Meet Melissa Nunez of Happy Mess LLC

Today we’d like to introduce you to Melissa Nunez.

Hi Melissa, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
So a little bit about me, I grew up in Cali, the city of La Puente to be exact.. I worked for a non profit in Los Angeles for 6+ years & in late 2021 my little family of then 4 packed up & moved to Buckeye, AZ… Since moving here, I’ve been a stay at home mom to 3 beautiful girls…

I always get asked why & how I started but I never fully get into it. I just kinda do a general answer as to why I chose pancakes & leave it at that lol

But I know a lot of moms can relate & know about the challenges that come with motherhood/ postpartum & how it can take a toll on your health, physically, mentally and emotionally…

Soo, I spent my 1st week postpartum from my 2nd born babygirl bringing in the New Year (2021) all alone in the ER, cause at the time covid was at its peak & no one was allowed to be in there with me.. I was soo scared that my new born would never know me & that my oldest who was 7 at the time, would have to do the rest of her life without me… to then fast forward a few months later, We’re moving 300 miles away from all of our family & everything we’ve ever known.. Where I’m now going to be a SAHM in a new and unfamiliar place, and would become pregnant with our 3rd babygirl just a few months later.. lots of BIG changes and experiences in a short time frame lol

It’s now 2023, we’ve welcomed our 3rd babygirl & purchased our 1st home. A time I dreamt of since our oldest was born & something we’ve worked so hard towards to only feel guilt & frustration for the deep and heavy feeling of emptiness I had and just couldn’t seem to shake..

You know that social media trend ” She probably just needed a hug, but did this instead”… It’s the perfect representation of how HAPPY MESS came to be lol

I needed something for myself, something that I could have full control over, because at the time everything else felt completely out of my control & MESSY! & from that Happy Mess was born!

We had our first official pop up in September 2024 on the Jackrabbit Java Patio (shout out Lauren), and have been going at it ever since.. You’ll catch me & my oldest & occasionally my fiancé + the littles serving up delicious chaos at local markets/events & occasionally popping up at the patio… It’s still a struggle for me, trying to balance it all… the day to day is still a mess at times, but now it’s just a little happier!

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?
Is it ever? Lol

Our biggest challenge thus far is not having our “village”.. My two youngest are under the age of 5 & not having a lot of family or friends out here has been a struggle.. It limits our capabilities & commitment, since we are family operated! If there isn’t anyone in town visiting or able to help watch our littles, then it’s just me & my oldest running the booth while dad stays home with the other two… Don’t get me wrong though, babygirl & I can kick some serious butt as a two woman crew, but there are times it takes a toll & burnout gets real!

Aside from that there’s soo much that we’ve just kinda learned as we went along!! & if it can help anyone save a little money, stress or headaches I would have to share these 4 things that I wish I knew starting out…

1. RESEARCH & REVIEW- Starting out we just went for it, booked ourselves for everything and anything that would accept us.. So, yeah… Definitely don’t do that! Lol

Do your research on markets and events, especially those charging a pretty penny! Look at their socials, their marketing, engagement, find videos of actual foot traffic.. a well organized market will have that.. However, New markets that might not have that definitely deserve love too, and can be mutually beneficial when you’re starting out since you can establish yourself there as a frequent vendor & grow together! You can also find a vendor similar to you & ask them about markets or events they’ve done that you’re thinking of joining and their experiences there.

2. Marketing & Branding- You need clear signage as to what your business is & what you’re selling at your events.. You can have the coolest things or tastiest food, but if you don’t put effort in your presentation, people aren’t going to put in the effort to check you out. We’d get walked by all the time until we put a big banner in front of our tent with big ol’ words and pictures of mini pancakes! Start small.. Vista Print & Staples are my go-to’s they always have great discounts and deals & even same day pick up on certain print jobs!
& Social Media is key too! We’ve had people book with us, and invite us to their markets personally based off of our Instagram alone! All you need is the camera on your phone, your product & Canva!

3. Community over Competition- Don’t be scared to ask for advice or help setting up your tent- the vendor community is full of some of the most friendly, funny and dopest people I’ve ever met! & most are open books, willing to share their experiences, answer questions or lend a helping hand! & with soo many markets & events popping up there is enough opportunity and space for everyone to grow.

4 .Give Grace- To yourself and to others.. Whether you forgot an ingredient and have to trash a whole batch of product or if you try promoting something new & it doesn’t go as planned; be nice to yourself and learn from it, “How can you avoid another mishap?” or “Why do you think it didn’t it work out?” If an event doesn’t go well & you’re lucky enough to work with the few organizers that do everything possible to make their events successful, not just for themselves but for their vendors; with vendor spotlights, pre-made content for you to use and promote yourself, to simply checking in before and after an event to see how they can help or answer any questions/concerns.. Don’t burn bridges over a bad market day! There are soo many factors or even growing pains for organizers that may cause a slow market or low sale event, so just be nice & give grace!
& for market and event goers, please give grace to all vendors, whether an item seems too expensive or an order is taking too long, Most of us are ran by small teams, we have off days where nothing is going right, but most of us truly care about what we do and your experience and would love to know how we can improve. We aren’t big corporations with big budgets and bulk discount connections aside from Costco and Sam’s lol Some of us don’t even pay ourselves for the time it takes to create the items we sell.. So pricing is usually reflective of the quality and care put into your purchases & your support means everything to us small businesses! It’s what keeps us going and growing! So, please share any feedback with us, good or bad.. just be nice is all lol

Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
So Happy Mess is currently a Pop-up type of establishment! We set up at local Markets, City Events, Festivals & also offer catering services for Private & corporate events (Birthday Parties, Fundraisers, Staff & Customer Appreciation, Open houses, Etc.)…

Happy Mess specializes in delicious mini pancakes, but we also dabble in a little baking here and there too! We love to incorporate our mexican roots with the classic staples we grew up enjoying! From our Original Tres Leches & Churro inspired Messes to our Chocoflanes & seasonal Champurrado and Abuelita Hot Chocolate! We love putting people on to the flavors from our childhood! 🤎

We pride ourselves in providing quality over quantity.. From our carefully crafted and perfected batter that’s made from scratch and Gluten-Free, to our thoughtfully curated Signature Messes; they’re a reflection of the quality & care we put into what we do & the taste speaks to that as well. The fact that we have Gluten-Free options at all our pop ups & vegan options for private events is what sets us apart from the rest.. & accommodating dietary restrictions/ preferences is important to us because we never want anyone to feel left out of being able to enjoy something sweet and delicious!

Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
So, I try reading books.. but my long list of worries, to-do’s and mental notes won’t allow me to commit & retain anything lol

As for podcasts the only one I listen to, usually on those long drives back to Cali is Crime Junkies!

I mostly listen to music to help get me through the day to day though and it’s anything from Freestyle to Rap, Rock, Oldies, R&B, honestly my Playlist is all over the place… much like my mind lol

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.tiktok.com/@thehappymessco?_r=1&_t=ZP-91A3hYFywLH
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thehappymessco?igsh=dzFnNG40cjllbGVw
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/14LC17mnHNn/
• Yelp: https://m.yelp.com/biz/happy-mess-buckeye