Meet Malori Maeva of Hoot & Holler in Central Phoenix

Today we’d like to introduce you to Malori Maeva.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I have always loved exploring my creativity and throughout my life I’ve dabbled in just about every type of art you can imagine: painting, drawing, writing, performing (dance and theater), knitting, clay, jewelry work (both beading and metalsmithing), and the list goes on. I come from an entrepreneurial family and always planned to eventually work for myself. So, I went to school for marketing because I wanted to have the ability to promote whatever work I ended up doing.

After graduating, I found myself in a 9-5 that was my dream job on paper. After about a year in my position, I realized that sometimes what you think you want isn’t what you need. I was dying to step away from a computer screen and find ways to get my hands dirty in a new creative endeavor. I learned through the grapevine that the company I worked for (a restaurant management group) handled all of their floral arrangements in house. I asked to shadow the person that did the arrangements and immediately fell in love. After about a year of working with him, I left my day job to pursue Hoot & Holler full time.

The past four years have taken me through many different types of floral design from retail arrangements to weddings to commercial photoshoots. After dipping my toes in the various parts of the industry, I’ve found my true niche in wedding and event design. Our team works really well under pressure and we love getting to completely transform a space for someone’s big day. Our team now includes myself and three incredible power ladies and we’re really looking forward to what 2018 holds for us.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It has definitely not been a smooth road. The early days of the business involved a lot of trial and error and hard lessons. I learned quickly that burnout is real and that you need boundaries between your personal life and business to keep yourself sane. I feel like every year has introduced a new set of struggles. The first couple of years were a challenge because I didn’t have much of a portfolio and was working to build a trusted name for myself and for the brand. We ended up giving away a lot of work for free and underpricing ourselves which not only hurts us but hurts the industry as a whole. Once we had that under control, I had to hire on some help and it’s been a challenge to maintain our company culture and to teach new employees how to create work that aligns with the style we are known for. I’ve also learned that you can’t do it all as an entrepreneur. Last year I outsourced my bookkeeping and it’s the best decision I ever made. Moving into this year I’m excited to have the support of my staff that are all really incredible at things I’m not so great at. It’s important to know your strengths and weaknesses as a business owner and as you grow it’s an absolute treat to hire people who are great at the things I’m terrible at.

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Hoot & Holler – what should we know?
Hoot & Holler is a floral design company that creates one of a kind arrangements for weddings and events. We’re known for our textural, wild arrangements that feature unique flowers.

In our studio, we don’t do it all, and I think that really sets us apart. Our focus is on creating gorgeous, quality arrangements and we put all of our energy into the flowers. I am really proud that our work has a distinct look and that our clients trust us to take the reigns with the vision for the wedding day. We have a really hands-on process with our clients and we never repeat a design so all of our work is really a piece of art.

Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
Oh man this list is sooooo long.

The person who deserves the most credit is my dad. He was an entrepreneur and always encouraged me to chase passion over a traditional path. When I was ready to quit my day job, I was able to work for him while I built Hoot & Holler and he was always a phone call or text away if I needed encouragement, business advice, or someone to celebrate with. I wouldn’t be where I am today without his incredible support.

I am also part of a group of power ladies that meets quarterly (and texts constantly) that keep me accountable and help me through any struggles I come up against all while cheering me on. Sam with Standard Wax, Allison with Teaspressa, Leah with Tremaine Events, and Kaylee with Iconic Cocktail Co. are my backbone of support and I’m so grateful to be surrounded by such talented and wise women.

In the floral world of Arizona, I’ve received so much support from Randi with Carte Blanche and Sarah of Sarah’s Garden. When I started my company, both ladies took me under their wings and really helped set me up for success. We all believe that educated business owners make the entire industry better and over the years we’ve developed a friendship that I cherish.

The last person I have to give so much love to is my sweet friend Kelly of Fleur in Chicago. I’ve had the great pleasure of popping in to work with her team on some gorgeous weddings the past few years and she’s always been such a wealth of information. I have learned so much about creating a sustainable floral business from her.

Pricing:

• A la Carte Floral Design begins at $300
• Custom Floral Design begins at $3000
• Event Styling begins at $6500
• Corporate Floral Design begins at $300

Contact Info:

• Address: 3832 East Winslow Ave.
  Phoenix, AZ 85040
• Website: www.hootandholler.co
• Phone: 480-616-4353
• Email: hello@hootandholler.co
• Instagram: @hootandholler
• Facebook: facebook.com/hootandhollerco
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/hoot-and-holler-phoenix
• Other: https://www.weddingwire.com/biz/hoot-holler-phoenix/31a148d9f206e6f0.html

Image Credit:
Daniel Kim
Molly McElenney Photography
Megan Robinson Photo
Jonnie + Garrett
Kayla Fischer Photography
From the Daisies
Pinkerton Photo
Daniel Kim

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