Linking a love for jewelry and community

Meghan Diemel

Contributor

February 23, 2026

PLYMOUTH – Melissa Reinke said for her, the spark for entrepreneurship came from a simple piece of advice from her father: “You guys are smart enough to do this on your own.”

Melissa said she had spent 15 years in leadership roles in the healthcare industry before stepping away in July 2024.

While she loved her work, Melissa said the high-stress environment and constant demands made maintaining a work-life balance increasingly difficult.

Transitioning to a remote healthcare position, she said, gave her the flexibility she needed, removing both the daily commute and the 24/7 pressures of her previous role.

Freed from those constraints, Melissa said she found the space to pursue a new venture: opening Reinke Links Permanent Jewelry and Gifts – which combines her passion for creativity with her entrepreneurial ambitions.

As someone who often had a side hustle throughout her adult life, Melissa said she sought a venture that brought her joy while steering clear of direct sales or multi-level marketing.

“I’ve never felt passionate about that – selling somebody else’s stuff, having to build a team…,” she said. “I just wasn’t interested in that.”

Two years ago, Melissa said she and her sister had considered opening a boutique franchise, but after their father, Michael Brooks, advised them to instead strike out on their own.

However, when he fell ill, Melissa said the plan was put on hold as she focused on caring for him before his passing.

As ideas for her future businesses percolated, she said she attended Christmas craft shows and bought a piece of permanent jewelry.

Melissa said conversations with the Appleton-based jeweler, also a nurse, gave her insight into both the craft and the business, planting the idea of launching something similar in Plymouth. 

“That kind of snowballed into what is now Reinke Links,” she said. “Over January and February [2025], I did the training, I did all of the research, started building my inventory and kicked off my first event in my home with friends and family, just to get me comfortable. That was the first weekend in March of 2025.”

Finding a permanent home through happenstance

With guidance from friends and mentors, Melissa said she took her first steps into business ownership, hosting pop-ups with help from a downtown Plymouth boutique owner. 

“I asked her if she felt like there was a need for permanent jewelry in the area, and if she knew of any other permanent jewelers,” she said. “And she said, ‘Heck, yes, you need to do it, and you can have a pop-up here in my boutique.’ So, I did that, reached out to her [and] had a pop-up at her boutique in March.”

From there, Melissa said she expanded her pop-up offerings by partnering with other boutiques, salons and local businesses – and promoting each event on social media.

She said it was also on social media that she discovered a permanent jeweler from Maine who had what she described as an adorable mobile studio.

Though she loved the idea of taking a studio on the road because vendor events are such a big market in the permanent jewelry world, Melissa said she wanted to avoid the challenges of working in a tent, contending with wind, rain or other unpredictable weather. 

“My husband, [Mike], is literally a jack of all trades,” she said. “So, I showed him the trailer, and he said, ‘Yep, we could build that, but it’s going to be pretty darn expensive.’”

Melissa said they eventually found a construction trailer, and Mike transformed it into a fully functional studio by August 2025.

The result, she said, was Destination Reinke Links, her official mobile jewelry studio. 

“It had a lot of success,” she said. “People absolutely love it. It is like a little beach cottage on wheels.”

As Destination Reinke Links flourished in 2025, Melissa said she found invaluable support from a mentor – an experienced permanent jewelry artist who encouraged her to consider expanding into a brick-and-mortar location as the next step in growing her business. 

“Brick-and-mortar was in my line of sight, but maybe a couple years down the road, because I’m still working full-time,” she said. “I had a mentoring session with another permanent jewelry artist who has a very successful business, just to talk strategy. She explained to me [that] her business really took off when she got a brick-and-mortar and started hiring employees, and we… talked about what it would take for me.” 

Melissa said she wanted to be in downtown Plymouth, drawn by the charming architecture and vibrant atmosphere.

She said her mentor helped her envision what running a full-time storefront could look like and how it could fit with her goals.

“That was on a Thursday,” she said. “The next Tuesday, I was in downtown Plymouth to pick up dog food across the street from the very first boutique that I ever did a pop-up in… and there was a ‘For Rent’ sign on the door.”

Melissa said not only was the space available, but it was conveniently located behind the boutique her friend owned.

After touring it that same day, she said she signed the lease by Thursday and, four weeks later, opened her brick-and-mortar studio.

“Everyone’s like, ‘That’s so exciting!’ and I [said], ‘Well, it’s either exciting or absolutely crazy,’” she said. “I haven’t decided what yet, but it has been an amazing journey.”

Melissa said she saw an opportunity to use the extra room in her studio for the community, hosting workshops where local artists teach everything from hand knitting and watercolor to needle felting and vision board creation.

She said it has become a space for makers to get their products out to the community but also bring the community together in a welcoming setting – with no purchase of her own jewelry required.

“Winters are so long in Wisconsin, and I really wanted a space for people to be able to go, get together, meet new people, learn a new skill, get out of their house and make those connections with other people,” she said. “And I had the space to do it, and I thought, what better use for it.”

The extra step

Using a micro welder, Melissa said permanent jewelry is custom-fitted to a customer’s neck, wrist, finger or ankle as a necklace, bracelet, ring or anklet. 

“I [also] have a whole plethora of different connectors, from birthstones to initials to sports themes, vacation themes, occupation themes, all kinds of fun stuff,” she said. “And then I also [create] handmade [pieces]. I have what… has been tagged in the permanent jewelry world as ‘glow-ups,’ and those are gemstones in different patterns and such… Your bracelet is then half gemstones, half chain.” 

In addition to the permanent jewelry, Melissa said she offers ready-made pieces, as well as a charm bar and other retail jewelry.

She said she also has a laser engraver on site to create custom engraving for jewelry pieces, cups, leather and other gift-type items.

Though some permanent jewelry artists learn through online videos, Melissa said there are also formal classes and certifications available.

Because the micro welder is used so close to the skin – and can pose risks for people with certain health conditions, like pacemakers – she said she chose to complete a certification program to ensure safety and expertise.

Melissa said her instructor – who has six years of experience and is now a leader in the industry – provided her with all the tools she needed to get started and has served as a reliable mentor, helping troubleshoot challenges as she continues to grow her business.

The story behind it

Even as she juggles her full-time remote healthcare job with her expanding jewelry business, Melissa said she hasn’t lost sight of what she’s truly building: a welcoming community where people connect and create lasting memories through jewelry. 

“I think the reason I feel such a connection to the business is truly the connections,” she said. “I absolutely love hearing the stories behind each piece, because 95% of the time, it is not just about coming in and getting bling… There is a story behind it. That’s truly what it’s about – building a piece that means something to that person. That’s why I absolutely love this line of work. It is just so rewarding and so cool to hear all these stories.”

Located at 411 East Mill St., Suite 105, in downtown Plymouth, Reinke Links is open by appointment only from 4-8 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays, with walk-ins welcome from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Fridays and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays.

Head to Reinke Links Permanent Jewelry and Gifts’ Facebook page for more details.