Let’s be real: Honey & Fetch didn’t come from some grand vision board moment. It was my grief project. A survival move, dressed up in candles, cards, and clever little gifts. I was knee-deep in loss and needed to find my way out of it, but I didn't have the answers—so I journaled and set 3 goals a day (1. Get of of bed, 2. Take a shower, 3, Eat something green, make a mocktail, and write). Ok, that was 5 goals, #3 was really a nightly ritual of self-care and making a mocktail (or cocktail some nights), lighting a candle, shuffling playing cards as I would think through my life, and journaled to find clarity.
Until this point I thought I had it all figured out, here’s the vibe at the time:
✔️ Single mom status—check.
✔️ Ex-Trauma nurse/turned Healthcare Ops leader/all the things—check.
✔️ MBA in hand (because obviously).
✔️ Climbing the corporate ladder because that’s what “success” was supposed to look like.
And then my dad died—a year after I finished my MBA—and suddenly, climbing wasn’t what I was reaching for anymore. Honestly, I did't know what the hell I (the real me) wanted. I realized I build a career from neccessity and expectation, not aligned with who I am authenticaly. Connection was what was missing, connection to myself and who I was before 'she' was drowned out. At this point, my career feels like just one chapter. I entered it—and plan to exit it—scrutinizing the system of care. But despite my best efforts, I see little proof that my contributions have shaped it into something truly sustainable at scale. That’s what I set out to do from the start: to prevent and treat what ails us, realizing the answers really are found by living Blue).
Back to my story (apollogies, the 'accidental nurse' still lingers)...
The turning point? I continued this nightly ritual—unwinding with my journal in one hand (and a mocktail nearby), writing my way through the fog, I made myself a promise: every Saturday, no matter what, I’d dedicate 4 solid hours to figuring out my next step. No more waiting for clarity to magically show up—I was going to work for it.
That quiet commitment became my lifeline. Little by little, week by week, things started to shift. And once I got a taste of building something that brought me actual joy? There was no going back, I have consistently tried to grow this 'it' month after month, year after year.
Before this point I realized, I was trying to keep everyone else alive but slowly suffocating myself and my own joy. Honey & Fetch became my way out of that stuck place. Late-night candle-making sessions, scribbling sarcastic greeting cards (later I would call XOXO Greetings), building something just for me. It felt good—until it didn’t. Because here’s the thing: grief is supposed to move through you. It’s not supposed to set up camp forever.
The ah-ha moment, 'Life is a gift and it should be celebrated'—now Honey & Fetch had an identity—a gift shop and I was learning a lot about retail and running a businesss in a new arena—and slowly climbing out of sorrow.
Hive Craft Cocktails came next—my “I’m not just surviving anymore, I’m freaking THRIVING” move (the mantra to get me out of bed, I still wasn't there—but I had a vision to gradutate from grief and started shifting my thoughts to gratitude from lack and I was rolling out of bed faster).
My habits changed, my mind started shifting, my purpose started igniting, my connections started to grow, happiness started entering back into my life like a light behind a crack of a door I was opening. I started really living again, connecting, making new friends and connections, found a new job with a boss I respect (shout out to Clint). Life was on the upswing, and I was trying to experience as much as I could, as fast as I could. Hello Carl Allen, it wasn't Yes, Man it was 'Oh yes, Honey' my spirit alive again! (Melissa means Honeybee in Greek—I should have mentioned that earlier to explan the all things 'bee themed me project'—as concided as it sounds—the HIVE is about connecting with you!).
Hive wasn’t born out of grief—it was born out of joy, fun, and a slightly questionable love for experimenting in my kitchen (dehydrated fruit + alcohol = what could go wrong? Ah, not much if you balance it between mocktails). What started as a playful idea—“hey, wouldn’t these make cute gifts?”—turned into a full-blown celebration of life (I'll tell you about the funeral home reno next time).
Hive is where my left brain and right brain finally called a truce. Business savvy meets wild creativity. Data meets design. It’s proof you can be a boss AND a bit of a badass creative, all at once. It's also true my little ritual, ignited my inner Boss B*tch and I know it will work for you too!
So here I am now: still leading, still building—but on my terms. Still working the corporate game (for now), but making space to actually enjoy what I’m creating. No more chasing titles, no more climbing ladders. Just me, making 'pour decisions perfected' on purpose—and loving every second.
If you’re stuck? I see you. I was you. But trust me—sometimes, that stuck feeling is just the plot twist you need to build something way better than you imagined. And hey, if it comes with a killer cocktail kit? Even better.
Get Buzzed! is one of my company taglines for it's nod to alcohol—but it's also my inner-bee wisdom...in life you can sting or get stung—or just keep buzzing along (I'm working on this, it's not perfect, my point here... 'get buzzed' = get moving!). Oh yes, Honey!
Cheers to the next chapter—messy, magical, and totally worth it. 🥂