Welcome to Momentum, a motorsports podcast powered by High Gear Success. I'm your host, Heather Wilson Schiltz Here we share the stories and strategies that keep the world of motorsports moving forward. And on the show today is Kelsey McNeil, owner of Strictly Wild, an apparel and accessory company specializing in motorsports design. So thanks for joining me. Thanks for me. I wanted to kind of show different segments of this industry. I didn't want this podcast to just be racers or people that work very traditional jobs in the industry. So I thought this would be a perfect fit to kind of spotlight somebody that's very into moto and doing something a little bit different. No, that's really cool. And I think it's cool because there are like, you know, you've been around the industry forever. There's so many other jobs besides just being a racer that that contributes to the moto industry. So that's really cool. Thank you for having me. So you grew up in a moto family as well. And I'm sure that had some influence on what you wanted to do as a career. Was there ever a time that you were like, I'm not going to work in the motorcycle industry or was that just, I was going to do something in it. feel like from growing up from a baby being around the industry, just, I know, does that call us like, is that like a Neppo baby now? that what you're talking about? But no, I think you're spot on. I always just wanted to do something with dirt bikes. I mean, when I was like 13, 14, it was, ooh, I wanted to be the 32nd board girl. Like, no matter what, like that's changed throughout the course of my life as I got older, but like that like, No matter what I wanted to do something with dirt bikes, didn't know what that was. But yeah, I was probably going to do something around that realm for sure. So I first came to know you through D8 Apparel and Just Ride Customs. So that was an Etsy shop that you had of moto-inspired women's apparel. And I actually am rocking one of those apparel pieces from back in the day. love it because like when I saw it when you emailed me I was like, oh, know your name. I know you. That is so cool. That is, mean, shoot, that's probably an old shirt. It is, it definitely is old, but I always feel like it's so appropriate still. Yeah, yeah, that go ride one was cool. Yeah, so I did I started D8 Apparel on Etsy because I feel like Etsy was the place to start uh back in the day and just to build your brand and your customers and all of that. And my dad's business is called D8 Training because of his name is Destry Abbott and his riding number is eight. So I was like, I'll just like piggyback off that. So D8 Apparel is what I started. ah And again, I just made custom shirts like you're wearing right now and all dirt bike inspired because what else do I know? So did that. And then I kind of wanted to get away from D8 Apparel and kind of do like more of my own thing. So then I literally just rebranded to Just Ride Customs, ah which was a kind of a big deal because there was another brand on Etsy called Just Ride and I didn't know that. So that was like a... I felt bad. That was a hard thing to try to navigate through that. But I kept that for a couple of years and still did the same thing. And I think I started adding on like, like just toddler to adult and like pick your shirt and then here's the designs and here's vinyl color. And then I will weed it from a freaking whatever those are called. And then I pressed them. So I made all custom shirts and that's totally how I started on Etsy. Is that something that you were just doing on the side because you had the passion for it? And I feel like it really exploded. Like it got to a point where you were really overwhelmed with the amount of apparel that you were doing. Yes, you paid attention. For sure. It was a side thing. I didn't really, I was working at KTM for a while. And then I started doing stuff on the side because I like being creative. I went to school for design and I just like the creative aspect of it. So bringing dirt bikes in the creativity was nice. And then I also did stunts like sag stunts for TV shows on the side. So it was always just kind of like a side gig. And then it started getting serious. you said, started getting like, cause custom shirts, it's like my turnaround time was two to three weeks. It wasn't like a Amazon thing where I just put it in a bag and I ship it. Like I was like, crap, the shirt color and then the size and then the vinyl and then the criquet and then I had to design it and then I had to press it. So it's like, it took a long time. So even if I was only getting whatever 20 orders a week, those 20 orders, that took me so long. So it did start getting too much for sure. So you took a pause from that for a while and then you started Strictly Wild. So tell us about how Strictly Wild came to be. Yeah, so, God, feel like, isn't it crazy, like the past couple years, they all blended, so I couldn't even tell you like what year. I do know I started shoot around 2020, I think May is when I opened up my shop, but that was a really hard decision closing Just Ride Customs, but I got so over it because people were just stealing my designs. Not like I had them patented or whatever, but they were just, I was just kind of tired of it and shirts