GO EASY

NORMALIZE IT

Go Easy makes self-care approachable

Story by RACHEL STONE Photography by KATHY TRAN

MOLLY MATHIAS RUNS A FAMILY BUSINESS.

The former certified public accountant’s entrepreneurial leap started with her mother as a partner when Mathias had a side business “for fun,” buying vintage furniture and selling it on Instagram.

That started in Mathias’ Oak Cliff garage and eventually moved to a warehouse in the Design District. When they decided to parlay that into a retail store a few years ago, the concept evolved into a unique home goods store called the Magic Hour, which moved from Tyler Street to Bishop Arts in 2019.

That store, where Mathias’ dad built most of the shelves and displays based on her design, always had a small apothecary section offering aromatherapy oils, face masks and the like.

That stuff was never a moneymaker until after the pandemic, when people got really into both home décor and self-care. The apothecary business started doing so well that Mathias spun it off into a separate store, Go Easy.

The shop sells items such as crystal eye masks, skin-care stuff, aromatherapy oils and sprays, CBD products and accessories like pipes, and sex toys.

It’s like the Gas Pipe and Condom Sense had a very classy and approachable baby boutique. There’s only one other store in the United States that is similar, Mathias says.

“It’s a very new idea to have all these products in one place, but

that’s what my friends and I were into,” she says. “We were talking about vibrators. We were talking about CBD and weed. We were talking about doing face masks, but we were also talking about going to therapy and healing and all these things. And they all go together, really.”

She was afraid at first that her landlords would object, but they’ve been very supportive. The store also hasn’t received a single complaint from neighbors, she says.

It is very complicated on the back end, receiving licenses to sell highly regulated merchandise and dealing with payment processors, some of which don’t allow sales of certain items.

But customers have spoken with their dollars. Go Easy did so well after one year in business that Mathias is opening a second one in Houston this summer.

Mathias, 31, is from Grand Prairie and has a master’s degree in taxation from the University of North Texas. “Women are the queens of the side hustle, and we’re afraid to go all in.”

She also worked as a residen tial real estate agent for several years before quitting to work full time for herself, which she almost didn’t do because of doubts.

“Women are the queens of the side hustle, and we’re afraid to go all in, and it’s scary and risky,” she says. “But if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that you cannot do this business unless you’re 100% in it.”

KEEP CALM AND WASABI ON

Community is key to longevity for Zen Sushi

THE BISHOP ARTS DISTRICT’S

only sushi spot marks its 14th year in business this month.

Zen Sushi chef and owner Michelle Carpenter says she owes it to our neighborhood, which supported her from day one.

“These are my people. This is my community,” she says. “This is where I live. This is where I work. A lot of my staff live in Oak Cliff.”

The menu has changed a little in a decade and half, but not a lot.

Customers still love the Sakura Roll, Carpenter’s original creation, with crab, shrimp and clam in a soy wrap. The bacon yakitori is still a hitter, as is the beef gyoza, both popular from the beginning.

Newer items like Zen bruschetta, made with the unique combination of fried eggplant and raw tuna, have found an audience.

But longevity in this business means consistency, and Carpenter sometimes has to bridle her creativity.

“There are some items that I would like to maybe change a little bit, but I think my customers would be upset,” she says. “When I do my Valentine’s dinner, I rarely change anything because the customers like that same menu every single year.”

“I like to know what’s going on and do my part.”

But she does try to motivate her customers to try new things, and in turn, they challenge her with requests and suggestions.

Zen fared fine through the economic shutdown. The restaurant never closed, and no one was laid off, thanks to neighborhood customers who frequently ordered takeout.

Now the challenge, as with every restaurant, is a shortage of labor. It’s difficult to hire enough workers, so virtually every restaurant is understaffed, just as everyone wants to start dining out again. Carpenter says food costs have also gone up, and some items are harder to find because of supply chain frustrations.

But Zen is still open every day.

Carpenter recently served on the board of the Bishop Arts Merchants Association, and she frequently contributes to local nonprofits such as the Mammogram Poster Girls.

“I try to stay involved in the community and events,” she says. “I like to know what’s going on and do my part.”

Zen Sushi 380 W. Seventh Street, 214.946.9699, zensushidallas.com

SOLD IN WYNNEWOOD NORTH SELLER REPRESENTATION 415 WOOLSEY DR 1906 SQFT 3/2/4

SOLD IN GREENLEAF VILLAGE SELLER REPRESENTATION 2314 CHINKAPIN WAY 2653 SQFT 3/3/2

UNDER CONTRACT IN ELMWOOD

SELLER REPRESENTATION 1143 ELMHURST PL 1295 SQFT 3/1/2

SOLD IN WYNNEWOOD NORTH

BUYER REPRESENTATION 517 MAYRANT DR 2267 SQFT 3/2/4

SOLD OFF MARKET IN WYNNEWOOD NORTH - BUYER REPRESENTATION - 437 MONSSEN DR

214.289.2340 3500 Maple Ave. Suite 440, Dallas, TX 75219 getric.kw.com

TO P REALTORS

2018

TO P REALTORS

2016

TOP REALTORS

2017

TOP REALTORS

2020

Lorem ipsum

CADILAC LAW It’s been a 15-year ride. That’s how long ago neighborhood resident Lauren Cadilac found herself in the passenger seat and on the receiving end of a head-on collision — the jaws of life variety. After a four-day coma and months of recovery, Cadilac stopped counting after 10 broken bones and 30 surgeries. Cadilac says after re-learning how to walk, she said to herself: How hard can law school be? Fast forward: Today, her neighborhood offices employ 12 people in Dallas, Fort Worth and the Philippines. The law firm offers tri-lingual services, and Cadilac is completing her Master’s of Law (LLM) in taxation. Pointing to a hefty scar on her wrist, Cadilac says one of many remaining pieces of glass from the accident dislodged recently and severed a tendon. “I say I got that when I broke the glass ceiling,” she says.

Belen Tamayo, Jamesha Owens, Lauren Cadilac, Lisa Begley and Nayra Tiscareno NEED THAT CADILAC DRIVE? Call Lauren and her team today for your legal journey. 5787 S. Hampton Road, Suite 445. info@cadilaclaw.net 972-845-1200.

FACES

OF CADILAC LAW