Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Mckenzie Echols. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Mckenzie, appreciate you joining us today. Let’s start with what makes profitability in your industry a challenge – what would you say is the biggest challenge?

Honestly the biggest challenge with profitability is the competition with big retailers for example< Amazon, Target, Walmart, etc. It's so hard to actually mark items at a profitable rate when you have to compete with these stores so that your customers will choose you. Most consumers rely heavily on these large corporations without even realizing that they're damaging the community aspect of the small businesses in their own towns & cities. And it's all really just a convince factor. There's so many people now who would rather just order something online and have it delivered to their front door the next day, instead of getting to know the people in their community and helping those small businesses grow, especially in smaller towns where you have to drive 20-30 minuets to even get to your nearest locally owned business.

Mckenzie, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

It all started in the middle of the pandemic actually. Being considered an ‘essential employee’ at a multi billion dollar fast food company really made me take a step back and think about what I wanted my future to look like. I always knew I didn’t want to have a regular job. I actually hated going to work everyday and putting on my customer service face and pretending that I loved my job, when in reality, I hated it. The one thing I actually enjoyed about my job was the people I got to serve in the community. I would see regular customers come in day to day and they remembered me and I would remember them.

I knew I wanted to do something different so I left my job and started to work for a small business in my hometown of Griffin, Ga. And honestly, that’s where I realized how much small businesses have such an impact on building communities together. Ariel Hollowood At Hollowood Home & Candle is actually one of the people who helped me see my potential & helped my understand how important small businesses are. She taught me so much in the years that I worked for her, that I will forever be grateful for, & she actually encouraged me the most to start my own business. Without her I’m not sure if I would have even been able to push myself to starting something I actually enjoy.

The first step I made was buying an embroidery machine. And that honestly was not an easy purchase for me. I was 21 years old and that was the biggest purchase I had ever made. not to mention all the supplies that I had to go with it. I spent everything I had and just hoped for the best outcome. I started with sweatshirts and the first couple of months we a little difficult to find my “brand” but once I did, I knew that this would be something I would love.

My first Christmas season, having the business, was actually a little scary for me. I had sold over 100 sweatshirts, and for two and a half weeks I sat at my desk before & after work every single day watching the designs stitch out on the fabric. It was just me and my single needle embroidery machine. So after I had gotten trough it all with minimal stress or complaints. I decided I wanted to incorporate something else into my business.

I purchased everything I needed to start creating resin keychains. And people became obsessed with them. Even now, 3 years later, those are still my number one seller, always. They’re only a couple bucks so its an easy gift. I actually still use one, on my keys, from the first batch I ever made, so I know for a fact they’re sturdy and good quality that will last.

In February of 2024 I decided to purchase a Glowforge laser cutter. I got the same feelings from when I first bought my embroidery machine, expensive, spending all of my money, nauseous. I started with some small acrylic items and those did really well. I was nervous at first working with wood items because there’s so many types and engraving and burning the wood just made me super nervous, I’m not even sure why. I decided to try anyways and it has just really been unbelievable the amount of things you can create and do with a simple piece of plywood.

If I didn’t already have everyone around me encouraging me to grow my business and all the support from my customers, there is no way I would have been able to do it. Im still finding new things to create & designing my own products with Canva has been one of the best things about it all. As soon as I have an idea I can open up the app and start designing something original and then be able to watch it come to life in person with my products.

Do you sell on your site, or do you use a platform like Amazon, Etsy, Cratejoy, etc?

I have my own website through Shopify. I started out on Etsy but the fed just got to be too much especially with having to keep up with the market value with the other sellers on the platform. But using Etsy helped me grow my customers & realize what worked for me. When I first created my own website I was a little nervous at first because I was going to have to find a way to get others to see it. The best thing that I have found has been through social media. I can make a post on my business Facebook, and share it on my personal page, then my family & friends share it and, then their friends, and so on. It’s the community of people that you have that help small businesses grow into dream jobs.

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

Social media. Period. That’s it. You can make one post, and by the time it gets shared 30 times, you’ve got at least 10 new followers, who will keep seeing your stuff until they see something they want to buy.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://thatssewstitch.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thatssewstitch/?igsh=M2V1Mjlqam9wanRv&utm_source=qr
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ThatsSewStitch?mibextid=LQQJ4d

Image Credits

Elizabeth Lavendar – Photos By Elizabeth, LLC