Our Story

ABOUT US

   Mary Collins Management is a company that is three generations in the making. The first generation started with Mary Collins, a southern Louisiana woman who worked as a housekeeper like many African American women in the early 1900s. Today, with a few more responsibilities, it's termed a house manager. Her responsibilities were overseeing meal planning and preparation, caring for household children, maintaining the residence to the standards of New Orleans high society, organizing and storing household heirlooms and goods, and assisting with holiday parties and extravagant costume balls.   

   The second generation began with Mary Smith, Mary Collins's second oldest daughter. Although healthy and full of life, Mary Collins unexpectedly died in her forties due to an ectopic pregnancy. Shortly after, her husband, Leander Smith, also died, leaving Mary and her five siblings orphans. Mary was exceptional at cooking and knew she could utilize those skills to support her and her younger sister, Shirley. Setting aside the dreams she once had, she became the housekeeper and personal cook for several prominent families in the Florida Parishes and Greater New Orleans area of Louisiana. This work allowed her inquisitive younger sister to be the first of her five siblings to receive a full and formal education. Shirley Smith later attributed her collegiate and business success to her older sister's sacrifices when she received her Ph.D. in Instructional Technology from Wayne State University in 1996 as Dr. Shirley Coates and operated various small businesses. Mary would own and operate several restaurants throughout the Metro Detroit and East Lansing areas.

   The third generation is a beautiful summation of all I've witnessed from my parents and Aunt Mary’s business success, all I've heard about my Grandma Mary’s community influence and achievements, and my life experiences as an educator, franchise owner, executive assistant, and parent. While a homeschool teacher, I identified a common denominator amongst families, regardless of their socio-economic status. Everyone needs more time to get everything done. There's even less time for those who work in the corporate world, juggle a full-time job and side hustle, are small business owners, have a young child, or even multiples. Parents often feel guilty for picking which important thing gets their time. When you choose family, you feel guilty for neglecting household duties within your living space. Then, when your household is a physical manifestation of your mental stress, you feel guilty for choosing household duties instead of spending that time with your family. I aim to remove the stress of choosing by offering a comprehensive range of domestic services all under one roof. By providing this service, parents can delegate domestic tasks and finally get a chance to stop and give all the little things their undivided attention.