Daily Inspiration: Meet Stacie Smith Lumar

Today we’d like to introduce you to Stacie Smith Lumar.

Hi Stacie, 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?
I grew up in the Detroit metro area, and for as long as I can remember, I have always loved reading, writing, and storytelling. As a kid, I was always creating books, writing plays, and using my imagination. I’ll never forget my 5th grade teacher, Ms. Weiss, telling my mom that one day I would be a journalist.

After college, I started my career in public relations and eventually transitioned into media, becoming a news reporter and later a news director. In 2021, I won a Philo Award for Best News Program, which was a proud moment in my career.

Today, I’m a producer for START UP, a six-time Emmy-nominated national television series that shares the inspiring stories of American small business owners from coast to coast. The show is now entering its 14th season, and I’ve had the opportunity to help cast some incredible entrepreneurs along the way.

In addition to media, I’ve also worked in real estate and development, which has been another creative outlet for me and has helped shape how I think about business, ownership, and building something meaningful.

After getting married and having my daughter in 2022, I found inspiration in a very personal place: her beautiful head of hair. I wanted to write something that would remind her to always embrace and love her natural hair. At first, the book was meant to be a keepsake just for her, but after working with the illustrator, I was encouraged to share it with the world.

That’s how I self-published Mellie Rose’s Magical Hair, and from there, my imagination really took over. The response was so positive that I decided to expand the story into a full brand called Mellie Rose. Today, the brand includes the book, apparel, a children’s haircare line inspired by products I started making at home for my daughter, school supplies, an animated series, and most recently, a music single called “My Hair is Magical (Just Like Me),” which is now available on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, Tidal, and more.

Looking back, I can see how all of the pieces connect: my love for storytelling, my media background, my creativity, my experience in entrepreneurship, and now motherhood. Mellie Rose is really a reflection of all of that.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Whew, it has definitely not been a smooth road. But one thing I’ve learned along the way is the importance of gratitude, faith, and trusting God through adversity.

In 2008, my mother passed away from breast cancer, and it completely rocked my world. Just three months later, my maternal grandfather passed away after his own battle with cancer. I was extremely close to both of them, so losing them so close together felt like my whole world had been crushed. I lost two of the most important people in my life.

My mother and I were very close, and I never imagined losing her so young. At the same time, I had to take on the responsibility of raising my younger brother, who was only 14 years old when she passed. It was a lot to carry, but losing my mother also created a deeper drive and ambition in me. I was determined to make her proud, to keep going, and to not let the weight of everything break me.

I’m proud to say that my brother went on to graduate from college with both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees. He is now married, has a great career in visual design, and seeing the man he has become is one of the things I’m most proud of.

So yes, losing my mother and grandfather hurt me deeply, but it did not break me. If anything, it gave me even more purpose. I became determined to honor them, make them proud, and continue building on the legacy they left behind.

Real estate is a big part of that legacy. My family owned a portfolio of residential and commercial properties throughout the Detroit metro area, and development was one of my grandfather’s dreams that he never had the chance to fully pursue. I’m proud to now be in that space and to keep that family tradition alive, while also building my own path as an entrepreneur, storyteller, and creative.

Every challenge has shaped me in some way. It taught me resilience, responsibility, faith, and how to keep moving forward even when life does not go as planned.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
My work has always centered around storytelling, creativity, and building something meaningful.

Professionally, I have worked in media, public relations, marketing, television, and real estate. I started my career in PR, later became a news reporter and news director, and today I work as a producer for START UP, a national television series that highlights the stories of American small business owners and entrepreneurs. I love being able to help tell stories that are real, inspiring, and rooted in purpose.

I am also the creator of Mellie Rose, a children’s brand inspired by my daughter. What started as a children’s book, Mellie Rose’s Magical Hair, has grown into a brand that celebrates confidence, natural hair, imagination, and self-love for little girls. I’m really proud of that because it started from such a personal place. I wanted my daughter to always feel beautiful and confident, and now that message has the opportunity to reach other little girls too.

In real estate, I’m proud to continue a family legacy. That family history is also why this work means so much to me. Real estate development was something my grandfather dreamed of doing, and being able to work in that space today connects me to my roots while also allowing me to build my own path.

I would say I specialize in storytelling, brand building, media, and creating things from the ground up. Whether it is producing, developing a children’s brand, working in real estate, or creating content, I love taking an idea and bringing it to life.

What sets me apart is that I am not one-dimensional. I have lived many different chapters, and each one has shaped how I create, lead, and tell stories. I bring heart, strategy, creativity, and real-life experience into everything I do. I care deeply about the work, but I also care about the impact behind it.

I’m most proud of the fact that I have kept going, even when life was not easy. I’m proud of the woman I am becoming, the example I am setting for my daughter, and the legacy I am continuing to build for my family.

Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
Growing up, I was very creative, curious, and always thinking of ideas. I loved to read and write, but I was also a little hustler. Lol. I always found a way to be creative and make money at the same time.

Whether it was selling lemonade, snow cones, candy, bookmarks, or T-shirts, I was always coming up with something. My friend Francyine reminded me the other day that I was even selling purses in middle school. Lol. So looking back, I think I’ve always had that creative and entrepreneurial spirit in me.

I was also the kid who asked a lot of questions. I wanted to know more about people, their stories, and how they experienced life. That is probably why journalism felt like such a natural fit for me. I have always been genuinely interested in people and the stories that shape who they are.

Pricing:

• Mellie Rose’s Magical Hair Book (Paperback) – $14.99
• Mellie Rose’s Magical Hair Book (Hardcover) – $18.99

Contact Info:

• Website: https://mellierose.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mellieroseworld
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Mellie-Rose-World
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@MellieRoseWorld