Meet Melly Sponselee | CO Local Brand Representative and Distributor

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

Hi Melly, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
Before I founded SMNR, I worked for many years as a brand ambassador. I gave out samples of products to shoppers at grocery stores and educated people on the brands I was representing. I loved this work. It made me feel connected to our community in a special way. I loved to turn folks on to local and healthy products that I truly believed in and could stand behind the integrity of the way the products were made and the people that were producing them. I deeply enjoyed being instrumental to the growth of small and local businesses.

Once Covid 19 hit, my beloved line of work slammed to a dead stop. No longer were we allowed to do sample handouts and all demo opportunities completely disappeared. I would have to get creative if I wanted to continue doing what felt natural to me. This is when I began to shift my efforts into helping my brands get into new accounts. I started my brand repping endeavors with one special little product called Velobar and to my surprise, had great success helping this brand get onto the shelves of many stores despite being in the middle of a pandemic.

I began to realize that there were many “sprouting” brands that needed this kind of help. Not only did they need help getting new accounts, but they needed help transporting their products to stores as well. At the same time, I realized that there really wasn’t anyone out there providing a service for small & local brands that had a balanced focus on both sales & distribution. Distribution could be done better, with more efficiency and with a smaller carbon footprint too. This is how my vision was born. SMNR… It stands for Sales, Marketing, Networking & Representation.

What should our readers know about your business?
I started a distribution and sales company that represents local, healthy, & organic specialty grocery brands. There are a few things that we are doing differently in Colorado. We deliver exclusively by electric vehicle, are green-certified, and are woman-owned / operated. SMNR is also the only distributor in Colorado to combine sales representatives and distribution into one package. We are a small business that helps support other small business owners in getting their products out into the world, onto the shelf, and into people’s hands. I am passionate about sustainability, health, and wellness. That’s why I focus on representing local and health-conscious brands in order to help facilitate lasting change in consumer habits. I currently represent about 25 local brands and distribute to over 450 retail accounts across the front range of Colorado. My business is growing fast and I am in need of a larger electric delivery vehicle as well as some additional staff to keep up with the growth!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I would check out the mountains in the front range, do some hikes around Brainard lake and stop into the Jamestown Mercantile and Then The Gold Hill Store & Pub for some delicious home-cooked food and great music!

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?
David McLaughlin Owner and Creator of Sati CBD Soda – my first brand that I started with.

Website: www.smnrsales.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/smnrsales/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/smnrsales

Youtube: https://youtu.be/HM2fzm_Tt4k