Today we’d like to introduce you to Lindsey Rose King.
Lindsey Rose, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I grew up in a small town on the outskirts of Fort Worth, Texas. As a child, I dreamed of becoming an equine veterinarian. I was accepted into the UT Austin pre-med program and spent my first three years at UT studying the periodic table and spending countless hours in labs with goggles and a pipet in hand. It wasn’t until I took a required “Texas history government class” that something changed. The class completely opened my mind to a Liberal Arts education. I couldn’t get enough of open-ended discussions, thoughtful debate, and political science. My junior year, I switched my major to political science and immediately started passing out my resume to every Senator’s office in the State Capitol (which is a crazy story on its own!). My senior year, I was accepted to a political affairs program through a partnership with The Fund for American Studies and Georgetown University in Washington, DC. This program laid the foundation for my first career.
After graduating from UT, I moved to DC and spent the next ten years working on grassroots campaigns, public advocacy programs, and strategic political fundraising. In 2014, I was asked to help spearhead fundraising for campaigns in Texas. For the first time in my life, I was operating solo (as a consultant) and 100% responsible for start to finish for my work product. After that, I caught the entrepreneurial “bug”. After the 2014 election, I opened my own political fundraising and events company. Being free from a traditional work environment allowed my mind to think more creatively. I had more space to come up with new ideas. Plus, I found that I really loved working for myself and not inside a 9-5 cubical office.
This creative mindset leads me to my current career. I came up with the idea for Mostess after hosting a small party for friends. I was so tired after creating a “Pinterest perfect” environment, that I wanted to come up with a better solution for modern women to welcome guests into their homes. Mostess was born from a need that not only me but close friends and family needed as well. In 2016 (while still running my political events firm), I launched the Mostess Box POC (proof-of-concept) to friends and family to see if they liked the concept. In short, they loved it. In 2017, I retired my political business and dedicated myself to launching the Mostess business model. The rest is history!
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
The road has not been smooth. The road has been full of hidden potholes and backed up traffic. Kind of like driving through Houston during rush hour! Early on, the biggest struggle I faced was creating a modern home accessories business that disrupted a very traditional industry. I was one of the first box subscriptions that were 100 percent based on home goods. When I would try to meet with brands and potential vendors, I was usually met with skepticism and tightly closed doors.
In general, my business model doesn’t fit well into the home goods industry and continues to be a struggle. However, over time, there have been vendors and brands that have been willing to take a chance with my business model. These brands have been instrumental in getting my business up and running. I can’t thank them enough. The contacts from these vendors have turned into mentors who help guide me through the home goods industry today.
Through the bumpy road, I learned that confidence in entrepreneurship is everything. Confidence is what carries an untested idea into a reality. And confidence is what will get you through closed doors (many closed doors in my case!). With Mostess, I took something from idea to proof-of-concept, to business in under a year with no prior knowledge on how it would work and resistance from the home goods industry. No matter your background, income level or education, you can be an entrepreneur. Just find your confidence, move past the closed doors and start building!
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Mostess Box – what should we know?
Mostess is a modern home decor and hosting box subscription company. We send seasonally curated
home decor and hosting items in one beautiful box (four times a year).
Each season Mostess reveals a new, seasonal box. You can expect to enjoy full sized items such as cocktail ingredients, tableware, linen, stationery, bar cart items and more. In addition to fantastic products, each box includes a Mostess Booklet complete with recipes and home styling and hosting tips. We offer Memberships, Single Boxes, and a collection of curated products in our shop.
One of our core values is inspiring our modern generation to enhance the way they share their homes #IRL (in real life!) – especially when we spend so much of our life online. By providing seasonally curated products, home decor styling tips, and social inspiration, Mostess hopes to inspire others to enjoy and share their home with others #IRL.
I’m extremely proud to say that Mostess is 100% based in Houston. All our boxes are designed in and ship from Houston. We even have a #HoustonStrong sticker on every customer’s box that leaves our warehouse. Customers all over the nation are getting a glimpse into a creative, female-founded, Houston based business. I hope to inspire more Houston businesses to find a national customer base!
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
Everyone that gave their advice to me deserves credit. Seriously, I used my network of individuals to ping ideas off of, seek business advice, and help solve problems. These individuals helped turn my idea into a business!
The individuals were all part of my network: political colleagues, mentors, University of Texas contacts, family, friends, Junior League contacts, sorority alumnae. and home goods specialist.
One of the biggest skills I learned while working in politics was the ability to seek out new contacts and networks. I had a spider web of peers and I pulsed them. The responses I received were amazing! Through these efforts, I now have a handful of trusted confidantes. They are instrumental and provide constant ideas and support. I hope to inspire others to build a network and use it well!
Pricing:
- Annual Mostess Membership (prepay for 4 boxes): $480
- Quarterly Mostess Membership (prepay for 1 box every season): $125
- Single Mostess Box (not a subscription): $150
Contact Info:
- Website: www.mostessbox.com
- Phone: 832.519.8940
- Email: hello@mostessbox.com
- Instagram: @mostessbox
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MostessBox
Image Credit:
Kate Elizabeth Photography, Paige Baker Photography
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