Women of Pittsburgh: Kelly & Monica Showcase Passion For The City at love, Pittsburgh

By Layla Joseph

When building something like a brand, it is sometimes hard to conceptualize the outcome all on your own. Great minds think alike, but great thoughts are created through contrast.

Pittsburgh locals Kelly Sanders and Monica Grunick wanted to pour their passion into something they love, and by working together, the pair found success in their four Pittsburgh storefronts.

Sanders and Grunick were both born in the Steel City, but their different backgrounds bring out the best in each other. They have run successful business endeavors in the past, but they both have different definitions of success.

To Grunick, succeeding means having the freedom to enjoy life on her own terms and create things she’s passionate about. To Sanders, success is knowing you're working hard towards something, and others react positively to it.

While Sanders studied textiles, clothing and fashion merchandising at West Virginia University, Grunick stayed closer to home and studied accounting and marketing at the University of Pittsburgh.

Grunick stuck to her yinzer roots and worked for Hienz, gaining corporate experience, and Sanders ventured off to the Big Apple, where she built her career as a clothing designer.

After returning home to Pittsburgh eight years ago, Sanders took a piece of New York City with her in the form of fabric. Using this leftover fabric, she started toomanysparkles: a brand that utilizes upcycled materials to create vibrant notebooks.

Just a year after Sanders was back in the ‘Burgh, she met Grunick after the pair was introduced at a Pittsburgh Technology Council event.

The two of them bonded over their appreciation for local art and businesses, not knowing then they would soon start their own chain of small establishments.

Not long after their paths diverged, the two realized that combining their differences, along with their similarities, could be beneficial for both of them. With Sander’s background in design and Grunicks knowledge of business, the two combined their minds to open the first love, Pittsburgh store in 2017.

Over the past six years, love, Pittsburgh has grown alongside Grunick and Sanders. The pair now has love, Pittsburgh locations in Downtown, Mount Washington and the Strip District.

“I feel like you could look at our growth in six years as quick, but it’s been very deliberate and thoughtful,” Sanders said. “The fact that Monica and I started together, and now we have a team of three full-time employees and upwards of 10 part-time employees, it’s exciting to grow with others.”

At love, Pittsburgh, the pair uses their stores to showcase artwork, clothing, candles and anything else created in Pittsburgh by local yinzers for people who love the City of Bridges.

More recently, the two opened love, which Grunick says is a “self-gift-shop” and a chance to showcase the things that they love.

Sanders said that the merchandise sold at love, has to be something that the pair adore, but also things that they think the community will love, too.

At love, Sanders and Grunick showcase their creativity by generating the vision and outsourcing products to make it a reality.

“love, is a whole different concept that has nothing to do with Pittsburgh,” Sanders said.

The pair sticks to the theme of supporting small businesses by outsourcing their products from artists and makers they have already built relationships with through love, Pittsburgh.

“Monica created the whole scent collection available at love,” Sanders explained. “But then we work with places like Wicksburgh and North Avenue Candle to pour the candles and Una Biologicals to produce the roll-on perfumes.”

“It’s really important to us that we make our very own message, brand and product, but then still reach out to the community to help us make everything come to life,” she said.

Both Sanders and Grunick can see and appreciate what the other brings to the table, and Grunick said their differences make them stronger as a team.

“Kelly was a fashion designer for a number of years, so she has a totally different perspective on how to find inspiration and translate that into our stores,” Grunick said. “The business wouldn’t be as strong if we didn’t have each other. Putting the two of us together makes all the magic happen.”

"If you have somebody along the journey with you that has your back and is ready to take a leap, it helps a lot," she said.

It’s evident that both Sanders and Grunick love Pittsburgh. Through the storefronts, they give back to the community by fundraising for a handful of local organizations while supporting local creatives.

The two incorporate their passion for sustainability in their businesses by donating 50 cents to TreePGH every time a customer declines a bag with their purchase. Initiatives like this have allowed the brand to earn a Gold Certification from Sustainable Pittsburgh.

“We’ve donated enough money to TreePGH to plant probably dozens of trees at this point," Sanders said. “It feels great. It’s a direct impact on the neighborhood and Pittsburgh.”

In addition to their sustainability efforts, the stores donate funds to Nose 2 Tail Cat Rescue, a volunteer cat rescue organization, through coin boxes at the checkout.

“They’re all very personal ways that we like to give back, and it feels good to give several hundred dollars to a very small non-profit because it goes a long way,” she continued.

Grunick and Sanders shared their advice to young women looking to start a business in Pittsburgh.

Sanders said she is grateful to have a business partner and that people looking to start a business should reach out to friends and mentors to bounce ideas off, get out of their heads and talk it out.

“I think it’s key that you talk, share and experience what you are dreaming about with other people who can support you,” she said.

Grunick said that her advice to people starting their own business would be to start small and stick with it.

“Appreciate the smallness of your business,” she shared. “Think of it as a time to learn about your business and how you want it to be presented.”

"I feel like sticking with things is the key to success," she continued. "Just because it's not an overnight success doesn't mean it won't succeed. Start small, but keep going.”