Josiah+co.

About Melissa

Melissa Sulley of Josiah+co. is an incredible warrior and inspiration to many. Melissa’s hand-crocheted booties (and other accessories) began as a way to work through her grief as a mother who has prematurely given birth to multiple “Heaven Babies”——babies born without heartbeats, miscarriages, and any other form of pregnancy loss. Melissa decided to make something positive out of all the negativity that surrounded her, and the community she has created on Instagram (now over 11,000 strong) support each other through all of the trials and triumphs of becoming mothers. Melissa is a light in a very forgotten place, and she continues to help others through what can be the loneliest point your life.

 About the Project

Melissa was looking to put together a short film that captured who she is, what her business is, and where all of those things are going. We had a limited time window (less than a week!) to create a concept, script, shoot, edit, and finalize a film, but we pulled it off. The final product takes you through the beginnings of Josiah+co. and leads you to the vision and dreams Melissa has for the future.

Everything was filmed on-location at Melissa’s shared-studio at Steel City Studio, a fantastic co-working space for anyone looking for something! We had to battle noisy street traffic and creaky floors, but overall we were able to minimize these distractions in the final film.

Melissa was a pro at reciting her script and came very prepared based on the guidelines and tips I’d sent her way previously.

Overall, we are both incredibly pleased with how the final product turned out. The final monologue was an impromptu addition during production that ended up being the perfect way to close the film. Behind all of the stuff on the surface, Melissa’s heart is so closely tied to every aspect of her business, that being able to bear it to any mother going through the same things Melissa has, was the most true-to-self way we could’ve wrapped things up.

Who’s cutting onions?