W H A T: Compliment 
W H O: Melissa, the brains behind Compliment.
THE B A C K S T O R Y: Hi! My name is Melissa and I’m the Founder and Creative Director of Compliment. I’m so glad you’re here.
If you know me, you know I love sharing stories. In fact, my first passion is writing, and as my mother can attest, waaaaay back in the first grade, I said that I wanted to be an author when I grew up. And so I went to school to study English, became a teacher, got an MFA in Creative Writing, and really love to write.
I believe in the power of words.
I also believe in the power of creating. I create lots of things–some are eh (like the watercolor of the coffee mug I have hanging in my kitchen) and others are miraculous. I’m most proud of creating community in my classroom throughout the last decade teaching high school English and AVID, and seeing the kids who I’ve watched grow up in those four walls go on to create so much goodness in their own corners of the world.
Drawing inspiration from my love of words and my belief in building community by building each other up, I officially founded Compliment Thanksgiving weekend 2011.
Since then, Compliment has grown beyond what I ever imagined. I made the very difficult, but exciting, decision to step away from the classroom and pursue Compliment full-time. I now have an amazing team of young women who work with me to continue to spread goodness and love — some are even former students! I also mentor other small business owners and teach them how to create the same kind of abundant success in their businesses, as well.
I am constantly amazed and so grateful when someone tells me she’s received a piece of jewelry in the mail and is not only fond of the accessory, but is totally moved by the compliment inside the box.
All my designs are lovingly hand-crafted in our sunny Northern California design studio. We source our goods as locally as possible, often buying from suppliers within a 20 mile radius. Every product in our shop provides a personalized way to say “I love you,” “You are special to me,” or “I’m thinking of you.” I especially love when women tell me they ordered a piece to keep and chose a compliment as a mantra or reminder to love themselves.
We truly do rise by lifting others. I invite you to join us.
G E T I N T O U C H: Here.