Kerri King says her wildly popular Bible-themed company was part of a bigger plan
“I don’t think the Bible is a boring book. So the cover shouldn’t be, either.”
“We are so happy with our living space, I don’t know if we will ever build an actual home that’s separate from our shop. It sounds crazy, but it works for our family.”
BY REID CREAGER
Kerri King has long believed we are ultimately not in control of our destinies. Sure enough, after God called for her father, she heard a calling for others.
Richard Thomas Stone died on Jan. 10, 2017, following long-term complications from exposure to the chemical herbicide Agent Orange while serving in the Vietnam War. King was devastated by the sudden loss of her lifelong role model and supporter.
“He was always a major influence in any of my business ventures,” she said. “He even co-signed for all my photography studio equipment when I opened my studio in 2006. So, as you can imagine, the sudden unexpected loss was a pivotal moment in my life.”
She was still grieving when she found a birthday card with her father’s handwriting on it.
Dad would soon coauthor another pivotal moment for her.
“I decided to take his handwriting and transfer it to a leather bracelet,” she said. “I knew that other people would enjoy having their loved ones’ handwriting engraved on a bracelet, too.
“That was the start of Kingfolk Company.”
Prolific evolution
Kingfolk’s original mission was to help people in the throes of grief.
Although mourning is natural and necessary when a loved one dies, prolonged grief can be a thief—robbing us of time meant to be spent on loving, fulfilled and productive lives.
“We sold thousands of handwriting and scripture-focused bracelets to help folks through a tough season in their own lives,” she said.
“I got to hear many stories of their pain and how having something as simple as a bracelet helped them make it through their day. It was just what my heart needed to mend from my own grief.”
One look at the Kingfolk website is dramatic illustration of how the company has evolved “into more of a faith-based focus with our Bible covers and accessories”—now numbering about 400 products at kingfolkco.com and in shops around the country, with hundreds of thousands of customers.
A colorful Streets of Israel bible cover. Confetti Bible tabs. Waymaker stickers. Let Go and Let God stretchy bracelets. Mother’s Day Personalized Bamboo Cookbook Holders. Journalizing Bibles. Tetelestai T-shirts. The listings go on and on.
King said the Bibles are the top sellers: “Folks usually will accessorize their Bibles with purchasing Bible tabs and a carrying case.”
A path made by design
Much of the business is working out the way King designed it. Literally.
“I started my career as a creative entrepreneur in 2006, straight out of college”—where she minored in graphic design at University of Tennessee (at Martin). “I opened a photography studio in my hometown.
“Once I became a mother in 2008, I decided to work from home doing freelance graphic design so that I could stay home with my kids and also work part time. I did freelance design from 2008 until opening Kingfolk in 2018.”
After the bracelets, her Bible covers were a staple of the business. Once she started designing them, “I realized there was a big gap in the market for Bibles that feel personal.
“Most bookstores are lined with the same old boring leather-bound Bibles. Being able to produce a product that has some personality to it feels good. Just like any other book, if it looks boring, you’re less likely to pick it up and read it.
“I don’t think the Bible is a boring book. So the cover shouldn’t be, either.”
Community and control
When she began designing, King used only her computer and Illustrator and Photoshop. Now she I primarily uses her iPad and Apple pencil to design products.
Originally the sole designer of the Bibles and covers, she now collaborates with fellow artists in her field as the business has grown. “It’s been fun to work with other business owners in my same genre of business,” she said. “Community over competition!”
A steady stream of success has enabled her to invest in sophisticated machinery that lets her team print and manufacture most of the products in-house.
“Seeing a product start from a blank page to the finished printed product gives me such a sense of satisfaction,” she said. “It’s been a real journey from the beginning to where it is now.”
Printing and manufacturing also generally frees her from the often frustrating process of dealing with manufacturers.
“That is such a difficult task,” she said. “That’s why I decided early on to manufacture most of my own products. I love having control over the finished product.
“I have brought on a few manufacturers to help with production. I make sure to get samples and ask a lot of questions before investing too heavily into any manufacturers.
“So far, I have been well pleased with the outsourcing I’ve done and developed a great working relationship with them. They know what I expect, and I know I can count on them to produce a high-quality product.”
Their family lives WHERE?
Freedom to produce in-house is not the only thing that differentiates Kingfolk from other printing companies.
For one thing, the company takes deep pleasure in hiring stay-at-home moms.
For another, the King family has taken the work-at-home concept to an admittedly crazy extreme.
“As a work-from-home mom myself, I know the struggle of wanting to raise kids but also have the pull to provide financially for my family,” she said. “It’s been an absolute blessing to be able to hire other work-at-home moms for the day-to-day tasks for Kingfolk Company. I hope that I’m able to hire even more in the years to come.”
King’s business has grown so fast that the family moved out of their home and into their office/warehouse space. Working from home isn’t that unusual, especially since Covid-19—but living in the same building with all the machinery and people working and occasional tumult was not part of the plan.
