We recently connected with Kasey Harris and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Kasey, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

I prayed to God to provide me with a passion and He gave me the desire to sew and embroider…Initially, I started sewing with the intention of creating custom outfits in the fun prints that I love to wear. Little did I know that I was discovering a gift that brings me so much joy! I always enjoyed surprising my loved ones with handmade gifts. My loved ones would always say, “You need to sell this on Etsy.” “People will buy this!” “This looks professionally made!”. After seeing the joy on my loved ones’ faces when they received items that I made custom for them, I began to get the desire to start an Etsy shop solely focused on handmade accessories. I remember the joy of receiving my first handmade passport cover order. I felt so blessed that people who didn’t know me took a chance to order an item I made by hand. As the orders increased, I knew there was more to this than just being a hobby. I knew that this is what I was meant to do. Not only do I have a love for sewing, I also learned that I had a love for customer service. As I placed more energy into my Etsy shop, I began looking for ways to enhance my handmade items. I purchased my first flat bed embroidery machine in 2019 to provide customers the option to personalize the handmade accessories they ordered from me. This addition to my business was a success. Soon after adding the small embroidery machine to my business, sales increased. I began to understand my customer base. As I would promote my business, I started receiving requests for larger embroidery projects from local businesses. Once I realized my smaller embroidery machine wouldn’t be able to handle the large requests, I purchased a commercial multi-needle embroidery machine as an investment into my business. My prayer for a passion turned into an embroidery and sewing business named Kasey Danielle Designs, LLC. I have since expanded into t-shirt printing!

Kasey, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I am a marketer by day, and a crafty business owner by night! I started sewing initially as a way to make myself a unique wardrobe. I initially doubted my ability to sew but I was determined to teach myself the craft. The more I learned, the more I would make for myself and my loved ones. As my loved ones received the handmade gifts I made for them, they would encourage me to start selling my handmade items online. I am blessed to have an amazing support system cheering me on in every step of my business journey. My business initially started off with handmade accessories. My best sellers in the beginning of my business were handmade personalized keychains and handmade passport covers. As my business grew, I started to expand into embroidery in order to provide personalization options to my clients. The addition of embroidery was very successful for my business. It provided me the opportunity to facilitate larger orders for business clients. I now offer custom embroidered sweatshirts, beanies, t-shirts and hats. I also offer custom printed t-shirts as well.

I pride myself on offering stellar customer service. I offer a “white glove” service to my customers where I am very hands-on in making sure their vision comes to light. Since most of my offerings are custom, I like to provide my customers insight into all the steps of making their product. My customers enjoy this level of attention and transparency. I offer my customers mockups so they feel comfortable about the items that they ordered. One of the best parts of my business is hearing the stories behind the items that my customers request me to make for them. From engagement hoodies, wedding party gifts, ivf journey t-shirts and military deployment gifts, I have had the opportunity to provide custom items to my customers that represent key moments in their lives. It is truly an honor.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

The most rewarding aspect of being a creative is the joy I receive when my customers are more than pleased with the custom items that I make for them. My customers either come to me with a specific set of requirements or they provide me creative freedom to take their general concept and turn the idea into something amazing. It is a joy to have the level of collaboration that I have with my customers.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

During the first year of my business, one of my best sellers were personalized keychains. Things began to change after a couple years into my business. I went from selling multiple keychains a week to a few every other month. I knew that I had to pivot if I wanted my business to see any lasting success. I began to research what items were popular. I also reviewed feedback of past requests from customers. This led me to shifting from handmade accessories to garment decoration. I invested in a multi-needle embroidery machine as well as incorporated a method of t-shirt printing into my business. After pivoting, I began to receive steady business as a result of diversifying my business.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.kaseydanielledesigns.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kaseydanielledesigns
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kaseydanielledesigns
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@kaseydanielledesigns
• Other: https://www.etsy.com/shop/KaseyDanielleDesigns