Thrive + Inspire: Off the Wall’s Sperber Says ‘Do What You Love, Believe in It’
Al Torres
Feb. 25, 2021
AN INTERVIEW WITH Mimi Sperber, Founding Partner of Off the Wall Gallery
What were your biggest challenges of 2020? Navigating the pandemic while running a business was the challenge of a lifetime. Having to temporarily close doors for several weeks due to Houston's lockdown brought financial uncertainty and difficult decisions. Staffing and budgets were drastically cut, and it was personally hard and emotional at times. While our Main Gallery had to remain closed and unable to generate cash-flow from walk-ins, we built a brand new L'Atelier Gallery inside Galleria One by Prada, replacing our smaller Art Boutique by Neiman Marcus and Chanel. The planning had been in the works for over a year, permits issued, and construction started right when the city closed. The timing was disadvantageous, but we stayed focused and solvent in all of our financial responsibilities, and L'Atelier was finished when Houston reopened.
<p><strong>How did you adjust and overcome obstacles? How did you reset?</strong> Our walk-in traffic slowed down, but our online outreach was strong, and we were still reaching far and wide in Europe, Asia and Central America. Locally, our services got more personalized, and safety, a priority. Home became the best and safest place to be, so if clients were not coming to the Gallery, we brought the Gallery experience to them. We participated in virtual art fairs and added a fun and free virtual augmentation tool onto our website, allowing clients to safely and independently try paintings on their walls before deciding on a work. We had the opportunity to source several important pieces for clients, which helped boost our enthusiasm and understand new buying behaviors. </p><p><strong>What's the secret to staying hopeful and forward-looking in tough times?</strong> In any area of our lives, and especially in business, we must learn to stay open, positive, and adapt to change. To do what you love — and believe in it — helps immensely through the tough days. </p><p><strong>What did you learn about yourself, your business, or your community that might inspire others?</strong> Staying hopeful helped me realize how fortunate we are despite it all. Reminiscing of the past, WWII and civil rights movements hit close to my heart and family history. This pandemic helps us understand that we are all connected, and our decision affects others. My gratitude goes to doctors, nurses, first responders, delivery drivers and grocery workers. They helped keep businesses and the community going. </p><p><strong>What's new for 2021 that you're excited about? </strong>I am excited about new opportunities for our country, the vaccine and getting back to a world that feels safe, friendly and free again. To be able to travel, one of my biggest passions in life! We are welcoming a new grandbaby in our family, and that alone fills our hearts with joy.</p><p>At Off The Wall, we are thrilled to launch our new e-commerce website, shopoffthewallgallery.com. We are also scheduling a Bernie Taupin Exhibition for January 2022 in conjunction with Elton John's Farewell Tour. A Gallery trip to Mackenzie Thorpe's Studio in the UK and other art-travel adventures will happen as soon as we can all travel safely. </p>
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DESPITE QUARANTINES, FACE masks and inclement weather, aesthetic medical services are perhaps more popular than ever. In fact, according to reports, the pandemic has caused a boom in demand for plastic surgery, injectables and the like; dermatologists are seeing a record number of patients and mounting waitlists.
<p>So perhaps it comes as little surprise that there's been a recent boom in medical spas and medical services in Houston. The latest national brand with a cult following to join the Houston ranks is <a href="http://www.ovme.com" target="_blank">OVME</a> (pronounced "of me"), now open at the Centre in River Oaks (3021 Kirby Dr.). Beloved by influencers and celebrities alike, such as Tinsley Mortimer, Colin Egglesfield and Uche Nwosu, the brand hails from Chicago, and has in six other studios in cities across the U.S. </p><p>OVME is known for its luxurious medical services and techy approach to cosmetic services. For one, every single customer gets a skin analysis by VISIA, a state-of-the-art machine that captures UV photography and provides a complete assessment of sun damage, skin texture, wrinkles and more. "For OVME, it's all about providing our clients with superior cosmetic outcomes, every time," says Dr. Mark McKenna, founder and CEO of OVME. "I'm absolutely thrilled to bring OVME to Houston, one of the most vibrant, culturally diverse cities in America."</p>
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<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="Add Photo Caption...">Dr. Mark McKenna, founder and CEO of OVME</small></p><p>In true Texas fashion, the Houston flagship is the brand's largest location to date. The sleek, contemporary studio has 10 treatment rooms, including ones dedicated to laser procedures and hydration therapy. The brand's approach to medical spa services is focused on confidence-boosting natural and youthful results. Among the most popular offerings are Botox, derma fillers, laser resurfacing, photo facials, HydraFacials, and Vivace, a new machine offering the latest in radiofrequency microneedling. This minimally-invasive treatment stimulates the natural production of collagen and is shown to be effective in alleviating facial wrinkles, fine lines, and tightening and toning the face and neck. </p><p>OVME's skincare boutique features a curated roster of products from brands like SkinMedicaand Revision, along with OVME's own line of medical-grade products. </p><p>Says McKenna, "We believe the women and men of Houston are ready to experience OVME's brand of intentional, highly curated medical aesthetic products and services."</p>
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Eight Ways to Reset and Refuel This Weekend
Feb. 25, 2021
Evelyn's Park streams a one-hour hot pilates class via Facebook Live from 5pm-6pm on Friday
Last week was brutal, Houston. Take this weekend as a chance to recharge with fab food, a livestream workout or some shopping. Here are our picks!