designs are easy to steal. So I was like, Okay, I'm gonna take a break, which was really hard. And I closed that shop down. And I think I remember doing like a video and I was like crying and it was so serious because I did put my whole heart into it. And I gained such an awesome customer base and I made friends from people and it was just cool seeing orders come in from the same people over and over and watching like little babies grow up and it was cool. But I just couldn't do it mentally anymore. I was so over, it was a lot of work, which I don't mind hard work, but it was just too much. uh I was just done. I was done with people stealing stuff. was done worrying. My mental health became so bad because of it. I was just so focused on everyone else instead of what I was doing. So I took a break and then I didn't know what I was going to do. So I sat on it for like maybe, maybe a year. And I was like, I'm going to, I'm going to do another shop. But I didn't start at Etsy. went right to Shopify because I already had a customer base. I felt may follow me over, but I decided like I started strictly wild in 2020 and I just did hats. That's all I did. And it wasn't even motorcycle whatsoever. Like it was, wanted to, I thought I wanted a break from the dirt bike industry in that sense. So I made like freaking my, my girl, Brittany's gonna laugh. We made hamburger hats and just, I don't know, surfing. Just, I didn't have a rhyme or reason, but I was so excited to do something different that was like, you're not going to steal my hat designs. So that's honestly how Strictly Wild started. Did you have any experience in apparel or product development before launching the brand? no, not at all. ah No, it's been so much trial and error and ah I'm in a much better place now, but I would just like freaking just spend money and then not like something and throw it away. My husband would get so pissed. ah No, it was honestly trial, error, Google, YouTube. I just did so much research and so much just trying to figure out what would work, what I want. And that's still ongoing process, but yeah, no, no, no idea what I was doing once. Do you remember the first time that you saw a kid or adult wearing something that you made at a race? What did that feel like? Yeah, that's cool. I still get like really excited when I see that. And I feel like I see it now more than ever, which is really cool. But now I notice I'm always looking at other dirt bike shirts and like what brand is that? I'm like, how do I get them to know about me? That's like where my mind's at now. But when I first saw it, it's so cool. And just even seeing pictures on social media that families share because with an online shop, I'm not just selling in my little local neighborhood. It's all across the country. So It's really cool and I'm just, it's like a very like proud moment that I make something that people want to buy, which I'm really thankful for. Well, and you've built like a very connected community too, because I would say mostly women, right? But, all the women online, like when they see the Strictly Wild designs out in public, whether it's a shirt or a backpack or a bag or whatever it is, like they feel like they're connected somehow. They may not have ever even met, but they're both using your products and that brings them together. you our Facebook. Damn, you know your shit. That's so cool that you say that because I've noticed that more recently to like somebody. I call them like creeper picks, but mom will be at a race and there's a line and there's two strictly wild umbrellas and she's like, oh, so cool seeing this and then it's like Okay, so there's like three people right there that bought from me that don't know each other, but they like the same stuff. ah And I've seen people become friends because someone was wearing a strictly wild backpack and it's just like almost a conversation starter. So it is very cool. And I feel like that community is what I really pride myself on with strictly wild is I want people to feel like connected and I just want like good vibes. And I want to be connected to my customers as well, which is something I really, really work towards. Yeah, you definitely and your team go above and beyond to make sure your customers are happy. I mean, again, call me a lurker in your group, I guess. see, see all the interactions, but like you're constantly making sure that they have a great experience. I know you've made a few, yeah, to a fault, maybe, made a few posts about like, this isn't Amazon and our expectations as a society are sometimes a little too much. I 100 % agree. And I don't even think that has to do with my shop per se. But yeah, I feel like now more than ever, it's like, we need now now now. So it's like, somebody ordered on Saturday night, and we already have an email by Sunday night asking when it's going to ship. It's the freaking weekend. And I you and in the past, when I was a bit smaller, I probably would have been like, I'm just gonna go ship it when I was at my house working from there. But I do strive to make sure everyone has a good experience and then I know that's not possible. So I've kind of lowered my expectations a bit and just try to fix our wrongs or, or whatever. But I also have gotten better and I know my