Meet Melissa Carpenter: Concept Designer & Retail Store Owner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Melissa Carpenter and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Melissa, what do you think makes you most happy? Why?
Creating the perfect experience makes me happy. Changing someone’s day (for the better), inspiring someone…giving someone a moment to stop and enjoy a nice moment for themselves is awesome to me.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Creating The Hangout store has been somewhat of a fuzzy dream. Going from corporate to running a small business is no joke. The learning curve was intense, but I got to where I am by being dedicated to the concept for the store. It wasn’t easy to hold onto my ideas at times. All kinds of comments and advice come at you when you’re starting something new and sticking to your guns is everything. The ideas that come to fruition are from my heart and soul… I don’t do things just to do them. I believe this creative passion is what sets the store apart from other retail stores. We are building an experience.

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.
First, we’d have lunch in The Hangout’s back garden from La Tarantella, the neighboring Italian spot. Grabbing a coffee and strolling 4th St. would follow for the rest of the day to hit up some of our favorite local spots.  6th and Detroit, Burke Mercantile, and Peacock & Co. would be our focus. After that, we would head to my buddy’s bar, The Grasshopper, for a drink.

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?
Along my path I have had the honor to work along great dedicated people of all sorts. My incredible team that I work with now at the retail store are family. Everyday I enjoy being around them and learning from them. Thry bring so much to the business and to me personally. We learn from each other and inspire each other.

Website: www.shopthehangout.com

Instagram: @_thehangout

Image Credits
Christel Robleto