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Page 1B • The Leader • May 4, 2013 • www.theleadernews.com

Pros and cons of doing business at home by Betsy Denson betsy@theleadernews.com Establishing a brick and mortar business in the same community in which they live is a win-win proposition for many in Leader neighborhoods. For Heights residents and Wonderwild coowners Deborah Helman and Kayla Cory, the decision to locate their indoor playground on Shepherd Drive just north of I-10 was an easy one. In 2009, both women had two boys each, all under age 5. As they scouted potential locations, they didn’t stray too far from home. “We didn’t want to sit in traffic,” said Cory. Frida Mexican Kitchen’s Diana Davila already had one restaurant, La Casa de Frida, on North Main. After its two-year anniversary, she and partners Chef Linda Plascencia and brother Art Aguilar started searching for a second location. They ended up at Ella Plaza near her home in Oak Forest. “Our initial search led us down 290 [in the] Cypress area and Pearland because of the population boom,” she said. “That all quickly changed when I moved into the neighborhood.” Davila saw opportunity here because of a lack of healthy dining out options for families. There was some initial hesitation because the Ella location is fairly close to the one on Main, but as Davila said, “the more we talked about it the more sense it made to all of us.” The Posh Petal’s Ann Brock, who used to own a florist shop in Rice Village, was similarly inspired by her move to the area. “We’d been looking for a house for two years, and after visiting a friend here my husband told me that he’d found the coolest neighborhood.” Once ensconced in the community, Brock knew she wanted her floral company here, too. She looked at different office parks before settling upon her 34th Street location in 2011. Initially it was just Brock and an office manager, but now she has a staff of five. “At first I just had the [florist] shop in the back. We ran out of room in six months,” Brock said. After a year, she added a small gift shop and is currently working on ways to expand in her current space. She doesn’t want to move. Brock has grown close to other nearby business owners. Oak Forest Veterinary Clinic, Rice Chiropractic Clinic, and Doyle’s Restaurant are all in her immediate vicinity. “We all keep an eye out for each other,” she said.

Managing Growth Davila had an eye on expansion when she

Heights Office

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Floral designer Daniel Rodreguez and new Posh Petal employee Erin Davis are busy preparing for a two-wedding weekend. At right, Luke Vadala enjoys the alligator slide at Wonderwild. A new, 16,000 square foot location will open on North Shepherd in mid-June. (Photos by Betsy Denson) decided on Ella Plaza, which in recent years had seen a decline in tenants and developed a rundown appearance. She and her partners have spent a lot of time and money to achieve an appealing aesthetic for the space, both inside and out. “We knew that it would be up to us to make the most of our new space,” she said. “We were and are still determined to make sure Ella Plaza becomes a blossoming flower for the community, even if it’s one suite at a time.” In 2011, when Helman and Cory decided to add another Wonderwild location, they did so in The Woodlands. “We looked at Sugar Land, too,” said Cory, “but found that The Woodlands was actually a shorter drive and more business friendly.” Both locations are open seven days a week. Helman and Cory take a divide-and-conquer approach with one of them at either place during the week. Helman said that while The Woodlands location has been a success, the extra workload has also made them reflective. “We have big dreams,” Helman said. “It’s important to both of us to balance work and family life.”

Juggling two locations has also kept Davila on her toes. She says that ensuring food consistency and quality are equal at both places, as well as training new staff, are challenges and priorities. “We heard our customers loud and clear in our first few weeks - slow kitchen service and fair wait staff service, but great food,” she said. “It is comments like these that keep me at Frida’s longer hours making sure orders are accurate and swift, [and that there is the] best service overall from the moment a customer walks in.”

A 24/7 job

If there is any downside to having a business close to home, it is the inability to ever truly disengage from work. Brock says that people know her from her business, and while that’s an asset, it also results in a little less privacy. “I grew up in a small town,” she said. “It reminds me of getting dressed up to go to Walmart because you’d always see someone

see Home Business • Page 2B

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Strike Marketing excited about new Heights location by Michael Sudhalter michael@theleadernews.com Strike Marketing owners Joe Pogge and Shari Okin decided that the Heights was a great location for their business, which provides strategic marketing, media placement, event marketing and public relations to clients in greater Houston. “We like the personality, character and people of the Heights,” Pogge said. “It’s very easy access to Houston. We’re very fortunate to have found this building.” Strike opened in 2004 with the partnership of Pogge and Okin, two longtime marketing professionals. The company, which has a total of five employees, was previously located at Kirby & 59, before setting up at 906 Rutland. “We were looking for the kind of space that defined who we are,” Okin said. “The Heights is a great spot to be. Every year, it’s growing. Strike’s clients include the Houston Symphony, Houston Zoo, Bayou City Arts Festival and The United Way. For many years, Strike -- and its predecessor Pogge Marketing -- handled all of the Houston Texans’ non-sports marketing. In 2011 and 2012, Strike did the non-sports marketing for the NCAA Final Four -- the first time

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Strike Marketing owners Shari Okin, left, and Joe Pogge, moved their company to 906 Rutland in the Heights recently. (Photo by Michael Sudhalter) an outside agency handled it. They also promoted the opening of BBVA Compass Stadium, home to the Major League Soccer Houston Dynamo. Both Pogge and Okin have backgrounds in sports marketing, but their current client list doesn’t include athletics.

Pogge, a University of Houston alum, was part of the team that built the Houston Aeros’ minor league hockey franchise, and Okin, a Houston native who graduated from the University of Texas, worked for the NBA’s International Marketing office in New York. “Both of our careers have been

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about events, get(ting) people to react to message and buy a ticket,” Pogge said. Pogge also co-hosts a weekly golf show on 610 AM radio with sportscaster Matt Musil. They each have backgrounds in music and concert promotion. Pogge started 93Q, when it was a Top 40 station, and Mix 96. He also helped put together a couple of Willie Nelson’s Fourth of July Family Picnics. Okin worked for Pace Concerts, which is now Live Nation, in its Broadway division. The business partnership works because they combine strengths for a growing company, they say. Pogge has a lot of contacts and creativity, while Okin is the company’s “numbers” person. Strike plans to grow within the Houston area and beyond. They currently have one international client, OilCareers.com, which is based in Aberdeen, Scotland.

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