Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Melanie Gnau. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Melanie, thanks for joining us today. Can you tell us the backstory behind how you came up with the idea?
After my husband and I got married in 2012, we were looking at ways to save money. We were moving at the time and apartments were out of control expensive. I was looking online one night and came across a couple living in a Winnebago. It was inspiring and changed the trajectory of our lives. Soon after we bought an Airstream, remodeled it and lived in it for about four years. After those four years of living minimally, we could afford to buy a small house and remodel that, as well. Along the way I documented our journey of “living small” and folks have been really responsive. Other people have wanted to know how to make the best use of their small spaces and how to to downsize. I also recognized that a personal approach with downsizing and organizing is best. I want to meet people where they are and solve their specific, small space problems. That’s where my coaching business began.
Melanie, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
What sets “A Small Life” apart from other organizing businesses is that I take a holistic and honest approach. I see a lot of idealism with organizing and design. People set up their homes for their best selves. And while that is admirable, it may not be who you actually are. For example, I won’t put my shoes away on a shoe rack. It’s just not my routine or my preferred method. But I will throw them in a basket by the door. Figuring out your organizing intuition is key in organizing your home for the long term. I also encourage sustainability in my business. I want clients to use what they already have. There’s no need to go out and buy 50 plastic bins to organize your pantry. There’s probably items around your house that can do the same thing without the excessive waste.
Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?
I’ve been on social media a long time and it’s been where I get most of my clients from, but it hasn’t been an easy journey. It took me years to get to the coveted 10K on Instagram. (That’s when you used to have to have 10K followers to link anything, which was super helpful as a business.) But once I stopped focusing on numbers, it became a lot easier. Most of my clients feel like they already know me from social media and they have a strong buy-in. Although I focus mainly on educational content, I also post some personal things, as well. It helps my audience remember that I’m a real person and not just a talking head on the Internet.
Additionally, it can be really easy to burn out on social media. There’s constant new features and even new platforms. My advice to those wanting to build an audience is to pick a platform (you don’t have to do them all!) and be as consistent as you can– even if it’s just posting quality content once a week.
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
I want people to know that you don’t have to have a lot of money or a big house to live a happy life. In fact, small spaces breed creativity and resilience.
Contact Info:
- Website: asmalllife.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/asmalllife
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@asmalllife