We recently connected with Shel & Henry Mountain and have shared our conversation below.
Shel & Henry , appreciate you joining us today. The more we talk about good leadership the more we think good leadership practices will spread and so we’d love for you to tell us a story about the best boss you’ve had and what they were like or what they did that was so great?
Both Henry and I have one person who has really stood out in each of our careers, so I’ll share a small highlight of each.
For me, that person was Samara Gee while I was working at Stitch Fix. There are many reasons why I looked up to her and continue to do so, but what stuck with me was her genuine dedication to make a personal connection with every individual on her team, no matter what level they were. For people’s birthdays, she would bring a small gift and each and every one of those gifts was extremely catered to that person. It was like she had a mental record of every obscure thing people had mentioned in passing or at a company outing like, “I love gnomes” or “my first concert was Spice Girls”. Her attentiveness and personalized approach made everyone feel seen, appreciated, and integral to the team’s success.
For Henry, his person was Pierre Bohanna, prop master and business owner, with large blockbusters like Harry Potter under his belt. Henry often talks of Pierre’s innate ability to generate momentum and make things happen, whether times were fast or slow. He inspired action always, by exhibiting action always. When deadlines were tight at the studios, he would join alongside the team, dressed like the team, making sure everything went according to plan and always with a thumbs up and an optimistic “are you winning?”.
The attentiveness of these leaders set examples for us to model in our everyday business. We as a team, are building personal connections and maintaining constant care, forward momentum and attention to detail for those we collaborate with and support.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
We both have always considered ourselves creatives, Henry with his background in film and prop-making, and me with my art and painting. Our bond as a couple was welded over many pub nights in London, gushing over ideas for wine bars, baby companies, art projects and so on. Flash forward a couple of years and we decided to meld our strengths together to form Hertford Haus. At Hertford Haus we strive to revolutionize the creative process through innovative 3D printing and modeling solutions. Our mission is to transform your visions into tangible realities, one room at a time.
In the living room, we foster creativity and collaboration, bringing your most imaginative ideas to life.
In the kitchen, we mix precision and artistry, crafting each project with care and expertise.
The study is where our dedication to learning and innovation shines.
…and in the workshop, we turn concepts into concrete outcomes, ensuring every detail is perfected.
With each room representing a vital part of our process, we build a cohesive and inspiring environment, where the only limit is the extent of your imagination.
Have you ever had to pivot?
The impetus for creating Hertford Haus was born out of just that, a necessary pivot. The US green card process is not straight forward, very long and to say the least, expensive. Henry’s leap of faith to move to the US so that we could start a new life together also brought on 1) emotional challenges with lack of purpose and feeling a bit static 2) plentiful spare time since we were waiting for a work permit, and 3) the idea to start something of our own. We’ve learned a lot in in a very short time including business types, invoicing and bookkeeping, county and state laws, self motivation, networking and more. We are still in the early days but are grateful for our “necessary pivot” and excited to see what the future holds.
Do you have multiple revenue streams – if so, can you talk to us about those streams and how your developed them?
It does! Not only do we take on custom 3D print, modeling and scanning projects for clients, but we also consult for companies within the 3D scanning and film industries. Perhaps the most fun revenue stream for us however, is our own art pieces we create in-house. Our first creation, lifelike snail sculptures that appear to be crawling up the wall, have taken off on a local level. The overall effect is both captivating and serene, transforming the wall into a living canvas and inviting viewers to appreciate the beauty and intricacy of nature in an unexpected setting. We are excited to release a second snail design as well as new art projects to come!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.hertfordhaus.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hertfordhaus/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61559571990559
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/104077038/admin/dashboard/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/hertford-haus-costa-mesa
