We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Meranda Crosby a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Meranda thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – walk us through the story?

I’d say my entire business was founded on a risk. Fresh into my twenties, I was living in California with a great job at a highly respected company. I had health benefits, a consistent income, opportunities for career advancement, and an amazing group of friends. Despite all this stability, a part of me felt deeply unsettled.

Since childhood, I always dreamed of working in the bridal industry and making that “yes to the dress” moment even more special. However, I along with many people in my life discouraged me from pursuing it. I would get told things such as: “Owning a business is hard and isn’t worth the trouble,” or “Bridal is a horrible industry, and you’ll never make a living from it.”

After two years, that dream was continually moving from the back of my mind to the forefront. I reached a point where I had to make a choice. Should I stay in my comfortable job with my comfortable life, always wondering what could have been? Or should I quit that cushy job, move back to my hometown, deplete my savings account, and move back in with my parents to launch my own wedding dress design business?

I chose the latter. Almost six years later, I’ve helped dozens of brides find and create their dream dresses. Building on that, this year I even launched a second business: a vendor collective where artists and makers can start their ventures and find support and community among them. The last six years have been anything but easy—I’ve grown and learned countless lessons along the way. I’m still developing, but I’m deeply glad I took that chance, stepped out of the “norm,” and followed my passion.

Meranda, 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?

I’m Meranda, owner of Herstory of Bridal and Design and The Shoppe at Hillcrest. Growing up, I always had a deep fascination with fashion, especially wedding dresses. I was obsessed with the famous TLC show, Say Yes to the Dress, and let’s just say my Barbies were always outfitted in the latest “Meranda fashion.”

My passion for design led me to move away from my hometown of Reno, Nevada, to study at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising (FIDM) in Los Angeles. Upon graduating, I combined two of my favorite things Disney and design by working in the costuming department at Disneyland. After a few years, however, I realized my love for bridal and my connection to my hometown had never faded. This realization prompted me to leave Disney and fully pursue my dream with Herstory Bridal and Design.

Herstory Bridal and Design was born from my lifelong enjoyment of history and storytelling, and a desire to weave that narrative into the designing process. I believe every bride and every dress has a unique story, and my goal is to share that story.

This might involve redesigning a vintage gown, creating something new out of something old and passing along a piece of “herstory”, or it could be designing a custom gown from the ground up. In either case, I look to honor every dress and bride that comes through my doors; every bride is one-of-a-kind, and her dress should be a true reflection of that.

After growing Herstory for the past six years, I wanted to create something that could also help lift up other creatives. That vision led to The Shoppe at Hillcrest.

My goal was to build a dedicated space here in Reno where makers, artists, and dreamers could truly come together—not just to sell their work, but to support one another, grow collaboratively, and share their talents with the community.

At the Shoppe, we curate a wide variety of locally made treasures from custom gifts and art to florals, vintage clothing, and home decor. But beyond the products, we offer workshops, host events, and strive to make everyone feel welcome and inspired. As a woman- and minority-owned business, creating an inclusive space where diversity and creativity can thrive means everything to me.

We’d love to hear about how you met your business partner.

I met my unofficial business partner, Debi, when I was just eight years old. I call her ‘unofficial’ because we technically own our own individual businesses, but we work very closely together. Debi was, and remains, a close friend of my mom’s. I grew up playing with her sons, and she has been present for almost every major milestone in my life.

When I moved back to Reno to start Herstory, Debi was simultaneously growing her own endeavor from a hobby into a full-fledged business. Recognizing that we were both stepping into something new and unfamiliar, she immediately took me under her wing. She has provided endless support and encouragement throughout the years. We’ve learned countless valuable lessons together while navigating the ups and downs of growing our businesses. I truly cannot express how thankful I am to have her guidance and friendship in my life.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

One of the biggest lessons I’ve had to unlearn is the idea that you have to be available for everything and everyone 24/7. We’re constantly taught that every opportunity is a potential missed opportunity, and that success requires working as hard and as much as humanly possible.

I’ve looked around and seen many professionals who follow this mindset: they might be doing great professionally, but they’re often struggling personally. From the very beginning of starting my business, I was determined not to lose myself in my work. That meant creating a necessary separation between my personal and professional life and intentionally making time for friends, family, and the things that truly matter. While it’s been challenging some days, I’ve learned that it’s okay to turn off my phone, step away from the business, and simply be present in the moment.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.herstorybridalanddesign.com/ , https://sites.google.com/theshoppeathillcrest.com/the-shoppe-at-hillcrest?usp=sharing
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/herstorybandd/?hl=en , https://www.instagram.com/theshoppeathillcrest/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/herstorybandd/ , https://www.facebook.com/p/The-Shoppe-at-Hillcrest-61571143618700/
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/herstory-bridal-and-design-reno , https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-shoppe-reno

Image Credits

black and white photo by JARED EMERSON PHOTO