We recently connected with Kelsey Gibbs and have shared our conversation below.

Kelsey, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. So, naming is such a challenge. How did you come up with the name of your brand?

I started my business on the other side of a difficult season of life. I had decided to move on from a teaching career to stay at home and enjoy time as a new mother. Those first months were not the idyllic fairytale I had envisioned. It was difficult. I struggled with doubt about my ability to do this thing I had always pictured would be so beautiful and natural. With encouragement from my husband, friends, family, and wise counsel, I began to truly experience the word “grace.” Grace for my shortcomings. Grace for my sadness. Grace for my own journey. When I decided to start a business, I knew this word would be at the center. I wanted the name to truly mean something from deep within my heart. Prior to having my first child, I had experienced a miscarriage. Though it happened early, I had already imagined it was a little girl, and we had given her the name “Everly Grey.” I thought it would be special to honor that little life through my business, and I began to play around with the words and sounds tying in this name with the idea of grace. It was solidified when I was reminded of a favorite scripture of mine: “For from His fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.” John 1:16. Thus, Ever Grace Designs was created!

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.

I’ve always been a creative person. Crafting is a favorite past-time. I also love to write letters, as in the alphabet. In my school years, I was that girl who would change handwriting every so often, playing around with different ways to write each letter until it felt right. If you had told that young girl that she would have a business one day using these skills, I would have laughed. I thought I would work in the music industry. That career didn’t pan out. Then, I thought I would pursue teaching elementary school, but I decided to step away from teaching when starting our family.

I had played around with the idea of starting an Etsy shop for awhile, but I didn’t have a specific direction. Doubt crept in, and I began to second guess myself. One day, my husband and I were passing by an Urban Outfitters, and we saw a bunch of wood shingles hanging on display. I thought to myself, “I could write on those!” I made an agreement with a manager and ended up paying $50 for over 1,000 wood shingles. And that’s where I started. Lettering on wood shingles.

At the time, I didn’t have enough money to buy many supplies, so I worked with what I had until enough orders came in to fund more materials. This has been a business of taking one step at a time and adapting as I go! Over the years, my products have changed quite a bit as my skills have grown and I have honed in on who I am as an artist.

I specialize in small wooden home decor for tiered trays and shelves. Every piece is hand cut on a scroll saw, sanded, and painted by me. I am a self-taught artist, and I have loved the process of coming into my own style. I’ve even ventured into digitally designs products including apparel, art prints, stickers, keepsake Time Capsule Cards, and more!

It is always mind-blowing to see how my business has grown and changed each year. I also have incredibly loyal customers. They are some of the kindest, most encouraging people! I am very thankful to be able to do what I’m doing.

In addition to being a business owner, I am a mom to three young boys and a wife to a church pastor. While many aspects of my business are for me and my creative heart, my family is at the core of my daily motivation. I love that my boys get to see their mom work hard and also care for them.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

Last year, 2022, was a rollercoaster. After experiencing slow and steady growth through my Instagram account for a few years, something clicked that January, and my following jumped significantly. I thought to myself, “This is it! This is where the business explodes!”

A couple of weeks later, I was diagnosed with breast cancer.

Here, I had a few thousand new people coming to my page for Valentine’s decor, and I had no idea what the next days, weeks, or months would hold for me and my family, much less my business. I was simultaneously feeling immense grief and fear for my life as well as guilt and pressure (from myself) to capitalize on this opportunity for my business.

Obviously, the most important things needed to remain the most important things. I shared my diagnosis publicly, and gave myself the room to take any space I needed for treatments and for my emotional well-being. Many people told me to just take the time off completely and put my business to the side, but it was also an outlet for me. I love to create. Making things brings me joy! So, I worked when I could and gave myself grace for the days I couldn’t.

You know what? People didn’t leave. Maybe my business didn’t experience a growth in sales, but it did experience a growth in depth. I was able to make pretty things, but I was also able to share my story, encourage others, and be encouraged. Sharing my story has had an impact on many, whether they have walked the same journey and expressed their empathy, know someone who has, or have been motivated to go see a doctor to get a lump checked out.

This pivot was just a part of my story. I am in remission and continuing to enjoy my business for as long as the Lord has it in my path.

How did you build your audience on social media?

Social media is quite an experience! There are many highs and lows to any platform you choose. I think a key starting point is determining which platform best suits your business. For me, that is Instagram, This is where I have the most followers and the most engagement.

In the beginning, growth was very slow. With an ever-changing algorithm, it can be difficult to determine what strategy to use. Hashtags or no hashtags? Post every day, twice a day, or every other day? Reels, carousel posts, stories… which do you choose?

I found the best start was to build relationships with other businesses who were a little ahead of me. I found small business like mine and unlike mine. I began to engage with them through messaging, interacting with their posts, and joining in with giveaways and maker swaps. (Though, I do want to clarify that not every giveaway is worthwhile, and it’s wise to consider which ones bring the most authentic viewers to your page.) In developing “instafriends” relationships with other small businesses, I found that there is a whole community that is eager to encourage and support other small businesses. Many creators are all about community over competition, and they are eager for their customers to be your customers, too.

I also found that creating a consistent vibe and aesthetic on your social media account is key. I spent time looking at and observing other accounts that I personally enjoy, noting what kind of presence their page emulates and how they engage with their followers. Initially, I was uncomfortable with stories, and I didn’t want to show my face. However, I realized that all of the accounts I followed and loved were regularly present in their stories and showing themselves as authentically as possible. I learned that people are more likely to support you and stick around if they feel like they see you for who you are and not just a product-pusher. They develop a commitment to your products because they care about YOU!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.evergracedesigns.com
• Instagram: @evergracedesigns
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/evergracedesigns

Image Credits
Individual and Family portraits by Sarah Kriner