Frank and Marisa Renfro Plant Roots And Launch Businesses in the Palisades
By MAGNOLIA LAFLEUR | Reporter
It was love at first sight in 2013 when Frank and Marisa Renfro first met in Dallas, Texas—Nearly 10 years later and the Palisadian duo is at their height, expanding their family and launching their own businesses. The Renfros reflected on their journey with the Palisadian-Post.
“We were at the pool at the Crescent Hotel in Dallas, she invited me to join her group that evening for an engagement party,” Frank said about the night he met Marisa. “I was at the right place at the right time. I knew that night after dinner and late night pizza, I was in love. Three weeks later we met in Cabo, 10 months later she moved from [New York City] to Dallas.”
Before they married, they dated from afar and would fly from New York and Dallas to see each other every other week for a year. Occasionally, they would meet in Florida for the weekend. They would both leave work on Friday evenings, spend the weekends together and fly home late Sunday night or Monday morning.
“She is an articulate, gorgeous, woman with a keen business mind. Without a doubt, my wife inspires me the most,” Frank said to the Post. “Nobody works harder, takes more pride in their work or is a better mother than her.”
Nine years later and Marisa is both a mother-of-two and cofounder of Casamia, a tablescapes company that curates tables with specialized decor, allowing one to host an event without the fuss of designing it. The tableware comes in boxes filled with everything a host needs, based on the event or demand, with—at times—products from around the world. She founded Casamia with her friend Caroline Stinson.
“The idea that inspired us to do this is, I love to host and I love to cook and I love doing flowers. I love putting different looks together,” Marisa said about the inception of the business.
The idea of Casamia came during the COVID-19 pandemic when Stinson had to postpone her wedding that was set to take place in Jamaica. Marisa and Frank decided to surprise her and her husband with a “tropical-meets-The Ivy Restaurant” themed intimate dinner for four. After being amazed at the splendor of the event, the pineapple vases and “very colorful and lively” setting, Stinson encouraged Marisa to start a business with her.
“Marisa and I met when I moved to Los Angeles from New York in 2018,” Stinson shared. “Marisa and I are friends turned business partners. I have watched their two little girls grow since they were born, and I can tell they love it as well.
“Marisa makes a great co-founder in many ways. What sticks out the most is her crazy work ethic, creative ideas and her ability to take what the customer says they need and turn it into something wonderful.”
Marisa said her mother and father were both sources of inspiration for her. She thanked her mother for helping her develop an uncanny eye for detail.
“My mom was throwing Pinterest looking parties before Pinterest was even around,” Marisa said. “She would design awesome birthday celebrations with the most amazing details … She was always a really thoughtful person … throwing the most thoughtful parties, which is also where I became inspired.”
Marisa said she and Stinson launched Casamia in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, and did not have the option of doing their work in-person.
“The first in-person we did was at Palisades Village,” Marisa said to the Post. “We did our first ever pop-up at Qué Padre … and it was so fun to meet and talk to our customers. We are not the most expensive thing around, but everything we do is extremely thoughtful and that’s what makes us special.”
She said the goal of Casamia is to take the stress out of event planning and bring bliss to people through beautiful table settings—whether a family dinner on any given day, a Valentine’s Day surprise or a birthday party. Marisa, who has an ardent love for designing tableware, loves the idea of bringing people together at a table—friends or family.
“I find that the nicer the table looks, the more likely people are to put their phones down and stay awhile. It really is about providing a service that brings people together to talk and enjoy each other’s presence over a decadent setting,” she said.
Marisa also thanked Frank for his support of her chasing her dreams of being an entrepreneur.
“As an entrepreneur himself, his advice and guidance has led me to my current career path,” Marisa said in an interview with Shoutout LA.
“Frank is the most authentic human I’ve ever met,” Marisa shared. “He is one of a kind. His ability to be authentic allows him to converse with anyone and make them feel comfortable. He really makes you feel special in his presence, there’s no one like him.”
Frank is the owner of home management platform SoNeighborly! which he launched in January 2021.
SoNeighborly! is a first-of-its-kind neighborhood directory that allows neighbors to share honest reviews. SoNeighborly! has a goal to make a home owner’s life easier by providing savvy neighborhood-approved and vetted vendors and contractors.
The business also offers a monthly subscription that can help alleviate upkeep at home with a home manager, regular in-home maintenance, troubleshooting support, and a digital catalog of a home’s unique warranties and features.
“We want to make this as personal to the homeowner as possible, with one point of contact,” Frank explained. “A home coordinator will be familiar with your property and all your home needs. I want to help out the community by ensuring they have a service that brings more value to the quality of life and home they have.
“For example, most people will go on to a site like Nextdoor and ask something like ‘Does anyone know a good painter?’ … Whatever answer is given, none of it’s been recorded and categorized in a really concise and digestible way per neighborhood. It was my goal to create a place that provides lists of vendors and contractors and helps the homeowner manage their needs. People won’t have to worry about who is vetted or where to find someone, they can just go to our list.”
With the ultimate goal of freeing up time and increasing the quality of life—as well as relieving his new Palisadian neighbors of any headaches, paperwork or stressors that come with keeping a well-oiled, functioning house—Frank wants people and families to “worry less and enjoy more of their lives and families and the homes they’ve worked to have.”
Frank said his father owned liquor and convenience stores in Dallas called Texas Liquors. When Frank was a child, he would always go to work with his dad, accompanying him as he made his rounds to the different stores.
“I did everything from work in the warehouse, run the cash register, stock the shelves, make ice, sweep the parking lots, strip the parking lots–You name it, I did it,” Frank recalled. “I come from a long line of small business owners. My grandmother owned a small nursing home, my grandfather was a cattle rancher, the list goes on and on. I think there’s a strong entrepreneurial, as well as independent, gene running through our blood.”
Both Frank and Marisa pride themselves in conducting their businesses locally and since moving to Pacific Palisades, the Renfros have found it to be the most ideal place to raise a family and run their business.
“The Palisades was my first choice in the entire city due to its community feel. I am so lucky to live here,” Frank said. “I can’t tell you the number of times people introduce themselves and say hello when we’re playing in the front yard.”
Excited to raise their two daughters in a neighborhood with a strong sense of community and fresh ocean air, the Renfros feel lucky to call the Palisades home.
“We are so happy to be here and feel eternally lucky to be part of the Palisades community,” Marisa said. “It’s unlike any other in the city.”
This page is available to subscribers. Click here to sign in or get access.