Interview with Kris AKA KrispysKingdom

The ProSeller Corner Tell the world a little bit about yourself.

Kris My real life super hero name is Kris and currently I apply my powers in Dubuque, Iowa. I have three amazing kids - Cherokee (15), Maximus (7), and Heaven (3) - and we have a Bugg (dog), Pixel, and a big fat cat, Lego. I'm getting married on October 10, 2010 to Jon, a veteran of the United States Army, and Zazzle printed our Save the Date cards...

The ProSeller Corner When did you start designing at Zazzle and what made you choose them?

Kris I just celebrated my fourth year of Zazzling. Honestly, I don't remember how I found Zazzle and I didn't take it seriously as part of my business until two years ago. The most appealing feature of Zazzle was and is the customization options. I have been a graphic designer, creating custom printable items for clients since 2003. Zazzle allows me to offer a middle ground for clients who just don't have the money to pay for custom design. They can choose from the products in my store, personalize them, and order without additional fees. So instead of losing those potential clients, I can refer them to my store and still gain their business.

The ProSeller Corner Do you have any other stores at Zazzle?

Kris I only have one store at Zazzle, which is under my nickname of KrispysKingdom. I have worked on re-branding it to go better with my business, Kustom By Kris, so you can get to my store via its own domain, http://kbkswag.com. I have just about every product type in my store, although the focus is primarily on business and parties. I don't have a lot of products, though I made Pro-Seller right when the program started. I do have some product collections, which are sets of different products with a similar design, but every design and product is developed individually.

The ProSeller Corner What has been you best selling product?

 Kris Out of my small selection of products, the best selling is (by far) my Masquerade Sweet 16 Invitation. Not only does it sell well, but I have received many requests for additional products to compliment the invitation, including Thank You cards, photo booth backdrop, Response cards, Quince version, and mailing labels. I have plans to develop even more to go with this set, too.

The ProSeller Corner What do you enjoy doing when you're not working on your store?

Kris When I'm not working, which isn't often, I enjoy going on nature hikes with my family. I also love watching movies (comedy and horror are my favorites). I play volleyball once a week throughout the summer and run away on the random road trip whenever I can.  At the moment, my life is consumed with wedding arrangements since I am a DIY kind of girl and lots of home renovations.

The ProSeller Corner How do you balance your time between Zazzle and life?

Kris Balancing work and everything else has been a tricky act. I am lucky to be able to follow my ambitions since my fiancé only works part-time and has his veteran's pension. So I work outside of Jon's Wednesday through Saturday schedule and, although I have a studio in downtown, I pretty much just work at home now. Jon will be able to retire on his pension soon and I will get to work more (yes, I said "get to" - I love my j-o-b!). We have already discussed my desire to expand my business into event planning, which I am doing with a partner.

The ProSeller Corner Getting noticed and becoming a ProSeller takes a lot of hard work and time. What advice would you give to those aspiring to become a ProSeller?

Kris My goal was, in no way, to be a Pro-Seller, or even to find success at Zazzle when I started there. In all honesty, I just thought it would be fun to design products without someone telling what they should look like. As the earnings increased, the desire for success grew, and now I have something I can work on when I don't have custom projects on my plate. My advice to other Zazzlers who are looking for success would be to not expect it to happen quickly. If you want to make enough money at Zazzle so you don't have to work, then you might as well stop now because you have to work (a lot) to earn that kind of money there. I would also encourage everyone to believe in quality of quantity and market every design in every way you can. Running a business is about more than just having a product. I develop a business plan every year, which includes year-end goals that I strive to reach every single day.