Sharing a Life-long Heritage and Passion

From a young age, Michelle Holyoak loved creating things with her hands. Raised in a farming family in upstate New York, Michelle was taught from a young age the value and rewards of hard work. She grew up across the street from her grandmother and loved helping her with farm chores. After, they would often go into the house to cook or sew. Michelle’s grandmother made most of her own clothes without a pattern and taught Michelle to do the same.

Years later, Michelle and her grandmother bought matching sergers, which made sewing clothing, especially formal wear, much easier and more efficient. Together, they would sew gowns for her sisters. Michelle even made her sister’s wedding gown.

For a long time, sewing was a hobby and a way to save money for her growing family. Michelle worked for Walmart Logistics for 22 years, managing operations. In 2018, she retired and went full-time with her own business – Creative Corner. It began in her home, where she made alterations for personal acquaintances. She loved machine embroidery, which led to her popular product line of key fobs.

“My business was growing each year, and I knew I needed some guidance,” Michelle says. “I contacted Jess Clifford at the SBDC to get help. He recommended I take a QuickBooks class at the technical college to help me with accounting. It was really helpful. Most of all, it was good to have someone to talk to and bounce ideas off.”

When COVID hit, Michelle jumped into making masks for charity organizations and helped for-profit organizations stay afloat. As things began to open up again, she moved into her first brick-and-mortar location in August 2022. Michelle also joined Business Network International, a networking group of local business owners who helped her locate and move into her current space by January 2023. Today, word about Creative Corner continues to spread as first-time visitors and customers continue to flow.

Looking back on how far she’s come, Michelle says, “My first love is my family, but after that, it’s sewing. My shop offers alterations, mending, quilting, longarm quilting, embroidery, sewing instruction and classes, and sewing supplies. We even offer space for local crafters to display their creations. Stop in and say hi. We love stitching comfort and fun into life!”