We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Kelli O’Keefe O’Keefe. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Kelli O’Keefe below.
Hi Kelli O’Keefe, thanks for joining us today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?
The Idea to start FunLuvin’ Fleece was born on the River. For the past 18 years I have been guiding river trips across the Western United States. It really is the best job ever! Guiding has helped me to explore some pretty magical places and get paid for it too. It is also where I came up with the idea to start my own clothing company.
It was June of 2017, and I had finished up guiding three trips in the Grand Canyon and had met some wonderful passengers from Alaska. They invited the entire crew with an open invitation to come visit! Passengers always extend this invitation, and this time I felt like they really meant it and thought it would be fun to go see them! I had a small window of time off to go to Alaska before heading over to China where I would spend the months of July and August working on the Zaqu River. One of my best friends was guiding river trips on 6 Mile Creek in Alaska, and figured why not go visit him and see all these wonderful passengers whom I met earlier that spring. As soon as I landed in Anchorage, some of the people I met in Grand Canyon picked me up, took me to breakfast, gave me an atlas, the keys to an SUV, and my Alaskan Road Trip began.
I started off my road trip by heading to Hope, the home to 6 Mile Creek to visit my good friend John who was guiding trips there. 6 Mile Creek provides some of the most exciting white water rafting in Alaska, which includes Class IV and V Rapids. This river is very cold and all passengers are required to wear a dry suit and pass a swim test. I was lucky enough to sneak on a trip with a guide who was training. As we were getting fitted for our dry suits, the guides were all wearing funky, awesome fleece shorts! I knew all about these shorts, because John and I were roommates the previous winter and he had given me a pair of these shorts in which his rafting company sold. The shorts were a great layer that winter, and I wore them everyday under my ski pants! And I was definitely wearing them that day on the river.. These funky, awesome fleece shorts lined the warehouse walls of his rafting company, and passengers were allowed to buy them for a warm layer to keep their butts warm while rafting under their dry suits. It was an awesome idea, and I was fully on board for all the coziness! After a fantastic day on the river near peak commercial flows, I got to hang out with the rest of the guides and owner of the company. I raved about how awesome these shorts were and started chatting with the owner. He then told me that the woman who had been sewing them for him for the past fifteen years decided to become an accountant and he no longer had anyone to sew for him. My friend John looked over at me, and he knew how much I loved a good project, said, “Kelli you should do it!” I agreed and told the owner that I could sew for him, and agreed to making 250 pairs of shorts by the following summer. Little did the owner know that I had no idea how to sew! I spent the next two weeks traveling around Alaska, brainstorming about all things fleece. Just before I was about to fly home, I met up with one of the passengers from the trip and she gave me a quick sewing lesson and helped me to make my first fleece skirt and shorts.
So just like that, the idea to start FunLuvin’ Fleecewear was born! Shortly after returning home from Alaska, I was heading to Western China to guide trips on the Zaqu River. which was on the TIbetan Plateau. We were running trips on the Zaqu River, which is near the headwaters of the Mekong River. The trips started around 14,000 ft. With that elevation, we could experience all four seasons in one day. It is crucial to have good gear and be prepared for all types of weather. I loved everything about having the opportunity to guide trips in this special place, and forever grateful for this experience. I brought over my newly sewn skirt and shorts and gifted them to a couple of the other guides to wear that season. With the different elements of guiding here, I knew that it would be a good place to test out my new products! Needless to say they were a hit among the crew, and I knew that I needed to get serious about sewing! I knew that these products would be a hit with the River community! I wanted to start my own clothing company, and call it FunLuvin’ Fleecewear, I wanted to make fun, functional clothing and gear to be worn on all adventures.
