Meet Mel Calabrese

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Mel Calabrese. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Mel below.

Mel, appreciate you making time for us and sharing your wisdom with the community. So many of us go through similar pain points throughout our journeys and so hearing about how others overcame obstacles can be helpful. One of those struggles is keeping creativity alive despite all the stresses, challenges and problems we might be dealing with. How do you keep your creativity alive?

Trying new things!! I keep my creativity alive by trying new things consistently! As a Small Business owner/ Etsy Shop owner where my products are all handmade and I have a niche, it can be tricky. I have a few select products that I make all-day, every-day and get orders for constantly – but if I don’t try making something new or draw out a new design, the orders and sewing can get mundane.

One of my favorite ways to create new designs and gather ideas is from my friends, family and social media followers! Every-so-often I get a product suggestion or a simple “You should try making this!” and it turns into a great idea for me AND my customers.

Other ways I keep the creativity flowing include joining like-minded Facebook Groups, poll-ing questions on social media for feedback, wandering around craft stores and following trends (such as color-schemes and seasonal patterns).

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

My business, The Mama Mel Collection, was opened with the intentions of creating an income for my growing family, freedom to raise my children, as well as being an inspiration to other Mamas who are trying to find a passion.

I was a corporate-girly as soon as graduating college in 2012. Working my way up the corporate-ladder, continuing education in my specialty, earning myself a cushy salary and working way too many hours per week. While I loved my job and coworkers and was so proud of myself for everything I’d accomplished – I wanted more. A family!

I continued working that corporate job as a new mom with my first baby, and quickly realized that it wasn’t right for me anymore. My priorities had changed drastically.

I wanted more freedom, my own hours, and to not miss a single moment with child and future children. When my husband and I started trying for Baby #2, we decided that when it happened, I would quit and become a Stay At Home Mom.

Not only did I become a Stay At Home Mom in 2020, I also immediately opened my Etsy Shop. This was the best decision we’ve made for our family. I already knew how to sew, had made quite a few baby blankets for gifts and for friends, and realized that handmade for Mama and Baby would be my niche.

As I put my name out there and shared the news with friends and family, I gained traction, followers, supporters and customers. It’s snowballed in the best way and I’ve expanded tremendously and even wrote a book in 2023 called ‘The Mama Mel Way’!

It’s crazy to think that in 2020, I started my Small Shop with 1 sewing machine and now, 4 years later I have 3 children, 2 sewing machines, 2 embroidery machines, and a whole office to myself in our house.

I want to share my story to inspire other women and mamas to follow their dreams and find their passions. I want to share my story to let moms know that they don’t have to lose themselves in motherhood. I want those Mamas to know that it IS possible to have a hobby OR a thriving business even while raising children.

Mamas are the best and deserve the best – with a little love, support and dedication us Mamas can do anything we set our minds to!

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

My top “skill” for my handmade small business would 100% be Sewing. I’ve known how to sew (and have LOVED it) since I was 12. This skill made it easy for me to know what my business was going to be – handmade/sewn items because it was a skill that I was already familiar with and could jump right in.

A quality that was beneficial in starting my journey was Work Ethic. I’ve always been a “climber,” even in the corporate world. I wanted what was next and would start putting in the work to get there. Having a solid, dedicated work ethic has allowed me to set attainable goals and reach them for myself! It can be difficult when you’re in charge of your own business with no rules, but planning things out and setting short-term / long-term goals to work towards is highly suggested.

An area of knowledge that has been impactful is Social Media!! Social media has been a love/hate relationship for my small business but I couldn’t be where I am today without it. Starting Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and now even YouTube – it can be daunting and time consuming putting your business out there. There’s imposter syndrome, competition, people who may not like what you’re offering, etc. BUT there are also supporters, customers waiting to find you, friends, family and marketing! It’s not all fun and games, social media, but the benefits outweigh the negatives when it comes to marketing your business however you want!

If you’re early in your journey, my advice would be to stay consistent. Nothing happens overnight (unless you go viral!) and the hardwork will pay off if you keep at it.

Thanks so much for sharing all these insights with us today. Before we go, is there a book that’s played in important role in your development?

Atomic Habits by James Clear is a book that I’ve read and have lived by. Some of the most important lessons of Atomic Habits is learning self-control and creating healthy habits/breaking bad habits. Living a healthy lifestyle and creating healthy habits (whether big or small) for yourself will only roll over into your business in the best way.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

CheriseTakesPictures
Julia Gallo

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