Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Melinda Riego De Dios. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Melinda, appreciate you joining us today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – walk us through the story?
From Corporate to Carpentry …
In January 2024, I learned I’d be laid off from my corporate role, with my last day landing on June 30th. After 25 years in customer-facing roles, it was the first time I’d faced a layoff—and instead of seeing it as a setback, I embraced it as an opportunity.
With the support of my partner, I leaned into something that had always sparked joy: being creative and working with my hands. I enrolled in adult education carpentry courses to test the waters, and it quickly became clear—this is where I’m meant to be.
By early 2025, I launched Handy-Mel—a female-owned and operated handy-person business offering home repairs, maintenance, improvements, and custom design work. What started as a bold shift has turned into a fulfilling new chapter.
Handy-Mel focuses on supporting seniors, persons with disabilities, women (single, widowed, or champions of women), and the LGBTQIA+ community—but we welcome everyone.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
My late father was a talented artist. As a child, I would often ask him to draw random superheroes I had seen—one I vividly remember was the Incredible Hulk. I was always amazed at how quickly and effortlessly he could recreate what I described. Watching him was inspiring and sparked something in me at a young age. I realized that I, too, loved to draw. Anytime I saw a cartoon character, an animal, or an interesting object, I wanted to sketch it. My friends and teachers were consistently impressed with my work, which further fueled my passion.
It wasn’t until high school that I had the opportunity to formally take art classes. Whether it was pottery or drawing, I thrived in spaces where I could express my creativity. I continued taking art classes in college, but ultimately chose what felt like a “safe” major. At the time, I didn’t realize there were so many ways I could build a career around creativity.
As a first-generation college graduate, I entered the corporate world, primarily working with start-up companies. Those 25 years were invaluable. I learned how to wear many hats—managing people, overseeing budgets, building processes, and solving complex problems. My roles were always customer-facing, which I genuinely enjoyed. Over time, I recognized my strengths: I’m highly process-driven, efficient, creative, and determined to find thoughtful, outside-the-box solutions.
Later in life, I began reconnecting with my creative side. After decades of helping build other businesses—creating project plans, budgets, and operating procedures—I experienced a massive layoff. Instead of seeing it as a setback, I viewed it as an opportunity. I decided to turn what had long been a passion and hobby into my next chapter.
To ensure I was moving in the right direction, I enrolled in an adult education carpentry class. It didn’t take long for me to feel completely at ease. Much of it felt second nature, which confirmed I was exactly where I was meant to be. That experience solidified my decision to launch a female-owned and operated handy-person business.
Handy-Mel was launched in early 2025 with a clear mission: while I welcome all clients, I intentionally aim to serve seniors, women, and the LGBTQIA+ community—individuals who may especially value feeling safe, respected, and heard in their own homes. Everyone deserves that.
What brings me the most joy is meeting new people, providing practical solutions, executing those solutions with care, and seeing the relief and happiness on my clients’ faces. Having been on the receiving end of home services myself, I know what sets me apart is not just listening—but truly hearing my clients’ needs. I pride myself on being present, responsive, communicative, and thorough from start to finish on every project.
This path beautifully blends my creativity, business experience, and passion for helping others—and I finally feel aligned with the work I was meant to do.
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
One of the most defining pivots in my life happened after I experienced a massive layoff following 25 years in the corporate world. I had spent decades helping build start-ups—creating processes, managing teams, overseeing budgets, and solving operational challenges. I was good at it, and it was stable. But when the layoff happened, I had a choice: find another similar role, or finally explore the creative path I had quietly put on hold for years.
Instead of viewing the layoff as a setback, I reframed it as an opportunity. For a long time, hands-on work and building had been a passion and hobby of mine. I’ve always been creative and process-driven, and I enjoyed solving tangible problems. So I decided to test whether this interest could become something more.
I enrolled in an adult education carpentry class to validate whether launching a female-owned handy-person business was truly the direction I wanted to pursue. Very quickly, I felt at home. The work felt natural. The combination of technical skill, creativity, and problem-solving energized me in a way corporate work no longer did. That clarity gave me the confidence to fully pivot.
Launching Handy-Mel in early 2025 wasn’t just a career change — it was an identity shift. I moved from building other people’s companies to building my own. I applied everything I had learned over 25 years — process development, budgeting, customer service, communication — and blended it with my creativity and craftsmanship.
The pivot taught me resilience, self-trust, and the importance of aligning work with purpose. It also reinforced that sometimes what feels like disruption is actually redirection.
What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?
The most effective strategy for growing my clientele has been building trust and delivering an exceptional client experience from start to finish.
Because I work in people’s homes, trust is everything. From the first inquiry, I focus on being responsive, clear, and communicative. I take the time to truly listen—not just to the project details, but to what the client is hoping to feel when the job is done. That level of attention builds confidence early on.
Word-of-mouth referrals have been my biggest driver of growth. When clients feel heard, respected, and well taken care of, they naturally share their experience with friends, neighbors, and family. Especially within the communities I aim to serve—seniors, women, and the LGBTQIA+ community—reputation and personal referrals carry a lot of weight.
I’ve also been intentional about aligning my brand with my values. Being a female-owned handy-person business immediately differentiates me in a traditionally male-dominated industry. That clarity around who I am and who I serve has attracted the right clients—people who value professionalism, communication, and feeling safe in their homes.
Lastly, I apply the operational discipline I learned in my 25 years in corporate roles. I run my business with strong processes—clear estimates, organized scheduling, and consistent follow-through. Clients appreciate reliability, and that consistency has turned one-time jobs into repeat business.
At the end of the day, growth hasn’t come from aggressive marketing—it’s come from delivering quality work, being dependable, and creating an experience people want to recommend.
Contact Info:
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HandyMelNS
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melinda-riegodedios/
- Twitter: @handymelnorthshore
- Other: handymelnorthshore@gmail.com