customer service girls, Ashley and Brittany, we don't put up with as much mean energy as we used to where before if someone was pissed and it would, if it's for a good reason, happy to fix it. But a lot of the times lately it's just like. I don't know, lot of time, shipping carriers, it's loss or something. And then it's like, we get the end of it and we always fix it. But I don't put up with as much meanness as I used to. kind of try to hold my ground and that's very hard for me. I'm the biggest people pleaser ever. So. retail is very, very hard. That's why, um, my parents just closed their dealership after 48 years. And, uh, people were asking like, why aren't you taking over the dealership? I'm like, quite frankly, I don't want to work retail. Because you see the behind the scenes. And kind of talking about that, my husband and were talking about tracks and we're always like, wouldn't it be cool to open a track? And then we're like, no, it would not. It's same kind of with retail. It's like, it's hard to make everyone happy. And then it's like, also like, you know, you see the behind the scenes of things and it's like, things cost a lot to make and the expectations of how much we should sell for or whatever is. It's hard to meet too because it's like well then I'm not going to have a shop if I'm not going to make money. Do you know what mean? Yeah. Talk about going from shipping out of your house to you have a full blown warehouse now and staff. It's nuts. Yeah. So when I first started D8 Apparel on the Etsy, we just live in uh a little double wide, just kill it on. We have 10 acres, but we just have a really small little house. So we had a back room and it was, mean, twice as small as my little office oh entry area here. And I just worked out of that with my criquet and the Etsy. So that was cool. And then I started to a little bit bigger and my husband's a big fan of shipping containers. So shipping container and then. uh My husband's filmer or lives in one side of another little double wide we have on our property. And then, we made my grandpa built a wall because he didn't need all their space. So we built my office on the other side. So that was really cool. And we went from one shipping container to two. And then at that point I needed extra help. So I had a customer DM me and she goes, Oh, we're moving near you. And I live in BFE. I like there's Temecula and I'm 30 minutes outside of Temecula. And I was like, cool. So I went and met her and she was just, she did some workout stuff on the side and she goes, if you ever need help. So she was my first hire as far as on the job, on site, because I always had Brittany and Ashley helping me with social media or customer service. So Audrey came in and then on the holidays we would hire just some other people to come work for like Black Friday. And my husband's filmer, Eric, also helps every now and then. And then there was a time where at our house, would have to, whatever we package, I would then load into the van and then drive to the post office and drop off. So this was happening daily and I would have hundreds and hundreds of packages. And it was, I was just, it was so annoying. It was just like one by one, you're putting them in. It was just, it sucked. And then we had like this big shot hat boxes for summer. It was just, I needed two vehicles to, the boxes were so big. So granted, you're not paying rent. at home, which was nice, but at the same time, I also felt like I needed that separation because when you work from home, it's just like, I just could never shut off, ever, ever. So my work-life balance was really freaking bad at that time. And then last year as of July, I got a warehouse in town in Temecula which is cool. And then I hired my friend Sophie and then our friend Lily. So they work part-time in the warehouse. Eric comes in and then Brittany and... Ashley are doing my computer stuff for customer service and it's like mind blowing to me that like it was just me forever and and I'm very much a hard worker and I'll work myself to death so I was fine even though I was miserable but now my work-life balance my mental health everything is just so much better and having that separation from work and home has been amazing so that transition was much needed and I'm very happy overall with it besides rent. Yeah. And you're a mom now, so I'm sure that freed up a little bit of your time and you're probably crazy busy, just hanging out with the kids or running them to school or whatever needs to be done. Yeah, exactly. So that's given me more time where I'm at home. I don't feel like I have to be doing, because I do a lot of backend computer work, designing all of that, planning out the rest of the year. So I feel like I don't have to do that as much at home. So I get to be a better mom, I think has honestly been a big help too. Talk about your process for developing new products or collections. How do you go about that? I don't really have, I don't know, I don't know. I'm just kind of a fly by the seat of my pants person. If I like an idea, I'll start creating. I also have a really great designer I've been working with for a while and he's just my go-to guy. So we work hand in hand and just like, here's my idea. And then he just brings it to life. So I kind of