Hi! I’m Martha Thurston. I’m the owner and visionary of K and R Styles Children’s Boutique.
I am no stranger to the thread arts. I grew up with a grandmother who taught me to crochet, macrame, and sew. From the time I could hold a needle or hook, I was doing something creatively using thread, fabric, or yarn. As I grew older, so did the stretch of my creative outlets.
Fast forward to 45 years later since first learning to sew, and now, I have a creative dream much larger than what I began with so many years ago.
Why K and R Styles?
Why not?
No, that’s not it. When my children were younger, I enjoyed making them matching outfits and quilts, but now, I’m a Mimi. My grandchildren are my inspiration, and the “K and R” behind the name of our business.
When I started the business in 2019, it was because I wanted to do more with my creative outlet. I had a vision of not only a business I owned and operated, but also a place where I could teach others to do the same. K and R Styles is not the first time I’ve gone into business. There were many forerunners to this one that taught me what I needed to know to take this one to the next level and beyond. And yes, I see a beyond in the future. It’s a part of my 10 year plan to leave a legacy for my grandchildren.
How the vision began
Believe it or not, I was in the hospital watching YouTube on my phone, and a nurse had brought me a pen and paper because I told her that I needed to be writing. I had so much on my mind that I really wanted to scribble it all down for later.
The shows I was watching on YouTube? Well, they were all about Embroidery and Etsy. I had been selling on Etsy, but my store was a little bit of everything. I had no real focus. I had also been reading Tony Robbins’ book, Awaken the Giant Within. During my reading, I noticed that Robbins kept stating that to make your dreams happen, you had to narrow your focus. I knew that trying to do it all wasn’t the way to go about everything. After all, it muddied the water of what I wanted, but then again, I’d never sat down and thought about what I wanted. For some reason, being hospitalized for a heart problem (caused by the doctor, no less) gave me plenty of time to sit and think.
My vision became a retail store where everything within it was made in house. I began to look at retail spaces, and I jotted down what I needed to grow along with the type of things I would offer. I also made notes about costs, legalities, and even searched videos that went with those things. I also went to eBay and found a cheap embroidery machine that I managed to get to work. With these things in place, and a notebook, I began to build up my dream. Everything pertaining to the business went into the notebook, including retail spaces, business plans, and product ideas. It was one giant vision board in a book form.
We’re not done yet
Despite the start, we are not finished growing. My vision has shifted and changed as I dove into product safety and what I wanted out of the fabric as I have been researching materials and manufacturing. I want the manufacturing, plus I want the retail, too, or to have my products placed into retail. That’s the unclear part of all of this. I know that I will want to continue making and designing my own products. After all, that is what I originally wanted. Everything else just seemed to be the icing on the cake.
Overall, our growth plan has changed as we have pivoted from that beginning start point. For one, we no longer sell our items on Etsy. Next, growth has slowed as we have chosen organic growth with lower overhead over a steady stream of traffic, excess competition, and increased fees/costs. I think that passing on those savings to the customers will win in the long run.