OUR STORY
What started as a dream—fresh, convenient options rooted in wellness for the St. Croix River Valley—slowly became something we couldn’t ignore. Individually, we held similar visions for what could be. And when the world felt like it was splitting apart during the pandemic, those visions came together with new purpose.
We realized what we were craving:
Real nourishment. Accessible wellness. A place that feels like community.
That’s why we created The Goodery. It’s more than a juice bar or a store—it’s a movement grounded in doing good, spreading good, and being good (as good as we can).
Welcome to The Goodery. We’re so glad you’re here.
Melissa
Sometimes I joke that I am a serial small business starter. I LOVE to create something from the ground up. Putting in the sweat (and often tears) to see it come to life is incredibly rewarding for me. My career started at the corporate level - I worked for many years at Best Buy Corp holding roles in Supply Chain, Purchasing and in Marketing. There were even a couple years that I worked Internationally in China, Turkey and Mexico City. I always say that these roles helped give me the well rounded experience to run my own small businesses.
After having the kiddos I felt that Corporate life was just not for me anymore. I stayed home for a bit but always craved more (and heck I spent so many years on my education I wanted to use it!) I started marketing consulting for small businesses as a side gig. I loved it - I started realizing that I was inserting myself into all aspects of the business - not just marketing. When an opportunity came to own my own store while living outside Chicago - I took a leap with a friend and we opened Jori and June (a women’s clothing and accessory store).
After one more move back to Minnesota (yes I moved a lot - every three years a new state.) We opened the second location in beautiful downtown Stillwater. I LOVED having a store downtown and loved seeing and meeting new customers every day. At this point I had the store for 5 years and my kids were starting to get WAY more active in sports and activities. There were days that I was paying people to just drive them to and from activities - it started weighing heavy on my heart. With the lease coming up I decided to not renew and to focus on them. I closed the store last January - and than in February this thing called COVID-19 happened…..
If there is one thing to know about me, it is that I am an open book. I truly believe that being authentic, transparent and vulnerable is something to be celebrated. We live in a world today that displays and promotes unrealistic expectations - especially for women (and moms). My goal has always been to use my platform of my businesses to showcase “real life” situations, which means sometimes they are good, but sometimes they are not - and that is OKAY!
Fast forward to where we are today. If you meet Emily you will instantly feel a connection. She is one of the kindest souls I have ever met - and so incredibly intelligent. We both connected on the challenges it is to run a household, maintain a business, and raise children. We find ourselves researching and practicing healthy life choices (as much as possible) in our own lives and wanted to join efforts to bring this to others. The first thing we wanted to introduce was the juices and cleanses. This is one way to get a lot of GOOD into your body at one time. We all lead busy lifestyles that we often forget to take care of ourselves. BUT, I always say that to be good for others, I have to be good to me first.
Do we claim to be experts?! Heck no. What we do know is there are so many of us out there trying to get through each day. We are so excited to start this journey with all of you - and to see how the Goodery grows.
Always remember to Be The Good.
MP
Emily
Hi, I’m Emily—Co-Founder of The Goodery
My wellness journey started when I was just 16, after losing my mom to cancer. She was only 40. That loss changed everything for me. From that moment on, I knew that health and prevention would always be a priority. Over the years, I became passionate about the things that helped me feel grounded and well—whole foods, movement, good sleep, time outdoors, mindfulness, and choosing presence over perfection.
Of course, those habits are easier said than done. After my first son, Geno, was born, I found myself completely depleted—running on little sleep and ignoring the signals my body was sending. Eventually, those signals caught up to me, and after months of appointments and testing, I was diagnosed with an autoimmune condition. That was my turning point.
I knew I had to return to myself. My mom had introduced me to juicing during her own wellness battle, and I remembered how healing it had been for her. I dusted off the juicer I had taken with me when I moved out, and started pouring the good stuff back in—literally and figuratively. With the help of my care team, my family, and my incredible support system, I gave my body the chance to rest, reset, and begin to heal. That healing process taught me just how powerful small, consistent choices can be—and after a few months of deep care, my symptoms went into remission and stayed there for four years.
Today, I live more in tune with my body and what it needs. I’ve learned that balance is possible, but it isn’t black and white. You don’t have to be perfect. You just have to keep choosing what feels good, one small step at a time.
After years of moving around—from Minnesota to the Netherlands, to Wales, to Colorado—my husband Dave and I made Stillwater home five years ago. We’ve fallen in love with this community and are raising our two boys (Geno and Graeme), two cats (Louie + Ollie), and our sweet rescue golden retriever (Flynn) right here.
As my kids grew, I transitioned from being home full-time to doing brand and marketing consulting for local businesses—and fell in love with it. Supporting small businesses through growth and clarity work was something I found deeply fulfilling. That path ultimately led to co-founding Good + Well Consulting with Melissa, my business partner in both life and work.
Melissa and I first met at a kids birthday party, and quickly connected as moms, small business lovers, and women trying to do life with intention. She inspired me from the beginning—running multiple businesses across states, all while being present for her family, friends, and community. We bonded over the challenge of taking care of ourselves while showing up for others—and out of those conversations, The Goodery was born.
We created The Goodery to be a place where wellness feels accessible, feel-good, and rooted in real life. It’s about small, good choices that support your day, your body, and your joy.
I’m so grateful to be doing this work—alongside Melissa, our team, and this beautiful community.
Thanks for being part of it.
xoxo, Emily