Meet Melissa Lambert | Entrepreneur

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

Hi Melissa, what matters most to you?
The thing that means the very most to me is inclusivity and representation. I want my brand to represent all different cultures, abilities, and family dynamics. As a Mexican-American woman, I know the toll it takes growing up without being represented in media and I always try to be mindful of that when I’m marketing my own business. 

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Right now, my brand focuses on bamboo sleepwear for kids. We also occasionally offer organic cotton daywear. A huge priority for me when it came to designing our pajamas was to help kids with both skin and sensory sensitivities. All of our pajamas are made of super soft, hypoallergenic bamboo viscose. Both zipper pajamas and two pieces include fold over mittens to help with scratching – not only for small infants, but for toddlers and older kids that suffer from eczema and other skin conditions. I’m really excited to expand into even more natural fibers – I plan to eventually offer daywear in wool, linen, hemp, etc.
As for how I got here … it was kind of a happy accident! In the summer of 2020, I was nearing the end of my last pregnancy and decided to attempt to sew a cloth diaper for the new baby. I didn’t know how to sew, but I broke out the starter sewing machine that my mother in law gifted to me a few years before and just went for it. It was okay, but not great. I made a few more and they got pretty good! I decided to try to sell them, just for fun, and to my surprise people actually bought them! I eventually moved from cloth diapers to clothing, invested in more advanced sewing machines, hired seamstresses to help, and then, finally, decided it made the most sense to use a manufacturer.
I’ve learned a lot of lessons. I think the biggest one is to not rush things. Keep ordering samples until they’re perfect, work on details with print artists until they’re perfect, take your time making graphics so they don’t look rushed.
What I’d really love for people to know about my brand is that it’s really, truly a labor of love. I didn’t start with any capital or real business knowledge. I’ve learned every single thing as I go – often in 10-minute increments throughout the day while raising my kids. I don’t have employees – I source, design, pick prints, market, pack, ship, and maintain the site myself. And I really, truly care about and value every single customer. In three years, I can’t recall a single negative experience I’ve had with a customer. Having worked in customer service most of my life, I know how rare that is and I am very aware of how amazing my customer base is! I’m truly so grateful for them.

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?
We would definitely go downtown for some Pablo’s Pizza and then for a stroll to check out the awesome sculptures. We’d also go to Vega Lake because it’s just so pretty and relaxing. Probably a day at Bananas Fun Park with all the kids. In all honestly, I’m a HUGE homebody so there would also be a few days of just hanging out around the property we live on in Whitewater and grilling good food.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
There are two people that have been integral to my business efforts – my husband and my mom.

My husband, Curtis, has been so supportive of the countless hours I put into Wiley Threads. I’m so grateful to have a partner that doesn’t hold archaic views about gender roles, especially when it comes to parenting. I know I can always work while he has our four kids and I wish that was a more common expectation in our society. He also has great input on prints! It’s so fun to brainstorm with him.

My mom, Laura, has always been my biggest cheerleader. She always believes in me way more than I believe in myself and buys Wiley Threads for everyone she knows that has kids. She’s truly the most selfless person I’ve ever known and I wouldn’t be half the woman I am today without her unwavering support.

Website: wileythreads.com

Instagram: @wileythreads

Facebook: Wiley Threads Chat

Other: TikTok @wileythreads We also have a 20% off discount code for first-time customers if you’d like to share – NEWFRIENDS

Image Credits
Megan Bourassa (for first 4 images)