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Melanie Moss: Simple, Nostalgic Desserts Cloaked in Beautiful, Bold Exteriors

“I grew up baking with my grandma, often trying on her jewelry in between popping a cake in the oven. Just like her recipes, each of my grandmother’s jewels had a story behind them that she shared with me during those precious moments we spent together in the kitchen.”

96Victoria Flexner
By Victoria Flexner

This story is part of our 1,000 stories campaign. What’s your story?

Name: Melanie Moss

Business: Mini Melanie, online dessert and sweet shop

Industry: Food & Beverage 

Location: New York, New York, U.S.

Reason for starting: I have been baking since I was a child, and after attending culinary school in New York, training in pastry in Paris, and working in some of New York’s Michelin-starred restaurants, I knew I wanted to open my own business and bake on my own terms. I grew up baking with my grandma, often trying on her jewelry in between popping a cake in the oven. Just like her recipes, each of my grandmother’s jewels had a story behind them that she shared with me during those precious moments we spent together in the kitchen.

Related: Read about another food and beverage entrepreneur here. 

How do you define success? Success is creating a beautiful, stand-out product that provides an unforgettable experience for our customers. Nothing is more successful than the responses we receive from our clients. Also success is creating desserts that stand out amidst the pastry scene in New York City. Success is managing a great team, while keeping them all happy and our kitchen culture in high spirits, thus giving back to our community.

What is your top challenge and how have you addressed it? My top challenge is the fact that I’ve bootstrapped my business and chosen to not take on investors. We started to get repeat clients from day one and now are fortunate to have hundreds of happy customers. This puts a heavy workload on our dedicated, wee team of two! Now my biggest challenge is time! Every day is packed with fun challenges.

Related: Get a Life: Expert Tips for Work and Life

Who is your most important role model? My sister. She recently had a stroke at the age of 36 and went back to her full-time job at HBO right away. Plus, she is a huge supporter of my business!

[box_light]Website   www.minimelanie.com
Twitter   https://twitter.com/minimelanienyc
Facebook   https://www.facebook.com/miniandmelanie
Tumblr   http://minimelanienyc.tumblr.com/
Pinterest   https://www.pinterest.com/minimelanienyc/
Instagram   https://instagram.com/minimelanienyc/[/box_light]

Tell us your story!
Read about another Food & Beverage entrepreneur here.

Edited by The Story Exchange