Meet Shelby McKee: Founder and CEO: Keysocks

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

Hi Shelby, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?

I was getting ready to go to a Cincinnati Bengals football game on a brisk fall Sunday. Wanting to wear ballet flats and with the temperature falling, I realized I needed the comfort of a sock but with the look of a no-show. Traditional footies always fell off my feet, scrunched up in my shoes and never provided warmth; so armed with scissors, I cut a hole in a pair of knee-high dress socks. I slipped my flats on and was so comfortable! I got to the game and realized…WOW, I think I have something here! My last name is McKee and my friend looked at me and said, “That is not a MacGyver sock, that is a McKeever sock!” After researching knee high no-show socks and seeing that the idea had never been created, I was committed to seeing my dream become a reality for other women who have suffered long enough for fashion footwear and the Keysock was born! I have created the only knee high no-show socks that stay in place and out of sight. I recruited my two sisters, Christy and Stefanie, and the journey of a family business began…

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?

You know, that phenomenon when your shoes “eat” your socks? Keysocks are the answer! At last, the solution for all women; better than simple footies and peds. Keysocks are the very first & only knee high no show socks on the market. The knee high length keeps socks from slipping, prevents blisters and offers the comfort of a sock with the look of a no show. We know that our customers are looking for one of a kind options that are both fashionable and classic and this includes wearing their favorite shoes without suffering. Because Keysocks comfortably stay in place, women don’t have to forgo socks only to hobble around with blistered heels and feet, comfort at last without sacrificing style!

We launched Keysocks in 2012 and have conquered several hurdles. Bringing a product to market has not been an easy feat. My sister Christy and I are single mom’s and finding a balance between running a successful startup and raising our kids has been quite challenging. So, to divide and conquer has been the most effective way for us to work together. Finding your strengths and putting a team in place that has the passion and vision for our brand has taken us to new heights! It is true…”Nothing worth having comes easy.”

The main lesson that I have learned along the way is to trust in yourself and never take your blinders off. My vision and goal has always been the same, however, staying on the path has been a struggle at times. Having the support of our family has been the key to our success!

We have built thriving relationships with customers nationally and internationally through our ecommerce business since launch in 2012. We have partnered with Daymond John’s, The Shark Group, expanding into large retail stores coming Summer/Fall 2021.

We have been featured on Good Morning America – Deals and Steals, TODAY, Real Simple, People Magazine and are partnered with Daymond John’s Shark Group. We have a 4.8 star rating on Amazon, with rave reviews.

The message to the world is this… if you have a problem and find a solution, GO FOR IT! I tell people all the time, “Once you decide to take your ideas and passion and create a product, there is no going back!” Keysocks are so much more than a sock. I believe that everything in life has an intention behind it. My intention with Keysocks is to finally offer comfort and fashion and to make women feel empowered everyday! All of our socks have inspirational sayings on the bottom of each pair. I believe that we are what we think and the power of positivity is so important. The “feel good” moments in life are my favorite and I want to share those with women and girls all over the world. Love is the KEY and Christy and I are not stopping until we get one or at least 10 pairs of Keysocks in every woman’s sock drawer!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My shoutout goes to my dad, Jim Busemeyer. My dad is the youngest of 10 kids, seven sisters and two brothers. He grew up in a two bedroom house in Cincinnati, Ohio. My dad is one of a kind, let me tell you, someone you want to know and be around. Raising three daughters and a firecracker for a mom, he had his job cutout for him but he passed with flying colors and then some. He is the ultimate salesman, comedian and genuinely a kind soul. Being the middle daughter, the wild child and causing him to go gray early, so he says, hahah… of course I would be the one to come up with an extremely crazy outside of the box idea. My dad had just recently retired when I cut the first sock in 2009. He started his own sales rep company in 1969 and sold non-food items to grocery stores. He started his career with passion, perseverance and an entrepreneurial spirit just like his father. When I knew Keysocks had leg, no pun intended and did all my research and come to find out no one ever created a no show knee high sock; I said, “Dad, what do you think?” Well, the interrogation began and if there was anyone on this planet that would know, in my mind it is my dad. After meeting a patent attorney, finding a manufacturer and a trillion and one prototypes made, all hand cut no machine ever made a Keysock, this is crazy right? I knew I was onto something BIG and the KEY was convincing my dad this was the best thing since sliced bread. Fast forward many meetings, talking, brainstorming, the perfect prototype arrived and it was time to get the logo embroidered on it. My dad at this point was 97% sold on my idea. The day he was convinced was when we walked into a local embroidery shop. I pulled out the Keysocks perfect sample and I won’t ever forget the two ladies standing at the counter, they looked at the pair of Keysocks like, WHAT THE HECK is this? It was quite scary to think I had been creating this solution to a problem for all women around the world, a secret for over a year and only we knew. Both women said, “AND what is this?” My face lit up, my heart pounding. I finally explained what Keysocks are and where we wanted the KEY logo placed on the sock. They both looked at each other, my dad looked at me and they both blurted out, “THIS IS GENIUS!” They agreed that their daughters, mothers and every woman needs a pair of these! It was the first time I felt the excitement and energy that now would continue through the years; finally a solution to a problem women have had for years with no show socks slipping!

My dad and I walked out, locked eyes and we both knew…LET’S GO, lets do this, the time is NOW!

As many know, the ups and downs and rollercoaster ride of the entrepreneurial journey are real! I cannot thank my dad enough; for taking a risk and giving it his all, for my crazy invention.

Keysocks is a family venture, that is for sure! My other shout out goes to my baby sister Christy, who is the real BOSS here at Keysocks! We work side by side on the daily and work from my home. We have 5 teenagers between the two of us and they love to help out where they can. People always ask, “How do you and Christy divide and conquer?” The answer is, I go out and do the fishing, so to speak, real it in and hand it over to Christy. She cleans it up, filets it, you name it and makes it presentable! We are a great team and the support we have had to take Keysocks to market, I am forever grateful. I have come to realize that in life and business, it is a journey, never a final destination.

Website: https://promo.keysocks.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/keysocks/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shelby-mckee-4a555157/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/keysocks

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

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLIgqEBJoonrxGX9id4GDMg

Image Credits
Peggy McHale Joseph Photography Leah Brady Photography Deb Schroeder Photography