Meet Denise Kelley | Owner of Sporty Parts

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

Hi Denise, how has your perspective on work-life balance evolved over time?
When I was just getting started, I was working 60 hour weeks, manning the store during the day, building the website at night. The business kept growing and I kept working. Soon I started hiring, and eventually expanding into a second location. I kept adding more to my plate, I didn’t take a vacation for nearly 4 years! Then the burnout hit. I had to pivot, I wrote an operations manual, I offloaded any task I could and removed myself as the bottleneck in the business. And still we kept growing.
There was a time when I had my hands on every order, now I’m fairly hands off in the day to day, focusing on growth and the future of the business. It was hard letting go but having a great team made it possible.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Sporty Parts is a motorcycle parts shop dedicated to parts & accessories for Harley Davidson Sportsters. We are the only shop in the world that focuses solely on Sportster. Founded in 1993 by my father, Kirk Kelley, I took over as owner in 2020, right before the pandemic shook the world. When my dad was running the shop it was old school, no website and carbon copy receipts. Then I came in and streamlined the business so we could spend more time focusing on helping customers with their projects. Building the website meant more people could access information like what parts and fitments were correct for their bike; offering online ordering allowed us more time on the phone with customers troubleshooting their build. Sporty Parts is very much a labor of love, run by a father-daughter team who loves riding and learning about the bike we’ve devoted our lives to.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
When my friends come to town, we’re riding! Sometimes it’s down to Rosarito, out to Joshua Tree, or up the coast to Morro Bay. If we’re keeping it local I love riding over the bridges between Long Beach and San Pedro and catching a show at the Sardine, or down PCH where the beach views are stunning. Stop at Janes in Newport and walk down the pier eating a corn dog, take the Balboa Ferry, grab a drink at Helens in Laguna.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My dad is instrumental in my success. I grew up in the shop but he never pushed me to work for him, or even to ride motorcycles. The tools were there and I could pick them up when I wanted. He would answer my questions and more importantly, show me how to find the answers myself.
Along the way I’ve made friends with other small business owners in the motorcycle space and it’s wonderful to have people to commiserate with, who really understand what you’re going through. Because my business is so unique, there’s no feeling of competition. We can share ideas and resources, and help build each other up.

Website: https://www.sportyparts.com

Instagram: @almostdenise @sportyparts_

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sportyparts

Image Credits
Tayia Strain, Sy, Alex Irvine, Camila, Moreira