Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Kelechi “Kay Kay” Uchendu. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Kelechi “Kay Kay”, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you tell us a story about a time you failed?

Several years ago, before I was sold or featured in a retail store, I was using a cut and sew manufacturing company that had horrible quality control. I was very naïve back then so I missed all of the red flags with that company and continued to do business with them.

I remember I had made a small batch of headbands with that cut and sew manufacturer and presented them to a blow dry bar in Detroit that is now permanently closed. The owner of this blow dry bar took my headbands and told me that she would send me a contract to sign so that they could sell them in the store. She also told me that the quality of the headbands was not good. Long story short, she kept my headbands but never sent me any contract. When I called to inquiry about the contract, she was extremely disrespectful and rude to me on the phone. I was pretty upset after that phone call that I cried. I picked up my headbands (which were wet) from her and ended up throwing them away. On the phone the owner of the blow dry bar told me that she had been using the headbands on her wet hair after she got out of the shower which is why the product was damaged. I was livid.

The failure was helpful though. I ended up cutting ties with the cut and sew manufacturer that I had been using and found great manufacturers. These manufacturers ended up producing my products and customers and retail buyers loved my products!

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers?

Hello! My name is Kay Kay and I am the author of a book called Bully Friends and I am the owner of a fashion brand called Kay Kay’s Fashion. Kay Kay’s Fashion currently sells ethically produced scrunchies that are made out of organic cotton on Macy’s.com. I launched Kay Kay’s Fashion in 2017. However, the journey of Kay Kay’s Fashion actually began in October 2016. On one night in October 2016, I dreamt that I attended a formal event in a magical city like New York. This event was special because it was an event to honor me for my accomplishments. I remember walking down the grand staircase in a gorgeous dress that I had never seen before–and I knew that I needed to bring this dress (and my dreams) to life. When I woke up, I told my mother about the dream I had and my desire to design the dress. My amazing mother told me that I should start right away and not put my dreams on hold. After this conversation, I was determined to design the dress. Since I am not a seamstress, I ended up working with a company in the Metro-Detroit area to help me sew my dress. Designing my dress was not easy. It took a couple of fittings to make this unique dress perfect and I did not finish with the dress until March 2017, even though I started the design process in October 2016. My business then evolved to selling accessories at various stores. I wrote and published Bully Friends in 2020. When I was in middle school most of my friends were “bully friends.” They would talk about me behind my back and tell people that they really did not like me. It was so embarrassing and frustrating to deal with. When I got to high school, most of my friends were not bully friends but I still had a few problematic friendships. I realized that if I went through bully friendships then other people might have gone through this as well. I also noticed that even though bullying was being discussed nationally, bullying in friendships was not being discussed at all.

I am most proud of how my book and Kay Kay’s Fashion has inspired people around the world. We motivate people to go for their dreams and show them that you can overcome adversity and end up victorious. I think that is what makes my brand unique. People feel connected to Kay Kay and that is what sets me apart from other brands.

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

Waitressing really helped me fund my business!

Do you have multiple revenue streams – if so, can you talk to us about those streams and how your developed them?

My business is sold at various retail stores and is also sold on various platforms. I am working to expand the retail stores that Kay Kay’s Fashion is sold on.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.kaykaysfashion.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kaykaysfashion/

Image Credits
Soona and Colleen Bingham