Today we’d like to introduce you to Melissa Walley.
Hi Melissa, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
I grew up on 16 acres, a mini farm perhaps, where I would work with my mother in the home cooking, cleaning, and with my father, gardening, building something, and working on the land. My Dad took us from the West side of San Antonio when I was 10, and moved us to the small town of Seguin, Texas which at the time had 20,000 people in 1994. There was nothing on the land except a light pole and a well. My Dad sent us with his sister to Kerrville for 7 days, so that he could build a 20×20 room for us to start our new life in.
For months, we cooked and bathed outside underneath the South Texas stars. We learned how to adapt to the hill country and survive without the modalities that we were used to. My Dad was a General Contractor for most of my life and loved to build with his hands. We would come home from school and work on the house, building one room at a time, until it was over 2,000 sq ft. I learned so much in those years and hold the memories in gratitude for the foundation it gave me to be the entrepreneur that I am today.
After attending a handful of colleges, and traveling all over Texas, I landed in Houston with my husband. I had recently finished my Associate of Science after buckling down from an Arts degree in Dallas, Texas. I wanted to pursue something that I could always fall back on. Our first daughter was one year old now. My husband was in the Commercial Paint industry, estimating for one of the biggest painters in South Texas, and was let go from his position as the economy was plummeting in 2010.
We had a mortgage, vehicle, student loans, and credit cards from trying to make it through college alive. There was no severance package and no warning, so I immediately went to waitress at Snappy’s in Katy, Texas. I could work one weekend and make $500-$1000, working 12-hour shifts. I met a land broker working there and started writing oil and gas leases for him during the week. Somehow, we were making ends meet, but I was 98 lbs and my hair was falling out.
One evening I went to my husband as we were weary, angry, and hopeless and I asked him what my purpose was in this life. What are the things that I am actually good at? What did he see in me that I couldn’t see for myself? His answer was, “Our home, You make our home beautiful, you make everything work and feel good.” We had a notepad out, as I typically do when sitting or talking, and we just started writing ideas of things we could do to go into business for ourselves. I couldn’t physically keep up with the demands that I was working, and I wanted to be at home with my daughter more.
My spirit was desperate for some peace. We sat there that evening and came up with my first company, “The Clutter Pixie.” I had been cleaning homes around Houston as a third job and kept noticing how most people didn’t have the functionality of their everyday households. I would be there to clean, but their things were everywhere. Moms were working out of the home more and more and the pace of life had increased. My motto for The Clutter Pixie was to help women regain peace within their homes by providing functionality.
I placed my first ad on Craigslist and waited. Within hours, we had inquiries wanting to know more, desperate for help. I serviced Houston for a few months before my husband and I decided we needed to be closer to our families in New Braunfels and Seguin, Texas. We took the leap of faith and moved back home so that we could raise our family with our families. It was 2011 and we launched The Clutter Pixie in New Braunfels.
I started drawing ideas and learning how to present them. I was always reading, researching, and taking classes online to learn anything and everything I needed to keep pursuing the needs of my clients. I built my back office and was determined to be as organized, honest, and affordable as I could be. For years I worked for $25/hour without commissions on the products I was sourcing, buying, modifying, and delivering for custom designs all across South Central Texas.
At one point, I had a crew of seven girls organizing throughout New Braunfels. We did many hoarder homes, and truly tried to help them through the emotional aspect of the transition. We did attics, garages, barns, workspaces, closets, kitchens, pantries, bathrooms, entire homes, etc. With this process, there was always a redesign phase after the uncluttering process, which naturally led to custom designs. I was blessed to be able to hire my Dad, Danny Hix, for most of them.
In 2012, I prayed for a change again. I was ready to upgrade my services and expand my business. I opened a Design Studio downtown in New Braunfels, with a name change to Pixie Living Solutions. I was constantly buying and reselling vintage and antique furniture, and customizing pieces for clients’ needs. I made my own chalk paint line and called it Pixie Paint. I had a passion for chalk paint and at the time, couldn’t find a brand I truly loved. I never had the patience for the brush and rub on wax. I used different matte sealers and saved so much time and money for my pieces.
