I am the daughter of a single mom. I grew up in a small lumber mill town in Oregon. It was my mom, my grandmother, my brother, and I in a very small 2-bedroom house. We had a lot of love but we did not have a lot of money. No one spoke to me about college or my future really at all. However, I saw the difference money made in people’s lives. And it seemed to me that the business people had all of the money. So, I figured I should marry a businessman and I’d be rich! Well, I did marry a businessman and we do well but what I didn’t realize is that I was actually the business man of my dreams. It didn’t really occur to me that I was dreaming of a possibility for myself! In 2001 a sales representative for a direct selling company told me that I could have my own business for just $199 for a starter kit. I couldn’t believe it! So, I jumped on that chance! I had no clue what I was doing or how I would do it but all I knew was that I was going to be a business person and my life was going to change!
And boy did it ever!
Why did you start this company?
The direct sales industry changed my life. I went on from that very first direct selling company that I was a sales representative for and built their largest sales team. I swear I built that whole team on enthusiasm! I had no clue what I was doing or how I was doing. I took every training and I listened to every call and I tried and did everything and the next thing I knew was I was walking the stage with one of their largest teams!
From there I went on to being a sales representative for a few other companies and each time I would end up walking the stage with the number one sales team.
I met Gina through a direct sales company that we were both sales representatives for and we both would earn all of the trips. So, we would stay up late at night at some fancy resort talking the night away. We would talk about what it would be like to have our own company.
Finally in 2013 we heard about this crazy concept of snap jewelry. At the time there was very little of it in the United States. We were able to get a few pieces and do some test piloting and the next thing we knew we were launching Style Dots on Sept. 1, 2014!
What have been the biggest challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I feel like saying it has been the best of times and the worst of times. Personally, my grandmother passed away 11 days before our first Style Dots national sales conference in 2016. My mother passed away 11 months after that just twenty days before our national sales conference in 2017. Both times I was so truly happy for everything going on at Style Dots and so sad internally that it was a sheer force of will to make it through. I finally had to ask everyone to stop dying right before conference.
Creative cooking methods, trying new recipes, spending time with the love of her life and crocheting are all activities Karen enjoys.
What are your outside interests?
I am happily married to Bryan whom I lovingly call “Mr. B.” We have been married over 30 years and he still makes me laugh. He is very entrepreneurial as well and we both have to keep laughing a lot for sanity purposes.
I am a mad crocheter. I love crocheting hats, blankets, slippers, mittens, decorations, you name it. I do a lot of charity crochet and I love to make donations to women’s shelters and other places that have a need for the products I create. In fact, as a group, Style Dots and friends have made over 200 crochet and knit hats for the foster youths at the I Pour Life organization. That was one big pile of hats sitting in my living room!
I also like to cook when I have time. I am a recent vegan so I am learning all sorts of new recipes and subjecting Bryan to them as my taste-tester.
I have a pretty diverse interest level. I may sweep the floor, create a Style Dots ad, listen to a stock market podcast, and crochet a hat all in the same afternoon!