NWA Entrepreneur Kendall Meaders Sets the Latest Trends

Jason Masters

KenzKustomz specializes in custom lifestyle accessories.

Kendall Meaders
Job title: Founder of Kenzkustomz
Age: 25 | Higher Education: University of Arkansas

Kendall Meaders knew she wanted to be a business owner at a very young age. The hard-working Benton native liked working for herself, and throughout high school, had side businesses selling everything from clothes to banana bread.

When she had the idea to create and sell custom makeup bags, Kendall posted her first orders on Snapchat and waited. Responses came flooding in, and she soon created an Instagram account, @kenzkustomz, to keep up the demand.

“I would respond to messages myself and write down orders on a notepad because I was just so excited that people were interested in my idea,” Kendall said.

Kendall’s husband Bailey created a website and Etsy shop for the brand. She worked at home and eventually moved the shop into storage units as business began to boom. Later, Kendall relocated to Fayetteville where she now owns two warehouses.

“What felt like overnight, I had a full team and company to run, and it was hard to accept how many more roles I would need to step into,” Kendall said.

She enjoys getting to work with other business owners and meeting customers. One of her favorite parts of the job is seeing customers get excited over her ideas.

“I get to choose what products we sell, and it is extremely rewarding knowing that I am working for myself and that my hard work has allowed all of this to happen,” Kendall said.

In the future, Kendall hopes to expand her business into larger retail storefronts and grow KenzKustomz’s social media presence.

“Work hard and go for it–you never know until you try,” Kendall said. “The sky's the limit.”