Today we’d like to introduce you to Kimberly Hyde.
Hi Kimberly, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
My love of scrapbooking started at the age of three, when I cut up my grandmother’s Southern Living magazine and made a new book with some of her pictures…and I’ve been hooked ever since! I started teaching classes in my kitchen in 1996, opened a scrapbook store in 1998, and started Keller’s Creations in 2002. Now that we have been in business with our own products for over 20 years, I am starting to relish how incredible our little company is!
I have built our brand around my own personal life and story…a self-employed single mom who loves to scrapbook. That combination meant that I never had enough time or money. Thus, my motto of 10 minutes a day was born! So, for over 20 years, I have traveled and taught classes to inspire everyone to tell their stories…with photos and words…in just 10 minutes a day. And that 10 minutes, it turns out, can really change your life!
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?
Oh, NO, the road hasn’t been smooth! Raising my son alone and the daily struggles of trying to make a living for us meant I worked every single day. In the last several years, I had to make tough decisions to literally live in our office (not one or two, but three times) for months on end. I was determined not to quit, even in the face of 7 major surgeries in as many years – including surviving a brain tumor!
The pandemic gave me a renewed sense of the purpose of why we do what we do. It is important work. It is important for mental health to use our brains creatively. It is important to tell our stories… to celebrate life… to heal our hearts…to show others they are not alone.
So, in 2020, we began teaching on Facebook several times a month, giving people a place to hang out and have fun. We have not looked back! We teach and showcase our products and encourage others virtually…and love doing it!
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Our company and our products are 100% based in the USA. We design and produce every product. I have recently taught myself graphic design, so we are turning out new designs faster than ever.
Have you learned any interesting or important lessons due to the Covid-19 Crisis?
Absolutely! The pandemic forced us to rethink our business model since we could no longer travel and teach at conventions. And it’s been so incredibly rewarding to connect with people all over the country much more often. Before, we would see people once a year in their city. Now we see them every few days virtually. And, by doing it for free on Facebook, more and more people are joining us to create & laugh & connect, all while telling their stories in their scrapbooks.
Contact Info:
- Website: Acidfree.com
- Instagram: Keller’s Creations
- Facebook: Facebook.com/kellerscreationsandkellerscottage
- Youtube: Keller’s Creations
