Today we’d like to introduce you to Kristin Robertson.
Hi Kristin, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Hi there, my name is Kristin, however I’ve been going by Kris recently. She sounds cooler. I am a style consultant, CEO and an avid traveler. I have had a passion for fashion since I was about 7 years old and won a sewing machine at summer camp. After that, I started designing purses and clothes with my grandmother and since then, I’ve had the dreams of owning my own boutique/clothing line. After graduating high school, I went to college to get a degree in accounting and quickly learned that working in an office setting handling other people’s finances was not going to be fulfilling. I transitioned from college and began working for a family member of mine who owns a nationally distributed men’s clothing line – that’s where I learned hands-on everything that was required to build a successful business. I worked in their warehouse helping with inventory, packing and distribution, handled sales calls for retail and wholesale customers, planned and executed trade shows where we operated as a vendor, managed the backend of the business by actively sending emails, creating social media strategies, teaching myself how to code websites, and so much more. I even had the opportunity to travel all across the world. I spent a week in New York City closely learning from Macy’s executives in their exclusive Workshop at Macy’s program. I traveled to Las Vegas multiple times attending the MAGIC Show (largest trade show in the country) to write orders to store locations across the country and even traveled to Istanbul, Turkey where I spent 10 days in their fashion mecca of Laleli sourcing materials and working hands-on in a large distribution factory. When the pandemic hit, this particular family business had slowed down (at the time, not many people were spending hundreds of dollars on formal attire) and I felt God pulling me to transition into putting that same amount of time and effort into what would be my own business of curating an attainable and sustainable luxury experience for women. That’s when the idea of Konquer Your Kloset (KYK) was born, launching as an online boutique in 11/2020 and wardrobe styling services in 12/2021.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The road of entrepreneurship has been pretty difficult yet very fulfilling. The most challenging part of starting a business is in the beginning, you are typically operating as every role in the business. I am currently also the face (model) of Konquer Your Kloset, which adds another layer of difficulties because as business owners we can typically be our biggest critic. Being a slight perfectionist doesn’t help. Showing up everyday as everyone can be exhausting at times and you have to balance the time you spend working IN and working ON your business. Especially when you are working a full time job on the side to support this business, like myself. There have been countless late nights, numerous times I’ve called on my family members and loved ones for assistance and definitely some tears from being so overwhelmed with tasks on any given day. Yet, we keep taking things day by day! By the grace of God we are learning, growing and expanding all in due time. My next goal is hiring a full-time assistant who will act as the COO of Konquer Your Kloset.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Konquer Your Kloset was created because as a woman who loves all things style and fashion, I would find my closet being overwhelmingly full yet still feeling like I had nothing to wear. That’s when I realized I had a lot of pieces that I either 1. didn’t really like but was keeping just to possibly wear again, 2. pieces that were “one-offs”, meaning that once you wore it once it lost its appeal, and 3. pieces that really weren’t able to be mixed and matched to work in multiple outfits. I wanted to take the pain, time and guesswork out of getting dressed in the morning. As a believer, I operate based off of the Bible and there is a scripture that says we shouldn’t take any thought on what we should wear, basically meaning there are a lot more important things for us to focus on in our daily lives. So, I wanted to help women conquer their wardrobes by providing them elevated essentials that could easily and effortlessly enhance any wardrobe. We specialize in quality pieces that can be transitioned over multiple seasons. What sets us apart is how dedicated we are to showcasing one item in multiple ways. I am proud that we have created a brand where women across the nation know they can visit for their “luxurious basics” they can wear for years to come. Our collections are available to shop at www.shopwithkyk.com and in December 2021 we will be launching personal ‘Kloset Konsultations’ where we will sit down (virtually and/or in person) and discuss your personal wardrobe needs and help you to build a solid foundation of quality and flattering pieces that you can interchange throughout your day-to-day life.
Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
The most important lesson I have learned is to be consistent, especially in the early stages of business. If you aren’t putting in maximum effort, there is no way you can expect maximum results. Your business is new and it has yet to build trust, so be intentional about constantly learning about your industry so you can provide value that sets you apart from everyone else doing something similar. Act swiftly. Accept help. Anchor yourself in faith.
Contact Info:
- Email: hello@konqueryourkloset.com
- Website: www.shopwithkyk.com
- Instagram: @shopwithkyk
- Facebook: @KonquerYourKloset
- Twitter: @shopKYK
- Youtube: Konquer Your Kloset
- Other: https://linktr.ee/konqueryourkloset
Image Credits:
Kristin Robertson, Vincent Peterson II
