Meet Melannie Bannerman | Swimwear Business Owner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Melannie Bannerman and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Melannie, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
My business is centered around body positivity and women’s self-confidence. Until I had my son 5 years ago, I didn’t realize how important this is. Your body goes through different changes after being pregnant/having a child, I wanted to find a way to promote that you can still feel and look your best after those changes! I struggled with my own body insecurities for awhile, ignoring compliments people gave me, because in my mind, I just knew they were lying. I came up with Chocolate Swimwear for those women who feel how I felt at that time in my life. Women should be able to wear a cute bikini to the beach and feel their sexiest no matter what life changes they experienced!

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Apart from running my new business, I am also a graduate student, obtaining my Masters in Social Work. I have such a strong desire to help and advocate for people, and that also ties in to my swimsuit business. I want to help women build confidence, feel sexy, and feel self-worth. Starting a business has been such a learning experience, especially with utilizing social media. I think that has been my biggest challenge thus far, marketing my brand on social media and finding a way to stand out to the crowd. I think this will be an ongoing challenge, but it has gotten easier with time, dedication, and practice. I’ve learned that it is okay to ask for and seek help. That is a part of growth, not even only within a business, but within yourself. I want the world to know that anything is possible, and nothing is unrealistic. I never thought I would see myself as a business owner and actually enjoy it as much as I do. I hope to continue to grow, help people, and build confidence as time goes on.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
There are so many fun things to do in South Florida. I definitely would go to the beach (daily LOL), walk the boardwalk, enjoy Las Olas at night. I enjoy eating seafood so I like to eat at those types of restaurants.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I love and cherish all of my supporters. They push me to challenge myself and to be a better me and a better business owner. I definitely will always shoutout my baby boy. I just want to make him proud of me one day, and when he randomly hugs me and tells me he loves me or that I am pretty, it gives me the fuel to keep going.

Website: chocolateswimwear.com

Instagram: instagram.com/chocolateswimwear

Facebook: facebook.com/chocolateswimwear