Meet Kayla Wimmer | Customer Hat Designer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kayla Wimmer and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kayla, what habits do you feel play an important role in your life?
With working a full time job and running a business on the side, time management has been a HUGE obstacle.

I have to be intentional about planning out my week and see where social stuff fits in but also when I can make time for myself to relax. I didn’t do a great job at this when I first started selling wholesale so I had to learn fast. To avoid burn out, I try to schedule at least one to two days a week where I don’t work on my business. Sure, I may repost something on my Instagram but I won’t work on orders or make any new content.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I’m really proud that I have been able to pivot when necessary with my art. Believe it or not, Krew Designs started out with paintings and calligraphy. A friend of mine gave me a wood burner to figure out how to make some stuff for her wedding and then I taught myself how to use it and began making wood burnings. While I was out of work, I saw a hat on my wall and was thought “I wonder if I could burn that” – so I did. Now, we’re selling hats in 85+ stores and doing hat bar parties for corporate events, bachelorette parties and etc. all over the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex.

Listening to what is working is the hardest part but when you do, it’s so worth it. If I had stayed scared of change or not leaned in to learning new stuff, I wouldn’t be where I am today. Always keep learning, always keep listening, and don’t gate-keep! A favorite quote is “Community over Competition” – there’s always room at the table.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Hmm.. well lucky for you, my best friend is coming in from Florida and I need to plan our trip

Definitely would take her to Bishop Arts and eat a Eno’s Pizza then shop around. That’s such a fun and eclectic area.

At night, go down to the Art Park at Trinity Groves and check out all of the fun stuff and grab food over there. I’m a huge fan of Sum Dang Good Chinese over there – the staff is phenomenal and it’s a great atmosphere.

At some point, venture out to the Stockyards in Fort Worth and check out a concert or some of those cool old western bars.

There’s so much to do in the Dallas/Fort Worth. It’s hard to pick!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My entire journey can be attributed to different people I have met through the last 10-15 years. My friend Tara took me to Dallas Market in Fall 2021 where I was able to see this whole different world I didn’t know I could be a part of. A new dream was born that day – be a vendor at Dallas Market.

While there, we met Megan Boyles of Destination Asbury in Asbury Park, NJ and we became friends over Instagram. When she opened her store last year, she asked if I was going to start selling wholesale. I told her I didn’t know if I’d be able to scale for that since it was just me. Tara and Megan were both so instrumental in talking me through my options and encouraging me to just take the leap. So I signed on to be a vendor for Faire Wholesale Marketplace.

When Megan and her mom and business partner, Tracey, came back for Market in June 2022, there were excited to catch up and Tara took me with her to market again. We were at dinner later that night and they mentioned that they always started their Market days with a specific showroom on the 7th floor because the manager is so sweet. They said her name was Alessa. After talking some more, it turns out Alessa was my first ever hire at a job about 10 years ago. She was always my favorite employee and was so quick to learn merchandising. She ended up going to college and majored in Merchandising. After getting reacquainted with Alessa, she spoke with the owner of the showroom, Mi’Chel, and they offered me a spot in their showroom.

It’s so crazy to think there was this whole world I had no idea I could be a part of. A dream was sparked and through a tribe of incredible women, I was able to see that dream become a reality.

Website: krewdesigns.com

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