many years which to me was very exciting and a way to get creative while providing meaningful communication to others.
In addition to being a venue space for private events such as birthdays, showers, and milestones, Mata Hari House serves as a place for community to gather. We get to work with organizations, women’s groups, artists, and other small businesses.
I am most proud of creating a place which is able to hold space for community and celebration. We are always looking for opportunities to work with other brands and to provide a special experience for our clients.
Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?
So far, the most effective strategy for scaling is word of mouth. When one guest has a great experience in our home, they are sure to tell others. Our goal is to provide a space that is meant to be shared with others. The more guests we invite in, the more inquiries we receive!
Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?
My motto is to work WITH people vs have people work FOR you. I am constantly working on projects with other business owners who have the same end goal and each project is different depending on the team. The consistent key ingredients are communication and collaboration.
One exciting project we’ve recently launched is MH House of Brand, an experiential advertising and events branch of Mata Hari House. Me and my team Abby Snider, owner of Layne Studio (Brand & Event Strategy) and Romina Groot, owner or Groot PR (PR & Influencer Marketing) work with brands to provide a space for new businesses to get in front of clients in the Dallas market while implementing strategic event planning and brand activation. The experience working together has been a blast and we are always coming up with exciting ideas. We have a lot of check ins and brainstorming sessions to keep up the momentum. Along the way, we have learned that not every project that comes our way is necessarily the right fit and we place high importance on working with brands that share our core values of collaboration and communication.
Contact Info:
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- Website: mataharihouse.com
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- Instagram: @matahari.house
- Facebook: facebook.com/mataharihouse
Image Credits
Mollie Mayfield Emilee Prado