“She’s really cool, you’ll love her,” Maria Elizabeth said when she nominated Holly Price for Street Style. She raved about Holly’s expertise in helping her convert an existing space at Salon deZEN in 48 hours, so she could expand her salon’s offerings with deZEN Aesthetics. “So she’s a contractor?” I asked. “Not exactly, but she does oversee them among a hundred other details— she gets it done and with precision.” 

At the shoot and our first meet, Holly steps out of Maria’s car and is rocking a kick-ass ensemble. Minutes later, she is literally stopping traffic. Renée has posed her across the double yellow lines on Royal Street, a few hundred feet from King Street. None of the cars I’m halting seem to mind; they’re taking in the scene of four women scrambling around the pavement in 90 degree heat. When we spot a Vespa parked in front of a nearby brick wall, we do a quick glance around, and Renée lifts her camera, “Go, that’s all you.” Holly indulges us, looking fierce as she leans in. When she cracks a smile, I’m relieved. Now I get the serious face is part of her vibe. 

Holly grew up in Arlington and moved to Vienna in middle school. She went to school in Richmond and did a five-year stint in Seattle in her mid-20s where she was finding her way. “After college, my first real job was working for a software company. When my father began to experience severe health issues, I needed a less demanding job. I moved back East and worked as a training manager at The Container Store. You can say that was my ‘gateway drug’. I got used to this whole world of organization. After my father passed, I used my inheritance to start my own business. I always had it in my mind that someday I wanted to own my own business…I had just been trying to figure out what I wanted to do. My father had always said he would support me when I decided. So I quit my job and I became a professional organizer.”

When I ask her what her business, Simpli-Fli provides, her list goes well beyond organizing. “What started as helping clients get stuff in order in their home morphed into a lot of buckets. We’ve redefined ourselves and now provide lifestyle management services…which means when you think about living your life and owning your home, there’s so many things you’re trying to get accomplished. And we’ll help you with all of that. Even when the HVAC goes out, call us. We organize, we strategize…we provide turnkey moving and relocation services.”

She continues, providing more context, “Here’s a dream scenario: you would call us to say you’re moving to a new place and need help with all the interior furnishings of that home, organizing closets and making sure it’s ready to go. We move you in, we pack you and unpack you. Then once you’re living in your home, we will help with all the various things that pop up. Need a deck? We’ll help you get a deck built. Give us a call and we’ll help you do all the things.” She says services range from consultation to project management as every client and their needs are so different.

So how did she start? “I always had an entrepreneurial mindset. But the hard part is figuring out how you’re going to get business. I started by networking, and offering a ‘friends and family’ rate. And then I did some one-off jobs from Taskrabbit, and from those connections, referrals started happening. I became part of a professional organizing community in the D.C. area and they would ping me to help on some of their projects, too. And little by little, after the first two years, I was working with my own clients.”

She laughs, “They never seem to go away, they’re constantly asking me for things…it’s because life changes fast and moves so quickly. And I became a person my clients could trust.” 

Her business is primarily fueled by referrals. “Birds of a feather…word of mouth…it’s 90 percent. What I do is niche, it caters to a particular client. This individual really understands the time-value-money equation. They understand that they have their own skill set and they’re clear on what they’re good at and what they’re not good at. They see that their time is precious and want to spend it doing the things they’re successful at – and hire someone else who is highly competent to take care of their other projects.”

When I ask how she met Maria Elizabeth, she says they were both volunteering for SOHO (A Space of Her Own) at the same time. “Our mentees were good friends with each other and we did a lot of group activities together.” Holly says that because she has high expectations, she is able to deliver to clients with the same mindset, and she and Maria share that. “It’s part of my brand. I understand that personality, I cater to that. For a salon owner like Maria, anytime they’re closed, they’re losing money. For her renovation project, I used all of my resources and subbed highly vetted individuals that worked within my parameters. I squeezed two weeks of worth into two days. And I told my contractor, ‘Your people are not doing anything else for the next two days.’ It was their focus from eight in the morning till midnight. It was so critical to turn around as much as possible. I am personally invested in all of my client’s needs, and I made it happen.”

