The Beginning...

A fantasy. A desire. A dream. That was how it all started. I was 9 years old when the thought of possibly starting my own business first entered my small mind. The idea of making things and selling them fascinated me.

At that point in my life I discovered many things that I was interested in. I loved drawing, writing, baking, and crocheting but I could not decide which one to spend the most time in developing into a business.

For five years, I was convinced that art was the way in which to achieve the title of entrepreneur. Drawing realistic portraits of athletes, movie actors, and singers, I desired to create a website to sell my artwork. Yet, when I graduated high school and started to move toward college, I realized that I still had quite a bit to learn before I began to sell my art. So, in 2018, I started my freshman year of college and in the spring of 2019 I focused on getting a bachelor's degree in Graphic Design, which I am currently still working on. Until I receive my degree, I personally wanted to have a small business on the side in order to get me through school and help me eventually start up my art business. Little did I know that this side endeavor would become more than just a help for college.

My mom taught me to crochet when I was about 10 1/2 years old. To this day, I remember the first thing I learned to make: it was a long scarf with uneven edges and sloppy stitches. But it was a start. Intermittently, I dabbled with crochet, and occasionally, knitting. I made another scarf which was slightly better than the first and this greatly boosted my confidence. Yet, it was not until I was 16 that my skills really began to escalate. At 17, I was designing my own patterns for scarves and hats. I filled three large storage containers full of crocheted items by the time that I was 18. Yet I had still not formulated any clear idea as to what and how I would market and sell it all.

I commenced in researching the best possible avenue into starting a business from the ground up. Nearly a year and a half past and on my 20th birthday in 2019, I discovered a platform that was affordable and stylish and easy to construct into a business website. After two months of designing and doing dozens of photo shoots, Kailey Cali Crochet became an online business in September of 2019.

Since its being published, I have received so much support and encouragement from family and friends who have been pushing me to become an entrepreneur as well as from new people that have become apart of the journey along the way. I have learned so much in the past six months. Recently, I incorporated knitted goods into my shop and I am currently seeking out various other ways to combine crochet and knitting into my products.

One of my favorite things about owning Kailey Cali Crochet is seeing all of my customer's joyful faces as they wear my products. For me, having this business is not all about money: it's about impacting others in a positive manner and making them feel stylish and comfortable.

My road to having my own business has been far from easy. It has taken much prayer, dedication, and hand-cramping in order to have gotten to this point. If you would have asked me two years ago if I would be the owner of a growing business that specialized in crocheted and knitted items I would have told you that it was a crazy notion.

Two years ago, I was in no way prepared to tackle the challenges and early stages of a business. Yet that is just what I did two years later. It was hectic and oftentimes discouraging in the beginning. But, I am confident that if I keep going and don't allow obstacles to hinder me, I can use this business for a bigger and more glorious purpose. God permitted me to open Kailey Cali Crochet and He can easily take it away. He has a reason for me in this business and I must continue to seek after that purpose whatever it may be.

I am still naive to the having-your-own business world. The path ahead is far from easy and I know that I will experience setbacks; but, I am ready to face them. As I look to the future, I am excited to see how Kailey Cali Crochet will grow!