Today we’d like to introduce you to Kaylin Funches.
Hi Kaylin, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
As a young teen, I knew I had to make my own money. I never really had a strong financial support system so I didn’t like asking for anything more than what I needed, but I always wanted a lot. Fashion has always been a passion of mine and since I had very little money I grew a love for thrifting. In ninth grade, I discovered the world of secondhand websites such as Vinted, Poshmark, eBay, etc. I would list anything that I didn’t want to make more money to go shopping. After seeing how much money I was making from selling my own things, I decided to turn my love for thrifting into a profitable hustle. I made thousands from doing this and decided to take the skill to a new level. I enrolled in Georgia Southern University to take up fashion merchandising. During my time here, I learned so much about the fashion industry and business management. The program helped me scale my business and eventually, I decided I wanted to teach others how to make money reselling as well.
Along with my love for fashion and beauty, I love being in front of and behind the camera. Growing up people always would tell me that I should be a model. Of course, I’ve tried that but there were many obstacles in the industry starting out. When I started college, I created my YouTube channel. The goal was to build my own brand and bring the companies to me. It wasn’t until after I had my son I started to take the platform seriously. I started by posting about my reselling journey, my love for thrifting, try on haul videos, and hair tutorial videos. This led to many brands reaching out to me for collaborations. I’ve done brand shoots video shoots, review hair from many different vendors, and more. I was stunned and still am! Each day I get to network with different people and companies all over the world. It’s amazing that I get to build my brand this way. I love being an inspiration to people. I believe it’s my calling.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
When I started thrifting for my products to sell, I would just buy whatever I thought was cute. It wasn’t until I started college and started learning more about trends that I realized that I had to list the things that people actually wanted. I have to study trends all the time to ensure that what I am buying is what the customer is looking for in the secondhand market. Becoming a model is a tough industry to start your career in especially if you haven’t made a name for yourself. I would always feel like I was being overlooked because there are so many other girls out there competing for that same role. This is why I decided to build my brand and let companies show interest in me. When you’re in your own lane, there is no competition.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Just like most people, I have a 9-5 job. I am blessed enough to be working in my field for a social media-based swimsuit company, Icon Swim. I handle the company’s return department. I love my job because it gives me plenty of time to build my platform. I get to make and edit my videos and network with other content creators who are also employees.
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
More companies are going to be using social media as part of their digital marketing. I definitely think that there are going to be a lot more content creators starring in major TV roles. These bigger companies can find the next big thing right here on social media.
Contact Info:
- Email: kaylinafunches@gmail.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/justkaylin._
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0_SZom5rVO1z7qpYVW7VsA
