Brinley McGhee’s passion is turning into a profession.
Just days after walking across the stage as a Crest High School graduate, McGhee is focusing her energies full time on expanding her business, Divine Brin.
McGhee, an artist who dabbles in several mediums, sells handmade fashion items, such as crocheted sweaters, handbags and coffee sleeves, or customized jewelry and gift items.
She designed and created all of her merchandise.
“My goal is to support myself through this,” McGhee said. “I don’t want it to become overwhelming. You want to keep your passion. But I’m excited to devote more time to it.”
The 17-year-old daughter of Brant and Danelle McGhee of Colony is already turning heads with her production.
She started Divine Brin “as a side hustle” after her mother began selling some of McGhee’s crocheted items on Facebook to family, friends and other acquaintances.
It was during McGhee’s junior year at CHS that she decided to sell her wares through Etsy, an online retailer of unique and creative goods.
Stay Grounded Coffee Shop in Colony allowed McGhee to sell her coffee sleeves there as well.
“I’ve made art my whole life,” she explained. “I did it for a long time, and that’s when I realized I started to get good at it.”
That’s how she describes each of her handmade items — as art.
It’s also quite popular.
Since expanding her business, McGhee has sold items to customers in all 50 states. She’s even sold items as far away as Germany and Australia, but prohibitive shipping costs have prompted her to stick to domestic sales.
MCGHEE’S efforts have garnered her support from within Kansas as well, through the Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge (YEC) Series.
The challenge, a collaborative effort of Kansas State University, the Kansas Masonic Foundation and NetWork Kansas, introduces students to starting a business, explained Julie Turnipseed, director of the Anderson County Development Agency.
The competition consisted of students preparing a written business plan or executive summary, setting up a mock trade-show booth, and then giving a four-minute presentation in a board room setting.
