How Oh My Mahjong Founder Megan Trottier Went From Dallas Entrepreneur to Published Author

The game of mahjong absolutely is thriving in North Texas, and that’s partly because of the next featured local in our “Big Deal in the Big D” series. This time, we’re spotlighting the founder of Dallas-based Oh My Mahjong, Megan Trottier, as she just released her first books, Mastering American Mahjong and American Mahjong for Babies.

Founded in 2022, Oh My Mahjong has grown from a small garage-based project focused on designer mats and storage boxes to a nationwide lifestyle brand.

Ahead of her Dallas book party on October 22, we caught up with Megan Trottier to talk about her journey from local entrepreneur to published author.

How did you first get into mahjong?

I actually learned to play American mahjong in college and was gifted my first set as a graduation gift, but then I didn’t play again for years. During COVID, I picked the game back up and started playing regularly with a group of girlfriends, and that’s when I really fell in love with it. I loved the strategy and competitiveness, but even more than that, I loved what happened around the table. You’re sitting together for hours, talking and laughing and actually connecting, not on your phone!

You started out making art and home goods. What did you see in mahjong that made you think it could become a much bigger business?

My weekly mahjong group really showed me the opportunity. I was an artist, so I naturally started thinking about the visual side of the game, and at the time I just wasn’t seeing products that felt like something I would want to leave out in my home or bring to a girls’ night. I made a tile box featuring my art, and the response and sales surprised me. Then I made a mat and saw the same thing happen.

What did the early days look like? How did you get your business off the ground?

It was very scrappy. I was selling through Instagram, packing orders out of my garage and doing pretty much everything myself. There wasn’t some big business plan behind it. I kept putting things out, listening to what people responded to, and reinvesting in the business. It grew so quickly that we went from working out of my garage to needing a warehouse in less than a year.

How do you think building your business in the city of Dallas shaped its growth?

Dallas was an incredible place to start this business because there was already such an appetite for American mahjong here. People knew the game, wanted to learn it, and were excited to introduce their friends to it. Dallas is also such a trendsetting city, especially when it comes to entertaining, fashion, and design. People care about their tablescapes, their homes, and creating an experience for their guests, so the idea that your mahjong set could be part of that made sense here very early on.

How did you land in Dallas originally? What are some of your favorite things/favorite spots in the city?

I’m Texas-born and raised. After college at Texas Tech, I knew I wanted to be in a big city in Texas, and a lot of my girlfriends were in Dallas, so it felt like the natural place to land. I’ve been here ever since. I love the food scene, especially around Preston Hollow and Highland Park. R&D and Shinsei are two favorites. I also love just walking around my neighborhood, although at this stage of life I probably spend more time at lacrosse fields than anywhere particularly glamorous!

How have you seen the mahjong scene in Dallas change over the past several years? What do you think is making it so popular right now?

A few years ago, everyone wanted to learn. Now I think Dallas is entering this next phase where people already know how to play and are asking, what’s next? They want to get better, play competitively, try different variations, travel around the game, and make mahjong part of their social lives. I think the bigger reason it’s having such a moment is that people are craving real connection. It’s social, it’s competitive, it keeps your brain working, and once you learn, there’s always something new to get better at.

What has been your biggest challenge so far? Is there anything you wish you had known when you started?

Learning how to grow at the pace we’ve grown has probably been the biggest challenge. When you start a business in your garage, you’re thinking about getting the next order out, not necessarily building the infrastructure for what happens if thousands of orders suddenly come in.

One thing we absolutely got right was bringing great people in early. I couldn’t have built this without the team around me. If I could go back, though, I would have been even more aggressive about protecting our intellectual property from day one. We thought we had done enough, and we learned along the way that we hadn’t. When you’re creating something people respond to, protecting that creativity has to be part of the business strategy from the beginning.

How did the idea for your new books come about?

Mastering American Mahjong is really the book I wish I’d had when I was learning. We spend so much time at Oh My Mahjong helping people get comfortable with the game, and I wanted to put that knowledge in one place in a way that felt approachable and not intimidating. It takes you from understanding the tiles and rules all the way through strategy and becoming a more confident player.

American Mahjong for Babies came from the other end of the spectrum. We’re seeing women play with their moms, daughters, and grandmothers, and now babies are quite literally growing up around mahjong tables. I loved the idea of creating something playful that introduces them to the colors, tiles, and language of the game before they’re old enough to actually play.

What are you most excited for on your book tour this month, particularly for the Dallas event at Leonie?

The best part of this tour has been getting to actually meet the people who have built this community with us. So much of Oh My Mahjong grew online, and there’s something really special about getting everyone together in person.

Dallas is going to be especially emotional for me because this is home. This is where I learned to play, where I started the company, and where some of the very first people who supported Oh My Mahjong are. Getting to end this whirlwind of a launch surrounded by those friends and family at Leonie feels like a pretty perfect full-circle moment.

Will there be any other new holiday products for the gift-giving season coming up?

The holidays are one of my favorite times at Oh My Mahjong because mahjong is such a natural gift and such a fun way to bring people together when everyone is home. We have our holiday mats, and we’ve introduced a collection of 2026 ornaments inspired by the game. And there are definitely still some fun things ahead. I always say that once someone gets their first mahjong set, they suddenly discover there are a lot more things they ‘need’ for the table!

Where does Oh My Mahjong go from here?

The sky is the limit! I think we’re just getting started. Sometimes that’s a new tile set or mat, but increasingly it’s education, books, technology, travel, events, and experiences.

I never want us to grow just for the sake of adding more things. I want every new piece of Oh My Mahjong to make the community bigger, make the game more approachable, or give people another reason to get around a table together.