Episode #21
Honey & Bro Co on Building a Family and Community-Centered Children's Brand
Mel Wiltsey and Alex Santos didn't meet as business partners. They met when Mel, working as a postpartum doula, came into Alex's home to help her family survive months of sleepless nights with a newborn. In this episode, the founders of Honey & Bro Co share how that relationship turned into a children's sleepwear brand built on bamboo and eucalyptus fabrics, inspired by their own kids, and tested nightly by their toughest critics: their toddlers. They talk candidly about starting a business with almost no background in fashion or manufacturing, the expensive inventory mistakes that came with learning as they went, and what it actually takes to build trust fast enough to become business partners after knowing each other for only a few months. We also get into what makes their partnership work, thick skin, open communication, and a shared vision that mattered more than experience, plus why they believe emotion and passion are strengths in leadership, not liabilities. This is a conversation about building something real, staying rooted in family even as the business grows, and choosing connection over scale. In this episode: From postpartum doula to business partner: how Melissa and Alex's relationship began Learning to manufacture clothing with zero fashion background, mistakes included Why they'd rather be someone's favorite brand than the biggest one Using their own children as product testers, and the honest feedback that follows Navigating conflict and building trust as co-founders and friends Why they see emotion and passion as leadership strengths, not weaknesses Find them: Social Media: @thehoneyandbroco Website: https://thehoneyandbroco.com/
