Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Melissa Slorf. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Melissa, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. 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?

Starting anything can be challenging. Especially when you start with, literally , nothing.

The idea for a small business incubator that operates as a non-profit business, can be confusing and hard to understand sometimes. Starting this non-profit franchise that has a unique model was looking bleak in terms of getting grants,let alone private donors to entrust you with funds.

I was prepared for a very long process of fundraising and networking. Not to mention finding a storefront that we could afford in whatever budget we could come up with.

After a trip to Anchorage, Alaska to do some training and see the pilot store and hear their stories and trials, I knew it wasn’t going to happen overnight. But my passion for the mission was my drive and I was determined to get to work.
When the plane landed in Michigan I said a simple prayer, ” We need a building”.

In the true spirit of our mission at Grand Haven re:MADE, we believe in second chances. We are not above throwing our car in reverse to pick up that vintage dresser on the side of the road. “She is so cute! And her potential! She just needs a little love!” PLUS, she was free! How can you say no to that?!

My friend Tammy who I started this adventure with, is the queen of finding things this way. So it really shouldn’t be a surprise that she got us our building.
For free.

For the first year and a half, we didn’t pay rent for the building we are still in now. Providence was definitely on our side.
All it took was her sharing our passion and someone saw OUR potential. The building owner believed in our mission and offered us this generous gift. We were able to start with a building right away. We would not be where we are today, had it not been for this amazing opportunity. Building from nothing, to a thriving and growing business.
We didn’t even have a checking account before we had our store. This is definitely by far my favorite story in this journey to tell. People are good. We all needs 1, 2, and 3rd chances.

Melissa, 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?

The vision of Grand Haven re:MADE ?is Doing Life. Better Together. By offering entrepreneurs, artists, and volunteers a retail location to work together remaking items that are donated and reselling good quality items at affordable prices. A re:MADE store empowers people to reach their dreams through positive life changes, educating and walking alongside each uniquely through relationships, restoring confidence, building support systems, and helping them find and grow their talents and skills. ​
Volunteers make repurposed items and sell good quality used clothing, furniture, and household items at affordable prices. This permits items that usually would be sent to the landfill to be resold. In the process of working together, relationships will be built and lives are being changed. The re:MADE store provides support, training and job development for people who desire to grow or start a business, are going through a hard time, or are making a life change.

We collaborate with nonprofits, community organizations, and businesses to bring work groups & volunteers together, gather resources and utilize available means to bring more to each participate.

What else should we know about how you took your side hustle and scaled it up into what it is today?

My husband and I started a side business upcycling and repurposing furniture and home goods. We love to take things that are broken and give new life to them.

We also love people. And people sometimes are broken, stuck or just need someone to believe in them.
The idea of marrying the two was a dream job. So when we found re:MADE stores it was a match made in heaven. We knew this was something that we wanted to bring to West Michigan.
It was everything we had thought of doing put together in a perfect package.
Running it as a non-profit has opened many more opportunities for us. Not to mention we have a team of support helping us and cheering us on.
Doing the business incubator has not only allowed us to help other people fulfill their goals and dreams, it has given us space to do the same with our business.

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

Being authentic. Our entrepreneurs love being in the store and talking with our customers. It shows when you walk though the door and your greeted with a genuine smile and hello. This is a consistent comment from our customers, how friendly our entrepreneurs are and the inviting shopping experience we provide each time someone walks through the door.

Contact Info:

• Website: grandhavenremade.com
• Instagram: Grandhavenremade
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/grandhavenremade?mibextid=ZbWKwL