We had the good fortune of connecting with Malika Smith & Mary Bradley and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Malika and Mary, what do you attribute your success to?
We are both highly ethical people with strong moral compasses. For Moxlin to truly be a success, our work and our brand must reflect our values as well as generate profit. We do not take shortcuts and take great pride in the quality of our construction. The objective is to not simply to enrich our own lives, but to enrich the lives of others and to contribute in a positive and meaningful way to our community.
Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Moxlin is a Residential Real Estate Development company based in Atlanta, Georgia. Our focus is on property acquisition, land development and new construction, with the occasional renovation project. Our company consists of Malika Smith, Licensed General Contractor and Realtor, and Mary Bradley, an experienced Real Estate Investor and Business Operations Manager. We both have backgrounds in marketing and project management. We are a young company but passionate about our work and growing quickly! Our name, Moxlin, is derived from the combined names of our children, honoring our work as mothers and the legacy we hope to create for their futures.
Moxlin was not a planned partnership, but one that blossomed out of a difficult situation. We were friends first and teamed up on a “pandemic project” in the summer of 2020, rehabbing a mid-century house south of Atlanta. The house presented as a heavy cosmetic rehab: new bathrooms, a new kitchen, updated lighting, paint, and flooring. We analyzed the deal, developed a budget, bought the house, and got to work. The renovation was DISASTROUS – if it could go wrong, it did go wrong. Our schedule and budget were as gutted as our house, and we ended up spending the better part of the summer (days, nights, AND weekends) at the house addressing the issues and doing much of the work ourselves. In the end, the project turned out beautifully and we even managed to eke out a modest profit, but the most valuable take-away was that we realized how well we worked together. We have complementary strengths and skill sets, a shared strong work ethic, and perhaps most importantly, the ability to laugh at ourselves and take challenges in stride. Between beers and seemingly endless crisis management at our summer pandemic project, we began evaluating potential ventures and by autumn, Moxlin was born!
It is such an asset that we have this organic cohesiveness and bond. Many of our decisions are made without uttering a word because we are already in agreement. Real Estate Development requires you to possess both tenacity and flexibility; circumstances can change in an instant and you must be able to trust your partner to handle situations in your absence. Since our partnership evolved organically, it is naturally harmonious, making us ripe for success! We are extremely proud of the quality and beauty of our work and believe that our high standards and attention to detail really set us apart in this competitive market. We have some exciting projects soon to break ground and cannot wait to see what happens next!
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.
This is a tough one! Most of our projects are in the Beltline Overlay District so we would definitely start by showcasing the incredible development and connectivity created by the Atlanta Beltline. There are so many diverse neighborhoods, incredible displays of public art, gorgeous greenspace, and access to some of Atlanta’s hottest breweries, bars, and restaurants that it’s easily enough to fill the whole week, but Atlanta has so much more to offer than just new development. We are both so proud of our city’s place in the historic American Civil Rights Movement that we would probably spend a whole day visiting landmarks such as The King Center, The Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park, The National Center for Civil and Human Rights. Mary likes to drag her visitors to The Stone Mountain Laser Show Spectacular out of an appreciation for kitsch, but we both enjoy the hike to the top and running around the base. No trip to Atlanta would be complete without a photo in the Georgia Aquarium’s iconic underwater tunnel! What makes Atlanta most special to us both, however, isn’t a place – it’s the people. We would probably have the most memorable experiences just kicking back and cooking out, introducing them to our friends, laughing, dancing, being loud, and clowning on Mary about not being allowed to bring the mac and cheese and potato salad!
Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Moxlin is more than just a collaboration between the two of us; our company is the culmination of years of individual experience and some truly special mentors and friends. We actually met through a mutual friend, Shaun Wedderburn, who provided us both with guidance, support and encouragement as we were just getting into the field. Dom Arnold, the head of South City Residential, has been a constant source of inspiration who is always eager to share his vision and creativity when we are confronting challenges. Johnathan McClain has been absolutely invaluable as a mentor to us both. His impeccable and meticulous work sets the standard for our own and his influence has opened many doors as we build our company. George Petkovich, MAI, CCIM, from PBW Atlanta has blessed us many times with his brilliant and insightful analysis in property evaluation and planning. Last, but not least, we want to give a shout out to some of the brilliant and dedicated women we have met along the way: Ginneh Bradley, Roxi Perkins, Danielle Jasmine, Leesh Greene, Kenisha Patterson & countless others – THANK YOU!!!
Website: Moxlin.com
Instagram: Instagram.com/MoxlinATL
Twitter: Twitter.com/MoxlinATL
Facebook: Facebook.com/MoxlinATL