Today we’d like to introduce you to Melanie Greer.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Honestly, The Boutiques at Virginia Beach came together the way the best things usually do — out of a little bit of chaos, a lot of heart, and people who just refused to give up.
When Painted Tree closed, we watched vendors we knew, lose almost everything practically overnight. These were not just business owners. They were makers, dreamers, and everyday people who had built something they were genuinely proud of. It hurt to watch, and we knew we had to do something.
So we did.
We found a home in Virginia Beach, and what happened next still makes us smile. Vendors started filling their spaces. Shoppers started coming through the door. People started finding each other again. It felt like a neighborhood getting back together after
Virginia Beach took a chance on us, and we are so grateful they did. Every single day we get to watch small business owners do what they love in a space that feels like theirs and that will never get old.
We, as the founders are just a group of people who believe in small business, believe in community, and believe that Virginia Beach deserved something like this.
We are really glad we get to be here and so proud to give our shop owners a place to call home.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Smooth? Not exactly. Hard? Not really. Worth it? Absolutely!!!
Building The Boutiques at Virginia Beach has been a journey full of rewards and quick pivots — things we did not see coming and moments where we just had to figure it out as we went. But hard? No. When you believe in what you are doing and the people you are doing it for, it never really feels hard. It feels exciting. Even the bumpy parts and honestly we are still figuring some things out.
And if we had to start all over tomorrow, we would not hesitate for a single second. Because the vendors are worth it. The customers are worth it. This community is worth it.
We would do it a hundred times over.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
My name is Melanie Greer and I am the CEO and Co-Founder of The Collective Boutiques/ The Boutiques at Virginia Beach, and I bring 35 years of leadership experience to everything I do.
I specialize in building teams, building trust, and building businesses that actually take care of their people. I have always believed that the best leaders are the ones who are in it with you — not above you — and that is the standard I hold myself to every single day. You will often see me in the stores working hand in hand with our store teams.
What I am most proud of is watching vendors who lost almost everything come into our stores, set up their spaces, and start rebuilding their dreams. That never gets old. That is the whole reason we built this.
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
When I think about the people who have made this possible, a few names come to mind immediately.
Mike and Kimba Wingard believed in this vision from the very beginning. They did not just invest in the company — they invested in me, and that is a different thing entirely. Mike brings over 40 years of experience and a steady wisdom that I lean on every single day. And Kimba — having a woman like her in your corner is just different. She is warm, kind, and she genuinely cares about the people behind this company. Together they are the kind of partners every leader hopes to have.
And then there is Corey Gillum. Corey is the reason any of this exists. He pioneered this entire concept, and watching him choose to rebuild instead of walk away motivates me every single day. He pushes us to think bigger and never settle for ordinary when extraordinary is possible.
I would not be here without any of them — and I am proud to work with them and be a part of this team.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.thecollectiveboutiques.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61589945665399
