Executive Perspectives: Sock 101's Kelly Yarborough Explains Footwear's Fun Factor

As part of Print & Promo Marketing’s ongoing feature, Executive Perspectives, we get to know leading professionals in the print and promotional industry. This month, we interviewed Kelly Yarborough, CEO and owner of Sock 101, Lee’s Summit, Missouri. Here, he talks about the TikTok effect on marketing, reveals how the company is upping its shoe game, and explains how landing a deal with two prominent fashionistas led to becoming a promo sock supplier staple.

How did you get started in this industry, and what path did you take to land in your current role?

Kelly Yarborough

Kelly Yarborough: Sock 101 first started out as a Sock of The Month club (SOTM). I presented our Sock of The Month club on Project Runway: Fashion Startup and got a deal with Gary Wassner and Rebecca Minkoff. [I] learned a lot about the fashion industry. A couple years later, I was telling a friend about our fully customizable knitted socks and the SOTM program, and it turned out he was in the promo industry. He suggested we join, since at that time, only sublimated socks were offered. To say I was lost at my very first PPAI Las Vegas show is an understatement. I didn’t know what PMS color meant, what a MOQ or a FOB was. Over the years, I have gained a lot of knowledge from all different industry titans and continue to learn more every day.

How do you set goals for yourself? For your business?

KY: I set goals for myself and my business very similarly — I am constantly pushing myself and our company to try new things and learn from our mistakes. I don’t ever want to stay idle; I want to make sure that our company grows the right way. Too often you see a company grow too fast and that’s not always good, especially if you lose sight of what’s most important: the employees. I want to always make sure that we are a company where people want to work and grow.

How does the economy continue to affect the industry?

KY: This industry is ever evolving, especially ]in] the last 12 months. Customers’ spending habits are always changing, and right now, the political landscape makes predicting the economy difficult. To combat the ever-changing landscape, we try to offer a wide range of products: socks for the lower budgets and our CLAM Cooler for clients who are looking for a more premium gift.

What do you expect to be some of the biggest changes or challenges the industry will face?

KY: I think that the industry is set for a new and younger turnover in the near feature. We are already seeing it now when having to learn and navigate promoting and highlighting our products. We aren’t printing off big catalogs and mailing them out anymore — now it’s all about TikTok and LinkedIn. But the biggest thing to always remember is the old adage that this is a relationship business first, and you have to connect and engage with your buyers.

What keeps you up at night?

KY: The biggest thing that keeps me up at night is the uncontrollable issues, such as the political landscape and our products being made overseas.

What do you think is the most exciting, cutting-edge thing your company is doing right now?

KY: Definitely our shoes. We aren’t just simply customizing them anymore; we are decorating our own styles and even name brand shoes. Our level of decoration is continuing to evolve, and we are at the forefront of it.

What would people be surprised to learn about you?

KY: I enjoy fishing [and] the lake. I’m overly competitive and I am truly a person who enjoys making other people happy and bringing a smile to others’ faces.

Want to be considered for a future edition of Executive Perspectives? Contact Elise Hacking Carr at ecarr@napco.com for a list of questions and other details.