With my husband in the paint industry, we were able to use our years of knowledge of products and modify them to our client’s specific needs. We were blessed with Sophie, our eight-year-old, in 2014. Soon after that, I shut down the Studio, as I couldn’t find honest, reliable help when I couldn’t be at the Studio. I am constantly on a job, within the home, so paying someone to run the Studio wasn’t efficient at the time.
The last straw was when I was robbed of all my inventory, by a girl who was working for me, while I was out of town on the 4th of July weekend. I had worked my entire life, without a loan, or a handout, and couldn’t grasp the reality of the cruelty of my current life’s circumstances. It truly was the best decision I could have made, looking back. I was able to use that money and hire another designer to help with the workload. From there, we have grown into a Full Service Design company, offering many Services to our community.
I have a deep passion for efficient living, holistic living, plants, nature, and beautiful things. I was born with a gift of intuition. From the time I was a little girl on the farm, I could pull things from the barn and turn them into something functional and beautiful. I work with the energy of the home and create a peaceful flow throughout each space. I always care with all my heart, and am mindful of each detail throughout each project, including budgets.
In 2018, I was training for my Reiki Master with my local Shaman. I had been taking classes and learning from her for eight years at this point. I had a little girl named Danielle who came to me in a dream and gave me the blessing of trusting without fail and teaching me to root down. She died during birth when my uterus ruptured. It was a time of reflection and deep waves of grief for me and my entire family.
The most devastating thing to endure was seeing my older girls, Bella and Sophie have to relive the tragedy in their own hearts and minds. For her Memorial Service, I asked for native plants instead of donations of flowers. I couldn’t bear the idea of watching the beautiful flowers die. My husband was my hero and built a garden that I designed, just a couple of days after her death. Soon after, we also built a greenhouse. Being with those plants and watching them grow, tending to them, has been healing in every way.
Danielle came to me in a vision soon after her death and promised me that she would come back to me. One year later, on August 24th, 2019, my daughter Phoenix was born. I secretly asked Danielle to give me a sign that it was her, and when my husband handed me her for the first time, all I could see was an outline of a phoenix on her forehead in the form of a strawberry. another confirmation that I was on the right path to my destiny.
The next transition for Pixie Living Solutions will be into Healing Homes. We will begin creating Healing Home designs this year and introduce them to our community as they come out. I want to design homes that work for each individual person, and family, within the realms of their needs. I want indoor gardens, bringing the outside in and different designs that work for the true needs of the people in the homes. This will include me working on a spiritual level with my clients and their homes.
I don’t believe that I will ever stop trying to help people and their homes. I’ve always felt like a home is the center of our lives. A home doesn’t have to be millions of dollars to be beautiful. If it is functional and makes you happy, then it is worth more than a million dollars.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
As a woman in the construction industry, this is my biggest challenge, besides being a working Mom with 3 independent, creative, active, children. Many people automatically trust a guy that can shoot numbers at an estimate, but there is something about being a designer and having to earn people’s trust and make them feel that what you are doing is worth their investment.
As you know, we’re big fans of Pixie Living Solutions. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
We are a full-service interior design company with a passion for efficient living. From concept to installation we create mindful, soulful, & beautiful spaces. As a full-service design company, we handle everything from consulting services, floor plans, construction plans, architectural plans, 2D & 3D designs, interior selections, exterior selections, decorating, remodels, new construction, and commercial designs.
We have 15 years of experience and partner with local businesses to help achieve your desired goals. With attention to detail, organization, great partnerships, and a professional team backing Pixie, we exceed expectations!
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
I feel like my entire business was a risk. As a young woman, starting from nothing, not having the credit or financials to start a business, but running on passion and faith, I made it work. I believe that taking risks is the true definition of having faith. If you sit quietly with yourself and listen, you will discover truths that lead you to your destiny for this lifetime.
Pricing:
- $150/hr Design Consultations
Contact Info:
- Website: www.pixielivingsolutions.com
- Instagram: @pixielivingsolutions
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pixielivingsolutions
Image Credits
Gina Hill Photography
