We had the good fortune of connecting with Jacqueline Herrera and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jacqueline, how do you think about risk?
Starting Mon Petit Mojave was definitely a risk, on so many levels. Would anyone show up? Were we violating any of the pandemic rules? Would the production work, given we were operating out in the middle of the desert, running off a generator? But when I had the vision in my head, I stayed focused on the bigger picture. And I knew that if I dwelled and became paralyzed by the smaller details, the vision would just end up an idea that died in my head. That’s the thing with risks – they can be scary. But also, very exciting.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
When we purchased the 15-acres where Mon Petit Mojave is located, we never in a million years envisioned it becoming what it is now. It was purchased with the intention of building a home, and we still plan on doing that. But the way in which it became a music theater of sorts is still kind of shocking to us sometimes. It was born out of the pandemic, in a time of need, because my husband, as a musician, needed a place to play, safely. And we just went from there, and more people started showing up, and more talented artists started asking to come play, and it just grew. We considered from time to time what the actual business model could be: should we charge for concerts? But after looking into legalities and licensing and permits, we decided it was not worth it. Hosting the shows as small, free, private events keeps us legal and avoids the headache that comes when you do something for money. Right? Because that is kind of the way the whole thing loses its magic. I have a full-time job in marketing and running these shows is kind of its own full-time job too, but if I was doing them just to make money it would not be interesting anymore. We do rent the property for private events, and that is a nice bonus income. But we decided to keep it free and accessible to all because there is something really beautiful about that and because the arts are greatly needed out here, especially during these times we are living in.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Well, definitely start with morning hikes in the national park – I’d grab a coffee or smoothie from 760 Coffee Company in Landers – their strong coffee or a healthy, yummy smoothie is a great way to start the day.

After hiking, I’d head over to Pioneertown for lunch at the Red Dog Saloon – their cocktails are so delicious and they have a great grab-and-go setup where you can hangout outside. Walking down Main street is always fun, definitely stop by The Saddle Shop where we’d say hello to our friend Troy, who makes amazing custom leather goods and beautiful vintage hats.

Some local food spots I would love to take my friends too are Kimi Grill (fresh sushi) and Yucca Kebab (super authentic Mediterranean). For chilling at home, I’d definitely stock up on wine from the Joshua Tree Bottle Shop – beautiful space with a very easy to navigate setup and thoughtfully curated selection. A special treat would be a box of charcuterie from Graze Mojave – locally sourced, beautiful presentation and delicious. We’d sit on my patio and look at the stars and sunset.

Another fun day trip would be downtown 29 Palms, which is really flourishing. White Label Vinyl is a cute lil’ vinyl shop with a wonderful selection. Can’t forget Mercado Joshua Tree, so many cool vintage treasures and handmade goods. Another local secret: the Jelly Donut, which has some dumpling tacos which are to die for. Trust me.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
It’s one thing to have a vision, but it’s a completely different story to get the execution done right. We could not have come this far if it wasn’t for the team supporting me. Starting with my husband, who believed in my crazy idea and was not only one of the first artists to perform, but he also built our stage and is in charge of all the audio-technical setup. I have a core team of volunteers who are experienced in the event production space – they have managed festivals as large as Life is Beautiful, and because of the pandemic, were laid off, so they brought their skills and energy to MPM. Jenn, Spencer, and Michael are our core production team, Ryan and Chelsea are our security team. It takes a village!! And speaking of love, we have received so much love from the community. And finally, I have a group of friends who are my ‘hype’ girls. They are dear friends from my time at UCLA and we have an awesome group chat where I can bounce ideas off them and where they offer support/honest feedback whenever I am getting that imposter syndrome. So many people in my life have led me to this point, and I am forever grateful.

Website: www.monpetitmojave.com

Instagram: instagram.com/monpetitmojave

Facebook: facebook.com/monpetitmojave

Youtube: youtube.com/monpetitmojave

Other: general inquiries: email hello@monpetitmojave.com

Image Credits
Julie LaFlamme

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