Meet Melanie Flowers Tate | Owner, Tate’s Box

We had the good fortune of connecting with Melanie Flowers Tate and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Melanie, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
Hello, and thank you for the opportunity to share our brand.

The most important factor behind the success of the Tate’s Box brand is the fact that we are living the journey along side our customers and they are our extended sports family. We know there is a beginning, a middle, and an end.

I often say we are not a brand we are a sports family. As parents of four children (two who are currently playing High school and College Football) we have a shared experience with our customers.
The messages on the balls are exactly what Parents, Grandparents and Partners are looking for in a gift.

Families come to Tate’s Box at various stages of their athlete’s sports journey to create a sentimental gift that expresses how they feel.

Sports can take a family on an emotional ride and these personalized balls give them an opportunity to let the athletes and sports fans in their lives know just how amazing they truly are.

When a Basketball Mom or a Football Mom sends us her heartfelt message to create a personalized ball for her child – it touches us as well because we also lived pieces of their journey.

When a Professional Baseball Agent wants a bulk order of baseballs personalized with his logo and a welcome message for his newly signed baseball players, we celebrate. We see the journey of a kid who started in Little League Baseball finally fulfill his dreams of making it to Major League Baseball.

You see, every family has a story and every athlete has a dream. Tate’s Box is just playing our position by creating personalized balls for athletes and sports fans who are making their dreams come true.

What should our readers know about your business?
Tate’s Box is approaching its second year in business. In the beginning the focus was our brand and our story. As parents of athletes we wanted to create a special way for families to recognize the accomplishments of the athletes in their lives. Creating a ball inscribed with personal messages was perfect.

These past two years we found that the stories of our customers have changed what we thought about our brand. In fact, we no longer refer to ourselves as a “Brand”. We are a Sports Family. Our story takes a back seat. Now it’s all about families’ stories. The ones looking for a gift for their Son or Daughter playing their last High School or College game. The kid that didn’t make the team and Mom is looking for a way to lift his spirits. And I will never forget Trudy’s story:  A sweet Grandma with Stage 4 breast cancer.  One day I’ll be able to tell it, but for now I can’t seem to get it past the lump in my throat.

The idea isn’t to live forever, but to create something that will.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
We love to take friends out when they come to visit. Our first stop would be Caribbean Haven in Ventura for some good eatin’. Next, it’s on to Missy’s Cupcake Creations for the best cupcakes around. Some shopping at the Collection is a must. New stores are popping up all the time up and it will take half a day to visit them all. We love laughter so it’s on to Levity Live where some of the funniest comics from Kevin Hart to George Lopez have come to entertain.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There’s an African proverb that says if you want to go fast go alone. If you want to go far, go together.

For support, love, encouragement and daily laughter: I have to shoutout my Husband- Kevin, my children- Cierra, Kevin Jr., Devin, and Kennady.

For mentorship: I have to shoutout Tim S. Grover; Keynote speaker, Author and former trainer to Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant. His quote resonates with me.

“Greatness makes you a legend; being the best makes you an icon. If you want to be great, deliver the unexpected. If you want to be the best, deliver a miracle.”

Tim S. Grover

Website: Www.Tatesbox.com

Instagram: Www.Instagram.com/tatesbox

Facebook: Tate’s Box