Today we’d like to introduce you to Kathleen Borsh.
The foundational principle of my life and entrepreneurial path can be summarized by the 4-H slogan, “Learn by Doing.”
My passion for crafting dates back to my early years, with a particular focus on jewelry-making and scrapbooking starting in high school.
However, it was during my time in Singapore, living with my husband and daughter, that I had the opportunity to immerse myself in diverse faiths and cultures, significantly influencing both my creative and spiritual journey – opening the door for me to reconnect with my own faith.
Upon returning to the United States in 2013, as a way to reconnect with the church, I began making beaded and knotted rosaries for missions. Not long after, I learned that the woman who had been making and donating doorknob rosaries for our local Catholic School was retiring. Inspired by my deep appreciation for these items, I made the decision to ensure their continued availability for others.
Over the next year, I researched and crafted, exploring different knot-tying techniques and testing various ropes and crosses in order to produce high-quality door rosaries to donate to the school for the upcoming Christmas sale.
My efforts were successful — the school embraced them wholeheartedly. And with the support of my sisters and friends, I managed to sell several more door rosaries through word of mouth that same year.
Before I started making them, I never believed our door rosaries were exclusively for Catholic Christians – they are invitations for all Christians to reconnect with God. Through my desire to share the innovative creation with Christians of all denominations, I coined the term “Knots of Grace”, emphasizing the knots in our lives that we can learn to untie with help from connecting with God daily.
In 2018, the company officially adopted the name Knots of Grace®. It is the mission of Knots of Grace to bring faith into daily visibility, inviting individuals to pause and deepen their connection with God amid the hustle of our over-scheduled lives, regardless of our location.
Since then, I’ve taken the initiative to design and create our own unique crosses, bringing in my woodworking training in 4-H. Additionally, I’ve expanded our offerings to include other distinctive and practical Christian Catholic gifts and rosaries for every corner of life.
We also now have our products in a number of retail stores across the US and Canada.
Alright, 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?
The road hasn’t been smooth, but I try to see each obstacle as a learning experience – once I get through the initial emotional reaction.
As an example, I retired from a 20+ year career in Human Resources Management to work on Knots of Grace full-time in early 2019 and be home with my daughter during her teenage years.
I retired with confidence that sales were going to continue to go up as they had each year since I began. I was planning to expand from Etsy to Amazon Handmade and my own website, as well as add more in-person sales, now that I had the extra time to do so.
But instead, the pandemic started and all in-person shows were canceled. I’d also invested early in materials for the year so I wouldn’t have any supplier issues.
Though trying to be realistic, I still held onto the sentiment in the movie Field of Dreams, where if you build it they will come. With that in my heart, I used the time where I would normally be at in-person shows to hold “no-show” selling events on Facebook and YouTube. Also during this time, I launched my Amazon Handmade store, KnotsofGrace.com, and my email list.
Though I was able to do all of this, sales weren’t at the same level as in prior years, but unlike other entrepreneurial endeavors that I’d started and quit in my adult life, this specific business was one that I was not going to let go without a fight. Since then, I have continued to test products in the market and listen to my customers to see what they need to enhance their spiritual life.
This is a favorite quote of mine from St. Teresa of Calcutta (Mother Teresa) that helps me refocus during the tough times, “I know God will not give me anything I can’t handle. I just wish that He didn’t trust me so much.”
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am the sole creator of all the designs at Knots of Grace, with my father-in-law assisting in tying the larger knots since he joined our household in 2016. Our rope is exclusively sourced from the USA, with a significant portion coming from small businesses owned or operated by Veterans. The wooden crosses used in our larger door rosaries are designed by me, cut by a local woodworker, and then assembled by me in our studio located in Alpharetta, GA.
Many of our products have a story behind them – whether it be the inspiration behind their creation, the intended recipient, the significance of the materials used, or other fun facts.
I’m consistently creating new designs, although not all of them are made available to the public. Our products are crafted in limited quantities to guarantee the utmost quality in every individual piece.
Through our products, we hope our customers find the Joy of the Advent and Christmas season all year long. Because it’s easy to say we’re joyful when it’s surrounding us throughout November and December. But come January, it’s not so easy to sustain that search for joy!
We hope our rosaries are a physical, daily reminder to open the door to:
… witness JOY in each day
… spread PEACE each day
… see HOPE in each day
… share LOVE each day
… invite CHRIST into each day
What are your plans for the future?
We are looking to expand into more retail outlets across the country and we’ll be at several regional markets in 2024. People can visit our website to find out how to connect with us.
Contact Info:
- Website: knotsofgrace.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/knotsofgrace/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/knotsofgrace/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCibmFWwK0VSA-BxOB8sHcig
Image Credits
Photos with Knots of Grace logo were taken by Katie Savoy Other photos by Brandi Inman
