Her Story
About Hana
I've been an entrepreneur for about 7 years, though my journey started in a completely different field. I went to school for healthcare administration and then earned a dual master's in public health and social work. I ran a nonprofit called Houston Angels for 3 years while in grad school, supporting kids in foster care, because I really just wanted to find a way to help people in everything I do. That passion for giving back is still central to what I do today. I currently own and operate the Motor Club Events, an event venue and classic car showroom that I founded a little over 2 years ago, and I co-own Retrospect Motor Works, a classic car dealership that I've been running for about 5 years. The venue actually grew organically - we started as just a dealership, and when friends and family kept asking to host events there, it naturally evolved into a full-fledged event venue. Cars have always been a big part of my life since my dad owned a car dealership when I was younger. My main area of expertise is taking an idea and making it functional, building structure, and scaling it - jumping on opportunities even when they weren't part of the original plan and making them work. Day to day, I handle all operations and HR, doing everything from client-facing work like tours and proposals to back-end admin and staff management. We're also expanding into real estate with a house project currently under construction. I serve on the board for Oak Forest Foster Closet and Houston Businesswomen, and we use our venue space to support nonprofits through galas and other events, always looking for ways to make a big impact in the local community.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Hana
01What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Don't be afraid to jump on an opportunity and follow your gut. The biggest thing for me in my experience is not being too close-minded about one certain idea or one certain thing. Try to be open and be able to see other opportunities that might come your way, evaluate them, and see how that might be a better path. I definitely did not originally think I was going to do an event venue when I was going through all my schooling, but it is what I do now, and I can't imagine anything else, just because I jumped on that opportunity. That's what I would suggest for anybody that's thinking about it - just be open to things that you haven't really thought of before.
02What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
I would say trying to grow is the main challenge. I am a person that tries to do everything myself, and we're really at a point where you just can't do that and do it well. We're trying to grow at a pace that makes sense and develop the structure for somebody to come in and be able to do really well with us and our team. So growing our team and scaling our operations is what we're focusing on right now. And then just generally as an event venue, marketing strategy is another key focus area.
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