We were lucky to catch up with Keilissa Bridgett recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Keilissa, thanks for joining us today. We’ve love to hear an interesting investment story – what was one of the best or worst investments you’ve made? (Note, these responses are only intended as entertainment and shouldn’t be construed as investment advice)

My best investment by far would have to be my sneaker collection. I’ve been collecting sneakers since 2013 and today I have a little over 60 pairs. People might find it strange when I use the word sneakers and investments in the same sentence (especially my mom) but a fact that people don’t know is that sneakers hold their value very well and the resell market for sneakers is a lot bigger then most would think. According to the resell market my collection today is worth approximately $25.6k. Money wise my collection is a great investment but the time I put into my collection and just being an advocate for female in the sneaker community I have gotten notice from bigger companies just for being a female thriving in a male dominated hobby/industry. My love for sneakers is also what inspired me to start a small business. December 2019 I started Kareless Kicks, a custom Nike sock business. I would dye and bleach socks making each pair unique in their own way. My sock business did really will in a short amount of time especially during covid. 2020 to 2021 was great for business but the beginning of 2022 more and more people started doing the same thing as me which didn’t bother me at first but then fake pairs started going around as well. Finally Nike caught on to the trend then started releasing their own variations which ultimately made my sales plummet. February 2022 was the end of Kareless Kicks, but not the end of my entrepreneurial journey. Kareless Kicks taught me tricks and tips on building a business from scratch, I learned things that I can put towards a new project. Today I am working on a new business venture launching this summer. This new business also includes my love for sneakers because that’s what makes me stand out from everyone else. If there is one thing I learned about this whole journey is key to success in a business is having it include something you are passionate about so it is not a chore it is something you enjoy working on everyday.

Keilissa, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

The way I got into the sneaker industry is actually because I’ve always been known for my sneakers and turned that into my personal brand. I’m an introvert and in high school I barely spoke to anyone but I used my sneakers to express my individuality. I ended up getting the nickname “girl with all the shoes” since no one actually knew my name. The same thing then happened in college since I was shy and just sat at the back by myself but everyday I would come to school in a different pair of sneakers so I was just known as the girl with crazy shoes. My first ever college essay I wrote was about how women are underrepresented in this industry so my professors even knew me as the shoe girl. That inspired me to take my passion seriously and turn it into a future career by being a new female face in the sneaker industry. What I would say sets me a part from others is the fact that there is not many women let alone women of colour apart of the sneaker community. What I am most proud of is that I haven’t given up this passion I’ve had no matter how much hate I’ve gotten for being for being a girl that is actually educated on a male dominated industry. The main thing I would want my followers to know about me is that I have a genuine love for what I do and believe in.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding part about being a creative is all the comments and messages I receive from other females young and old me that I have inspired them to start sneaker collecting. That fact that I was able to inspire anyone truly touches my heart.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

Being a female in the industry I already knew it was going to be harder for me to become a known name. Just because I’m a girl I was often over looked and people assumed that I wasn’t as educated as men in the industry. I didn’t let negativity affect my mindset and ended up being more educated then most men and got notice from bigger brands as well.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kareless.k/?r=nametag
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@kareless.k
• Other: Tiktok: www.tiktok.com/@kareless.k