Today we’d like to introduce you to Melanie Logan.
Hi Melanie, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I’ve been making things with my hands since I was little. From homemade playdoh with my mom to clay models with my dad for last-minute school projects and then I eventually became obsessed with origami for years. But, starting my own business, least of all a handmade one, never crossed my mind. Then one very bored summer night back in 2012, I fell down a google rabbit hole and came across friendship bracelets. Went out the very next morning and bought a ridiculous amount of supplies and started making bracelets. They were all horrible in a “I’ve obviously never done this before” kind of way but practice makes progress and I got better. The first really dope set I created, one of my cousins told me that they were like “subtle royalty” and I loved it. So, a year later I opened up an Etsy shop called SubtlRoyalty that sold handmade bracelets.
At the time, it was very much still a hobby and I made a handful of sales but I was never fully invested. Then one year, I bought a Cricut and the game changed. Over the years, I tried my hand at a bunch of different crafts. Vinyl decals, personalized wine glasses and tumblers, paper flowers, etc… And then I Diy’d my wedding in 2018 and realized that I really liked party decorations. I struggled for a while on what to do with this newfound information because so much of handmade decorations is graphic design-based work and that’s a skill I just don’t possess. But with the help and support of my husband, my friends, my family and an ungodly amount of youtube videos, I was able to fill in the blanks in a way that works for me and start this brand-building journey.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
This road has been anything but smooth. And unfortunately, one of my biggest struggles was me. As I mentioned earlier, I tried my hands at a lot of different things because even though I started with jewelry, I was never fully invested in it. I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life and I felt as though I needed to figure it out. But because I couldn’t figure it out, I felt as though I was failing at life. And that feeling became overwhelming and I ended up in therapy for depression.
Plenty of other things contributed to my depression, but shout out to therapy and all the black therapists out there because my therapist really equipped me with the right set of tools to get my mental on track and I’ve been thriving ever since.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
SubtlRoyalty, LLC is an online shop here to bring a little razzle dazzle to life’s biggest moments with handmade gifts, party decorations, and custom crafts. It is everything that I am and everything that I’m still learning to be, and that right there is the secret sauce. If I was going to take the time to put blood, sweat, and oh so many tears into creating a business and a brand…then you better believe it was going to be nothing but me, myself and me from here to Timbuktu. But that’s also what I’m most proud of because “me” is so many things. I’ve always marched to the beat of my own drum but at my core it’s about love, family and having a good time. That’s why even though I no longer make jewelry, the name didn’t change because my core values didn’t change. A long-time family friend instilled in us that no matter how big or small we should celebrate the things that matter. And to this day, whether it’s a big get together or just a few of us with some pound cake and ice cream (Johnnycake and tarts if we’ve been blessed by my grandmother) we make time to celebrate life together.
I want my business to be an affordable place that people can go to buy simple but elegant Handmade decorations and gifts that give their celebrations a little extra “oomph”. Whether it’s a Free-ish Since 1865 Juneteenth banner, Happy Birthday cupcake toppers, or Personalized Wine Labels for their bridal party gift boxes, I want SubtlRoyalty to be the place people come to help them celebrate all of life’s moments, together. From my family to yours…Fun, Love and Memories.
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
Growing up, I could make friends anywhere anytime. What can I say, I’m lovable. But seriously, I was a friendly, silly, goofy but respectful kid with a solid 3.75gpa who loved origami, anime and reading. And besides having to pay taxes now, I’m pretty much still that person.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.etsy.com/shop/SubtlRoyalty
- Instagram: @subtlroyaltyllc
- Facebook: @subtlroyalyllc
- Other: https://linktr.ee/subtlroyaltyllc
