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

Hi Melissa, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
Straight out of school I had no clear direction on what I wanted to do for my career, but I kept coming back to business. I had always played “store” as a kid and knew I wanted to open a shop someday. It wasn’t until I was married and had my son that I actually acted on it. The thing that really gave me the confidence that it was the right time to get started was TikTok. I had a passion for creativity so I put my skills to use designing stickers, stationery, drinkware, and apparel. That’s how 3 Mile Lane Co was born.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My art was suppressed for the longest time. I was working a traditional day job, which I actually liked quite a bit but I knew it just wasn’t fulfilling my creative side. I had side jobs that helped a little, but I wasn’t truly happy.

My son was born just before the pandemic started. Shortly after that my husband lost his job and we moved in with family. Then I found out I had to have a minor surgery. And while all of these life changes happened in such a short amount of time, I fell into a depression. It wasn’t until after my first panic attack while driving to the post office on my lunch break that I knew I needed to make a change.

That’s when 3 Mile Lane Co was really born. I saw so many others creating the life of their dreams through posting their art that it inspired me to do the same. I started drawing on my iPad, and then bought a Cricut to start making stickers. I went viral on TikTok over the 4th of July weekend and knew I had found the creative outlet that I was craving.

In October 2020 I put in my resignation at work and pursued my dream full time. I sold my art online, expanded my products, and then started selling at local farmer’s markets and then wholesale. The most valuable thing I learned through all of it was to just go for it. Don’t wait. Don’t be afraid. Go for it!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I am a born and raised Oregonian, but my husband and I recently moved to Kansas for his work. Being new to the area myself, I would definitely want to take advantage of the more “tourist-y” activities. I would take my friend to all the attractions I’ve been told to visit.

We would head to the Topeka Zoo and Children’s Discovery Center on day one. We would hang out at Gage park and then get ice cream afterwards at Coldstone Creamery.

The next day we would probably take a trip out to Ikea near Kansas City and daydream about the furniture I would put in my warehouse office.

A trip to Branson, Missouri would definitely be in order to check out the amusement park rides at Silver Dollar City and the Titanic Museum.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There are so many wonderful people that have made a huge impact on my life through supporting me and my business goals. I have met amazing fellow business owners and friends, like Claire Rehmke of Musically Minted. She has been a great friend and one of my biggest clients for some coaching and web services that I offer. We love to bounce ideas off each other and have even started a Podcast together so we can talk shop with like-minded people.

When I first started I had no idea how accepted my art would be. I quickly found a great group of people on TikTok that cheered me on from the very start. My friend Skylar was my first customer and really helped me get my TikTok jump started by placing a custom order that I could record and share on social media.

Early in my business journey one of my best customers, Pooja, became one of my really good friends. She offered her endless support and cheering on every single social media post and video. We became such good friends in fact that I ended up hiring her to help me with some of my business tasks.

Without a doubt, if these three hadn’t been in my life my business would be drastically different, and potentially non-existent today.

Website: https://3milelaneco.com

Instagram: instagram.com/3milelaneco

Facebook: facebook.com/3milelaneco

Youtube: youtube.com/3milelaneco

Other: TikTok: tiktok.com/3milelaneco

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