see what's popular around, but at the same time in the past year or so, I've really stepped back on looking at. what other people are doing. Cause I noticed I just start getting in my head about it and being like, Oh, I need to do this and that. Cause they're doing this and that. And I need to whatever. Cause there's a lot of good brands coming up and now I'm like what people are trying to be, think, which is, which is an amazing thing to have and to be an inspiration, but that just keeps me like trying to work harder. So as long as I'm like, kind of just staying in my lane, which is dirt bikes and just sticking out, sticking to what I know I'm good at. That's kind of where I'm at and I just kind of look at ideas, colors, see what sells, designs. I don't know. I don't really have like, I'm not very professional in the process kind of. Well, I feel like you're saying, you don't have a process, but from my point of view, everything I see says that you do a ton of research into like quality control stuff because you're like, nah, I don't like how these feel or nope, those broke too easily. you're like often discontinuing things because they just don't hold up to your quality standards. Yes. love that you know your shit. You're like, I've tried, I know you were in the cup saga and the cups were great. But then if like kids or somebody dropped it out, the top broke. And then I'm like, nope, like that is one thing I try to do is try to have high quality. So if it's not good enough, it's I'm done. Like we're done. And then I go back to the drawing board. So as far as like with my manufacturers, if I do product. ah I'm always trying to make it better and I'm also before I launch something. Yeah, you're right I guess I do have process before I launch something I have I'm doing samples for like six to eight months before then so like right now I'm running into an issue with backpacks where they might be sliding a bit So it's like I already work with my manufacturer and we're like, okay, we're gonna have better class We're gonna have thicker webbing just stuff like that because they may be small things, but I just want my customers to be able to trust that I'm coming out with good product. And a lot of times I'm doing pre-orders so they're not even seeing it. So the fact that they're able to trust me and know that it's gonna be decent or good is what I want. Is there one design that really took off and totally surprised you throughout the years? Yeah, just right now is this pink on pink checker I don't know I just didn't like it was like an offhand like I need a girly print and And a lot of my customers know I'm very anti checker. I love checker personally I use checker all the time, but I didn't want to become a brand that was just checker because It's just a bit overdone in my opinion But that's what sells so now I'm becoming a freaking checker brand on top of what I normally do But this pink on pink checker I can't even keep in stock right now and then now I know that's, I'm gonna do a lot of that next year for different stuff. How do you balance the creative side with the logistics side? uh I really struggle more on the logistic sides of everything. love the creative side. I am getting a bit burnout. So I've been trying to delegate a bit more as far as that goes. But yeah, running it all together and having my hands on everything is, is becoming a bit, a bit much, especially because I'm actually like trying to plan for next year and be like, okay, I this out before Easter and I need this before the holidays. ah But it all comes down to money and time and just. Just a shit show to be honest, but I somehow make it work. You know what? This thought just came into my mind, but what's interesting about business owners is like, most of us aren't business owners because we studied business or we want to be a business owner. It's like, because we had a passion and some very specific thing and then we happen to be a business owner. So you have to learn the whole business side of things. Like that wasn't really even on our radar. I 100 % agree and I'm sure it's the same with you in this podcast. It's like, yeah, you want to interview and meet cool people and learn cool stuff, but on top of that, you've got to figure out everything else. Yeah. So yeah, I have 100 % agree. I didn't go to school wanting to be an entrepreneur business person, but because I like design and I like dirt bikes and I knew there was something missing, then I built this brand and now I'm like, shit, I've got to figure it all out. So it's a learning curve. And I still don't feel like I'm great at like, where's the money going? That stuff I'm just like, it's so bad. So yeah, it's just learning. I don't know. It's so hard. Yeah. And I mean, not only like the customer base, but the whole shipping piece. couldn't imagine trying to calculate all of that. Yeah, shipping's a bitch. Am I allowed to that? we're super thankful for all the carriers, post office, UPS, FedEx, DHL, whatever. But they also suck. But those are your options. It's like a conglomerate. Like you've got to use these and then I'll ship out whatever, 2,000 orders in a week and then five go missing. But then it's like, that percentage is really low and it's great, but it's like, that's five that like, I'm