GET TO KNOW BRITTNEY + LEARN A THING OR TWO WITH THIS
q+a
Where does the name 'TRIBE Kelley' come from?
b. "Tribe Kelley was formed when I wanted to transform my college part-time job into a full-time brand my husband and I could both share. I ran my own Esty account in college to pay for my little one bedroom apartment. You could find me studying Psychology & creating one-of-a-kind pieces throughout my schooling at the University of Georgia. I was married by the time my last semester came about & Tribe Kelley was formed on my husband’s tour bus one afternoon. Combining my native american ancestry by using the word “Tribe” and our last name “Kelley,” the brand was born"
What do you find most difficult about running a business with your husband?
b."I find managing our creative and personal time together the most difficult. When your passion is being creative, sometimes it is hard to turn on and off. When your working with your spouse, it is important to schedule “off” time. Off time to me is simply going on a mindless walk in nature or finding yourself driving a backroad having unplanned conversations. It is also important to find personal time to re-charge so that when you are around your spouse you are able to fully give your time and attention to them whether that be for business or personal time"
How do you find balance between traveling so much and running a business?
b. "I run my business on the road while I travel. To be honest, sometimes I get the most work done while on a four hour plane ride to Los Angeles. Some of the best list making sessions happen in the back of an Uber stuck in traffic. Having to adapt to working on a bus, plane or even train sometimes, is one of the most challenging, yet greatest parts of what I do. If I wasn’t able to travel, where would I draw my inspiration? Sometimes I wonder if I was never forced to sit four hours on a plane if I would ever get any computer work done"
It seems like you both have a good hold on originality with your brand, do you feel thats what leads to your success?
b. "My husband and I both are big on being original with your art, no matter what form your creating. With music or design, you must draw inspiration from somewhere, but the result must be something so original it cannot be copied. We design our collections seasons ahead of time, so copying what is currently trending is never an issue for us. We like to create styles that fit our lifestyle at that moment, giving us the upper hand on originality, in my opinion"
Looking ahead 3 years from now, where do you see your brand going?
b. "We dream of having small, curated boutiques all over the US and possibly the world some day"
What has been the hardest struggle through starting and owning your own business? & how did you get through it?
b. "The hardest struggle for me personally, is being too independent. I don’t like to ask for help and sometimes you NEED to ask for help. I like for things to be done in detail and I fear if I don’t do them myself, then they aren’t done right. My biggest challenge has been to let parts of Tribe Kelley be handled by my team. For example, by allowing my social media team to take over, it has given me ample time I need to design & perfect future collections"
If you had one "do over" as a business owner, what would it be?
b. "Having more patience & opening on a correct “fashion schedule.”— I rushed to open my online business because of excitement. I ended up putting myself behind schedule on seasons and I should’ve waited a couple more months."
If you could give an advice card to each couple who is considering starting a business together, what would it say?
b. "Make sure you and your spouse both want to enter business together. I have friends and family couples that would never be able to work together, and that is OK. Some couples operate better having different jobs so that they can come back together at the end of the day and have options to converse about. Other couples enjoy being around each other hourly and are able to work within the same job. Being honest about working together is the best advice I can give. My husband is also a musician, so he gets his time to work on a project separate from our brand, and it is always refreshing to have other topics to chat about at the end of the day"