Forget Wine — Attend a Beer & Cheese Pairing
<p>Join Saint Arnold's founder Brock Wagner for a <a href="https://www.saintarnold.com/virtual-beer-cheese-pairing/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">virtual beer and cheese pairing</a> on Thursday night. He and cheesemonger Nicole Buergers from the Houston Dairymaids will stream via Instagram Live starting at 6pm. Plus: a virtual trivia night with prizes! Kits — complete with brownies and honey — are $53, and available for pickup on Thursday from 11am-4pm at the brewery.</p><p><strong>Pop Out for a Pop-Up!</strong></p><p>Downtown pub Bovine & Barley invites a new chef to cook in their kitchen every week for their <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/400526377840920/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">HTX Eats Pop-Up Series</a>; this week features Meat Mafia HTX. Enjoy a DJ all night long (and drink specials, of course!), but for those going for the grub, be sure to arrive close to 7pm before they sell out.</p>
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<p><strong>Bring the Heat at Pilates</strong><br/></p><p>Wind down the week with some free pilates. Evelyn's Park streams a <a href="https://evelynspark.org/events/hot-pilates-virtual-78" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">one-hour hot pilates class</a> via Facebook Live from 5pm-6pm on Friday. The full-body HIIT workout is designed to strengthen muscles, increase flexibility and improve overall health. The class is little-to-no impact, open to all ages.</p><p><strong>Revel in the Rothko Chapel's Reno</strong></p><p>The Rothko Chapel is finally back! After 18 months of renovation, the space is now open. Tune in on Friday at 6pm for a <a href="http://rothkochapel.org/experience/events/register/2132" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Vimeo Livestream</a> of what's new, how renovations reflect the founders' original vision, and the creative processes that it took to finally get to this point. Presenters include architects, landscapers, lighting designers and more. The event is free, but donations are encouraged and appreciated.</p>
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<p><strong>Shop (and Sip and Eat!) Local</strong><br/></p><p>Another weekend, another <a href="https://houmarkets.com" target="_blank">Houston Heights Market</a> — or three! On Saturday, find the outdoor shopping and farmers' market in Montrose from 10am-2pm, and on Sunday, support local artists, vendors and entrepreneurs from 10am-3pm at two different markets on White Oak.</p><p><strong>'Chili' Out at SpindleTap</strong></p><p>Missing the Rodeo this year? Get your chili-cookoff fix on Saturday at SpindleTap Brewery's fifth annual event. Put your recipe to the test by registering your team via <a href="mailto:info@spindletap.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">info@spindletap.com</a> — or if you're more of a taster, just make sure you come hungry! Setup for contestants begins at 8am, but the event won't start until 11am and will go until 3pm.</p><p><strong>Groove with Musiqa</strong></p><p>This weekend, <a href="https://musiqahouston.org/inside-out/" target="_blank">Musiqa</a> streams <em>Inside/Out</em>, created in collaboration with Open Dance Project. The piece is comprised of two short dance films, <em>Moving Pieces</em> and <em>Still We Tend</em>. This is the third collaboration between the two companies, and is sure to inspire creativity and display pure art in the form of movement. Streaming is available Saturday and Sunday, from 10am-10pm on the date of the ticket. Tickets are pay-what-you-can, with a suggested donation of $25.</p>
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<p><strong>Buy Some #HoustonStrong Swag</strong><br/></p><p>After an already tough year, small businesses in Texas are banding together to give back to the community following last week's disastrous winter storm. <a href="https://www.houstoncitybook.com/houston-strong-ways-to-shop-small-and-give-back/" target="_blank">Scroll through</a> some of the feel-good gear and great goods you can score, all while benefiting recovery efforts.</p>
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