Life & Work with Alicia Wilhelmy of Columbia Tusculum

Today we’d like to introduce you to Alicia Wilhelmy.

Hi Alicia, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
What are we going to do today that’s fun? It’s a question I’ve asked since I was a little girl.

My adult solution is offering inspiration to remember to have fun through my businesses SayShaSha and Mrs Mahj with creative styling, small event planning and sharing the game of mahjong with many Cincinnatians from my space at Flourish Ayurveda Center.

A friend introduced me to mahjong in 2017 and I took to it like a fish to water. A lifelong game player, I loved the beautiful and tactile experience of gathering with friends to play. Mahjong is a game that continues to captivate her because it refreshes every April with the new card from The National Mahjong League. With my background as a lawyer and experience teaching piano and knitting, I interpret the rules and explains them in a way that helps those new to the game begin playing quickly. With stunning tiles, mats and accessories from several boutique brands, I keep the game fresh and lovely for all my guests.

As Julia Roberts shares with Stephen Colbert in a pervasive clip, mahjong is the creation of order from chaos by the random picking of tiles. There’s a reason this game is growing in popularity among all ages and I love sharing it in my classes and open play sessions.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I began my career as an attorney with Dinsmore & Shohl, but health problems led me away from full-time work. I was fortunate to be able to stay home and raise our three children, contributing to our family’s bread-and-butter business, Seemless Printing. It took some time dabbling in other pursuits, but I eventually opened SayShaSha and Mrs. Mahj in the summer of 2024.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
As a Texas passport holder (all my family lives there) I’ve watched mahjong blow up there since the pandemic. I knew Cincinnati was ready to embrace this classic game next. Offering mahjong lessons in an environment that in not exclusively intended for retail takes the pressure off customers feeling they need to buy something and just lets them focus on the fun of the game.

In a recent trip to Texas, I got to play on the automatic tables at Bespoke Mahjong and learned some tips and tricks from the women of the Mahj Social Club in Austin who have been sharing the game on a large scale. I now offers an easy way to learn that lets beginners play with seasoned players more quickly. Anyone from children to those with cognitive delays from health problems or aging can enjoy playing with my new method of teaching.

Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
My husband and three children as well as many friends have been great encouragers of my work. I took inspiration from Rachel DesRochers and the Power to Pursue community to build my vision. Logan Brookbank and Julia Piazza Porter, the owners of Flourish Ayurveda Center, invited me to share space with them and my colleague there, Gina Brehm has also been a wonderful supporter. Finally my dear friend, Radha Lakshmi, helped me notice that my sense of childlike wonder and enthusiasm is a gift to share with others.

Pricing:

• $150, individual sign up for mahjong lessons, includes NMJL card and 4 hours of instruction
• $300, introductory lesson for groups of 3-6
• $25, open play at The Carnegie Center of Columbia Tusculum

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.sayshasha.com/
• Instagram: @alicialikekeys, @sayshashasays, @mrsmahj