We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Mel K. Wilkinson a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Mel, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Risk taking is something we’re really interested in and we’d love to hear the story of a risk you’ve taken.

I dedicated my entire life to the wine industry before starting Greenmade goods out of my garage here in Nashville, TN. Starting in restaurants, (bussing tables and as a hostess), I worked to push myself out of shyness as a teenager. I moved to waiting tables and bartending, where I found my passion for food and wine. After college, I started my career in wine at a local distributor, completed my Certified Sommelier certification, then moved to an international import company, covering a territory of four states.

In 2020, at the height of the Covid scare we found out we were pregnant, and our world changed. I was travelling on planes and visiting clients every week, (sometimes weeks at a time), and we knew that couldn’t be the case going forward with a little one on the way.

I’ve always been creative and crafty- making my own all-natural products to use instead of the store bought items you see on the shelves which are full of chemicals and chemically altered ingredients. Over the years, I’ve shared some of them with neighbors, family, and friends and always received feedback that THIS is what I should be doing.

The timing was right… so in 2021 we took the leap! Greenmade goods was born and the rest is history.

Mel K., 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?

Right now, Greenmade goods is a one woman operation.

Two products won 2022 Clean Beauty Awards.

1st PLACE Nail Care:

Lavender Botanical Nail Pen (repairs, nourishes, and protects nails and cuticles)

TOP 10 Finalist Hair Treatment:

Jasmine Hair + Body Oil #25 (dual action formula which smooths frizz and moisturizes skin)

Everything is hand-batched. 100% all-natural, and carries the Made Green + Clean Guarantee.

100% ingredient transparency is a top priority, which is why you will find a full list of ingredients with every item.

After decades of being in the wine business, all that sniffing, swirling, and blind wine tasting trained one sharp nose, which comes in handy when blending signature scents.

Can you talk to us about how you funded your business?

I started with $1,000 that I had saved up. It was pretty frightening to say the least.

Making initial purchases just to experiment with formulas was difficult because I didn’t want to waste even a single drop.

Not being able to purchase things in bulk kept my prices higher at first. I also realized that you have to spend capital on things you may not think of such as boxes, stickers, printer ink, and inserts.

But I keep telling myself- “If you build it, they will come”!

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

Being pregnant and starting working with essential oils, you have to be careful since there is little research out there. I use essential oils to scent my products naturally rather than using artificial perfume and fragrance. So, my husband was my test subject for months (he was a good sport!) while I was finalizing my signature scents and blends. I would put them on his wrists and arms and sniff. If one wasn’t up to par, I would throw it out and we would be on to the next one!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.greenmadegoods.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/greenmadegood/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/greenmadegood/