It all started with $20 worth of fabric. It was a classic princess pink, and Victoria Dycus bought it to make a few bows for her daughter Monroe. Victoria and Monroe, then just a baby, were into all the bows—the bigger, the better.
“I realized it was something I had a passion for, so I wanted to start trying to figure out how to do it myself,” Victoria remembers.
She’d given away a few extra bows, and, as is normal with communities of mommies, word spread quickly. It dawned on Victoria that she could make a business out of those first few bows. She had a fine arts degree from WKCTC and, when Monroe was born, Victoria was finishing her bachelor’s degree in business and finance at Murray State University.
She put those education skills together with her passion for all things pretty for her little girl and officially rolled out her business, Baby Monroe & Co, in 2019 when Monroe was only one year old.
For the first six months of business, Victoria made bows. Lots of bows.
“In the beginning, when it first started, I distinctly remember calling my mom and saying that I made a sale,” she says. “It was an official sale through the website.”
After the first month, she’d made 20 sales.
“It was mind-boggling to me.”
But, Victoria had no idea where those handfuls of sales would take her and her family.
Because, very quickly, she realized that she could do more.
“I taught myself how to sew and slowly started adding things to a clothing line,” she says.
Two and a half years into her business, Victoria now offers more than 20 different styles of bows and headbands and more than 50 different styles of clothing. Her clothes run the gambit from newborn up to age 10 in both boys and girls, and even includes designs for women.
Because her company had expanded to fit so many audiences, Victoria decided to “glow-up” in August 2021 and changed her business name to Monroe’s Kind Society.
“I wanted to find a way to make sure that everyone knew that they were included,” she says. For her, the new name signified the inclusivity that she felt the company embodied.
“The foundation of what I try to really emphasize on all our products is inclusivity and kindness and sisterhood whether that be kid to kid, mom to mom or just girlfriend to girlfriend.”
Throughout it all, the bows, the clothes, the new name—it’s been Victoria alone helming the ship.
“It is just me—I wear all the hats. Since day one, it’s just been me. From website design to running social media, cutting fabric, sewing, designing, ordering, shipping, photographing everything.”
But besides, Victoria, throughout it all, has been the best sidekick.
“It’s just me and Monroe. She’s always there helping in her own little way.”
As Monroe tries on bows, plays in her mom’s fabric samples, lends her opinion to color and design options, and poses for promotional photos, she’s also serving a very significant role in her namesake company.
Because when Monroe was two years old, she received an official autism diagnosis. When Victoria considers new pieces to add to her collection, she says she always takes into account the special needs of her daughter and of many children around the world.
“For the most part, she is who I consider any time I think of something I want to add or make,” she says. “I try to envision it on her and also consider sensory-wise is this going to be comfortable if a kiddo is sensitive, like Monroe.”
“I try to make an emphasis on anything that I offer to be inclusive of any little ones with special needs or disabilities. I use bamboo fabrics for those who have sensitivities to touch. I try to offer things for little ones who may have a G-tube so easy on and off outfits and maybe wide legs options for little ones like Monroe who wear ankle braces.”
Every piece sold through Monroe’s Kind Society is a custom-made piece, and Victoria stresses that she is happy to accommodate any need that a mom expresses to her.
“Every order is a custom order and custom-designed piece of clothing. Everything I put out is original, and every collection we curate has a direct tie to a foundation, charity, or local cause that we love. Because we donate a portion of all profits, we have been able to help more than 30 charities, local groups, and disaster relief funds.”
Over the last year and a half, Victoria says she has been very careful to curate her business and fine-tune her processes. Because Monroe’s Kind Society isn’t just named after Monroe-it’s also how Victoria helps to support her daughter, both emotionally and financially.
“This is the only way that I am able to contribute providing for her and also manage her schedule by being at home with her,” she says.
“Looking back in hindsight, what a blessing from God it was that I decided to start the company,” she says.
“Because of His plan, it really worked out. I can’t imagine trying to accommodate the things we do for her therapy schedule and medical needs and being a mother that had to work outside of the home.”
“This company allows me to be home with her and have a stop and go workday when I need be with her.”
“They say you decide to be an entrepreneur because you don’t want to work 9:00-5:00, but now you just work 24/7, and that’s exactly what it is. Sometimes our workdays start at 3:00 a.m., or sometimes they end at 3:00 a.m. or both.”
As they start their new year, the third since the beginning, Victoria and Monroe are even busier than ever.
“The month of our one-year anniversary, we hit 1,000 sales. At 1.5 years, we hit 2,000 orders. Now we normally double our sales every month.”
“It’s snowballing, which we are blessed and very thankful for.”
While she says most of her customer base is local, she has shipped orders to 37 states and three countries around the world. She has great customer support from military families near a base in Alaska.
But, no matter where their customers are or what their needs are, Victoria and Monroe are committed to serving them. It is, in fact, the very core of their mission.
“There is a place for all of us in Monroe’s Kind Society,” she says.
You can check out Victoria and Monroe’s collections on Facebook and Instagram or reach out to Victoria at info@monroeskindsociety.com.
