Meet Mara Derikx | Owner Joyful Hostess | Your Party Planning BFF

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

Hi Mara, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
You wouldn’t think an (almost) 20 year career in finance is creative or artistic and ….you’d be right.

That’s why in 2021 I sold my financial business and went all in on starting Joyful Hostess. A business that let’s me explore my imaginative, fun and creative side (yes, Capricorns can be fun)

Whether it’s planning a party, hosting a workshop or experimenting with a new cocktail recipe – spending my days being creative is so rewarding. It’s a way to express myself, create connection AND put more love and joy in the world.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Inviting people to your home is an act of love and I started this business as away to put more love and joy into the world. We could all use more of that!

Joyful Hostess is dedicated to being the go-to resource for women to become more confident hosts and feel good about it (not overwhelmed)
More confidence = more gatherings which means more celebrations, which means more JOY!

I grew up in a family that celebrated everything and we entertained a lot. It’s a tradition that I continue with my own family, but with my own unique spin – and I wanted to share my knowledge with others and create a community with joy and connection at the centre.

This year we’re launching the Joyful Hostess Academy and we’re just giddy and excited about it! This online course is like no other – it’ll help women become more comfortable inviting people over, show them how to do MORE in less time, help them create and cross off their to-do list, and teach them party planning strategies to make their next event a smashing success!

The goal is to eliminate party planning overwhelm and instead embrace our motto of “less perfection, more connection” to create meaningful, beautiful and joyous celebrations.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If I had someone visiting the area here’s a few highlights I’d be sure to share: We’d definitely hike Point Pelee National Park and visit the southernmost tip in mainland Canada ( it’s latitude is about the same as Rome, Barcelona, and northern California).

Then we’d explore a few of Kingsville’s little shops and bakeries before heading out and hit the wineries along the shores of Lake Erie for some wine tasting – definitely stopping at CREW, Cooper’s Hawk, Oxley Estate. Lunch at small family owned winery Muscedere for the best wood fire pizza and enjoy it al fresco.

We’d also stroll along Windsor’s waterfront and take in Detroit’s skyline.

For coffee shops can’t beat Café Amor & Art or Anchor Café (their scones are unbelievable!) and for brunch spot Twisted Apron (their eggs benny never disappoints)

Also would explore Olde Walkerville area – full of historic homes, cute shops, breweries, bakeries, restaurants.

And can’t forget how much cool stuff there is to do it Detroit (it’s only a short 10 min bridge/tunnel crossing away) and there’s always something – shows, concerts, nightlife, restaurants, markets.

So lucky to have the best of both worlds – Canada and the U.S.!

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?
My husband has been such a wonderful supporter. He cheers me on, believes in me and is often the voice of reason when I’m feeling especially impatient about something. And he has a knack for breaking high stress situations with a well timed joke that reminds everyone not to take life too seriously. I couldn’t do it without him.

And my kids have been amazing! They’re 19 and 20 years old and they’re both good at sharing ideas they think I could use (and they’re not afraid to be brutally honest about what i need to stop doing). My daughter deserves special shout out because she’s been instrumental in filming and editing my YouTube Channel, and helping me with my workshops. I’m so lucky to have their support.

Website: joyfulhostess.com

Instagram: @joyfulhostess

Youtube: @JoyfulHostess

Other: Pinterest : @joyfulhostessMara

Image Credits
Lily Parry Photographer Taylor Lanoie Creative Co.