Today we’d like to introduce you to Melina Wikoff.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Like all small businesses, The Mosaic Market is the result of a culmination of years of dreams and passions. We have been friends since the 5th grade, and over the decades we have spent many hours shopping together, crafting together, and dreaming that “some day” we could have a shop of our own. During Covid, we were presented the opportunity to have a booth at a local mercantile. As healthcare providers, we desperately needed an outlet from the stress of our daily lives so we jumped at the joy that we find in creating and curating fun items and offering them for sale. What began as a side hustle turned into our “second act” as we took the leap to expand our business. Downtown Arlington caught our eye as a destination due to the revitalization of the area. It’s exciting to be a part of the growth of our home town! We created what we wished had existed for us when we first started our business. We exist to uplift others by providing a platform to expand their business ventures. We celebrated our one year anniversary on July 4th, and we now have the honor of offering the creations of over 100 local and regional artists and creators.
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?
Right away we faced struggles as we discovered asbestos in the 1950’s historic building we had purchased. Our remodel took a year longer and over $150k in construction costs that we had not anticipated. However, having to clear out the old and bring in the new gave us the freedom to have a new vision of what was possible.
Getting the word out of our existence is a constant challenge! We continue to learn the ins and outs of social media and stretch our advertising budget to reach as many people as we can.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about The Mosaic Market?
Our tagline is “Your Happy Place for all Things Unique!” People come to our shop because they know they are going to find something that can’t be found just anywhere. Whether it’s a one-of-kind handcrafted treasure, a specially curated vintage find, or novelty gift meant to spark joy and laughter, people know that The Mosaic Market is a great place to find that special something. And when you make a purchase with us, you are supporting a real person in our community! What sets us apart from others is that we do not rent space out. Rather we collect a commission from the sale of our products. We wanted to alleviate the risks that creators often face in other markets-filling up a booth and selling enough to cover the booth rental costs in addition to commissions.
We are awed by the talent and creativity of our many creators. There are new item additions every week so you never know what you will find when you walk through our doors. It seems as if every type of art is represented within our walls- ceramics, pottery, glass art, sculpture of various mediums, jewelry of all styles, candles, soaps, woodwork, leatherwork, photography, wall art in watercolor, oils & acrylic, creations that are hand-sewn, knitted, crocheted, embroidered, or woven, crystals, gourmet foods, games, books, stationary and even beautiful live plants.
We are most proud of supporting our local artist community and providing a fun, safe place to explore and enjoy.
We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
That is an interesting question that we have pondered as we have looked back on events over our five decades of life! What we would have considered instances of good luck, others have pointed out that it wasn’t luck alone that has led to successes. Openness to opportunities and meeting new people who have helped us on this journey, skills that we’ve acquired in our professional careers, the willingness to take risks in pursuit of something greater than ourselves, and the support of our loved ones as we step into the unknown are also key factors.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.themosaicmarket.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themosaicmarket_
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheMosaicMarketArlington/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-mosaic-market
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@www.themosaicmarket.com
