Lebanon native and owner of Southern Fried Barn Design, Amy Kinslow, knew from a young age that she wanted a career in the art field. After learning graphic design in high school and continuing on to earn her Bachelors in Fine Arts and a concentration in Graphic Design from Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU), her company now sells their sassy southern flare shirts, kitchen towels, zipper pouches, diner mugs, koozies, and stationery products to over 1000 retail stores nationwide, including all 22 locations of Buc-ees!
“I learned that with graphic design I could work with any type of client, whether it be a cattle farmer or a large corporate firm. I did not want to be limited to only working with a certain client and I liked the idea that work could always be new and different,” says Amy, “When I first started this business, it was the local Lebanon community that would purchase my products from my booth at the Country Living Fair. I sold wholesale to the shop owners on the Lebanon square. Hometown friends would share and like my posts on social media. We all have to start somewhere and I'm really fortunate to have started in a supportive community.
Throughout high school and into college, I worked about four different jobs in Lebanon. I learned the value of a dollar during those years. Today, I never take for granted that someone is spending their hard earned money when purchasing our products.”
Like most small business owners, Amy balances many plates in the operation, production, marketing and distribution, but continues to maintain her artist’s heart with designing and creating still being her favorite part of owning her business since 2012.
“The business has been and continues to be blessed and with that growth, I've had to navigate my roles and learn to delegate tasks even design work,” she explained, “This past year Lexus Kirby, a graduate of MTSU's graphic design program, joined our team and has been a huge help in the production and design of many of our newest products.”
Manufacturing and distributing on the scale that Southern Fried Barn Design does takes a lot of ingenuity and tenacity, a challenge this Wilson County farm girl was equipped for. As the daughter of one of Wilco’s most loved large animal vets, she understood the value and importance of business relationships.
“Well it [scaling and production] took some time,” Amy told us, “I started researching and cultivating relationships with businesses in the local Middle Tennessee area from day one. As the business grew I learned that I needed multiple silkscreen printers to keep up with our shirt and kitchen towel volume. I'm really proud to say that we support 8 local Tennessee small businesses. We also work with manufacturers in other states and in India.”
When they began importing, a whole new level of learning was unlocked, and the reward for being a lifelong learner is evident in Amy’s success.
“I ask a lot of questions and I am continuously learning, I'm a sponge with information. I will listen to podcasts, read books, and research google to its last page,” she says, “When I started to import some of our products from overseas I did not have a clue about custom fees, duty taxes, or ship freight costs. Learning all of the lingo and rules was a challenge but I feel like every year I get better at our import process.”
Amy also says staying connected with others in the gift industry has been a great support to her success, explaining that veterans in the industry are often there to help answer questions, after all, rising tide sails all ships, as do entrepreneurs amongst each other.
Amy Kinslow has held designer positions for Fortune 500 Company, Country Music Television and for the gift industry leader, C.R. Gibson. Her work has been featured on the CMT Music Awards, Southern Living Magazine, Country Living Magazine, Style Blueprint, and sold in T.J. Maxx, Target, Staples and now Buc-ee's and many more. Check them out on Instagram @southernfrieddesignbarn or shop.southernfrieddesign.com