out product. The customer's pissed. I don't know where it's at. I have to resend blah, blah, blah. So yeah, shipping sucks, but I don't think there's any way around it. mean, not Amazon who owns them now or whatever. It'd be nice if it was smoother. Like I'm honestly stressing for the holidays already. And I'm like, Oh God, there's just no way around. then I also like shipping prices have gone up so much. I still don't charge what's needed because like as an avid online shopper myself, if I go to checkout and I'm paying $15 in shipping, I'm like, bye. So it's like a fine line, like, I'm gonna lose some money here and now I'm gonna have to just charge a little more for my products and hope to up for it. It really is like a mind game too, between like the free shipping where you build it into the pricing of your products and like tacking on shipping at the end. Cause everybody is a sucker for free shipping. I mean, yeah, you know, like, I'm like, oh, I'll spend 15 more dollars on shipping. And you're like, it really doesn't make sense. But it's just the the mind games behind all that is really fascinating. Yeah. You mentioned at the beginning that you did some stunt work. I'm assuming in Hollywood and stuff like that. Do you still do any of that? I really don't. It's a really gnarly industry. And also since 2020, it's gone way downhill. I lucked into that, to be honest. It was just, again, who you know. And I just got a call one day from a family friend that my dad used to race with and they needed a... bike rider and I lived in Rhode Island for a couple months when I first got with Jarryd So I was like a baby and it was so cool. It was the best experience. It was so cool to learn. And then I got a couple other jobs from that. But you kind of have to go all in and this is while I'm still doing D8 apparel. And then I just switched to just ride customs because I remember being on a plane ride going back to work over there and I had to hire someone to run that because I couldn't close it down and then that person kind of went and started making dirt bike shirts. So I was like, nope, no more of that. So yeah, it's like definitely it was the most amazing side gig I've ever had. And again, in motorcycle industry and it was just, it was very, it was cool. I'm really pumped that I got to do that and learn all that. Do you get to do any riding of your own lately? Do you go racing? Do you just ride for fun? Or is it really just supporting the family at this point? I know it's so hard because I used to ride and race a ton. But again, I I call myself like a half ass racer. I'll be like, there's a cool race at like Glen Helen or Cahuilla. I'm like, I'm just gonna go do it. And I don't, and then I never really rode much. And I used to love moto. I've jumped some of my husband's ramps, but I don't know since becoming a mom, there's been this super weird shift in my head where I don't even think I could jump a fucking tabletop anymore. And I have videos, I'm jumping triples. It's just the weirdest thing. just am like a scared rider. And again, I only maybe ride a couple of times a year now. But I put me on the trails in single track and I'm super happy. So no, I have not raced. I keep saying I want to, but ah I don't even think I've touched my bike in over a year, which is weird to say because it is so ingrained in my lifestyle and I grew up doing it. oh But I think because I'm still surrounded by it, like my husband and my son's riding all the time, I'll just jump on the Surron and go ride the track with him. But I just don't have that like urge to ride all the time anymore. It's really weird. But I think like I I think it's because I'm just, I'm taking the backseat and like my family's doing it now. Yeah, I feel like there are, I don't know, like seasons where people ride a lot and then they don't ride for a while. And then eventually we'll get back into it. Like, I don't feel like you ever forget how to. It's just like that fear, fear factor is a little different. It is so weird and I don't think, cause even like my husband and I would go on a trail ride from the house to the cool trails after it rains and he goes, damn, you're really good. You don't never ride. And I was like, I didn't, it's not like I forgot. I just don't do it. And so it's like nice when he says that. And then I had the best time and then I won't touch my bike again for six months. So yeah, it's just weird. I think, um, I want to go on some, there's so many cool like girl trips and rides and I want to do stuff like that. I think that would like, is kind of where I would head in the future. Yeah, there's definitely a few that I would love to go to. feel like they all kind of started out West and then there's a couple that are starting to be more like back here in the East, but, have not made it to any of those. over in the east, isn't it? I believe, I think it's in Pennsylvania, so it shouldn't be too far from me, but. But it's cool because there's so many girls riding now and it's like, I feel like in the past I was so worried what everyone thought. Like I had to be good because of my last name or I had to be good, whatever. And now it's like, I just want to go trail ride. I just want to go trail. So it's really cool seeing just girls getting into it more and more