Today we’d like to introduce you to Kimmie Bridges.
Hi Kimmie, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I started selling some low-end designer bags that I owned from my closet in 2016. These were Michael Kors and Coach bags. I did this out of necessity. Little did I know this would turn into mine and my husband’s full-time business five years later. We started selling second-hand sustainable designer items in early 2021. In February 2021 my husband, Matt’s, dad unexpectedly passed away. We had to go back to Indiana. We spent the next nine months trying to grow our business while also running my father in law’s two pizza chains. We were hoping to find some management so that we could get back to selling bags. That same year, I had a baby three months early and was overworked and had a hard time keeping up with everything. We finally found the people we needed for the pizza stores and we were able to start our business back up. November we signed up one week before a holiday shopping event to be a vendor. We did about 16k in sales and that was a small turning point in our business. We then signed up for another event a couple of weeks later. This event did not do as well for us, so I put my phone up on the table and just went live on Tiktok. This was the turning point in our business. Tiktok live truly changed our business and our life. We ended up doing only 5k at that event and over 10k online that week because of TikTok. I was hooked. I started making tiktoks rigorously. We went live nearly every day (even Christmas evening). Going into November, we had done 41k that year. We finished the year at 99k. This year to date, we have done over 250k in sales and are on track to do 1.5-2 million in sales this year. We are looking to change the way people think about designers. You can still wear designer fashion, but it can be sustainable and affordable.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
We sell second-hand, sustainable, affordable designer bags, jewelry and clothing. We are proud that our business as a whole can help eliminate carbon emissions. One person buying second hand each year can help eliminate 500 pounds of carbon emissions every year. This would help reduce the water, waste and carbon emissions by 80%. By supporting circular economy and expanding the life cycle of luxury goods, we can continue to make a difference, one designer item at a time.
What does success mean to you?
I grew up very middle class. I would have never imagined that I would own a Louis Vuitton bag one day. I remember being so bad at school, not good in college, there was no focus in me to study to “do something” as a job. I always wanted to be an entrepreneur. The fact that even I can come from nothing and grow a 7 figure business speaks volumes to success. It truly shows that anyone can be successful. I didn’t have a leg up or anything paid for me. I ended up dropping out of college to try to pursue becoming an entrepreneur and at that point, I felt like I have no other choice but to make it work. Now I get to help women just like myself who didn’t think I’d ever own a designer bag to not only own a bag but to build a collection that is worth something. The cool thing about designer is that it holds its value and some bags can become investment pieces. Being able to make women feel empowered the way I did what I bought my first ever (second-hand) designer bag is success to me.
Contact Info:
- Website: milkhoneycollection.com
- Instagram: @milkhoneycollection
- Facebook: Milk Honey COllection
- Youtube: Milk Honey Collection
- Other: TIKTOK! @milkhoneycollection
