Today we’d like to introduce you to Michelle M. Sharp.
Hi Michelle, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I started to write Meet the Minnesota Makers as a newspaper column in April 2021. I wanted to support local small businesses beyond our family’s purchasing power. In 2022, I started writing features about local makers, growers, and food producers for publication on my website and social media pages.
I’ve always loved shopping at farmers market, visiting art fairs, and getting to know independent coffee shops. Meet the Minnesota Makers allows me to celebrate local talent as my job!
Writing about artists, artisans, authors, local farms, local food producers and area change makers is the best job in the world. I get to connect with people about their passions. There is so much positive energy in the small business community.
I discovered that there is a need for professional copywriting and editing services that are accessible to small business owners. I work with small business owners to develop content for their websites, create unique product descriptions, and plan social media content to engage both current and potential customers.
Today, Meet the Minnesota Makers is a resource for small business makers to connect and for potential customers to find creative local makers and growers. With my research and professional writing experience, Meet the Minnesota Makers is a resource for small business owners to tell their own stories in the strongest way possible.
I never planned to found my own small business. I love how this unexpected journey has connected me with creative people all over the state of Minnesota.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?Learning how to shape freelance writing and editing into a business has been a major learning curve. Before founding Meet the Minnesota Makers I worked in higher education–both as a Spanish professor and with an area nonprofit.
I continue to learn firsthand all the roles that a solopreneur needs to fill to establish a thriving and sustainable small business. I don’t charge makers for the features that I publish. Finding a way to make that portion of the business sustainable has been a challenge.
As you know, we’re big fans of Meet the Minnesota Makers. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Meet the Minnesota Makers is a celebration of all things local. Meet the Minnesota Makers is an online collection of maker features as well as a resource center both for makers and customers who want to support small businesses.
I write about the small business community as a part of the small business community. Meet the Minnesota Makers is dedicated to strengthening our local small business community through unique storytelling and customized content creation services.
Do you have any advice for those just starting?
There are so many different paths that we can follow professionally. I love being able to use my research and teaching experiences to help people develop their own small business stories.
Learning the twists and turns that Minnesota’s makers follow inspires me to develop my small business story.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://meettheminnesotamakers.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meettheminnesotamakers/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MeettheMinnesotaMakers/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-sharp-9235196a/
Image Credits
Uncommon Collaborative
