Melissa is the formulator and creator of MelissaMade with Love natural skin care products and pottery soy candles, based in Warnbro, Western Australia. Starting a business in 2015, all products are mindfully handcrafted using quality natural ingredients and infused with love and intention. Melissa passionately encourages you to use skin care routines as your daily self-care rituals.
For more details, visit the website here.
Here we sit down with Melissa, to know a bit more about her journey as an entrepreneur.
Q. Tell us a little more about your journey as an entrepreneur – how did you get started? What inspired you?
Melissa: Initially my daughter, as a toddler, had a skin condition that was being treated with cortisone creams. I wanted to find a natural alternative and so, as I was studying Aromatherapy at the time, I decided to venture into creating a cream with natural ingredients, while moving away from harsh chemical cleaners in the home. I had a vision back then to start a business doing what I love but didn’t follow through as I found myself a single parent and didn’t believe I could do it. Over the years I continued to create products and gave them as gifts to my friends and family, but the passion never subsided. Finally, after many years, I decided it was time to share my gifts with the rest of the world, so MelissaMade with Love grew from hobby to business.
Q. What’s one thing in your routine that you do consistently that has made a huge difference in your personal or business life?
Melissa: Daily self-care practices. Part of my personal self-care routines includes walking to the beach and as I live close by, I can choose to take breaks in my day to refresh and replenish my energy, creating a wonderfully balanced life.
Q. Who are your mentors and inspiration? and what knowledge or insight did they give to you that was valuable?
Melissa: Anita Roddick’s story of founding The Body Shop has been a massive inspiration to me. I worked at The Body Shop for 7 years while creating my own products at home, and it taught me more about natural ingredients, and their origins and also instilled strong core values, all of which are at the heart of everything I choose within my own business. Anita came from humble beginnings in her kitchen and built an international empire.
Q. What has been your most satisfying moment in business?
Melissa: My favourite moment was a recent one. I regularly talk about using MelissaMade with Love products to honour yourself with moments of self-care. A workshop I ran at last year’s Sistahood Rising was centred around feet and caring and honouring them. I recently ran into a lady who participated that weekend, and she asked, “Is it bad that I think of you every time I rub cream into my feet?” There is much satisfaction in knowing that my products are helping her to relax and honour herself.
Q. How do you market your business, and which tactics have been most successful?
Melissa: Initially, I attended every market I could so that I could get a feel for what customers liked. I found that not everyone is after what I have, so it allowed me to better learn who my target audience is and which market events are most successful for my business.
Now I have a website, use Facebook and Instagram regularly, and only do the occasional market event. I love attending 3-day women’s festivals, the women who go are so receptive and supportive of my business and love natural and handmade products.
Q. What have been your biggest failures or challenges?
Melissa: As I was generating much of my sales through market events, with COVID restrictions for large gatherings, it meant that I had to change my business over to being more online and less face-to-face. I have had to learn how to use and maintain social media for marketing, which is still a challenge.
Q. How did this failure, or apparent failure, set you up for later success?
Melissa: My business has been rebranded with a new logo and style guide, over the past 12 months, to bring it to a more visually appealing brand. My website has had an overhaul and is now more user-friendly, resulting in daily orders.
Q. If someone was to create a TV show about you, what would it be about and what would it be called?
Melissa: I don’t watch TV and didn’t know how to answer this so I asked my daughter. She thought “The Many Hats” and it would be about the many hats that I wear throughout my day, week, and life and all the funny, heartfelt and amazing things that happen as a result of wearing my many hats.
To keep up to date with Melissa and her journey, connect with her on Facebook and Instagram.