Today we’d like to introduce you to Katherine Shortlidge.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Long story short, I’m a creative thinker. I love math, marketing, business, sales, songwriting, designing, and even architecture. And that’s a lot of things to be passionate about but also to be skilled in. I knew I would own my own business but it’s kind of hard to focus on one thing when you love everything. I started college courses in high school while working 2 jobs and tutoring. I was a math major and studied cryptology. I dropped out of the university and went to a community college while I was working full-time.
I took typical business classes such as management, ethics, marketing, accounting, business law, etc. I never graduated, I chose to keep working and applying what I learned. I was in the car business and now in the mortgage business. But I missed my creative side. I wanted to come up with something that all types of creators could use. And that’s how we got to Luxe. It’s a content collective because it meets the needs of so many creators.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I wish I could say it’s been a smooth road. But if I had to describe it, it’s like climbing a mountain during a hurricane and a tornado, and an avalanche with no coat or shoes or even a hair tie. Everything that could go wrong, has gone wrong. I’ve dealt with flooding, leaking pipes, delays in shipments, delays in construction, and problems with the HVAC, honestly, I sat on a stack of drywall and cried last week.
Opening a business of this magnitude with all upfront expenses by myself with no investors or partners… is and will probably be the hardest thing I’ll ever do. However, every challenge I overcome gives me a little more confidence to keep pushing. The support from my loved ones, friends, and followers makes it worth it. I also have the best marketing team who now doubles as my therapists.
Mango Marketing Co is probably the only reason I’ve made it this far. They helped me cultivate the vision and concept of Luxe with their expertise as creators themselves. If I’m climbing that mountain, they threw me the rope.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
LUXE is a Content Collective Studio that goes above and beyond being the most “Instagrammable” place in Maryland. LUXE is a sensory experience that transforms the unimaginable into an extraordinary reality.
The studio is referred to as a “Collective” because it targets the needs of multiple creators + types of people. LUXE has a creator space and it’s a creative showroom. The Showroom will have over fifteen different—continuously redesigned—exhibits that attract the young, social media-savvy generation. The creator space is utilized by content creators during the day and transforms into a space that can be reserved by anyone for parties, private events, and social gatherings at night.
For our content consumers, the studio is designed for social media sharing. We are giving them stories to tell and feelings of wonderment as they walk from set to set taking the perfect picture to share with their followers.
You will find magic in every room, every corner, and on every wall. Every display is carefully curated to intrigue and excite, and make each person feel like it was made exclusively for them. We offer multiple packages, memberships, and amenities that offer a more intimate experience as well, such as date nights, girl’s nights, proposals, and photoshoots.
For our content creators, we offer tiered memberships and day passes giving them access to book the space through an online creator’s portal. Access to amenities such as props, lighting, lockers, makeup and dressing rooms, a podcast room, a talk show set, and let’s not forget the complimentary coffee.
We are providing engagement, enrichment, and solutions. From photographers and artists to professionals that have information to share with their audience, our studio is giving everyone the space, the platform, and the voice to make a difference.
The most important part is what LUXE will offer our community. Hiring local artists for things like painting a mural for a new set every month. Offering seminars to teach social media branding and engagement for e-commerce and content creators learning to expand their business.
Providing jobs and internships to college students studying photography, graphic design, mass communications, and marketing to gain experience. Collaborating with local small businesses and professionals in our area to promote their goods and services and establish a network alliance that builds a community of its own. A thriving community is the backbone of LUXE.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
Risk-taking is the only way to make it as a small business owner. Luxe Content Studio is a risk. Every single decision in life has a risk, a consequence. Every day we make a choice. I knew I had so much more to offer, but the only way I could make it happen was to jump. I sold my house, I moved home and I put my life savings into making my dream business come true.
I am providing a space and a platform for other small businesses and creators to take their risks without all the overhead expenses, so they can focus on creating. Risk-taking sounds scary, which it is, to be honest, it’s terrifying sometimes, but it can be so great when you have a community behind you and a strategic plan.
Pricing:
- $1500 office studio
- $300 memberships
- $600 memberships
- $20-40+ tickets
- $350+ event space rental
Contact Info:
- Website: www.luxecontentstudio.com
- Instagram: @luxecontentstudio
- Facebook: Luxe Content Studio
Image Credits
Alicia Wiley Photography
