Shop Talk: The Occasional Wife

For Kay Morrison, founder of The Occasional Wife, what began as an escape from the hamster wheel of corporate America quickly evolved into a thriving, multi-pronged business. The New Orleans native has since grown the company to seven retail locations and a team of more than 70 employees.

How and when did you start the business?

I was working in global sales for Starwood Hotels & Resorts and basically lived on an airplane. After having two kids and missing New Orleans terribly, I realized I was done with the rat race. My husband was often home managing things on his own and we both needed more support. He used to joke, ‘I just need an occasional wife.’ And that was the lightbulb moment. I realized other families probably needed a modern solution for managing their busy lives, too. So, I cashed in my 401(k) and started helping people organize and manage their personal tasks. I did it all myself at the beginning and then we began to grow.

What niche in the market were you trying to fill?

It’s funny, there was an article written at some point that painted us as sort of anti- feminist. The opposite was true. The impetus of all of it was wanting to help working women, myself included. As more and more women joined the workforce, the market just wasn’t offering any solutions. 

What services do you offer at the Occasional Wife?

A lot. We have three arms. There’s our Service arm, which includes what we call right sizing; organizing, packing, moving and handiwork. Then there’s ​On Site; which includes estate sales and found assets (sale of smaller, more personal items). Lastly, our Retail arm includes six (soon to be seven) Occasional Wife consignment shops.

What are you most excited about right now?

We are opening up a 7th retail location in Old Metairie soon. It will be set up in a cute house like our Pass Christian store. We also have a few estate sales coming up that are just next level! Stay tuned for info on those. I also just continue to love the consignment business. The idea of turning something old into something treasured and new for someone else is a great feeling.