Today we’d like to introduce you to Melody Fox.
Hi Melody, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers.
It started out going for a Studio Arts major in college. A few bumps in the road later, I ended up needing to choose a career that would provide for myself and my son. I remembered in high school touring a local technical college that had signage programs and decided to look into enrolling. I thought it was going to be the most boring degree, but, my professors were fun and very knowledgeable. They drilled LAYOUT into us – Layout is Key! – and right then it made word designs interesting.
Fast forward through many signage jobs – learning on the job different ways to install, different vinyl types, printers, applications, etc. I loved all of my mentors, good and bad. I think I’ve learned something from every single one of them – still do. I watch how they did things and applied them to make the best method for me.
As an employee at Minuteman Press (Oakdale/Hudson), I was ‘forced’ into joining the Stillwater Chamber women’s group. I met and became friends with a few of the ladies there. Those ladies saw a me I never thought was there.
They pushed me to go beyond my comfort zone. Encouraging me to grow in ways that I never knew were possible. The result, I now have a thriving community in Stillwater that I love and do business with. Not to mention all the social skills that were taught during those uncomfortable moments in networking. But it was all worth it.
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?
Of course, it has been smooth sailing! Ha!
Yes, there were/are bumps in the road. I’m not completely on my own as of yet, but getting closer with each new customer and order. Having a full-time job and getting a business going is great if you can do it. I’m down to 20+ hours at that job (Big Frog Custom T-Shirts and More) and the rest is spent in/on my own business – Big Red Dog Studios.
The roughest part is balance. Balancing both jobs AND personal life without getting burnout – which I haven’t done too well. It’s getting better though.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I specialize in wall wraps. Printed murals. I LOVE them. They are all over downtown Stillwater, MN.
I started in the JX event venue with a massive one going up the grand staircase and it kind of snowballed into doing the entire Hotel Crosby – every hallway, entrance, hotel room bathroom.
I’m most proud of my relationships with my clients. Their projects make me excited about the work. I love installations too, even though they can be a lot of physical work to put up, the result is a beautiful transformation of my client’s space.
How do you define success?
Being in a place where I’m happy with the work I’m producing and repeat clients that boast and brag so much that word-of-mouth referrals are the backbone of my business clients. I LOVE my clients.
Contact Info:
- Website: melodybrdstudios.myportfolio.com/design
- Instagram: @bigreddogstudios
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/BigRedDogStudios/
Image Credits
Kristina Lynn Photography and Design Melody Fox
