We were lucky to catch up with Melanie Fantus recently and have shared our conversation below.

Melanie, appreciate you joining us today. One deeply underappreciated facet of entrepreneurship is the kind of crazy stuff we have to deal with as business owners. Sometimes it’s crazy positive sometimes it’s crazy negative, but crazy experiences unite entrepreneurs regardless of industry. Can you share a crazy story with our readers?

“Crazy” is a good word to use describing my last few years. Maybe because I live with a significantly compromised immune system, on a planet overcome with an endemic that sounds like a drink my parents always have around for company (and don’t forget the lime!). Maybe because our family-owned and operated business, the one I had always dreamed of having, was up for sale. The parents wanted to retire and, despite my persistent pushback about selling, I knew it was the right thing to do. Scary pandemic and potential life-long dream crushing doesn’t sound like much fun – not until you fill in the juicy details.

Let me explain.

Right before the pandemic shut-down, I went on my last first date with a cute blonde from Seattle named Andy. Little did I know we would be stuck living together quarantining, getting to know each other whether we wanted to or not! It only took 3 months for me to become a fiancé, and we got married at A CASTLE (Mt Woodson Castle in Ramona…I know you were curious) in September 2021, that short pocket of time when things were a little more lax around travel and gatherings. Around the same time I became Mrs. Fantus, the family business was sold and put under new ownership, consequently leaving me with a life-long collection of antiques and other found treasures, but no roof to merchandise and sell them under. My husband (still get giddy to say it out loud, same with writing it!) reminded me of a business name I had been sitting on forever, and encouraged me to begin selling under the new name. It’s only been a couple of months since the “official” launch, but I am so proud and excited to call CASA all mine!

CASA translates to house/home in over 20 languages. I curate items that have a story to tell, a tale that will live on and continue its narrative in the lucky customers’ homes that I get to meet and sell to. And as I reflect on the last few years and how “crazy” it’s been, I couldn’t be more healthy, happy, and excited about the future.

Things can get hard, even crazy at times. If I have learned anything from all this, it is to just go with it and see what happens. You might just end up right where you are supposed to be.

Melanie, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

New Jersey born and raised, I was pretty shy as a kid, which is ironic considering I wore a lime green plastic blazer almost daily (see photo) and approached social interaction with a bucketload of anxiety. One of the things that made me most excited was going out “junkin” on the weekends with my mom. We would tour our small, central NJ town for any and all garage, rummage, estate, or sidewalk sales we could find. I think my first collection was vintage ashtrays (told you I was a peculiar kid). I loved all the uncommon shapes and colors and used them as vessels to…well…collect smaller things. Fun tip: Non-smoker in love with the aesthetic as well? Ashtrays make amazing coin and key dishes, a place to store precious jewelry, and even as a tool while you paint! Use glazed ceramic ashtrays to hold your wet brushes and you shouldn’t have to worry about staining the antique!
Fast forward 20 years, Mom and I are still best friends, and of course our love for all things unique and antique has only grown! I am incredibly grateful and lucky for the experience to work with and learn from my both of my parents, who are the most hardworking, selfless, motivating individuals I know.

It had always been a dream of mine to own some kind of cool storefront. As a kid, I recall being deeply inspired by a super nifty store in small town Pennsylvania that sold costumes, old lamps, patches & pins, and practically any nostalgic toy you could dream of. I remember thinking “I’m going to own something like this someday.”

I’d like to say I approach having a business from a consumer’s perspective, perhaps because I have spent almost three decades as one! My entire life has been a series of adventures, going in and out of stores, markets, boutiques, you name it, searching for the next treasure to add to my CASA collection. This experience has allowed me to understand and identify what I want and need as a shopper.

I don’t think about the sale – I think about the experience. I don’t think about my bottom line – I think about fostering lines of communication. I don’t think about the dollar amount – I think about the amount of quality in the items I collect. Everything has history, tells a story, and is one of a kind in its own right, and my goal with CASA is to highlight that beauty.

Short story long, CASA sells vintage and found treasures. I am super inspired by Mid Century, Art-Deco, Hollywood Regency and similar styles, and CASA’s inventory reflects that in the most eclectic way. Where else can you find a dozen 1960’s books about mind-reading, an old wooden butter churner, POGS, and glow-in-the-dark glass from the Great Depression in the SAME place? CASA is fun. It is outgoing yet peculiar. It holds secrets and stories and memories, stored in (deceptively) simple objects, curated with all the passion and curiosity one can obtain in 32 wild years of life.

Any fun sales or marketing stories?

As I mentioned previously, CASA is new. At the family business, I was responsible for maintaining and growing our customer base via marketing, sales initiatives, open house events, and social media engagement. Unfortunately, when you sell a business, you are also essentially saying farewell to your community of customers in a sense

Make new friends, keep the old. That was the goal. The family business was located in Vista, and I wanted to make sure we were reaching people beyond that neighborhood. Sure, North County knew about us, but what about the rest of the city? San Diego has over 1.4 million people residing, so chances are at least some of them could be interested in what I had to offer, right?

I had always gone to the SD Vintage Flea Market as a shopper, and thought CASA would be perfect for that scene. Without even thinking it through, I reserved my mom and I a corner booth at the May market. We have almost a decade of experience selling, merchandising, and understanding the general hustle, but this venue was brand new to us and therefore we did not know what to expect. Our first sale was an hour before the market opened, and it seemed like we constantly had a small audience watching and observing while we set up our treasures. Simply put, we did absolutely incredible in terms of sales, and handfuls of customers were asking how to get updates from us. The feeling of accomplishment and pride in our hard work is unmatchable. We are signed up for the September and October market – we better see you there!

Any advice for managing a team?

Since my mom has been with me through this entire journey, I wanted her to have a chance to share her experience! Before becoming a business owner, she worked at the Director level at YMCA’s across the country for about 20 years! Everyone, meet my super-mom, Sue:

“Managing a team? Advice I found effective is appreciate everyone’s contribution to the goal of success or outcome to a project (know everyone’s work ethic differs )and utilize everyone’s strengths. Your staff will surprise you if you let them. Don’t be afraid to guide staff even if they fail, as each positive and negative experience is a learning opportunity for you both.

Don’t be afraid to challenge your staff with new responsibilities; allow your team to learn new things and in return you are growing your staff.

Listen … listen to the Forward or proactive thinkers on your team and encourage their input and praise and or compensate the team for reaching high standards and goals.”

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/casa.san.diego/
• Website: https://casasandiego.mailchimpsites.com/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/casahomesd
• Other: https://www.ebay.com/usr/d000ofus

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