Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Marcia Hall. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Marcia , thanks for joining us today. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.
Mrbubblez Inc. (mobile showers for the homeless) is a non-profit organization that has served the unhoused families, men, and women of the Tampa Bay area for nine years. We provide a hot shower, clean clothing, new underwear, a pair of socks, and a hygiene bag with necessities that can be used over and over. The founder of Mrbubblez has worked at a large homeless shelter for over 18 years, during which she has had the opportunity to serve unhoused individuals with services to help them get back on their feet. One day, a young girl, her face dirty, you can smell the long days spent living on the street, weeks without soap and water to refresh her body. The young girl was humble but ashamed of her present condition. She stepped to the front desk and spoke in a soft, low voice, asking for a shower. “That’s all I need and want is a shower”. We can’t provide her with a shower. But I created a way for her to wash up in the women’s bathroom: sink, running hot water, soap, a washcloth, a bath towel, and clean clothing and underwear for her to use to refresh her body after she used the facility, and she returned to the front desk with a big smile on her face and thankful in her heart. She said Thank you, thank you. As she walks away, a burning feeling stays with in my heart to do something to change this situation for many others like that young girl. I know in my heart that I had to be the one to research and find a way to have an impact in our community by providing a service that gives unhoused people a hot shower. Mrbubblez shower service was born from this moment, when a need was identified for the unhoused in our community. Mrbubblez motto is “I see you and I care”. We have built a strong partnership with other organizations, churches, and businesses to support Mrbubblez’ mission. We created a wrap-around service event for the unhoused in our community to improve their lives through jobs, housing, and self-sufficiency.
Marcia , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I am a woman of God, a pastor’s wife, a mother, an entrepreneur, a friend, a mentor, and a motivational speaker. My family and I have served our community for over 30 years through various avenues, including foster care, adoption, youth ministry, outreach services (Mrbubblez showers for the homeless), and, currently, as Pastors of a grassroots church here in Tampa. I have been married to Pastor Bruce Hall for 36 years and am the mother of four children (one is deceased).
I am a native of Tampa. I lived in low-income housing in West Tampa with my mother and two siblings (an older sister and a younger brother). My humble beginnings instilled in me a heart to serve my community and the people who need someone to speak on their behalf in areas they may not go or ever be. The impact that I can have on one’s life and walk in the love of God here on earth. I have served at a homeless shelter in Tampa for over 18 years, supporting unhoused families and individuals in our community. Throughout the years, I have helped the homeless by finding jobs, housing, and other social services to help them back into self-sufficiency. Mrbubblez Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose sole purpose is to provide a safe and secure facility for homeless individuals to take a hot shower when given the opportunity. Our mobile shower program began as an idea- a desire to provide people experiencing homelessness with the dignity of a shower. Our program delivery model is innovative, the first mobile shower provider in Hillsborough County, and is providing a critical service to our vulnerable neighbors. Before starting this organization, a community needs assessment was conducted. We spoke with individuals experiencing homelessness and with agencies that serve the homeless population, and we received feedback from both. We also researched mobile shower providers both nationally and locally. It was clear that our homeless neighbors lacked an accessible place to take showers, and that no other organization in Tampa Bay was meeting this need. Out of this critical need, Mrbubblez Inc. was born. Mrbubblez Inc. leverages volunteers, community partners, and financial supporters to provide mobile showers, hygiene, and clothing to the homeless community. We partner with local agencies to host each shower event, including partnering with organizations that already serve our homeless neighbors. Mrbubblez Inc. meets people where they are and provides a much-needed, yet otherwise unavailable, service that helps people move towards self-sufficiency. Now that I am an entrepreneur of Mrbubblez Inc., I have also become a very passionate motivational speaker, promoting the dignity of the homeless wherever I go. It is my personal belief that this “shower ministry” offers dignity to someone who has only known degradation, affection to someone who has only experienced animosity, and love to someone who has felt they’ve only been disliked. Mrbubblez motto; “I see you and I care”. We live out this motto by treating each person with respect and honoring their humanity by providing these basic services.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
The plans for Mrbubblez Inc. were coming along as planned, when life took a sudden turn, which was a big hit to my health, the Big C (stage 3 colon cancer) in 2015, with God, my family, and my belief in the vision he gave me for Mrbubblez showers. I had to fight for my life to see Mrbubblez showers heal many people’s bodies and souls, as God healed my body of that disease. Here I am many years later, healed, and Mrbubblez Inc. showers have now blessed numerous homeless families, men, and women in our community.
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
A few years ago, I was deeply invested in a business idea I thought would take off—a mobile service built around community events. I had put in time, money, and heart, but as I started running it, I realized that the need I was trying to fill wasn’t as urgent as I thought. The feedback I got from the community was clear: they needed something more practical and impactful.
Instead of giving up, I took a step back and listened. That’s when the idea for Mrbubblez Showers was born – a mobile shower service for people experiencing homelessness. It was a complete pivot from my original plan, but it combined my passion for service with the community’s real needs.
That change wasn’t easy -I had to learn new things, seek support, and rebuild from the ground up. But it became one of the most rewarding decisions of my life. The pivot taught me that success isn’t always about sticking to your first plan; sometimes it’s about having the courage to change direction when your purpose calls you somewhere new.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.mrbshowers.com
- Instagram: mrbubblezinc
