We were lucky to catch up with Christina Threloff recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Christina, thanks for joining us today. What sort of legacy are you hoping to build. What do you think people will say about you after you are gone, what do you hope to be remembered for?

As humans, we are constantly consuming stuff. In our fast paced lives, we often don’t take the time to consider where this “stuff” comes from – what its journey was before it ended up in our possession. While being able to consider this will take a conscious effort on the consumer’s part, I have done the research. My Lovely Muse has grown as a business to focus on just that – providing products whose stories have been considered, where sustainability and ethical manufacturing is priority. It is the foundation on which I’ve built My Lovely Muse. I hope that through interacting with me, my products, and my classes, others will learn the importance of thinking deeper about what they consume, why they consume it and, if they should at all. I hope to provoke a slower and intentional way of thinking when purchasing physical items so consumers can make the most out of what they buy either by reusing the items they purchase over and over again or being able to upcycle or compost what is left when the item has reached the end of its lifecycle. We won’t ever stop consuming stuff, but at least we can make better choices, and My Lovely Muse works hard at offering choices that make us and our Earth happier.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I like to think of myself as a quirky, open-minded human with a fantastic imagination and love for all things eco-conscious. My name is Christina Threloff and I haven’t always consciously practiced sustainability the way my I live now. While I’ve had a garden for as long as I could remember and I’ve preserved and had parents and grandparents canning food and preserving forever, I haven’t always thought of it as a “sustainable activity”. It wasn’t until I was pregnant 9 years ago and decided to cloth diaper my baby that I had consciously thought of certain parts of my lifestyle as “sustainable”. When my daughter was a baby, that was when I implemented more conscious efforts of sustainability in my lifestyle – cloth diapers, cloth baby wipes, cloth napkins, cloth “paper towels”, *gasp* cloth toilet paper for me…there was so much I could be doing differently! Sixteen months after my daughter was born, I became pregnant with my son and decided to resign from my job at the time – a special education teacher in an urban school district. It didn’t make financial sense for me to continue working and send my two kids to daycare, so I finished up my school year and resigned from teaching after five years in the career. This is not what I had planned for myself. I had worked since I was 15 years old, and often multiple jobs at a time. Being a stay at home mom was new for me. Before my son was born, my husband and I agreed that I could start a business while I was home with the kids, so began My Lovely Muse.

My Lovely Muse was officially open for sales in January 2017. I had finished my school year in June 2016 and my son was born in August 2016 so I was starting this business with a brand new tiny baby and a toddler! Looking back, I don’t know how I juggled it all. At the time, My Lovely Muse opened as a handmade clothing business. I was sewing leggings as the main seller for the first half year in business. In November 2017 I decided to treat my business more like I live my life and focus on sustainable materials and packaging and from there I moved from making and selling clothing to making and selling eco-conscious housewares and going back to teaching local, eco-workshops. This felt more in line with who I was and what I was supposed to be doing.

My Lovely Muse is now in its 6th year of business. The main item we sell is cloth napkins, but we also offer cloth cocktail napkins (new as of summer 2022!), tea towels, reusable snack and sandwich bags, bulk bags, beeswax wraps, reusable utensil holder, reusable straws, mending kits, beeswax wrap DIY kits, and more. I have taught a variety of workshops through My Lovely Muse over the years including Beeswax Wrap Make-and-Take and Kombucha Home-brew for Beginners as well as a canning demonstration class, garden herb informational class, and monthly eco-chats (topics varied each month). I also teach private sewing lessons and have started mending workshops and mending drop-in events when I attend local markets.

My Lovely Muse has morphed into an incredibly fulfilling brand for me. It is the business side of how I live my life and so many of the things I love and am incredibly passionate about. I am able to make and teach and interact with others. I have met so many people who share similar passions and have realized their passions through interacting with me and my brand. This may not be where I had planned for myself, but I am incredibly proud of myself and the brand that I have built.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

I think the best part of local, small businesses is that you probably have met or will get the chance to meet the people behind the business during your interactions. As the only face behind My Lovely Muse (besides my husband and kids), I am the one that attends each market, workshop, and event. I produce the products, (sometimes) photograph them, list them, market them, package them, ship them, and so much more. I wear all of the hats in this business, but most importantly, I am customer service. If you interact with My Lovely Muse, you get to experience my passion and love for what I offer and knowing that I have my hands in every aspect of the business is something that larger businesses cannot offer.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

I’ve read it, I’ve heard it from others, and I’ve experienced it myself – the best source of new customers for me is through word of mouth. My Lovely Muse started with customers that were friends and family and expanded from there. Through teaching workshops and attending markets in the West Michigan area, I’ve been able to connect with a wider range of people who have interacted with My Lovely Muse and share their experiences with their friends and family. Organic growth in this way is the most fulfilling to me because I am able to reach likeminded individuals who have genuine interest in what I am providing through My Lovely Muse.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.mylovelymuse.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/mylovelymuse
• Facebook: facebook.com/mylovelymuseshop
• Linkedin: linkedin.com/company/mylovelymuse
• Twitter: twitter.com/mylovelymuse
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCcQWAEcNomDUgceZmR_P9GA

Image Credits
Jess Stampe Chloee Berghorst