Today we’d like to introduce you to Collette Flowers.
Hi Collette, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself
The Very Beginning:
My mother is a painter and has always encouraged me to explore my creative side. My father, a businessman, was very left-brained and taught me to utilize my technical skills. Therefore, I found myself from a very young age chasing creative and entrepreneurial pursuits. One of my first businesses was selling hand-painted sports team water bottles in high school and would customize them with players numbers and mascots. As I moved forward with my education, I was incredibly lucky to land at Savannah College of Art and Design where I majored in Graphic Design and Advertising. However, my favorite class I took was in fact Entrepreneurship. This is where I learned how to create my first business plan and understand the business basics. Who knew art school would generate lifelong business skills? I believe that this was a pivotal learning moment which encouraged me to take the steps I needed for my current business, Mata Hari House.
Juggling Jobs:
My first big job out of college was Art Directing at The Richards Group where I learned the ins and outs of the advertising industry. While working on many different aspects for my clients (from directing national commercials to outfitting and designing sports partnership suites to coming up with event concepts and much more) I learned how to think in all different ways creatively. While working at the agency, I began to visualize and play upon the idea of opening a new kind of gallery and event space. I wanted to help give recognition for up-in-coming artists and also create a place where people could come together, be their own designer, and celebrate life. I know that creativity brings me much joy and wanted to offer that kind of space to others. I began doubling down on the weekends and after work to devise a plan of action. I began to save up and also sold my own art on the side to help bridge the unemployment gap which I knew was inevitable. I had many revisions and tweaked the idea for over a year until I was ready to make tangible moves forward. The pitch became stronger each time and I was able to receive the additional funding I needed to begin.
The Jump:
Like many others during Covid lockdown, I spent much time alone with my thoughts reassessing life’s purpose and what was important to me and my future. It was this time in which I left the agency world and went full-time on making Mata Hari House a reality. I felt if the world was on pause, this could be my chance to get things cooking and prepare for things to open back up. People needed connection, contact, and a means to celebrate each other. I felt that it was my duty to create that space. I worked around the clock to find the right property (location, price, and feng shui). Sixty properties later, the feeling of defeat began to set in. I told myself I would look at one more space before throwing in the towel. The very next day, I was scheduled to view two more spaces in the same center. Both were duds. As I was approaching my car, I spotted the shiny reflection of a mini disco ball hanging from a car mirror. I stepped up
to the window in front of the car, swiped away the dust, and could see that this was in fact the spot I had been looking for.
First Hire:
Once the right property was found and the lease was signed, I worked effortlessly to make my first hire. I knew I wanted to find another female around the same age. She had to have the fire and passion for creating something entirely new and also the ability to wear lots of hats. I interviewed many different young and smart women including Lizzie Afendikova, a girl who was looking to get into the creative interiors space. After pitching her the idea, she was enticed and became my interior decorator and new partner in party planning crime.
Property Flip:
The space was originally an old warehouse filled with dust and old furniture. The floors and wallpaper had been ripped out and the place was bare bones. Lizzie and I restored the entire place. We sourced each piece of furniture from Facebook marketplace, estate sales, and antique stores. We would find ourselves driving all over Texas in a U Haul picking up odd items. Each piece of furniture in the space has an interesting story. I was able to restore a lot of things in the space by hand to keep costs down. A few items that were refurnished were our 20 wooden dining chairs sanded and painted with black lacquer, the 16ft dining room table which has since been sanded and stained, and the interior door on our parlor room which was found at a house demo and repainted in an Art Deco style.
The Mata Hari House Brand:
Our muse, Mata Hari, was gifted with a creativity that challenged the “typical” expectations of society during World War I. She’s the femme fatale we know and love, and let’s be real–she looks pretty badass on a Pegasus. Her bizarre life experiences, coupled with the friendly space we offer, is what we hope to be the recipe for a place that feels like home. At Mata Hari House, we strive to keep the rebellious, creative essence of Mata Hari alive. We promote female entrepreneurship, represent up-and-coming artists, and enjoy working and collaborating with other small businesses (charities, vendors, caterers, florists, etc.). We believe that by curating a lively and art-centric space and coming up with creative solutions, MHH empowers clients to feel like designers and party planners.
What Now:
We are currently booking consultations in which clients can come in and create their own party with our help. We offer all of the things to create your own special experience. We offer plates, glassware, table decor, and toppers to DIY your own place setting. We have a growing list of vendors which we help you pick from and even offer to source your live entertainment. Think Build-a-bear but for adults! Our mission is to take the heavy lifting out of party planning for our clients and to create a very custom experience that gives our clients the ability to be the designer. We are currently growing
our gallery and finding more artists to represent in the space.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Entrepreneurship is not an easy road, probably because there is no roadmap. It requires a lot of faith in yourself and what you’re creating. I find myself learning new things every day and figuring out all aspects of the business by trial and error. I have never been a perfectionist and I believe that’s one of the reasons I have gotten to where I am. As cheesy as it sounds, sometimes when something is truly important, you just have to put it all out there and roll with the punches.
There have been many hardships both physically and mentally. This has included hours of manual labor including painting walls, redoing floors, sanding, refurnishing, cleaning out the old space to make room for the new. Mentally, keeping up the endurance during the property search, figuring out the best way to make sales, and farthing the brand awareness has been challenging. I am constantly reminding myself that there is only so much we can do each day. The key is to be consistently showing up and building leads every day even if there is no visible immediate payoff.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Mata Hari Households various rooms for clients to utilize. We currently offer our Tea Room, Parlor, Private Dining Room, Main Banquet Hall, and Catering Kitchen for rental. We create creative solutions for client events and find it important to gauge and work with each client individually so that we can fill their specific need. Some clients will be very hands-on while others may need a little more guidance. Our goal is to create an event planning experience that is fun, easy, and totally custom.
Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
Creativity, Courage, Consistency, the ability to be flexible and learn as I go.
Contact Info:
- Email: collette@mataharihouse.com
- Website: http://mataharihouse.com/
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/matahari.house/
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/mataharihouse/
Image Credits:
Emilee Prado
Chloe Scout Nix
