We were lucky to catch up with Kay-Marie Beason-Lindsay recently and have shared our conversation below.
Kay-Marie, appreciate you joining us today. Alright, so we’d love to hear about how you got your first client or customer. What’s the story?
When I decided to start my business there were so many mixed emotions, some for which I don’t have a name lol. Nevertheless, I told myself “If I can sell 10 handbags, I can sell 100 or 1,000 and even more!” With that as my driving force, I stepped into my purpose and I kept walking. I started off with a bit of anxiety which turned into courage as I created my content and began posting on the Instagram page I had created. My friends and family were very supportive even thought it was during the COVID epidemic and we could not go out because of restrictions. Still, there was a part of me that wanted being an entrepreneur to feel more “real”. One of my goals when starting my business was to have atleast one customer from all states in the US. It is still on my vision board and we’re getting there!
At the time, I didn’t have a website, so in order for customers to shop with Kae’s Koncepts they had to send a direct message to our page. We would then respond and take it from there. I followed different strategies from my research on how to get eyes on our page and as I applied it, it seemed as though it was not working at first. Nevertheless, I kept going – I kept creating, I kept posting and I kept on being patient and hopeful. I asked friends and family to share my content and help spread the word. After a few weeks of launching, I began getting comments on my posts and I was saying to myself at this point “If I’m growing, people are becoming aware of Kae’s Koncepts!” That was my way of encouraging myself and staying motivated. I tried as much as possible to reply to the comments and even interact with their posts as they did mine. Then one day I saw a comment that changed my whole day! She was from Florida, she wasn’t yet a customer but my research taught me how to identify potential customers. The comment made was ” The presentation of this flyer alone makes me want to buy a purse I didn’t even think I needed. Yes to the color scheme.” She went on to comment again “Beautiful!” with heart emojis! I could tell she was in love with what she saw. I posted a screenshot of the comment on my Instagram story and mentioned her page, in my mention I said “Made my day!” with a little blushing GIF. As I proceeded to reply to her comment, I decided not to leave it there. I sent her a message right after. She was so friendly, it turned out she too was a business owner, she’s an author and a wonderful woman of God. We began talking about our businesses and other things, I learned that she sold t-shirts that have those motivational messages. I love a tee that has good word of encouragement or inspiration, plus she had some that had rose gold writing on them, it was so beautiful! So I told her I would to try one of her tees. We then went on to discuss how I’d like it to be customized and so on. We spoke for a while and then she asked me about another bag that was on my page. She said “How much is this one, loI can’t stop looking at it. Showing it to everyone!” I sent her the cost and she asked if she pays here or if I had a website. I told her I don’t have a website as yet and advised how the payment would be collected. She wanted to see other color options and I sent them to her until she decided on “the one”. She called it “the winner”, it was indeed because it was my first sale since I launched. I didn’t sell one bag, I sold a whole set that contained 3 bags! After I sent her the invoice, I waited for the payment to come through. When that notification alert came, it was skipping and dancing around my room after I saw “payment confirmed”! I screamed, I cried, I sat and reread the messages over and over again! Then I got up and I said went to the mirror, I said “1 down, 9 more to go!” To date, I have sold more than 10 bags, I now have jewelry and accessories added to my products (more to come) and I have created a website kaeskoncepts.com for my future classy customers. That’s what Kae’s Koncepts is all about- the classy you!
Kay-Marie, 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?
As CEO of Kae’s Koncepts, I have learned so much since starting this business. One of the things that I treasure, from my experience, are those customers who become friends, true friends. A little about me, I’m quiet, I love to worship, I love music and I love to sing. Also, I am an educator and wife to one of the most caring, supportive, loving, inspiring and motivating man ever! He pushes me, he prays for and with me and he celebrates me even when I don’t celebrate myself. I love kids, they say I act like my 1st graders sometimes haha. I’m the eldest child for my parents and I honor the role they’ve played in my life as it is the reason I am where I am today. I also honor my siblings who look up to me, they encouraged me to keep pushing on days when I felt like I couldn’t make it.
I got into the fashion industry because I wanted to introduce newness and uniqueness to your daily style. I wanted to give you the experience of turning heads when you walk by with your classy piece from Kae’s Koncepts. Here at Kae’s Koncepts, we are passionate about classy customer service, quality, uniqueness, affordability and of course, above all, our happy and satisfied customers. We pride ourselves in ensuring that every customer receives nothing short of good experience with us. Our products range from totes, crossbody bags, satchel bags, hobo bags, knapsacks, clutches, sunglasses, jewelry, shapewear, keychains and much more! Our bags are made from vegan/faux leather and are excellent compliments to your every day style. We have bags that are multi-purpose and are also sold in sets of 3 or 4 (with each set you receive different pieces – example: a tote, a crossbody and a coin purse). I personally love these sets because you get so much for less, plus you have options when it’s time for you to step out. Our products do not only compliment your style but they keep you feeling like the confident you! We aim to provide the best, therefore, all products are carefully examined prior to shipping to ensure they meet quality expectations. Afterall, happy girls are the prettiest!
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
I started my business during a time when no one was dreaming of leaving their homes. The questions came at me from all angles, “are you sure?, why now?, why not wait?” There were even comments to say it would go nowhere, it would crash. I will admit that at times it overwhelmed me and I said to myself, “Maybe I really shouldn’t.” but there was the part of me that had been carrying this dream and was ready for it to be birthed.
One of the things that was a major challenge for me was being everything for my business. I was the photographer, the editor, the content creator, everything. My mentor used to tell me to post atleast 3 times per day, even if no one engages with it at the time of posting. I tried hard to follow all the requirements to maintain my presence and ensure that I’m showing up for my customers. Everything seemed to be going well until the sales and conversions started to slow down. Then as soon as I caught on with posting, the algorithms kept changing and it was becoming overwhelming to keep up. t was a s though everything shifted for me, I started losing followers on Instagram and that was my major audience and where I got most of my sales.
I questioned myself “Was I not doing enough?, is there something I need to change or do differently?” I even said at one point “Maybe they were right.” It was one of the things that were expected but not so soon. I began trying to find ways to work around it all and keep my business going. I had some days when I really had to talk to myself and remind myself of what I said when I started. I had to remind myself that if others are doing it, I can do it to, I can make it. I got to the point where I considered selling my bags from my home at the time and not doing online anymore. The bills had to be paid but nothing was coming in. It lasted for a while but through the process I was reminded of my why, I was reminded of my quota and I was reminded that this is not my destination, it was just a part of my journey.
Can you talk to us about how your funded your business?
Kae’s Koncepts is the epitome of never allowing your dream to die. One of the reasons I didn’t start when I wanted to was because of the calculated cost of everything I needed, it was out of my budget. So I did one goal at a time, got my products samples, then waited a while and ordered some shipping items. I didn’t start all at once, for me it was a process that lead up to the day of my launch. Additionally, I didn’t save a huge capital to start, I just gathered what I had on my checklist plus I had help from other sources. If I knew then what I know now, I would have done some things differently but I’m definitely grateful for the journey and the lessons learned along the way. For those who are aspiring to be business owners I’d encourage you to plan well, know when to execute that plan and pray over your business. Never walk in fear but in faith because with God, all things are possible! You could be the next business making 6 figures or more out there!
Contact Info:
- Website: kaeskoncepts.com
- Instagram: Instagram.com/kaes_koncepts
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kaeskoncepts