Meet Kimberly May

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

Hi Kimberly, what habits do you feel play an important role in your life?
One of the most effective habits I’ve developed in running my business is the ’10-minute rule ‘. If a task can be completed in less than 10 minutes, I handle it immediately. This practice prevents small tasks from piling up and crowding the workspace. More importantly, it frees up the creative space, allowing ideas to flow and business operations to run smoothly. The productivity boost from this habit can have a positive impact across the entire business. Also, cleaning all my workspaces twice a week is a small and fast habit that keeps everything neat. A cluttered space leads to a cluttered mind; all it takes to refresh is a tidy place to work.

What should our readers know about your business?
Although I’ve been sewing my whole life, it never occurred to me that designing and sewing would be a possible career choice. As I started to gain traction on Pinterest in early 2021, I posted easy sewing tutorials, and my followers encouraged me to sell the clothes I made. I struggled to wrap my head around the idea of opening a business, but in August of 2022, I took the risk and opened up my website with just one machine on a plastic folding table in my room. I remember being ecstatic as the orders came in, just a few at a time. Now, my business has expanded to an entire room, filled with five machines, three brands, and hundreds of orders shipped to customers internationally. It’s mind-boggling to look back to where I started and see how far God has taken it.
The brands I’m building are unique, and all work together to create a sustainable work environment.
Lady May Shop offers embroidered and hand-sewn clothing, all done in-house, with the highest-quality materials. We strive for perfection and comfort. Lady May is my most well-known brand, and it’s surreal to see the clothing being worn, whether on Instagram or in person.
Certain clothing items on Lady May Shop result in scraps—sometimes it’s hoodie sleeves, other times it’s a camo or Aztec remainder. All of these scraps are repurposed into one-of-a-kind items on Patched by Kim. Not only does this help reduce waste, but it also gives customers a unique item that only they will have—as no two items are ever the same.
Lastly, Howdy Rowdy Originals was founded in May of this year. I recently began to love graphic design, and although this business has just opened, traction has been steadily increasing. I’m incredibly excited to see where God takes it.
It wasn’t always easy, but I truly felt at home in my own business. I have a strong gut feeling that I found the thing that the Lord wants me to pursue—creating high-quality, faith-based clothing that country girls feel best represents them and their lives.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I love this prompt! If my best friend came to visit, I would first take her for a long trail ride, as the weather has been perfect! We’d go fishing, camping, build campfires and cook some great food! My small town also has so many cute places to eat and hang out, and a trip to north GA to see the mountains would be the cherry on top. My friends and I are very outdoorsy folks, and love to run through the woods and build cool things.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My family is always there to help me, and I couldn’t have made it this far without their constant help, advice, and reassurance.

Website: ladymayshop.com & howdyrowdys.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kimbermayyy/

Other: Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/kimbermayyy/_created/ Linktree: https://linktr.ee/kimbermayyy