Women's History Month: Female-owned DIY businesses thrive alongside each other under one roof
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Three women-owned businesses are empowering each other to build their brands.
As CBS2's Lisa Rozner reports, they all coincidentally left their male-dominated industries to make a name for themselves in the do-it-yourself industry.
From fine dining to fancy cakes, baker Melanie Moss left the restaurant business in 2015 to team up with her sister, attorney Diana Moss, and start Mini Melanie.
"Somewhere in my 25-year-old brain, I wanted to get out of those male dominated kitchens and start my own thing," Melanie told Rozner.
Their own thing being truffles with cake inside, a.k.a. cake truffles, each named after females in their lives.
"Alice is my daughter and Pearl is our niece," Diana said.
COVID closed their Chelsea Market storefront, and event catering disappeared. In 2020, they launched do-it-yourself cookie kits.
All of the products, from do-it-yourself cookies to cake pops, are made in their Williamsburg kitchen.
"This has always been my dream," said Melanie.
The DIY business took off for them and two fellow women-owned businesses under the same roof, who they now call friends and confidantes.
"And that's literally anything from, 'I ran out of labels'... To, 'What technology do you use?'" April Wachtel, Founder and CEO of Cheeky Cocktails, told Rozner.
Cheeky Cocktails ships syrups, spirits and instructions, so everyone can feel like a home bartender.
"No measurement required, no skillset required," Wachtel said.
Red Velvet NYC creates gourmet DIY baking kits, mailing out ingredients and accessories.
"People feel really good about themselves when they make something from start to finish," said Agathe Assouline-Lichten, Founder & CEO.
They say it's a gift to have built their bonds and brands together to survive.
