Today we’d like to introduce you to Karley Maxson.
Hi Karley, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
I have always loved clothes and shopping. I thought it would be fun to help others shop and love clothes too! I had just turned 30, and life was going so fast! My husband and I quickly decided that summer to jump into it, and in September 2021, Metallic Market was launched! At the time, I was still working full-time as a first-grade teacher at a great school. Metallic Market remained a hobby and something I loved doing in my limited free time. We found out we were pregnant with our second child early in 2022. After a lot of fertility struggles to conceive both our children, this felt like a miracle!
The beginning of 2022 was hectic and exhausting, between chasing our two-year-old, teaching full-time, running a small but successful online boutique out of our home, and with a baby on the way. It felt too good to be true, and I remember telling close friends that I was waiting for the shoe to drop. Boy, did it drop; our Miracle Millie was born 3 months early at 25 weeks and 5 days. She was 1 lb 7 oz at birth, smaller than the Elf on the Shelf! What should have been a September baby turned into an early June baby. She spent 98 days in the NICU. It was my life’s most stressful, complex, and exhausting time. That summer, my husband and I spent time every day with her and split time at home with our toddler, McCoy, trying to make life as normal as possible for him. August came, and I returned to school to be at home with Miller when she came home from the NICU. During this time, I continued to do both teaching and Metallic Market (I was a one-woman show!) and was a mom to a busy two-year-old boy and a tiny baby in the NICU. I credit my school teammates (and best friends) for helping me endure an incredibly tough season. Miller eventually came home from the NICU in September; she was on a home oxygen system that had 50-foot cords going from one end of our house to the other. We were elated to have her home, but it did come with some challenges! She had what felt like endless appointments, and the stress of keeping her healthy was daunting. I stayed home with her for over 12 weeks before finishing the school year with my class. During that time, I realized I could not do it all. I wanted to spend more time with my babies and keep doing something I loved that allowed more flexibility for our family. I took my dream, Metallic Market, full-time and quit teaching. This is my first year out of the classroom, and I love the extra days at home with my babies and pouring more into Metallic Market.
Would it have been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It is always challenging business, especially when you’re a one-woman show. My husband, nicknamed #boutiquehusband, is the most supportive; he is always there at every pop-up, helping me set up, allowing me to talk through things, helping me handle customer service questions, pushing me to think bigger or go after bigger goals. Regarding struggles, everything else pales in comparison once you have a baby in the NICU.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Metallic Market?
Metallic Market Boutique is an online women’s clothing boutique. I curate weekly collections that help make closets fun and functional. I do weekly try-on styling sessions that help style different pieces, create outfits, and help solve the world’s problems, one skinny jeans at a time. 😉 My ability to put different outfits together or style pieces differently sets me apart from other boutiques. I choose pieces that will get my customers to try new things and feel their best. We are always aiming for compliments from strangers. I love styling new colors, textures, classics, and trendy pieces. I always get asked if I have a storefront, but I need a different goal. I always wanted to attend an event for my kids and left teaching for more flexibility. If you love shopping in person, I do several pop-ups around the KC area, and most recently, I am offering in-person styling sessions. These styling sessions allow you to see everything in person; you can touch and feel it, try it on, and then we can create outfits together!
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
I am a former college athlete, so I’m an extremely competitive person. This can be bad or good for a small business. Next month and next year, the collection has to beat the one prior. This pushes me to try new things, think creatively, problem-solve, and improve!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.metallicmarket.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shopmetallicmarket/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shopmetallicmarket