She not only digs into the logistics with each project, but she also thinks about the business’ employees. “Their needs really do matter. For deZEN, Maria was starting an aesthetics studio. That location (N. Fayette Street) is only so big, so you have to figure out how to carve space for this new service, maintain an employee area, which is critical for employee retention and work within the rules of the lease agreement.”

As for herself, Holly says she is highly organized, “an occupational hazard. There are some things I wish I could be better at, but I am methodical; I live the life. My housekeeper is not allowed to move things. I will notice.” 

Holly is a big believer in “having what you need and nothing more. I have a very curated wardrobe and I maintain it.” She also has an interesting take on washing clothes: “No one actually likes doing laundry, so we buy more…and we order more. It’s fun. What does it mean? You add more volume, and you can’t even get a good handle on what’s in your closet.” I ponder this. I actually like doing laundry – it's folding it and putting it away that ummm…takes a few business days. 

Holly’s immediate goals: “Try and catch up on sleep. I have a dog, she’s sassy, she brings a lot of spirit to this world. I want to do more things with her, go on a hike…have adventures. I’m also trying to catch up with friends more. I make so many decisions on a day to day basis, that I ask them, ‘you choose and I’ll show up.’ But if I had to pick – Sushi Ogawa in D.C. on Connective Avenue is by far my favorite sushi place, they always deliver on quality of fish and it’s very reasonable.”

As for this heat, she is definitely looking forward to fall, one of her favorite seasons. “On a fashion level, it’s the cutest season, temperature-wise. Fall all around here is just beautiful.”

We hope to see her out on a hike with her dog this fall, until then, check out Holly’s Street Style: 

ABOUT HOLLY

Neighborhood: Arlington, VA 

Hometown: Arlington and Vienna, VA

What would surprise people about you?  My sister and I are both adopted, but we are also biological sisters. We were adopted together. We are four years apart.

Favorite book: The Princess Bride

Guilty Pleasure: Catchy Pop Music.

Latest binge-watch: Finally watched Game of Thrones. I know, I’m late to the party.

Bucket list travel destination: Japan

STYLE

Define your style in three words or less: Personal, Unique, Undefined.

The go-to piece in your wardrobe: I have these cream faux leather athletic long shorts. I can dress them down, dress them up and wear them in every season. They are my everything shorts.

Favorite trend: Androgynous and Monochromatic.

Beauty product you can’t live without: Il Makiage Foundation. I found my perfect shade and I can control the coverage.

Boots, sneakers, or sandals? I’m a shoe addict, so making me choose is mean 😉 But I’m a real sucker for boots.

WELLNESS

Go-to way to de-stress: Indulge in REALLY good sushi.

Most fun way to stay active: To not be active? I’m allergic to the gym. My work has me running around a lot, I do a lot of stairs, lifting, squatting, etc.

Wellness goal: Eat 3 meals a day? I know this is weird and it’s like a super low bar…but I literally forget to eat and typically only eat like one meal a day.

Want to try: Pilates!

Proudest wellness achievement: Does my skincare count? I do a really good job at taking care of my skin.

HOME

Favorite room in your home: My bedroom. It’s where all the magic is supposed to happen. 😉

Antiques, modern, or a mix? Mix for sure.

Last item bought for your home: Drapes

Favorite way to entertain: I like to have people over for cocktails. To let loose a little bit…encourage a little dancing or try to recruit them to participate in some random side project I’ve got going on. I once had friends over to do butt prints and kiss prints on canvas because I wanted a piece of art call “kiss my ass”.

Clutter-free or well-lived in? I think you can do both, why do people think this is a choice?

Next planned purchase: New area rug for my living room.

ALEXANDRIA

What do you love about Alexandria Stylebook? I really appreciate how it supports entrepreneurship and local small business of all industries and all walks of life.

Favorite spot in Alexandria: Torpedo Factory.

Your Go-to Shop: Bloomers. Let me explain, I have the opinion that undergarments have to tossed out after like 6 months. I’m showing my weird side, but I feel like after so many washes, it just doesn’t seem clean anymore. Which means I’m always buying new bras and panties. And I love going into Bloomers and getting my hands on cute stuff.

Best food spot: Evening Star — I have lots of fond memories here.

Favorite local organization: SOHO (Space Of Her Own). They have an amazing mission and a fellow volunteer mentor turned out to be a kindred spirit and a really amazing friendship has blossomed from that experienced.

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