Meet Trailblazer Melisa Doran Cole

Today we’d like to introduce you to Melisa Doran Cole.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I started out my career as a social studies teacher. I spent 8 years in the classroom, but became more and more exhausted each year. I followed my intuition and became a yoga teacher in 2014 and combined both fields with my first business Whole Child Yoga.

The path that led from there to the Ninth House feels a little hazy and dreamlike.. which is appropriate since it literally started with waking up in the middle of the night, multiple nights in a row, and writing out pages of descriptions for this little metaphysical shop. I have the sketch I drew at probably 3 o’clock in the morning that outlined the entire vision. It’s important to note that before this, I had not wanted to own a shop, it was a very sudden burst of inspiration. I often tell people that it felt like more of a calling than anything else. In some ways, I had a choice of whether or not to follow it, but it was clear that what I needed to devote myself to at that moment in time was creating this space, a gathering space for women, that held interesting workshops, and filled the niche of a MODERN metaphysical shop.

I didn’t have the first clue how to open a retail shop, so I literally started with a list of all the things I didn’t know and how I would start to learn them. I read a lot of books, I did a ton of research, and I set myself ambitious deadlines.

With the help of a lot of amazing friends in Tucson, I opened the doors to The Ninth House on April 21 of 2018! We’ve already had so many amazing workshops and events in the space and I am excited to see how it continues to evolve and grow!

Great, 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?
It definitely has not been easy. Entrepreneurship is NOT the easy path. I think people wildly underestimate that amount of real, hard work it takes to be a business owner, especially of a brick and mortar space. I am grateful that I learned so much from my first business, even though they are totally different beasts.

I opened my doors in late Spring, and a big chunk of Tucson’s population leaves in the summer, so it created a huge challenge right off the bat. It definitely forced me to be creative, find mutually beneficial collaborations with other local business owners, and just have the grit to just keep going day after day.

I think my best advice is to be really realistic about what it takes and commit to doing the hard work. I own a metaphysical shop, so I’m all for a law of attraction and drawing what you desire, but I also believe that the universe respects hard work and rewards you for it.

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about The Ninth House – what should we know?
The Ninth House is a modern metaphysical shop and gathering space. We specialize in modern, artisan versions of classic metaphysical tools, in a bright, open and clean space. A majority of our inventory is sourced from local women makers and artists, and we support other small independent makers from all over the country as well. Our walls are decorated with the art of local women and rotates through every two months.

Probably, the most special thing about The Ninth House though is the community that we have created. We host multiple events per week, from women’s circles with live harp, to desert wildcrafting classes, tarot salons, book clubs and more. The space also hosts psychics, astrologers, palm readers and more. It was created to be welcoming and affirming to all and to create a conscious, intentional community, and I believe we are already successful at this, and will only continue to grow!

Do you feel like there was something about the experiences you had growing up that played an outsized role in setting you up for success later in life?
I think that in my particular woo-woo line of work, having a mother who was very intuitive and witchy (though she would have just called herself a Catholic) and told me ghost stories from her home country (the Philippines) helped me keep the magic alive. I believe that we are all born believing in things we can’t see – whether it’s religion or ghosts or energy — but most of us lose it as we get older. I never lost it, though it definitely faded for a while, before coming back with a vengeance.

Both of my parents also worked very difficult unskilled labor jobs, and neither of them graduated high school; they worked hard for everything we had. This taught me to work my ass off and to never take anything for granted or believe I was entitled to anything. This definitely set me up for endless challenges of entrepreneurship and gave me the mentality to keep pushing forward.

Contact Info:

• Address: 236 S. Scott Ave
  Tucson, Arizona 85701
• Website: www.theninthhouseshop.com
• Phone: 520-610-0287
• Email: theninthhouseshop@gmail.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/theninthhouseshop
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/theninthhouseshop

Image Credit:
Melisa Doran Cole

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