We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful McKenna Knapp. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with McKenna below.

McKenna, appreciate you joining us today. Who is your hero and why? What lessons have you learned from them and how have they influenced your journey?

My hero is my mom. I know a lot of kids might say that, but let me tell you my mom really is super human. She chose to be a stay at home mom to raise me and left her career in the restaurant business behind. It takes a special kind of person to stay at home with your kiddo and never tire of them. Then when I was old enough for school, my mom changed career paths to stay near me and work at my school as an Enrollment Coordinator. She was known as this crazy fun lady who wore capes and tiaras to make kids feel welcome, and I was the lucky one who got to say that that was my mom. My mom taught me one of the most fundamental things that built me into the person and business owner I am today and that is, be unapologetically myself. Other people might think it’s weird a grown adult is wearing a tiara to give school tours, but she showed me how to be confident in myself and never hear what other people’s negative opinions might be. In junior high, she helped me make a 100% duct tape outfit for a duct tape themed spirit day, and while the other kids pretty much slapped a piece of duct tape on their t-shirt, I rocked an entire garment. Now at the time I may have thought I looked a little silly but I was 13, but now? Now I know that that was just building my character and teaching me how to be myself without caring about what other people think because at the end of the day I was willing to put myself out there. This is a huge cornerstone to how I run my business. Business owners continuously put themselves out there through the items they are selling, and they are vulnerable to criticism from the outside world. My mom is my hero and she has been my biggest fan. She supports all of my crazy dreams and always tries to add on to them to enhance them. I would not be the person I am today without her.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My name is McKenna Knapp! I am the owner of HelloRue, a unique storefront where a girl and her dog are making dreams come true day by day. The name is inspired by my sweet puppy Kola Rue, who inspires me in everything I do. I am a former Cast Member from Disney and I wanted to continue to spread the magic even after leaving the company. I make a little bit of everything: hair accessories, keychains, adult and kids apparel! My best sellers are the Hidden Mouse Bleach Dye shirts, they are a fun way to wear something a little outside the box. I also make bucket hats for all seasons and reasons. Who doesn’t need a hat to protect themselves from the sun? HelloRue has been open since May 2020, and is the epitome of a Covid start up. I started the business making masks for friends and family who needed to mask up during the pandemic, as time went on and masks became less in demand I realized I wanted to continue making and selling items I loved. So I tried a little bit of everything. Shirts, headbands, keychains, scruchies, etc! Until I found what felt right and fit for me.

Any thoughts, advice, or strategies you can share for fostering brand loyalty?

Build relationships with your clients! Add freebies and extra goodies to your packages! Run sales, have giveaways, be active on social media! Whenever I have clients message me with questions I try to do more than just answer their questions. I try to build a relationship, I let them know about upcoming sales and about different ways to save money with my business. Yes, I may lose a few dollars by doing so, but I build a relationship that has them coming back for more. Be honest with your clients on social media. Are you behind? Be honest and tell them. Need to raise prices because of supply and demand? Be honest and tell them. I have a very candid relationship with my customers and followers, and that has done nothing but be beneficial.

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

I am the biggest believer in everything happening for a reason. Before I started HelloRue, I worked at one of the most famous companies in the world, and I had my dream job. It was pure bliss. But when Covid hit in March of 2020, my world got turned upside down (like so many others). I had a lot of friends and family asking me if I could make them 100% cotton masks that they could add filters too. I had extra fabric laying around the house and I was in such a rut from being on furlough I figured, why not? I made a simple post on my personal instagram saying I was making masks if anyone was in need, and I asked them to donate what they could to help me cover my bills during the pandemic. This quickly turned into friends of friends and word of mouth customers reaching out to me as well. Between March and April, I had made and sold 5000 masks. I took this time to really reevaluate what I was doing. I loved creating with my hands again and has a customer based relationship, so I decided that I would open up a business. Something I could always have and continue to let it churn through different items and demands. Everything happens for a reason, even when you’re going through the toughest of times. Don’t forget that.

Contact Info:

• Website: Hellorue.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/helloruedesigns