The MaeLee Collective: Founders and Futures Spotlight

Entrepreneurship rarely begins with a perfect business plan. Sometimes, it begins in grief. Sometimes, it begins with a moment of uncertainty. And sometimes, it begins with the decision to simply keep going.

For Heather Frey, founder of The MaeLee Collective, what started as a temporary holiday storefront inside Rock Hill’s Galleria Mall became something much deeper, a business rooted in connection, memory, confidence, and storytelling.

Located in the Galleria Mall, The MaeLee Collective is a boutique permanent jewelry and hat bar studio specializing in welded-on permanent jewelry, custom hat design, and curated pop-up experiences for private and corporate events. But according to Heather, the business was never just about accessories.

“Our mission is simple: helping people wear their confidence and tell their story,” she shared. That sense of story is woven throughout every part of the business.

Building Something Meaningful

Heather opened The MaeLee Collective in January 2023, but the journey toward entrepreneurship was deeply personal.

“Honestly, it started from a really personal place,” she said. “After losing my mom, I wanted to create something that felt meaningful and connected to both her and my daughter.”

Jewelry had always represented more than something decorative. It carried emotion, memory, and significance. Heather recalled having a bracelet made using her mother’s handwriting from a card, a small but powerful reminder that brought her comfort during a difficult season.

At the same time, she noticed something missing in the local market.

“There wasn’t a permanent jewelry place near us, and a lot of what was available felt mass-produced or not very personal,” she explained. “I wanted to create something more creative and intentional, where people could come in, have an experience, and leave with something that actually meant something to them.”

What began as a short-term Christmas lease in the mall slowly evolved into something much bigger.

“We had a short-term lease in the mall for Christmas, and I had just lost my mom earlier that year, so everything felt a little all over the place,” Heather shared. “Instead of walking away, we decided to keep going. We signed a new lease just after the one-year anniversary of her passing, added permanent jewelry, and just kept building from there.”

The business quickly became more than a storefront. “It turned into something way more meaningful than I ever expected.”

More Than Jewelry

One of the things Heather wishes more people understood about permanent jewelry is that it’s not simply a trend.

“People come in for a bracelet and leave with a memory, a moment, a piece of their story,” she said. “It’s intimate and intentional in a way that shopping online just isn’t.”

That emotional connection became clear early on.

“During some of the first events and appointments, people would get emotional over something as simple as a bracelet,” she explained. “That’s when it clicked for me. It wasn’t just jewelry. It was about connection and confidence and creating something people didn’t want to take off.”

That mindset has helped The MaeLee Collective stand out in a growing industry focused heavily on trends and aesthetics.

For Heather, the experience matters just as much as the product itself.

The Entrepreneurial Reality

Like many entrepreneurs, Heather admits one of her biggest challenges has been learning to let go.

“Trying to do everything myself for way too long,” she said.

“At the beginning, you feel like you have to control every part of it. Over time, I’ve had to learn how to build a team, put systems in place, and trust other people to help carry it.”

She also believes there’s a misconception that entrepreneurship automatically creates freedom.

“There is freedom, but there’s also a lot of pressure and responsibility that people don’t see,” she explained. “You’re always thinking about the business, even when you’re technically off.”

Still, Heather continues to move forward with a mindset grounded in action rather than perfection.

“Done is better than perfect,” she said. “If you wait until everything feels perfect, you’ll never move forward.”

It’s advice she would also give herself if she could go back to the beginning.

“Start before you feel ready and stop overthinking everything. You figure things out by doing, not by waiting until everything feels perfect.”

Growing in York County

As a York County-based business, Heather says community relationships have played a major role in the company’s growth.

“A lot of our growth has come from people sharing, coming back, and bringing others with them,” she said. “The business really grew through connections more than anything else.”

Because York County communities can feel spread out geographically, she’s had to be intentional about visibility and engagement.

“It’s pushed me to focus more on the experience and making something people actually want to talk about and share,” she explained.

That commitment to connection continues to guide how the business evolves.

Protecting the Vision

One of the most unexpected lessons Heather has learned as an entrepreneur is the importance of protecting her energy.

“Not every opportunity is the right one, and not everything is worth saying yes to,” she said. “Learning that has helped everything feel more aligned.”

As for what’s next, Heather is focused on sustainable growth.

“More events, more corporate bookings, and continuing to build the experience without losing what makes it special,” she shared. “I also want to step more into a leadership role and not be in every single detail, while still maintaining the parts that started all this for me.”

When asked to describe her entrepreneurial journey in one word, her answer came quickly: “Becoming.” “I feel like I’m still growing into it,” she said. “Every phase has changed me, not just as a business owner but as a person.”

A Story Still Being Written

Heather’s story is a reminder that entrepreneurship is rarely linear. There are slow seasons, pivots, questions, and moments where perseverance matters more than certainty.

“There are moments where you question everything,” she shared. “But that doesn’t mean it’s not working. A lot of the growth is happening behind the scenes, and that takes time. Just keep going.”

For The MaeLee Collective, that commitment to continuing forward has created more than a business. It has created a space where people celebrate milestones, honor memories, and leave carrying pieces of their stories with them.

And for fellow entrepreneurs reading along, that may be the biggest reminder of all: sometimes the businesses that impact people the most are the ones built from the most human places.

To learn more about The MaeLee Collective, visit www.maeleecollective.com or follow along on Instagram at @themaeleecollective.

Founders and Futures is a storytelling initiative by the Gravity Center Foundation highlighting the entrepreneurs, innovators, and visionaries shaping York County’s business community.