We were lucky to catch up with Melissa Rodriguez recently and have shared our conversation below.

Melissa, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

Our small business is driven by a deeply personal mission: every purchase helps support our youngest son, Kai, in his journey with cerebral palsy and epilepsy. Kai was diagnosed with epilepsy at just two weeks old, and by the age of one, he underwent a partial hemispherectomy in hopes of stopping his seizures. While the surgery succeeded in reducing his seizures, it left him with a weakened left side, requiring ongoing physical and occupational therapy, as well as regular medical appointments. We live in a small valley where specialized therapy options for children with special needs are limited, so we make frequent two-hour drives to the nearest children’s hospital for his care. Every penny of profit from our shop directly supports Kai’s medical appointments, therapies, and any equipment or sensory items he needs as he grows. This mission is incredibly meaningful to me, as it’s not just about running a business—it’s about ensuring Kai has the resources he needs to thrive.

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?

Hello! I’m Melissa, a 30-year-old mom of two boys from a small town, and the founder of The Truly Homemade Shop. My love for crafting has been with me since childhood—some of my earliest memories are of making crafts at our community center after school. Crafting has always been a part of my life, and it’s what led me to start my business.

I began making macrame shortly after my youngest son was born. During a time when everything felt a little out of place, macrame became my therapeutic escape—and it still is today. About a year ago, we ventured into candle making, inspired by my oldest son, who wanted to try it. What began as a fun experiment quickly became a cherished family activity, a time to relax, unwind, and focus on creating beautiful candles together.

At Truly Homemade, we offer a variety of handmade products. Our macrame items—crafted with recycled cotton cord—include everything from wristlets, keychains, and car charms to coasters and wall hangings. We also make non-toxic soy wax candles in beautiful, unique scents. More recently, we’ve expanded to include room sprays and diffusers. Additionally, we create custom engraved keychains, bookmarks, signs, earrings, and other accessories.

Each item we make is crafted with care and quality materials, and when you purchase from a small business like ours, we truly appreciate your support—it really makes our day.

I’m so proud of how far Truly Homemade has come. It’s incredibly rewarding to see my products being used around town and recognized for their craftsmanship. Every time a customer chooses our shop for a gift, I feel honored. Truly Homemade is more than just a business to me—it’s a reflection of my love for creating, my family’s involvement, and the community we cherish.

What else should we know about how you took your side hustle and scaled it up into what it is today?

While our small business hasn’t yet become a full-time career, my hope is that one day it will. In addition to running Truly Homemade, I work part-time at an elementary school, providing extra support to students with special needs. I truly love my job, but my ultimate goal for Truly Homemade is to grow it into a full-time career. That way, I can stay home, manage my own schedule, be my own boss, and focus more on my son Kai—providing him with the additional support and care he needs.

How’d you think through whether to sell directly on your own site or through a platform like Amazon, Etsy, Cratejoy, etc.

We sell our products through our own website, powered by Square, which we’ve tailored specifically to our brand. On our site, you’ll find all of our items available for shipping, local pickup, or local delivery. You can also check out our market events for in-person shopping and discover the stores that carry our products. While we do have a limited selection of items available on Etsy, our main goal there is to direct customers to shop on our website. Etsy helps us reach new customers, but by shopping on our site, we avoid the fees that Etsy charges, ensuring that more of your support goes directly to our small business.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.trulyhomemadeshop.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trulyhome_made?igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==