“Entrepreneurs are just a crazy breed of people, right?” she said with a laugh. “It’s been an adventure, to say the least.
“The plan originally was to build a house first, and then build a warehouse-shop on the same piece of property. As business took off at a blazing speed, we knew we needed to prioritize building our warehouse first. We had our contractor build living quarters into the shop.
“It has actually turned out quite nice and been fun for our family. It has been less of a focus on having a Pinterest-perfect home and more of how we can open our space to others for ministry.
“We are so happy with our living space, I don’t know if we will ever build an actual home that’s separate from our shop. It sounds crazy, but it works for our family.”
Reaching beyond
Thinking outside the box comes naturally to King—who is part of a shrinking minority in what she says is an increasingly secular world:
“It has always been and will always be my motivation to look differently than the world. I would say that my team falls under that category, too.
“We all love the Lord, and it shows through how this business operates in our day-to-day tasks. We hope that the love of Jesus shows through to our customers and we can be a light in a dark world.”
King and her team are willing to reach beyond in an effort to bring this light to others. Her most inspirational anecdote began a couple years ago, when a man emailed her asking if they could print a Bible for his wife.
“She wasn’t a Christian, but she agreed to read the Bible if he could find her a tie-dyed Bible without any words printed on the front. Because of our ability to custom print, I was able to grant his request and he was able to gift her one.
“I have kept in contact with him over the years. His wife has been reading the Bible and asking him a lot of questions, and digging into what it means to be a believer.
“He told me that she has started listening to Christian music, and she’s well on her way to understanding and believing what it means to be a Christ follower. That makes my job so worth it!”
Knock-offs don’t knock her down
No company is doing what Kingfolk does on such a large scale. Not surprisingly, design “borrowers”—or worse—will inevitably appear when they see the success of a company such as King’s.
“Any time you design anything, you can just about guarantee someone is going to copy it. It’s a very unfortunate part of being a creative entrepreneur,” she said.
“I let my team handle any of those situations and try to not get overly worked up about it. So far, any copyright infringements against our designs have been taken down successfully without major legal action.
“As far as trademarks, we currently have a pending trademark for Kingfolk Company that should be finalized in the next couple of months.” King owns all copyrights to her ESV Bible designs and prints those in-house.
She has learned through experience—and with lessons from her faith—not to become overwhelmed by work stresses ranging from threats of knock-offs to miscommunications to overwork.
“I have always had a fear of not being enough for people—always trying too hard and working too much, especially in the early days of my business,” she said. “I was always trying to be everything to everyone.
“Last year, I was able to let that fear go and just be me unapologetically. It’s been so freeing! It has drastically changed the way I design my products, too. I design from a place of uniquely Kerri King and know that it won’t be for everyone. And that’s OK.”
More blessings ahead
As the calendar turns to 2023, King is excited about a new joint venture while anticipating others.
HarperCollins Publishing has partnered with her to have her design the covers for its new KJV Bibles, which will be printed by HarperCollins.
“I cannot say enough great things about HarperCollins Publishing. I went to them with the idea for five KJV Bible designs and they were able to manufacture those Bible designs, and we are now carrying them exclusively in our shop.
“They have definitely been a best-selling item for us for the past few months. I can’t wait to design more Bibles with them.”
Kingfolk Co. products are in more than 500 boutiques throughout the United States. “I would love to see a larger store stock our products, too. That’s definitely a goal I am working toward.”
King is quick to note that being ambitious does not mean being dissatisfied. Her “attitude of gratitude” permeates the conversation, from the help of coworkers and family to blessings from the unseen.
She made special mention of Kingfolk’s Caley Harris and Kesha Gulish, who she said “have been instrumental in the success of Kingfolk from the start.
“They ship all the orders and answer all the emails. They stay behind the scenes and make it look like I’m running everything seamlessly. They have been such a blessing to me and to Kingfolk. …
“Also, my husband and three kids—they have been there with me through the good times and bad. They deal with my crazy work hours and help whenever I need them to. I have the BEST people around!”
But ultimately, she said the story of Kingfish is “always about God.
“I take no credit for any of the success. It has truly been amazing to see God’s hand in the whole thing. …
“To us, it’s more than just a business. We are spreading the Word of Christ to the world. It is so humbling to see how God works all things to His glory.”
Kerri King
TITLE: Owner and designer, Kingfolk Co.
HOME: Paris, Tennessee
EDUCATION: University of Tennessee (at Martin), B.A. in Visual Communications, minor in Graphic Design
PERSONAL: Husband Karl, children Karlie (14), Keniston (11), Kruz (7)
HOBBIES: Gardening, reading, drawing
FAVORITE BOOK: The Bible
FAVORITE MOVIE: “A Christmas Story”
FAVORITE SONG: “It Is Well With My Soul”
FAVORITE SCRIPTURE VERSE: “The Lord bless you and keep you. May His face shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord turn His face towards you and give you peace.”—Numbers 6:24
BUCKET LIST: Write a children’s book, travel across America in a camper, spend a few weeks in Israel
