Today we’d like to introduce you to Kyria Smith.
Kyria, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
My great grandmother was a seamstress and had a sewing machine in literally EVERY ROOM of her house. I would visit her when I was younger and one day I asked how to do what she was doing and the rest is history in the making.
Since I was a young teen, I’ve been creating and crocheting. I officially started MTM, MyTimeeMachine, my clothing brand, in 2013.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
When I attempted crocheting again in 2011, it was VERY challenging and I didn’t quite remember the techniques my grandmother taught me when I was younger, so I put it down for a while. I started making other things like Perler bead pins, sweaters for my best friend and I with puff paint to wear to school, with a glue gun, scissors, and fabric. I used to frequent the thrift store and come home with piles of clothes. I felt inspired having those clothes. I began to alter jeans, put fringes on them, distress them, make them into shorts, glue fabric on the pockets, I revamped hats in a similar way, made earrings, flower crowns, bandana bras and more.
In 2013, I picked the hook back up and started making crochet tops. I would post my work on my personal Instagram account and people started to ask how much the tops were. I’d say “$20 for this size, $25 for that size” and so on. At this point, I didn’t know much about the business side of things. I had met people before in person and we’d exchange what they purchased for cash but now I had potential out of state customers. I think my first order was from New York. This woman was very helpful, she actually told me about Paypal and how to set it up. It was all very new to my 17-year-old self. Later that year I began gaining more experience through practice, my designs started to evolve and more people took notice to my work. Late 2014, I collaborated with an, at this time, upcoming boutique. I learned a little bit about how to sell wholesale and getting a Paypal business card. We sold a limited number of Crochet Dresses and Crochet Slit Skirts, I made a few mistakes with some of the details in the designs, getting things shipped & finished in time, and my communication skills weren’t as they are now. These ‘struggles’ were something I eventually learned to improve on.
MTM’s website officially launched in March 2015. I got a lot of love and support from people all over the U.S., even from other countries. I made 100+ pieces that year. ALL by hand, ALL by myself. Which of course, is a given but I was pretty overwhelmed. Creating pieces at such a high volume was another thing that was new to me. I was thankful for the abundance of orders I had received, but It took me a few months to finish all of them. I even tried having an old classmate of mine, who is an amazing fiber artist help me some of the tops. She specializes in other areas but not crochet tops. In resolution, I had to complete the orders I originally was working on as well as, re-buy all of the yarn needed to remake all the pieces that weren’t done properly by said person.
Having your own business is very demanding, it’s filled with trials, errors, highs, ‘lows’, and being a one-woman show on top of it all definitely makes the road more challenging. There were times after this where my family & friends suggested hiring or allowing someone to help me. I’ve struggled in life with letting others help me, letting someone else ‘in’ if you will. At the time, I felt feelings of fear in regard to letting others help me in such a close way. Maybe because there had been times in between me getting to where I am now, that I’ve seen people steal my designs, down to every detail and give no credit whatsoever. I’ve been quiet about that, but it put me in a place of fear, wanting to protect my ‘baby’, protect my work. I thought possibly letting someone get that close, they’d one day run off with the recipe. My mind and perspective have changed greatly since then. I’m now in a space where I know that it’s most definitely necessary to have help and that two heads is better than one. It’s okay to work with others along the way and expand my business.
I realize now that this is what it’s like to have your own business. You’re responsible for making sure all things are taken care of, as you should, be it having your DBA or LLC, having insurance for possible a vendor position, creating the pieces, having the sizing right, responding to emails, shipping, marketing, not biting off more than you can chew, communicating clearly with your customers, managing your money and time properly and making sure that you’re being paid what you’re worth and not selling yourself short. The responsibility of it all is on you and even if you have a team, you still have to make sure everyone is on their job and being the best business partner they can be.
There’s a lesson in all that I’ve been through and it all contributed to the bigger picture. I’ve created a way for me to share my gifts & opportunities with others and be my own boss. It’s something I’m going to forever be grateful for.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about MyTimeeMachine – what should we know?
I currently specialize in custom Crochet pieces. I make dresses, skirts, tops, pants, hats, scarves, gloves, wraps, as well as home decor. Anything you can name, I can make. All pieces are made to fit the customer’s exact measurements (unless bought through the Archive Sale – as is, 1/1 pieces). I make pieces for ALL ages, from babies to adults, ALL body types, XS to pregnant women, BOTH genders, Male & Female.
I’m most proud of creating things that make women feel beautiful, feminine, feelings of joy & excitement when wearing it, knowing they are special because the piece was, in fact, specially designed for them. Another thing I’m proud of is my growth and being one of the pioneers & sources of inspiration for the entrepreneurs in the new age world of crochet.
There’s a million flowers in the world, some people gravitate towards roses, some to sunflowers and a select group have a particular love for the lotus flower’s allure. Like the lotus, what sets me apart amongst the many flowers on Earth is a special beauty that only I could produce. I have my own individual spirit that attracts certain people to gravitate towards me amidst others.
My work is unique, I present it in a way that reflects this statement. For example, all of the energy I put into bringing my designs to life such as the yarn’s texture, choice of stitching, colors, the way the piece falls & fits the body, the intricacy and most importantly the quality. It is certainly felt when people see or own something handmade by me.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Some of the few things I feel are essential qualities to my success is:
– Knowing myself. Knowledge of self is where it begins.
– Then, Evolving, like a scarab beetle regenerating itself, a phoenix destroying itself then rebirthing itself anew, or a caterpillar transforming into a butterfly. Constantly defining, more so re-defining Who I am, so that I can be Who I ultimately want to be.
I read something recently that further explains this quality, “There is only one reason to do anything: as a statement to the universe of Who You Are. Used in this way, life becomes Self-creative. You use life to create your Self as Who You Are, and Who You’ve Always Wanted to Be. There is also only one reason to Un-do anything: because it is no longer a statement of Who You Want to Be. It does not reflect you. It does not represent you. (That is, it does not re-present you…) If you wish to be accurately represented, you must work to change anything in your life which does not fit into the picture of you that you wish to project into eternity.”
– (Conversations with God Book 1 by Neale Donald Walsch)
– Consistency.
– Being true to myself, my gifts and my ideas. Staying in the flow with this creative frequency because I know that I’m capable of receiving whatever I set my intention to and align myself with.
– Loving what I do is also important.
Pricing:
- Crochet Dress – $135
- Crochet 2-Piece Set (Crochet Bustier + Mini Skirt) – $105
- Crochet Bustier Top $40
Contact Info:
- Website: https://my-time-machine.myshopify.com
- Email: contactmytimemachine@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mytimeemachine
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mytimeemachine/
- Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/mytimeemachine
Getting in touch: VoyageDallas is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
