Meet Louise Finlay

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Louise Finlay. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Louise below.

Louise, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?

Before launching Deco x Mia, the go-to online, Miami-inspired gift and home decor store, I worked in marketing for 20 years with B2B, tech and consumer brands across industries including Retail, Travel & Hospitality, Energy, Fintech, Telecommunications, and IoT. In the Summer of 2023 I was suddenly let go from my corporate job which had a huge effect on my mental health. But as they say, every cloud has a silver lining, and the time out that I took that summer to regroup and rethink my next steps is what led to me finding my purpose and creating Deco x Mia. My first love was always design, so what felt like the worst time in my life actually gave me a new purpose with the opportunity to do something that showcased my creative talents and make me fall in love with work again.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

I launched Deco x Mia in late 2023 with a collection of heirloom-quality, limited edition glass ornaments, inspired by Miami Beach’s iconic lifeguard towers. They are manufactured in Poland, where glass ornament making started, and come in colorful keepsake gift boxes, that include the street address of the corresponding Lifeguard Tower and include a “Love from Miami” message. Customers can shop the ornaments online at decoxmia.com. You can also find Deco x Mia at a number of local markets across Miami, including the Lincoln Road Antique and Collectible Sunday markets.

But launching a new brand is never easy, especially in today’s digital age where we are bombarded with ads and promoted posts for new products consistently. And Deco x Mia was late to market for the 2023 holiday shopping season, only going live online in November 2023. However, The advertising and outreach that I did on Instagram and through my network of Miami locals worked. One highlight that sticks out is when I invited a neighbor over to see the ornaments, she pulled up a screenshot she’d taken of one of the Deco x Mia ads from Instagram, and told me that she’d taken the screenshot because she’d never seen ornaments like these ones, and wanted to buy them for all her family.

Word of mouth and social media sharing from my network and local influencers really helped sales the first couple of months, especially as I was not able to get Deco x Mia into any of the in-person markets until January this year. And once customers were able to see and shop the ornaments in person at those markets, the brand really developed a loyal customer base, and demand for new ornaments started to grow. So to celebrate Miami Beach Pride in April, I launched a new ornament based on the 12th Street rainbow colored Lifeguard Tower, that epitomized the vibrancy and sparkle of Miami and provided the perfect gift for everyone in, and in support of the LGBTQ+ community. And I’ve launched a new ornament this holiday season based on the original red and white striped lifeguard tower found at the very southern tip of Miami Beach.

But it’s not been easy, and I still sees every sale as a huge win, especially with the ornaments being seen as a holiday product. That’s why I expanded my collections with Miami-inspired home decor and original artworks painted by myself and my mother, Susie Frosell, an artist based in Laguna Beach, California. The original artworks in particular proved very popular but demand remains highest for the Lifeguard Tower ornaments.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

The first quality I’d say was most impactful in my journey is my love of gifting – I always tell people that it’s my superpower! I’ve also studied interior design and worked in retail, so I know what people are looking for when they’re shopping for gifts and home decor. And I worked in marketing for 20 years, which is how I knew from the get go that the packaging and presentation of my products was just as important as the products themselves. My marketing background also meant I did the research and identified a gap in the market for high quality, unique gifts that represent Miami and that would be in demand with local residents as well the large number of tourists that visit Miami throughout the year.

My advice to anyone starting out or thinking about what they want to do is to lean into what you know, and what you love. I know marketing, and I love gifting and design, and I have a special place in my heart for gorgeous, unusual holiday ornaments thanks to my Mother who has been gifting me a pink ornament every year for the past 25 years.

How can folks who want to work with you connect?

I love collaborating with other creatives and small businesses. We’re about to launch a collection of Miami inspired incense and room sprays with our friends at City of Scents (@cityofscents). And I recently added NYC-based photographer Tommy Kwak’s book ‘Lifeguard Towers: Miami’ to my inventory which has instantly become one of my top selling products.

If there are any creatives out there that love Miami let’s talk! Reach out to me through the Deco x Mia instagram (@decoxmia) and let’s make some Miami magic together.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://decoxmia.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/decoxmia
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lovedecoxmia/
• Other: https://www.pinterest.com/decoxmia/

  https://www.louisefinlay.com/

Image Credits

Louise Finlay