We were lucky to catch up with Melissa Oesch recently and have shared our conversation below.
Melissa, thanks for taking the time to share your lessons with our community today. So, let’s jump right in – one of the most essential skills for unlocking our potential is self-discipline. Where does your self-discipline come from?
Some of this comes from pretty early on. I was the oldest child and had parents that were either working or otherwise preoccupied so I began to pick up the slack and take on responsibilities around the house and caring for me and my brother. I largely homeschooled myself from 4th grade on (with one semester exception). This involved some co-ops, but planning my lesson schedule and then executing it was largely up to me. I learned that I liked making short term goals and planning out what needed to get done and then keeping myself on task. It felt like I was constantly creating challenges for myself and then it was rewarding to meet them and do them well. I did lesser variations of this through college and with various jobs and positions after I graduated. However, it was when I began my business that I began to really tap back into that part of myself. It is this part of me that likes organizing and figuring out what needs to be accomplished and then breaking that down into weekly and daily tasks. Over time, I’ve bumped into some of the cultural ideas around this, saying that doing this was a chore and boring and took special effort. Once I shook off other people’s opinions or judgments, I took an honest look at myself and realized that I enjoyed the work. I enjoyed figuring out the details of what needed to be done and when it needed to be done by. It felt like a puzzle to me. I realized that I feel better and less stressed if I stay on top of my schedule. I do implement some self-discipline in making sure I get what I need to done. I work, I skip frivolous activities when I’m under a deadline, I conserve my energy when needed, I hole up in my studio when it’s called for and stay really focused. Regardless of what it looks like to anyone else, I have been learning what makes my life work and how to keep my stress levels down. So, I keep the big picture in mind and make efforts along those lines.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I create handbound leather journals and leather bags from reclaimed leather. I currently use scraps from purse and boot factories. Each piece is one-of-a-kind. I’ve been creating full-time since 2010. I sell at art festivals throughout the Midwest, online (reimaginedonline.com) and through galleries and boutiques around the United States. My studio is in my house, and I have one assistant who has helped me with the binding part-time for many years. I have led some journal making and journaling workshops over the years and have also given presentations and offered help to other artists who are wanting to grow their businesses. Most of my customers are from the art festivals that I’ve done from Florida to Chicago to Philadelphia. I’ve had some of the same customers for over a decade and have watched their children grow up and have heard their various stories, challenges and joys. They’ve watched my designs change and evolve, have seen new product be added, and have given more inspiration than they know. Journaling has been an important part of my life since I was six and has been something I’ve used often to clear my head, record pivotal moments, and work out decisions or understandings that I’m grappling with. I create journals and sketchbooks so that other people can also use them in this way. They are really helpful tools and having one that is a little extra special makes you want to pick it up and use it more.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
The three qualities that were most helpful for me was stick-to-itiveness, not taking rejection personally, and having varied revenue sources. These are some aspects that I had to work on right from the beginning. I would have not been able to gain momentum otherwise. They also represent some areas where I see people struggle. It is really important to keep moving forward, regardless of how you feel and the obstacles that will inevitably arise. Stick-to-itiveness is the ability to decide what you’re going to do and then execute it. It involves a focus and follow-through. Ask questions, do the research, figure out what needs to be done to get to where you want to go, and then walk that out. Don’t let a hard day or your car breaking down or delays or being discouraged get in your way. All of that has to be acknowledged and dealt with, but it should be more of a speed bump than a wall that stops your momentum. This would also include your insecurities and self-doubt, which leads me to not taking rejection personally. We will all be told no or we’re not a good fit for a certain event or store or audience, but its best to let these comments and rejection letters roll off you like water. Who cares. It’s a big world out there with so many opportunities. So some of them don’t work out, who cares. There are plenty that will. Keep moving and keep looking for the ones that will say yes. Having varied revenue streams is really helpful, especially if one starts to decline or slow down during certain seasons. For example, I mostly do art festivals March through December. Because I also do wholesale, I can focus on replenishing those stores after Christmas. They provide me with sales throughout the year too and it supplements what I’m making at art festivals or can cover me when the festivals get rained out, etc. Selling online also helps and provides yet another way that customers can find me. Different revenue streams work better for different people. However, having options and keeping those streams open will not only help grow your business, but it also helps keep stress levels down since you have a little back up for the ebbs and flow that will happen.
Okay, so before we go, is there anyone you’d like to shoutout for the role they’ve played in helping you develop the essential skills or overcome challenges along the way?
Debra Robinson has been the most impactful person in helping me grow as a person and as a business. She has been a long-time mentor and Wayshower to me. She has always been a writer and began officially publishing this summer. She is currently an author of three books, has one almost ready for publishing and is working on her fifth. When I was in college, I really wanted a mentor. I kept an eye out and even secretly interviewed multiple women who I was supposed to look up to. I kept finding that these women’s lives were still very jumbled and not working very well. They were quite clueless in many ways despite their age and experiences. I had enough difficult experiences under my belt that I knew I needed someone with solid footing, a fresh approach, and someone whose life and relationships weren’t still a mess. I met Debra when she was a Thai massage therapist when my back went out badly enough that I could not stand up straight. I was young, had no medical insurance, and wasn’t sure where to go for help. I started calling massage therapists and knew when I heard her voice that she was the one I should go to. She has helped me on every level, including personal, spiritual, and business. She has been self-employed since she was young and has had multiple businesses. She was more than capable of pointing me in the right direction, helping navigate the many obstacles that came up, and guiding me back to my center so that I can be capable myself. I’m very excited about her new books and the fact that others will now have a chance to hear and learn from her many stories and experiences the way that I have.
Debra Robinson’s currently available titles are “The Travelled Heart: in celebration of an unexpected life”, “Psycho Taxi Boy on a Terribly Hot Sunday Night with the Southern Baptist Convention: a collection of church stories”, and “The Truth is in Dem Feet, Darlin’: from the Wisdom Story Collection”.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.reimaginedonline.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/reimaginedbyluna
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/reimaginedbyluna
Image Credits
Melissa Oesch Megan Morgan
