Today we’d like to introduce you to Vanessa Smith.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I moved to Houston from Beaumont in 2016 as soon as I finished grad school because I knew that as a new Speech Language Pathologist, Houston would be the best place to find a job and still stay close to home. As soon as I got to Houston, I was ready to explore, but I was on a tight budget. I found myself constantly “googling” the best deals in town, and I just couldn’t find what I wanted, not easily at least. I would scroll and scroll for hours on end and bookmark what I found. Eventually, all of my friends, and my friend’s friends were calling me for suggestions. So, I thought, “Wouldn’t it be great if I could put everything in one place on a user-friendly platform, so people wouldn’t have to call me anymore?” I have made it my mission to find the best happy hours and specials in Houston, and it has been a blast doing it! I have met some awesome people and experienced some great places. With the ever-evolving food and drink scene in Houston, I never run out of new places to check out.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I know this may sound strange, but I am what I like to call, “social media challenged.” I have never understood the Instagram algorithm, and I am by no means a photographer which is why I think a lot of people who know me are surprised that I started this in the first place. My plan from the beginning has been to focus on the information that I am putting out there, So, maybe the picture of my cocktail isn’t the best, but if you scroll down a little to the caption, you’ll find out that on weekdays from 4-6, that delicious cocktail is just $6! For a true happy hour connoisseur like myself, that’s the information that matters! Another obstacle for me has been consistency. It got to the point where happy hour felt more like a chore and a lot less fun, so I decided to step back a little. For a couple of months, I just went to happy hour; I didn’t take any pictures or do any research, I just enjoyed the moment with friends.
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?
One thing that I have said from the beginning is that I wouldn’t stray from the original idea. Happierhourshtx is strictly happy hour/specials related, and I plan on keeping it that way. I know from experience that a page like this one is needed and wanted by so many Houstonians, so I hope to keep exploring and keep sharing new specials with everyone!
Contact Info:
- Email: happierhourshtx@gmail.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/happierhourshtx/
