Daily Inspiration: Meet Melissa St. John

Today we’d like to introduce you to Melissa St. John.

Hi Melissa, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
How it started: It began in 2012 when I was ready to attend college. I knew I wanted to go to Missouri Western State University but had not decided what to study. The school offered a small fair a few weeks before classes started to represent the courses offered, so my dad and I decided to check it out and see if anything stood out to me. The first booth as you walked into the room was for Graphic Design. They showed us the computer software they used and some of the art that students had made, and instantly I knew that’s what I wanted to do. I told my dad we didn’t need to go to other booths. I had my mindset. From that moment on, I was going to be a Graphic Designer!

The school was great; I knew I was in the right field. I enjoyed everything about it. My senior year finally arrived, and I graduated with my BA in Graphic Design. But it was time to start job hunting, and I was terrified. Especially me being myself: a super shy person. I applied for a few jobs and was interviewed for a job in St. Joseph. I almost excepted until a friend of mine/neighbor just happened to tell me about a company needing a graphic designer. They were close to home and would be a super awesome gig.

The company was Berserk Athletics; they needed someone to help design custom jerseys and other sports apparel. I was so nervous; after looking at their stuff online, I wasn’t sure I would be good enough for the job. But I got ahold of them and was put to the test. I was hired almost immediately, and my real journey began. I worked for Berserk for just about 6 years. I loved it, and it was the perfect fit. I never thought I would be a jersey designer, but there I was, one of the crew’s top artists, and we definitely had the best artists in the jersey world. It’s there where I learned everything I know about the jersey business. Meaning I got to learn from the best. I was often designing on my computer in the background, but I always listened. I learned so much about the products, the fabrics, the colors, and how to deal with customers just by being in the same room as everyone else. These skills would help my future as things started to take a surprising shift. I started to play in a local Kansas City cornhole league. KC Baggers! I got asked to make some jerseys for the league, and of course, I did. Within the year, the sport started growing, which quickly meant more leagues and more groups requesting jerseys.

I quickly noticed, though, that some people might feel left out when it came to wearing the jerseys, whether it be women who didn’t have very many feminine options at the time (me, lol) or just people who didn’t quite feel dedicated to one group enough to wear their attire or didn’t want to cause tension between groups so I wanted to create something that anyone could wear, you didn’t have to be a part of a club you could just be you and feel cool in an awesome jersey like everyone else.

Berserk, focusing on most sports, had never really dove into the cornhole scene, so I asked my boss James Hutson if Berserk could help me start my own jersey line for cornhole. To my surprise, he said yes! From there, he was happy to help me throughout the process of getting started, and in October of 2021, On Board Cornhole Apparel was born! I was working with Berserk still while getting things up and running. The business could have been faster initially, and I only sold 2 jerseys on my first Halloween release. Until one day, someone wrote on my page asking for a custom jersey design for them. I messaged them back and said of course, and the custom jobs kept rolling in from there. I never planned on making custom jerseys through On Board since that’s what I already did at Berserk, but I couldn’t turn the people away.

The business became great enough that this year 2023, I could finally take on On Board Cornhole Apparel as my sole career. As the company grows, so do the skills and items I offer; whether it be custom jersey design, T-shirts, hat embroidery ( the most challenging thing ever to learn), logo design, or cornhole bag design, the options are endless!

I am incredibly thankful for the people who have supported me through this, Berserk Athletics being number one. I literally would not be able to do this without your support. Second, my family, being just me currently running the business, I spend much time getting things taken care of; being alone, the responsibilities pile up, and I am glad you can be there for me always. My little 5-year-old Nolan often sits on my lap or hangs out next to me, keeping me company as I get things done (he is my favorite ever!), and Brock, who you will often see helping run the booth at tournaments. And lastly, my customers and cornhole family. Being a small business, I have connected with so many people. My customers have turned into friends, and I love that about what I do. Of course, the company can become a larger success; hopefully, one day, I can hire some help. But for now, I will always appreciate the connections I get to make with each of these wonderful people. For now, ill keep doing my best for the cornhole world!

It wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
So far, things have been smooth business-wise. I have some of the best, most kind customers. The biggest struggle has just been having the time to get everything done. I have many very late nights meaning you can find me taking naps just about anywhere! But I have faith I will be able to hire help one day; the cornhole world is growing rapidly every day. It has gone from just a backyard game to now being shown on ESPN. Schools are even taking the sport on. So I know as the sport grows, so will the company.

Thanks for sharing that. Can you tell us more about your work next?
So as owner of On Board Cornhole Apparel, I also specialize in Graphic design. As a graphic designer, there are many different things I have been able to accomplish in a business where a lot of others would need help, making me very lucky, whether designing my logo, creating and managing my website, or creating advertising. I also design all my products so I do not have to wait or depend on someone to supply me with options. As well as for my custom jerseys jobs. I can work directly with them and ensure they are cared for. I am very proud of how far I have gone in design. I never imagined I would be where I am today. What sets me apart from others is that I am a people pleaser, which is only sometimes good. But in being that way, I am not just able to give someone a design quickly to get it done. It is perfect, like the customer must love it. If they don’t love it, I must try again until I feel thrilled with what they are receiving. I do put my heart into everything I do.

Any big plans?
In the future, I would love to see my jerseys all over the United States. I have major support in Kansas City, slowly but surely spreading in several other states. I know it can and will be there one day if I keep going. I also think it would be awesome to maybe one day have my own storefront or cornhole facility to call my own.

Contact Info:

• Website: OBCORNHOLEAPPAREL.COM
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/onboardcornhole