We had the good fortune of connecting with Kelly Grindle and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Kelly, where are your from? We’d love to hear about how your background has played a role in who you are today?
I am from Johns Creek, Georgia, and for those of you that don’t know about that area, it’s a wealthy area. My mom stayed at home with me and my three siblings while my dad went to work. So, we had one income supporting 6 people. My dad has always been good at fixing everything – a handyman if you will. So, he was able to do a ton of projects himself with the help of my mom. While my parents were doing the projects themselves, everyone around us was hiring people to do them, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Financially, my parents couldn’t drop a bunch of money on contractors to do the work for them when they had many people relying on one income to put food on the table. It just made more sense for my parents to do it themselves. Not to mention, they are insanely good at it! My parents did everything in their power to provide a loving, beautiful home for their children, and I can proudly stand here and say they did just that!
They instilled a value in me that you must work hard for what you want and that I am as capable as the next person. Watching them do home projects and flip renovation houses for a profit just showed me how doable everything was without hiring someone. My great grandfather taught my dad everything he knows and with that knowledge was able to renovate the homes him and my mom have lived in since before I was born. Through hard work and grit, they built the life they wanted, and it’s truly inspiring to have them as role models. I’m very grateful to have been raised by such strong individuals because it’s given me the confidence I needed to be a more independent woman and build the home of my dreams on my budget. Plus, there’s no better feeling than looking at project you completed by yourself and being able to enjoy it in your own home.
Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I have always enjoyed creating things with my hands. I actually am a semi-retired hair stylist. I chose to leave that career for mental health reasons back in 2016. I went back to retail and hated it and wanted something different, so I started at a local place in Buford, GA that sells hole in one insurance for golf tournaments. I landed in their marketing department, and I really loved it.
During this time, my husband and I bought our first house, and it was built in the late 70s and needed some updating. We would work all day at our jobs and come home and work all night at our house. It was very stressful, and there were so many tears. I almost gave up on the house, but once we were finished and we moved, I felt so empowered knowing that I helped remodel that house with my own two hands. I learned to lay flooring, tiling, caulking, etc. I think the biggest thing I learned from renovating that house top to bottom was knowing that everything is very doable yourself, but now I know what is worth DIYing and what can be done by professionals that do it every day.
Flash forward to 2020 when I had my daughter. I wanted to be a stay-at-home-mom so badly. My husband made my dreams come true, but I quickly realized that I was having an identity crisis. I felt like I had nothing for myself not even my own body and if you have kids, you totally understand that feeling. I picked up a handheld saw one day and decided I was going to make wooden shutters for our little shed in the backyard and honestly, I never felt so confident after hanging them up. It lit my creative fire again, and I’ve been going ever since.
The biggest thing I want people, especially other women, to take away from my story is that we are wildly capable. There should be no gender stereotypes that hold us back from doing something we love. I often get asked “how did you learn how to use power tools.” Honestly, I just bought one, read the instructions, and dropped the fear and just did it. Yes, I have an amazing Dad and Father-in-law that would help me with anything, but I chose to start myself by dropping the fear. Fear to start, fear for perfection, and fear of judgement will keep you from anything. But once you drop the fear, you can begin creating the home you love! Your home should be an expression of who you truly are!
I am the proudest of the fact that I get to teach other people all the tips and tricks I’ve learned doing my projects and motivating individuals to start their own projects. However, I am very proud that I will be able to share everything I’ve learned with my daughter so that she is able to be a confident, independent woman herself. That is the thing I am and will be most proud of!
Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Places to eat & Drink: – Fogo De Choa: such a fun Brazilian steakhouse. If you leave hungry, it’s your fault lol.
– The Sun Dial: It rotates at the top of a tower that allows you to see Atlanta from an aerial perspective.
– Maggiano’s: can never go wrong with Italian food!
– Fishtales: It’s north of Atlanta, but it’s located on Lake Lanier. It has amazing food & yummy drink options!
Places to visit/hang out:
– Puttshack: this place was so fun 10/10 recommend!
– World of Coke: The room where you try all the sodas from around the world is so fun! be careful though because some taste like nail polish lol.
– Ponce City Market: there so many things to do there! I absolutely love it.
– Chateau Elan Winery: if you’re willing to drive a little bit north, you won’t be disappointed. You can take win tours and they have onsite restaurants that taste amazing!
– Stone Mountain: We love to be outside, so we’ve hiked stone mountain many times and it’s so beautiful once you get to the top.
The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Honestly, my parents have been some of my biggest cheerleaders especially my dad. When I don’t know how to do something, I always call him for help. He is insanely smart and knows all kinds of tricks that I would never know. When my dad doesn’t know, I call my father-in-law who has been in construction his entire life, so he knows all the ins and outs. He helped me and my husband, Brandon, renovate our entire first house. Without the two of them, I’m not sure I would be nearly as successful with my projects.
My mom, Kim – She will drop anything she is doing to help me make my timelines whether that means watching my daughter or getting her hands a little dirty and painting. She the best woman I know, and I hope to be just like her one day. She’s my levelheaded therapist that talks me out of tearing my projects down and starting over. I’m so thankful for her constant love.
My husband is literally the sweetest. Anytime I want to do another project, he supports me. He can be working all day and come downstairs to the house a complete disaster from my latest project and be unphased. He will go to the store with me to buy the supplies, so I don’t have to do it by myself. He is my constant sound board for my ideas and keeps me grounded if I get ahead of myself. He likes all my content I share on social media for my projects, and he motivates me to get out there and work with brands on my projects. Without his love and support, I’m not sure I would be quite as confidant putting myself out in the world.
Outside of the family, Holly & Brad from Our Faux Farmhouse (IG: @ourfauxfarmhouse) are totally what motivated me in 2019 to get out there and do it! I faux shiplapped my first wall with Brandon (I was 6 month pregnant & he didn’t want me using the saw by myself) after watching them install so many fun feature walls in their homes. I have also followed tons of amazing other accounts on Instagram that have taught me a ton of random hacks & tips. It’s truly an amazing community of DIY creatives when you dive into it and put yourself out there!
Website: www.adiymotherhood.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/adiymotherhood
Other: www.pinterest.com/adiymotherhood