Super Mom: Melissa Estess

They say you can’t have it all, but the fact of the matter is that having it all comes down to one very basic thing: balance. It’s a simple concept, but it’s often difficult to achieve—especially for those who have work lives to balance with personal lives that are packed with subcategories of their own. Wife, mother, homemaker, family COO…the roles of female entrepreneurs with families seem to have no end and no time card to punch in or out. While learning to balance it all can be extremely challenging, doing so is an achievement worthy of recognition. It takes strength, determination, and—above all—heart.

Heart is something that Melissa Estess, owner of MaeMe and its brick and mortar boutique, The Bridal Boutique by MaeMe, has in spades. Her strength and determination are certainly attributes that have lent themselves well to her success as a business owner—and as a working wife and mother. “I feel like balancing family and work is every mom’s struggle. It takes a village to juggle it all—and the grace of God!” she laughs when asked how she manages everything in her busy life. “I’m blessed to have a very hands-on husband who loves to spend time with the kids and is a huge encourager and supporter of my career. I’m home to get my kids on the bus every morning and home when they get off the bus in the evenings. However, I do work most Saturdays—as most retailers can relate to—and I do travel a good bit for bridal market and buying trips, business and leadership conferences, and to visit my consulting clients,” she admits.

While so much travel and long hours at the boutique could take its toll on her family life, she understands the importance of setting aside time to dedicate her attention to her husband and children. “I’m extremely intentional with the time I spend with them so that our relationships are healthy and strong and so that they know how much I love them—even when I’m not home,” she says. “MaeMe is closed on Sundays, which was a business decision not based on financial opportunity, but on the importance of family and rest. Also, in 2018, I committed to myself to take one day off during the week to recharge and refill my bucket. I’m in the business of pouring into young women’s lives during an extremely valuable and emotional season of their lives, and I take that responsibility very seriously. I’m passionate about marriage and building healthy relationships, and so feeding and tending to my own relationships is a high priority.”

Such commitment to both parts of her life has proven to be the secret to her success and she’s looking forward to celebrating ten years of being in business this summer. “MaeMe is a family-owned and operated business, so the joint dedication, sacrifice, and efforts of my parents and myself have provided a fundamentally sound business. The ‘above and beyond’ success we’ve achieved is a result of running a business the Lord can bless,” she asserts. “We serve our customers with integrity and love, with the mission of changing the lives of others and impacting our community—one bride at a time.”

For all the other working mothers out there, Estess gives this message: “I give a high-five to all the working moms who have a pile of laundry that hasn’t been folded and a sink full of dishes…when our babies look back on their childhood, they will only remember our moments with them laughing and playing and enjoying life. Give yourself a little grace, because you’re doing great!”