We recently connected with Melissa Bona and have shared our conversation below.
Melissa , appreciate you joining us today. Can you recount a story of an unexpected problem you’ve faced along the way?
One of the most unexpected issues came when I signed my first lease in November 2018. The goal was to launch the new store location in March 2019 in Baltimore City, MD. Everything was going according to plan and then we started to have leak in the space while under construction. This leak continued thru the whole entire process and would not go away no matter how many times the landlord fixed it. In July 2019 I was told that it would take more months to fix the issue as this was a building issue and had to be fixed by the city.
Just two days later I was told that a temporary space was available and by September 2019 I opened my first pop up in Towson, MD at the Shops at Kenilworth.
This whole situation made me realize that closed doors are ok, because some doors are not meant for you to walk thru.
Melissa , 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?
I started in Retail at 16 years old. I landed a job working for Nordstrom when I was 18 and during that time the company was growing and recognized as one of the top places to work. I was able to grow my career from a stylist/sales associate to Footwear Buyer. I was able to work in many different retail markets and had the opportunity to be exposed to some of the most talented people in the retail industry. After working for Nordstrom it gave me the credibility to work for a fast growing specialty boutique called South Moon Under. They had 12 store locations when I started with the company. I worked there for 10 years and held various positions in store, and was promoted to the home office and eventually worked my way up to Senior Buyer.
What set me apart from others is my ability to work hard, and not take no for an answer. When I would see opportunities that were lacking in the company I would step up and take on the challenge. I juggled multiple categories at a time and believe that everything I learned from both Nordstrom and South Moon Under gave me the skill set to not only curate the best product for my boutique but also remember that the customer service and how we treat them is the most important aspect
Mint + Major is a mix of beautiful curated product, in a boutique space that give exceptional customer service!
Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?
I built my social media audience very grass roots, by engaging with accounts and people that inspired me, by building actual quality relationships and authentic conversations when meeting people in person.
I did a lot of pop ups all over the Baltimore, MD area so that gave me a platform to engage in person.
I also did collaborations with other small businesses, and creatives that i felt aligned with my Brand to help expand my audience.
I spent almost 3 years sharing every aspect of the business and my life to really connect deeper with my customers.
What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?
I would like to think people feel that the brand in authentic and that we are not just trying to sell you something but that my team really cares about our customers, lives, events and everything that is important to them.
While I know we are not saving lives, we do get to be part of peoples special moments, from someones first home coming dress, engagement or bridal shower outfit, and sometimes even tough moments people go thru we can be there for them during that time as well.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.mintandmajor.com
- Instagram: @mintandmajor
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mintandmajor