Meet Melody Crump | Mom, EMT, Business owner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Melody Crump and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Melody, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
After graduating college, I found myself doing what most people would, getting married and starting a family. After spending a few years working for others, including a partnership in a local frozen yogurt chain in Texas, my husband and I decided that the life we wanted was to work for ourselves and we knew Lake City would help us achieve that goal. We moved knowing that we would have to be patient and wait for the right opportunity. During this time, we leased and operated a local coffee shop and grew a catering business from the ground up. In 2021 the local liquor store came on the market, and we decided this was the opportunity we had been waiting for. Together, with my sister on board, we purchased the store and quickly began learning the business from the ground up. With her experience in bookkeeping and my experience in retail, we quickly became the team that we knew we could be.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
In Lake City, we all wear many hats, so I will try to provide a short story.

I am a volunteer EMT with Hinsdale County EMS, so I respond to 911 calls anytime I can. I also work at the Lake City Medical Center where I recently became certified to take x-rays for our patients. It was a challenging task to take on at the time, but we needed someone capable of operating the equipment we already had, so I volunteered to take that course. I am currently in nursing school to obtain my BSN so that our medical center is even better equipped to handle our rural community’s health needs.

Along with my commitments to the medical center, I have had the pleasure of becoming a partner in two local businesses: Lake City Liquors, which I own with my sister, is our town’s only year-round store for high-end wine and spirits where we try to provide a large selection of everyone’s favorites, and Climb, an upscale casual restaurant co-owned by my husband and his business partner Raz. Sometimes I can be found in the back making cakes for the night’s dessert selection.

My side gig, which gives me a little creative outlet, is baking cakes. Whether it’s a catered wedding, a birthday, or just because, I thoroughly enjoy the “me” time and I am asked to make cakes pretty frequently. However, sometimes I just have an itch to bake, so I will deliver sweet treats to different public offices or the teacher’s lounge at the school.

I often get asked ‘How do you do it all?’ While I don’t have a clear answer to that question, I just keep moving forward, keeping my goals in mind. I experience tough times here and there, but my goal to better my family and my community keeps me motivated.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
My favorite place in the world is Lake San Cristobal, so much so that I even refer to it as my church. Paddleboarding would be first on the list: if you get out there early enough, you can chase the sunrise across the lake and your only company is the geese honking overhead and the only fishers are the osprey. Grabbing a late lunch at Southern Vittles on their dog-friendly porch after a long hike up Alpine Gulch, makes for a great day. The Mountaineer Movie Theatre holds a special place in my heart, so we would have to catch a movie! Our community is full of artists so there is always live music happening somewhere, notably every Friday there is a packed crowd at Chillin’s backyard. The Lake City Arts Center is also putting on fun art events for all ages: fused glass art, drawing classes, paint nights and more. Whether you’re on a date night or a girl’s night out, dinner at Climb should be on everyone’s list. Raz serves up creative cocktails and Tyler will satisfy you with one of his rotating specials.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My family has always been my biggest support network, without them I would not be where I am today.

For starters, my parents and my sister’s family live here offering all the backing I need: physically, mentally, and emotionally. Living close to family has helped me accomplish so much personally and professionally, that might otherwise not have been a reality.
I wouldn’t have been able to get into nursing school without the awesome grant-writing skills of Rachel Moore, who is the executive director at the Medical Center. With her assistance, the financial burden of nursing school was much less intimidating. She is a big piece of my puzzle. Another notable figure who helped push me to accomplish my nursing dreams is our long-time Physician Assistant- Bob Downs. Although he is living a retired life now, he never gave up on me, giving gentle nudges to get my nursing school application turned in. I loved working with and learning from him since my first day working at the medical center.
The biggest shout-out is to my husband, Tyler. His entrepreneurial spirit and vision for our family are what started us on this journey. There have been overwhelming moments that have made me want to give up on it all, but his unwavering support has continued to push me to my goals. He refuses to let me quit anything I start, and I am so appreciative of that quality in him. We celebrated our 10th anniversary this past September and have two kids: Holden (9) and Aspen (6).

Website: https://www.climbeatery.com

Instagram: @lakecity.liquors

Image Credits
Climb Elevated Eatery