Today we’d like to introduce you to Kolby McNeely.
Kolby, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
After eight years in education and a few years as a stay at home mom, I decided to start a business that kept me busy, allowed me to help provide for our family and still have the flexibility to be involved in my kid’s activities. The most important thing for me was making sure that the work I was doing was enjoyable and that I loved what I was doing. It’s been a long road to growing my business but one thing that has stayed the same is that I truly love what I do.
Did I have any idea how to run my own business? No, not at all. I absolutely loved design and have always loved apparel and retail, so there wasn’t any better fit for me than to do just that. I wanted to be the one that designs the t-shirt you just can’t get rid of because you love it so much, no matter how worn it looks! I’ve always loved how a t-shirt can take you right back to where you bought it from, whether it be a sorority function in college or the beach from your summer vacation, it’s a valuable part of where we have been and I wanted to be the one to create that memory for my customers.
Starting out was slow, I built my business on Facebook taking in small orders, all custom, and all designed by myself. I learned the ins and outs of running my own business… the accounting… the sales… tax… ordering… illustrator, I did it all. It took me a couple of years to build a following, but I did it, and I have my customers to thank for where I am today. They continued to trust my design sense and as they did, my business kept growing.
It took me a couple of years to understand how this side of the apparel business works. I dove into attending conferences, markets, and finding new vendors. I am a HUGE quality over quantity type of person. If it’s not made to last, I’m not going to sell it. My husband always says, “you get what you pay for” and that could not be truer in the apparel business. I still find joy in creating new relationships with vendors because it helps me find new things for my customers to love and pieces of apparel they will keep for a long time.
About three years in, I crossed paths with a screen-printing company in Grapevine, Covey’s Promotions, and slowly they started printing all of my designs onto the apparel I chose. There is nothing more important to any business than trust… my customers trust that when they purchase apparel from me, it is quality and I have to trust that when I have my apparel printed, it is going to be done to my standards, and it always has been, that is guaranteed. Covey’s has generously taught me another side of the apparel business… I tend to sometimes bring some crazy requests to the table, but they get it done and they get it done well. My ability to offer my customers a different quality of apparel seemed to change at that point. The sky was the limit and because of that, my customer base began to grow, yet again. It allowed me to continue to keep offering my same custom design work and have it screen printed, something I didn’t offer in house.
About that same time, I expanded my business to add embroidery, all of which I do in house! Embroidery was the missing piece for my business. It added a timeless addition that is very necessary when running an apparel business. I had customers ask me daily if it was something I offered, so I decided to stop saying no and go for it. It was a huge learning curve. I wasn’t sure about adding another aspect to my business because as it was, I was overloaded. It was without a doubt the best decision and addition to my business. There are so many options to offer to my customers at this point. It can be as simple as a monogram or as detailed as your treasured business logo.
Luckily for me, I was able to hire one contract employee who is a dear friend of mine. She helped me to look at my business from another angle and helped me see where I could grow. She took on the task of boosting my sales in the Dallas area and she is also responsible for several other large accounts I have. Nobody can truly work alone; you need someone there to bounce ideas off of and to help you re-direct your business when you are too overwhelmed to see the areas of need yourself. She has been invaluable to my business growth and hopefully will partner with me in my future business endeavors.
I truly enjoy what I do. I don’t walk in to work unhappy on any day. I am grateful that my customers choose me to meet their design needs and trust that I will get the job done. I am always willing and able to help with pretty much any custom apparel job and I can likely get it done pretty quickly. I work within my customer’s needs and try to offer several options to stay on budget. Each year, I try to find new apparel and new trends for my customers to keep it fun and unique.
At this point, I am hoping that my business continues to grow as it has the past couple of years. I am lucky enough to have added so many schools, businesses, and wholesale accounts to my customer base this year, on top of my small order customers that have kept me so happy and so very busy. I have big plans for the upcoming year and hope that I can stay true to my goals and make it happen.
*A little about me personally… I am a former elementary school teacher turned to stay at home mom turned small business owner. When I’m not working, I’m shuttling my kids around to activities. I have a 6-year-old son named Jake and three-year-old twins, Sam and Evie. I also have one handsome Irish Doodle named Walter. I have been married for 12 years to my husband, Brian, who is very supportive and often holds down the fort while I’m putting in the hours to allow this business to keep growing!
Has it been a smooth road?
Not by a long shot! I had no idea what I was doing when I started this business. I was an educator in my previous career, so this career change didn’t align at all. I hold a bachelor’s in education and a masters in literacy, so I knew I had the determination to make it work, I just had a lot of learning to do, which is something I really enjoy.
My biggest learning curves were the accounting and managing part of my business… keeping the books, etc. I managed to keep them and keep them well for two years before handing it over to my accountant, which is the best thing I ever did. I realized along the way that I cannot do everything… once I started to let go of some of the things I am not an “expert” in, my life got a whole lot less stressful.
One of the biggest obstacles has been the number of hours I have had to put in to growing this business and to ensure that it continues to grow. It’s tough… it truly is blood, sweat, and tears, but it’s mine and I wouldn’t change any of it.
I’m hoping to launch a new brand of wholesale apparel soon, once again I’m hitting huge obstacles because it’s all-new territory and I’m back to feeling like I don’t know what I’m doing… but if I’ve learned anything it’s that everybody starts somewhere and I’ll get where I’m going.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Kolby Lane Designs – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
My business offers all ranges of custom apparel. I do everything, except screen printing, in house.
I offer screen printing, embroidery, sublimation, team uniforms, and small order when time allows. All of my custom apparel includes design services, usually included in the apparel cost, unless it is unusually difficult.
I am most proud of my creativity and my ability to grow based on that. My customers trust my design sense and that is very appreciated and humbling. I am proud of myself for striving to learn more about this business in order to offer more to my customers.
What sets me apart is that I listen to my customers. I know them, I appreciate them. I am truly grateful for the opportunity to create apparel for their ball teams… their family reunions… and everything in between. I have a HUGE love for my hometown, and I love creating apparel for others to show their pride, as well!
In the near future, I will be branching out and starting a wholesale apparel side to my business, branded as Sweet Texas Threads! I hope to have that up and running as close to January of 2020 as possible. This line of apparel will only be offered to qualified wholesale buyers with a valid retail/sales tax ID. This apparel will be screen printed and custom will be available.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
I grew up in Midlothian and reside there today. My business is based out of Midlothian, 25 miles south of Dallas. It is a small”ish” town, growing very quickly, with a great little downtown area and so very close to the big city.
My business thrives being so closely located to Dallas. Dallas offers me the ability to go to markets often and learn new and exciting trends. So many of my suppliers are local and I have the ability to go there often.
I don’t have any dislikes when it comes to Dallas. I love the diversity it offers, great shopping and excellent food choices, you really can’t go wrong!
Contact Info:
- Address: 1613 Plum Creek Drive
Midlothian, TX 76065 - Website: www.kolbylanedesigns.com
- Phone: 210-837-0030
- Email: kolbylanedesigns@yahoo.com
Image Credit:
Megan Lynn Photography
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