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 I "MELT" WITH YOU
BUSINESS: Melt
OWNER: Stephen McNally
TYPE: Bath & skincare products
SINCE: 2001
CONTACT: meltproducts.com meltstores.com
Colorado’s Stephen McNally, owner of bath-and-skincare company Melt, spent 20 years working for the airlines, traveling the world and having a grand old time. Then he decided it was time to get serious
“For the second half of my life, I decided it was time to actually work and do something I was passionate about,” says McNally. “It’s kind of the opposite of what most people do, but I’ve always had an interest in looking good and feeling good, and I’ve always taken good care of my skin. I’m 50 now and not looking too bad for 50, if I do say so myself.”
Melt has been in business since 2001 and has three locations in Colorado, a fourth on the way and a brand-new franchise division to spread the Melt brand throughout the land. Not bad for an operation that started literally in his kitchen.
“Sure enough, when we started, we were mixing stuff up in the kitchen sink,” says McNally. “But now we’ve grown so much we’re outsourcing that and just continuing to expand—like with our new franchise division and working with the My Coke Rewards program. And spas and stores up and down the Front Range are carrying our product.”
McNally believed in the concepts behind Melt from the start, even mortgaging his own house to help finance the start-up.
“I’m a Scorpio,” he says, “and we tend to really believe in our convictions, and if I believe in something, I’m gonna go for it. I just knew it would be a hit and, sure enough, instantaneously, as soon as the stores opened, they were profitable.”
His advice for other gay entrepreneurs is tried and true. “I don’t want to sound like a Miss America contestant, but the number one thing is to follow your dreams and believe in yourself. Plan on working hard, be passionate and, maybe a little more realistically, put together a great business plan. With that plan, you will find people to back you. If you believe in your dream, you can sell that excitement and belief, and you will find people to finance and back you.”
But with so many skincare products on the market, what makes Melt stand out from the crowd? “That’s easy,” McNally says. “Our ingredients are superior. We don’t use anything synthetic. We don’t use sulfates or petroleum or parabens. Everything is handmade. Melt is a very natural line. It’s funky, it’s fun, it’s fresh, and the line encompasses everything you could possibly need for your skincare regimen.”
From the start, Melt’s biggest seller has been their shaving cream. Customers swear by it! “You’ve tried the rest, now try the best,” laughs McNally. “It’s a really high-end shaving butter and works equally well for men or for women. It’s by far the best shaving cream I’ve ever used in my life, and the good thing for guys is that you only need to use an amount the size of your pinkie nail to get a super-close shave that minimizes neck rash and acts as a moisturizer as well.”
It’s also important to McNally that Melt is a good member of the GLBT community. “We want people to know that Melt is a gay-owned company that caters to the community and supports all the GLBT causes, from HRC to AIDS Walk.”
While Melt stores are only found in Colorado at the moment, anyone who wants to treat his or her skin to a little extra TLC can go online and order from meltproducts.com. And those who want to be rich as well as beautiful can look into franchise opportunities at meltstores.com. “We want to be in the cabinet of every gay boy across America,” says McNally. “We’re already in the cabinet of every gay boy in Denver, and we’re ready to spread across the country.”
Melt stores in Colorado:
Cherry Creek Center
3000 E. First Avenue
Denver, CO 80206
303.321.6371
Flatiron Crossing
1 W. Flatiron Circle
Broomfield, CO 80021
303.469.0076
Southwest Plaza
8501 W. Bowles Ave.
Littleton, CO 80123
303.933.0853
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