We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Melanie Lewis. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Melanie below.

Melanie, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

I started Mello Moms, a CBD Bath, Body, and Skincare company in the midst of the pandemic, a little over a year ago. The idea for my company, and the mission behind it, which is to make high quality self-care products to help improve mental health and physical wellness, grew out of my own health struggles, As the mother of two young boys, I struggled with undiagnosed postpartum depression after both births. Balancing the everyday stressors of being a new mom, with the changing family dynamics, in addition to never feeling quite like myself, no matter how hard I tried to tell myself I was okay, finally pushed me to a point where I knew I had to make some changes in my life to find myself again. On my wellness journey to rediscover my health and happiness, I found CBD to be an amazing part of my healing. Realizing how beneficial this natural alternative can be, and having found a renewed appreciation for self-care as an essential expression of self-love, I wanted to share my newfound passion with others on their own wellness journeys. And so Mello Moms and it’s mission were born.

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?

My path to the CBD industry was not a direct one. After grad school, I originally planned on becoming a teacher, but found myself ending up in the Marketing space. I eventually became Director of Client Services for a boutique Digital Marketing agency, but after years of grinding hard, my work-life balance was seriously out of wack, and I was burned out. I was newly married and trying to start a family, so I chose to pursue freelance writing for a few years because of the flexibility it offered me to be a work-at-home mom.

I have always loved crafting and creating things, and baking and experimenting with new recipes in the kitchen was a particular passion. When I realized that I had suffered from postpartum depression following both of my pregnancies, I went on the search for natural products that could help me feel better. CBD ended up being an essential part of my healing, but I struggled to find a company that spoke directly to me and my needs, since it has historically been a very male dominated industry, and many of its products/branding/marketing reflect that. Therefore, I simply knew that I wanted to create high-quality CBD products that were affordable and easily accessible to anyone ready to embrace or improve their self-care routine, with fun, naturally beneficial products.

Piggybacking on my love for making things and tinkering with recipes, I launched Mello Moms making CBD-infused bath bombs. From that one product line, over the past year, I have expanded Mello Moms into a full CBD Bath, Body, and Skincare company with a number of product lines, including body butters, pain balms, body oils, lip butters, body scrubs, gummies, pre-rolls, bath soaks, and, of course, bath bombs. I am so proud of the fact that today I am able to offer my customers a wide variety of CBD products that go beyond some of the standard items on the market, which have become an essential part of their self-care routines, and can evoke real positive change in their lives.

Can you open up about how you funded your business?

Funding is such a pain point for anyone in the CBD industry, because even though the 2018 Farm Bill was signed into law, removing hemp (Cannabis sati a L.) with no more than 0.3 percent THC from the definition of marijuana in the CSA (Controlled Substances Act), receiving funding through outside capital, or even securing something as simple as a bank account for your business, can be challenging.

I was lucky enough to have some personal savings that I could tap into to start Mello Moms, but, as is often the case with first time business owners, I had no idea of the scale these initial costs would have. And though it wasn’t an easy first year starting my business 100% self-funded, I am grateful at this point to have no debts and maintain full ownership of my company.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

Working a demanding job in the marketing industry that left me stressed, unhappy, and emotionally exhausted, I knew I had to make a career change. Disregarding all common sense, I forwent taking on another position in the corporate world, and instead vowed to never work for anyone but myself again.

I knew this decision would lead to tightening the purse strings for a while, but it was ultimately the best decision I ever made. Embracing that pivot brought me to the current point in my professional career, the owner of my own company. Today, I enjoy both the responsibility that comes with owning my own business, and the flexibility of being my own boss.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.mellomoms.com
• Instagram: @mello_moms

Image Credits
Mello Moms