Meet Melvina Marie of My Fashion Junkk

Today we’d like to introduce you to Melvina Marie. 

Hi Melvina, so excited to have you on the platform. So, before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
My Fashion Junkk started as a thought in 2006 that I had discussed with my kids’ father at the time to sell shoes and open a shoe store. I had researched so much on the shoes like literally every day. Fast forward to 2012 I started looking more into clothing instead with an old friend, launched later that year online. Then 2013 I sold clothes out of a booth in the flea market less than a year full time, then decided to just stay online again. 2016 I think I started a job at AAA and was doing my business part-time, that place was the longest I could keep a job lol right under 2 years, and while working there telling my coworkers I sold clothes they gained an interest and at that moment I realized I needed to go back full force and not put my business on the back burner. I got fired from AAA right under the 2-year mark at that point I realized I’m never putting my business last again! I sold clothes from my trunk to having my sister Kim pull up to beauty shops selling my clothes! I got fired 1 day before my BDay in March 2018! I was relieved and that very day I left, my kids’ father said well it’s time to go back hard and a few months later he opened up my first retail store !! my business was also my lifelong dream since I was Around 10, I knew I would be an entrepreneur. Since 2018 I have been working full time with just MyFashionJunkk it’s many unsuccessful days and nights but I didn’t lose hope. I closed that retail store in St. Ann in 2019 because of the location I didn’t renew my lease. I then continued online … Then come the pandemic 2020, I’m like geesh nobody will buy clothes lol, was I wrong!!! The pandemic was the best year for me and my business and my most consistent year thereafter. We opened up my kids’ Men line MyFashionJunkk Men during the pandemic and it was great… Keep in mind I been working at home selling online since then meeting people etc. it got draining. I started setting up shelves in my basement for the inventory, I never finished GOD said hold on, two days later my Kids father said let’s go look at warehouse spaces, I had called around nobody would answer I’m like I give up because I kept saying I don’t want another storefront… A day later we found the perfect warehouse spot, called, applied, and was approved the next day!!! It happened I was signing my lease that following Monday. And here I am still working to get to the point where I would like to be. 

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
No, it was never smooth, ever! We still struggle daily lol. A lot of money lost over many years, which was self-funded with the help of my silent partner of course. The biggest struggles it don’t happen overnight in this business you spend money and don’t always make money; you have items that don’t sell at all if we being truthful. I tell myself often if it was about the money, I would have quit a long time ago lol. I built everything from scratch, my website, etc. I am the shipper, the customer service, the manager, the worker, accountant, the face to the customer and sometimes the photographer lol Another big struggle in this business is finding a consistent brand model and team. 

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
My Fashion Junkk is an online retailer we specialize in women’s fashion and added men’s later on. I’m known for selling women quality clothing at an affordable price. I test all of my items before launching, I got to experience many many times handpicking the items and vendors to ensure quality. I’m proud that my customers are satisfied and that my return rate with my customers speak volume. I am very consistent and my business is my 3rd child not my hobby. We offer quality clothing for women and men, we have new inventory weekly come check us out. 

So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
You can check out my website MyFashionJunkk.com 

We could collaborate at events, host events, I’m always up for networking. 

Contact Info:

• Email: myfashionjunkk@yahoo.com
• Website: myfashionjunkk.com
• Instagram: Myfashionjunkk
• Facebook: Myfashionjunkk

Image Credits
Jorhan images LLC
Mccarthur photography