We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Melissa Clement a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Melissa, thanks for joining us today. Risking taking is a huge part of most people’s story but too often society overlooks those risks and only focuses on where you are today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – it could be a big risk or a small one – but walk us through the backstory.
Here’s a fun fact about me – I’m NOT a risk taker! I put my seatbelt on before I start my car, I rarely speed, and never snuck out as a teenager….it’s just not who I am. That being said, I risked EVERYTHING starting my business and even more when I expanded it and moved during the pandemic.
I was a corporate event planner for over 25 years. I put on events mostly in the high tech industry, traveled the world, and had a blast making my clients look great. During those years I was introduced to amazing food and wine and realized quickly that I had an insane passion for eating AND cooking. After my 3rd son was born I was laid off for a bit and we relocated to the East Coast where I walked into a small local market with a cute cafe in the back, and knew that THAT was what I was supposed to do with the rest of my life.
Fast forward more than 10 years, I moved back to SoCal, got divorced, got remarried, moved to Colorado and lost my job right before the Holidays. I drove straight to a local marketplace, The Emporium, and asked if they had space for me to sell locally made food products and in 6 weeks I was open.
Every year since then, I have moved and expanded, even in the middle of the pandemic, but it’s all been in an effort to grow, to continue to provide more great locally made products to my community, and to get to where I am today – opening a shop in a great new space and adding a liquor store.
Melissa, 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?
At Farmgirl, I provide a really wide selection of locally made food and gift products, and will soon offer beer, wine & spirits.
We carry meat, cheese, dairy, eggs, a small selection of produce, along with preserves, crackers, sauces, soups, oils, and seasonings. We also offer a selection of locally handcrafted gifts and other items such as candles, wood engravings, linens, and bath & body products. I also offer cooking classes, wine and liquor tastings/pairings, catering and event planning services.
Where we are different is in our local focus. Almost 90% of our products are made in Colorado, many here in Douglas County, and most by other female entrepreneurs. I work very hard to find creative, great quality items to sell and everyone knows that I try EVERYTHING before selling anything, and “if I’m not willing to eat it or use it or give it to my family, I won’t sell it”.
I also really take pride in getting to know the makers of my products. I love hearing how and why they do what they do and it makes me even more inspired to share their stories, support them, and see them grow as business owners.
Have you ever had to pivot?
The pandemic was a huge learning experience for me. Before the shut-down, I only really sold in-store and a small bit online. When the shut-down happened I knew I had to pivot or my business would not survive. I knew that there were things that people couldn’t get in the grocery stores and I was committed to finding them and making them available to my customers.
Because I was a retail food store, I was able to stay open, so I started making daily (sometimes twice!) trips to Restaurant Depot. I loaded up on giant cuts of meat that I cut down into smaller, family-sized portions, and vacuum sealed them. I brought huge bags of produce that we repackaged, andI was able to get yeast and flour for everyone who decided to start baking their own bread.
We started offering free local deliveries, curbside pick-up, and a more robust online store. Our phone rang so much that we could barely call everyone back somedays, and my two younger sons and I were making multiple trips a day all around Castle Rock doing deliveries.
During the shut-down our sales grew from $8000 a month to $2000 a DAY! My customers learned that I was not going to abandon them and that they could always count on me to get what they needed.
Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?
I think there are a couple of things that have really helped me build my reputation with my customers. First, I truly LOVE what I do. People come into the shop every day and say it ‘feels’ good, that the shop has a great vibe, and that they can tell I am really happy doing what I do. I also feel that the quality and selection of products that I carry have been key. I offer things that are for diet/allergy-specific eaters, nothing with a bunch of artificial ingredients, and things that are really made with the same love that I have for food. I really try to address the needs of my community, whether it’s adding more vegan items or finding a new chocolate, but I also am very passionate about supporting other small businesses and putting their products on my shelve to help them grow and launch their own successful journeys.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.farmgirlfoods.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/farmgirlfoods/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/farmgirlfoodscolorado
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/farmgirl-food-wine-and-spirits-castle-rock