Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Michelle Holt. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Michelle, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

For the last few years I have been building a custom home while working full time at the college where I got my business undergrad and graduate degrees. While in school I wrote countless business plans. This forced me into really deciding what it was I wanted to do after graduation.

Opening a store was a way for me to fulfill my life calling, which is helping people create the life they want to be living.

I have always been passionate about home and interiors. Although I am not a designer, I wanted a platform to inspire people to decorate their own spaces, to add items that elevate their living circumstances and to feel proud of where they live.

Specifically, I wanted to help those becoming empty nesters to really reclaim their homes, to give themselves permission to upgrade and invest in things that last.

I love art and really respect artists, so giving them another place to showcase their work is a joy for me. My idea to curate collections of original art, handmade florals, luxury textiles, and vintage pieces felt to me like a store with one of a kind goods. Things you don’t really see other places. I’ve also included smaller add on items -to bring the price point down for expert shoppers and gift givers.

Michelle, 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?

Sonja is actually my first given name, and Solbakken is the surname of my great grandmother. Soul-bah-kin is a place in Norway that means “Sun Hill. When I was a teenager, I would write stories about falling in love with a man named Ben and building a cabin in the mountains and calling the property “Solbakken”. Not much about my life now matches the stories I wrote then but the dreams linger. Building a home with a view of a sunny mountain and with a man named John is close enough.

Sonja Solbakken is a Scandinavian wonder woman. She is courageous and wise. She can do all the things in a day without getting weary. She is just and loves perfectly. She is organized and hosts great parties with great music and good food. She loves home and is fiercely loyal. She loves oil paintings, flowers, clean sheets, baking, and gives the best gifts!

Sonja is all of the best parts of my mothers, aunts, grandmothers, and daughters combined! She is the ideal woman.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

After I wrote my business plan, and as I was getting started, I asked a friend to join me in doing the social media part. We became partners but we did not communicate well and she ending up backing out. Our friendship was compromised and I launched on my own. It was a lot of work and the loss of the friendship put me into a deep depression. It would have been easy for me to shut down but instead I got the help I needed and waded through the hard time until it got better.

Starting a business alone is scary and lonely but unless you are coming up with an idea together and unless both of you are 100% committed to seeing it though no matter what, then going it alone is the only way.

It makes sense why most businesses fail after they launch because there is so much insecurity and fear if things don’t go exactly right, And things never go exactly right. It’s hard to be consistent and it’s hard to see the forest through the trees. When you are in the thick of it it’s hard to see what is best for the company.

It’s so important to have intention and to do the work of writing your mission, vision, and values up front. It’s also a good idea to have a solid brand story and stay true to that. You’ve got to know your why and what value you are adding to peoples lives or you will not resonate with your audience. It’s also super important to have a marketing strategy.

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

We are all in the people business. Nourishing relationships every week is the best way to grow clientele. Whether it’s on social, in person, phone calling, writing emails, or sending thank you notes, I find ways to connect each week. I make sure that I direct message each follow on Instagram with a thank you, I take a gift each time I visit an artist studio, I text at least five friends a week to check in on them, and I try to follow up on orders to make sure my customer is happy with their purchase.

Contact Info:

• Website: ssathome.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sonjasolbakkenathome/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SonjaSolbakkenatHome
• Other: https://www.pinterest.com/sonjasolbakkenathome/

Image Credits
Michelle Holt