Ask Me Anything

Hi, it's Cher :) I'm the founder/owner of Fork & Melon. It's more my preference/personality to stay behind the scenes and let the brand speak for itself, but I thought it might be a good time to say hi, and introduce myself to those who may be newer to following🤍⁠
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My idea for F&M first sparked during a crossroads in my life, which included a hopeful first pregnancy, an unexpected layoff from my corporate job, and then a heartbreaking miscarriage. During this tumultuous time, I happened to be looking specifically for a new hand soap - one that was made with clean, non-toxic ingredients (I wanted to do everything I could to help my fertility, including detoxing my routine), one that was in a pretty bottle and good for skin (I've been into all things beauty since childhood), and one that wasn't as pricey/fussy as some of the other luxury hand soaps out there. And knowing that soap is a reoccurring purchase, I also wanted to support a company that was trying to do some good. When I couldn't find what I was looking for, I went on a long research journey and ended up learning about the wide-ranging benefits of watermelon seed oil for all skin types along the way. Eventually the first Fork & Melon products were born🍉⁠⠀
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Not quite 2 years after initial debut, the F&M mission is the same: to bring clean luxury to your daily routine without making it complicated. Simple. Clean. Chic. I hope you'll stay with me on the journey! Exciting stuff coming.
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I recently posted an #AskMeAnything on Instagram, which I might start doing more often depending how it goes - especially during this craziness while many of us are at home so much... We received some questions that I thought I'd recap below in case you were curious about these as well:


Q: Hey there! Where did the name Fork & Melon come from?

A: The name comes from a blend of influences.. at the most basic level it's a combination of my married (& husband's) last name, and my Greek maiden name: "Fork" & "Melonakos". But "Melon" also stands for "watermelon", as watermelon seed oil is a signature ingredient in our product line. There's also something about "Fork & Melon" bringing to mind products that are clean enough to eat (though we don't recommend eating them). Somehow the name also reminds me of a storied British soap house which I liked. When the name came about it was perfect.

Q: I love your brand! Any new products coming soon?

A: Yes! We just launched a new bubble bath housed in a pretty glass (refillable) bottle, with additional products coming in the next few months. Clean luxury bubble bath in eco-friendly refillable glass bottle is now available to order. You can bookmark our new arrivals page to keep up with all of our latest offerings.

Q: Do you have any unscented products?

A: Currently all of our products have a light citrus scent that comes from natural oils (we don't use synthetic fragrance), so you can feel good about what you're putting on your skin. It's formulated to be fresh and enjoyable while using, but not to linger as many are sensitive to fragrance and/or don't want it to interfere with other scents they may use.

Q: How did you navigate all the what-ifs of starting your own business? What was that process like, of deciding whether or not to go for it?

A: I followed my gut and had to figure everything else out from there! I wasn't someone who always had the goal of starting my own business - in this case it was the coming-together of so many factors at once where I felt led, almost like I didn't have a choice and I had to give it a try. I'm sure there are exceptions, but it seems like in general starting your own business is such a mountain to climb that if you don't feel like you HAVE to do it, it probably isn't the right thing. The process of "deciding whether or not to go for it" is on-going - like, do I want to risk investing in this thing or that thing to facilitate the growth of the business, when I'm not sure whether it will pay off? I've always been analytical and data-driven but at the end of the day my philosophy is to keep going for it as long as I'm able to and for as long as I feel like I'm on the right path.


Have a question you're curious about F&M or me? Feel free to comment below, or if you prefer you can message us on social or send us an email at any time!
 
xoxo, Cher⁠⠀
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**This photo of me was taken early last year with our debut products in hand 🖤