too and not worrying about being the best, but just doing it because it's fun. I completely agree with you about the last name thing and like living with that and feeling like you had to be up to that level, which was never going to happen for me. But yeah, I can totally relate. Yeah. It is a mental game for sure. What is next for your business? Like what are you planning next? What collaborations can we look for? Yeah, I actually, I need to do my husband for collaboration for sure. But I actually taking a break on co-labs. I started out so freaking high, like with Plessinger and Webb and Ronnie Mac and Ken Roczen and I'm like, like, it's like really not, not much to go up from there. So there's a couple of people in the back of my head if they came to me or whatever, I would do it. But I think I'm gonna take a break on those, because I do share profits with the riders I do it super legit. So it does cut into that for me. So I'm gonna take a focus on my stuff as far as co-labs. Something I'm currently working on that I'm really excited is gear. I feel like there's a big market. for like kids start so young. mean, my freaking son was on a Strider at one and then he was on a Strider at two and he was racing. And there's a couple of the big brands that do small gear, but it's not what they focus on. that's what I'm really trying to figure out right now. And I have a pre-order launch with our group this weekend just to see, get feedback. Cause I wanna everything I offer on my website, I offer from. small to adult size. So I know a lot of my customers are big on matching with their kids. Like the dad and son want to match while they're riding or the daughter and mom want to match while they're riding. So I'm going to start with 2T, which is probably one of the smaller sizes that are offering, which is probably a U16 in most big brands and then go up to 2XL. So that's something I'm really excited about. Whether it works out in my head like it's going to, we'll find out. But ah being a dirt bike apparel brand, that's been one of my goals and it's been like a year or two of trying to figure out if I can make it work. Yeah, that sounds really exciting. And I know kind of with the collaborations in the past, like the big item that I saw was like pajamas. So people were really excited about that for their kids or even, um, I don't know if it was the collabs or if it was just designs, but like kids bed sheets and decorating their room. They were like obsessed with that. Yes, for sure. The pajamas are always gonna just be a staple. But pajamas are always good. The bed sheets were good, but I don't think I did enough like we talked about earlier. I did enough testing and I got like a ton of shitty emails and that kind of. And I struggle because I actually I'm not allowed to do my emails because I'm either too nice or I'm too mean. let me touch it. They're like, stop giving them money. And then they're like, well, that was a bit harsh. And I was like, well, they were rude. So I'm not allowed touching those. So most of the time I'm out of sight out of mind for that. But with the sheets, I, they were just like, this is one of the best quality on what I'm expecting. So I took those off, like you said, right away. I'm like, done sitting at for a bit. So we've been testing again. So I'm excited to bring sheets out next year. But yeah, I don't like when I started D8 apparel, just right across from strictly wild. It was prior to me having kids and I just, people buy stuff for their kids. Like now that have a mom, I know more than ever, I don't buy shit for me and I buy everything for them. So that kind of stuff. And if they like dirt bikes, they're going to buy it. So I'm excited to bring Sheets back out, but yeah, pajamas, sheets, that stuff, it does very well. Is there anything else that you want people to know about what's going on with Strictly Wild? I'm just trying to keep afloat and figure out my long-term plan and I don't know whether it's worth what I'm doing or not. don't know. But no, no big, big plans right now. Yeah, literally I feel like that's what I'm just trying to say every day. Well, tell people where they can connect with you or shop the latest gear. Yeah, so you can connect. mean, I'm not exciting, but I do have a personal Instagram. It's Kelsey Fay Abbott on Instagram. And then as far as my business goes, it's Strictly Wild Co. on Instagram. We're on TikTok at Strictly Wild. We're on Snapchat where we post a ton of not professional behind the scenes. Strictly Wild there. Facebook Strictly Wild. We have a VIP group like you're a part of. That's really cool. A lot of behind the scenes and just like just a lot of Strictly Wild talk on there. And that's Strictly Wild VIP. think we have a pinterest do it everywhere. That's the problem. You have to have so many freaking socials and it's just impossible to like work it all out. But we're either Strictly Wild or Strictly Wild Co. And then my website is strictlywildco.com. And I will drop all of those in the show notes so you guys can find all the links very easily there. Thanks for tuning in to Momentum. This has been a production of High Gear Success. If you want to connect or recommend a guest, head to MomentumMotorsportsPodcast.com. Until next time, keep the momentum rolling.