I returned home from China and enlisted the help of my aunt who taught me how to sew and come up with my patterns. She was patient with me, and helped me to troubleshoot when things went wrong with my sewing machines. From there I started sewing fleece skirts and shorts, and stayed very busy. The first couple years, I cut and sewed every single garment and initially was making clothing for all of my guiding friends. It was more of a fun project than an actual business. But soon, more and more people were asking about FunLuvin’ Fleece including a passenger from a Grand Canyon Trip who had big ideas and wanted to help me grow.
One of the best parts about being a river guide is the connections you make with passengers, especially on Grand Canyon Trips. These are longer trips ranging from 8-16 days. On these trips you become a tribe, and really get to know one another. I love getting to share conversations with our passengers as we float down river in one of the most beautiful places. On this particular trip, I got to chatting with a passenger who was very interested in my other job, FunLuvin’ Fleecewear. We talked a lot about FunLuvin’ Fleecewear and my goals for growing my business. He could tell that I had a lot of passion for what I was doing, but knew if I wanted to grow that I would need to make some changes. He asked me. “Kelli, do you want to do this for real? I responded yes, and after much conversation, he put me in touch with his best friend who was involved in the clothing manufacturing industry. From there,they both mentored me through the process of setting up factories in the US to start making my clothing. I am super thankful for all they taught me through this process.
The truth is that this was a BIG step for FunLuvin, and from here I have been pouring 110% of my time and energy into growing my business. By having my products manufactured, it allows me more time to run my business and focus on all the other fun tasks that go with owning your business and guiding river trips. Ever since day one, I have been learning as I go. I’m figuring it out, and learning everyday! I continue to be a one woman show, and have big ideas of where I’d like to take FunLuvn’ Fleecewear! But it’s all about balance! I have deep roots on the river, and it is on the river where I feel the most alive and inspired. I never want to let that go, and it’s important to me to keep the River in my life.
I am proud to say that I am now working with three different factories in Idaho, Colorado, and Washington that are making all of my products. We have come a long way since 2017, and we are excited to be launching some brand new products in 2024!
Kelli O’Keefe, 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?
My name is Kelli O’Keefe and I’m the owner of FunLuvin’ Fleecewear based in McCall, Idaho. . I make guide inspired clothing and gear for all adventures. Most of my inspiration for my products stems from the River! For the past 18 years, I have been guiding multi-day rafting trips in the Grand Canyon, on the Middle Fork of the Salmon and Main Salmon Rivers, and the Zaqu River in Western China. The River has inspired me to create fun and functional gear which include Fleece Skirts, Fleece Shorts, Cuddle Buddies (reversible sleeping pad covers), Coffee Talk Blankets, Beanies, Hats, Sun Hoodies, and More!
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
I feel like I had to pivot and focus more of my time and energy into my business when I made the decision to start manufacturing. This was a huge step for my business, and from there I knew that my time and energy was best spent focusing on my business. This meant that I had to cut back a bit in my guiding schedule, and also knew that financially I probably was not going to make as much money as guiding full time. I knew that I needed to trust in the process, believe in myself, and believe in FunLuvin’. It’s taken me a while to find balance, but I know how important guiding is for my soul, and taking the time in my schedule to allow for river trips keeps me more productive in the long run!
We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?
FunLuvin’ Fleecewear has had a very organic presence on social media since day one. It has taken a few years, but we have a great group of followers who most of which have found their way to @funluvin_fleecewear by word of mouth. As a small business owner, I wear many hats including running the social media.. I enjoy posting to social media because each and every picture tells a story, and also plays a picture for the many uses of my clothing and gear. I also think my followers have a fun time sharing their own stories, Over the years I’ve been able to obtain some great photos through various photoshoots and photos being shared by followers. I try to keep it fun by offering different sales, discount codes, and fun giveaways to keep followers active!
For those just starting out, it’s important to post consistently, but also to not burn yourself out with your posts! Have fun with it, and let it be a chance to be creative and promote your brand!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.funluvinfleecewear.com
- Instagram: @funluvin_fleecewear
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FunLuvinFleece
Image Credits
@samantha_sais_photography