After college, Melissa Monge found herself living in Hilton Head, South Carolina, where she landed a corporate job at Marriott. Monge came from a family of entrepreneurs, so when her position was eliminated, she decided to start her own babysitting agency, Guardian Angel Sitting Service. By Kelsi Trinidad
After college, Melissa Monge found herself living in Hilton Head, South Carolina, where she landed a corporate job at Marriott. Monge came from a family of entrepreneurs, so when her position was eliminated, she decided to start her own babysitting agency, Guardian Angel Sitting Service.
This business was successful, and she began licensing the business model. After 10 years, the corporate world came calling again, drawing her back into the travel industry. She decided to sell the business and return to corporate work.
A few years later, Monge and her then-boyfriend, now husband, were vacationing in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. While strolling through downtown, they spotted a shop called Sea Love. She assumed it was a cute home goods boutique, but once inside, she realized it also featured a candle bar. She’d never heard of the concept but immediately decided to make a candle. The experience – from the boutique products and the candle bar to the store’s overall aesthetic and atmosphere – left such an impression that, on the drive home, she began researching how to open a store of her own.
From that first experience, Monge was hooked. She knew she still wanted to keep her corporate job and found a business partner, Sarah Brown, to help make opening a Sea Love franchise a reality. Within six weeks, the Hilton Head location opened, and a year later, they opened a second location in Savannah, Georgia, a popular tourist destination.
As two of the first Sea Love franchisees, Monge and Brown have embraced the support they have received from Sea Love owners Stacy and Barry Miller and the brand’s growing network of franchisees.
“I think what is great is we have the opportunity to speak to a lot of the other owners,” said Monge. “What’s nice about that is that you’re not in this by yourself. You don’t have to figure it out yourself; you can use the community of people and store owners that has already been built.”
Kelsi Trinidad