Meet Melissa. She’s a Kannapolis resident and proud owner of Willow’s Handcrafted Collars. But it wasn’t all that long ago that Melissa was raising her three children and heading up their school PTOs, with zero expectation of ever owning her own business.
As her children got older, Melissa went back to her roots in education, becoming a long-term substitute teacher. In 2019, when her family’s beloved three dogs were advancing in age, they opened their hearts to a chocolate lab puppy they named Willow.
After shopping around to find Willow the perfect collar, Melissa felt frustrated. Nothing fit her personality or felt “girly” at all. She noted with a laugh that everywhere they took Willow, people assumed their short-haired lab was a boy.
Melissa decided to solve the problem and make Willow’s collars herself. She even added bows to some of them. As her family took Willow on adventures to local parks and breweries, people would constantly ask her where she bought her collars.
“They wanted to commission me to make theirs,” recalled Melissa “I’d laugh it off at first. I was not planning on making anyone else’s dog a collar.”
But, eventually this fun project gained traction, and friends and family began requesting their own custom collars. She started giving them as gifts but still didn’t see a business in her future.
One night, Melissa said to herself, “If I have this problem, and other people have this problem of not finding cute collars, let me just make a couple.”
In November 2019, Melissa took a leap of faith and participated in her first market at 26 Acres Brewery in Concord. With 52 collars in hand, she was met with an overwhelming response.
“I sold out completely,” she said with a smile. “It felt so good to see that people appreciated what I made.” This success marked the beginning of a transformative journey.
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Melissa’s life, like many others, was upended. Balancing substitute teaching with her growing business, she found solace in her sewing machine.
“Willow would sit by my side while I worked,” she explains. “She’s still my constant companion at markets. I always say I’m a co-owner with Willow.”
By the end of 2021, Melissa decided to commit to her business full-time. She established her LLC, launched a website, and began partnering with retail shops to sell her collars. You can find her in six retail shops in North Carolina, including The Palmetto Market in downtown Concord.
Another turning point came this past spring when Melissa participated in the Retail Lab program offered in partnership between the Flywheel Foundation and the Rowan-Cabarrus Small Business Center, with additional funding and support from Wells Fargo.
“The Retail Lab was an incredible experience,” Melissa said, reflecting on her time with the program. “I walked in feeling like a student on the first day of school, unsure and nervous.” Despite her initial doubts, Melissa found a supportive community eager to learn and grow.
One of the most significant moments for Melissa was her participation in the program’s pitch event for a microgrant. Initially hesitant, she was encouraged by Grant, the program manager.
“I wasn’t confident in my public speaking skills, but Grant helped me see that I could do it,” Melissa recalls. Her pitch not only boosted her confidence but also resulted in her receiving a grant that allowed her to purchase a much-needed embroidery machine.
“My old embroidery machine was rickety and unreliable,” she explains. “With the grant, I was able to invest in a new one, which has been a game-changer for my business. I can now more efficiently create personalized collars with embroidered names and phone numbers.”
Today, Willow’s Handcrafted Collars is a flourishing business. She laughs thinking about how hard she worked to bring 52 collars to her first ever market. Melissa now brings at least 500 collars to each event to meet demand.
“I love seeing the joy my products bring to my customers and their dogs,” she says with heartfelt enthusiasm. “That’s what keeps me going.”
Melissa’s success story is a testament to the power of perseverance and the impact of community resources like the Retail Lab and Small Business Center. She is looking forward to attending more workshops offered by the Small Business Center as well as pursuing business mentorship in 2025. Melissa’s story is a beautiful example that anyone with any background can create and grow something brand new with the right attitude and support.
To follow Melissa’s journey, discover where you can meet Willow (and Melissa) at a market, or purchase a collar for your own furry friend, visit Willow’s Handcrafted Collars on Instagram (@willowscollars) and their website at willowscollars.com.
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