Inspiring Conversations with Michelle Hake of Hearth & Sage General Store

Today we’d like to introduce you to Michelle Hake.

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?
In the summer of 2016, we left LA and moved to the mountains. My husband works as a DP, so we needed to be LA adjacent, but wanted somewhere a little slower paced, surrounded by nature to call home. On a good day, Crestline is about an hour from Pasadena.

While we were living in LA, I had been part of pop-up markets designing upcycled handbags. Being in that community of creatives, I had always dreamed of opening a brick and mortar space filled with ethically made, handcrafted goods. Once we made Crestline our home, the timing felt right to pursue that dream.

We found an available space, did two months of an all-hands-on-deck renovation, and opened our doors in April of 2017. It was a whirlwind of construction and to-do lists. There was a constant feeling of being out of my depth, doing so many things I had never done before (i.e., establishing an LLC, ordering goods from the vendors and artists we wanted to carry, designing the space, etc.).

It’s now been 4 1/2 years and we’ve curated such a beautiful mix of artisan made goods. We carry products that have a story like our mother-daughter made jams (m.Greenwood jams— an LA company) and Further (another LA family-owned company) that repurposes restaurant cooking oil into glycerin for their line of soaps, lotions and candles. We love getting to share about the makers behind our products and supporting other small businesses with ours.

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?
1. The work and effort it took to get our doors opened is something I look back on with amazement that we were able to pull off. We had friends and family that pitched in to help– gifts of time and presence that we are forever grateful for.

2. I got pregnant in 2018, so there were definitely challenges juggling motherhood and running a business. We had a crib set up at the shop, and I was sometimes holding our son in one arm while ringing up a customer with the other.

3. It took us a couple of years to really get established and find our stride, but we went into 2020 with confidence of having mostly dialed in our business. That of course all changed a few months later. Like most, the shutdown was a scary time to be a business owner. There was a looming fear of how long we could coast without in person sales. We had to adapt and get creative by offering contactless pickups and delivery. It was amazing to see how mindful people became of the need to support small businesses, and, as a shop owner, to be on the receiving end of that intentionality was really incredible. It sounds dramatic, but honestly, every online sale that came in felt like a giant hug and that person saying, “We believe in your business and we want you to make it.”

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
We’re a modern general store located 5000ft up in the San Bernardino Mountains, outside of Los Angeles. We’re proud to feature high-quality, ethically made goods from makers from California to Maine. You’ll find edible delights like cinnamon-vanilla infused maple syrup, local honey, beer bread mix as well as accents for the home like dried florals, art prints, throw pillows and blankets.

Before we go, is there anything else you can share with us?
Crestline has changed a lot over the past five years, and it’s been so rewarding to be part of that. As Board Members on the local Chamber of Commerce, we organize a summer beer and wine walk called Corks n Hops that pulls 500 people up each month. Our shop is a pour station, along with ten other businesses throughout town. It’s such a fun way to experience Crestline— strolling the streets and exploring the local shops. The event has been on hold the last two summers, but we are crossing our fingers for the return of Corks n Hops in 2022.

Contact Info:

• Email: michelle@hearthandsage.com
• Website: hearthandsage.com
• Instagram: @hearthandsage
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HearthandSage/
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/hearth-and-sage-general-store-crestline

Image Credits:
Mountain Sunset – Nate Harrison Michelle in the shop – Daley Hake all other photos – Michelle Hake