A Love Letter to Dreamhouse
Working for Dreamhouse is a challenging, fulfilling, and wonderful ride. I met Mallory through a mutual friend of ours while celebrating her birthday. I learned that Mallory owned her own business and sent in my resume a little while later, hoping she would remember me. She got back to me and we met up to chat at Guide to Kulchur, which is a non-profit bookstore that focuses on rebuilding cultural foundations and communities that have been systematically ignored. Once she told me the bookstore was one of her favorite hangout spots, I knew that we would get along. When we met, we hit it off. She offered me a loose internship sort of deal, and I found myself at Dreamhouse World HQ a short while later!
The night Kim and Mal met!
I went to school for journalism, more specifically, Strategic Communication. I love to write and create content that is engaging. Strat Comm at OU is a mix of public relations and advertising. I didn’t want to limit myself to that, though. Taking a more journalistic approach to my work is very important to me. I learn new ways to do this every day. One of my own dreams is to be an editor for a publication that I love. Whether that be a magazine, newspaper, digital pub, etc. Since I am the Brand Storyteller at Dreamhouse, it’s a perfect mix of writing, editing, and creating!
Cheers to chicken nuggets at Xinji
In the short amount of time that I’ve known and worked with Mallory, she has become a source of light in my life, personally and professionally. She puts so much energy and passion into her work that it’s hard not to follow suit. Dreamhouse clients are mostly made up of local Cleveland small businesses that are community driven. We are patrons of the places that we work for, and that’s the most exciting part of the job. I can walk into the neighborhood tavern, Jukebox on W. 29th, grab a drink, and talk to the bartenders about what is happening in the space. When writing for The Open Space, I learn a lot about wellness and the reasons Laura Branco opened the spot on Superior. The range and different industries that each client brings to the table makes it hard for one to get bored. One day I’ll be browsing homeschool mom blogs for content and the next, I’ll be looking for photos of Tony from Jukebox taking shots of tequila. You never know what you’re going to get.
Mallory, David, and I at Jukebox Brunch.
While working for Dreamhouse, Mallory suggested I take the CliftonStrengths test to see and understand my strengths and behaviors. My top five talents were empathy, adaptability, includer, positivity, and input. At first, I didn’t understand what any of these things meant or why Mallory wanted me to take the test. I didn’t know what to do with all the information! The more I work at Dreamhouse, the more I think about how these themes can come into play and how much I have to offer. Mallory never lets me forget the strengths I have or the potential I have to succeed. She invests in me in more ways than one. Who knew an online test for twenty bucks would get me to that conclusion!
Mallory and I during Tequila Halftime at Jukebox Trivia
Time together at Dreamhouse World HQ can turn into a productive strategy session, dance party, cleaning party, therapy session, or just two gals sipping champagne while planning out their future endeavors. We do get work done though, promise. Dreamhouse brings out hopes and dreams; not just of Mallory’s, but mine too, her clients, their businesses, and the community as a whole. She sets people to strive for better and make a bigger and positive impact. Even though we are only a few years apart, she’s a mentor to me! I’m grateful for the work relationship we have and the genuine friendship that has stemmed out of it.
Writing this made me feel like I was writing a love letter to Mallory, even though that wasn’t the assignment. To understand what working at Dreamhouse is like, you have to understand the person behind the vision. All the delightful things about Dreamhouse exist because of the delightful person she is. She’s the HBIC, and that’s exactly what Dreamhouse is too.
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